WorldWideScience

Sample records for ambient pressure drying

  1. Ambient Dried Aerogels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Steven M.; Paik, Jong-Ah

    2013-01-01

    A method has been developed for creating aerogel using normal pressure and ambient temperatures. All spacecraft, satellites, and landers require the use of thermal insulation due to the extreme environments encountered in space and on extraterrestrial bodies. Ambient dried aerogels introduce the possibility of using aerogel as thermal insulation in a wide variety of instances where supercritically dried aerogels cannot be used. More specifically, thermoelectric devices can use ambient dried aerogel, where the advantages are in situ production using the cast-in ability of an aerogel. Previously, aerogels required supercritical conditions (high temperature and high pressure) to be dried. Ambient dried aerogels can be dried at room temperature and pressure. This allows many materials, such as plastics and certain metal alloys that cannot survive supercritical conditions, to be directly immersed in liquid aerogel precursor and then encapsulated in the final, dried aerogel. Additionally, the metalized Mylar films that could not survive the previous methods of making aerogels can survive the ambient drying technique, thus making multilayer insulation (MLI) materials possible. This results in lighter insulation material as well. Because this innovation does not require high-temperature or high-pressure drying, ambient dried aerogels are much less expensive to produce. The equipment needed to conduct supercritical drying costs many tens of thousands of dollars, and has associated running expenses for power, pressurized gasses, and maintenance. The ambient drying process also expands the size of the pieces of aerogel that can be made because a high-temperature, high-pressure system typically has internal dimensions of up to 30 cm in diameter and 60 cm in height. In the case of this innovation, the only limitation on the size of the aerogels produced would be in the ability of the solvent in the wet gel to escape from the gel network.

  2. Hydrophobic and low density silica aerogels dried at ambient pressure using TEOS precursor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gurav, Jyoti L.; Rao, A. Venkateswara; Bangi, Uzma K.H.

    2009-01-01

    In the conventional ambient pressure drying of silica aerogels, tedious repetitive gel washing and solvent exchange steps (∼6 days) are involved. Therefore, in the present studies, we intended to reduce the processing time of TEOS based ambient pressure dried silica aerogels. Solvents such as methanol, hexane and Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDZ) as surface chemical modification agents have been used. To get good quality aerogels in terms of low density, high porosity, high contact angle and low volume shrinkage in less processing time, we varied MeOH/TEOS, HMDZ/TEOS molar ratios, oxalic acid (A) and NH 4 OH (B) concentrations and stirring time from 1 to 27.7, 0.34 to 2.1, 0 to 0.1 M, 0 to 2 M and 15 to 90 min respectively. The transparent and low-density aerogels were obtained for TEOS:MeOH:acidic H 2 O:basic H 2 O:HMDZ molar ratio of 1:16.5:0.81:0.50:0.681 respectively. The thermal stability and hydrophobicity have been confirmed with Thermogravimetric and Differential Thermal (TG-DT) analyses and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Microstructural study was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

  3. Transparent, Superflexible Doubly Cross-Linked Polyvinylpolymethylsiloxane Aerogel Superinsulators via Ambient Pressure Drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zu, Guoqing; Shimizu, Taiyo; Kanamori, Kazuyoshi; Zhu, Yang; Maeno, Ayaka; Kaji, Hironori; Shen, Jun; Nakanishi, Kazuki

    2018-01-23

    Aerogels have many attractive properties but are usually costly and mechanically brittle, which always limit their practical applications. While many efforts have been made to reinforce the aerogels, most of the reinforcement efforts sacrifice the transparency or superinsulating properties. Here we report superflexible polyvinylpolymethylsiloxane, (CH 2 CH(Si(CH 3 )O 2/2 )) n , aerogels that are facilely prepared from a single precursor vinylmethyldimethoxysilane or vinylmethyldiethoxysilane without organic cross-linkers. The method is based on consecutive processes involving radical polymerization and hydrolytic polycondensation, followed by ultralow-cost, highly scalable, ambient-pressure drying directly from alcohol as a drying medium without any modification or additional solvent exchange. The resulting aerogels and xerogels show a homogeneous, tunable, highly porous, doubly cross-linked nanostructure with the elastic polymethylsiloxane network cross-linked with flexible hydrocarbon chains. An outstanding combination of ultralow cost, high scalability, uniform pore size, high surface area, high transparency, high hydrophobicity, excellent machinability, superflexibility in compression, superflexibility in bending, and superinsulating properties has been achieved in a single aerogel or xerogel. This study represents a significant progress of porous materials and makes the practical applications of transparent flexible aerogel-based superinsulators realistic.

  4. Ambient pressure dried tetrapropoxysilane-based silica aerogels with high specific surface area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parale, Vinayak G.; Han, Wooje; Jung, Hae-Noo-Ree; Lee, Kyu-Yeon; Park, Hyung-Ho

    2018-01-01

    In the present paper, we report the synthesis of tetrapropoxysilane (TPOS)-based silica aerogels with high surface area and large pore volume. The silica aerogels were prepared by a two-step sol-gel process followed by surface modification via a simple ambient pressure drying approach. In order to minimize drying shrinkage and obtain hydrophobic aerogels, the surface of the alcogels was modified using trichloromethylsilane as a silylating agent. The effect of the sol-gel compositional parameters on the polymerization of aerogels prepared by TPOS, one of the precursors belonging to the Si(OR)4 family, was reported for the first time. The oxalic acid and NH4OH concentrations were adjusted to achieve good-quality aerogels with high surface area, low density, and high transparency. Controlling the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the TPOS precursor turned out to be the most important factor to determine the pore characteristics of the aerogel. Highly transparent aerogels with high specific surface area (938 m2/g) and low density (0.047 g/cm3) could be obtained using an optimized TPOS/MeOH molar ratio with appropriate concentrations of oxalic acid and NH4OH.

  5. Dry Kraft Pulping at Ambient Pressure for Cost Effective Energy Saving and Pollution Deduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yulin Deng; Art Ragauskas

    2012-08-28

    Sponsored by the DOE Industrial Energy Efficiency Grand Challenge program, our research team at the Georgia Institute of Technology conducted laboratory studies and confirmed the concept of making wood pulp using a dry pulping technology. This technology is a new process different from any prior pulping technology used in Kraft and CTMP pulping. Three different kinds of dry pulping methods were investigated. (a) Dry Pulping at Atmospheric Pressure: The first one is to dry and bake the pretreated woodchips in a conventional oven at atmospheric pressure without the use of a catalyst. (b) Dry Pulping at Reduced Pressure: The second method is to dry the pretreated woodchips first in a vacuum oven in the presence of anthraquinone (AQ) as a pulping catalyst, followed by baking at elevated temperature. (c) Liquid Free Chemical Pulping, LFCP. The third method is to first remove the free water of pretreated woodchips, followed by dry pulping using a conventional Kraft pulping digester with AQ and triton as additives. Method one: Experimental results indicated that Dry Pulping at Atmospheric Pressure could produce pulp with higher brightness and lower bulk than conventional Kraft pulp. However, tensile strength of the acquired pulp is much lower than traditional Kraft pulp, and their Kappa number and energy consumption are higher than conventional Kraft pulp. By fully analyzing the results, we concluded that wood fibers might be damaged during the drying process at elevated temperature. The main reason for wood fiber damage is that a long drying time was used during evaporation of water from the woodchips. This resulted in an un-uniform reaction condition on the woodchips: the outside layer of the woodchips was over reacted while inside the woodchips did not reacted at all. To solve this problem, dry pulping at reduced pressure was investigated. Method two: To achieve uniform reaction throughout the entire reaction system, the water inside the pretreated woodchips was

  6. A high-temperature, ambient-pressure ultra-dry operando reactor cell for Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Köck, Eva-Maria; Kogler, Michaela; Pramsoler, Reinhold; Klötzer, Bernhard; Penner, Simon, E-mail: simon.penner@uibk.ac.at [Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria)

    2014-08-15

    The construction of a newly designed high-temperature, high-pressure FT-IR reaction cell for ultra-dry in situ and operando operation is reported. The reaction cell itself as well as the sample holder is fully made of quartz glass, with no hot metal or ceramic parts in the vicinity of the high-temperature zone. Special emphasis was put on chemically absolute water-free and inert experimental conditions, which includes reaction cell and gas-feeding lines. Operation and spectroscopy up to 1273 K is possible, as well as pressures up to ambient conditions. The reaction cell exhibits a very easy and variable construction and can be adjusted to any available FT-IR spectrometer. Its particular strength lies in its possibility to access and study samples under very demanding experimental conditions. This includes studies at very high temperatures, e.g., for solid-oxide fuel cell research or studies where the water content of the reaction mixtures must be exactly adjusted. The latter includes all adsorption studies on oxide surfaces, where the hydroxylation degree is of paramount importance. The capability of the reaction cell will be demonstrated for two selected examples where information and in due course a correlation to other methods can only be achieved using the presented setup.

  7. Influence of high-frequency ambient pressure pumping on carbon dioxide efflux from soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eugene S. Takle; William J. Massman; James R. Brandle; R. A. Schmidt; Xinhua Zhou; Irina V. Litvina; Rick Garcia; Geoffrey Doyle; Charles W. Rice

    2004-01-01

    We report measurements at 2Hz of pressure fluctuations at and beneath the soil in an agricultural field with dry soil and no vegetation. The objective of our study was to examine the possible role of pressure fluctuations produced by fluctuations in ambient wind on the efflux of CO2 at the soil surface.We observed that pressure fluctuations penetrate to 50 cm in the...

  8. A Novel Environmental Route to Ambient Pressure Dried Thermal Insulating Silica Aerogel via Recycled Coal Gangue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pinghua Zhu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Coal gangue, one of the main hazardous emissions of purifying coal from coalmine industry, is rich in silica and alumina. However, the recycling of the waste is normally restricted by less efficient techniques and low attractive output; the utilization of such waste is still staying lower than 15%. In this work, the silica aerogel materials were synthesized by using a precursor extracted from recycled silicon-rich coal gangue, followed by a single-step surface silylation and ambient pressure drying. A low density (~0.19 g/cm3 nanostructured aerogel with a 3D open porous microstructure and high surface area (~690 m2/g was synthesized, which presents a superior thermal insulation performance (~26.5 mW·m−1·K−1 of a plane packed of 4-5 mm granules which was confirmed by transient hot-wire method. This study offers a new facile route to the synthesis of insulating aerogel material by recycling solid waste coal gangue and presents a potential cost reduction of industrial production of silica aerogels.

  9. Simulation of microbubble response to ambient pressure changes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Klaus Scheldrup; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    2008-01-01

    The theory on microbubbles clearly indicates a relation between the ambient pressure and the acoustic behavior of the bubble. The purpose of this study was to optimize the sensitivity of ambient pressure measurements, using the subharmonic component, through microbubble response simulations....... The behaviour of two different contrast agents was investigated as a function of driving pulse and ambient overpressure, pov. Simulations of Levovist using a rectangular driving pulse show an almost linear reduction in the subharmonic component as pov is increased. For a 20 cycles driving pulse, a reduction...... is not completely linear as a function of the ambient pressure....

  10. Ambient pressure sensitivity of microbubbles investigated through a parameter study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Klaus Scheldrup; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    2009-01-01

    Measurements on microbubbles clearly indicate a relation between the ambient pressure and the acoustic behavior of the bubble. The purpose of this study was to optimize the sensitivity of ambient pressure measurements, using the subharmonic component, through microbubble response simulations....... The behavior of two microbubbles corresponding to two different contrast agents was investigated as a function of driving pulse and ambient overpressure, pov. Simulations of Levovist using a rectangular driving pulse show an almost linear reduction in the subharmonic component as pov is increased. For a 20...... found, although the reduction is not completely linear as a function of the ambient pressure....

  11. Effects of ambient temperature and water vapor on chamber pressure and oxygen level during low atmospheric pressure stunning of poultry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holloway, Paul H; Pritchard, David G

    2017-08-01

    The characteristics of the vacuum used in a low atmospheric pressure stunning system to stun (render unconscious) poultry prior to slaughter are described. A vacuum chamber is pumped by a wet screw compressor. The vacuum pressure is reduced from ambient atmospheric pressure to an absolute vacuum pressure of ∼250 Torr (∼33 kPa) in ∼67 sec with the vacuum gate valve fully open. At ∼250 Torr, the sliding gate valve is partially closed to reduce effective pumping speed, resulting in a slower rate of decreasing pressure. Ambient temperature affects air density and water vapor pressure and thereby oxygen levels and the time at the minimum total pressure of ∼160 Torr (∼21 kPa) is varied from ∼120 to ∼220 sec to ensure an effective stun within the 280 seconds of each cycle. The reduction in total pressure results in a gradual reduction of oxygen partial pressure that was measured by a solid-state electrochemical oxygen sensor. The reduced oxygen pressure leads to hypoxia, which is recognized as a humane method of stunning poultry. The system maintains an oxygen concentration of air always reduces the oxygen concentrations to a value lower than in dry air. The partial pressure of water and oxygen were found to depend on the pump down parameters due to the formation of fog in the chamber and desorption of water from the birds and the walls of the vacuum chamber. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

  12. Preparation and characterization of silica aerogels from diatomite via ambient pressure drying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Baomin; Ma, Hainan; Song, Kai

    2014-07-01

    The silica aerogels were successfully fabricated under ambient pressure from diatomite. The influence of different dilution ratios of diatomite filtrate on physical properties of aerogels were studied. The microstructure, surface functional groups, thermal stability, morphology and mechanical properties of silica aerogels based on diatomite were investigated by BET adsorption, FT-IR, DTA-TG, FESEM, TEM, and nanoindentation methods. The results indicate that the filtrate diluted with distilled water in a proportion of 1: 2 could give silica aerogels in the largest size with highest transparency. The obtained aerogels with density of 0.122-0.203 g/m3 and specific surface area of 655.5-790.7 m2/g are crack free amorphous solids and exhibited a sponge-like structure. Moreover, the peak pore size resided at 9 nm. The initial aerogels were hydrophobic, when being heat-treated around 400°C, the aerogels were transformed into hydrophilic ones. The obtained aerogel has good mechanical properties.

  13. Seed storage at elevated partial pressure of oxygen, a fast method for analysing seed ageing under dry conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groot, S. P. C.; Surki, A. A.; de Vos, R. C. H.; Kodde, J.

    2012-01-01

    Background and Aims Despite differences in physiology between dry and relative moist seeds, seed ageing tests most often use a temperature and seed moisture level that are higher than during dry storage used in commercial practice and gene banks. This study aimed to test whether seed ageing under dry conditions can be accelerated by storing under high-pressure oxygen. Methods Dry barley (Hordeum vulgare), cabbage (Brassica oleracea), lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and soybean (Glycine max) seeds were stored between 2 and 7 weeks in steel tanks under 18 MPa partial pressure of oxygen. Storage under high-pressure nitrogen gas or under ambient air pressure served as controls. The method was compared with storage at 45 °C after equilibration at 85 % relative humidity and long-term storage at the laboratory bench. Germination behaviour, seedling morphology and tocopherol levels were assessed. Key Results The ageing of the dry seeds was indeed accelerated by storing under high-pressure oxygen. The morphological ageing symptoms of the stored seeds resembled those observed after ageing under long-term dry storage conditions. Barley appeared more tolerant of this storage treatment compared with lettuce and soybean. Less-mature harvested cabbage seeds were more sensitive, as was the case for primed compared with non-primed lettuce seeds. Under high-pressure oxygen storage the tocopherol levels of dry seeds decreased, in a linear way with the decline in seed germination, but remained unchanged in seeds deteriorated during storage at 45 °C after equilibration at 85 % RH. Conclusions Seed storage under high-pressure oxygen offers a novel and relatively fast method to study the physiology and biochemistry of seed ageing at different seed moisture levels and temperatures, including those that are representative of the dry storage conditions as used in gene banks and commercial practice. PMID:22967856

  14. Seed storage at elevated partial pressure of oxygen, a fast method for analysing seed ageing under dry conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groot, S P C; Surki, A A; de Vos, R C H; Kodde, J

    2012-11-01

    Despite differences in physiology between dry and relative moist seeds, seed ageing tests most often use a temperature and seed moisture level that are higher than during dry storage used in commercial practice and gene banks. This study aimed to test whether seed ageing under dry conditions can be accelerated by storing under high-pressure oxygen. methods: Dry barley (Hordeum vulgare), cabbage (Brassica oleracea), lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and soybean (Glycine max) seeds were stored between 2 and 7 weeks in steel tanks under 18 MPa partial pressure of oxygen. Storage under high-pressure nitrogen gas or under ambient air pressure served as controls. The method was compared with storage at 45 °C after equilibration at 85 % relative humidity and long-term storage at the laboratory bench. Germination behaviour, seedling morphology and tocopherol levels were assessed. The ageing of the dry seeds was indeed accelerated by storing under high-pressure oxygen. The morphological ageing symptoms of the stored seeds resembled those observed after ageing under long-term dry storage conditions. Barley appeared more tolerant of this storage treatment compared with lettuce and soybean. Less-mature harvested cabbage seeds were more sensitive, as was the case for primed compared with non-primed lettuce seeds. Under high-pressure oxygen storage the tocopherol levels of dry seeds decreased, in a linear way with the decline in seed germination, but remained unchanged in seeds deteriorated during storage at 45 °C after equilibration at 85 % RH. Seed storage under high-pressure oxygen offers a novel and relatively fast method to study the physiology and biochemistry of seed ageing at different seed moisture levels and temperatures, including those that are representative of the dry storage conditions as used in gene banks and commercial practice.

  15. Numerical study of ambient pressure for laser-induced bubble near a rigid boundary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, BeiBei; Zhang, HongChao; Han, Bing; Lu, Jian

    2012-07-01

    The dynamics of the laser-induced bubble at different ambient pressures was numerically studied by Finite Volume Method (FVM). The velocity of the bubble wall, the liquid jet velocity at collapse, and the pressure of the water hammer while the liquid jet impacting onto the boundary are found to increase nonlinearly with increasing ambient pressure. The collapse time and the formation time of the liquid jet are found to decrease nonlinearly with increasing ambient pressure. The ratios of the jet formation time to the collapse time, and the displacement of the bubble center to the maximal radius while the jet formation stay invariant when ambient pressure changes. These ratios are independent of ambient pressure.

  16. A new route for preparation of sodium-silicate-based hydrophobic silica aerogels via ambient-pressure drying

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bangi, Uzma K H; Rao, A Venkateswara; Rao, A Parvathy

    2008-01-01

    An in-depth investigation into the synthesis of hydrophobic silica aerogels prepared by the surface derivatization of wet gels followed by subsequent drying at ambient pressure is reported. The following sol-gel parameters were examined for their effect on the physical properties of the derived aerogels: number of gel washings with water, percentage of hexane or methanol in silylating mixture, molar ratio of tartaric acid: Na 2 SiO 3 , gel aging period, weight% of silica, trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) percentage, and silylation period. These parameters were varied from 1 to 4, 0 to 100%, 0.27 to 1.2, 0 to 4 h, 1.5 to 8 wt.%, 20 to 40% and 6 to 24 h, respectively. The properties of hydrophobic silica aerogels synthesized by this new route were investigated in terms of bulk density, percentage volume shrinkage, percentage porosity, thermal conductivity and contact angle with water, and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The as-prepared hydrophobic silica aerogels exhibited high temperature stability (up to approximately 435 0 C) as measured by thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA). The optimal sol-gel parameters were found to be a molar ratio of Na 2 SiO 3 :H 2 O : tartaric acid : TMCS of 1 : 146.67 : 0.86 : 9.46, an aging period of 3 h, four washings with water in 24 h and the use of a 50% hexane- or methanol-based silylating mixture. Aerogels prepared with these optimal parameters were found to exhibit 50% optical transparency in the visible range, 84 kg m -3 density, 0.090 W mK -1 thermal conductivity, 95% porosity and a contact angle of 146 0 with water

  17. Effect of dry and wet ambient environment on the pulsed laser ablation of titanium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, Nisar; Bashir, Shazia; Umm-i-Kalsoom,; Akram, Mahreen; Mahmood, Khaliq

    2013-01-01

    Surface and structural properties of the laser irradiated titanium targets have been investigated under dry and wet ambient environments. For this purpose KrF Excimer laser of wavelength 248 nm, pulse duration of 20 ns and repetition rate of 20 Hz has been employed. The targets were exposed for various number of laser pulses ranging from 500 to 2000 in the ambient environment of air, de-ionized water and propanol at a fluence of 3.6 J/cm 2 . The surface morphology, chemical composition and crystallographical analysis were performed by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), respectively. For both central and peripheral ablated areas, significant difference in surface morphology has been observed in case of dry and wet ambient conditions. Large sized and diffused grains are observed in case of dry ablation. Whereas, in case of wet ablation, small sized, and well defined grains with distinct grain boundaries and significantly enhanced density are revealed. This difference is ascribed to the confinement effects of the liquid. The peripheral ablated area shows redeposition in case of dry ablation whereas small sized grain like structures are formed in case of wet ablation. EDS analysis exhibits variation in chemical composition under both ambient conditions. When the targets are treated in air environment, enhancement of the oxygen as well as nitrogen content is observed while in case of de-ionized water and propanol only increase in content of oxygen is observed. X-ray diffraction analysis exhibits formation of oxides and nitrides in case of air, whereas, in case of de-ionized water and propanol only oxides along with hydrides are formed. For various number of laser pulses the variation in the peak intensity, crystallinity and d-spacing is observed under both ambient conditions.

  18. Superconducting Open-Framework Allotrope of Silicon at Ambient Pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sung, Ha-Jun; Han, W. H.; Lee, In-Ho; Chang, K. J.

    2018-04-01

    Diamond Si is a semiconductor with an indirect band gap that is the basis of modern semiconductor technology. Although many metastable forms of Si were observed using diamond anvil cells for compression and chemical precursors for synthesis, no metallic phase at ambient conditions has been reported thus far. Here we report the prediction of pure metallic Si allotropes with open channels at ambient pressure, unlike a cubic diamond structure in covalent bonding networks. The metallic phase termed P 6 /m -Si6 can be obtained by removing Na after pressure release from a novel Na-Si clathrate called P 6 /m -NaSi6 , which is predicted through first-principles study at high pressure. We identify that both P 6 /m -NaSi6 and P 6 /m -Si6 are stable and superconducting with the critical temperatures of about 13 and 12 K at ambient pressure, respectively. The prediction of new Na-Si and Si clathrate structures presents the possibility of exploring new exotic allotropes useful for Si-based devices.

  19. Impact of acoustic pressure on ambient pressure estimation using ultrasound contrast agent

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Klaus Scheldrup; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    2010-01-01

    Local blood pressure measurements provide important information on the state of health of organs in the body and can be used to diagnose diseases in the heart, lungs, and kidneys. This paper presents an approach for investigating the ambient pressure sensitivity of a contrast agent using diagnostic...

  20. Densification of silica glass at ambient pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Lianqing; An Qi; Fu Rongshan; Ni Sidao; Luo, S.-N.

    2006-01-01

    We show that densification of silica glass at ambient pressure as observed in irradiation experiments can be attributed to defect generation and subsequent structure relaxation. In our molecular dynamics simulations, defects are created by randomly removing atoms, by displacing atoms from their nominal positions in an otherwise intact glass, and by assigning certain atom excess kinetic energy (simulated ion implantation). The former forms vacancies; displacing atoms and ion implantation produce both vacancies and 'interstitials'. Appreciable densification is induced by these defects after equilibration of the defective glasses. The structural and vibrational properties of the densified glasses are characterized, displaying resembling features regardless of the means of densification. These results indicate that relaxation of high free-energy defects into metastable amorphous structures enriched in atomic coordination serves as a common mechanism for densification of silica glass at ambient pressure

  1. Dependence of the subharmonic signal from contrast agent microbubbles on ambient pressure: A theoretical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez-Fernández, J

    2018-01-01

    This paper investigates the dependence of the subharmonic response in a signal scattered by contrast agent microbubbles on ambient pressure to provide quantitative estimations of local blood pressure. The problem is formulated by assuming a gas bubble encapsulated by a shell of finite thickness with dynamic behavior modeled by a nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive equation. For ambient overpressure compatible with the clinical range, the acoustic pressure intervals where the subharmonic signal may be detected (above the threshold for the onset and below the limit value for the first chaotic transition) are determined. The analysis shows that as the overpressure is increased, all harmonic components are displaced to higher frequencies. This displacement is significant for the subharmonic of order 1/2 and explains the increase or decrease in the subharmonic amplitude with ambient pressure described in previous works. Thus, some questions related to the monotonic dependence of the subharmonic amplitude on ambient pressure are clarified. For different acoustic pressures, quantitative conditions for determining the intervals where the subharmonic amplitude is a monotonic or non-monotonic function of the ambient pressure are provided. Finally, the influence of the ambient pressure on the subharmonic resonance frequency is analyzed.

  2. Association between ambient temperature and blood pressure and blood pressure regulators: 1831 hypertensive patients followed up for three years.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Chen

    Full Text Available Several studies have suggested an association between ambient air temperature and blood pressure. However, this has not been reliably confirmed by longitudinal studies. Also, whether the reaction to temperature stimulation is modified by other factors such as antihypertensive medication is rarely investigated. The present study explores the relationship between ambient temperature and blood pressure, without and with antihypertensive medication, in a study of 1,831 hypertensive patients followed up for three years, in two or four weekly check ups, accumulating 62,452 follow-up records. Both baseline and follow-up blood pressure showed an inverse association with ambient temperature, which explained 32.4% and 65.6% of variation of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure (P<0.05 respectively. The amplitude of individual blood pressure fluctuation with temperature throughout a year (a 29 degrees centigrade range was 9.4/7.3 mmHg. Medication with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor benazepril attenuated the blood pressure fluctuation by 2.4/1.3 mmHg each year, though the inverse association of temperature and blood pressure remained. Gender, drinking behavior and body mass index were also found to modify the association between temperature and diastolic blood pressure. The results indicate that ambient temperature may negatively regulate blood pressure. Hypertensive patients should monitor and treat blood pressure more carefully in cold days, and it could be especially important for the males, thinner people and drinkers.

  3. Photoelectron spectroscopy under ambient pressure and temperature conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frank Ogletree, D.; Bluhm, Hendrik; Hebenstreit, Eleonore D.; Salmeron, Miquel

    2009-01-01

    We describe the development and applications of novel instrumentation for photoemission spectroscopy of solid or liquid surfaces in the presence of gases under ambient conditions of pressure and temperature. The new instrument overcomes the strong scattering of electrons in gases by the use of an aperture close to the surface followed by a differentially-pumped electrostatic lens system. In addition to the scattering problem, experiments in the presence of condensed water or other liquids require the development of special sample holders to provide localized cooling. We discuss the first two generations of Ambient Pressure PhotoEmission Spectroscopy (APPES) instruments developed at synchrotron light sources (ALS in Berkeley and BESSY in Berlin), with special focus on the Berkeley instruments. Applications to environmental science and catalytic chemical research are illustrated in two examples.

  4. Superheated emulsions in neutron spectrometry by varying ambient pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Mala; Sawamura, Teruko

    2005-01-01

    The principle of present work lies on the dependence of the threshold neutron energy on the dimensionless quantity ''degree of metastability (ss)'' of superheated liquids. The response of the superheated emulsions consists of the drops of superheated liquid (C 2 Cl 2 F 4 , b.p. 3.77 deg. C) has been measured at different 'ss' by varying ambient pressure at different temperatures, in the presence of neutrons generated in Pb by a (γ,n) reaction from 45 MeV electron LINAC of Hokkaido University. To unfold the neutron energy spectrum, a relationship has been developed between the 'ss' of superheated liquids and the threshold neutron energy. The spectrum at the detector position has been calculated by the MCNP code and a comparison has been made with the experimental spectrum. The utilisation of 'ss' is more flexible as this relation can be applied to both positive and negative ambient pressures as well as at different ambient temperatures

  5. Ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy of metal surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baikie, Iain D., E-mail: iain@kptechnology.ltd.uk; Grain, Angela C.; Sutherland, James; Law, Jamie

    2014-12-30

    Highlights: • Ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy of metals. • Rastered photon energy scan overcomes inelastic scattering. • Relationship between photoemission threshold and contact potential difference. - Abstract: We describe a novel photoemission technique utilizing a traditional Kelvin probe as a detector of electrons/atmospheric ions ejected from metallic surfaces (Au, Ag, Cu, Fe, Ni, Ti, Zn, Al) illuminated by a deep ultra-violet (DUV) source under ambient pressure. To surmount the limitation of electron scattering in air the incident photon energy is rastered rather than applying a variable retarding electric field as is used with UPS. This arrangement can be applied in several operational modes: using the DUV source to determine the photoemission threshold (Φ) with 30–50 meV resolution and also the Kelvin probe, under dark conditions, to measure contact potential difference (CPD) between the Kelvin probe tip and the metallic sample with an accuracy of 1–3 meV. We have studied the relationship between the photoelectric threshold and CPD of metal surfaces cleaned in ambient conditions. Inclusion of a second spectroscopic visible source was used to confirm a semiconducting oxide, possibly Cu{sub 2}O, via surface photovoltage measurements with the KP. This dual detection system can be easily extended to controlled gas conditions, relative humidity control and sample heating/cooling.

  6. Alterations in MAST suit pressure with changes in ambient temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, A B; Meislin, H W; Daub, E

    1983-01-01

    A study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that change in ambient air temperature has an effect on MAST suit pressure according to the ideal gas law. Two different MAST suits were tested on Resusci-Annie dummies. The MAST suits were applied in a cold room at 4.4 degrees C and warmed to 44 degrees C. Positive linear correlations were found in nine trials, but the two suits differed in their rate of increase in pressure. Three trials using humans were conducted showing increased pressure with temperature but at a lesser rate than with dummies. A correlation of 0.5 to 1.0 mm Hg increase in MAST suit pressure for each 1.0 degrees C increase in ambient temperature was found. Implications are discussed for the use of the MAST suit in environmental conditions where the temperature changes.

  7. A reaction cell for ambient pressure soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castán-Guerrero, C.; Krizmancic, D.; Bonanni, V.; Edla, R.; Deluisa, A.; Salvador, F.; Rossi, G.; Panaccione, G.; Torelli, P.

    2018-05-01

    We present a new experimental setup for performing X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) in the soft X-ray range at ambient pressure. The ambient pressure XAS setup is fully compatible with the ultra high vacuum environment of a synchrotron radiation spectroscopy beamline end station by means of ultrathin Si3N4 membranes acting as windows for the X-ray beam and seal of the atmospheric sample environment. The XAS detection is performed in total electron yield (TEY) mode by probing the drain current from the sample with a picoammeter. The high signal/noise ratio achievable in the TEY mode, combined with a continuous scanning of the X-ray energies, makes it possible recording XAS spectra in a few seconds. The first results show the performance of this setup to record fast XAS spectra from sample surfaces exposed at atmospheric pressure, even in the case of highly insulating samples. The use of a permanent magnet inside the reaction cell enables the measurement of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism at ambient pressure.

  8. Improved Ambient Pressure Pyroelectric Ion Source

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beegle, Luther W.; Kim, Hugh I.; Kanik, Isik; Ryu, Ernest K.; Beckett, Brett

    2011-01-01

    The detection of volatile vapors of unknown species in a complex field environment is required in many different applications. Mass spectroscopic techniques require subsystems including an ionization unit and sample transport mechanism. All of these subsystems must have low mass, small volume, low power, and be rugged. A volatile molecular detector, an ambient pressure pyroelectric ion source (APPIS) that met these requirements, was recently reported by Caltech researchers to be used in in situ environments.

  9. High strength air-dried aerogels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coronado, Paul R.; Satcher, Jr., Joe H.

    2012-11-06

    A method for the preparation of high strength air-dried organic aerogels. The method involves the sol-gel polymerization of organic gel precursors, such as resorcinol with formaldehyde (RF) in aqueous solvents with R/C ratios greater than about 1000 and R/F ratios less than about 1:2.1. Using a procedure analogous to the preparation of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogels, this approach generates wet gels that can be air dried at ambient temperatures and pressures. The method significantly reduces the time and/or energy required to produce a dried aerogel compared to conventional methods using either supercritical solvent extraction. The air dried gel exhibits typically less than 5% shrinkage.

  10. Non-invasive ambient pressure estimation using non-linear ultrasound contrast agents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Klaus Scheldrup

    Many attempts to find a non-invasive procedure to measure the blood pressure locally in the body have been made. This dissertation focuses on the approaches which utilize highly compressible ultrasound contrast agents as ambient pressure sensors. The literature within the topic has been reviewed...

  11. Distribution of Vapor Pressure in the Vacuum Freeze-Drying Equipment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiwei Zhang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In the big vacuum freeze-drying equipment, the drying rate of materials is uneven at different positions. This phenomenon can be explained by the uneven distribution of vapor pressure in chamber during the freeze-drying process. In this paper, a mathematical model is developed to describe the vapor flow in the passageways either between material plates and in the channel between plate groups. The distribution of vapor pressure along flow passageway is given. Two characteristic factors of passageways are defined to express the effects of structural and process parameters on vapor pressure distribution. The affecting factors and their actions are quantitatively discussed in detail. Two examples are calculated and analyzed. The analysis method and the conclusions are useful to estimate the difference of material drying rate at different parts in equipment and to direct the choice of structural and process parameters.

  12. Barley seed ageing: genetics behind the dry elevated pressure of oxygen ageing and moist controlled deterioration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuela eNagel

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Experimental seed ageing approaches intend to mimic seed deterioration processes to achieve a storage interval reduction. Common methods apply higher seed moisture levels and temperatures. In contrast, the elevated partial pressure of oxygen (EPPO approach treats dry seed stored at ambient temperatures with high oxygen pressure. To analyse the genetic background of seed longevity and the effects of seed ageing under dry conditions, the EPPO approach was applied to the progeny of the Oregon Wolfe Barley (OWB mapping population. In comparison to a non-treated control and a control high-pressure nitrogen treatment, EPPO stored seeds showed typical symptoms of ageing with a significant reduction of normal seedlings, slower germination, and less total germination. Thereby, the parent Dom (OWB-D, carrying dominant alleles, is more sensitive to ageing in comparison to the population mean and in most cases to the parent Rec (OWB-R, carrying recessive alleles. Quantitative trait locus (QTL analyses using 2,832 markers revealed 65 QTLs, including two major loci for seed vigor on 2H and 7H. QTLs for EPPO tolerance were detected on 3H, 4H, and 5H. An applied controlled deterioration (CD treatment (aged at higher moisture level and temperature revealed a tolerance QTL on 5H, indicating that the mechanism of seed deterioration differs in part between EPPO or CD conditions.

  13. Effect of biomass open burning on particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentration levels and PAH dry deposition in ambient air.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiu, Jui C; Shen, Yun H; Li, Hsing W; Chang, Shun S; Wang, Lin C; Chang-Chien, Guo P

    2011-01-01

    The objectives of the present study were to investigate particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in ambient air during rice straw open burning and non-open burning periods. In the ambient air of a rice field, the mean PM concentration during and after an open burning event were 1828 and 102 μg m⁻³, respectively, which demonstrates that during a rice field open burning event, the PM concentration in the ambient air of rice field is over 17 times higher than that of the non-open burning period. During an open burning event, the mean total PAH and total toxic equivalence (BaP(eq)) concentrations in the ambient air of a rice field were 7206 ng m⁻³ and 10.3 ng m⁻³, respectively, whereas after the open burning event, they were 376 ng m⁻³ and 1.50 ng m⁻³, respectively. Open burning thus increases total PAH and total BaP(eq) concentrations by 19-fold and 6.8-fold, respectively. During a rice straw open burning event, in the ambient air of a rice field, the mean dry deposition fluxes of total PAHs and total BaP(eq) were 1222 μg m⁻² day⁻¹ and 4.80 μg m⁻² day⁻¹, respectively, which are approximately 60- and 3-fold higher than those during the non-open burning period, respectively. During the non-open burning period, particle-bound PAHs contributed 79.2-84.2% of total dry deposition fluxes (gas + particle) of total PAHs. However, an open burning event increases the contribution to total PAH dry deposition by particle-bound PAHs by up to 85.9-95.5%. The results show that due to the increased amount of PM in the ambient air resulting from rice straw open burning, particle-bound PAHs contributed more to dry deposition fluxes of total PAHs than they do during non-open burning periods. The results show that biomass (rice straw) open burning is an important PAH emission source that significantly increases both PM and PAH concentration levels and PAH dry deposition in ambient air.

  14. Bacterial decontamination using ambient pressure nonthermal discharges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Birmingham, J.G.; Hammerstrom, D.J.

    2000-02-01

    Atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasmas can efficiently deactivate bacteria in gases, liquids, and on surfaces, as well as can decompose hazardous chemicals. This paper focuses on the changes to bacterial spores and toxic biochemical compounds, such as mycotoxins, after their treatment in ambient pressure discharges. The ability of nonthermal plasmas to decompose toxic chemicals and deactivate hazardous biological materials has been applied to sterilizing medical instruments, ozonating water, and purifying air. In addition, the fast lysis of bacterial spores and other cells has led us to include plasma devices within pathogen detection instruments, where nucleic acids must be accessed. Decontaminating chemical and biological warfare materials from large, high value targets such as building surfaces, after a terrorist attack, are especially challenging. A large area plasma decontamination technology is described.

  15. Pulsed laser ablation of silicon with low laser fluence in a low-pressure of ammonia ambient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choo, Cheow-Keong; Tohara, Makoto; Enomoto, Kazuhiro; Tanaka, Katsumi

    2004-01-01

    Silicon was ablated by 532 nm wavelength of Nd:YAG laser in ammonia gas ambient. The influence of laser fluence and gas ambient pressures between 1.33x10 1 to 1.33x10 -5 Pa on the deposited compound was studied by in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. The results indicate that the deposited compound is composed of nonstoichiometric silicon nitride (SiN x , x=0-0.84). It has been shown that the composition of nitrogen to silicon is sensitive to the laser fluence; it increases with decreasing laser fluence. However, the ammonia gas ambient in these low pressures range had no influence on the composition of the deposited compound. The reaction of the ablated silicon with low-pressure ambient ammonia is proposed to be occurred on the substrate

  16. A measurement of summertime dry deposition of ambient air particulates and associated metallic pollutants in Central Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Guor-Cheng; Chiang, Hung-Che; Chen, Yu-Cheng; Xiao, You-Fu; Wu, Chia-Ming; Kuo, Yu-Chen

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of this study is to characterize metallic elements associated with atmospheric particulate matter in the dry deposition plate, total suspended particulate, fine particles, and coarse particles at Taichung Harbor and Gong Ming Junior High School (airport) in central Taiwan at a sampling site from June 2013 to August 2013. The results indicated that: (1) the average concentrations of the metallic elements Cr and Cd were highest at the Gong Ming Junior High School (airport), and the average concentrations of the metallic elements Ni, Cu, and Pb were highest at the Taichung Harbor sampling site. (2) The high smelting industry density and export/import rate of heavily loaded cargos were the main reasons leading to these findings. (3) The average metallic element dry deposition and metallic element PM(2.5-10) all followed the order of Pb > Cr > Cu > Ni > Cd at the two sampling sites. However, the average metallic elements Cu and Pb were found to have the highest dry deposition velocities and concentrations in PM(2.5) for the two sampling sites in this study. (4) The correlation coefficients of ambient air particle dry deposition and concentration with wind speed at the airport were higher than those from the harbor sampling site. The wind and broad open spaces at Taichung Airport were the possible reasons for the increasing correlation coefficients for ambient air particle concentration and dry deposition with wind speed at the Taichung Airport sampling site.

  17. The effect of nozzle diameter, injection pressure and ambient temperature on spray characteristics in diesel engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhaodah Andsaler, Adiba; Khalid, Amir; Sharifhatul Adila Abdullah, Nor; Sapit, Azwan; Jaat, Norrizam

    2017-04-01

    Mixture formation of the ignition process is a key element in the diesel combustion as it influences the combustion process and exhaust emission. Aim of this study is to elucidate the effects of nozzle diameter, injection pressure and ambient temperature to the formation of spray. This study investigated diesel formation spray using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Multiphase volume of fluid (VOF) behaviour in the chamber are determined by means of transient simulation, Eulerian of two phases is used for implementation of mixing fuel and air. The detail behaviour of spray droplet diameter, spray penetration and spray breakup length was visualised using the ANSYS 16.1. This simulation was done in different nozzle diameter 0.12 mm and 0.2 mm performed at the ambient temperature 500 K and 700 K with different injection pressure 40 MPa, 70 MPa and 140 MPa. Results show that high pressure influence droplet diameter become smaller and the penetration length longer with the high injection pressure apply. Smaller nozzle diameter gives a shorter length of the breakup. It is necessary for nozzle diameter and ambient temperature condition to improve the formation of spray. High injection pressure is most effective in improvement of formation spray under higher ambient temperature and smaller nozzle diameter.

  18. A lab-based ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectrometer with exchangeable analysis chambers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Newberg, John T., E-mail: jnewberg@udel.edu; Arble, Chris; Goodwin, Chris; Khalifa, Yehia; Broderick, Alicia [Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (United States); Åhlund, John [Scienta AB, Box 15120, 750 15 Uppsala (Sweden)

    2015-08-15

    Ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) is a powerful spectroscopy tool that is inherently surface sensitive, elemental, and chemical specific, with the ability to probe sample surfaces under Torr level pressures. Herein, we describe the design of a new lab-based APXPS system with the ability to swap small volume analysis chambers. Ag 3d(5/2) analyses of a silver foil were carried out at room temperature to determine the optimal sample-to-aperture distance, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis spot size, relative peak intensities, and peak full width at half maximum of three different electrostatic lens modes: acceleration, transmission, and angular. Ag 3d(5/2) peak areas, differential pumping pressures, and pump performance were assessed under varying N{sub 2}(g) analysis chamber pressures up to 20 Torr. The commissioning of this instrument allows for the investigation of molecular level interfacial processes under ambient vapor conditions in energy and environmental research.

  19. Numerical simulation of heat transfer process in solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower with radiation model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Qiuhuan; Zhu, Jialing; Lu, Xinli

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A 3-D numerical model integrated with a discrete ordinate (DO) solar radiation model (considering solar radiation effect in the room of solar collector) was developed to investigate the influence of solar radiation intensity and ambient pressure on the efficiency and thermal characteristics of the SENDDCT. Our study shows that introducing such a radiation model can more accurately simulate the heat transfer process in the SENDDCT. Calculation results indicate that previous simulations overestimated solar energy obtained by the solar collector and underestimated the heat loss. The cooling performance is improved when the solar radiation intensity or ambient pressure is high. Air temperature and velocity increase with the increase of solar radiation intensity. But ambient pressure has inverse effects on the changes of air temperature and velocity. Under a condition that the solar load increases but the ambient pressure decreases, the increased rate of heat transferred in the heat exchanger is not obvious. Thus the performance of the SENDDCT not only depends on the solar radiation intensity but also depends on the ambient pressure. - Highlights: • A radiation model has been introduced to accurately simulate heat transfer process. • Heat transfer rate would be overestimated if the radiation model was not introduced. • The heat transfer rate is approximately proportional to solar radiation intensity. • The higher the solar radiation or ambient pressure, the better SENDDCT performance. - Abstract: Solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower (SENDDCT) is more efficient than natural draft dry cooling tower by utilizing solar radiation in arid region. A three-dimensional numerical model considering solar radiation effect was developed to investigate the influence of solar radiation intensity and ambient pressure on the efficiency and thermal characteristics of SENDDCT. The numerical simulation outcomes reveal that a model with consideration of

  20. A study on the macroscopic spray behavior and atomization characteristics of biodiesel and dimethyl ether sprays under increased ambient pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hyung Jun; Park, Su Han [Graduate School of Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seoungdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea); Lee, Chang Sik [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea)

    2010-03-15

    The aim of this work is to investigate the spray behaviors of biodiesel and dimethyl ether (DME) fuels using image processing and atomization performance analysis of the two fuel sprays injected through a common-rail injection system under various ambient pressure conditions in a high pressure chamber. In order to observe the biodiesel and DME fuel spray behaviors under various ambient pressures, the spray images were analyzed at various times after the start of energization using a visualization system consisting of a high speed camera and two metal halide light sources. In addition, a high pressure chamber that can withstand a pressure of 4 MPa was used for adjusting the ambient pressure. From the spray images, spray characteristics such as the spray tip penetration, cone angle, area, and contour plot at various light intensity levels were analyzed using image conversion processing. Also, the local Sauter mean diameters (SMD) were measured at various axial/radial distances from the nozzle tip by a droplet measuring system to compare the atomization performances of the biodiesel and DME sprays. The results showed that the ambient pressure had a significant effect on the spray characteristics of the fuels at the various experimental conditions. The spray tip penetration and spray area decreased as the ambient pressure increased. The contour plot of the biodiesel and DME sprays showed a high light intensity level in the center regions of the sprays. In addition, it was revealed that the atomization performance of the biodiesel spray was inferior to that of the DME spray at the same injection and ambient conditions. (author)

  1. Adsorbate induced surface alloy formation investigated by near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nierhoff, Anders Ulrik Fregerslev; Conradsen, Christian Nagstrup; McCarthy, David Norman

    2014-01-01

    for engineering of more active or selective catalyst materials. Dynamical surface changes on alloy surfaces due to the adsorption of reactants in high gas pressures are challenging to investigate using standard characterization tools. Here we apply synchrotron illuminated near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron...

  2. Compensation for the Effects of Ambient Conditions on the Calibration of Multi-Capillary Pressure Drop Standards

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colard S

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Cigarette draw resistance and filter pressure drop (PD are both major physical parameters for the tobacco industry. Therefore these parameters must be measured reliably. For these measurements, specific equipment calibrated with PD transfer standards is used. Each transfer standard must have a known and stable PD value, such standards usually being composed of several capillary tubes associated in parallel. However, PD values are modified by ambient conditions during calibration of such standards, i.e. by temperature and relative humidity (RH of air, and atmospheric pressure. In order to reduce the influence of these ambient factors, a simplified model was developed for compensating the effects of ambient conditions on the calibration of multi-capillary PD standards.

  3. Noninvasive Ambient Pressure Estimation using Ultrasound Contrast Agents -- Invoking Subharmonics for Cardiac and Hepatic Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dave, Jaydev K.

    Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) are encapsulated microbubbles that provide a source for acoustic impedance mismatch with the blood, due to difference in compressibility between the gas contained within these microbubbles and the blood. When insonified by an ultrasound beam, these UCAs act as nonlinear scatterers and enhance the echoes of the incident pulse, resulting in scattering of the incident ultrasound beam and emission of fundamental (f0), subharmonic (f0/2), harmonic (n*f0; n ∈ N) and ultraharmonic (((2n-1)/2)*f0; n ∈ N & n > 1) components in the echo response. A promising approach to monitor in vivo pressures revolves around the fact that the ultrasound transmit and receive parameters can be selected to induce an ambient pressure amplitude dependent subharmonic signal. This subharmonic signal may be used to estimate ambient pressure amplitude; such technique of estimating ambient pressure amplitude is referred to as subharmonic aided pressure estimation or SHAPE. This project develops and evaluates the feasibility of SHAPE to noninvasively monitor cardiac and hepatic pressures (using commercially available ultrasound scanners and UCAs) because invasive catheter based pressure measurements are used currently for these applications. Invasive catheter based pressure measurements pose risk of introducing infection while the catheter is guided towards the region of interest in the body through a percutaneous incision, pose risk of death due to structural or mechanical failure of the catheter (which has also triggered product recalls by the USA Food and Drug Administration) and may potentially modulate the pressures that are being measured. Also, catheterization procedures require fluoroscopic guidance to advance the catheter to the site of pressure measurements and such catheterization procedures are not performed in all clinical centers. Thus, a noninvasive technique to obtain ambient pressure values without the catheterization process is clinically

  4. A high-flow humidograph for testing the water uptake by ambient aerosol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ten Brink, H.M.; Khlystov, A.; Kos, G.P.A. [ECN Fuels Conversion and Environment, Petten (Netherlands); Tuch, T. [Institut of Medical Data Management, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Muenich (Germany); Roth, C.; Kreyling, W. [Institute for Inhalation Biology, GSF National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg/Muenich (Germany)

    1999-10-01

    A scanning humidograph, with an air flow rate of 0.5 m{sup 3} s{sup -1} was built to investigate the uptake of water and its effect on sizing, collection and light-scattering of ambient aerosol. The performance of the system was assessed with laboratory particles of ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and sodium chloride which are the major hygroscopic components of ambient aerosol. The increase in size at the deliquescence points, which ideally is a stepwise function of relative humidity, occurs over a range of 3% RH units. This is shown to be an optimum value in a system of such large dimensions. Because of the strong temperature increase of the vapor pressure of ammonium nitrate, its evaporative loss was investigated as a function of heating/drying temperature. The loss of pure test aerosol, with a mass distribution similar to that in the ambient atmosphere, was found to be acceptable for drying temperatures of up to 40C. The sizing of deliquesced aerosol by LAS-X monitors was tested and found to be a complex function of RH. In Berner low pressure impactors growth of hygroscopic aerosol was not observed, not even at an RH approaching saturation. 21 refs.

  5. Computer optimization of dry and wet/dry cooling tower systems for large fossil and nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, M.; Glicksman, L.R.

    1979-02-01

    This study determined the cost of dry cooling compared to the conventional cooling methods. Also, the savings by using wet/dry instead of all-dry cooling were determined. A total optimization was performed for power plants with dry cooling tower systems using metal-finned-tube heat exchangers and surface condensers. The optimization minimizes the power production cost. The program optimizes the design of the heat exchanger and its air and water flow rates. In the base case study, the method of replacing lost capacity assumes the use of gas turbines. As a result of using dry cooling towers in an 800 MWe fossil plant, the incremental costs with the use of high back pressure turbine and conventional turbine over all-wet cooling are 11 and 15%, respectively. For a 1200 MWe nuclear plant, these are 22 and 25%, respectively. Since the method of making up lost capacity depends on the situation of a utility, considerable effort has been placed on testing the effects of using different methods of replacing lost capacity at high ambient temperatures by purchased energy. The results indicate that the optimization is very sensitive to the method of making up lost capacity. It is, therefore, important to do an accurate representation of all possible methods of making up capacity loss when optimizating power plants with dry cooling towers. A solution for the problem of losing generation capability by a power plant due to the use of a dry cooling tower is to supplement the dry tower during the hours of peak ambient temperatures by a wet tower. A separate wet/dry cooling tower system with series tower arrangement was considered in this study, and proved to be an economic choice over all-dry cooling where some water is available but supplies are insufficient for a totally evaporative cooling tower

  6. GDI fuel sprays of light naphtha, PRF95 and gasoline using a piezoelectric injector under different ambient pressures

    KAUST Repository

    Wu, Zengyang; Wang, Libing; Badra, Jihad A.; Roberts, William L.; Fang, Tiegang

    2018-01-01

    This study investigates fuel sprays of light naphtha (LN), primary reference fuel (PRF) and gasoline under different ambient pressures with an outwardly opening piezo gasoline direct injection (GDI) fuel injector. The tested gasoline fuel (regular grade with up to 10% ethanol, E10) was obtained by mixing fuels with AKI (the average of the research octane number (RON) and the motor octane number (MON)) of 87 from three local gas stations. Primary reference fuel (PRF) is commonly used as gasoline surrogate fuel and is blended by iso-octane and n-heptane. PRF95 is the blend of 95% iso-octane and 5% n-heptane by volume. LN fuel was provided by Saudi Aramco Oil Company. Five different ambient pressure conditions varied from 1 bar to 10 bar were tested. The spray was visualized by applying a Mie-scattering technique and a high-speed camera was employed to capture the spray images. The spray structure, spray angle, spray penetration length and spray front fluctuation were analyzed and compared among three fuels. Spray images show that a clear filamentary hollow-cone spray structure is formed for all three fuels at atmospheric conditions, and toroidal recirculation vortexes are observed at the downstream spray edges. A higher ambient pressure leads to a stronger vortex located closer to the injector outlet. Generally speaking, larger spray angles are found under higher ambient pressure conditions for all three fuels. Gasoline fuel always has the largest spray angle for each ambient pressure, while PRF95 has the smallest at most time. For each fuel, the spray front penetration length and spray front penetration velocity decrease with increasing ambient pressure. LN, PRF95 and gasoline show similar penetration length and velocity under the tested conditions. A two-stage spray front fluctuation pattern is observed for all three fuels. Stage one begins from the start of the injection and ends at 450–500 μs after the start of the injection trigger (ASOIT) with a slow

  7. GDI fuel sprays of light naphtha, PRF95 and gasoline using a piezoelectric injector under different ambient pressures

    KAUST Repository

    Wu, Zengyang

    2018-03-20

    This study investigates fuel sprays of light naphtha (LN), primary reference fuel (PRF) and gasoline under different ambient pressures with an outwardly opening piezo gasoline direct injection (GDI) fuel injector. The tested gasoline fuel (regular grade with up to 10% ethanol, E10) was obtained by mixing fuels with AKI (the average of the research octane number (RON) and the motor octane number (MON)) of 87 from three local gas stations. Primary reference fuel (PRF) is commonly used as gasoline surrogate fuel and is blended by iso-octane and n-heptane. PRF95 is the blend of 95% iso-octane and 5% n-heptane by volume. LN fuel was provided by Saudi Aramco Oil Company. Five different ambient pressure conditions varied from 1 bar to 10 bar were tested. The spray was visualized by applying a Mie-scattering technique and a high-speed camera was employed to capture the spray images. The spray structure, spray angle, spray penetration length and spray front fluctuation were analyzed and compared among three fuels. Spray images show that a clear filamentary hollow-cone spray structure is formed for all three fuels at atmospheric conditions, and toroidal recirculation vortexes are observed at the downstream spray edges. A higher ambient pressure leads to a stronger vortex located closer to the injector outlet. Generally speaking, larger spray angles are found under higher ambient pressure conditions for all three fuels. Gasoline fuel always has the largest spray angle for each ambient pressure, while PRF95 has the smallest at most time. For each fuel, the spray front penetration length and spray front penetration velocity decrease with increasing ambient pressure. LN, PRF95 and gasoline show similar penetration length and velocity under the tested conditions. A two-stage spray front fluctuation pattern is observed for all three fuels. Stage one begins from the start of the injection and ends at 450–500 μs after the start of the injection trigger (ASOIT) with a slow

  8. Engineering and economic evaluation of wet/dry cooling towers for water conservation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, M.C.

    1976-11-01

    The results are presented of a design and cost study for wet/dry tower systems used in conjunction with 1000 MWe nuclear power plants to reject waste heat while conserving water. Design and cost information for wet/dry tower systems are presented, and these cooling system alternatives are compared with wet and dry tower systems to determine whether the wet/dry tower concept is an economically viable alternative. The wet/dry cooling tower concept investigated is one which combines physically separated wet towers and dry towers into an operational unit. In designing the wet/dry tower, a dry cooling tower is sized to carry the plant heat load at low ambient temperatures, and a separate wet tower is added to augment the heat rejection of the dry tower at higher ambient temperatures. These wet/dry towers are designed to operate with a conventional low back pressure turbine commercially available today. The component wet and dry towers are state-of-the-art designs. From this study it was concluded that: wet/dry cooling systems can be designed to provide a significant economic advantage over dry cooling yet closely matching the dry tower's ability to conserve water, a wet/dry system which saves as much as 99 percent of the make-up water required by a wet tower can maintain that economic advantage, and therefore, for power plant sites where water is in short supply, wet/dry cooling is the economic choice over dry cooling

  9. Differences in Blood Pressure and Vascular Responses Associated with Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Exposures Measured at the Personal Versus Community Level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Background Higher ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels can be associated with increased blood pressure and vascular dysfunction. Objectives To determine the differential effects on blood pressure and vascular function of daily changes in community ambient-...

  10. Influence of product thickness, chamber pressure and heating conditions on production rate of freeze-dried yoghurt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharma, N.K. [G.B. Pant Univ., of Agriculture and Technology (India). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Arora, C.P. [Indian Inst. of Tech., New Delhi (India)

    1995-06-01

    The effects of product thickness, chamber pressure and heating conditions on product temperature profiles and production rate of freeze-dried yoghurt were investigated experimentally. Three sample thicknesses - 3.8 mm, 6.2 mm and 9.4 mm - were tested at chamber pressures of 0.01 and 0.5 mmHg. The production rate increased by decreasing product thickness in contact heating through the bottom of the frozen layer, whereas no significant change was observed in radiant heating. A reduction in chamber pressure from 0.50 to 0.01 mmHg increased the drying time in radiant heating. Maximum production rate was obtained when the thickness of dried product was 6.2 mm, when heat was transferred simultaneously through the frozen and dried layers, and the chamber pressure was at 0.01 mmHg. Use of the product tray developed in this study prevents the growth of dry layers at the contact surfaces. (Author)

  11. Design principles for high–pressure force fields: Aqueous TMAO solutions from ambient to kilobar pressures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hölzl, Christoph; Horinek, Dominik, E-mail: dominik.horinek@ur.de [Institut für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Universität Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg (Germany); Kibies, Patrick; Frach, Roland; Kast, Stefan M., E-mail: stefan.kast@tu-dortmund.de [Physikalische Chemie III, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44227 Dortmund (Germany); Imoto, Sho, E-mail: sho.imoto@theochem.rub.de; Marx, Dominik [Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum (Germany); Suladze, Saba; Winter, Roland [Physikalische Chemie I, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44227 Dortmund (Germany)

    2016-04-14

    Accurate force fields are one of the major pillars on which successful molecular dynamics simulations of complex biomolecular processes rest. They have been optimized for ambient conditions, whereas high-pressure simulations become increasingly important in pressure perturbation studies, using pressure as an independent thermodynamic variable. Here, we explore the design of non-polarizable force fields tailored to work well in the realm of kilobar pressures – while avoiding complete reparameterization. Our key is to first compute the pressure-induced electronic and structural response of a solute by combining an integral equation approach to include pressure effects on solvent structure with a quantum-chemical treatment of the solute within the embedded cluster reference interaction site model (EC-RISM) framework. Next, the solute’s response to compression is taken into account by introducing pressure-dependence into selected parameters of a well-established force field. In our proof-of-principle study, the full machinery is applied to N,N,N-trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) in water being a potent osmolyte that counteracts pressure denaturation. EC-RISM theory is shown to describe well the charge redistribution upon compression of TMAO(aq) to 10 kbar, which is then embodied in force field molecular dynamics by pressure-dependent partial charges. The performance of the high pressure force field is assessed by comparing to experimental and ab initio molecular dynamics data. Beyond its broad usefulness for designing non-polarizable force fields for extreme thermodynamic conditions, a good description of the pressure-response of solutions is highly recommended when constructing and validating polarizable force fields.

  12. Design principles for high-pressure force fields: Aqueous TMAO solutions from ambient to kilobar pressures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hölzl, Christoph; Kibies, Patrick; Imoto, Sho; Frach, Roland; Suladze, Saba; Winter, Roland; Marx, Dominik; Horinek, Dominik; Kast, Stefan M

    2016-04-14

    Accurate force fields are one of the major pillars on which successful molecular dynamics simulations of complex biomolecular processes rest. They have been optimized for ambient conditions, whereas high-pressure simulations become increasingly important in pressure perturbation studies, using pressure as an independent thermodynamic variable. Here, we explore the design of non-polarizable force fields tailored to work well in the realm of kilobar pressures--while avoiding complete reparameterization. Our key is to first compute the pressure-induced electronic and structural response of a solute by combining an integral equation approach to include pressure effects on solvent structure with a quantum-chemical treatment of the solute within the embedded cluster reference interaction site model (EC-RISM) framework. Next, the solute's response to compression is taken into account by introducing pressure-dependence into selected parameters of a well-established force field. In our proof-of-principle study, the full machinery is applied to N,N,N-trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) in water being a potent osmolyte that counteracts pressure denaturation. EC-RISM theory is shown to describe well the charge redistribution upon compression of TMAO(aq) to 10 kbar, which is then embodied in force field molecular dynamics by pressure-dependent partial charges. The performance of the high pressure force field is assessed by comparing to experimental and ab initio molecular dynamics data. Beyond its broad usefulness for designing non-polarizable force fields for extreme thermodynamic conditions, a good description of the pressure-response of solutions is highly recommended when constructing and validating polarizable force fields.

  13. Design principles for high–pressure force fields: Aqueous TMAO solutions from ambient to kilobar pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hölzl, Christoph; Horinek, Dominik; Kibies, Patrick; Frach, Roland; Kast, Stefan M.; Imoto, Sho; Marx, Dominik; Suladze, Saba; Winter, Roland

    2016-01-01

    Accurate force fields are one of the major pillars on which successful molecular dynamics simulations of complex biomolecular processes rest. They have been optimized for ambient conditions, whereas high-pressure simulations become increasingly important in pressure perturbation studies, using pressure as an independent thermodynamic variable. Here, we explore the design of non-polarizable force fields tailored to work well in the realm of kilobar pressures – while avoiding complete reparameterization. Our key is to first compute the pressure-induced electronic and structural response of a solute by combining an integral equation approach to include pressure effects on solvent structure with a quantum-chemical treatment of the solute within the embedded cluster reference interaction site model (EC-RISM) framework. Next, the solute’s response to compression is taken into account by introducing pressure-dependence into selected parameters of a well-established force field. In our proof-of-principle study, the full machinery is applied to N,N,N-trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) in water being a potent osmolyte that counteracts pressure denaturation. EC-RISM theory is shown to describe well the charge redistribution upon compression of TMAO(aq) to 10 kbar, which is then embodied in force field molecular dynamics by pressure-dependent partial charges. The performance of the high pressure force field is assessed by comparing to experimental and ab initio molecular dynamics data. Beyond its broad usefulness for designing non-polarizable force fields for extreme thermodynamic conditions, a good description of the pressure-response of solutions is highly recommended when constructing and validating polarizable force fields.

  14. Periods and dry environments in the seeds quality of Genipa americana L.Períodos e ambientes de secagem na qualidade de sementes de Genipa americana L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riselane de Lucena Alcântara Bruno

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Genipa americana L. is a tropical tree belonging to Rubiaceae family, providing fruit that are consumed in natura and is being increasingly explored as raw material to liquor, wine, soft drink and also the use of white wood for making various products. The seeds drying this species can be made using natural and or artificial methods. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of natural drying, in different periods and ambient, in the physiological quality of Genipa americana seeds. Seeds were submitted to the determination of moisture content after processing and drying of each period (0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 and 168 hours. To evaluate the effects of ambient (laboratory and greenhouse and drying periods were performed the following tests: emergence in greenhouse, emergence speed index, seedling length and dry weight. Drying seed genipa can be done in a greenhouse (temperature of 33°C with relative humidity of 70% for 24 hours or laboratory environment (temperature of 28°C with relative humidity of 75% for 48 hours without compromising the physiological quality.Genipa americana L. é uma árvore tropical, pertencente à família Rubiaceae, fornece frutos que são consumidos in natura e vem sendo explorada cada vez mais como matéria-prima de licor, vinho, refresco e também o uso da madeira branca para confecção de vários produtos. A secagem de sementes dessa espécie pode ser feita pelo método natural e/ou artificial. Dessa forma, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o efeito da secagem natural, em diferentes ambientes e períodos, na qualidade fisiológica das sementes de Genipa americana. As sementes foram submetidas à determinação do teor de água após o beneficiamento em cada período de secagem (0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 e 168 horas. Para a avaliação do efeito dos ambientes (laboratório e ambiente telado e períodos de secagem foram realizados os seguintes testes: emergência em ambiente telado, índice de

  15. In vitro measurement of ambient pressure changes using a realistic clinical setup

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Klaus Scheldrup; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    2008-01-01

    cosine tapered pulse with a center frequency of 4 MHz and an acoustic pressure of 485 kPa was used for excitation. 64 elements were used in receive and the RF data was filtered and beamformed before further processing. To compensate for variations in bubble response and to make the estimates more robust...... flexible offering completely arbitrary excitation and data acquisition, fast and accurate ambient pressure control, and precise timing. More importantly, it resembles a realistic clinical setup using a single array transducer for transmit and receive. The standard signal processing steps usually seen...

  16. Effects of initiating anaerobic digestion of layer-hen poultry dung at sub-atmospheric pressure

    OpenAIRE

    Ngumah, Chima C.; Ogbulie, Jude N.; Orji, Justina C.; Amadi, Ekperechi S.

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of initiating anaerobic digestion (AD) of dry layer-hen poultry dung at the sub-atmospheric pressure of -30 cmHg on biodegradation, biogasification, and biomethanation. The setup was performed as a batch process at an average ambient temperature of 29±2 ºC and a retention time of 15 days. Comparisons were made with two other experiments which were both begun at ambient atmospheric pressure; one was inoculated with digestate from a previous layer-hen dung AD...

  17. The effect of ambient pressure on the evaporation rate of materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naumann, R. J.; Russell, W. M.

    1972-01-01

    A simple expression is obtained using a diffusion model for the effect of ambient pressure on the outgassing or evaporation rate of materials. The correctness of the expression is demonstrated by comparing the estimates from this expression with actual weight loss measurements. It is shown that the rate of mass loss is governed by the ratio of mean free path to the characteristic dimension of the surface in question.

  18. Turbine airfoil with ambient cooling system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Jr, Christian X.; Marra, John J.; Marsh, Jan H.

    2016-06-07

    A turbine airfoil usable in a turbine engine and having at least one ambient air cooling system is disclosed. At least a portion of the cooling system may include one or more cooling channels configured to receive ambient air at about atmospheric pressure. The ambient air cooling system may have a tip static pressure to ambient pressure ratio of at least 0.5, and in at least one embodiment, may include a tip static pressure to ambient pressure ratio of between about 0.5 and about 3.0. The cooling system may also be configured such that an under root slot chamber in the root is large to minimize supply air velocity. One or more cooling channels of the ambient air cooling system may terminate at an outlet at the tip such that the outlet is aligned with inner surfaces forming the at least one cooling channel in the airfoil to facilitate high mass flow.

  19. An experimental verification of the compensation of length change of line scales caused by ambient air pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Akira; Miwa, Nobuharu

    2010-01-01

    Line scales are used as a working standard of length for the calibration of optical measuring instruments such as profile projectors, measuring microscopes and video measuring systems. The authors have developed a one-dimensional calibration system for line scales to obtain a lower uncertainty of measurement. The scale calibration system, named Standard Scale Calibrator SSC-05, employs a vacuum interferometer system for length measurement, a 633 nm iodine-stabilized He–Ne laser to calibrate the oscillating frequency of the interferometer laser light source and an Abbe's error compensation structure. To reduce the uncertainty of measurement, the uncertainty factors of the line scale and ambient conditions should not be neglected. Using the length calibration system, the expansion and contraction of a line scale due to changes in ambient air pressure were observed and the measured scale length was corrected into the length under standard atmospheric pressure, 1013.25 hPa. Utilizing a natural rapid change in the air pressure caused by a tropical storm (typhoon), we carried out an experiment on the length measurement of a 1000 mm long line scale made of glass ceramic with a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Using a compensation formula for the length change caused by changes in ambient air pressure, the length change of the 1000 mm long line scale was compensated with a standard deviation of less than 1 nm

  20. Effect of balanced low pressure drying of curcuma longa leaf on skin immune activation activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Wooseok; Lim, Hye Won; Lee, Hyeon Yong

    2014-01-01

    The effect of balanced low pressure drying pretreatment associated with ultrasonication extraction (BU) on the enhancement of skin immune modulatory activities of Curcuma longa leaf was studied by comparing with conventional hot air drying (HE), freeze drying (FE) and balanced low pressure drying (BE) pretreatment processes. In considering skin immune activation activities such as the inhibition of hyaluronidase activity, the BU extract showed ca. 10% higher than those of HE, and even higher than that of the FE extract. Nitric oxide production from macrophage of the BU extract in adding 1.0 mg/mL was increased up to 16.5 μM. When measuring inhibition of IL-6 and TNF-a production from the human T lymphocytes (T cell), the BU extract also showed 53% and 78% of inhibition effect, respectively. It is found that the BU extract could effectively suppress the expression levels of skin inflammation related genes such as Cox-2 and iNOS, down to 80% and 85% compared to the control, respectively. Balanced low pressure drying process was especially active on dehydration of the leaves with minimizing the destruction and making easier elution of the bioactive substances, which resulted in higher extraction yield and better biological activities.

  1. Spray Characteristics of Pressure-swirl Nozzle at Different Ambient Pressures of Combustion Chamber%燃烧室背压对压力涡流喷嘴喷雾特性的影响

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    刘涛涛; 张武高; 陈晓玲; 顾根香; 郭晓宁; 黄震

    2011-01-01

    采用高速摄影技术、激光测粒仪和PIV测试技术系统试验研究了燃烧室背压对斯特林发动机压力涡流喷嘴喷雾形成过程、贯穿距离增长规律、喷雾锥角、液滴粒径和喷雾流场的影响.结果表明,燃烧室背压的增加使喷雾形状更加致密,贯穿距离的增加变缓,液滴平均速度增加,索特平均直径增加.当燃烧室背压大于1.0~1.5 MPa之间的一个临界值时,其对喷雾锥角没有影响,小于此临界值,燃烧室背压的增加会使喷雾锥角急剧降低.%The spray characteristics of pressure-swirl nozzle used in Stirling engine was studied by way of the experiment under high ambient pressures (up to 2. 8 Mpa). The high-speed video imaging technique, FAM ( Fraunhofer and Mie) laser drop size analyzer, and PIV (particle image velocimetry) test equipment were used for experimental measurements. Experimental results showed that the spray structure at higher ambient pressure was more compact. The vortex cloud was found at the leading edge at high ambient pressure. Spray cone angle was independent of ambient pressure after a value between 1.0 ~ 1. 5 Mpa. The Sauter mean diameter ( SMD) and the drop velocity became larger at high ambient pressure conditions. Finally, a vortex was found in the center of the spray and this region moved to the downstream of the spray as the ambient pressure increased.

  2. Pecan drying with silica gel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghate, S.R.; Chhinnan, M.S.

    1983-07-01

    High moisture in-shell pecans were dried by keeping them in direct and indirect contact with silica gel to investigate their drying characteristics. In-shell pecans were also dried with ambient air from a controlled environment chamber and with air dehumidified by silica gel. Direct contact and dehumidified air drying seemed feasible approaches.

  3. Near-ambient solid polymer fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holleck, G. L.

    1993-01-01

    Fuel cells are extremely attractive for extraterrestrial and terrestrial applications because of their high energy conversion efficiency without noise or environmental pollution. Among the various fuel cell systems the advanced polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells based on sulfonated fluoropolymers (e.g., Nafion) are particularly attractive because they are fairly rugged, solid state, quite conductive, of good chemical and thermal stability and show good oxygen reduction kinetics due to the low specific adsorption of the electrolyte on the platinum catalyst. The objective of this program is to develop a solid polymer fuel cell which can efficiently operate at near ambient temperatures without ancillary components for humidification and/or pressurization of the fuel or oxidant gases. During the Phase 1 effort we fabricated novel integral electrode-membrane structures where the dispersed platinum catalyst is precipitated within the Nafion ionomer. This resulted in electrode-membrane units without interfacial barriers permitting unhindered water diffusion from cathode to anode. The integral electrode-membrane structures were tested as fuel cells operating on H2 and O2 or air at 1 to 2 atm and 10 to 50 C without gas humidification. We demonstrated that cells with completely dry membranes could be self started at room temperature and subsequently operated on dry gas for extended time. Typical room temperature low pressure operation with unoptimized electrodes yielded 100 mA/cm(exp 2) at 0.5V and maximum currents over 300 mA/cm(exp 2) with low platinum loadings. Our results clearly demonstrate that operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells at ambient conditions is feasible. Optimization of the electrode-membrane structure is necessary to assess the full performance potential but we expect significant gains in weight and volume power density for the system. The reduced complexity will make fuel cells also attractive for smaller and portable power supplies and as

  4. Particulate Photocatalyst Sheets Based on Carbon Conductor Layer for Efficient Z-Scheme Pure-Water Splitting at Ambient Pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qian; Hisatomi, Takashi; Suzuki, Yohichi; Pan, Zhenhua; Seo, Jeongsuk; Katayama, Masao; Minegishi, Tsutomu; Nishiyama, Hiroshi; Takata, Tsuyoshi; Seki, Kazuhiko; Kudo, Akihiko; Yamada, Taro; Domen, Kazunari

    2017-02-01

    Development of sunlight-driven water splitting systems with high efficiency, scalability, and cost-competitiveness is a central issue for mass production of solar hydrogen as a renewable and storable energy carrier. Photocatalyst sheets comprising a particulate hydrogen evolution photocatalyst (HEP) and an oxygen evolution photocatalyst (OEP) embedded in a conductive thin film can realize efficient and scalable solar hydrogen production using Z-scheme water splitting. However, the use of expensive precious metal thin films that also promote reverse reactions is a major obstacle to developing a cost-effective process at ambient pressure. In this study, we present a standalone particulate photocatalyst sheet based on an earth-abundant, relatively inert, and conductive carbon film for efficient Z-scheme water splitting at ambient pressure. A SrTiO 3 :La,Rh/C/BiVO 4 :Mo sheet is shown to achieve unassisted pure-water (pH 6.8) splitting with a solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency (STH) of 1.2% at 331 K and 10 kPa, while retaining 80% of this efficiency at 91 kPa. The STH value of 1.0% is the highest among Z-scheme pure water splitting operating at ambient pressure. The working mechanism of the photocatalyst sheet is discussed on the basis of band diagram simulation. In addition, the photocatalyst sheet split pure water more efficiently than conventional powder suspension systems and photoelectrochemical parallel cells because H + and OH - concentration overpotentials and an IR drop between the HEP and OEP were effectively suppressed. The proposed carbon-based photocatalyst sheet, which can be used at ambient pressure, is an important alternative to (photo)electrochemical systems for practical solar hydrogen production.

  5. Pressure-Drop Considerations in the Characterization of Dew-Point Transfer Standards at High Temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitter, H.; Böse, N.; Benyon, R.; Vicente, T.

    2012-09-01

    During calibration of precision optical dew-point hygrometers (DPHs), it is usually necessary to take into account the pressure drop induced by the gas flow between the "point of reference" and the "point of use" (mirror or measuring head of the DPH) either as a correction of the reference dew-point temperature or as part of the uncertainty estimation. At dew-point temperatures in the range of ambient temperature and below, it is sufficient to determine the pressure drop for the required gas flow, and to keep the volumetric flow constant during the measurements. In this case, it is feasible to keep the dry-gas flow into the dew-point generator constant or to measure the flow downstream the DPH at ambient temperature. In normal operation, at least one DPH in addition to the monitoring DPH are used, and this operation has to be applied to each instrument. The situation is different at high dew-point temperatures up to 95 °C, the currently achievable upper limit reported in this paper. With increasing dew-point temperatures, the reference gas contains increasing amounts of water vapour and a constant dry-gas flow will lead to a significant enhanced volume flow at the conditions at the point of use, and therefore, to a significantly varying pressure drop depending on the applied dew-point temperature. At dew-point temperatures above ambient temperature, it is also necessary to heat the reference gas and the mirror head of the DPH sufficiently to avoid condensation which will additionally increase the volume flow and the pressure drop. In this paper, a method is provided to calculate the dry-gas flow rate needed to maintain a known wet-gas flow rate through a chilled mirror for a range of temperature and pressures.

  6. Dry skin and pressure ulcer risk: A multi-center cross-sectional prevalence study in German hospitals and nursing homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lechner, Anna; Lahmann, Nils; Neumann, Konrad; Blume-Peytavi, Ulrike; Kottner, Jan

    2017-08-01

    Pressure ulcers are a serious health problem in medical and nursing care. Therefore, effective prevention is crucial. Major pressure ulcer risk factors have been identified but the particular role of dry skin (xerosis cutis) is unclear. To investigate possible associations between dry skin and pressure ulcers focusing on the sacrum/trochanter and at heel/ankle skin areas. Two multicenter cross-sectional studies. In 2014 and 2015 thirty nursing homes and thirteen hospitals in Germany participated. In total 3837 participants were included. Mean age was 76.1 (SD 15.5) years. Skin assessments and data collection were performed by trained nurses based on a standardized data collection form. Descriptive comparisons and multilevel logistic regressions predicting pressure ulcers at sacrum/trochanter and ankle/heel were conducted. The prevalence of skin dryness at the trunk was significantly higher for subjects with pressure ulcers category 2+ at the sacral area compared to without (39.0% vs. 24.4%, p=0.010). Adjusted to demographic variables, mobility and type of institution dry skin at the trunk was no longer associated with pressure ulceration (OR 1.11 (95% CI 0.62-2.00)). 71.9% of patients with heel/ankle pressure ulcers category 2+ were affected by dry skin at legs or feet, compared to 42.8% of subjects without pressure ulcers (pStudy results indicate that dry skin at the feet may be considered as a risk factor for heel pressure ulcer development. Skin dryness may be less important for sacral pressure ulcers. Therefore, the variable skin status should be better defined in future studies and pressure ulcer risk models. Results further support differences in pressure ulcer aetiologies between anatomical locations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Retrofit of heat exchanger networks with pressure recovery of process streams at sub-ambient conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onishi, Viviani C.; Ravagnani, Mauro A.S.S.; Caballero, José A.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • New mathematical model for heat exchanger networks retrofit with pressure recovery. • Optimal heat and work integration applied to the retrofit of sub-ambient processes. • Streams pressure manipulation is used to enhance heat integration of the system. • Compressors and turbines can act on a coupling shaft and/or as stand-alone equipment. • Use of smaller amount of cold utilities, reducing significantly the operational costs. - Abstract: This paper presents a new mathematical programming model for the retrofit of heat exchanger networks (HENs), wherein the pressure recovery of process streams is conducted to enhance heat integration. Particularly applied to cryogenic processes, HENs retrofit with combined heat and work integration is mainly aimed at reducing the use of expensive cold services. The proposed multi-stage superstructure allows the increment of the existing heat transfer area, as well as the use of new equipment for both heat exchange and pressure manipulation. The pressure recovery of streams is carried out simultaneously with the HEN design, such that the process conditions (streams pressure and temperature) are variables of optimization. The mathematical model is formulated using generalized disjunctive programming (GDP) and is optimized via mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP), through the minimization of the retrofit total annualized cost, considering the turbine and compressor coupling with a helper motor. Three case studies are performed to assess the accuracy of the developed approach, including a real industrial example related to liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. The results show that the pressure recovery of streams is efficient for energy savings and, consequently, for decreasing the HEN retrofit total cost especially in sub-ambient processes

  8. Magnetic anisotropy of pure and doped YbInCu sub 4 compounds at ambient and high pressures

    CERN Document Server

    Mushnikov, N V; Rozenfeld, E V; Yoshimura, K; Zhang, W; Yamada, M; Kageyama, H

    2003-01-01

    The susceptibility and high-field magnetization of single-crystalline Yb sub 1 sub - sub x Y sub x InCu sub 4 (x = 0, 0.2 and 0.3) samples have been measured for different field orientations at ambient and high pressures. The compounds with x = 0 and 0.2 undergo a first-order valence transition from the intermediate-valence state to the trivalent state on increasing either temperature or magnetic field. The magnetization and susceptibility of these compounds have appreciable anisotropy in both states. The magnetic phase diagram of Yb sub 1 sub - sub x Y sub x InCu sub 4 determined at ambient pressure is also anisotropic, which is explained by the crystal-field calculations for the free Yb ion in the high-temperature phase. Moreover, the low-temperature magnetization process for x = 0.2 and 0.3 has been measured in low fields under high pressure; it shows anisotropic ferromagnetic ordering.

  9. Effect of ambient temperature and sodium bicarbonate supplementation on water and electrolyte balances in dry and lactating Holstein cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khelil-Arfa, H; Faverdin, P; Boudon, A

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of the interaction between 2 constant ambient temperatures [thermoneutrality (TN; 15°C) and high temperature (HT; 28°C)] and 2 levels of Na bicarbonate supplementation [calculated to provide diet Na contents of 0.20%DM (Na-) and 0.50%DM (Na+)] on water partitioning in dairy cows. Treatments were compared on 4 dry and 4mid-lactation Holstein cows according to 2 Latin squares (1 for each physiological stage) over the course of 4 periods of 15d. Diets consisted of a total mixed ration based on maize silage. Dry cows were restricted to their protein and energy requirements, whereas lactating cows were fed ad libitum. The daily average temperature-humidity index was 59.4 for TN and 73.2 for HT. Lactating and dry cows had higher vaginal temperatures at HT than at TN, but the increase was more pronounced in lactating cows (+1.05 vs. +0.12°C for vaginal temperature, respectively). Dry matter intake (DMI) of lactating cows decreased by 2.3kg/d at HT. Free water intake (FWI) and estimated volume of water lost to evaporation increased at HT in both lactating and dry cows; no interactions were observed between temperature and physiological stage. When expressed as a proportion of DMI, the increase in evaporation that occurred with increasing temperature was completely compensated for by an increase in FWI for both physiological stages. The urinary water excretion increased slightly at HT in lactating cows but not in dry cows, which may be related to the low chloride content of the offered diet. High Na supplementation increased DMI slightly in lactating cows, but milk yield was not affected. Sodium supplementation did not limit the decrease in DMI observed in lactating cows at HT; this observation is likely due to the high diet electrolyte balance of the offered diets. Sodium supplementation increased FWI in lactating cows and urinary flow in both physiological states. The interaction between ambient temperature and Na

  10. Effects of ambient pressure on dynamics of near-nozzle diesel sprays studied by ultrafast x-radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheong, S. K.; Liu, J.; Shu, D.; Wang, J.; Powell, C. F.; Experimental Facilities Division

    2004-01-01

    A time-resolved x-radiographic technique has been employed for measuring the fuel distribution close to a single-hole nozzle fitted in a high-pressure diesel injector. Using a monochromatic synchrotron x-ray beam, it is possible to perform quantitative x-ray absorption measurements and obtain two-dimensional projections of the mass of the fuel spray. We have completed a series of spray measurements in the optically dense, near-nozzle region (ml 15 mm from the nozzle orifice) under ambient pressures of 1, 2, and 5.2 bar Nd2 and 1 bar SFd6 at room temperature with injection pressures of 500 and 1000 bar. The focus of the measurements is on the dynamical behaviors of the fuel jets with an emphasis on their penetration in the near-nozzle region. Careful analysis of the time-resolved, x-radiographic data revealed that the spray penetration in this near-nozzle region was not significantly affected by the limited change of the ambient pressure. In addition, well-defined features of the spray, such as the leading and trailing edges, and fluctuations of fuel mass density in the spray body, allowed us to calculate the leading, trailing, and internal speeds of the sprays

  11. Differential Response Pattern of Oropharyngeal Pressure by Bolus and Dry Swallows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Mana; Kurose, Masayuki; Okamoto, Keiichiro; Yamada, Yoshiaki; Tsujimura, Takanori; Inoue, Makoto; Sato, Taisuke; Narumi, Takatsune; Fujii, Noritaka; Yamamura, Kensuke

    2018-02-01

    The aim of this study was to determine if bolus and dry swallow showed similar pressure changes in the oropharynx using our newly developed device. A unique character of it includes that baropressure can be measured with the sensor being placed in the balloon and can assess the swallowing mechanics in terms of pressure changes in the oropharynx with less influences of direct contacts of boluses and oropharyngeal structures during swallow indirectly. Fifteen healthy subjects swallowed saliva (dry), 15 ml of water, 45 ml of water, and 15 ml of two different types of food in terms of viscosity (potage soup-type and mayonnaise-type foods). Suprahyoid muscle activity was recorded simultaneously. Three parameters, area under the curve (AUC), peak amplitude, and duration of pressure, were analyzed from each swallow. Almost all of the bolus swallowing events had biphasic baropressure responses consisting of an early phase and late phase (99%), whereas 90% of the saliva swallowing events had a single phase. AUC, peak, and duration displayed greater effects during the late phase than during the early phase. Baropressure of the early phase, but not of the late phase, significantly increased with increasing volume; however, small but significant viscosity effects on pressure were seen during both phases. Peak pressure of the late phase was preceded by maximum muscle activity, whereas that of the early phase was seen when muscle activity displayed a peak response. These findings indicated that our device with the ability to measure baropressure has the potential to provide additional parameter to assess the swallow physiology, and biphasic baropressure responses in the early and late phases could reflect functional aspects of the swallowing reflexes.

  12. Crystal-field excitations in PrAl sub 3 and NdAl sub 3 at ambient and elevated pressure

    CERN Document Server

    Straessle, T; Rusz, J; Janssen, S; Juranyi, F; Sadykov, R; Furrer, A

    2003-01-01

    The crystal fields (CFs) of the binary rare-earth compounds PrAl sub 3 and NdAl sub 3 have been examined at ambient pressure by means of inelastic neutron scattering. The CF of the latter compound has also been measured under hydrostatic pressure (p = 0.84 GPa). The observed substantial changes of the CF under pressure are discussed within the framework of first-principles density functional theory calculations.

  13. Structure, Mobility, and Composition of Transition Metal Catalyst Surfaces. High-Pressure Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Ambient-Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Zhongwei [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2013-12-06

    Surface structure, mobility, and composition of transition metal catalysts were studied by high-pressure scanning tunneling microscopy (HP-STM) and ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) at high gas pressures. HP-STM makes it possible to determine the atomic or molecular rearrangement at catalyst surfaces, particularly at the low-coordinated active surface sites. AP-XPS monitors changes in elemental composition and chemical states of catalysts in response to variations in gas environments. Stepped Pt and Cu single crystals, the hexagonally reconstructed Pt(100) single crystal, and Pt-based bimetallic nanoparticles with controlled size, shape and composition, were employed as the model catalysts for experiments in this thesis.

  14. Photosynthesis and growth response of almond to increased atmospheric ozone partial pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Retzlaff, W.A.; Williams, L.E.; DeJong, T.M.

    1992-01-01

    Uniform nursery stock of five almond cultivars [Prunus dulcis (Mill) D.A. Webb syn. P. amygdalus Batsch, cv. Butte, Carmel, Mission, Nonpareil, and Sonora] propagated on peach (P. domstica L. Batsch.) rootstock were exposed to three different atmospheric ozone (O 3 ) partial pressures. The trees were planted in open-top fumigation chambers on 19 Apr. 1989 at the University of California Kearny Agricultural Center located in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Exposures of the trees to three atmospheric O 3 partial pressures lasted from 1 June to 2 Nov. 1989. The mean 12-h [0800-2000 h Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)] O 3 partial pressures measured in the open-top chambers during the experimental period were 0.038, 0.060, and 0.112 μPa Pa -1 O 3 in the charcoal filtered, ambient, and ambient + O 3 treatments, respectively. Leaf net CO 2 assimilation, trunk cross-sectional area growth, and root, trunk, foliage, and total dry weight of Nonpareil were reduced by increased atmospheric O 3 partial pressures. Mission was unaffected by O 3 and Butte, Carmel, and Sonora were intermediate in their responses. Foliage of Nonpareil also abscised prematurely in the ambient and ambient + O 3 treatments. The results indicate that there are almond cultivars that are sensitive to O 3 exposure

  15. Pressure drop in packed beds of spherical particles at ambient and elevated air temperatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pešić Radojica

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was the experimental investigation of the particle friction factor for air flow through packed bed of particles at ambient and elevated temperatures. The experiments were performed by measuring the pressure drop across the packed bed, heated to the desired temperature by hot air. Glass spherical particles of seven different diameters were used. The temperature range of the air flowing through the packed bed was from 20ºC to 350ºC and the bed voidages were from 0.3574 to 0.4303. The obtained results were correlated using a number of available literature correlations. The overall best fit of all of the experimental data was obtained using Ergun [1] equation, with mean absolute deviation of 10.90%. Ergun`s equation gave somewhat better results in correlating the data at ambient temperature with mean absolute deviation of 9.77%, while correlation of the data at elevated temperatures gave mean absolute deviation of 12.38%. The vast majority of the correlations used gave better results when applied to ambient temperature data than to the data at elevated temperatures. Based on the results obtained, Ergun [1] equation is proposed for friction factor calculation both at ambient and at elevated temperatures. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. ON172022

  16. Ambient pressure hydrometallurgical conversion of arsenic trioxide to crystalline scorodite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Debekaussen, R. [Corus Consulting and Technical Services, Delft (Netherlands); Droppert, D. [Solumet Inc., Montreal, PQ (Canada); Demopoulos, G. P. [McGill Univ., Dept. of Metallurgical Enginering, Montreal, PQ (Canada)

    2001-06-01

    Development of a novel process for the ambient pressure conversion of arsenic trioxide, a common, but extremely toxic by-product of the non-ferrous smelting industry, is described. The process consists of three main stages; (1) dissolution of arsenic trioxide, (2) oxidation of trivalent arsenic with the addition of hydrogen peroxide at 95 degree C, to pentavalent arsenic, and (3) step-wise precipitation of crystalline scorodite from highly concentrated arsenic containing solutions, by operating below a characteristics induction pH in the presence of seed material. The technical feasibility of the process has been confirmed by bench-scale testing of industrial flue dust material or acid plant effluents. 30 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs.

  17. Spectroscopic studies of surface-gas interactions and catalyst restructuring at ambient pressure: mind the gap!

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rupprechter, Guenther; Weilach, Christian

    2008-01-01

    Recent progress in the application of surface vibrational spectroscopy at ambient pressure allows us to monitor surface-gas interactions and heterogeneous catalytic reactions under conditions approaching those of technical catalysis. The surface specificity of photon-based methods such as polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRAS) and sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy is utilized to monitor catalytically active surfaces while they function at high pressure and high temperature. Together with complementary information from high-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HP-XPS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), reaction mechanisms can be deduced on a molecular level. Well defined model catalysts, prepared under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), are typically employed in such studies, including smooth and stepped single crystals, thin oxide films, and oxide-supported nanoparticles. A number of studies on unsupported and supported noble metal (Pd, Rh) catalysts are presented, focusing on the transformation of the catalysts from the 'as-prepared' to the 'active state'. This often involves pronounced alterations in catalyst structure and composition, for example the creation of surface carbon phases, surface oxides or surface alloys, as well as nanoparticle restructuring. The reactivity studies include CH 3 OH, CH 4 and CO oxidation with gas phase analysis by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Differing results between studies under ultrahigh vacuum and ambient pressure, and between studies on single crystals and supported nanoparticles, demonstrate the importance of 'minding the gap' between idealized and realistic conditions

  18. Effect of environmental dust particles on laser textured yttria-stabilized zirconia surface in humid air ambient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yilbas, B. S.; Ali, H.; Al-Sharafi, A.; Al-Sulaiman, F.; Karatas, C.

    2018-05-01

    Zirconium nitride is used as a selective surface for concentrated solar heating applications and one of the methods to form a zirconium nitride is texturing of zirconia surface by a high intensity laser beam under high pressure nitrogen gas environment. Laser texturing also provides hydrophobic surface characteristics via forming micro/nano pillars at the surface; however, environmental dust settlement on textured surface influences the surface characteristics significantly. In the present study, laser texturing of zirconia surface and effects of the dust particles on the textured surface in a humid air ambient are investigated. Analytical tools are used to assess the morphological changes on the laser textured surface prior and after the dust settlement in the humid air ambient. It is found that laser textured surface has hydrophobic characteristics. The mud formed during condensate of water on the dust particles alters the characteristics of the laser textured surface. The tangential force required to remove the dry mud from the textured surface remains high; in which case, the dried liquid solution at the mud-textured surface interface is responsible for the strong adhesion of the dry mud on the textured surface. The textured surface becomes hydrophilic after the dry mud was removed from the surface by a desalinated water jet.

  19. Long-Term Effects of Ambient PM2.5 on Hypertension and Blood Pressure and Attributable Risk Among Older Chinese Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Hualiang; Guo, Yanfei; Zheng, Yang; Di, Qian; Liu, Tao; Xiao, Jianpeng; Li, Xing; Zeng, Weilin; Cummings-Vaughn, Lenise A; Howard, Steven W; Vaughn, Michael G; Qian, Zhengmin Min; Ma, Wenjun; Wu, Fan

    2017-05-01

    Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate pollution (PM 2.5 ) has been associated with cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, has also been hypothesized to be linked to PM 2.5 However, epidemiological evidence has been mixed. We examined long-term association between ambient PM 2.5 and hypertension and blood pressure. We interviewed 12 665 participants aged 50 years and older and measured their blood pressures. Annual average PM 2.5 concentrations were estimated for each community using satellite data. We applied 2-level logistic regression models to examine the associations and estimated hypertension burden attributable to ambient PM 2.5 For each 10 μg/m 3 increase in ambient PM 2.5 , the adjusted odds ratio of hypertension was 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.22). Stratified analyses found that overweight and obesity could enhance the association, and consumption of fruit was associated with lower risk. We further estimated that 11.75% (95% confidence interval, 5.82%-18.53%) of the hypertension cases (corresponding to 914, 95% confidence interval, 453-1442 cases) could be attributable to ambient PM 2.5 in the study population. Findings suggest that long-term exposure to ambient PM 2.5 might be an important risk factor of hypertension and is responsible for significant hypertension burden in adults in China. A higher consumption of fruit may mitigate, whereas overweight and obesity could enhance this effect. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  20. Generalized drying curves in conductive/convective paper drying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O.C. Motta Lima

    2000-12-01

    Full Text Available This work presents a study related to conductive/convective drying of paper (cellulose sheets over heated surfaces, under natural and forced air conditions. The experimental apparatus consists in a metallic box heated by a thermostatic bath containing an upper surface on which the paper samples (about 1 mm thick are placed. The system is submitted to ambient air under two different conditions: natural convection and forced convection provide by an adjustable blower. The influence of initial paper moisture content, drying (heated surface temperature and air velocity on drying curves behavior is observed under different drying conditions. Hence, these influence is studied through the proposal of generalized drying curves. Those curves are analyzed individually for each air condition exposed above and for both together. A set of equations to fit them is proposed and discussed.

  1. Dry re-forming of methane to synthesis gas over lignite semicokes catalyst at high pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fengbo Guo

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Dry re-forming of methane has been carried out in a high temperature–pressure reactor at different pressures, using Hongce lignite semicokes catalyst. The results show that CH4 and CO2 conversions are decreased as the reaction pressure increased, but both of them kept basically stable when the reaction pressure is between 0.3 and 1 MPa. The comparison shows that the effects of the temperature and the flow of reactant gas on dry re-forming of methane are consistent with between high pressure and atmospheric pressure. The ratio of CO/H2 decreased as the ratio of CH4/CO2 increased, yet the value of CO/H2 is always more than 1 at different pressures. Hongce lignite semicokes catalyst is characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM and BET, and the analysis results reveled that the physical specific adsorption peak of CO2 at 2350 cm−1 is strengthened significantly at different pressures, the micropore area and volume of Hongce lignite semicokes reduced form 40.2 m2  g−1 and 0.019 cm3  g−1 to 34.9 m2  g−1 and 0.017 cm3  g−1, respectively. Hongce lignite semicokes catalyst exhibited better activity and stability within 0.3–1 MPa range.

  2. Preparation of TiO sub 2 nanoparticles by pulsed laser ablation: Ambient pressure dependence of crystallization

    CERN Document Server

    Matsubara, M; Yamaki, T; Itoh, H; Abe, H

    2003-01-01

    Pulsed laser ablation (PLA) with a KrF excimer laser was used to prepare fine particles of titanium dioxide (TiO sub 2). The ablation in an atmosphere of Ar and O sub 2 (5:5) at total pressures of >= 1 Torr led to the formation of TiO sub 2 nanoparticles composed of anatase and rutile structures without any suboxides. The weight fraction of the rutile/anatase crystalline phases was dependent on the pressure of the Ar/O sub 2 gas. The TiO sub 2 nanoparticles had a spherical shape and their size, ranging from 10 and 14 nm, also appeared to be dependent on the ambient pressure. (author)

  3. Effect of ambient pressure variation on closed loop gas system for India based Neutrino Observatory (INO)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satyanarayana, B.; Majumder, G.; Mondal, N. K.; Kalmani, S. D.; Shinde, R. R.; Joshi, A.

    2014-10-01

    Pilot unit of a closed loop gas mixing and distribution system for the INO project was designed and is being operated with 1.8meters × 1.9meters RPCs for about two years. A number of studies on controlling the flow and optimisation of the gas mixture through the RPC stack were carried out during this period. The gas system essentially measures and attempts to maintain absolute pressure inside the RPC gas volume. During typical Mumbai monsoon seasons, the barometric pressure changes rather rapidly, due to which the gas system fails to maintain the set differential pressure between the ambience and the RPC gas volume. As the safety bubblers on the RPC gas input lines are set to work on fixed pressure differentials, the ambient pressure changes lead to either venting out and thus wasting gas through safety bubblers or over pressuring the RPCs gas volume and thus degrading its performance. The above problem also leads to gas mixture contamination through minute leaks in gas gap. The problem stated above was solved by including the ambient barometric pressure as an input parameter in the closed loop. Using this, it is now possible to maintain any set differential pressure between the ambience and RPC gas volumes between 0 to 20mm of water column, thus always ensuring a positive pressure inside the RPC gas volume with respect to the ambience. This has resulted in improved performance of the gas system by maintaining the constant gas flow and reducing the gas toping up frequency. In this paper, we will highlight the design features and improvements of the closed loop gas system. We will present some of the performance studies and considerations for scaling up the system to be used with the engineering module and then followed by Iron Calorimeter detector (ICAL), which is designed to deploy about 30,000 RPCs of 1.8meters × 1.9 meters in area.

  4. Photosynthesis and growth response of almond to increased atmospheric ozone partial pressures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Retzlaff, W.A.; Williams, L.E. (Univ. of California, Davis (United States) Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier, CA (United States)); DeJong, T.M. (Univ. of California, Davis (United States))

    Uniform nursery stock of five almond cultivars [Prunus dulcis (Mill) D.A. Webb syn. P. amygdalus Batsch, cv. Butte, Carmel, Mission, Nonpareil, and Sonora] propagated on peach (P. domstica L. Batsch.) rootstock were exposed to three different atmospheric ozone (O[sub 3]) partial pressures. The trees were planted in open-top fumigation chambers on 19 Apr. 1989 at the University of California Kearny Agricultural Center located in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Exposures of the trees to three atmospheric O[sub 3] partial pressures lasted from 1 June to 2 Nov. 1989. The mean 12-h [0800-2000 h Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)] O[sub 3] partial pressures measured in the open-top chambers during the experimental period were 0.038, 0.060, and 0.112 [mu]Pa Pa[sup [minus]1] O[sub 3] in the charcoal filtered, ambient, and ambient + O[sub 3] treatments, respectively. Leaf net CO[sub 2] assimilation, trunk cross-sectional area growth, and root, trunk, foliage, and total dry weight of Nonpareil were reduced by increased atmospheric O[sub 3] partial pressures. Mission was unaffected by O[sub 3] and Butte, Carmel, and Sonora were intermediate in their responses. Foliage of Nonpareil also abscised prematurely in the ambient and ambient + O[sub 3] treatments. The results indicate that there are almond cultivars that are sensitive to O[sub 3] exposure.

  5. Pressure regulation in the dry-boxes. Argon purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pascard, R.; Fabre, R.

    1958-01-01

    Each dry-box is equipped with an autonomous installation for circulation and purification of argon and for pressure regulation. This installation consists essentially of a ballast tank, a compressor and two valves electromagnetically controlled by a contact manometer. The compressor and the valves are enclosed in the tank to form a system as compact as possible. The argon is purified by passing it over a furnace filled with titanium-zirconium turnings brought to about 800 deg. C, branching off the main system. With this set-up as well as the automatic maintenance of a constant depression in the box, a quality of argon is obtained whose oxygen contact is undetectable by the manganous hydroxide method. (author) [fr

  6. Evaluation of pressure tuning of enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Naghshineh, Mahsa

    and high energy consumption. Therefore, searching for an environmentally friendly method of pectin extraction is a task for science and industry. Employment of hydrolytic enzymes may represent a green approach to obtain intact pectin polymer. However, the low stability/activity of enzymes, and low polymer...... yield of enzymatic extraction limits the application of enzyme in pectin production. There is evidence that emerging technology of high hydrostatic pressure processing can result in stabilization and activation of some enzymes. Therefore, the use of high hydrostatic pressure in combination with enzyme...... (cellulase/xylanase: 50/0, 50/25, 50/50, 25/50, and 0/50 U/g lime peel) at ambient pressure, 100 and 200 MPa were used to extract pectin from dried lime peel waste. It was found that pressure level, type and concentration of enzyme significantly influenced pectin yield and degree of esterification (DE...

  7. Impact of dry needling and ischemic pressure in the myofascial syndrome: controlled clinical trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebeka Borba da Costa Santos

    Full Text Available Introduction Musculoskeletal pain is a common clinical condition and about 10% of the population have musculoskeletal disorder. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate whether ischemic pressure and dry needling techniques are able to reduce the pain of patients with myofascial pain syndrome. Method 22 patients aged 20-75 years were randomized into 3 groups: ischemic pressure (IPG = 8, dry needling (DNG = 7 and control (CG = 7. Patients in the IPG and DNG were assessed before and after 10 intervention sessions, which occurred 3 times per week. The CG was assessed initially and reassessed three weeks later. The assessment of pain was done through Visual Analogic Scale (VAS and quality of life through WHOQOL-BREF (5 domains: global, physical, psychological, social and environmental. Results There was no significant difference for clinical and demographic data of all groups at baseline, except for age (p = 0.042. The results of the VAS expressed that IPG had pain relief in most sessions, the same was not observed for DNG. Comparing the 2 groups was obtained difference in the 4th and 8th sessions. The results of the WHOQOL-BREF showed that the three groups had a significant increase in the psychological domain. The same was not true for global domains, physical, environmental and social. Conclusion Ischemic pressure and dry needling were able to reduce the pain of patients and also change their quality of life, specifically the psychological aspect.

  8. The effect of ambient pressure on ejecta sheets from free-surface ablation

    KAUST Repository

    Marston, J. O.; Mansoor, Mohammad M.; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T; Truscott, T. T.

    2016-01-01

    We present observations from an experimental study of the ablation of a free liquid surface promoted by a focused laser pulse, causing a rapid discharge of liquid in the form of a very thin conical-shaped sheet. In order to capture the dynamics, we employ a state-of-the-art ultra-high-speed video camera capable of capturing events at (Formula presented.) fps with shutter speeds down to 20 ns, whereby we were able to capture not only the ejecta sheet, but also the shock wave, emerging at speeds of up to 1.75 km/s, which is thus found to be hypersonic (Mach 5). Experiments were performed at a range of ambient pressures in order to study the effect of air drag on the evolution of the sheet, which was always observed to dome over, even at pressures as low as 3.8 kPa. At reduced pressures, the extended sheet evolution led to the formation of interference fringe patterns from which, by comparison with the opening speed of rupture, we were able to determine the ejecta thickness. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

  9. The effect of ambient pressure on ejecta sheets from free-surface ablation

    KAUST Repository

    Marston, J. O.

    2016-04-16

    We present observations from an experimental study of the ablation of a free liquid surface promoted by a focused laser pulse, causing a rapid discharge of liquid in the form of a very thin conical-shaped sheet. In order to capture the dynamics, we employ a state-of-the-art ultra-high-speed video camera capable of capturing events at (Formula presented.) fps with shutter speeds down to 20 ns, whereby we were able to capture not only the ejecta sheet, but also the shock wave, emerging at speeds of up to 1.75 km/s, which is thus found to be hypersonic (Mach 5). Experiments were performed at a range of ambient pressures in order to study the effect of air drag on the evolution of the sheet, which was always observed to dome over, even at pressures as low as 3.8 kPa. At reduced pressures, the extended sheet evolution led to the formation of interference fringe patterns from which, by comparison with the opening speed of rupture, we were able to determine the ejecta thickness. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

  10. Short-term pressure and temperature MSLB response analyses for large dry containment of the Maanshan nuclear power station

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dai, Liang-Che, E-mail: lcdai@iner.gov.tw; Chen, Yen-Shu; Yuann, Yng-Ruey

    2014-12-15

    Highlights: • The GOTHIC code is used for the PWR dry containment pressure and temperature analysis. • Boundary conditions are hot standby and 102% power main steam line break accidents. • Containment pressure and temperature responses of GOTHIC are similar with FSAR. • The capability of the developed model to perform licensing calculation is assessed. - Abstract: Units 1 and 2 of the Maanshan nuclear power station are the typical Westinghouse three-loop PWR (pressurized water reactor) with large dry containments. In this study, the containment analysis program GOTHIC is adopted for the dry containment pressure and temperature analysis. Free air space and sump of the PWR dry containment are individually modeled as control volumes. The containment spray system and fan cooler unit are also considered in the GOTHIC model. The blowdown mass and energy data of the main steam line break (hot standby condition and various reactor thermal power levels) are tabulated in the Maanshan Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) 6.2 which could be used as the boundary conditions for the containment model. The calculated containment pressure and temperature behaviors of the selected cases are in good agreement with the FSAR results. In this study, hot standby and 102% reactor thermal power main steam line break accidents are selected. The calculated peak containment pressure is 323.50 kPag (46.92 psig) for hot standby MSLB, which is a little higher than the FSAR value of 311.92 kPag (45.24 psig). But it is still below the design value of 413.69 kPag (60 psig). The calculated peak vapor temperature inside the containment is 187.0 °C (368.59 F) for 102% reactor thermal power MSLB, which is lower than the FSAR result of 194.42 °C (381.95 F). The effects of the containment spray system and fan cooler units could be clearly observed in the GOTHIC analysis. The calculated containment pressure and temperature behaviors of the selected cases are in good agreement with the FSAR

  11. Short-term pressure and temperature MSLB response analyses for large dry containment of the Maanshan nuclear power station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai, Liang-Che; Chen, Yen-Shu; Yuann, Yng-Ruey

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The GOTHIC code is used for the PWR dry containment pressure and temperature analysis. • Boundary conditions are hot standby and 102% power main steam line break accidents. • Containment pressure and temperature responses of GOTHIC are similar with FSAR. • The capability of the developed model to perform licensing calculation is assessed. - Abstract: Units 1 and 2 of the Maanshan nuclear power station are the typical Westinghouse three-loop PWR (pressurized water reactor) with large dry containments. In this study, the containment analysis program GOTHIC is adopted for the dry containment pressure and temperature analysis. Free air space and sump of the PWR dry containment are individually modeled as control volumes. The containment spray system and fan cooler unit are also considered in the GOTHIC model. The blowdown mass and energy data of the main steam line break (hot standby condition and various reactor thermal power levels) are tabulated in the Maanshan Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) 6.2 which could be used as the boundary conditions for the containment model. The calculated containment pressure and temperature behaviors of the selected cases are in good agreement with the FSAR results. In this study, hot standby and 102% reactor thermal power main steam line break accidents are selected. The calculated peak containment pressure is 323.50 kPag (46.92 psig) for hot standby MSLB, which is a little higher than the FSAR value of 311.92 kPag (45.24 psig). But it is still below the design value of 413.69 kPag (60 psig). The calculated peak vapor temperature inside the containment is 187.0 °C (368.59 F) for 102% reactor thermal power MSLB, which is lower than the FSAR result of 194.42 °C (381.95 F). The effects of the containment spray system and fan cooler units could be clearly observed in the GOTHIC analysis. The calculated containment pressure and temperature behaviors of the selected cases are in good agreement with the FSAR

  12. Synthetic lead bromapatite: X-ray structure at ambient pressure and compressibility up to about 20 GPa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xi; Fleet, Michael E.; Shieh, Sean R.; He, Qiang

    2011-05-01

    Lead bromapatite [Pb10(PO4)6Br2] has been synthesized via solid-state reaction at pressures up to 1.0 GPa, and its structure determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at ambient temperature and pressure. The large bromide anion is accommodated in the c-axis channel by lateral displacements of structural elements, particularly of Pb2 cations and PO4 tetrahedra. The compressibility of bromapatite was also investigated up to about 20.7 GPa at ambient temperature, using a diamond-anvil cell and synchrotron X-ray radiation. The compressibility of lead bromapatite is significantly different from that of lead fluorapatite. The pressure-volume data of lead bromapatite ( P < 10 GPa) fitted to the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation yield an isothermal bulk modulus ( K T ) of 49.8(16) GPa and first pressure derivative ( KT^' } ) of 10.1(10). If KT^' } is fixed at 4, the derived K T is 60.8(11) GPa. The relative difference of the bulk moduli of these two lead apatites is thus about 12%, which is about two times the relative difference of the bulk moduli (~5%) of the calcium apatites fluorapatite [Ca10(PO4)6F2], chlorapatite [Ca10(PO4)6Cl2] and hydroxylapatite [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2]. Another interesting feature apparently related to the replacement of F by Br in lead apatite is the switch in the principle axes of the strain ellipsoid: the c-axis is less compressible than the a-axis in lead bromapatite but more compressible in lead fluorapatite.

  13. Ambient Pressure Test Rig Developed for Testing Oil-Free Bearings in Alternate Gases and Variable Pressures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauman, Steven W.

    1990-01-01

    The Oil-Free Turbomachinery research team at the NASA Glenn Research Center is conducting research to develop turbomachinery systems that utilize high-speed, high temperature foil (air) bearings that do not require an oil lubrication system. Such systems combine the most advanced foil bearings from industry with NASA-developed hightemperature solid-lubricant technology. New applications are being pursued, such as Oil- Free turbochargers, auxiliary power units, and turbine propulsion systems for aircraft. An Oil-Free business jet engine, for example, would be simpler, lighter, more reliable, and less costly to purchase and maintain than current engines. Another application is NASA's Prometheus mission, where gas bearings will be required for the closed-cycle turbine based power-conversion system of a nuclear power generator for deep space. To support these applications, Glenn's Oil-Free Turbomachinery research team developed the Ambient Pressure Test Rig. Using this facility, researchers can load and heat a bearing and evaluate its performance with reduced air pressure to simulate high altitude conditions. For the nuclear application, the test chamber can be purged with gases such as helium to study foil gas bearing operation in working fluids other than air.

  14. Suggestion on the safety classification of spent fuel dry storage in China’s pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ting; Qu, Yunhuan; Meng, De; Zhang, Qiaoer; Lu, Xinhua

    2018-01-01

    China’s spent fuel storage in the pressurized water reactors(PWR) is stored with wet storage way. With the rapid development of nuclear power industry, China’s NPPs(NPPs) will not be able to meet the problem of the production of spent fuel. Currently the world’s major nuclear power countries use dry storage as a way of spent fuel storage, so in recent years, China study on additional spent fuel dry storage system mainly. Part of the PWR NPP is ready to apply for additional spent fuel dry storage system. It also need to safety classificate to spent fuel dry storage facilities in PWR, but there is no standard for safety classification of spent fuel dry storage facilities in China. Because the storage facilities of the spent fuel dry storage are not part of the NPP, the classification standard of China’s NPPs is not applicable. This paper proposes the safety classification suggestion of the spent fuel dry storage for China’s PWR NPP, through to the study on China’s safety classification principles of PWR NPP in “Classification for the items of pressurized water reactor nuclear power plants (GB/T 17569-2013)”, and safety classification about spent fuel dry storage system in NUREG/CR - 6407 in the United States.

  15. Effect of drying process assisted by high-pressure impregnation on protein quality and digestibility in red abalone (Haliotis rufescens).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cepero-Betancourt, Yamira; Oliva-Moresco, Patricio; Pasten-Contreras, Alexis; Tabilo-Munizaga, Gipsy; Pérez-Won, Mario; Moreno-Osorio, Luis; Lemus-Mondaca, Roberto

    2017-10-01

    Abalone (Haliotis spp.) is an exotic seafood product recognized as a protein source of high biological value. Traditional methods used to preserve foods such as drying technology can affect their nutritional quality (protein quality and digestibility). A 28-day rat feeding study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the drying process assisted by high-pressure impregnation (HPI) (350, 450, and 500 MPa × 5 min) on chemical proximate and amino acid compositions and nutritional parameters, such as protein efficiency ratio (PER), true digestibility (TD), net protein ratio, and protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) of dried abalone. The HPI-assisted drying process ensured excellent protein quality based on PER values, regardless of the pressure level. At 350 and 500 MPa, the HPI-assisted drying process had no negative effect on TD and PDCAAS then, based on nutritional parameters analysed, we recommend HPI-assisted drying process at 350 MPa × 5 min as the best process condition to dry abalone. Variations in nutritional parameters compared to casein protein were observed; nevertheless, the high protein quality and digestibility of HPI-assisted dried abalones were maintained to satisfy the metabolic demands of human beings.

  16. Effect of Nb additions on the microstructure, thermal stability and mechanical behavior of high pressure Zr phases under ambient conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhilyaev, A.P.; Sabirov, I.; Gonzalez-Doncel, G.; Molina-Aldareguia, J.; Srinivasarao, B.; Perez-Prado, M.T.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → We analyze the influence of Nb additions on the shear-induced α → ω → β phase transformations in pure Zr by high pressure torsion (HPT). → Nb reduces the transition pressures and increases the transformation kinetics. → High pressure phases are retained under ambient conditions due to the presence of an internal stress. → Post-HPT annealing allows to fabricate bimodal/biphase nanostructures with enhanced mechanical behavior. - Abstract: This paper analyzes the influence of Nb on the shear-induced α → ω → β transformation taking place when processing Zr by high pressure torsion (HPT) under suitable conditions of pressure and shear. With that purpose, pure Zr and Zr-2.5%Nb were processed by HPT at room temperature and at pressures ranging from 0.25 to 6 GPa using 5 anvil turns. Nb causes a further reduction of the transition pressures, which are already lower when applying shear besides pressure. Thus, the transition pressure to the β phase is reduced at least 100 times in the Zr-Nb alloy. Alloying with Nb decreases the grain size of the transformed phases, significantly enhances their thermal stability and increases their UTS and elongation to failure. Selected post-HPT annealing treatments lead to the development of very tough, multiphase Zr and Zr-Nb with bimodal grain size distributions. The retention of the high pressure phases under ambient conditions is explained by the development of a high internal stress during processing. This stress is measured by synchrotron radiation diffraction at HZB-BESSY II. It is proposed that the presence of Nb reduces the internal stress level required for the retention of the high pressure phases.

  17. High-pressure, ambient temperature hydrogen storage in metal-organic frameworks and porous carbon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckner, Matthew; Dailly, Anne

    2014-03-01

    We investigated hydrogen storage in micro-porous adsorbents at ambient temperature and pressures up to 320 bar. We measured three benchmark adsorbents: two metal-organic frameworks, Cu3(1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate)2 [Cu3(btc)2; HKUST-1] and Zn4O(1,3,5-benzenetribenzoate)2 [Zn4O(btb)2; MOF-177], and the activated carbon MSC-30. In this talk, we focus on adsorption enthalpy calculations using a single adsorption isotherm. We use the differential form of the Claussius-Clapeyron equation applied to the Dubinin-Astakhov adsorption model to calculate adsorption enthalpies. Calculation of the adsorption enthalpy in this way gives a temperature independent enthalpy of 5-7 kJ/mol at the lowest coverage for the three materials investigated. Additionally, we discuss the assumptions and corrections that must be made when calculating adsorption isotherms at high-pressure and adsorption enthalpies.

  18. Determining noncondensible gas fractions at elevated temperatures and pressures using wet and dry bulb temperature measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffith, P.; Bowman, J.

    1987-01-01

    The work reported in this note was undertaken to provide a method of determining the noncondensible gas fractions in a steam-gas mixture such as might be found in large reactor safety experiment like LOFT. In essence, the method used involves measuring the wet and dry bulb temperatures and using an algorithm, in place of the psychometric chart, to determine the partial pressure of the noncondensible gas in the mixture. In accomplishing this, the authors did the following: (1) extended the use of wet and dry-bulb temperature readings to determine mixture composition up to a temperature of 589 K and a pressure of 4.13 x 10 6 Pa. (2) developed an algorithm to reduce the data (3) found which materials would survive those temperatures

  19. The choice of rational parameters of beet pulp drying process in a pulsed low-pressure vibro-boiling layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Drannikov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Beet pulp is the main sugar industry by-product obtained with traditional production technology. It has high nutritional qualities, but in its raw form it turns sour quickly so it must be preserved. One of the most common methods is drying. Drying of the beet pulp with superheated vapor of reduced pressure in the pulsating vibro-boiling layer allows to improve the quality of the finished product by lowering of the drying agent temperature, thereby retaining a significant amount of nutrients in the initial product. To study the kinetic and hydrodynamic dependencies of the drying process, an experimental apparatus was developed that makes it possible to obtain the most accurate and reproducible results. In the course of the work, a lot of experiments were carried out. Drying curves, drying rate curves and heating curves were made based on these experiments results. According to the nature of the changes the corresponding conclusions were drawn. To study the interaction of various factors affecting the beet pulp drying process, the mathematical methods of experiment planning are applied. A mathematical description of this process can be obtained empirically. At the same time, its mathematical model has the form of a regression equation, determined by statistical methods on the basis of experiments. As a result of statistical processing of experimental data, regression equations were obtained that adequately describe the beet pulp drying process in a pulsed low-pressure vibro-boiling layer in the experimental apparatus. With reference to this drying apparatus, such technological modes of its operation were determined that ensure a minimum specific energy consumption of the drying process per kilogram of evaporated moisture and the maximum drying chamber moisture stress.

  20. Freeze-dried microarterial allografts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raman, J.; Hargrave, J.C.

    1990-01-01

    Rehydrated freeze-dried microarterial allografts were implanted to bridge arterial defects using New Zealand White rabbits as the experimental model. Segments of artery from the rabbit ear and thigh were harvested and preserved for a minimum of 2 weeks after freeze-drying. These allografts, approximately 1 mm in diameter and ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 cm in length, were rehydrated and then implanted in low-pressure and high-pressure arterial systems. Poor patency was noted in low-pressure systems in both allografts and autografts, tested in 12 rabbits. In the high-pressure arterial systems, allografts that were freeze-dried and reconstituted failed in a group of 10 rabbits with an 8-week patency rate of 30 percent. Gamma irradiation in an effort to reduce infection and antigenicity of grafts after freeze-drying was associated with a patency rate of 10 percent at 8 weeks in this system in another group of 10 rabbits. Postoperative cyclosporin A therapy was associated with a patency rate of 22.2 percent in the high-pressure arterial system in a 9-rabbit group. Control autografts in this system in a group of 10 rabbits showed a 100 percent patency at 8 weeks. Microarterial grafts depend on perfusion pressure of the vascular bed for long-term patency. Rehydrated freeze-dried microarterial allografts do not seem to function well in lengths of 1 to 2.5 cm when implanted in a high-pressure arterial system. Freeze-dried arterial allografts are probably not antigenic

  1. Double-step annealing and ambient effects on phosphorus implanted emitters in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koji, T.; Tseng, W.F.; Mayer, J.W.; Suganuma, T.

    1979-01-01

    Emitters of npn silicon bipolar transistors have been made by a phosphorus implantation at 50 keV P + to a dose of 1 x 10 16 cm -2 . This was followed by high temperature processes to reduce lattice disorder, to drive-in the phosphorus atoms, and to form oxide layers. The first process step was carried out by using single- and double-step anneals in various ambients (dry N 2 , dry 0 2 and steam) while the drive-in and oxidation steps were common for all structures. Electrical measurements on emitter/base leakage current, low frequency (popcorn) noise and current gain showed that the annealing ambient had a major influence. The transistors with implanted emitters annealed in a dry N 2 ambient are comparable to commercial ones with thermally-diffused emitters. Transmission electron microscopy observations on samples annealed in steam ambients revealed dislocations extending into the sidewall of the emitter/base junction. This sidewell penetration of dislocations is the main origin of the degradation of the emitter/base junction characteristics. (author)

  2. Mechanical pressure and momentum conservation in dry active matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fily, Y.; Kafri, Y.; Solon, A. P.; Tailleur, J.; Turner, A.

    2018-01-01

    We relate the breakdown of equations of states (EOS) for the mechanical pressure of generic dry active systems to the lack of momentum conservation in such systems. We show how net sources and sinks of momentum arise generically close to confining walls. These typically depend on the interactions of the container with the particles, which makes the mechanical pressure a container-dependent quantity. We show that an EOS is recovered if the dynamics of the propulsive forces of the particles are decoupled from other degrees of freedom and lead to an apolar bulk steady-state. This recovery of an EOS stems from the mean steady-state active force density being the divergence of the flux of ‘active impulse’, an observable which measures the mean momentum particles will receive from the substrate in the future. ), which features invited work from the best early-career researchers working within the scope of J. Phys. A. This project is part of the Journal of Physics series’ 50th anniversary celebrations in 2017. Julien Tailleur was selected by the Editorial Board of J. Phys. A as an Emerging Talent.

  3. High pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of the main pungent principles of solar dried West Indian ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balladin, D.A.; Headley, O. [University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, St. Michael, Barbados (West Indies). Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies; Chang-Yen, I. [University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad (West Indies). Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences; McGaw, D.R. [University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad (West Indies). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    1998-12-31

    The main pungent principles of West Indian ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) were quantified and qualified using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography. This procedure was used to evaluate the pungency profile of fresh, solar dried and solar dried/steam distilled ginger rhizomes. In this investigation, the total oleoresin extracted was in the ratio [20: 1: 2] for [fresh ginger: solar dried: solar dried/steam distilled ginger rhizomes] with respect to the [6]-gingerol content. This simple isocratic HPLC method can be used to investigate the pungency profile of the extracted oleoresin from the ginger rhizomes. (author)

  4. Performance Recovery of Natural Draft Dry Cooling Systems by Combined Air Leading Strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weijia Wang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The cooling efficiency of natural draft dry cooling system (NDDCS are vulnerable to ambient winds, so the implementation of measures against the wind effects is of great importance. This work presents the combined air leading strategies to recover the flow and heat transfer performances of NDDCS. Following the energy balance among the exhaust steam, circulating water, and cooling air, numerical models of natural draft dry cooling systems with the combined air leading strategies are developed. The cooling air streamlines, volume effectiveness, thermal efficiency and outlet water temperature for each cooling delta of the large-scale heat exchanger are obtained. The overall volume effectiveness, average outlet water temperature of NDDCS and steam turbine back pressure are calculated. The results show that with the air leading strategies inside or outside the dry-cooling tower, the thermo-flow performances of natural draft dry cooling system are improved under all wind conditions. The combined inner and outer air leading strategies are superior to other single strategy in the performance recovery, thus can be recommended for NDDCS in power generating units.

  5. Synthesis of Fe3O4 nanostructures by backward plume deposition and influence of ambient gas pressure on their morphology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, J J; Mahmood, S; Zhang, T; Hassan, S M; White, T; Ramanujan, R V; Lee, P; Rawat, R S

    2007-01-01

    Iron oxide nanostructures with significantly fewer droplets were successfully synthesized by pulsed laser deposition using a special target-substrate geometry, which is coined backward plume deposition. The morphology of deposited nanostructures for backward plume deposition is found to be strongly controlled by the ambient gas pressure and changes from a thin film to an assemble of nanoclusters to nanoclusters with loosely bound floccule-like network with the increase in ambient gas pressure. The post-annealing considerably changes the structural properties of deposited materials, which were determined to be magnetite FCC-Fe 3 O 4 . It also causes the relaxation of long range stress in the film and hence leads to an increase in the saturation magnetization. The coercivity is found to decrease upon annealing due to the growth of randomly oriented Fe 3 O 4 nanocrystallite as well as the relaxation of internal stress

  6. Reliability of blood pressure parameters for dry weight estimation in hemodialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Susantitaphong, Paweena; Laowaloet, Suthanit; Tiranathanagul, Khajohn; Chulakadabba, Adhisabandh; Katavetin, Pisut; Praditpornsilpa, Kearkiat; Tungsanga, Kriang; Eiam-Ong, Somchai

    2013-02-01

    Chronic volume overload resulting from interdialytic weight gain and inadequate fluid removal plays a significant role in poorly controlled high blood pressure. Although bioimpedance has been introduced as an accurate method for assessing hydration status, the instrument is not available in general hemodialysis (HEMO) centers. This study was conducted to explore the correlation between hydration status measured by bioimpedance and blood pressure parameters in chronic HEMO patients. Multifrequency bioimpedance analysis was used to determine pre- and post-dialysis hydration status in 32 stable HEMO patients. Extracellular water/total body water (ECW/TBW) determined by sum of segments from bioimpedance analysis was used as an index of hydration status. The mean age was 57.9 ± 16.4 years. The mean dry weight and body mass index were 57.7 ± 14.5 kg and 22.3 ± 4.7 kg/m(2), respectively. Pre-dialysis ECW/TBW was significantly correlated with only pulse pressure (r = 0.5, P = 0.003) whereas post-dialysis ECW/TBW had significant correlations with pulse pressure, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.6, P = 0.001, r = 0.4, P = 0.04, r = -0.4, and P = 0.02, respectively). After dialysis, the mean values of ECW/TBW, systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure were significantly decreased. ECW/TBW was used to classify the patients into normohydration (≤ 0.4) and overhydration (>0.4) groups. Systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure significantly reduced after dialysis in the normohydration group but did not significantly change in the overhydration group. Pre-dialysis pulse pressure, post-dialysis pulse pressure, and post-dialysis systolic blood pressure in the overhydration group were significantly higher than normohydration group. Due to the simplicity and cost, blood pressure parameters, especially pulse pressure, might be a simple reference for clinicians to determine hydration status in HEMO

  7. Design of experimental setup for supercritical CO2 jet under high ambient pressure conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Huaizhong; Li, Gensheng; He, Zhenguo; Wang, Haizhu; Zhang, Shikun

    2016-12-01

    With the commercial extraction of hydrocarbons in shale and tight reservoirs, efficient methods are needed to accelerate developing process. Supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) jet has been considered as a potential way due to its unique fluid properties. In this article, a new setup is designed for laboratory experiment to research the SC-CO2 jet's characteristics in different jet temperatures, pressures, standoff distances, ambient pressures, etc. The setup is composed of five modules, including SC-CO2 generation system, pure SC-CO2 jet system, abrasive SC-CO2 jet system, CO2 recovery system, and data acquisition system. Now, a series of rock perforating (or case cutting) experiments have been successfully conducted using the setup about pure and abrasive SC-CO2 jet, and the results have proven the great perforating efficiency of SC-CO2 jet and the applications of this setup.

  8. Solar-assisted drying of timber at industrial scale: management paper

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    While ambient air drying depends on the weather conditions, conventional hightemperature dryers cause high investments and energy costs. Up to now, solar dryers could not be established in industrial timber production, due to their insufficient drying capacity and the lack of an adequate control of the drying conditions.

  9. Energy cost of seed drying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weerachet Jittanit

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the energy costs of drying corn, rice and wheat seeds between 3 drying options were compared. They consisted of 1 two-stage drying by using fluidised bed dryer (FBD in the 1st stage and in-store dryer (ISD in the 2nd stage, 2 single-stage drying by fixed bed dryer (FXD and 3 two-stage drying by using FXD in the 1st  stage and ISD in the 2nd  stage. The drying conditions selected for comparison were proved to be safe for seed viability by the previous studies. The results showed that the drying options 2 and 3 consumed less energy than option 1. However, the benefits from lower energy cost must be weighed against some advantages of using FBD. Furthermore, it appeared that running the burners of FXD and ISD for warming up the ambient air during humid weather condition could shorten drying time significantly with a little higher energy cost.

  10. High pressure treatments on the inactivation of Salmonella Enteritidis and the physicochemical, rheological and color characteristics of sliced vacuum-packaged dry-cured ham.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Alba, María; Montiel, Raquel; Bravo, Daniel; Gaya, Pilar; Medina, Margarita

    2012-06-01

    The effect of high pressure (HP) on Salmonella Enteritidis in sliced dry-cured ham stored under temperature abuse (8°C) during 60d was investigated. After treatment, reductions of S. Enteritidis were 1.06, 2.54 and 4.32 log units in ham treated at 400, 500 and 600MPa for 5min at 12°C, compared to non-pressurized samples. After 60d, counts of S. Enteritidis in ham treated at 400 and 500MPa were 2.56 and 2.66 log units lower than in non-treated ham, whereas the pathogen was only detected after enrichment in ham treated at 600MPa. Lipid oxidation increased with storage and pressurization, whereas total free amino acid contents were similar in HP and control samples after 60d. Dry-cured ham treated at the highest pressures exhibited lower shear resistance, whereas the maximum force to compress the sample was slightly changed. Color (L*, a* and b*) varied with pressurization and storage. Changes induced by HP in dry-cured ham were attenuated during storage. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Effects of initiating anaerobic digestion of layer-hen poultry dung at sub-atmospheric pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chima C. Ngumah

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the effects of initiating anaerobic digestion (AD of dry layer-hen poultry dung at the sub-atmospheric pressure of -30 cmHg on biodegradation, biogasification, and biomethanation. The setup was performed as a batch process at an average ambient temperature of 29±2 0C and a retention time of 15 days. Comparisons were made with two other experiments which were both begun at ambient atmospheric pressure; one was inoculated with digestate from a previous layer-hen dung AD, while the other was not inoculated. The bioreactors initiated at sub-atmospheric pressure, ambient atmospheric pressure without inoculum, and ambient atmospheric pressure with inoculum showed the following for biogas and biomethane yields respectively: 16.8 cm3 g-1 VS and 15.46 cm3 g 1 VS, 25.10 cm3 g-1 VS and 12.85 cm3 g-1 VS, 21.44 cm3 g-1 VS and 14.88 cm3 g 1 VS. In the same order, after AD, the following values were recorded for volatile solids and total viable counts (prokaryotes and fungi in the digestates: 40.33% and 23.22 x 106 cfu mL-1, 43.42% and 22.17 x 106 cfu mL-1, 41.11% and 13.3 x 106 cfu mL-1. The feedstock showed values of 83.93% and 3.98 x 106 cfu mL-1 for volatile solids and total viable count respectively. There was a slight difference in the volatile solids of the digestates of the three bioreactors after AD. The pH recorded for the feedstock slurry before AD was 7.9 at 30oC, while after AD, the digestates from all the three bioreactors showed the same pH of 5.9 at 29 0C. Statistical analysis using ANOVA showed no significant difference in biogas yields of the feedstock for the three bioreactors (A, B, C. ANOVA showed no significant difference for biomethane yields in the bioreactors initiated at sub-atmospheric pressure and for those initiated at ambient atmospheric pressure with inoculums. However, it showed significant difference in the bioreactor initiated at sub-atmospheric pressure and that initiated at ambient atmospheric

  12. Lower pressure heating steam is practical for the distributed dry dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Shuai; Zhang, Jian; Hou, Weiliang; Qureshi, Abdul Sattar; Bao, Jie

    2017-08-01

    Most studies paid more attention to the pretreatment temperature and the resulted pretreatment efficiency, while ignored the heating media and their scalability to an industry scale. This study aimed to use a relative low pressure heating steam easily provided by steam boiler to meet the requirement of distributed dry dilute acid pretreatment. The results showed that the physical properties of the pretreated corn stover were maintained stable using the steam pressure varying from 1.5, 1.7, 1.9 to 2.1MPa. Enzymatic hydrolysis and high solids loading simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) results were also satisfying. CFD simulation indicated that the high injection velocity of the low pressure steam resulted in a high steam holdup and made the mixing time of steam and solid corn stover during pretreatment much shorter in comparison with the higher pressure steam. This study provides a design basis for the boiler requirement in distributed pretreatment concept. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Intermetallic GaPd2 Nanoparticles on SiO2 for Low-Pressure CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fiordaliso, Elisabetta Maria; Sharafutdinov, Irek; Carvalho, Hudson W. P.

    2015-01-01

    A nanodispersed intermetallic GaPd2/SiO2 catalyst is prepared by simple impregnation of industrially relevant high-surface-area SiO2 with Pd and Ga nitrates, followed by drying, calcination, and reduction in hydrogen. The catalyst is tested for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol at ambient pressure, r...

  14. Improvement of hygienic quality and long-term storage of dried red pepper by gamma irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Byun, M.W.; Yook, H.S.; Kwon, J.H.; Kim, J.O.

    1996-01-01

    Dried-red pepper, whole and powdered types, was subjected to a storage-study by investigation the effects of packaging methods (polycloth & polyethylene/polycloth, whole dried-red pepper; nylon/polyethylene-lam-inated film, red pepper powder), temperature and gamma irradiation doses (0-10 kGy). After 6 months storage in polyclith sack at ambient temperature, all whole dried-red pepper showed quality deterioration, such as weight change, insect infestation, discoloration and chemical changes, After 2 years storage in combined packaging with polyethylene/polycloth sack of 5-7.5 kGy irradiated whole dried-red pepper at ambient temperature, however, quality deterioration was not observed. Gamma-irradiated red pepper powder (7.5-10kGy) showed a good quality in hygienic, physicochemical and organoleptic evaluation after 2 years of storage at ambient temperature

  15. Dry-cleaning with high-pressure carbon dioxide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Roosmalen, M.J.E.

    2003-01-01

    Dry-cleaning is a process for removing soils and stains from fabrics and garments which uses a non-aqueous solvent with detergent added. The currently most used dry-cleaning solvent is perchloroethylene (PER), which is toxic, environmentally harmful and suspected to be carcinogenic. Carbon dioxide

  16. Research Update: Direct conversion of h-BN into pure c-BN at ambient temperatures and pressures in air

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jagdish Narayan

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available We report a direct conversion of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN into pure cubic boron nitride (c-BN by nanosecond laser melting at ambient temperatures and atmospheric pressure in air. According to the phase diagram, the transformation from h-BN into c-BN can occur only at high temperatures and pressures, as the hBN-cBN-Liquid triple point is at 3500 K/9.5 GPa. Using nanosecond laser melting, we have created super undercooled state and shifted this triple point to as low as 2800 K and atmospheric pressure. The rapid quenching from super undercooled state leads to formation of super undercooled BN (Q-BN. The c-BN phase is nucleated from Q-BN depending upon the time allowed for nucleation and growth.

  17. Fuzzy Rule Suram for Wood Drying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Situmorang, Zakarias

    2017-12-01

    Implemented of fuzzy rule must used a look-up table as defuzzification analysis. Look-up table is the actuator plant to doing the value of fuzzification. Rule suram based of fuzzy logic with variables of weather is temperature ambient and humidity ambient, it implemented for wood drying process. The membership function of variable of state represented in error value and change error with typical map of triangle and map of trapezium. Result of analysis to reach 4 fuzzy rule in 81 conditions to control the output system can be constructed in a number of way of weather and conditions of air. It used to minimum of the consumption of electric energy by heater. One cycle of schedule drying is a serial of condition of chamber to process as use as a wood species.

  18. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for space exploration applications: Influence of the ambient pressure on the calibration curves prepared from soil and clay samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salle, Beatrice; Cremers, David A.; Maurice, Sylvestre; Wiens, Roger C.

    2005-01-01

    Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique for stand-off detection of geological samples for use on landers and rovers to Mars, and for other space applications. For space missions, LIBS analysis capabilities must be investigated and instrumental development is required to take into account constraints such as size, weight, power and the effect of environmental atmosphere (pressure and ambient gas) on flight instrument performance. In this paper, we study the in-situ LIBS method at reduced pressure (7 Torr CO 2 to simulate the Martian atmosphere) and near vacuum (50 mTorr in air to begin to simulate the Moon or asteroids' pressure) as well as at atmospheric pressure in air (for Earth conditions and comparison). Here in-situ corresponds to distances on the order of 150 mm in contrast to stand-off analysis at distance of many meters. We show the influence of the ambient pressure on the calibration curves prepared from certified soil and clay pellets. In order to detect simultaneously all the elements commonly observed in terrestrial soils, we used an Echelle spectrograph. The results are discussed in terms of calibration curves, measurement precision, plasma light collection system efficiency and matrix effects

  19. Direct atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry for the continuous real-time trace analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in ambient air.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badjagbo, Koffi; Picard, Pierre; Moore, Serge; Sauvé, Sébastien

    2009-05-01

    Real-time monitoring of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in ambient air is essential for the early warning detection associated with the release of these hazardous chemicals and in estimating the potential exposure risks to humans and the environment. We have developed a tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method for continuous real-time determination of ambient trace levels of BTEX. The technique is based on the sampling of air via an atmospheric pressure inlet directly into the atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source. The method is linear over four orders of magnitude, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.996. Low limits of detection in the range 1-2 microg/m(3) are achieved for BTEX. The reliability of the method was confirmed through the evaluation of quality parameters such as repeatability and reproducibility (relative standard deviation below 8% and 10%, respectively) and accuracy (over 95%). The applicability of this method to real-world samples was evaluated through measurements of BTEX levels in real ambient air samples and results were compared with a reference GC-FID method. This direct APCI-MS/MS method is suitable for real-time analysis of BTEX in ambient air during regulation surveys as well as for the monitoring of industrial processes or emergency situations.

  20. Effects of high pressure application (400 and 900 MPa) and refrigerated storage time on the oxidative stability of sliced skin vacuum packed dry-cured ham.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clariana, Maria; Guerrero, Luis; Sárraga, Carmen; Garcia-Regueiro, José A

    2012-02-01

    The effect of high pressure processing at 400 MPa and 900 MPa on the oxidative stability of sliced and vacuum packaged commercial dry-cured ham was determined by analyzing the antioxidant enzyme activities, TBARS levels (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances), vitamin E content and physicochemical characteristics during refrigerated storage for 50 days in different light conditions. In dry-cured ham pressurized at 400 MPa color changes and sensory analyses were also assessed. The high pressure process at 900 MPa produced a decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activities and increased vitamin E content. In contrast, pressurization at 400 MPa, increased SOD activity, and showed no effect on vitamin E content and GSHPx activity. In general the physicochemical parameters determined (fat, moisture and collagen) were unaffected by pressurization. Treatment at 400 MPa increased the instrumental color measurement of lightness (L* values, CIELAB). This level of pressure also modified the hardness, chewiness, saltiness and color intensity. These changes of the sensory attributes in dry-cured ham were significant, but small. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Acoustic ambient noise recorder

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Saran, A.K.; Navelkar, G.S.; Almeida, A.M.; More, S.R.; Chodankar, P.V.; Murty, C.S.

    with a robust outfit that can withstand high pressures and chemically corrosion resistant materials. Keeping these considerations in view, a CMOS micro-controller-based marine acoustic ambient noise recorder has been developed with a real time clock...

  2. Effects of different drying processes on the concentrations of metals and metalloids in plant materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anawar, H.M.; Canha, N.; Freitas, M.C; Santa Regina, I.; Garcia-Sanchez, A.

    2011-01-01

    The drying process of fresh plant materials may affect the porous structure, dehydration and a number of quality characteristics of these materials. Therefore, this study has investigated the effect of different drying processes on the variation of metal and metalloid concentrations in the dried plant materials. Seven varieties of native plant species collected from Sao Domingos mine were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to investigate the effects of freeze-drying (FD), ambient air-drying (AAD) and oven-drying (OD) process on the concentrations of metals and metalloids in the plant biomass. Comparison of ambient air-dried, oven-dried and freeze-dried preparations allows a phenomenological description of the dehydration artefacts. In the quantitative analysis of metals and metalloids, FD and OD plant samples show the higher concentrations of metals and metalloids when compared to those in the AAD plant biomass. The freeze-drying process is comparatively reliable for determination of metals and metalloids concentrations in plant materials. (author)

  3. Real-time analysis of ambient organic aerosols using aerosol flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow mass spectrometry (AeroFAPA-MS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brüggemann, Martin; Karu, Einar; Stelzer, Torsten; Hoffmann, Thorsten

    2015-04-01

    Organic aerosol accounts for a major fraction of atmospheric aerosols and has implications on the earth's climate and human health. However, due to the chemical complexity its measurement remains a major challenge for analytical instrumentation.1 Here, we present the development, characterization and application of a new soft ionization technique that allows mass spectrometric real-time detection of organic compounds in ambient aerosols. The aerosol flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow (AeroFAPA) ion source utilizes a helium glow discharge plasma to produce excited helium species and primary reagent ions. Ionization of the analytes occurs in the afterglow region after thermal desorption and results mainly in intact molecular ions, facilitating the interpretation of the acquired mass spectra. In the past, similar approaches were used to detect pesticides, explosives or illicit drugs on a variety of surfaces.2,3 In contrast, the AeroFAPA source operates 'online' and allows the detection of organic compounds in aerosols without a prior precipitation or sampling step. To our knowledge, this is the first application of an atmospheric-pressure glow discharge ionization technique to ambient aerosol samples. We illustrate that changes in aerosol composition and concentration are detected on the time scale of seconds and in the ng-m-3 range. Additionally, the successful application of AeroFAPA-MS during a field study in a mixed forest region in Central Europe is presented. Several oxidation products of monoterpenes were clearly identified using the possibility to perform tandem MS experiments. The acquired data are in agreement with previous studies and demonstrate that AeroFAPA-MS is a suitable tool for organic aerosol analysis. Furthermore, these results reveal the potential of this technique to enable new insights into aerosol formation, growth and transformation in the atmosphere. References: 1) IPCC, 2013: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2013: The

  4. Modelling of intermittent microwave convective drying: parameter sensitivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Zhijun

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The reliability of the predictions of a mathematical model is a prerequisite to its utilization. A multiphase porous media model of intermittent microwave convective drying is developed based on the literature. The model considers the liquid water, gas and solid matrix inside of food. The model is simulated by COMSOL software. Its sensitivity parameter is analysed by changing the parameter values by ±20%, with the exception of several parameters. The sensitivity analysis of the process of the microwave power level shows that each parameter: ambient temperature, effective gas diffusivity, and evaporation rate constant, has significant effects on the process. However, the surface mass, heat transfer coefficient, relative and intrinsic permeability of the gas, and capillary diffusivity of water do not have a considerable effect. The evaporation rate constant has minimal parameter sensitivity with a ±20% value change, until it is changed 10-fold. In all results, the temperature and vapour pressure curves show the same trends as the moisture content curve. However, the water saturation at the medium surface and in the centre show different results. Vapour transfer is the major mass transfer phenomenon that affects the drying process.

  5. Lab-based ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy from past to present

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arble, Chris; Jia, Meng; Newberg, John T.

    2018-05-01

    Chemical interactions which occur at a heterogeneous interface between a gas and substrate are critical in many technological and natural processes. Ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) is a powerful spectroscopy tool that is inherently surface sensitive, elemental and chemical specific, with the ability to probe sample surfaces in the presence of a gas phase. In this review, we discuss the evolution of lab-based AP-XPS instruments, from the first development by Siegbahn and coworkers up through modern day systems. A comprehensive overview is given of heterogeneous experiments investigated to date via lab-based AP-XPS along with the different instrumental metrics that affect the quality of sample probing. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for lab-based AP-XPS, highlighting the efficacy for this in-demand instrument to continue to expand in its ability to significantly advance our understanding of surface chemical processes under in situ conditions in a technologically multidisciplinary setting.

  6. Nanosecond Nd-YAG laser induced plasma emission characteristics in low pressure CO{sub 2} ambient gas for spectrochemical application on Mars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lie, Zener Sukra; Kurniawan, Koo Hendrik, E-mail: kurnia18@cbn.net.id [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40/80 Srengseng Raya, Jakarta 11630 (Indonesia); Pardede, Marincan [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Pelita Harapan, 1100 M.H. Thamrin Boulevard, Lippo Village, Tangerang 15811 (Indonesia); Tjia, May On [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40/80 Srengseng Raya, Jakarta 11630 (Indonesia); Physics of Magnetism and Photonics Group, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute of Technology, 10 Ganesha, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia); Kagawa, Kiichiro [Fukui Science Education Academy, Takagi Chuou 2 choume, Fukui 910-0804 (Japan); Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40/80 Srengseng Raya, Jakarta 11630 (Indonesia)

    2015-08-28

    An experimental study is conducted on the possibility and viability of performing spectrochemical analysis of carbon and other elements in trace amount in Mars, in particular, the clean detection of C, which is indispensible for tracking the sign of life in Mars. For this study, a nanosecond Nd-YAG laser is employed to generate plasma emission from a pure copper target in CO{sub 2} ambient gas of reduced pressure simulating the atmospheric condition of Mars. It is shown that the same shock wave excitation mechanism also works this case while exhibiting remarkably long cooling stage. The highest Cu emission intensities induced by 4 mJ laser ablation energy is attained in 600 Pa CO{sub 2} ambient gas. Meanwhile the considerably weaker carbon emission from the CO{sub 2} gas appears relatively featureless over the entire range of pressure variation, posing a serious problem for sensitive trace analysis of C contained in a solid sample. Our time resolved intensity measurement nevertheless reveals earlier appearance of C emission from the CO{sub 2} gas with a limited duration from 50 ns to 400 ns after the laser irradiation, well before the initial appearance of the long lasting C emission from the solid target at about 1 μs, due to the different C-releasing processes from their different host materials. The unwanted C emission from the ambient gas can thus be eliminated from the detected spectrum by a proper time gated detection window. The excellent spectra of carbon, aluminum, calcium, sodium, hydrogen, and oxygen obtained from an agate sample are presented to further demonstrate and verify merit of this special time gated LIBS using CO{sub 2} ambient gas and suggesting its viability for broad ranging in-situ applications in Mars.

  7. Thermal-Hydraulic Results for the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durbin, Samuel [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lindgren, Eric R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-09-01

    single assembly geometry with well-controlled boundary conditions simplified interpretation of results. Two different arrangements of ducting were used to mimic conditions for aboveground and belowground storage configurations for vertical, dry cask systems with canisters. Transverse and axial temperature profiles were measured throughout the test assembly. The induced air mass flow rate was measured for both the aboveground and belowground configurations. In addition, the impact of cross-wind conditions on the belowground configuration was quantified. Over 40 unique data sets were collected and analyzed for these efforts. Fourteen data sets for the aboveground configuration were recorded for powers and internal pressures ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 kW and 0.3 to 800 kPa absolute, respectively. Similarly, fourteen data sets were logged for the belowground configuration starting at ambient conditions and concluding with thermal-hydraulic steady state. Over thirteen tests were conducted using a custom-built wind machine. The results documented in this report highlight a small, but representative, subset of the available data from this test series. This addition to the dry cask experimental database signifies a substantial addition of first-of-a-kind, high-fidelity transient and steady-state thermal-hydraulic data sets suitable for CFD model validation.

  8. When to stop drying fruit: Insights from hygrothermal modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Defraeye, Thijs

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Partial dehydration reduces energy consumption and processing time and improves product quality. • This study gives a quantitative insight in when fruit drying should be stopped. • Decrease in dryer residence time of 2%, 24% and 70% are found for different stopping criteria. - Abstract: Stopping the drying process prior to complete dehydration reduces energy consumption and processing time but can also improve product quality. Using hygrothermal simulations, different stopping criteria are evaluated, which are based on the final water activity and residual moisture content in the fruit. Their impact on drying time and moisture redistribution kinetics inside fruit is quantified. One of the variants leads to a significant reduction in residence time in the dryer (24%), compared to full dehydration. For this variant, drying is stopped when the average moisture content in the sample reaches the value corresponding to an equilibrium water activity of 60% in the sample, as determined from the sorption isotherm. At the same time, this variant does not induce problems with fruit spoilage, as a sufficiently low water activity is reached after moisture redistribution during relaxation in the ambient environment. In addition, the relation of the drying time to the drying air temperature was quantified for all stopping criteria, as well as the impact of the humidity of the ambient environment in which the dried fruits are placed afterwards. This study gives a better quantitative insight in when fruit drying should be stopped, given specific drying conditions, without having to compromise food safety.

  9. Effect of various structure directing agents on the physicochemical properties of the silica aerogels prepared at an ambient pressure

    KAUST Repository

    Sarawade, Pradip

    2013-12-01

    We studied the effects of various surfactants on the textural properties (BET surface area, pore size, and pore volume) of the silica aerogels prepared at an ambient pressure. A simple surface modification of silica gel prepared at an ambient pressure through hydrolysis and polycondensation of TEOS as asilica precursor was conducted using various structure directing agents. The treatment was found to induce a significant difference in the porosity of the silica aerogel. Highly porous silica aerogels with bimodal porous structures were prepared by modifying the surface of the silica wet-gel (alcogel) with trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) in order to preserve its porosity. The samples were analyzed by small-angle X-ray scattering and nitrogen adsorption. In this work, a possible new type of highly porous hydrophobic silica aerogel with a bimodal porous structure is presented. A hydrophilic extremely porous (high surface area and large pore volume) silica aerogel was obtained by heating the as-synthesized hydrophobic silica aerogel at 400°C for 1 h. There was a significant effect of structure directing agent on the textural properties, such as specific surface area, pore size distribution and cumulative pore volume of the silicaaerogels. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Effect of various structure directing agents on the physicochemical properties of the silica aerogels prepared at an ambient pressure

    KAUST Repository

    Sarawade, Pradip; Shao, Godlistennamwel; Quang, Dangviet; Kim, Heetaik

    2013-01-01

    We studied the effects of various surfactants on the textural properties (BET surface area, pore size, and pore volume) of the silica aerogels prepared at an ambient pressure. A simple surface modification of silica gel prepared at an ambient pressure through hydrolysis and polycondensation of TEOS as asilica precursor was conducted using various structure directing agents. The treatment was found to induce a significant difference in the porosity of the silica aerogel. Highly porous silica aerogels with bimodal porous structures were prepared by modifying the surface of the silica wet-gel (alcogel) with trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) in order to preserve its porosity. The samples were analyzed by small-angle X-ray scattering and nitrogen adsorption. In this work, a possible new type of highly porous hydrophobic silica aerogel with a bimodal porous structure is presented. A hydrophilic extremely porous (high surface area and large pore volume) silica aerogel was obtained by heating the as-synthesized hydrophobic silica aerogel at 400°C for 1 h. There was a significant effect of structure directing agent on the textural properties, such as specific surface area, pore size distribution and cumulative pore volume of the silicaaerogels. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Multislice simulations for in-situ HRTEM studies of nanostructured magnesium hydride at ambient hydrogen pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Surrey, Alexander; Schultz, Ludwig; Rellinghaus, Bernd

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Multislice HRTEM contrast simulations of a windowed environmental cell. • Study of Mg and MgH2 nanocrystals as model system in hydrogen at ambient pressure. • Investigation of spatial resolution and contrast depending on specimen thickness, defocus, and hydrogen pressure. • Atomic resolution is expected for specimens as thin as 5  nm. - Abstract: The use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the structural characterization of many nanostructured hydrides, which are relevant for solid state hydrogen storage, is hindered due to a rapid decomposition of the specimen upon irradiation with the electron beam. Environmental TEM allows to stabilize the hydrides by applying a hydrogen back pressure of up to 4.5 bar in a windowed environmental cell. The feasibility of high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) investigations of light weight metals and metal hydrides in such a “nanoreactor” is studied theoretically by means of multislice HRTEM contrast simulations using Mg and its hydride phase, MgH_2, as model system. Such a setup provides the general opportunity to study dehydrogenation and hydrogenation reactions at the nanoscale under technological application conditions. We analyze the dependence of both the spatial resolution and the HRTEM image contrast on parameters such as the defocus, the metal/hydride thickness, and the hydrogen pressure in order to explore the possibilities and limitations of in-situ experiments with windowed environmental cells. Such simulations may be highly valuable to pre-evaluate future experimental studies.

  12. Multislice simulations for in-situ HRTEM studies of nanostructured magnesium hydride at ambient hydrogen pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Surrey, Alexander, E-mail: a.surrey@ifw-dresden.de [IFW Dresden, Institute for Metallic Materials, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden (Germany); Institut für Festkörperphysik, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01062 Dresden (Germany); Schultz, Ludwig [IFW Dresden, Institute for Metallic Materials, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden (Germany); Institut für Festkörperphysik, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01062 Dresden (Germany); Rellinghaus, Bernd, E-mail: b.rellinghaus@ifw-dresden.de [IFW Dresden, Institute for Metallic Materials, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden (Germany)

    2017-04-15

    Highlights: • Multislice HRTEM contrast simulations of a windowed environmental cell. • Study of Mg and MgH2 nanocrystals as model system in hydrogen at ambient pressure. • Investigation of spatial resolution and contrast depending on specimen thickness, defocus, and hydrogen pressure. • Atomic resolution is expected for specimens as thin as 5  nm. - Abstract: The use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the structural characterization of many nanostructured hydrides, which are relevant for solid state hydrogen storage, is hindered due to a rapid decomposition of the specimen upon irradiation with the electron beam. Environmental TEM allows to stabilize the hydrides by applying a hydrogen back pressure of up to 4.5 bar in a windowed environmental cell. The feasibility of high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) investigations of light weight metals and metal hydrides in such a “nanoreactor” is studied theoretically by means of multislice HRTEM contrast simulations using Mg and its hydride phase, MgH{sub 2}, as model system. Such a setup provides the general opportunity to study dehydrogenation and hydrogenation reactions at the nanoscale under technological application conditions. We analyze the dependence of both the spatial resolution and the HRTEM image contrast on parameters such as the defocus, the metal/hydride thickness, and the hydrogen pressure in order to explore the possibilities and limitations of in-situ experiments with windowed environmental cells. Such simulations may be highly valuable to pre-evaluate future experimental studies.

  13. Triangularly arranged heat exchanger bundles to restrain wind effects on natural draft dry cooling system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liao, H.T.; Yang, L.J.; Du, X.Z.; Yang, Y.P.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Triangularly arranged heat exchanger around the dry-cooling tower is proposed. • By coupling condenser with dry cooling system, TACHE performance is obtained. • At low wind speeds, cooling performance with TACHE is inferior to that with CACHE. • Better performance can be achieved for cooling system with TACHE at high wind speeds. • TACHE can be applied to the region with the strong prevailing wind all year around. - Abstract: It has been commonly recognized that the crosswind may deteriorate the cooling performance of the natural draft dry cooling system with vertically arranged heat exchanger bundles around the circumference of dry-cooling tower. With the purpose for restraining the adverse effects of ambient winds, a novel triangular configuration of heat exchanger bundles is proposed in this work. The air-side flow and heat transfer models coupled with the circulating water heat transfer process are developed for two kinds of natural draft dry cooling systems with the conventional circularly arranged and novel triangularly arranged heat exchanger bundles, by which the flow and temperature fields, mass flow rate of cooling air, outlet water temperature of heat exchanger and turbine back pressure are obtained. Three wind directions of 0°, 90°, and 180° are investigated at various wind speeds for the natural draft dry cooling system with triangularly arranged heat exchanger bundles, which are compared with the conventional system with circularly arranged heat exchanger bundles. The results show that the thermo-flow performances of the natural draft dry cooling system with triangularly arranged heat exchanger get improved significantly at high wind speeds and in the wind direction of 180°, thus a low turbine back pressure can be achieved, which is of benefit to the energy efficiency of the power generating unit. The natural draft dry cooling system with triangularly arranged heat exchanger is recommended to apply to the regions with

  14. Structural, magnetic and superconducting phase transitions in CaFe2As2 under ambient and applied pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canfield, P.C.; Bud'ko, S.L.; Ni, N.; Kreyssig, A.; Goldman, A.I.; McQueeney, R.J.; Torikachvili, M.S.; Argyriou, D.N.; Luke, G.; Yu, W.

    2009-01-01

    At ambient pressure CaFe 2 As 2 has been found to undergo a first order phase transition from a high temperature, tetragonal phase to a low-temperature orthorhombic/antiferromagnetic phase upon cooling through T ∼ 170 K. With the application of pressure this phase transition is rapidly suppressed and by ∼0.35 GPa it is replaced by a first order phase transition to a low-temperature collapsed tetragonal, non-magnetic phase. Further application of pressure leads to an increase of the tetragonal to collapsed tetragonal phase transition temperature, with it crossing room temperature by ∼1.7 GPa. Given the exceptionally large and anisotropic change in unit cell dimensions associated with the collapsed tetragonal phase, the state of the pressure medium (liquid or solid) at the transition temperature has profound effects on the low-temperature state of the sample. For He-gas cells the pressure is as close to hydrostatic as possible and the transitions are sharp and the sample appears to be single phase at low temperatures. For liquid media cells at temperatures below media freezing, the CaFe 2 As 2 transforms when it is encased by a frozen media and enters into a low-temperature multi-crystallographic-phase state, leading to what appears to be a strain stabilized superconducting state at low temperatures.

  15. The Effect of Dry Needling Compared With Ischemic Pressure on Pain Intensity on Active Trigger Point in Upper Trapezius Muscle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Ziaeifar

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Myofascial trigger point is one of the most common causes of musculoskeletal pain and disorders. Myofascial trigger point in upper trapezius has been reported as a frequent symptom in patients with neck and thoracic pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dry needling compared with ischemic pressure on active trigger point in upper trapezius muscle. Materials & Methods: 32 women with active myofascial trigger point in upper trapezius muscle participated in this randomized clinical trial (RCT study. The subjects were randomly assigned into two groups: dry needling (N=15 and ischemic pressure (N=17. The visual analogue scale (VAS was used to assess the pain intensity before and after treatment in both groups. Paired t-test was used to determine any significant difference in pain intensity after treatment sessions compared with pre-treatment score in control and experimental group. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA was calculated to determine the significance of differences between the control and experimental groups in post-test scores, with pre-treatment scores used as covariates in the analysis. Results: Statistical analysis (paired t-test revealed significant decrease in pain intensity after treatment sessions in control and experimental group (P=0.00 compared with pre-treatment score. In the ANCOVA, controlling for pre-test scores, no significant difference was found between the two groups (P=0.8. Conclusion: It seems that that both dry needling and ischemic pressure are effective in improvement in the pain intensity in subjects with myofascial trigger points. However, dry needling can be used by clinicians and therapist in physiotherapy clinics.

  16. Synthesis of ammonia directly from air and water at ambient temperature and pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lan, Rong; Irvine, John T. S.; Tao, Shanwen

    2013-01-01

    The N≡N bond (225 kcal mol−1) in dinitrogen is one of the strongest bonds in chemistry therefore artificial synthesis of ammonia under mild conditions is a significant challenge. Based on current knowledge, only bacteria and some plants can synthesise ammonia from air and water at ambient temperature and pressure. Here, for the first time, we report artificial ammonia synthesis bypassing N2 separation and H2 production stages. A maximum ammonia production rate of 1.14 × 10−5 mol m−2 s−1 has been achieved when a voltage of 1.6 V was applied. Potentially this can provide an alternative route for the mass production of the basic chemical ammonia under mild conditions. Considering climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels used for synthesis of ammonia by conventional methods, this is a renewable and sustainable chemical synthesis process for future. PMID:23362454

  17. Synthesis of ammonia directly from air and water at ambient temperature and pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lan, Rong; Irvine, John T S; Tao, Shanwen

    2013-01-01

    The N≡N bond (225 kcal mol⁻¹) in dinitrogen is one of the strongest bonds in chemistry therefore artificial synthesis of ammonia under mild conditions is a significant challenge. Based on current knowledge, only bacteria and some plants can synthesise ammonia from air and water at ambient temperature and pressure. Here, for the first time, we report artificial ammonia synthesis bypassing N₂ separation and H₂ production stages. A maximum ammonia production rate of 1.14 × 10⁻⁵ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ has been achieved when a voltage of 1.6 V was applied. Potentially this can provide an alternative route for the mass production of the basic chemical ammonia under mild conditions. Considering climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels used for synthesis of ammonia by conventional methods, this is a renewable and sustainable chemical synthesis process for future.

  18. A hybrid Rankine cycle (HyRC) with ambient pressure combustion (APC)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Lijun; Thimsen, David; Clements, Bruce; Zheng, Ligang; Pomalis, Richard

    2014-01-01

    The main losses in thermal power generation include heat in exhaust flue gas, heat rejected through steam condensation of low-pressure turbine, and exergy destruction in heat exchange process etc. To the extent that the heat losses are significantly greater in temperature than either air or water coolant resources, these losses also represent exergy losses which might be exploited to improve plant capacity and efficiency. This paper presents a hybrid Rankine cycle (HyRC) with an ambient pressure combustion (APC) boiler to address the recovery potential of these losses within the steam Rankine cycle (SRC). The APC–HyRC concept employs an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to supplement SRC and to reduce cycle energy losses to the atmosphere since organic fluids are capable of lowering cycle condensation temperature when a very low temperature heat sink is available. The case studies based on a 399 MW SRC unit show that the APC–HyRC configurations have better thermodynamic performance than its base case SRC at a cycle condensation temperature of 30 °C and below. The best APC–HyRC configuration generates up to 14% more power than the baseline steam cycle which is a 5.45% increase in overall gross efficiency with a cycle condensation temperature at 4 °C. - Highlights: • A hybrid Rankine cycle with water and organic fluid is presented. • Heat losses in exhaust flue gas and exhaust steam are reduced. • Exergy losses in regeneration process are reduced. • Efficiency improvements are made to the conventional steam Rankine cycle. • Issues in design/construction of greenfield and repowering project are discussed

  19. Blood lactate changes in men during graded workloads at normal atmospheric pressure (100 kPa) and under simulated caisson conditions (400 kPa).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neubauer, B; Tetzlaff, K; Buslaps, C; Schwarzkopf, J; Bettinghausen, E; Rieckert, H

    1999-05-01

    A hyperbaric environment may influence lactate metabolism due to hyperoxia affecting biochemical pathways. The purpose of our study was to determine the blood lactate levels occurring at high workloads in a sample of professional divers under simulated caisson conditions. The ambient air pressure was equivalent to a diving depth of 30 m of seawater (400 kPa). A total of 23 healthy male subjects performed graded bicycle exercise in a dry hyperbaric chamber up to a maximum of 3.5 W kg(-1) body weight at normal (100 kPa) and elevated ambient air pressure (400 kPa). The blood lactate level and the heart rate were measured. In comparison with control conditions, the heart rate and the peripheral blood lactate level were significantly lower at depth for all workloads. The differences between the normobaric and hyperbaric lactate values may be explained by an overall improvement in lactate metabolism at elevated ambient pressure, especially in the working muscles and the organs responsible for the lactate reduction, i.e., the liver. The reduced heart rate may be an effect of the improved tissue oxygen supply at depth.

  20. Self-dispersible nanocrystals of albendazole produced by high pressure homogenization and spray-drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paredes, Alejandro Javier; Llabot, Juan Manuel; Sánchez Bruni, Sergio; Allemandi, Daniel; Palma, Santiago Daniel

    2016-10-01

    Albendazole (ABZ) is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug used in the treatment of human or animal infections. Although ABZ has shown a high efficacy for repeated doses in monogastric mammals, its low aqueous solubility leads to erratic bioavailability. The aim of this work was to optimize a procedure in order to obtain ABZ self-dispersible nanocrystals (SDNC) by combining high pressure homogenization (HPH) and spray-drying (SD). The material thus obtained was characterized and the variables affecting both the HPH and SD processes were studied. As expected, the homogenizing pressure and number of cycles influenced the final particle size, while the stabilizer concentration had a strong impact on SD output and redispersion of powders upon contact with water. ABZ SDNC were successfully obtained with high process yield and redispersibility. The characteristic peaks of ABZ were clearly identified in the X-ray patterns of the processed samples. A noticeable increase in the dissolution rate was observed in the aqueous environment.

  1. High pressure processing for dark-firm-dry beef: effect on physical properties and oxidative deterioration during refrigerated storage

    OpenAIRE

    Dicky Tri Utama; Seung Gyu Lee; Ki Ho Baek; Woon Si Chung; In Ae Chung; Jung Tae Jeon; Sung Ki Lee

    2017-01-01

    Objective Study on the application of high pressure processing (HPP) for dark-firm-dry (DFD) beef was conducted to observe whether HPP has any impact on physical properties and to evaluate oxidative deterioration during refrigerated storage under vacuum. Methods The longissimus lumborum muscles obtained from Friesian Holstein steers (33?0.5 months old) with 24-h postmortem pH higher than 6.0 were vacuum-packed and subjected to pressurization at 200, 400, and 600 MPa for 180 s at 15?C?2?C; the...

  2. Bio-refinery system in a pulp mill for methanol production with comparison of pressurized black liquor gasification and dry gasification using direct causticization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naqvi, Muhammad; Yan, Jinyue; Dahlquist, Erik

    2012-01-01

    Black liquor gasification (BLG) for bio-fuel or electricity production at the modern pulp mills is a field in continuous evolution and the efforts are considerably driven by the climate change, fuel security, and renewable energy. This paper evaluates and compares two BLG systems for methanol production: (i) oxygen blown pressurized thermal BLG; and (ii) dry BLG with direct causticization, which have been regarded as the most potential technology candidates for the future deployment. A key objective is to assess integration possibilities of BLG technologies with the reference Kraft pulp mill producing 1000 air dried tonnes (ADt) pulp/day replacing conventional recovery cycle. The study was performed to compare the systems’ performance in terms of potential methanol production, energy efficiency, and potential CO 2 reductions. The results indicate larger potential of black liquor conversion to methanol from the pressurized BLG system (about 77 million tonnes/year of methanol) than the dry BLG system (about 30 million tonnes/year of methanol) utilizing identical amount of black liquor available worldwide (220 million tDS/year). The potential CO 2 emissions reduction from the transport sector is substantially higher in pressurized BLG system (117 million tonnes/year CO 2 reductions) as compared to dry BLG system (45 million tonnes/year CO 2 reductions). However, the dry BLG system with direct causticization shows better results when considering consequences of additional biomass import. In addition, comparison of methanol production via BLG with other bio-refinery products, e.g. hydrogen, dimethyl ether (DME) and bio-methane, has also been discussed.

  3. Development of a compact freeze vacuum drying for jelly fish (Schypomedusae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhamid, M. Idrus; Yulianto, M.; Nasruddin

    2012-06-01

    A new design of a freeze vacuum drying with internal cooling and heater from condenser's heat loss was built and tested. The dryer was used to dry jelly fish (schypomedusae), to study the effect of drying parameters such as the temperature within the drying chamber on mass losses (evaporation) during the freezing stage and the moisture ratio at the end of the drying process. The midili thin layer mathematical drying model was used to estimate and predict the moisture ratio curve based on different drying chamber temperatures. This experiment shows that decreasing the drying chamber temperature with constant pressure results in less mass loss during the freezing stage Drying time was reduced with an increase in drying temperature. Decreasing the drying chamber temperature results in lower pressure saturation of the material has no effect of drying chamber pressure on mass transfer.

  4. Study of Energy Consumption of Potato Slices During Drying Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hafezi Negar

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available One of the new methods of food drying using infrared heating under vacuum is to increase the drying rate and maintain the quality of dried product. In this study, potato slices were dried using vacuum-infrared drying. Experiments were performed with the infrared lamp power levels 100, 150 and 200 W, absolute pressure levels 20, 80, 140 and 760 mmHg, and with three thicknesses of slices 1, 2 and 3 mm, in three repetitions. The results showed that the infrared lamp power, absolute pressure and slice thickness have important effects on the drying of potato. With increasing the radiation power, reducing the absolute pressure (acts of vacuum in the dryer chamber and also reducing the thickness of potato slices, drying time and the amount of energy consumed is reduced. In relation to thermal utilization efficiency, results indicated that with increasing the infrared radiation power and decreasing the absolute pressure, thermal efficiency increased.

  5. Mask humidity during CPAP: influence of ambient temperature, heated humidification and heated tubing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilius, Georg; Domanski, Ulrike; Schroeder, Maik; Woehrle, Holger; Graml, Andrea; Franke, Karl-Josef

    2018-01-01

    Mucosal drying during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is problematic for many patients. This study assessed the influence of ambient relative humidity (rH) and air temperature (T) in winter and summer on mask humidity during CPAP, with and without mask leak, and with or without heated humidification ± heated tubing. CPAP (8 and 12 cmH 2 O) without humidification (no humidity [nH]), with heated humidification controlled by ambient temperature and humidity (heated humidity [HH]) and HH plus heated tubing climate line (CL), with and without leakage, were compared in 18 subjects with OSA during summer and winter. The absolute humidity (aH) and the T inside the mask during CPAP were significantly lower in winter versus summer under all applied conditions. Overall, absolute humidity differences between summer and winter were statistically significant in both HH and CL vs. nH ( p humidification or with standard HH. Clinically-relevant reductions in aH were documented during CPAP given under winter conditions. The addition of heated humidification, using a heated tube to avoid condensation is recommended to increase aH, which could be useful in CPAP users complaining of nose and throat symptoms.

  6. Generalization of drying curves in conductive/convective drying of cellulose

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Stenzel

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work is to analyze the possibility of applying the drying curves generalization methodology to the conductive/convective hot plate drying of cellulose. The experiments were carried out at different heated plate temperatures and air velocities over the surface of the samples. This kind of approach is very interesting because it permits comparison of the results of different experiments by reducing them to only one set, which can be divided into two groups: the generalized drying curves and the generalized drying rate curves. The experimental apparatus is an attempt to reproduce the operational conditions of conventional paper dryers (ratio of paper/air movement and consists of a metallic box heated by a thermostatic bath containing an upper surface on which the cellulose samples are placed. Sample material is short- and long-fiber cellulose sheets, about 1 mm thick, and ambient air was introduced into the system by a adjustable blower under different conditions. Long-fiber cellulose generalized curves were obtained and analyzed first individually and then together with the short-fiber cellulose results from Motta Lima et al. (2000 a,b. Finally, a set of equations to fit the generalized curves obtained was proposed and discussed.

  7. Dry vacuum pumps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sibuet, R

    2008-01-01

    For decades and for ultimate pressure below 1 mbar, oil-sealed Rotary Vane Pumps have been the most popular solution for a wide range of vacuum applications. In the late 80ies, Semiconductor Industry has initiated the development of the first dry roughing pumps. Today SC applications are only using dry pumps and dry pumping packages. Since that time, pumps manufacturers have developed dry vacuum pumps technologies in order to make them attractive for other applications. The trend to replace lubricated pumps by dry pumps is now spreading over many other market segments. For the Semiconductor Industry, it has been quite easy to understand the benefits of dry pumps, in terms of Cost of Ownership, process contamination and up-time. In this paper, Technology of Dry pumps, its application in R and D/industries, merits over conventional pumps and future growth scope will be discussed

  8. Diurnal thermoregulatory responses in pregnant Yankasa ewes to the dry season in a tropical Savannah.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaqub, Lukuman Surakat; Ayo, Joseph Olusegun; Kawu, Muhammad Umar; Rekwot, Peter Ibrahim

    2017-08-01

    The study investigated concomitant effect of gestation and high ambient temperature under a tropical environment on rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) responses in Yankasa ewes. Twenty Yankasa ewes, consisting of ten pregnant and ten non-pregnant ewes, were used for the study. Ewes were synchronised and bred, such that each gestation phase coincided with different periods of the dry-seasons, early-gestation (cold/harmattan), mid-gestation (peak hot-dry) and late-gestation (late hot-dry). The RT, RR and HR were recorded thrice, 2 days apart at middle of each gestation period at 06:00, 14:00 and 18:00 h, concurrently with dry- (DBT) and wet-bulb temperatures of the experimental pen. The DBT was positively correlated with RT, RR during the different gestation stages. The RT significantly (P ewes, with peak at 14:00 h. Values of RT and RR were higher (P ewes at mid- and late-gestation, respectively. Mean RT was lower (P ewes at early-gestation (cold-dry). The HR was (P ewes during the different gestation phases. In conclusion, ambient temperature and gestation concomitantly modulate diurnal thermoregulatory responses of the ewes to hot-dry season. Adequate measures should be adopted to mitigate adverse impact of prolonged high RR on the dam and the foetus during the peak of ambient temperature prevailing in the tropical Savannah environment.

  9. No Heat Spray Drying Technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beetz, Charles [ZoomEssence, Inc., Hebron, KY (United States)

    2016-06-15

    No Heat Spray Drying Technology. ZoomEssence has developed our Zooming™ spray drying technology that atomizes liquids to powders at ambient temperature. The process of drying a liquid into a powder form has been traditionally achieved by mixing a heated gas with an atomized (sprayed) fluid within a vessel (drying chamber) causing the solvent to evaporate. The predominant spray drying process in use today employs air heated up to 400° Fahrenheit to dry an atomized liquid into a powder. Exposing sensitive, volatile liquid ingredients to high temperature causes molecular degradation that negatively impacts solubility, stability and profile of the powder. In short, heat is detrimental to many liquid ingredients. The completed award focused on several areas in order to advance the prototype dryer to a commercial scale integrated pilot system. Prior to the award, ZoomEssence had developed a prototype ‘no-heat’ dryer that firmly established the feasibility of the Zooming™ process. The award focused on three primary areas to improve the technology: (1) improved ability to formulate emulsions for specific flavor groups and improved understanding of the relationship of emulsion properties to final dry particle properties, (2) a new production atomizer, and (3) a dryer controls system.

  10. Effects of superheated steam on the drying of rubberwood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kanokwan Buaphud

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Rubberwood drying is the most time and energy consuming step in the processing of wood product. This research studied the effect of superheated steam drying on the drying time required and the physical and mechanical properties of rubberwood after drying. In this study, a cylindrical drying chamber with a length of 1.2 m and a diameter of 0.5 m was constructed and injected with superheated steam. The dimensions of the wood lumber were 1 m × 7.62 cm × 2.54 cm. The wood samples were impinged with alternating cycles of superheated steam and hot air at ratios of 6:1, 4:1 and 1:6 hours until the moisture content was less than 15% dry basis. The conditions inside the chamber were 110ºC and ambient pressure. Continuous superheated steam and continuous hot air were also used for comparisons. The drying rate and the temperature profile for each process were determined.Initial acceptability of the dried wood was conducted using the prong test and visual inspection. Results showed that if the drying rate was too fast, the dried wood did not pass the prong test due to stress buildup. Therefore, an optimum drying condition was developed based on minimizing defects and reducing the drying time. For the optimum condition, the following schedule was carried out: (1 saturated steam at 100ºC was used during the first 4 hours of drying to prevent the wood surface from drying too quickly which would minimize the moisture gradient between the center and wood surface, (2 superheated steam at 105ºC and 110ºC was used in alternating cycle with hot air (80ºC during the main drying stages to rapidly remove the free water and majority of the bound water inside the wood, and (3 hot air was used continuously during the final stages of drying to reduce the relative humidity inside the chamber making it possible for the removal of the residual bound water. This process successfully reduced the drying time to less than 2 days without causing any defects which compared

  11. High burnup fuel onset conditions in dry storage. Prediction of EOL rod internal pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feria, F.; Herranz, L.E.

    2015-07-01

    During dry storage, cladding resistance to failure can be affected by several degrading mechanisms like creep or hydrides radial reorientation. The driving force of these effects is the stress at which the cladding is submitted. The maximum stress in the cladding is determined by the end-of-reactor-life (EOL) rod internal pressure, PEOL, at the maximum temperature attained during dry storage. Thus, PEOL sets the initial conditions of storage for potential time-dependent changes in the cladding. Based on FRAPCON-3.5 calculations, the aim of this work is to analyse the PEOL of a PWR fuel rod irradiated to burnups greater than 60 GWd/tU, where limited information is available. In order to be conservative, demanding irradiation histories have been used with a peak linear power of 44 kW/m. FRAPCON-3.5 results show an increasing exponential trend of PEOL with burnup, from which a simple correlation has been derived. The comparison with experimental data found in the literature confirms the enveloping nature of the predicted curve. Based on that, a conservative prediction of cladding stress in dry storage has been obtained. The comparison with a critical stress threshold related to hydrides embrittlement seems to point out that this issue should not be a concern at burnups below 65 GWd/tU. (Author)

  12. Pressure-Induced Bandgap Optimization in Lead-Based Perovskites with Prolonged Carrier Lifetime and Ambient Retainability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Gang [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Kong, Lingping [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Gong, Jue [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115 USA; Yang, Wenge [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Mao, Ho-kwang [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Hu, Qingyang [Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Liu, Zhenxian [Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Schaller, Richard D. [Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne IL 60439 USA; Zhang, Dongzhou [Hawai' i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai' i at Manoa, Honolulu HI 96822 USA; Xu, Tao [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115 USA

    2016-12-05

    Bond length and bond angle exhibited by valence electrons is essential to the core of chemistry. Using lead-based organic–inorganic perovskite compounds as an exploratory platform, it is demonstrated that the modulation of valence electrons by compression can lead to discovery of new properties of known compounds. Yet, despite its unprecedented progress, further efficiency boost of lead-based organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells is hampered by their wider bandgap than the optimum value according to the Shockley–Queisser limit. By modulating the valence electron wavefunction with modest hydraulic pressure up to 2.1 GPa, the optimized bandgap for single-junction solar cells in lead-based perovskites, for the first time, is achieved by narrowing the bandgap of formamidinium lead triiodide (HC(NH2)2PbI3) from 1.489 to 1.337 eV. Strikingly, such bandgap narrowing is partially retained after the release of pressure to ambient, and the bandgap narrowing is also accompanied with double-prolonged carrier lifetime. With First-principles simulation, this work opens a new dimension in basic chemical understanding of structural photonics and electronics and paves an alternative pathway toward better photovoltaic materials-by-design.

  13. Pressure-Induced Bandgap Optimization in Lead-Based Perovskites with Prolonged Carrier Lifetime and Ambient Retainability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Gang [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Kong, Lingping [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Gong, Jue [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115 USA; Yang, Wenge [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Mao, Ho-kwang [Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203 China; Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Hu, Qingyang [Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Liu, Zhenxian [Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC 20015 USA; Schaller, Richard D. [Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne IL 60439 USA; Zhang, Dongzhou [Hawai' i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai' i at Manoa, Honolulu HI 96822 USA; Xu, Tao [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115 USA

    2016-12-05

    Bond length and bond angle exhibited by valence electrons is essential to the core of chemistry. Using lead-based organic–inorganic perovskite compounds as an exploratory platform, it is demonstrated that the modulation of valence electrons by compression can lead to discovery of new properties of known compounds. Yet, despite its unprecedented progress, further efficiency boost of lead-based organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells is hampered by their wider bandgap than the optimum value according to the Shockley–Queisser limit. By modulating the valence electron wavefunction with modest hydraulic pressure up to 2.1 GPa, the optimized bandgap for single-junction solar cells in lead-based perovskites, for the first time, is achieved by narrowing the bandgap of formamidinium lead triiodide (HC(NH2)2PbI3) from 1.489 to 1.337 eV. Strikingly, such bandgap narrowing is partially retained after the release of pressure to ambient, and the bandgap narrowing is also accompanied with double-prolonged carrier lifetime. With First-principles simulation, this work opens a new dimension in basic chemical understanding of structural photonics and electronics and paves an alternative pathway toward better photovoltaic materials-by-design.

  14. High-pressure boron hydride phases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbee, T.W. III; McMahan, A.K.; Klepeis, J.E.; van Schilfgaarde, M.

    1997-01-01

    The stability of boron-hydrogen compounds (boranes) under pressure is studied from a theoretical point of view using total-energy methods. We find that the molecular forms of boranes known to be stable at ambient pressure become unstable at high pressure, while structures with extended networks of bonds or metallic bonding are energetically favored at high pressures. If such structures are metastable on return to ambient pressure, they would be energetic as well as dense hydrogen storage media. An AlH 3 -like structure of BH 3 is particularly interesting in that it may be accessible by high-pressure diamond anvil experiments, and should exhibit both second-order structural and metal-insulator transitions at lower pressures. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  15. High pressure injection of dimethyl ether

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glensvig, M.; Sorenson, S.C.; Abata, D.L.

    1997-08-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to achieve a better understanding of the fundamental spray behavior of DME (Dimenthyl Ether) using a standard diesel pump with pintle and hole nozzles. Fundamental spray behavior was characterized by determining fuel spray penetration and angle, atomization and evaporation. The influences of opening pressure, nozzle geometry and ambient pressure above and below the critical pressure of the fuel on the spray behavior were investigated. The influence of opening pressures on the spray characteristics for the hole nozzle was investigated. The results showed that for opening pressures of 120 bar and 180 bar the spray has a similar appearance. For the higher opening pressure (200 bar and 240 bar), the initial spray breaks up very rapidly giving a high initial spray angle. The opening pressure had little influence on spray penetration. The spray angle later in the injection increased as the opening pressure was decreased. Above the critical pressure, the spray from the hole nozzle had a more irregular shape. Penetration decreased and the spray angle increased above the critical pressure. Three pintle nozzles with different geometries and opening pressures were tested. The appearance of the three sprays were very similar. The sprays seemed to be more sharply pointed as the nozzle hole angle decreased. The nozzle with the 4 deg. hole nozzle angle and an opening pressure of 280 bar had the highest penetration and highest initial spray angle. The pintle nozzle with the 12 deg. hole nozzle angle and opening pressure of approx. 450 bar was tested above the critical ambient pressure. Penetration was very similar for injection above and below the critical ambient pressure, while the spray angle decreased for the spray above the critical ambient pressure. (au)

  16. Mass Spectrometry Imaging under Ambient Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Chunping; Dill, Allison L.; Eberlin, Livia S.; Cooks, R. Graham; Ifa, Demian R.

    2012-01-01

    Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has emerged as an important tool in the last decade and it is beginning to show potential to provide new information in many fields owing to its unique ability to acquire molecularly specific images and to provide multiplexed information, without the need for labeling or staining. In MSI, the chemical identity of molecules present on a surface is investigated as a function of spatial distribution. In addition to now standard methods involving MSI in vacuum, recently developed ambient ionization techniques allow MSI to be performed under atmospheric pressure on untreated samples outside the mass spectrometer. Here we review recent developments and applications of MSI emphasizing the ambient ionization techniques of desorption electrospray ionization (DESI), laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI), probe electrospray ionization (PESI), desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization (DAPPI), femtosecond laser desorption ionization (fs-LDI), laser electrospray mass spectrometry (LEMS), infrared laser ablation metastable-induced chemical ionization (IR-LAMICI), liquid microjunction surface sampling probe mass spectrometry (LMJ-SSP MS), nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (nano-DESI), and plasma sources such as the low temperature plasma (LTP) probe and laser ablation coupled to flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow (LA-FAPA). Included are discussions of some of the features of ambient MSI including the ability to implement chemical reactions with the goal of providing high abundance ions characteristic of specific compounds of interest and the use of tandem mass spectrometry to either map the distribution of targeted molecules with high specificity or to provide additional MS information in the structural identification of compounds. We also describe the role of bioinformatics in acquiring and interpreting the chemical and spatial information obtained through MSI, especially in biological applications for tissue

  17. Phase formation in the (1-y)BiFeO{sub 3}-yBiScO{sub 3} system under ambient and high pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salak, A.N., E-mail: salak@ua.pt [Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering and CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Khalyavin, D.D., E-mail: dmitry.khalyavin@stfc.ac.uk [ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, OX11 0QX Didcot (United Kingdom); Pushkarev, A.V.; Radyush, Yu.V.; Olekhnovich, N.M. [Scientific-Practical Materials Research Centre of NAS of Belarus, P. Brovka Street, 19, 220072 Minsk (Belarus); Shilin, A.D.; Rubanik, V.V. [Institute of Technical Acoustics of NAS of Belarus, Lyudnikov Avenue, 13, 210023 Vitebsk (Belarus)

    2017-03-15

    Formation and thermal stability of perovskite phases in the BiFe{sub 1-y}Sc{sub y}O{sub 3} system (0≤y≤0.70) were studied. When the iron-to-scandium substitution rate does not exceed about 15 at%, the single-phase perovskite ceramics with the rhombohedral R3c symmetry (as that of the parent compound, BiFeO{sub 3}) can be prepared from the stoichiometric mixture of the respective oxides at ambient pressure. Thermal treatment of the oxide mixtures with a higher content of scandium results in formation of two main phases, namely a BiFeO{sub 3}-like R3c phase and a cubic (I23) sillenite-type phase based on γ-Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Single-phase perovskite ceramics of the BiFe{sub 1-y}Sc{sub y}O{sub 3} composition were synthesized under high pressure from the thermally treated oxide mixtures. When y is between 0 and 0.25 the high-pressure prepared phase is the rhombohedral R3c with the √2a{sub p}×√2a{sub p}×2√3a{sub p} superstructure (a{sub p} ~ 4 Å is the pseudocubic perovskite unit-cell parameter). The orthorhombic Pnma phase (√2a{sub p}×4a{sub p}×2√2a{sub p}) was obtained in the range of 0.30≤y≤0.60, while the monoclinic C2/c phase (√6a{sub p}×√2a{sub p}×√6a{sub p}) is formed when y=0.70. The normalized unit-cell volume drops at the crossover from the rhombohedral to the orthorhombic composition range. The perovskite BiFe{sub 1-y}Sc{sub y}O{sub 3} phases prepared under high pressure are metastable regardless of their symmetry. At ambient pressure, the phases with the compositions in the ranges of 0.20≤y≤0.25, 0.30≤y<0.50 and 0.50≤y≤0.70 start to decompose above 970, 920 and 870 K, respectively. - Graphical abstract: Formation of perovskite phases in the BiFe{sub 1-y}Sc{sub y}O{sub 3} system when y≥0.15 requires application of pressure of several GPa. The phases formed under high pressure: R3c (0.20≤y≤0.25), Pnma (0.30≤y≤0.60) and C2/c (y≥0.70) are metastable. - Highlights: • Maximal Fe-to-Sc substitution rate in Bi

  18. Experimental Assessment of residential split type air-conditioning systems using alternative refrigerants to R-22 at high ambient temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joudi, Khalid A.; Al-Amir, Qusay R.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • R290, R407C and R410A in residential split A/C units at high ambient. • 1 and 2 TR residential air conditioners with R22 alternatives at high ambient. • Residential split unit performance at ambients up to 55 °C with R22 alternatives. - Abstract: Steady state performance of residential air conditioning systems using R22 and alternatives R290, R407C, R410A, at high ambient temperatures, have been investigated experimentally. System performance parameters such as optimum refrigerant charge, coefficient of performance, cooling capacity, power consumption, pressure ratio, power per ton of refrigeration and TEWI environmental factor have been determined. All refrigerants were tested in the cooling mode operation under high ambient air temperatures, up to 55 °C, to determine their suitability. Two split type air conditioner of 1 and 2 TR capacities were used. A psychrometric test facility was constructed consisting of a conditioned cool compartment and an environmental duct serving the condenser. Air inside the conditioned compartment was maintained at 25 °C dry bulb and 19 °C wet bulb for all tests. In the environmental duct, the ambient air temperature was varied from 35 °C to 55 °C in 5 °C increments. The study showed that R290 is the better candidate to replace R22 under high ambient air temperatures. It has lower TEWI values and a better coefficient of performance than the other refrigerants tested. It is suitable as a drop-in refrigerant. R407C has the closest performance to R22, followed by R410A

  19. Ambient Radon-222 Monitoring in Amargosa Valley, Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    L.H. Karr; J.J. Tappen; D. Shafer; K.J. Gray

    2008-01-01

    As part of a program to characterize and baseline selected environmental parameters in the region around the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, ambient radon-222 monitoring was conducted in the rural community of Amargosa Valley, the community closest to the proposed repository site. Passive integrating radon monitors and a continuous radon monitoring instrument were deployed adjacent to the Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) (http://www.cemp.dri.edu/index.html) station located in the Amargosa Valley Community Center near the library. The CEMP station provided real-time ambient gamma exposure and meteorological data used to correct the integrated radon measurements as well as verify meteorological data collected by the continuous radon monitoring instrument. Additionally, different types of environmental enclosures that housed the monitors and instrument were used to determine if particular designs influenced the ambient radon measurements

  20. Effect of decompression drying treatment on physical properties of solid foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morikawa, Takuya; Takada, Norihisa; Miura, Makoto

    2017-04-01

    This study used a decompression drying instrument to investigate the effects of a drying treatment on the physical properties of solid foods. Commercial tofu was used as a model food and was treated at different temperature and pressure conditions in a drying chamber. Overall, high temperatures resulted in better drying. Additionally, pressure in the chamber influenced the drying conditions of samples. Differences in physical properties, such as food texture, shrinkage, and color were observed among some samples, even with similar moisture content. This was caused by differences in moisture distribution in the food, which seems to have manifested as a thin, dried film on the surfaces of samples. It caused inefficient drying and changes in physical properties. Control of the drying conditions (i.e. pressure and heat supply) has relations with not only physical properties, but also the drying efficiency of solid foods.

  1. Design and operation of a solarheated dry kiln for tropical latitudes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brian Bond; Omar Espinoza; Philip Araman

    2011-01-01

    Lumber is usually dried to a specific moisture content prior to further manufacturing or use. While lumber can be air-dried, the ambient humidity in most localities prevents the lumber from reaching the moisture content necessary for dimensional stability and use, especially for interior use. Solar kilns are an inexpensive alternative to conventional steam-heated kilns...

  2. Effect of molecular weight and density of ambient gas on shock wave in laser-induced surface nanostructuring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Liying; Wang Xinwei

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents the results of molecular dynamics studies about the shock wave during laser-induced surface nanostructuring. A quasi-three dimensional model is constructed to study systems consisting of over 2 million atoms. Detailed studies are carried out about the shock wave front and Mach number, evolution of plume and ambient gas interaction zone, and energy exchange between the ambient gas and plume. Under an ambience of lower pressure or lighter molecular mass, the plume affects a larger area while the strength of the shock wave front is weaker. With the same ambient pressure, the ablated material features the same kinetic energy at the late stage regardless of the molecular weight of the ambient gas. The same conclusion holds for the energy increase of the ambient gas as well. When the ambient pressure is reduced, more kinetic energy is carried out by the ablated material while less energy is transferred to the ambient gas. It is observed that heavier ambient gas could bounce back the ablated material to the target surface.

  3. Multipole electrodynamic ion trap geometries for microparticle confinement under standard ambient temperature and pressure conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mihalcea, Bogdan M., E-mail: bogdan.mihalcea@inflpr.ro; Vişan, Gina T.; Ganciu, Mihai [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (INFLPR), Atomiştilor Str. Nr. 409, 077125 Măgurele, Ilfov (Romania); Giurgiu, Liviu C. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Atomistilor Str. Nr. 405, 077125 Măgurele (Romania); Stan, Cristina [Department of Physics, Politehnica University, 313 Splaiul Independenţei, RO-060042 Bucharest (Romania); Filinov, Vladimir; Lapitsky, Dmitry, E-mail: dmitrucho@yandex.ru; Deputatova, Lidiya; Syrovatka, Roman [Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Izhorskaya Str. 13, Bd. 2, 125412 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2016-03-21

    Trapping of microparticles and aerosols is of great interest for physics and chemistry. We report microparticle trapping in case of multipole linear Paul trap geometries, operating under standard ambient temperature and pressure conditions. An 8- and 12-electrode linear trap geometries have been designed and tested with an aim to achieve trapping for larger number of particles and to study microparticle dynamical stability in electrodynamic fields. We report emergence of planar and volume ordered structures of microparticles, depending on the a.c. trapping frequency and particle specific charge ratio. The electric potential within the trap is mapped using the electrolytic tank method. Particle dynamics is simulated using a stochastic Langevin equation. We emphasize extended regions of stable trapping with respect to quadrupole traps, as well as good agreement between experiment and numerical simulations.

  4. Multipole electrodynamic ion trap geometries for microparticle confinement under standard ambient temperature and pressure conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mihalcea, Bogdan M.; Vişan, Gina T.; Ganciu, Mihai; Giurgiu, Liviu C.; Stan, Cristina; Filinov, Vladimir; Lapitsky, Dmitry; Deputatova, Lidiya; Syrovatka, Roman

    2016-01-01

    Trapping of microparticles and aerosols is of great interest for physics and chemistry. We report microparticle trapping in case of multipole linear Paul trap geometries, operating under standard ambient temperature and pressure conditions. An 8- and 12-electrode linear trap geometries have been designed and tested with an aim to achieve trapping for larger number of particles and to study microparticle dynamical stability in electrodynamic fields. We report emergence of planar and volume ordered structures of microparticles, depending on the a.c. trapping frequency and particle specific charge ratio. The electric potential within the trap is mapped using the electrolytic tank method. Particle dynamics is simulated using a stochastic Langevin equation. We emphasize extended regions of stable trapping with respect to quadrupole traps, as well as good agreement between experiment and numerical simulations.

  5. Blast wave parameters at diminished ambient pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silnikov, M. V.; Chernyshov, M. V.; Mikhaylin, A. I.

    2015-04-01

    Relation between blast wave parameters resulted from a condensed high explosive (HE) charge detonation and a surrounding gas (air) pressure has been studied. Blast wave pressure and impulse differences at compression and rarefaction phases, which traditionally determine damage explosive effect, has been analyzed. An initial pressure effect on a post-explosion quasi-static component of the blast load has been investigated. The analysis is based on empirical relations between blast parameters and non-dimensional similarity criteria. The results can be directly applied to flying vehicle (aircraft or spacecraft) blast safety analysis.

  6. Reactor Design for CO2 Photo-Hydrogenation toward Solar Fuels under Ambient Temperature and Pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chun-Ying Chen

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Photo-hydrogenation of carbon dioxide (CO2 is a green and promising technology and has received much attention recently. This technique could convert solar energy under ambient temperature and pressure into desirable and sustainable solar fuels, such as methanol (CH3OH, methane (CH4, and formic acid (HCOOH. It is worthwhile to mention that this direction can not only potentially depress atmospheric CO2, but also weaken dependence on fossil fuel. Herein, 1 wt % Pt/CuAlGaO4 photocatalyst was successfully synthesized and fully characterized by ultraviolet-visible light (UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD, Field emission scanning electron microscopy using energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis (FE-SEM/EDS, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET, respectively. Three kinds of experimental photo-hydrogenation of CO2 in the gas phase, liquid phase, and gas-liquid phase, correspondingly, were conducted under different H2 partial pressures. The remarkable result has been observed in the gas-liquid phase. Additionally, increasing the partial pressure of H2 would enhance the yield of product. However, when an extra amount of H2 is supplied, it might compete with CO2 for occupying the active sites, resulting in a negative effect on CO2 photo-hydrogenation. For liquid and gas-liquid phases, CH3OH is the major product. Maximum total hydrocarbons 8.302 µmol·g−1 is achieved in the gas-liquid phase.

  7. Resonance-enhanced laser-induced plasma spectroscopy: ambient gas effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lui, S.L.; Cheung, N.H.

    2003-01-01

    When performing laser-induced plasma spectroscopy for elemental analysis, the sensitivity could be significantly enhanced if the plume was resonantly rekindled by a dye laser pulse. The extent of the enhancement was found to depend on the ambient gas. Air, nitrogen, helium, argon and xenon at pressures ranging from vacuum to 1 bar were investigated. In vacuum, the analyte signal was boosted because of reduced cooling, but it soon decayed as the plume freely expanded. By choosing the right ambient gas at the right pressure, the expanding plume could be confined as well as thermally insulated to maximize the analyte signal. For instance, an ambient of 13 mbar xenon yielded a signal-to-noise ratio of 110. That ratio was 53 when the pellet was ablated in air, and decreased further to 5 if the dye laser was tuned off resonance

  8. Description and cost analysis of a deluge dry/wet cooling system.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiles, L.E.; Bamberger, J.A.; Braun, D.J.; Braun, D.J.; Faletti, D.W.; Willingham, C.E.

    1978-06-01

    The use of combined dry/wet cooling systems for large base-load power plants offers the potential for significant water savings as compared to evaporatively cooled power plants and significant cost savings in comparison to dry cooled power plants. The results of a detailed engineering and cost study of one type of dry/wet cooling system are described. In the ''deluge'' dry/wet cooling method, a finned-tube heat exchanger is designed to operate in the dry mode up to a given ambient temperature. To avoid the degradation of performance for higher ambient temperatures, water (the delugeate) is distributed over a portion of the heat exchanger surface to enhance the cooling process by evaporation. The deluge system used in this study is termed the HOETERV system. The HOETERV deluge system uses a horizontal-tube, vertical-plate-finned heat exchanger. The delugeate is distributed at the top of the heat exchanger and is allowed to fall by gravity in a thin film on the face of the plate fin. Ammonia is used as the indirect heat transfer medium between the turbine exhaust steam and the ambient air. Steam is condensed by boiling ammonia in a condenser/reboiler. The ammonia is condensed in the heat exchanger by inducing airflow over the plate fins. Various design parameters of the cooling system have been studied to evaluate their impact on the optimum cooling system design and the power-plant/utility-system interface. Annual water availability was the most significant design parameter. Others included site meteorology, heat exchanger configuration and air flow, number and size of towers, fan system design, and turbine operation. It was concluded from this study that the HOETERV deluge system of dry/wet cooling, using ammonia as an intermediate heat transfer medium, offers the potential for significant cost savings compared with all-dry cooling, while achieving substantially reduced water consumption as compared to an evaporatively cooled power plant. (LCL)

  9. Radiation disinfestation of dried salted mackerel found on packaging, transporting and marketing. Part of a coordinated programme for radiation preservation of dried fish indigenous to Asia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pablo, I.S.

    1981-04-01

    Studies were made on different types of packaging materials used for packing dried fish in the Philippines with a view to finding a suitable packaging material for irradiated dried fish. Among these packaging materials (polyethylene, cello/polyethylene, polyester/polyethylene, Kraft paper, polypropylene and interwoven polypropylene sacks), polyester/polyethylene laminate was the most resistant material against penetration by Dermestes carnivorous. No insect damage occurred on the dried fish packed in interwoven polypropylene lined with polyester/polyethylene laminate. The cost per sack of such packaging material having a capacity of 50-80 kg is US$ 0.50. The sack lined with polyester/polyethylene proved to be durable for surface transportation from Bacolod City to Manila (approx. 360 miles). Radiation treatment at 225 krad was effective against bacterial contamination but not effective in inhibiting mould growth. Raw fish soaked in 25% salt for 2 hours before drying obtained the highest scores in most of the organoleptic attributes. Dried fish which contains approx. 50% moisture and residual salt content of 6% would spoil within 2 weeks at ambient conditions. Treatment with 2% potassium sorbate and 225 krad showed that samples can be stored under commercial practice and at ambient conditions for up to 62 days

  10. Dry and Semi-Dry Tropical Cyclones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cronin, T.; Chavas, D. R.

    2017-12-01

    Our understanding of dynamics in our real moist atmosphere is strongly informed by idealized dry models. It is widely believed that tropical cyclones (TCs) are an intrinsically moist phenomenon - relying fundamentally on evaporation and latent heat release - yet recent numerical modeling work has found formation of dry axisymmetric tropical cyclones from a state of dry radiative-convective equilibrium. What can such "dry hurricanes" teach us about intensity, structure, and size of real moist tropical cyclones in nature? Are dry TCs even stable in 3D? What about surfaces that are nearly dry but have some latent heat flux - can they also support TCs? To address these questions, we use the SAM cloud-system resolving model to simulate radiative-convective equilibrium on a rapidly rotating f-plane, subject to constant tropospheric radiative cooling. We use a homogeneous surface with fixed temperature and with surface saturation vapor pressure scaled by a factor 0-1 relative to that over pure water - allowing for continuous variation between moist and dry limits. We also explore cases with surface enthalpy fluxes that are uniform in space and time, where partitioning between latent and sensible heat fluxes is specified directly. We find that a completely moist surface yields a TC-world where multiple vortices form spontaneously and persist for tens of days. A completely dry surface can also yield a parallel dry TC-world with many vortices that are even more stable and persistent. Spontaneous cyclogenesis, however, is impeded for a range of low to intermediate surface wetness values, and by the combination of large rotation rates and a dry surface. We discuss whether these constraints on spontaneous cyclogenesis might arise from: 1) rain evaporation in the subcloud layer limiting the range of viable surface wetness values, and 2) a natural convective Rossby number limiting the range of viable rotation rates. Finally, we discuss simulations with uniform surface enthalpy

  11. Surface stabilized GMR nanorods of silver coated CrO2 synthesized via a polymer complex at ambient pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, S.; Singh, G. P.; Ram, S.; Fecht, H.-J.

    2013-08-01

    Stable anisotropic nanorods of surface modified CrO2 (˜18 nm diameter) with a correlated diamagnetic layer (2-3 nm thickness) of silver efficiently tailors useful magnetic and magnetoresistance (MR) properties. Essentially, it involves a core-shell structure that is developed by displacing part of Cr4+ ions by Ag atoms on the CrO2 surface (topotactic surface layer) via an etching reaction of a CrO2-polymer complex with Ag+ ions in hot water followed by heating the dried sample at 300-400 °C in air. The stable Ag-layer so obtained in the form of a shell protects CrO2 such that it no longer converts to Cr2O3 in ambient pressure during the processing. X-ray diffractogram of the Rutile type tetragonal CrO2 structure (lattice parameters a=0.4429 nm and c=0.2950 nm) includes weak peaks of a minority phase of an fcc-Ag (a=0.4086 nm). The silver surface layer, which manifests itself in a doublet of the 3d5/2 and 3d3/2 X-ray photoelectron bands of binding energies 368.46 eV and 374.48 eV, respectively, suppresses almost all Cr bands to appear in a measurable intensity. The sample exhibits a distinctly enhanced MR-value, e.g., (-) 7.6% at 77 K, than reported values in compacted CrO2 powders or composites. Such a large MR-value in the Coulomb blockade regime (<100 K) arises not only due to the suppressed spin flipping at low temperature but also from a spin dependent co-tunneling through an interlinked structure of silver and silver coated CrO2 nanorods.

  12. Surface stabilized GMR nanorods of silver coated CrO2 synthesized via a polymer complex at ambient pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biswas, S.; Singh, G.P.; Ram, S.; Fecht, H.-J.

    2013-01-01

    Stable anisotropic nanorods of surface modified CrO 2 (∼18 nm diameter) with a correlated diamagnetic layer (2–3 nm thickness) of silver efficiently tailors useful magnetic and magnetoresistance (MR) properties. Essentially, it involves a core-shell structure that is developed by displacing part of Cr 4+ ions by Ag atoms on the CrO 2 surface (topotactic surface layer) via an etching reaction of a CrO 2 -polymer complex with Ag + ions in hot water followed by heating the dried sample at 300–400 °C in air. The stable Ag-layer so obtained in the form of a shell protects CrO 2 such that it no longer converts to Cr 2 O 3 in ambient pressure during the processing. X-ray diffractogram of the Rutile type tetragonal CrO 2 structure (lattice parameters a=0.4429 nm and c=0.2950 nm) includes weak peaks of a minority phase of an fcc-Ag (a=0.4086 nm). The silver surface layer, which manifests itself in a doublet of the 3d 5/2 and 3d 3/2 X-ray photoelectron bands of binding energies 368.46 eV and 374.48 eV, respectively, suppresses almost all Cr bands to appear in a measurable intensity. The sample exhibits a distinctly enhanced MR-value, e.g., (−) 7.6% at 77 K, than reported values in compacted CrO 2 powders or composites. Such a large MR-value in the Coulomb blockade regime ( 2 nanorods. - Highlights: • Synthesis and structural studies of a novel GMR material of Ag coated CrO 2 . • Tailoring useful GMR property in CrO 2 nanorods of controlled shape and anisotropy. • Enhanced GMR is explained in correlation to the surface structure of CrO 2 nanorods

  13. Application of Natural Air Drying on Shelled Corn in Timor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nino, J.; Nelwan, L. O.; Purwanto, Y. A.

    2018-05-01

    A study of the application of natural air drying on shelled corn in Timor using a bed- type dryer has been performed. The study aspects were limited to obtain the suitable air flow rate requirement and duration of the drying operation per day. For each aspect, the treatments were carried out simultaneously. The results showed that at the average ambient air temperature of 30.6°C and relative humidity (RH) of 73.0% the air flow rate of 0.83 L/s-kg provided the highest drying rate. Subsequently, by using the same air flow rate, three scheme of drying operations duration were used, i.e., 8 hours per day (08.00-16.00), 6 hours per day (09.00-15.00) and 4 hours per day (10.00-14.00). The average temperature and RH of ambient air condition at the second experiment were 30.3°C and 73.3% respectively. After 4 days of drying, the 8 hours per day (first scheme) treatment was able to dry the shelled corn from the initial moisture content of 27.24% w.b. to the final moisture content of 14.05% w.b. The specific energy consumption (SEC) of the first scheme was 1.75 MJ/kg. The final moisture content of the second and third schemes were 15.08 % w.b. and 18.45 % w.b. respectively with SEC of 1.41 MJ/kg and 1.21 MJ/kg respectively.

  14. Pressure suppressing device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naito, Makoto.

    1980-01-01

    Purpose: To prevent the pressure in the reactor container from excessively increasing even when vapor leaks from the dry well to a space of the suppression chamber, without passing though the suppression pool at the time of loss of coolant accident. Constitution: When vapor of a high temperature and a high pressure at the time of loss of coolant accident flows from the dry well to the suppression chamber without passing through suppression pool water, vapor dose not condense with pool water, and therefore the pressure within the chamber abnormally increases. For this reason, this abnormal pressure is detected by a pressure detector thereby to start the operations of a blower and a pump. By starting the blower, the pressure in the dry well becomes lower than the pressure in the chamber, and vapor entirely passes through the pool water and entirely condenses with the pool water. By starting the pump, the pool water is sprayed over the space of the chamber, and vapor in the space is condensed. (Yoshino, Y.)

  15. Opposing effects of particle pollution, ozone, and ambient temperature on arterial blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Barbara; Luttmann-Gibson, Heike; Cohen, Allison; Zanobetti, Antonella; de Souza, Celine; Foley, Christopher; Suh, Helen H; Coull, Brent A; Schwartz, Joel; Mittleman, Murray; Stone, Peter; Horton, Edward; Gold, Diane R

    2012-02-01

    Diabetes increases the risk of hypertension and orthostatic hypotension and raises the risk of cardiovascular death during heat waves and high pollution episodes. We examined whether short-term exposures to air pollution (fine particles, ozone) and heat resulted in perturbation of arterial blood pressure (BP) in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We conducted a panel study in 70 subjects with T2DM, measuring BP by automated oscillometric sphygmomanometer and pulse wave analysis every 2 weeks on up to five occasions (355 repeated measures). Hourly central site measurements of fine particles, ozone, and meteorology were conducted. We applied linear mixed models with random participant intercepts to investigate the association of fine particles, ozone, and ambient temperature with systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial BP in a multipollutant model, controlling for season, meteorological variables, and subject characteristics. An interquartile increase in ambient fine particle mass [particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5)] and in the traffic component black carbon in the previous 5 days (3.54 and 0.25 μg/m3, respectively) predicted increases of 1.4 mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.0, 2.9 mmHg] and 2.2 mmHg (95% CI: 0.4, 4.0 mmHg) in systolic BP (SBP) at the population geometric mean, respectively. In contrast, an interquartile increase in the 5-day mean of ozone (13.3 ppb) was associated with a 5.2 mmHg (95% CI: -8.6, -1.8 mmHg) decrease in SBP. Higher temperatures were associated with a marginal decrease in BP. In subjects with T2DM, PM was associated with increased BP, and ozone was associated with decreased BP. These effects may be clinically important in patients with already compromised autoregulatory function.

  16. Ambient plasma treatment of silicon wafers for surface passivation recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Jia; Prinz, Markus; Markert, Thomas; Aberle, Armin G.; Mueller, Thomas

    2017-08-01

    In this work, the effect of an ambient plasma treatment powered by compressed dry air on the passivation quality of silicon wafers coated with intrinsic amorphous silicon sub-oxide is investigated. While long-time storage deteriorates the effective lifetime of all samples, a short ambient plasma treatment improves their passivation qualities. By studying the influence of the plasma treatment parameters on the passivation layers, an optimized process condition was identified which even boosted the passivation quality beyond its original value obtained immediately after deposition. On the other hand, the absence of stringent requirement on gas precursors, vacuum condition and longtime processing makes the ambient plasma treatment an excellent candidate to replace conventional thermal annealing in industrial heterojunction solar cell production.

  17. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry: A tutorial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Min-Zong; Cheng, Sy-Chi; Cho, Yi-Tzu [Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Shiea, Jentaie, E-mail: jetea@fac.nsysu.edu.tw [Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

    2011-09-19

    Highlights: {yields} Ambient ionization technique allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. {yields} We sort ambient ionization techniques into three main analytical strategies, direct ionization, direct desorption/ionization, and two-step ionization. {yields} The underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques are described and compared. - Abstract: Ambient ionization is a set of mass spectrometric ionization techniques performed under ambient conditions that allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. Using combinations of different types of sample introduction systems and ionization methods, several novel techniques have been developed over the last few years with many applications (e.g., food safety screening; detection of pharmaceuticals and drug abuse; monitoring of environmental pollutants; detection of explosives for antiterrorism and forensics; characterization of biological compounds for proteomics and metabolomics; molecular imaging analysis; and monitoring chemical and biochemical reactions). Electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization are the two main ionization principles most commonly used in ambient ionization mass spectrometry. This tutorial paper provides a review of the publications related to ambient ionization techniques. We describe and compare the underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques.

  18. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry: A tutorial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Min-Zong; Cheng, Sy-Chi; Cho, Yi-Tzu; Shiea, Jentaie

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Ambient ionization technique allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. → We sort ambient ionization techniques into three main analytical strategies, direct ionization, direct desorption/ionization, and two-step ionization. → The underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques are described and compared. - Abstract: Ambient ionization is a set of mass spectrometric ionization techniques performed under ambient conditions that allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. Using combinations of different types of sample introduction systems and ionization methods, several novel techniques have been developed over the last few years with many applications (e.g., food safety screening; detection of pharmaceuticals and drug abuse; monitoring of environmental pollutants; detection of explosives for antiterrorism and forensics; characterization of biological compounds for proteomics and metabolomics; molecular imaging analysis; and monitoring chemical and biochemical reactions). Electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization are the two main ionization principles most commonly used in ambient ionization mass spectrometry. This tutorial paper provides a review of the publications related to ambient ionization techniques. We describe and compare the underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques.

  19. Electronic transport properties of MFe2As2 (M = Ca, Eu, Sr) at ambient and high pressures up to 20 GPa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morozova, Natalia V.; Karkin, Alexander E.; Ovsyannikov, Sergey V.; Umerova, Yuliya A.; Shchennikov, Vladimir V.; Mittal, R.; Thamizhavel, A.

    2015-12-01

    We experimentally investigated the electronic transport properties of four iron pnictide crystals, namely, EuFe2As2, SrFe2As2, and CaFe2As2 parent compounds, and superconducting CaFe1.94Co0.06As2 at ambient and high pressures up to 20 GPa. At ambient pressure we examined the electrical resistivity, Hall and magnetoresistance effects of the samples in a temperature range from 1.5 to 380 K in high magnetic fields up to 13.6 T. In this work we carried out the first simultaneous investigations of the in-plane and out-of-plane Hall coefficients, and found new peculiarities of the low-temperature magnetic and structural transitions that occur in these materials. In addition, the Hall coefficient data suggested that the parent compounds are semimetals with a multi-band conductivity that includes hole-type and electron-type bands. We measured the pressure dependence of the thermoelectric power (the Seebeck effect) of these samples up to 20 GPa, i.e. across the known phase transition from the tetragonal to the collapsed tetragonal lattice. The high-pressure behavior of the thermopower of EuFe2As2 and CaFe2As2 showing the p-n sign inversions was consistent with the semimetal model described above. By means of thermopower, we found in single-crystalline CaFe2As2 direct evidence of the band structure crossover related to the formation of As-As bonds along the c-axis on the tetragonal → collapsed tetragonal phase transition near 2 GPa. We showed that this feature is distinctly observable only in high-quality samples, and already for re-pressurization cycles this crossover was strongly smeared because of the moderate deterioration of the sample. We also demonstrated by means of thermopower that the band structure crossover that should accompany the tetragonal → collapsed tetragonal phase transition in EuFe2As2 near 8 GPa is hardly visible even in high-quality single crystals. This behavior may be related to a gradual valence change of the Eu ions under pressure that leads to

  20. Spectroscopic analysis of Zirconium plasma in different ambient and optimizing conditions for nanoclusters formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yadav, Dheerendra; Thareja, Raj K.

    2010-01-01

    The laser produced zirconium plasma has been studied by emission spectroscopy and fast photography using intensified charged coupled device at different ambient pressures of nitrogen (0.1, 1.0 and 10 mbar). Formation of zirconium clusters are arising at ambient pressure of 1.0 mbar at the plume periphery due to the chemical reactions between the plasma plume and the ambient and confirmed using optical emission spectroscopy. The optimum parameters for existence cluster formation are reported. The ZrN clusters are deposited on silicon substrate and characterized by AFM, XRD and EDAX techniques. (author)

  1. Dry patch formed boiling and burnout in potassium pool boiling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michiyoshi, I.; Takenaka, N.; Takahashi, O.

    1986-01-01

    Experimental results are presented on dry patch formed boiling and burnout in saturated potassium pool boiling on a horizontal plane heater for system pressures from 30 to 760 torr and liquid levels from 5 to 50 mm. The dry patch formation occurs in the intermittent boiling which is often encountered when liquid alkali metals are used under relatively low pressure conditions. Burnout is caused from both continuous nucleate and dry patch formed boiling. The burnout heat flux together with nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficients are empirically correlated with system pressures. A model is also proposed to predict the minimum heat flux to form the dry patch. (author)

  2. Pressurized transient otoacoustic emissions measured using click and chirp stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keefe, Douglas H; Patrick Feeney, M; Hunter, Lisa L; Fitzpatrick, Denis F; Sanford, Chris A

    2018-01-01

    Transient-evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) responses were measured in normal-hearing adult ears over frequencies from 0.7 to 8 kHz, and analyzed with reflectance/admittance data to measure absorbed sound power and the tympanometric peak pressure (TPP). The mean TPP was close to ambient. TEOAEs were measured in the ear canal at ambient pressure, TPP, and fixed air pressures from 150 to -200 daPa. Both click and chirp stimuli were used to elicit TEOAEs, in which the incident sound pressure level was constant across frequency. TEOAE levels were similar at ambient and TPP, and for frequencies from 0.7 to 2.8 kHz decreased with increasing positive and negative pressures. At 4-8 kHz, TEOAE levels were larger at positive pressures. This asymmetry is possibly related to changes in mechanical transmission through the ossicular chain. The mean TEOAE group delay did not change with pressure, although small changes were observed in the mean instantaneous frequency and group spread. Chirp TEOAEs measured in an adult ear with Eustachian tube dysfunction and TPP of -165 daPa were more robust at TPP than at ambient. Overall, results demonstrate the feasibility and clinical potential of measuring TEOAEs at fixed pressures in the ear canal, which provide additional information relative to TEOAEs measured at ambient pressure.

  3. Propagation of atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet into ambient air at laminar gas flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinchuk, M.; Stepanova, O.; Kurakina, N.; Spodobin, V.

    2017-05-01

    The formation of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) in a gas flow passing through the discharge gap depends on both gas-dynamic properties and electrophysical parameters of the plasma jet generator. The paper presents the results of experimental and numerical study of the propagation of the APPJ in a laminar flow of helium. A dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) generated inside a quartz tube equipped with a coaxial electrode system, which provided gas passing through it, served as a plasma source. The transition of the laminar regime of gas flow into turbulent one was controlled by the photography of a formed plasma jet. The corresponding gas outlet velocity and Reynolds numbers were revealed experimentally and were used to simulate gas dynamics with OpenFOAM software. The data of the numerical simulation suggest that the length of plasma jet at the unvarying electrophysical parameters of DBD strongly depends on the mole fraction of ambient air in a helium flow, which is established along the direction of gas flow.

  4. Chemical and Hydrostatic Pressure in Natrolites: Pressure Induced Hydration of an Aluminogermanate Natrolite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Y.; Kao, C.; Seoung, D.H.; Bai, J.; Kao, C.C.; Parise, J.B.; Vogt, T.

    2010-01-01

    The ambient structure and pressure-induced structural changes of a synthetic sodium aluminogermanate with a natrolite (NAT) framework topology (Na-AlGe-NAT) were characterized by using Rietveld refinements of high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data at ambient and high pressures. Unlike a previously established model for Na 8 Al 8 Ge 12 O 40 · 8H 2 O based on a single-crystal study, the ambient structure of the Na-AlGe-NAT is found to adopt a monoclinic space group Cc (or Fd) with a ca. 6% expanded unit cell. The refined ambient structure of Na 8 Al 8 Ge 12 O 40 · 12H 2 O indicates an increased water content of 50%, compared to the single-crystal structure. The unit-cell volume and water-content relationships observed between the two Na-AlGe-NAT structures at ambient conditions with 8 and 12 H 2 O respectively seem to mirror the ones found under hydrostatic pressure between the Na 8 Al 8 Ge 12 O 40 · 8H 2 O and the parantrolite phase Na 8 Al 8 Ge 12 O 40 · 12H 2 O. Under hydrostatic pressures mediated by a pore-penetrating alcohol and water mixture, the monoclinic Na-AlGe-NAT exhibits a gradual decrease of the unit-cell volume up to ca. 2.0 GPa, where the unit-cell volume then contracts abruptly by ca. 4.6%. This is in marked contrast to what is observed in the Na-AlSi-NAT and Na-GaSi-NAT systems, where one observes a pressure-induced hydration and volume expansion due to the auxetic nature of the frameworks. Above 2 GPa, the monoclinic phase of Na-AlGe-NAT transforms into a tetragonal structure with the unit-cell composition of Na 8 Al 8 Ge 12 O 40 · 16H 2 O, revealing pressure-induced hydration and a unit cell volume contraction. Unlike in the Na-Al,Si-paranatrolite phase, however, the sodium cations in the Na-AlGe-NAT maintain a 6-fold coordination in the monoclinic structure and only become 7-fold coordinated at higher pressures in the tetragonal structure. When comparing the pressure-induced hydration in the observed natrolite

  5. Simulation and energy efficiency analysis of desiccant wheel systems for drying processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Antonellis, Stefano; Joppolo, Cesare Maria; Molinaroli, Luca; Pasini, Alberto

    2012-01-01

    In drying processes it is necessary to appropriately control air humidity and temperature in order to enhance water evaporation from product surface. The aim of this work is to investigate several HVAC configurations for product drying based on desiccant wheels, in order to find systems which reach high primary energy savings through the appropriate integration of refrigerating machines, adsorption wheels and cogenerative engines. Simulations are carried out for different values of sensible to latent ambient load ratio and the effect of ambient and outside air conditions is evaluated for each configuration. It is shown that primary energy savings can reach 70–80% compared to the reference technology based on a cooling coil. With respect to works available in literature, the results of this study keep a general approach and they can be used as a simple tool for preliminary assessment in a wide range of applications. -- Highlights: ► Several HVAC systems for product drying based on desiccant wheels are investigated. ► The sensible to latent ambient load ratio influences the choice of the best system. ► Energy savings can reach 80% compared to the technology based on a cooling coil. ► Simulation results can be used for preliminary assessment in many applications.

  6. Sampling and analyte enrichment strategies for ambient mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xianjiang; Ma, Wen; Li, Hongmei; Ai, Wanpeng; Bai, Yu; Liu, Huwei

    2018-01-01

    Ambient mass spectrometry provides great convenience for fast screening, and has showed promising potential in analytical chemistry. However, its relatively low sensitivity seriously restricts its practical utility in trace compound analysis. In this review, we summarize the sampling and analyte enrichment strategies coupled with nine modes of representative ambient mass spectrometry (desorption electrospray ionization, paper vhspray ionization, wooden-tip spray ionization, probe electrospray ionization, coated blade spray ionization, direct analysis in real time, desorption corona beam ionization, dielectric barrier discharge ionization, and atmospheric-pressure solids analysis probe) that have dramatically increased the detection sensitivity. We believe that these advances will promote routine use of ambient mass spectrometry. Graphical abstract Scheme of sampling stretagies for ambient mass spectrometry.

  7. High pressure effect on the color of minced cured restructured ham at different levels of drying, pH, and NaCl.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bak, Kathrine Holmgaard; Lindahl, Gunilla; Karlsson, Anders H; Lloret, Elsa; Ferrini, Gabriele; Arnau, Jacint; Orlien, Vibeke

    2012-03-01

    Color changes of minced cured restructured ham was studied considering the effects of high pressure (HP) treatment (600MPa, 13°C, 5min), raw meat pH(24) (low, normal, high), salt content (15, 30g/kg), and drying (20%, 50% weight loss). Raw hams were selected based on pH(24) in Semimembranosus, mixed with additives, frozen, sliced, and dried using the Quick-Dry-Slice® process. Meat color (CIE 1976 L*a*b*) and reflectance spectra were measured before and after HP treatment. HP significantly increased L*, decreased a*, and decreased b* for restructured ham dried to 20% weight loss, regardless of salt content and pH(24). L* and a* were best preserved in high pH/high salt restructured ham. HP had no effect on the color of restructured ham dried to 50% weight loss. HP had no effect on the shape of reflectance curves, indicating that the pigment responsible for minced cured restructured ham color did not change due to HP. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Numerical Analysis of Exergy for Air-Conditioning Influenced by Ambient Temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing-Nang Lee

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The article presents numerical analysis of exergy for air-conditioning influenced by ambient temperature. The model of numerical simulation uses an integrated air conditioning system exposed in varied ambient temperature to observe change of the four main devices, the compressor, the condenser, the capillary, and the evaporator in correspondence to ambient temperature. The analysis devices of the four devices’s exergy influenced by the varied ambient temperature and found that the capillary has unusual increasing exergy loss vs. increasing ambient temperature in comparison to the other devices. The result shows that reducing exergy loss of the capillary influenced by the ambient temperature is the key for improving working efficiency of an air-conditioning system when influence of the ambient temperature is considered. The higher ambient temperature causes the larger pressure drop of capillary and more exergy loss.

  9. Technology qualification of an ambient pressure subsea cryogenic pipeline for offshore LNG loading and receiving terminals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hussain, Afzal; Viteri, Martha; D' Angelo, Luis [Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Prescott, Neal; Zhang, Jeff [Fluor Corporation, Irving, TX (Brazil)

    2009-07-01

    A project that deploys new technologies need to be confident that the technology can be implemented successfully and will perform reliably as designed. New technology is critical to industry, especially where such technology is a project enable without the existence of a backup solution, but also for projects where such technologies bring potential benefits such as technical, economic, schedule, and environmental improvements. DNV developed and has been implementing for many years a systematic, risk based technology qualification process as described in DNV RP-A203, qualification procedures for new technology. One of the major objectives of a formal technology qualification process is to ensure that risks are properly addressed. The DNV process includes several levels of technology qualification and review, starting with a statement of feasibility and concluding with a Certificate of Fitness for Service. Fluor Corporation (Fluor) has developed a new subsea cryogenic pipe-in-pipe configuration for offshore LNG loading and receiving terminals. The configuration uses a highly efficient thermal nano-porous insulation in the annular space between the inner and outer pipes. This material is kept in an ambient pressure environment, which is produced through sealing by metal bulkheads. The bulkheads transfer the contraction induced axial compression load on the inner cryogenic carrier pipe to the external jacket pipe. The resulting pipeline bundle is a structural element, which addresses the thermal contraction and expansion loads without the use of expansion bellows or ultra-low thermal contraction alloys. Fluor has followed the DNV technology qualification process to achieve the defined milestones therein which culminated in DNV issuing a certificate of fitness for service. Particular focus was put on the new aspects of the design. The certificate of fitness for service for the Fluor subsea LNG pipe technology provides project management with the confidence that this

  10. Ambient Space and Ambient Sensation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Ulrik

    The ambient is the aesthetic production of the sensation of being surrounded. As a concept, 'ambient' is mostly used in relation to the music genre 'ambient music' and Brian Eno's idea of environmental background music. However, the production of ambient sensations must be regarded as a central...... aspect of the aesthetization of modern culture in general, from architecture, transport and urbanized lifeforms to film, sound art, installation art and digital environments. This presentation will discuss the key aspects of ambient aesthetization, including issues such as objectlessness...

  11. Storage conditions affect oxidative stability and nutritional composition of freeze-dried Nannochloropsis salina

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Safafar, Hamed; Langvad, Sten; Møller, Peter

    2017-01-01

    composition of microalgae biomass. In order to investigate the worsening of the nutritional quality of freeze dried biomass, a multifactorial storage experiment was conducted on a high EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) Nannochloropsis salina biomass. The storage time (0–56 days), storage temperature (5, 20,and 40...... °C and packaging conditions (under vacuum and ambient pressure)used as main factors. During the 56 days of storage, both time and temperature strongly influenced the oxidation reactions which result in deterioration of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, tocopherols, and EPA. Lipid deterioration......, or cosmetics requires the knowledge of the optimum storage conditions to prevent the value-added compounds from deterioration. Results of this study improve our understanding of the chemical deterioration under different storage conditions and can help the producers/customers to extend the shelf life...

  12. Improved drying rate diagnostics for saturated fuel debris at the INEEL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Childs, K.; Christensen, A.

    1999-01-01

    A fuel canning station (FCS) has been operated for ∼2 yr to prepare for the dry storage of a variety of spent reactor fuels stored in pools at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The FCS dewaters the fuel and then passivates possibly pyrophoric components in the fuel. Fuel-loaded canisters are placed into a heated insert, the canister is connected to a vacuum system, and the fuel is heated under a vacuum to remove the water. The dewatering system must also verify that the water was removed. The dryness criteria state that the canister pressure shall not exceed a defined pressure for a specified isolation time. Dewatering did not work well for defected TRIGA elements that had corroded in pool storage, leaving the intact fuel meat mixed with a bed of fines from metal oxides and from sludge that continuously accumulated within the pool. Dewatering these cans proved to be very time consuming. Fueled canisters were heated to 60 C and evacuated between 5 and 10 torr. At these conditions, intact fuels were rapidly dried (<10 h). TRIGA drying periods extended to 9 days. Dryness was qualitatively monitored using the canister pressure-control valve position. The valve closes as the gas flow rate declines, providing an indication that drying is complete. However, the valve remained open when drying TRIGA fuel, leaving no indication of dryness. In addition, dryness could not be verified because the canister pressure exceeded the defined pressure during isolation. Air leakage into the evacuated canister prevented the dryness from being verified. Air in-leakage and water vapor cannot easily be discriminated by the aforementioned procedures. Because the canister design does not seal above atmospheric pressure, a drying temperature that yielded a vapor pressure less than atmospheric pressure was chosen. A sufficiently long isolation test could then determine if air was accumulating in the canister; however, the low temperature reduced the drying

  13. On the permanent hip-stabilizing effect of atmospheric pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prietzel, Torsten; Hammer, Niels; Schleifenbaum, Stefan; Kaßebaum, Eric; Farag, Mohamed; von Salis-Soglio, Georg

    2014-08-22

    Hip joint dislocations related to total hip arthroplasty (THA) are a common complication especially in the early postoperative course. The surgical approach, the alignment of the prosthetic components, the range of motion and the muscle tone are known factors influencing the risk of dislocation. A further factor that is discussed until today is atmospheric pressure which is not taken into account in the present THA concepts. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of atmospheric pressure on hip joint stability. Five joint models (Ø 28-44 mm), consisting of THA components were hermetically sealed with a rubber capsule, filled with a defined amount of fluid and exposed to varying ambient pressure. Displacement and pressure sensors were used to record the extent of dislocation related to intraarticular and ambient pressure. In 200 experiments spontaneous dislocations of the different sized joint models were reliably observed once the ambient pressure was lower than 6.0 kPa. Increasing the ambient pressure above 6.0 kPa immediately and persistently reduced the joint models until the ambient pressure was lowered again. Displacement always exceeded half the diameter of the joint model and was independent of gravity effects. This experimental study gives strong evidence that the hip joint is permanently stabilized by atmospheric pressure, confirming the theories of Weber and Weber (1836). On basis of these findings the use of larger prosthetic heads, capsular repair and the deployment of an intracapsular Redon drain are proposed to substantially decrease the risk of dislocation after THA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Leukotriene-B4 concentrations in exhaled breath condensate and lung function after thirty minutes of breathing technically dried compressed air.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neubauer, Birger; Struck, Niclas; Mutzbauer, Till S; Schotte, Ulrich; Langfeldt, Norbert; Tetzlaff, Kay

    2002-01-01

    In previous studies it had been shown that leukotriene-B4 [LTB4] concentrations in the exhaled breath mirror the inflammatory activity of the airways if the respiratory tract has been exposed to occupational hazards. In diving the respiratory tract is exposed to cold and dry air and the nasopharynx, as the site of breathing-gas warming and humidification, is bypassed. The aim of the present study was to obtain LTB4-concentrations in the exhaled breath and spirometric data of 17 healthy subjects before and after thirty minutes of technically dried air breathing at normobar ambient pressure. The exhaled breath was collected non-invasively, via a permanently cooled expiration tube. The condensate was measured by a standard enzyme immunoassay for LTB4. Lung function values (FVC, FEV1, MEF 25, MEF 50) were simultaneously obtained by spirometry. The measured pre- and post-exposure LTB4- concentrations as well as the lung function values were in the normal range. The present data gave no evidence for any inflammatory activity in the subjects' airways after thirty minutes breathing technically dried air.

  15. Effect of injection pressure and ambient pressure on spray characteristics of pine oil-diesel blends%喷射压力及环境背压对松油-柴油混合燃料喷雾特性的影响

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    黄豪中; 史程; 张鹏; 王庆新; 刘庆生; 班智博

    2016-01-01

    为探究柴油/松油混合燃料的喷雾特性,基于高压可视化容弹试验台,通过高速摄影技术对掺松油的柴油混合燃料的喷雾过程进行试验研究,分析了喷射压力、背压和燃料物性的改变对喷雾宏观参数的影响。结果表明:混合燃料的喷雾贯穿距离先呈现一定程度的线性增长,然后增长幅度逐渐变小,喷雾锥角呈先减小再保持在一个相对稳定的数值趋势,但全程锥角变化不大;喷射压力从90 MPa升高至150 MPa,混合燃料的喷雾锥角和贯穿距离的平均增幅分别为9.2%和15%;背压从3 MPa增加到5 MPa,混合燃料的平均喷雾锥角增幅约2.6°,而贯穿距离降低11 mm左右,说明背压的改变对喷雾特性影响显著;将广安公式适当地修正可与混合燃料的贯穿距离相互吻合;向柴油中掺混一定比例的松油后,燃料的黏度降低,会引起喷雾锥角、贯穿距离和油束面积均小幅增大,增强燃料的油气混合。试验研究有助于改善柴油的雾化质量,可为柴油机代用燃料的筛选提供参考。%The fuel spray performance and atomization quality played a fundamental role in promoting the level of combustion efficiency and exhaust emissions in internal combustion engines. In order to achieve better atomizing mode of diesel, we conducted experiments to study the spray characteristics of diesel blending pine oil. A diesel/pine oil spray trial platform was constructed to carry out a visual constant volume chamber and the high-pressure common rail test bench. The high-speed photograph technique was applied to systematically investigate the spray process of blended fuel. The study was conducted under the pine oil blending ratios of with 0, 20%, 40% and 50%, respectively. Then, the influences of injection pressure, ambient pressure and fuel property on macroscopic spray parameters (including spray cone angle, spray penetration distance and fuel flow area

  16. The effect of ambient ozone and humidity on the performance of nylon and Teflon filters used in ambient air monitoring filter-pack systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    PE Padgett

    2010-01-01

    Nylon and Teflon filter media are frequently used for monitoring ambient air pollutants. These media are subject to many environmental factors that may influence adsorption and retention of particulate and gaseous nitrogenous pollutants. This study evaluated the effects of ozone and humidity on the efficacy of nylon and Teflon filters used in the US dry deposition...

  17. Effects of atmospheric pressure conditions on flow rate of an elastomeric infusion pump.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jong; Moeller, Anna; Ding, Yuanpang Samuel

    2012-04-01

    The effects of pressure conditions, both hyperbaric and hypobaric, on the flow rate of an elastomeric infusion pump were investigated. The altered pressure conditions were tested with the restrictor outlet at two different conditions: (1) at the same pressure condition as the Infusor elastomeric balloon and (2) with the outlet exposed to ambient conditions. Five different pressure conditions were tested. These included ambient pressure (98-101 kilopascals [kPa]) and test pressures controlled to be 10 or 20 kPa below or 75 or 150 kPa above the ambient pressure. A theoretical calculation based on the principles of fluid mechanics was also used to predict the pump's flow rate at various ambient conditions. The conditions in which the Infusor elastomeric pump and restrictor outlet were at the same pressure gave rise to average flow rates within the ±10% tolerance of the calculated target flow rate of 11 mL/hr. The flow rate of the Infusor pump decreased when the pressure conditions changed from hypobaric to ambient. The flow rate increased when the pressure conditions changed from hyperbaric to ambient. The flow rate of the Infusor elastomeric pump was not affected when the balloon reservoir and restrictor outlet were at the same pressure. The flow rate varied from 58.54% to 377.04% of the labeled flow rate when the pressure applied to the reservoir varied from 20 kPa below to 150 kPa above the pressure applied to the restrictor outlet, respectively. The maximum difference between observed flow rates and those calculated by applying fluid mechanics was 4.9%.

  18. Switchable Adhesion in Vacuum Using Bio-Inspired Dry Adhesives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purtov, Julia; Frensemeier, Mareike; Kroner, Elmar

    2015-11-04

    Suction based attachment systems for pick and place handling of fragile objects like glass plates or optical lenses are energy-consuming and noisy and fail at reduced air pressure, which is essential, e.g., in chemical and physical vapor deposition processes. Recently, an alternative approach toward reversible adhesion of sensitive objects based on bioinspired dry adhesive structures has emerged. There, the switching in adhesion is achieved by a reversible buckling of adhesive pillar structures. In this study, we demonstrate that these adhesives are capable of switching adhesion not only in ambient air conditions but also in vacuum. Our bioinspired patterned adhesive with an area of 1 cm(2) provided an adhesion force of 2.6 N ± 0.2 N in air, which was reduced to 1.9 N ± 0.2 N if measured in vacuum. Detachment was induced by buckling of the structures due to a high compressive preload and occurred, independent of air pressure, at approximately 0.9 N ± 0.1 N. The switch in adhesion was observed at a compressive preload between 5.6 and 6.0 N and was independent of air pressure. The difference between maximum adhesion force and adhesion force after buckling gives a reasonable window of operation for pick and place processes. High reversibility of the switching behavior is shown over 50 cycles in air and in vacuum, making the bioinspired switchable adhesive applicable for handling operations of fragile objects.

  19. A Dynamic Design Space for Primary Drying During Batch Freeze-Drying

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortier, Séverine Thérèse F C; Van Bockstal, Pieter Jan; Nopens, Ingmar

    2016-01-01

    Biopharmaceutical products are emerging within the pharmaceutical industry. However, biopharmaceuticals are often unstable in aqueous solution. Freeze-drying (lyophilisation) is the preferred method to achieve a stable product with an increased shelf-life. During batch freeze-drying, there are only...... two adaptable process variables, i.e. the shelf temperature and the pressure in the drying chamber. The value of both should be optimized, preferably in a dynamic way, to minimise the primary drying time while respecting process and equipment constraints and ensuring end product quality. A mechanistic...... model is used to determine the optimal values for the adaptable variables, hereby accounting for the uncertainty in all involved model parameters. A dynamic Design Space was constructed with a risk of failure acceptance level of 0.01%, i.e. a 'zero-failure' situation. Even for a risk of failure of 0...

  20. New ambient pressure photoemission endstation at Advanced Light Source beamline 9.3.2

    KAUST Repository

    Grass, Michael E.; Karlsson, Patrik G.; Aksoy, Funda; Lundqvist, Måns; Wannberg, Björn; Mun, Bongjin S.; Hussain, Zahid; Liu, Zhi

    2010-01-01

    During the past decade, the application of ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy (APPES) has been recognized as an important in situ tool to study environmental and materials science, energy related science, and many other fields. Several APPES endstations are currently under planning or development at the USA and international light sources, which will lead to a rapid expansion of this technique. The present work describes the design and performance of a new APPES instrument at the Advanced Light Source beamline 9.3.2 at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This new instrument, Scienta R4000 HiPP, is a result of collaboration between Advanced Light Source and its industrial partner VG-Scienta. The R4000 HiPP provides superior electron transmission as well as spectromicroscopy modes with 16 μm spatial resolution in one dimension and angle-resolved modes with simulated 0.5° angular resolution at 24° acceptance. Under maximum transmission mode, the electron detection efficiency is more than an order of magnitude better than the previous endstation at beamline 9.3.2. Herein we describe the design and performance of the system, which has been utilized to record spectra above 2 mbar. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

  1. Stability of Dry Probiotic Bacteria in Relation to the Cellular Membrane and Genomic DNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Marie-Louise Rittermann W

    powders to infant formula and functional foods, e.g. cereal and chocolate bars. Part of production of the probiotic product often includes freeze-drying of the probiotic bacteria. Drying is necessary in the preparation of dry powders, and to increase shelf life of the product at ambient temperatures....... Freeze-drying and storage of probiotic bacteria can, however, also have a negative effect on cell stability. It is important to understand the processes, which can lead to loss of cell stability during dry storage in order to develop more stable probiotic products. The purpose of the present PhD thesis...

  2. Investigations of the solid solution in the system SrI2-BaI2 at ambient pressures and at 2.0 GPa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beck, H.P.; Holley, C.; Limmer, A.

    1984-01-01

    The P,T,x-diagram of the system SrI 2 -BaI 2 has been investigated at ambient pressures and at 2.0 GPa. The amount of solid solution in the four structure types occuring in this system (SrI 2 - or PbCl 2 -ZrAs 2 -type with SrI 2 and PbCl 2 - or anti-Fe 2 P-type with BaI 2 ) differs considerably. Structural geometries belonging to the same PbCl 2 structure family show marked differences in their toleration to cation substitution. Solid solution is especially pronounced in the BaI 2 -rich phases which incorporate up to 60 mol-% Sr 2+ in the high pressure phase of BaI 2 . (author)

  3. Influence of ambient air pressure on impact pressure caused by breaking waves

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moutzouris, C.

    1979-01-01

    Engineers are interested in the dynamics of the interface waterstructure. In case of breaking of water waves on a structure high positive and sometimes negative pressures of very short duration occur. Not only the maxima and minima of the pressures on the structure are important to a designing

  4. Study on effectiveness of continuous solar dryer integrated with desiccant thermal storage for drying cocoa beans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sari Farah Dina

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The main objective is to assess effectiveness of continuous solar dryer integrated with desiccant thermal storage for drying cocoa beans. Two type of desiccants were tested, molecular sieve 13× (Na86 [(AlO286·(SiO2106]·264H2O as an adsorbent type and CaCl2 as an absorbent type. The results revealed that during sunshine hours, the maximum temperature within the drying chamber varied from 40 °C to 54 °C. In average, it was 9–12 °C higher than ambient temperature. These temperatures are very suitable for drying cocoa beans. During off-sunshine hours, humidity of air inside the drying chamber was lower than ambient because of the desiccant thermal storage. Drying times for intermittent directs sun drying, solar dryer integrated with adsorbent, and solar dryer integrated with absorbent were 55 h, 41 h, and 30 h, respectively. Specific energy consumptions for direct sun drying, solar dryer integrated with adsorbent, and solar dryer integrated with absorber were 60.4 MJ/kg moist, 18.94 MJ/kg moist, and 13.29 MJ/kg moist, respectively. The main conclusion can be drawn here is that a solar dryer integrated with desiccant thermal storage makes drying using solar energy more effective in term of drying time and specific energy consumption.

  5. Characterization of the natural ambient sound environment : Measurements in open agricultural grassland

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boersma, HF

    The audibility of manmade sound in a natural environment is affected because of masking by ambient sound. In this report results are presented of measurements of the level and spectral composition of natural ambient sound. The statistical L-95 level was determined, i.e., the sound pressure level

  6. Instrumentation availability for a pressurized water reactor with a large dry containment during severe accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arcieri, W.C.; Hanson, D.J.

    1991-03-01

    In support of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Accident Management Research Program, the availability of instruments to supply accident management information during a broad range of severe accidents is evaluated for a pressurized water reactor with a large dry containment. Results from this evaluation include the following: (a) identification of plant conditions that would impact instrument performance and information needs during severe accidents, (b) definition of envelopes of parameters that would be important in assessing the performance of plant instrumentation for a broad range of severe accident sequences, and (c) assessment of the availability of plant instrumentation during severe accidents. 16 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs

  7. Propagation of atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet into ambient air at laminar gas flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pinchuk, M; Kurakina, N; Spodobin, V; Stepanova, O

    2017-01-01

    The formation of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) in a gas flow passing through the discharge gap depends on both gas-dynamic properties and electrophysical parameters of the plasma jet generator. The paper presents the results of experimental and numerical study of the propagation of the APPJ in a laminar flow of helium. A dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) generated inside a quartz tube equipped with a coaxial electrode system, which provided gas passing through it, served as a plasma source. The transition of the laminar regime of gas flow into turbulent one was controlled by the photography of a formed plasma jet. The corresponding gas outlet velocity and Reynolds numbers were revealed experimentally and were used to simulate gas dynamics with OpenFOAM software. The data of the numerical simulation suggest that the length of plasma jet at the unvarying electrophysical parameters of DBD strongly depends on the mole fraction of ambient air in a helium flow, which is established along the direction of gas flow. (paper)

  8. An in situ near-ambient pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy study of Mn polarised anodically in a cell with solid oxide electrolyte

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bozzini, Benedetto; Amati, Matteo; Bocchetta, Patrizia; Dal Zilio, Simone; Knop-Gericke, Axel; Vesselli, Erik; Kiskinova, Maya

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports an in situ study of the anodic behavior of a model solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) by means of near-ambient pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) combined with near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) measurements. The focus is on the anodic surface chemistry of MnO x , a model anodic material already considered in cognate SOFC-related studies, during electrochemical operation in CO 2 , CO 2 /H 2 O and H 2 O ambients. The XPS and NEXAFS results we obtained, complemented by electrochemical measurements and SEM characterisation, reveal the chemical evolution of Mn under electrochemical control. MnO is the stable chemical form at open-circuit potential (OCP), while Mn 3 O 4 forms under anodic polarisation in all the investigated gas ambients. Carbon deposits are present on the Mn electrode at OCP, but they are readily oxidised under anodic conditions. Prolonged operation of the MnO x anode leads to pitting of the Mn films, damaging of the triple-phase boundary region and also to formation of discontinuities in the Mn patch. This is accompanied by chemical transformations of the electrolyte and formation of ZrC without impact on the surface chemistry of the Mn-based anode

  9. Effect of hot-dry environment on fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tioua, Tahar; Kriker, Abdelouahed; Salhi, Aimad; Barluenga, Gonzalo

    2016-07-01

    Drying shrinkage can be a major reason for the deterioration of concrete structures. Variation in ambient temperature and relative humidity cause changes in the properties of hardened concrete which can affect their mechanical and drying shrinkage characteristics. The present study investigated mechanical strength and particularly drying shrinkage properties of self-compacting concretes (SCC) reinforced with date palm fiber exposed to hot and dry environment. In this study a total of nine different fibers reinforced self compacting concrete (FRSCC) mixtures and one mixture without fiber were prepared. The volume fraction and the length of fibers reinforcement were 0.1-0.2-0.3% and 10-20-30 mm. It was observed that drying shrinkage lessened with adding low volumetric fraction and short length of fibers in curing condition (T = 20 °C and RH = 50 ± 5 %), but increased in hot and dry environment.

  10. Effect of solar radiation on drying house performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rachmat, R.

    2000-01-01

    Solar drying is one of thermal utilization where radiation energy can be utilized efficiently. Solar drying of all sorts of agricultural products have been thoroughly studied and reported in literature, but brown rice drying system has not yet done as many as other products. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of solar radiation on drying house performance and brown rice drying characteristics. A construction of drying house is made from FRP sheets with 30 deg. of root slope faces southern part and inside the drying house is installed a flat bed dryer. The site of construction has 136 deg. 31.4'E in longitude and 34 deg. 43.8N in latitude with 3 m in elevation from sea level. The investigated parameters are global solar radiation, absorbed and net radiation and brown rice drying characteristics. The results showed that in unload condition, the air temperature inside drying house was higher (10 deg. C - 12 deg. C) than ambient air when there was not collector and temperature rise become higher (16 deg. C) when there was a black FRP collector inside drying house. The effect of solar radiation on temperature rise has the trend as a linear function. The heat collection efficiency of drying house with black FRP collector was two times higher (36.9 percent) than that without collector (16.3 percent). These phenomena exhibited significant result of collector utilization to the advantageous condition for a drying purpose [in

  11. Leaf injury characteristics of grassland species exposed to ozone in relation to soil moisture condition and vapour pressure deficit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bungener, P.; Balls, G.R.; Nussbaum, S.; Geissmann, M.; Grub, A.; Fuhrer, J.

    1999-01-01

    A range of plant species typical of semi-natural grasslands were tested for their sensitivity to short-term ozone injury under normal and reduced irrigation, and in relationship to air vapour pressure deficit. Potted specimens of 24 herbs, legumes and grasses were exposed during two seasons to four O 3 treatments in open-top chambers. The ozone treatments were: (a) charcoal-filtered air; (b) charcoal-filtered air plus ozone to match ambient levels; (c) charcoal-filtered air plus O 3 to ambient levels 1.5 and (d) charcoal-filtered air with ozone added to twice ambient levels during selected episodes of 7–13 d. During these ozone episodes, half of the plants in each ozone treatment received reduced irrigation (dry treatment) while the rest was kept under full irrigation (wet treatment). Type and date of first occurrence of leaf injury were noted during individual growth periods. Plants were harvested three times per year, and the percentage of injured leaves was recorded. Depending on species, injury symptoms were expressed as flecking (O 3 -specific injury), leaf yellowing or anthocyanin formation. Carum carvi and most species of the Fabaceae family (Onobrychis sativa, Trifolium repens, Trifolium pratense) were found to be most responsive to O 3 , injury occurring after only a few days of exposure in treatment (b). An episodic reduction in irrigation tended to reduce the expression of O 3 -specific symptoms, but only in species for which a reduction in soil moisture potential and an associated reduction in stomatal conductance during the dry episodes were observed. In other species, the protection from O 3 injury seemed to be of little importance. Using artificial neural networks the injury response of nine species was analysed in relation to Species, stomatal conductance, ozone as AOT40 (accumulated exposure above a threshold of 0.04 ppm for periods with global radiation ≥ 50 W m −2 (Fuhrer et al., 1997)), mean relative growth rate, air vapour pressure

  12. Mass transfer parameters of celeriac during vacuum drying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beigi, Mohsen

    2017-04-01

    An accurate prediction of moisture transfer parameters is very important for efficient mass transfer analysis, accurate modelling of drying process, and better designing of new dryers and optimization of existing drying process. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of temperature (e.g., 55, 65 and 75 °C) and chamber pressure (e.g., 0.1, 3, 7, 10, 13 and 17 kPa) on effective diffusivity and convective mass transfer coefficient of celeriac slices during vacuum drying. The obtained Biot number indicated that the moisture transfer in the celeriac slices was controlled by both internal and external resistance. The effective diffusivity obtained to be in the ranges of 7.5231 × 10-10-3.8015 × 10-9 m2 s-1. The results showed that the diffusivity increased with increasing temperature and decreasing pressure. The mass transfer coefficient values varied from 4.6789 × 10-7 to 1.0059 × 10-6 m s-1, and any increment in drying temperature and pressure caused an increment in the coefficient.

  13. High-pressure U3O8 with the fluorite-type structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, F.X.; Lang, M.; Wang, J.W.; Li, W.X.; Sun, K.; Prakapenka, V.; Ewing, R.C.

    2014-01-01

    A new high-pressure phase of U 3 O 8 , which has a fluorite-type structure, forms at pressures greater than ∼8.1 GPa that was confirmed by in situ x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The fluorite-type U 3 O 8 is stable at pressures at least up to ∼40 GPa and temperatures to 1700 K, and quenchable to ambient conditions. Based on the XRD analysis, there is a huge volume collapse (>20%) for U 3 O 8 during the phase transition and the quenched high-pressure phase is 28% denser than the initial orthorhombic phase at ambient conditions. The high-pressure phase has a very low compressibility comparing with the starting orthorhombic phase. - Graphical abstract: α-U 3 O 8 is in a layered structure with orthorhombic symmetry, at high pressures, it transformed to a fluorite-type cubic structure. There are a lot of defects in the cubic structure, and it is a new kind of hyperstoichiometric uranium oxide, which is stable at ambient conditions. - Highlights: • A new fluorite-type high-pressure phase was found in hyperstoichometric UO 2 +x (x∼0.8). • The new high-pressure structure is quenchable to ambient conditions. • Pressure driven phase transition in orthorhombic U 3 O 8 was first found

  14. Procedure for drying humidity-containing bodies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, C.R.

    1976-01-01

    The invention concerns a decontamination process for extracting impurities, in particular humidity and gases, from nuclear fuel rods before they are sealed and inserted into the reactor. The fuel rod, which has a small drilling hole, is placed in a low pressure container. The container is filled with a liquid drying agent which washes out the impurities. A dry inert gas (nitrogen, noble gases) is used for rinsing. Alcohols, ketones, methanol, acetone are named as drying agents. (UWI) [de

  15. Germination and growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) at low atmospheric pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spanarkel, Robert; Drew, Malcolm C.

    2002-01-01

    The response of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Waldmann's Green) to low atmospheric pressure was examined during the initial 5 days of germination and emergence, and also during subsequent growth to vegetative maturity at 30 days. Growth took place inside a 66-l-volume low pressure chamber maintained at 70 kPa, and plant response was compared to that of plants in a second, matching chamber that was at ambient pressure (approximately 101 kPa) as a control. In other experiments, to determine short-term effects of low pressure transients, plants were grown at ambient pressure until maturity and then subjected to alternating periods of 24 h of low and ambient atmospheric pressures. In all treatments the partial pressure of O2 was maintained at 21 kPa (approximately the partial pressure in air at normal pressure), and the partial pressure of CO2 was in the range 66.5-73.5 Pa (about twice that in normal air) in both chambers, with the addition of CO2 during the light phase. With continuous exposure to low pressure, shoot and root growth was at least as rapid as at ambient pressure, with an overall trend towards slightly greater performance at the lower pressure. Dark respiration rates were greater at low pressure. Transient periods at low pressure decreased transpiration and increased dark respiration but only during the period of exposure to low pressure. We conclude that long-term or short-term exposure to subambient pressure (70 kPa) was without detectable detriment to vegetative growth and development.

  16. Pressure dependence of conductivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bracewell, B.L.; Hochheimer, H.D.

    1993-01-01

    The overall objectives of this work were to attempt the following: (1) Measure the pressure dependence of the electrical conductivity of several quasi-one-dimensional, charge-density-wave solids, including measurements along various crystal directions. (2) Measure photocurrents in selected MX solids at ambient and elevated pressures. (3) Measure the resonance Raman spectra for selected MX solids as a function of pressure

  17. Usage of hybrid solar collector system in drying technologies of medical plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Čiplienė, Aušra; Novošinskas, Henrikas; Raila, Algirdas; Zvicevičius, Egidijus

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Solar radiation energy utilization in drying technologies. • Accumulation of solar radiation energy. • The system comprising two different solar collector types. • Preparation of the drying agent by employing solar radiation energy around the clock. • The energy resources saving technology for medicinal plants’ raw material processing and drying. - Abstract: In the temperate climate zone under natural conditions, medicinal plants drying up to 8–12% moisture content and preparation of the quality medicinal plant’s raw material are complicated tasks. In many cases drying process of medicinal plants raw material, particularly rich in volatile compounds, needs the optimal drying temperatures of 30–45 °C and relative humidity not higher than 50–60%. In Lithuania, located in the northern part of the temperate climate zone, in summer the average temperature of ambient air is 16.1 ± 0.5 °C, and relative humidity is 77.3 ± 1.8%. In order to improve the sorption properties of ambient air, it is heated up to the admissible drying temperature. The experimental dryer was developed comprising two different solar collectors: the air type solar collector with area 12 m 2 for direct heating of the drying agent and the flat-plate type solar collector (8 m 2 ) for accumulation of converted heat energy. The research of motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca L.) drying was carried out in the dryer. It was determined that by combining operation of two different solar collectors, the solar radiation energy for drying agent’s heating could be used continuously around the clock by employing the accumulated energy, in order to compensate the solar irradiance variability and to ensure stability of the drying process. In the daytime the air-type solar collector at an airflow equal to 367 m 3 h −1 , i.e. at comparative flow of the drying agent per ton of dried medicinal plant raw material – 2450 m 3 h −1 , heats the air up to 30 °C when the solar

  18. Manufactured Porous Ambient Surface Simulants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Elizabeth M.; Peters, Gregory H.; Chu, Lauren; Zhou, Yu Meng; Cohen, Brooklin; Panossian, Lara; Green, Jacklyn R.; Moreland, Scott; Backes, Paul

    2016-01-01

    The planetary science decadal survey for 2013-2022 (Vision and Voyages, NRC 2011) has promoted mission concepts for sample acquisition from small solar system bodies. Numerous comet-sampling tools are in development to meet this standard. Manufactured Porous Ambient Surface Simulants (MPASS) materials provide an opportunity to simulate variable features at ambient temperatures and pressures to appropriately test potential sample acquisition systems for comets, asteroids, and planetary surfaces. The original "flavor" of MPASS materials is known as Manufactured Porous Ambient Comet Simulants (MPACS), which was developed in parallel with the development of the Biblade Comet Sampling System (Backes et al., in review). The current suite of MPACS materials was developed through research of the physical and mechanical properties of comets from past comet missions results and modeling efforts, coordination with the science community at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and testing of a wide range of materials and formulations. These simulants were required to represent the physical and mechanical properties of cometary nuclei, based on the current understanding of the science community. Working with cryogenic simulants can be tedious and costly; thus MPACS is a suite of ambient simulants that yields a brittle failure mode similar to that of cryogenic icy materials. Here we describe our suite of comet simulants known as MPACS that will be used to test and validate the Biblade Comet Sampling System (Backes et al., in review).

  19. Stem juice production of the C4 sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is enhanced by growth at double-ambient CO2 and high temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vu, Joseph C V; Allen, Leon H

    2009-07-15

    Two cultivars of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum cv. CP73-1547 and CP88-1508) were grown for 3 months in paired-companion, temperature-gradient, sunlit greenhouses under daytime [CO2] of 360 (ambient) and 720 (double ambient) micromol mol(-1) and at temperatures of 1.5 degrees C (near ambient) and 6.0 degrees C higher than outside ambient temperature. Leaf area and biomass, stem biomass and juice and CO2 exchange rate (CER) and activities of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) of fully developed leaves were measured at harvest. On a main stem basis, leaf area, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight and stem juice volume were increased by growth at doubled [CO2] or high temperature. Such increases were even greater under combination of doubled [CO2]/high temperature. Plants grown at doubled [CO2]/high temperature combination averaged 50%, 26%, 84% and 124% greater in leaf area, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight and stem juice volume, respectively, compared with plants grown at ambient [CO2]/near-ambient temperature combination. In addition, plants grown at doubled [CO2]/high temperature combination were 2-3-fold higher in stem soluble solids than those at ambient [CO2]/near-ambient temperature combination. Although midday CER of fully developed leaves was not affected by doubled [CO2] or high temperature, plants grown at doubled [CO2] were 41-43% less in leaf stomatal conductance and 69-79% greater in leaf water-use efficiency, compared with plants grown at ambient [CO2]. Activity of PEPC was down-regulated 23-32% at doubled [CO2], while high temperature did not have a significant impact on this enzyme. Activity of Rubisco was not affected by growth at doubled [CO2], but was reduced 15-28% at high temperature. The increases in stem juice production and stem juice soluble solids concentration for sugarcane grown at doubled [CO2] or high temperature, or at doubled [CO2]/high temperature combination, were partially

  20. Design of a new reactor-like high temperature near ambient pressure scanning tunneling microscope for catalysis studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Franklin Feng; Nguyen, Luan; Zhang, Shiran

    2013-03-01

    Here, we present the design of a new reactor-like high-temperature near ambient pressure scanning tunneling microscope (HT-NAP-STM) for catalysis studies. This HT-NAP-STM was designed for exploration of structures of catalyst surfaces at atomic scale during catalysis or under reaction conditions. In this HT-NAP-STM, the minimized reactor with a volume of reactant gases of ∼10 ml is thermally isolated from the STM room through a shielding dome installed between the reactor and STM room. An aperture on the dome was made to allow tip to approach to or retract from a catalyst surface in the reactor. This dome minimizes thermal diffusion from hot gas of the reactor to the STM room and thus remains STM head at a constant temperature near to room temperature, allowing observation of surface structures at atomic scale under reaction conditions or during catalysis with minimized thermal drift. The integrated quadrupole mass spectrometer can simultaneously measure products during visualization of surface structure of a catalyst. This synergy allows building an intrinsic correlation between surface structure and its catalytic performance. This correlation offers important insights for understanding of catalysis. Tests were done on graphite in ambient environment, Pt(111) in CO, graphene on Ru(0001) in UHV at high temperature and gaseous environment at high temperature. Atom-resolved surface structure of graphene on Ru(0001) at 500 K in a gaseous environment of 25 Torr was identified.

  1. Field study of dried blood spot specimens for HIV-1 drug resistance genotyping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parry, C M; Parkin, N; Diallo, K; Mwebaza, S; Batamwita, R; DeVos, J; Bbosa, N; Lyagoba, F; Magambo, B; Jordan, M R; Downing, R; Zhang, G; Kaleebu, P; Yang, C; Bertagnolio, S

    2014-08-01

    Dried blood spots (DBS) are an alternative specimen type for HIV drug resistance genotyping in resource-limited settings. Data relating to the impact of DBS storage and shipment conditions on genotyping efficiency under field conditions are limited. We compared the genotyping efficiencies and resistance profiles of DBS stored and shipped at different temperatures to those of plasma specimens collected in parallel from patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Uganda. Plasma and four DBS cards from anti-coagulated venous blood and a fifth card from finger-prick blood were prepared from 103 HIV patients with a median viral load (VL) of 57,062 copies/ml (range, 1,081 to 2,964,191). DBS were stored at ambient temperature for 2 or 4 weeks or frozen at -80 °C and shipped from Uganda to the United States at ambient temperature or frozen on dry ice for genotyping using a broadly sensitive in-house method. Plasma (97.1%) and DBS (98.1%) stored and shipped frozen had similar genotyping efficiencies. DBS stored frozen (97.1%) or at ambient temperature for 2 weeks (93.2%) and shipped at ambient temperature also had similar genotyping efficiencies. Genotyping efficiency was reduced for DBS stored at ambient temperature for 4 weeks (89.3%, P = 0.03) or prepared from finger-prick blood and stored at ambient temperature for 2 weeks (77.7%, P blood and handled similarly. Resistance profiles were similar between plasma and DBS specimens. This report delineates the optimal DBS collection, storage, and shipping conditions and opens a new avenue for cost-saving ambient-temperature DBS specimen shipments for HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) surveillances in resource-limited settings. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  2. Ambient Volatility of Triethyl Phosphate

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-08-01

    of materials is predictable using Raoult’s law. This report details the measurement of the effect of water vapor partial pressure on the volatility...empirical correlation taking into account nonideal behavior was developed to enable estimation of TEPO volatility at any combination of ambient...of the second component is expected to be one-half as much as in the absence of water vapor. Similarly, the measured volatility of the second

  3. Dry reforming of methane with CO{sub 2} at elevated pressures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Milanov, A.; Schwab, E.; Wasserschaff, G. [BASF SE, Ludwigshafen (Germany); Schunk, S. [hte AG, Heidelberg (Germany)

    2013-11-01

    The indirect conversion of natural gas into higher value chemicals and fuels via syngas is superior with regard to efficiency compared to the currently available direct conversion technologies and remains the industrially preferred route. Typically the syngas production route is generally dictated by the H{sub 2}/CO ratio requirements of the downstream synthesis process. Processes such as direct DME synthesis, high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch and acetic acid synthesis require CO rich syngas that is not readily accessible by established technologies like steam methane reforming (SMR) and autothermal reforming of methane (ATR). The CO{sub 2} reforming of methane, also known as dry reforming (DRM), is an attractive alternative technology for the production of CO-rich syngas. This paper gives an overview of the current joint research activities at BASF and hte AG aiming to develop suitable catalysts for CO{sub 2} reforming of methane at elevated pressures with minimized input of process steam. The performance profiles of two newly developed base metal catalysts are presented and discussed. The catalysts exhibit high degrees of methane and CO{sub 2} conversion in combination with an extraordinary coking resistance under high severity process conditions. (orig.)

  4. Behavior of aircraft antiskid braking systems on dry and wet runway surfaces - A velocity-rate-controlled, pressure-bias-modulated system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stubbs, S. M.; Tanner, J. A.

    1976-01-01

    During maximum braking the average ratio of drag-force friction coefficient developed by the antiskid system to maximum drag-force friction coefficient available at the tire/runway interface was higher on dry surfaces than on wet surfaces. The gross stopping power generated by the brake system on the dry surface was more than twice that obtained on the wet surfaces. With maximum braking applied, the average ratio of side-force friction coefficient developed by the tire under antiskid control to maximum side-force friction available at the tire/runway interface of a free-rolling yawed tire was shown to decrease with increasing yaw angle. Braking reduced the side-force friction coefficient on a dry surface by 75 percent as the wheel slip ratio was increased to 0.3; on a flooded surface the coefficient dropped to near zero for the same slip ratio. Locked wheel skids were observed when the tire encountered a runway surface transition from dry to flooded, due in part to the response time required for the system to sense abrupt changes in the runway friction; however, the antiskid system quickly responded by reducing brake pressure and cycling normally during the remainder of the run on the flooded surface.

  5. Foam-mat drying technology: A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardy, Z; Jideani, V A

    2017-08-13

    This article reviews various aspects of foam-mat drying such as foam-mat drying processing technique, main additives used for foam-mat drying, foam-mat drying of liquid and solid foods, quality characteristics of foam-mat dried foods, and economic and technical benefits for employing foam-mat drying. Foam-mat drying process is an alternative method that allows the removal of water from liquid materials and pureed materials. In this drying process, a liquid material is converted into foam that is stable by being whipped after adding an edible foaming agent. The stable foam is then spread out in sheet or mat and dried by using hot air (40-90°C) at atmospheric pressure. Methyl cellulose (0.25-2%), egg white (3-20%), maltodextrin (0.5-05%), and gum Arabic (2-9%) are the commonly utilized additives for the foam-mat drying process at the given range, either combined together for their effectiveness or individual effect. The foam-mat drying process is suitable for heat sensitive, viscous, and sticky products that cannot be dried using other forms of drying methods such as spray drying because of the state of product. More interest has developed for foam-mat drying because of the simplicity, cost effectiveness, high speed drying, and improved product quality it provides.

  6. Corona discharge ion mobility spectrometry at reduced pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tabrizchi, Mahmoud; Rouholahnejad, Fereshteh

    2004-01-01

    Ion mobility spectrometers (IMSs) normally operate at ambient pressure. In this work an IMS cell has been designed and constructed to allow the pressure to be reduced inside the IMS cell. In this cell, corona discharge was employed as the ionization source. Reducing pressure affected both the discharge and the performance of the IMS. The discharge current was observed to increase with reducing pressure while the ignition potential decreased. The ion current received at the collector plate was also increased about 50 times when the pressure was reduced from ambient pressure to 15 Torr. The higher ion current can lead to an extended dynamic range. IMS spectra were recorded at various pressures and the results show that the drift times shift perfectly linear with pressure. This suggests that unlike temperature, pressure correction for ion mobility spectra is as simple as multiplying the drift times by a factor of 760/P

  7. Effect of ambient gas density for diesel spray; Diesel funmu ni taisuru fun`iki mitsudo no eikyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yokohashi, M; Suzuki, T; Oshima, R [Tohokugakuin University, Sendai (Japan); Ono, A [Shinryo Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1997-10-01

    Effect of ambient gas density for fuel spray are measured to investigate the Diesel spray behavior. The change of ambient gas density has been given by pressuring N2 gas and using a high density atmospheric pressure SF6 gas. The measurement are performed for the spray penetration and angle. As a result, the spray penetration is confirmed same tendency at the change of density by pressuring N2 and using SF6. Though spray angle is required modification with viscosity. 2 refs., 11 figs.

  8. Experimental study of the influence of atmospheric conditions on the performance of natural draft dry cooling towers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Markoczy, G.; Staempfli, E.

    1977-08-01

    The heat dissipation of cooling towers is influenced by atmospheric conditions. In order to establish these influences EIR conducted measurements on a natural draft dry cooling tower. During two measuring campaigns with a duration of total 10 weeks the performance of the cooling tower, the ambient air temperatures, the wind velocities and directions as well as air temperature at the top of the tower and in front of the heat exchangers were continuously measured and registered. The results achieved enable the quantitative description of the influence of the ambient air temperature, wind and temperature inversion on the performance of natural draft dry cooling towers. (Auth.)

  9. Global Sensitivity Analysis as Good Modelling Practices tool for the identification of the most influential process parameters of the primary drying step during freeze-drying

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Van Bockstal, Pieter-Jan; Mortier, Séverine Thérèse F.C.; Corver, Jos

    2018-01-01

    Pharmaceutical batch freeze-drying is commonly used to improve the stability of biological therapeutics. The primary drying step is regulated by the dynamic settings of the adaptable process variables, shelf temperature Ts and chamber pressure Pc. Mechanistic modelling of the primary drying step...

  10. Method for drying of biomass. Saett att torka biomassa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eriksson, S

    1987-06-01

    Peat or biomass is dried in at least two steps. In the first step the material is dried by flue gases in a heat exchanger, the steam pressure being higher than in the subsequent drying step. The steam generated is separated from the solid phase and used for heating the second step.

  11. Evolution of mechanical properties and final textural properties of resorcinol-formaldehyde xerogels during ambient air drying

    OpenAIRE

    Léonard, Angélique; Blacher, Silvia; Crine, Michel; Jomaa, Wahbi

    2008-01-01

    Porous carbon xerogels can be obtained by convective drying of resorcinol (R)-formaldehyde (F) hydrogels, followed by pyrolysis. Drying conditions have to be carefully controlled when crack-free monoliths with well-defined shape and size are required. The knowledge of the mechanical properties of the RF xerogels and their evolution with water content is essential to model their thermo-hygro-mechanical behavior during convective drying and avoid mechanical stresses leading to deformation and c...

  12. Behavior of aircraft antiskid braking systems on dry and wet runway surfaces. A slip-velocity-controlled, pressure-bias-modulated system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stubbs, S. M.; Tanner, J. A.; Smith, E. G.

    1979-01-01

    The braking and cornering response of a slip velocity controlled, pressure bias modulated aircraft antiskid braking system is investigated. The investigation, conducted on dry and wet runway surfaces, utilized one main gear wheel, brake, and tire assembly of a McDonnell Douglas DC 9 series 10 airplane. The landing gear strut was replaced by a dynamometer. The parameters, which were varied, included the carriage speed, tire loading, yaw angle, tire tread condition, brake system operating pressure, and runway wetness conditions. The effects of each of these parameters on the behavior of the skid control system is presented. Comparisons between data obtained with the skid control system and data obtained from single cycle braking tests without antiskid protection are examined.

  13. Influence of ambient humidity on the attachment ability of ladybird beetles (Coccinella septempunctata)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heepe, L.; Wolff, J. O.; Gorb, Stanislav N.

    2016-01-01

    at 60% humidity. This relationship was found both in female and male beetles, despite of a deviating structure of adhesive setae and a significant difference in forces between sexes. These findings demonstrate that not only dry adhesive setae are affected by ambient humidity, but also setae that stick...

  14. On the accuracy of van der Waals inclusive density-functional theory exchange-correlation functionals for ice at ambient and high pressures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santra, Biswajit; Klimes, Jirí; Tkatchenko, Alexandre; Alfè, Dario; Slater, Ben; Michaelides, Angelos; Car, Roberto; Scheffler, Matthias

    2013-10-21

    Density-functional theory (DFT) has been widely used to study water and ice for at least 20 years. However, the reliability of different DFT exchange-correlation (xc) functionals for water remains a matter of considerable debate. This is particularly true in light of the recent development of DFT based methods that account for van der Waals (vdW) dispersion forces. Here, we report a detailed study with several xc functionals (semi-local, hybrid, and vdW inclusive approaches) on ice Ih and six proton ordered phases of ice. Consistent with our previous study [B. Santra, J. Klimeš, D. Alfè, A. Tkatchenko, B. Slater, A. Michaelides, R. Car, and M. Scheffler, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 185701 (2011)] which showed that vdW forces become increasingly important at high pressures, we find here that all vdW inclusive methods considered improve the relative energies and transition pressures of the high-pressure ice phases compared to those obtained with semi-local or hybrid xc functionals. However, we also find that significant discrepancies between experiment and the vdW inclusive approaches remain in the cohesive properties of the various phases, causing certain phases to be absent from the phase diagram. Therefore, room for improvement in the description of water at ambient and high pressures remains and we suggest that because of the stern test the high pressure ice phases pose they should be used in future benchmark studies of simulation methods for water.

  15. Annual ambient atmospheric mercury speciation measurement from Longjing, a rural site in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Guor-Cheng; Lo, Chaur-Tsuen; Cho, Meng-Hsien; Zhuang, Yuan-Jie; Tsai, Kai-Hsiang; Huang, Chao-Yang; Xiao, You-Fu

    2017-08-01

    The main purpose of this study was to monitor ambient air particulates and mercury species [RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury] concentrations and dry depositions over rural area at Longjing in central Taiwan during October 2014 to September 2015. In addition, passive air sampler and knife-edge surrogate surface samplers were used to collect the ambient air mercury species concentrations and dry depositions, respectively, in this study. Moreover, direct mercury analyzer was directly used to detect the mercury Hg(p) and RGM concentrations. The result indicated that: (1) The average highest RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury concentrations, and dry depositions were observed in January, prevailing dust storm occurred in winter season was the possible major reason responsible for the above findings. (2) The highest average RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury concentrations, dry depositions and velocities were occurred in winter. This is because that China is the largest atmospheric mercury (Hg) emitter in the world. Its Hg emissions and environmental impacts need to be evaluated. (3) The results indicated that the total mercury ratios of Kaohsiung to that of this study were 5.61. This is because that Kaohsiung has the largest industry density (~60 %) in Taiwan. (4) the USA showed average lower mercury species concentrations when compared to those of the other world countries. The average ratios of China/USA values were 89, 76 and 160 for total mercury, RGM and Hg(p), respectively, during the years of 2000-2012.

  16. Electronically-Scanned Pressure Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coe, C. F.; Parra, G. T.; Kauffman, R. C.

    1984-01-01

    Sensors not pneumatically switched. Electronic pressure-transducer scanning system constructed in modular form. Pressure transducer modules and analog to digital converter module small enough to fit within cavities of average-sized wind-tunnel models. All switching done electronically. Temperature controlled environment maintained within sensor modules so accuracy maintained while ambient temperature varies.

  17. Effects of long-term low atmospheric pressure on gas exchange and growth of lettuce

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Yongkang; Guo, Shuangsheng; Dong, Wenping; Qin, Lifeng; Ai, Weidang; Lin, Shan

    2010-09-01

    The objectives of this research were to determine photosynthesis, evapotranspiration and growth of lettuce at long-term low atmospheric pressure. Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L . cv. Youmaicai) plants were grown at 40 kPa total pressure (8.4 kPa p) or 101 kPa total pressure (20.9 kPa p) from seed to harvest for 35 days. Germination rate of lettuce seeds decreased by 7.6% at low pressure, although this was not significant. There was no significant difference in crop photosynthetic rate between hypobaria and ambient pressure during the 35-day study. The crop evapotranspiration rate was significantly lower at low pressure than that at ambient pressure from 20 to 30 days after planting (DAP), but it had no significant difference before 20 DAP or after 30 DAP. The growth cycle of lettuce plants at low pressure was delayed. At low pressure, lettuce leaves were curly at the seedling stage and this disappeared gradually as the plants grew. Ambient lettuce plants were yellow and had an epinastic growth at harvest. The shoot height, leaf number, leaf length and shoot/root ratio were lower at low pressure than those at ambient pressure, while leaf area and root growth increased. Total biomass of lettuce plants grown at two pressures had no significant difference. Ethylene production at low pressure decreased significantly by 38.8% compared with ambient pressure. There was no significant difference in microelements, nutritional phytochemicals and nitrate concentrations at the two treatments. This research shows that lettuce can be grown at long-term low pressure (40 kPa) without significant adverse effects on seed germination, gas exchange and plant growth. Furthermore, ethylene release was reduced in hypobaria.

  18. Direct dissolution of g-level U metal and U-6 % Zr alloy bits by TBP-nitric acid adduct and in situ extraction at ambient pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shekhar Kumar; Bijendra Kumar; Gelatar, J.K.; Pranay Kumar Sinha; Alok Kumar Mishra; Kamachi Mudali, U.

    2016-01-01

    A study on direct dissolution of g-level metallic U and U-6 % Zr alloy bits by TBP-nitric acid adduct followed by in situ extraction at ambient pressures under batch and dynamic conditions was performed. The product organic solution was adjusted to 30 % TBP in dodecane and from it, U(VI) could be stripped quantitatively with 0.01 N nitric acid. Experimental results of the study are presented in this paper. (author)

  19. Synthesis under ambient pressure and tri-axial magnetic orientation in REBa2Cu4O8 (RE = Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaki, M.; Horii, S.; Haruta, M.; Maeda, T.; Shimoyama, J.

    2011-01-01

    REBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 (RE124) was synthesized by a flux method in ambient pressure for RE = Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho and Er. Tri-axial orientation of RE124 was achieved in a modulated rotating magnetic field of 10 T. Orientation axes in RE124 depended on the type of RE. Magnetization axes were determined from magnetic anisotropies of Cu and RE ions. We report the rare-earth (RE)-dependent magnetization axes of REBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 , which was synthesized by a flux method under ambient pressure, using powder samples tri-axially oriented in a modulated rotating magnetic field of 10 T. By optimizing the growth temperature and cooling rate, RE124 crystals were successfully grown for RE = Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, and Er. From the X-ray diffraction measurement, the magnetically oriented directions were largely dependent on the type of RE ions of RE124. However, the tri-axial magnetic anisotropies of RE124 could be qualitatively understood in terms of the magnitude relation between the single-ion magnetic anisotropy of RE 3+ ions and the magnetic anisotropy generated by the CuO 2 plane and Cu-O chain. For the practical use of this magneto-scientific process, the control of magnetization axes and tri-axial magnetic anisotropies through crystallochemical control is indispensable.

  20. Optimization of machining parameters in dry EDM of EN31 steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brar, G. S.

    2018-03-01

    Dry electric discharge machining (Dry EDM) is one of the novel EDM technology in which gases namely helium, argon, oxygen, nitrogen etc. are used as a dielectric medium at high pressure instead of oil based liquid dielectric. The present study investigates dry electric discharge machining (with rotary tool) of EN-31 steel to achieve lower tool wear rate (TWR) and better surface roughness (Ra) by performing a set of exploratory experiments with oxygen gas as dielectric. The effect of polarity, discharge current, gas flow pressure, pulse-on time, R.P.M. and gap voltage on the MRR, TWR and surface roughness (Ra) in dry EDM was studied with copper as rotary tool. The significant factors affecting MRR are discharge current and pulse on time. The significant factors affecting TWR are gas flow pressure, pulse on time and R.P.M. TWR was found close to zero in most of the experiments. The significant factors affecting Ra are pulse on time, gas flow pressure and R.P.M. It was found that polarity has nearly zero effect on all the three output variables.

  1. Investigation of ambient temperature on the performance of GE-F5 gas turbine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghazikhani, M.; Taffazoli, D.; Manshori, N.

    2002-01-01

    The role of ambient temperature in determining the performance of GE-F5 gas turbine is analysed by investigating the Shirvan gas turbine power plant 10 MW , 15 MW and 20 MW power output. These parameters have been brought as a function of ambient temperature. The results show when ambient temperature increases 1 deg C, The compressor pressure decreases about 20 k Pa, compressor outlet temperature increases about 1.13 deg C and exhaust temperature increases about 2.5 deg C. It is revealed that variations are due to decreasing the efficiency of compressor and less due to mass flow rate of air reduction as ambient temperature increases at constant power output. The results shows cycle efficiency reduces 3% with increasing 50 of ambient temperature, also the m increases as ambient temperature increase for constant turbine work. These are also because of reducing the compressor efficiency as ambient temperature increases

  2. Humidity Effects on Fragmentation in Plasma-Based Ambient Ionization Sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newsome, G Asher; Ackerman, Luke K; Johnson, Kevin J

    2016-01-01

    Post-plasma ambient desorption/ionization (ADI) sources are fundamentally dependent on surrounding water vapor to produce protonated analyte ions. There are two reports of humidity effects on ADI spectra. However, it is unclear whether humidity will affect all ADI sources and analytes, and by what mechanism humidity affects spectra. Flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow (FAPA) ionization and direct analysis in real time (DART) mass spectra of various surface-deposited and gas-phase analytes were acquired at ambient temperature and pressure across a range of observed humidity values. A controlled humidity enclosure around the ion source and mass spectrometer inlet was used to create programmed humidity and temperatures. The relative abundance and fragmentation of molecular adduct ions for several compounds consistently varied with changing ambient humidity and also were controlled with the humidity enclosure. For several compounds, increasing humidity decreased protonated molecule and other molecular adduct ion fragmentation in both FAPA and DART spectra. For others, humidity increased fragment ion ratios. The effects of humidity on molecular adduct ion fragmentation were caused by changes in the relative abundances of different reagent protonated water clusters and, thus, a change in the average difference in proton affinity between an analyte and the population of water clusters. Control of humidity in ambient post-plasma ion sources is needed to create spectral stability and reproducibility.

  3. Performance studies of solar tunnel dryer for drying aonla (Embilica Officinalis) pulp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seveda, M. S.

    2012-01-01

    A solar tunnel dryer was constructed and evaluated the performance for drying aonla pulp. The dryer consists of a transparent UV stabilized plastic covered solar collector cum drying unit. Evaluation parameters are air temperature, solar insolation, moisture content, relative humidity and airflow rate. A minimum of 111.18 m 2 solar collector area is required to dry a batch 1000 kg aonla pulp in 16 hours (two days drying period). The initial and final moisture content considered were 424.93 and 10.08% dry basis, respectively. It was observed that on an average 43 per cent of higher temperature was obtained in solar tunnel dryer over the ambient temperature. The results obtained during the test period denoted that the maximum gained energy occurred at 13 o'clock hour and then gradually declined since the maximum solar radiation occurred at this time. (author)

  4. Multi-morphological growth of nano-structured In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} by ambient pressure triethylene glycol based solution syntheses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Tongfei; Wang, Jian; Lai, Junyun; Zheng, Xuerong; Liu, Weiyan; Ji, Junna [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Liu, Hui [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401 (China); Jin, Zhengguo, E-mail: zhgjin@tju.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

    2015-10-15

    In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} nanoparticles, flower-like shaped and sheet-shaped nanocrystals were synthesized by a new, facile, ambient pressure triethylene glycol based solution chemical route using indium(III) chloride and selenium powder as precursors. The growing morphology, crystallization, chemical stoichiometry and light absorption property of the In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} products synthesized were characterized by TEM, HRTEM, FESEM, XRD, EDX and UV–vis–NIR measurements. Multi-morphological growth of the nano-structured In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} in triethylene glycol based solution syntheses with changed assisting agents and reaction styles was demonstrated. - Highlights: • Multimorphological growth of In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} was demonstrated based on solution chemistry. • A new, facile, low cost and fast air pressure TEG based solution process was used. • Nanoparticles, flower-like shaped and sheet-shaped nanocrystals were synthesized. • Morphology, crystallization, stoichiometry and light absorption was characterized. • Solution growth of β-In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} nanosheets was firstly reported by this submission.

  5. Evaluation and Comparison of Chemiluminescence and UV Photometric Methods for Measuring Ozone Concentrations in Ambient Air

    Science.gov (United States)

    The current Federal Reference Method (FRM) for measuring concentrations of ozone in ambient air is based on the dry, gas-phase, chemiluminescence reaction between ethylene (C2H4) and any ozone (O3) that may be p...

  6. Radiation preservation of dried fish indigenous to Asia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, A.M.; Haz, I.; Chaudry, M.A.

    1989-01-01

    Commercially dried marine fish such as mackerel, shark, tuna and saram (Scomboromorus commersoni) contain 36-50% moisture and 10-12% salt. During preliminary studies, there was visible mould growth on sun or over dried freshwater rahu (Labeo sp.) fish containing moisture levels above 15.5%. Fusarium was present in samples containing a moisture level of 46% and above, while below this level Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. were present. Dipping of fish fillets in 2% potassium sorbate checked the visible mould growth on irradiated (0.25-1 kGy) and non-irradiated rahu fish containing moisture levels of 20-40%. Radiation doses of 0.5-0.75 kGy were found suitable for keeping sun or oven dried samples in good and acceptable conditions for six months at room temperature. Polyethylene film about 0.1 mm thick was suitable for packing dried fish as far as insect penetration, bacterial permeability, water permeability, water vapour transfer rate and weight loss of dried fish during storage were concerned. An oxygen absorber was effective for six months in maintaining colour, odour and texture of irradiated dried fish packaged in an oxygen impermeable film. Dried fish was acceptable to consumers except to some extent for its texture. Bulk storage of dried fish fillets at an ambient temperature for 3 months produced no adverse changes in the fillets. About 5% of the fillets were badly shredded during transportation of irradiated dried fish over a distance of about 2,400 km. (author). 27 refs, 6 figs, 13 tabs

  7. Procedures for ambient-pressure and tympanometric tests of aural acoustic reflectance and admittance in human infants and adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keefe, Douglas H.; Hunter, Lisa L.; Feeney, M. Patrick; Fitzpatrick, Denis F.

    2015-01-01

    Procedures are described to measure acoustic reflectance and admittance in human adult and infant ears at frequencies from 0.2 to 8 kHz. Transfer functions were measured at ambient pressure in the ear canal, and as down- or up-swept tympanograms. Acoustically estimated ear-canal area was used to calculate ear reflectance, which was parameterized by absorbance and group delay over all frequencies (and pressures), with substantial data reduction for tympanograms. Admittance measured at the probe tip in adults was transformed into an equivalent admittance at the eardrum using a transmission-line model for an ear canal with specified area and ear-canal length. Ear-canal length was estimated from group delay around the frequency above 2 kHz of minimum absorbance. Illustrative measurements in ears with normal function are described for an adult, and two infants at 1 month of age with normal hearing and a conductive hearing loss. The sensitivity of this equivalent eardrum admittance was calculated for varying estimates of area and length. Infant-ear patterns of absorbance peaks aligned in frequency with dips in group delay were explained by a model of resonant canal-wall mobility. Procedures will be applied in a large study of wideband clinical diagnosis and monitoring of middle-ear and cochlear function. PMID:26723319

  8. Performance Specification Shippinpark Pressurized Water Reactor Fuel Drying and Canister Inerting System for PWR Core 2 Blanket Fuel Assemblies Stored within Shippingport Spent Fuel Canisters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    JOHNSON, D.M.

    2000-01-01

    This specification establishes the performance requirements and basic design requirements imposed on the fuel drying and canister inerting system for Shippingport Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Core 2 blanket fuel assemblies (BFAs) stored within Shippingport spent fuel (SSFCs) canisters (fuel drying and canister inerting system). This fuel drying and canister inerting system is a component of the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) Spent Nuclear Fuels Project at the Hanford Site. The fuel drying and canister inerting system provides for removing water and establishing an inert environment for Shippingport PWR Core 2 BFAs stored within SSFCs. A policy established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) states that new SNF facilities (this is interpreted to include structures, systems and components) shall achieve nuclear safety equivalence to comparable U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-licensed facilities. This will be accomplished in part by applying appropriate NRC requirements for comparable NRC-licensed facilities to the fuel drying and canister inerting system, in addition to applicable DOE regulations and orders

  9. Investigations of the solid solution in the system SrI/sub 2/-BaI/sub 2/ at ambient pressures and at 2. 0 GPa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beck, H.P.; Holley, C.; Limmer, A. (Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Anorganische Chemie)

    1984-09-01

    The P,T,x-diagram of the system SrI/sub 2/-BaI/sub 2/ has been investigated at ambient pressures and at 2.0 GPa. The amount of solid solution in the four structure types occuring in this system (SrI/sub 2/- or PbCl/sub 2/-ZrAs/sub 2/-type with SrI/sub 2/ and PbCl/sub 2/- or anti-Fe/sub 2/P-type with BaI/sub 2/) differs considerably. Structural geometries belonging to the same PbCl/sub 2/ structure family show marked differences in their toleration to cation substitution. Solid solution is especially pronounced in the BaI/sub 2/-rich phases which incorporate up to 60 mol-% Sr/sup 2 +/ in the high pressure phase of BaI/sub 2/.

  10. 5 years of ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (APPES) at the Swiss Light Source (SLS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olivieri, Giorgia [Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zurich (Switzerland); Giorgi, Javier B. [Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, and Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 (Canada); Green, Richard G. [Measurement Science and Standards, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada); Brown, Matthew A., E-mail: matthew.brown@mat.ethz.ch [Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zurich (Switzerland)

    2017-04-15

    Highlights: • A review of the ongoing research using the APPES endstation of the Swiss Light Source is presented. • Research interests include the liquid-vapor, liquid-nanoparticle and vapor-solid interfaces. • An outlook to the next five years of research at the Swiss Light Source is presented. - Abstract: In March of 2012 an endstation dedicated to ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (APPES) was installed at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) synchrotron radiation facility on the campus of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The endstation is mobile and operated at the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), Surfaces/Interfaces: Microscopy (SIM) and Phoenix beamlines, which together afford a nearly continuous photon energy range from 5−8000 eV. This broad energy range is by far the widest available to a single currently operational APPES endstation. During its first five years of operation this endstation has been used to address challenging fundamental problems in the areas of soft-matter colloidal nanoscience, environmental science and energy storage—research that encompasses the liquid-nanoparticle, liquid-vapor (or vacuum) and solid-vapor interfaces. Here we present select highlights of these results and offer an outlook to the next five years of APPES research at the SLS.

  11. Full scale experimental study of a small natural draft dry cooling tower for concentrating solar thermal power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Xiaoxiao; Duniam, Sam; Gurgenci, Hal; Guan, Zhiqiang; Veeraragavan, Anand

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A 20 m high natural draft dry cooling tower is designed and tested. • The cooling tower model is refined and validated with the experimental data. • The performance of the cooling tower utilized in a CST power plant is investigated. • Ambient temperature effect on Rankine cycle and Brayton cycle is discussed. - Abstract: Concentrating solar thermal power system can provide low carbon, renewable energy resources in countries or regions with strong solar irradiation. For this kind of power plant which is likely to be located in the arid area, natural draft dry cooling tower is a promising choice. To develop the experimental studies on small cooling tower, a 20 m high natural draft dry cooling tower with fully instrumented measurement system was established by the Queensland Geothermal Energy Centre of Excellence. The performance of this cooling tower was measured with the constant heat input of 600 kW and 840 kW and with ambient temperature ranging from 20 °C to 32 °C. The cooling tower numerical model was refined and validated with the experimental data. The model of 1 MW concentrating solar thermal supercritical CO_2 power cycle was developed and integrated with the cooling tower model. The influences of changing ambient temperature and the performance of the cooling tower on efficiency of the power system were simulated. The differences of the mechanism of the ambient temperature effect on Rankine cycle and supercritical CO_2 Brayton cycle were analysed and discussed.

  12. Grain size increase in pentacene thin films prepared in low-pressure gas ambient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokoyama, Takamichi; Park, Chang Bum; Nagashio, Kosuke; Kita, Koji; Toriumi, Akira

    2009-01-01

    We studied a mechanism of grain size increase (that is, island density decrease) in pentacene film prepared in hydrogen (H 2 ) ambient. The island densities of pentacene films prepared in helium and deuterium were lower than those of vacuum-deposited films. This indicates that the decrease in the island density was not due to the chemical interaction between H 2 and pentacene or the substrate surface. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of the island density indicates that there is no difference in the surface diffusion energy in a vacuum and in H 2 . We also improved mobility significantly in the pentacene thin film transistor fabricated on film grown in H 2 ambient on a chemically treated substrate.

  13. Uncertainty analysis as essential step in the establishment of the dynamic Design Space of primary drying during freeze-drying

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortier, Severine Therese F. C.; Van Bockstal, Pieter-Jan; Corver, Jos

    2016-01-01

    Large molecules, such as biopharmaceuticals, are considered the key driver of growth for the pharmaceutical industry. Freeze-drying is the preferred way to stabilise these products when needed. However, it is an expensive, inefficient, time- and energy-consuming process. During freeze-drying, the......Large molecules, such as biopharmaceuticals, are considered the key driver of growth for the pharmaceutical industry. Freeze-drying is the preferred way to stabilise these products when needed. However, it is an expensive, inefficient, time- and energy-consuming process. During freeze...... for pharmaceutical freeze-drying. Traditionally, the chamber pressure and shelf temperature are kept constant during primary drying, leading to less optimal process conditions. In this paper it is demonstrated how a mechanistic model of the primary drying step gives the opportunity to determine the optimal dynamic...

  14. Solubility of perfumery and fragrance raw materials based on cyclohexane in 1-octanol under ambient and high pressures up to 900 MPa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Domanska, Urszula; Morawski, Piotr; Piekarska, Maria

    2008-01-01

    The (solid + liquid) phase equilibria (SLE) of binary mixtures containing 1-octanol and fragrance raw materials based on cyclohexane were investigated. The systems {1-octanol (1) + cyclohexyl carboxylic acid (CCA), or cyclohexyl acetic acid (CAA), or cyclohexyl acetate (CA), or 2-cyclohexyl ethyl acetate (2CEA), or 2-cyclohexyl ethanol (2CE)(2)} have been measured by a dynamic method in wide range of temperatures from (220 to 320) K and ambient pressure. For all systems SLE diagrams were detected as eutectic mixtures with complete miscibility in the liquid phase. The experimental data were correlated by means of the Wilson and NRTL equations, utilizing parameters derived from the (solid + liquid) equilibrium. The root-mean-square deviations of the solubility temperatures for all calculated data are dependent upon the particular system and the particular equation used. Additionally, the SLE in binary mixture that contain {1-octanol (1) + CCA (2)} has been measured under very high pressures up to about 900 MPa at the temperature range from T = (303.15 to 353.15) K. The thermostatted apparatus for the measurements of transition pressures from the (liquid + solid) state was used. The freezing and melting temperatures at a constant composition increase monotonously with pressure. The high pressure experimental results obtained at isothermal conditions (p-x) were interpolated to more convenient T-x diagram. Data of the (pressure + temperature) composition relation at the high pressure (solid + liquid) phase equilibria was correlated by the polynomial based on the Yang model. The basic thermodynamic properties of pure substances viz. the melting point, enthalpy of fusion, enthalpy of solid-solid phase transition, and glass transition, have been determined by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

  15. Axial- and radial-resolved electron density and excitation temperature of aluminum plasma induced by nanosecond laser: Effect of the ambient gas composition and pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmoud S. Dawood

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The spatial variation of the characteristics of an aluminum plasma induced by a pulsed nanosecond XeCl laser is studied in this paper. The electron density and the excitation temperature are deduced from time- and space- resolved Stark broadening of an ion line and from a Boltzmann diagram, respectively. The influence of the gas pressure (from vacuum up to atmospheric pressure and compositions (argon, nitrogen and helium on these characteristics is investigated. It is observed that the highest electron density occurs near the laser spot and decreases by moving away both from the target surface and from the plume center to its edge. The electron density increases with the gas pressure, the highest values being occurred at atmospheric pressure when the ambient gas has the highest mass, i.e. in argon. The excitation temperature is determined from the Boltzmann plot of line intensities of iron impurities present in the aluminum target. The highest temperature is observed close to the laser spot location for argon at atmospheric pressure. It decreases by moving away from the target surface in the axial direction. However, no significant variation of temperature occurs along the radial direction. The differences observed between the axial and radial direction are mainly due to the different plasma kinetics in both directions.

  16. The influence of boron on the crystal structure and properties of mullite. Investigations at ambient, high-pressure, and high-temperature conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luehrs, Hanna

    2013-11-21

    Mullite is one of the most important synthetic compounds for advanced structural and functional ceramic materials. The crystal structure of mullite with the composition Al{sub 2}[Al{sub 2+2x}Si{sub 2-2x}]O{sub 10-x} can incorporate a large variety of foreign cations, including (amongst others) significant amounts of boron. However, no chemical or crystal structure analyses of boron-mullites (B-mullites) were available prior to this work, thus representing the key aspects of this thesis. Furthermore, the influence of boron on selected properties of mullite under ambient, high-temperature, and high-pressure conditions are addressed. Starting from a 3:2 mullite composition (Al{sub 4.5}Si{sub 1.5}O{sub 9.75}), the initial hypothesis for this study was a 1:1 isomorphous replacement of silicon by boron according to the coupled substitution mechanism: 2 Si{sup 4+} + O{sup 2-} → 2 B{sup 3+} + □. Based on a series of compounds synthesized from sol-gel derived precursors at ambient pressure and 1200 C, the formation conditions and physical properties of B-mullites were investigated. The formation temperature for B-mullites decreases with increasing boron-content, as revealed by thermal analyses. An anisotropic development of lattice parameters is observed: Whereas lattice parameters a and b only exhibit minor changes, a linear relationship between lattice parameter c and the amount of boron in the crystal structure was established, on the basis of prompt gamma activation analyses (PGAA) and Rietveld refinements. According to this relationship about 15% of the silicon in mullite can be replaced by boron yielding single-phase B-mullite. B-mullites with significantly higher (∝ factor 3) boron-contents in the mullite structure were also observed but the respective samples contain alumina impurities. Fundamental new details regarding the response of B-mullite to high-temperature and highpressure are presented in this thesis. On the one hand, long-term thermal stability at

  17. Large-scale synthesis of NbS2 nanosheets with controlled orientation on graphene by ambient pressure CVD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Wanyin; Kawahara, Kenji; Tsuji, Masaharu; Ago, Hiroki

    2013-07-07

    We report ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of single-crystalline NbS2 nanosheets with controlled orientation. On Si and SiO2 substrates, NbS2 nanosheets grow almost perpendicular to the substrate surface. However, when we apply transferred CVD graphene on SiO2 as a substrate, NbS2 sheets grow laterally lying on the graphene. The NbS2 sheets show the triangular and hexagonal shapes with a thickness of about 20-200 nm and several micrometres in the lateral dimension. Analyses based on X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy indicate that the NbS2 nanosheets are single crystalline 3R-type with a rhombohedral structure of R3m space group. Our findings on the formation of highly aligned NbS2 nanosheets on graphene give new insight into the formation mechanism of NbS2 and would contribute to the templated growth of various layered materials.

  18. Air pollution dry deposition: radioisotopes as particles and volatiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1981-01-01

    This study focuses on determining volcanic ash and ambient airborne solids concentrations at various sampling sites subsequent to the Mt. St. Helens' eruption in order to develop an experimental basis for models predicting removal of airborne particles and gases by dry deposition onto outdoor surfaces. In addition, deposition rates were determined using dual tracer techniques in the field and in a wind tunnel in the laboratory

  19. Relationships of solar radiation and vapour pressure deficit with photosynthesis and water relations in dry-land pigeon pea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subramanian, V.B.; Venkateswarlu, S.; Maheswari, M.; Sankar, G.R.M.

    1994-01-01

    A study was undertaken to compare the relationships of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) with carbon assimilation and water relations of dry-land pigeon pea at the vegetative and reproductive phases. Photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (T), leaf water potential (wL), and stomatal conductance (gs) were measured at 7- to 10-day intervals from 1 month after seedling until a fortnight before harvest during two seasons. Generally, Pn, T, and gs were higher and wL was lower during the reproductive than during the vegetative phase. At high PAR and VPD, Pn, T, wL, and gs decreased. The decrease in the T at high PAR was smaller during the reproductive phase. Growth of dry-land pigeon pea was affected not only during periods of water stress which was associated with high PAR and high VPD but also under conditions of favourable plant water status which were associated with less than optimal levels of PAR. It also showed transpiration efficiency (TE) was lower during the pod-filling than during the vegetative phase, when PAR was optimum

  20. Application of high pressure processing to reduce verotoxigenic E. coli in two types of dry-fermented sausage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omer, M K; Alvseike, O; Holck, A; Axelsson, L; Prieto, M; Skjerve, E; Heir, E

    2010-12-01

    The effect of high pressure processing (HPP) on the survival of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) in two types of Norwegian type dry-fermented sausages was studied. Two different types of recipes for each sausage type were produced. The sausage batter was inoculated with 6.8 log(10) CFU/g of VTEC O103:H25. After fermentation, drying and maturation, slices of finished sausages were vacuum packed and subjected to two treatment regimes of HPP. One group was treated at 600 MPa for 10 min and another at three cycles of 600 MPa for 200 s per cycle. A generalized linear model split by recipe type showed that these two HPP treatments on standard recipe sausages reduced E. coli by 2.9 log(10) CFU/g and 3.3 log(10) CFU/g, respectively. In the recipe with higher levels of dextrose, sodium chloride and sodium nitrite E. coli reduction was 2.7 log(10) CFU/g in both treatments. The data show that HPP has a potential to make the sausages safer and also that the effect depends somewhat on recipe. Copyright © 2010 The American Meat Science Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Efecto del secado en ambiente de servicio en la evolución de las propiedades mecánicas de hormigones livianos estructurales Effect of drying under service environment on the mechanical properties of structural lightweight concretes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Videla

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available En este trabajo se evalúa el efecto de la humedad relativa del ambiente de servicio en las resistencias a compresión y a tracción y en el módulo de elasticidad de hormigones livianos estructurales. Además se establecen relaciones que permiten estimar estas propiedades en función de la humedad relativa del ambiente y del tiempo de secado. Los hormigones se fabricaron con dos tipos de áridos gruesos livianos, piedra pómez y pellets de ceniza volante, y con un árido fino de densidad normal. Los hormigones se sometieron a dos condiciones ambientales de servicio: una a 90% de humedad relativa y otra a 90% de humedad relativa durante los 7 primeros días y luego a 50% de humedad relativa hasta la edad de ensayo. Los ensayos se efectuaron a 7, 28, 60 y 90 días de edad. Se observó un deterioro importante de las propiedades medidas por efecto de las condiciones de secado; a 83 días de secado, en promedio las pérdidas de resistencia a tracción y compresión fueron de 20% y 15%, respectivamente, y de módulo de elasticidad de 40% respecto a hormigones a 90% de humedad relativa. Se concluye que hay dos variables principales que regulan el efecto del secado en el hormigón liviano. La primera de éstas corresponde a razón agua-cemento y que define entre otras cosas la permeabilidad de la fase resistente. La otra variable corresponde al contenido relativo de árido liviano en la mezclaIn this paper the effect of the ambient relative humidity at service on the compressive and splitting strengths and in the modulus of elasticity of structural lightweight concretes is evaluated. Also, relationships are proposed allowing estimating these properties as a function of the ambient relative humidity and drying time. The concretes were made with two types of coarse lightweight aggregates, pumice and fly ash pellets, and with normal density fine aggregate. The concretes were subjected to two different environmental service conditions: 90% relative

  2. Dry cooling tower operating experience in the LOFT reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunter, J.A.

    1980-01-01

    A dry cooling tower has been uniquely utilized to dissipate heat generated in a small experimental pressurized water nuclear reactor. Operational experience revealed that dry cooling towers can be intermittently operated with minimal wind susceptibility and water hammer occurrences by cooling potential steam sources after a reactor scram, by isolating idle tubes from the external atmosphere, and by operating at relatively high pressures. Operating experience has also revealed that tube freezing can be minimized by incorporating the proper heating and heat loss prevention features

  3. Suitability of locally constructed solar dryers for vegetable drying

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seidu, J.M.; Tevor, W.J.; Kotei, R.; Mahama, A.A.; Amoah, R.S.

    2008-01-01

    Indigenous vegetables and spices are usually common and abundant during the rainy season but unfortunately, almost disappear during the dry season due to inadequate processing because of their high moisture content, poor storage and marketing facilities. A study was therefore conducted to find the possibilities of drying vegetables using locally constructed solar dryers at the Mechanisation section of the University of Education, Mampong Campus. The study was done during the months of March to September, 2004 and six designs of solar panels were used. The panels were constructed using hard wood, binding materials (nails), chicken mesh, nylon net, and black and white polythene sheets. Variations in panels resulted from the type of polythene sheet used (white, black or both), drying platform and shape of the roof. The panels with their interior lined with the black polythene sheet recorded higher temperatures than those with their bases covered with only the chicken mesh and nylon nettings. All the designs recorded higher temperatures than the ambient temperature. The drying of vegetables was observed to be faster in the panels with their drying platforms lined with the black polythene sheet than those with their bases covered with only the chicken mesh and nylon net. Appearance of the vegetables after drying in the solar panels was almost the same as before drying as compared to the open sun drying that got mouldy after drying. Those vegetables that were dried directly on the black polythene sheet however were slightly darker in colour. Solar drying with these locally constructed panels would be a better means of drying vegetables by rural folks. (au)

  4. Inhibitory effects of ambient levels of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation in growth of cv. New Red Fire lettuce

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krizek, D.T.; Britz, S.J.; Mirecki, R.M.

    1998-01-01

    The influence of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation at Beltsville, MD, USA, on growth of Lactuca sativa L. (cv. New Red Fire lettuce) was examined during early summer of 1996 and 1997. Plants were grown from seed in plastic window boxes covered with Llumar to exclude UV-A and UV-B, polyester to exclude UV-B, or tefzel (1996) or teflon (1997) to transmit UV-A and UV-B radiation. After 31-34 days, plants grown in the absence of solar UV-B radiation (polyester) had 63 and 57% greater fresh weight and dry weight of tops, respectively, and 57, 72 and 47% greater dry weight of leaves, stems and roots, respectively, as compared to those grown under ambient UV-B (tefzel or teflon). Plants protected from UV-A radiation as well (Llumar) showed an additional 43 and 35% increase, respectively, in fresh and dry weight of tops and a 33 and 33% increase, respectively, in dry weight of leaves and stems, but no difference in root biomass over those grown under polyester. Excluding ambient UV-B (polyester) significantly reduced the UV absorbance of leaf extracts at 270, 300 and 330 nm (presumptive flavonoids) and the concentration of anthocyantins at 550 nm as compared to those of leaf extract from plants grown under ambient UV-A and UV-B. Additional removal of ambient UV-A (Llumar) reduced the concentration of anthocyanins, but had no further effect on UV absorbance at 270, 300 or 330 nm. These findings provide evidence that UV-B radiation is more important than UV-A radiation for flavonoid induction in this red-pigmented lettuce cultivar. Although previous workers have obtained decreases in lettuce yield under enhanced UV-B, this is the first evidence for inhibitory effects of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation on lettuce growth. (au)

  5. Inhibitory effects of ambient levels of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation in growth of cv. New Red Fire lettuce

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krizek, D.T.; Britz, S.J.; Mirecki, R.M. [Climate Stress Laboratory, Beltsville, MD (United States)

    1998-05-01

    The influence of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation at Beltsville, MD, USA, on growth of Lactuca sativa L. (cv. New Red Fire lettuce) was examined during early summer of 1996 and 1997. Plants were grown from seed in plastic window boxes covered with Llumar to exclude UV-A and UV-B, polyester to exclude UV-B, or tefzel (1996) or teflon (1997) to transmit UV-A and UV-B radiation. After 31-34 days, plants grown in the absence of solar UV-B radiation (polyester) had 63 and 57% greater fresh weight and dry weight of tops, respectively, and 57, 72 and 47% greater dry weight of leaves, stems and roots, respectively, as compared to those grown under ambient UV-B (tefzel or teflon). Plants protected from UV-A radiation as well (Llumar) showed an additional 43 and 35% increase, respectively, in fresh and dry weight of tops and a 33 and 33% increase, respectively, in dry weight of leaves and stems, but no difference in root biomass over those grown under polyester. Excluding ambient UV-B (polyester) significantly reduced the UV absorbance of leaf extracts at 270, 300 and 330 nm (presumptive flavonoids) and the concentration of anthocyantins at 550 nm as compared to those of leaf extract from plants grown under ambient UV-A and UV-B. Additional removal of ambient UV-A (Llumar) reduced the concentration of anthocyanins, but had no further effect on UV absorbance at 270, 300 or 330 nm. These findings provide evidence that UV-B radiation is more important than UV-A radiation for flavonoid induction in this red-pigmented lettuce cultivar. Although previous workers have obtained decreases in lettuce yield under enhanced UV-B, this is the first evidence for inhibitory effects of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation on lettuce growth. (au) 34 refs.

  6. Blow-out of nonpremixed turbulent jet flames at sub-atmospheric pressures

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Qiang; Hu, Longhua; Chung, Suk-Ho

    2016-01-01

    Blow-out limits of nonpremixed turbulent jet flames in quiescent air at sub-atmospheric pressures (50–100 kPa) were studied experimentally using propane fuel with nozzle diameters ranging 0.8–4 mm. Results showed that the fuel jet velocity at blow-out limit increased with increasing ambient pressure and nozzle diameter. A Damköhler (Da) number based model was adopted, defined as the ratio of characteristic mixing time and characteristic reaction time, to include the effect of pressure considering the variations in laminar burning velocity and thermal diffusivity with pressure. The critical lift-off height at blow-out, representing a characteristic length scale for mixing, had a linear relationship with the theoretically predicted stoichiometric location along the jet axis, which had a weak dependence on ambient pressure. The characteristic mixing time (critical lift-off height divided by jet velocity) adjusted to the characteristic reaction time such that the critical Damköhler at blow-out conditions maintained a constant value when varying the ambient pressure.

  7. Blow-out of nonpremixed turbulent jet flames at sub-atmospheric pressures

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Qiang

    2016-12-09

    Blow-out limits of nonpremixed turbulent jet flames in quiescent air at sub-atmospheric pressures (50–100 kPa) were studied experimentally using propane fuel with nozzle diameters ranging 0.8–4 mm. Results showed that the fuel jet velocity at blow-out limit increased with increasing ambient pressure and nozzle diameter. A Damköhler (Da) number based model was adopted, defined as the ratio of characteristic mixing time and characteristic reaction time, to include the effect of pressure considering the variations in laminar burning velocity and thermal diffusivity with pressure. The critical lift-off height at blow-out, representing a characteristic length scale for mixing, had a linear relationship with the theoretically predicted stoichiometric location along the jet axis, which had a weak dependence on ambient pressure. The characteristic mixing time (critical lift-off height divided by jet velocity) adjusted to the characteristic reaction time such that the critical Damköhler at blow-out conditions maintained a constant value when varying the ambient pressure.

  8. Variations in dark respiration and mitochondrial numbers within needles of Pinus radiata grown in ambient or elevated CO2 partial pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffin, K. L.; Anderson, O. R.; Tissue, D. T.; Turnbull, M. H.; Whitehead, D.

    2004-01-01

    An experiment involving comparison of within-leaf variations in cell size, mitochondrial numbers and dark respiration in the most recently expanded tip, the mid-section and the base of needles of Pinus radiata grown for four years at ambient and elevated carbon dioxide partial pressure, is described. Results showed variation in mitochondrial numbers and respiration along the length of the needle, with the highest number of mitochondria per unit cytoplasm and the highest rate of respiration per unit leaf area at the base of the needle. Elevated carbon dioxide pressure caused the number of mitochondria per unit cytoplasm to double regardless of location (tip, basal or mid sections). Under these conditions, greatest mitochondrial density was observed at the tip. The mean size of mitochondria was not affected by either growth at elevated carbon dioxide pressure or by position on the needle. Respiration per unit leaf area at elevated carbon dioxide pressure was highest at the tip of needles, decreasing towards the middle and basal sections. The observed data supports the hypothesis that the highest number of mitochondria per unit area of cytoplasm occurs at the base of the needle, but does not support the hypothesis that the lowest rate of respiration also occurs at the base. It is suggested that the relationship that determines the association between structure and function in these needles is more complex than previously thought. 33 refs., 4 tabs., 1 fig

  9. Effect of storage conditions on the weight and appearance of dried blood spot samples on various cellulose-based substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denniff, Philip; Spooner, Neil

    2010-11-01

    Before shipping and storage, dried blood spot (DBS) samples must be dried in order to protect the integrity of the spots. In this article, we examine the time required to dry blood spot samples and the effects of different environmental conditions on their integrity. Under ambient laboratory conditions, DBS samples on Whatman 903(®), FTA(®) and FTA(®) Elute substrates are dry within 90 min of spotting. An additional 5% of moisture is lost during subsequent storage with desiccant. When exposed to elevated conditions of temperature and relative humidity, the DBS samples absorb moisture. DBS samples on FTA lose this moisture on being returned to ambient conditions. DBS samples on 903 show no visible signs of deterioration when stored at elevated conditions. However, these conditions cause the DBS to diffuse through the FTA Elute substrate. Blood spots are dry within 90 min of spotting. However, the substrates examined behave differently when exposed to conditions of high relative humidity and temperature, in some cases resulting in the integrity of the substrate and DBS sample being compromised. It is recommended that these factors be investigated as part of method development and validation.

  10. Semi-pilot study on the effect of radurization of dried mackerel (Pneunoatophorous japonicus) for extension of shelf life

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guevara, G.; Pena, P. de la; Dionido, F.T.

    1989-01-01

    Dried mackerel packed in polyethylene bags as either retail units (250 g) or bulk units (500 kg) were irradiated with 0 or 3.25 kGy and stored. At ambient temperatures, the 0 kGy retail units were spoiled by the 5th week and the 3.25 kGy retail units by the 9th week. At ambient temperatures, the 0 kGy bulk units were spoiled by the 4th week and the 3.25 kGy units by the 5th week. It was concluded that irradiation of retail units but not of bulk units of dried fish may replace cold storage. (author). 4 refs, 1 fig., 7 tabs

  11. Comparison of Different Drying Methods for Recovery of Mushroom DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shouxian; Liu, Yu; Xu, Jianping

    2017-06-07

    Several methods have been reported for drying mushroom specimens for population genetic, taxonomic, and phylogenetic studies. However, most methods have not been directly compared for their effectiveness in preserving mushroom DNA. In this study, we compared silica gel drying at ambient temperature and oven drying at seven different temperatures. Two mushroom species representing two types of fruiting bodies were examined: the fleshy button mushroom Agaricus bisporus and the leathery shelf fungus Trametes versicolor. For each species dried with the eight methods, we assessed the mushroom water loss rate, the quality and quantity of extracted DNA, and the effectiveness of using the extracted DNA as a template for PCR amplification of two DNA fragments (ITS and a single copy gene). Dried specimens from all tested methods yielded sufficient DNA for PCR amplification of the two genes in both species. However, differences among the methods for the two species were found in: (i) the time required by different drying methods for the fresh mushroom tissue to reach a stable weight; and (ii) the relative quality and quantity of the extracted genomic DNA. Among these methods, oven drying at 70 °C for 3-4 h seemed the most efficient for preserving field mushroom samples for subsequent molecular work.

  12. Key composition optimization of meat processed protein source by vacuum freeze-drying technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yan; Wu, Xingzhuang; Zhang, Qi; Giovanni, Vigna; Meng, Xianjun

    2018-05-01

    Vacuum freeze-drying technology is a high technology content, a wide range of knowledge of technology in the field of drying technology is involved, it is also a method of the most complex drying equipment, the largest energy consumption, the highest cost of drying method, but due to the particularity of its dry goods: the freeze-drying food has the advantages of complex water performance is good, cooler and luster of freezing and drying food to maintain good products, less nutrient loss, light weight, easy to carry transportation, easy to long-term preservation, and on the quality is far superior to the obvious advantages of other dried food, making it become the forefront of drying technology research and development. The freeze-drying process of Chinese style ham and western Germany fruit tree tenderloin is studied in this paper, their eutectic point, melting point and collapse temperature, freeze-drying curve and its heat and mass transfer characteristics are got, then the precool temperature and the highest limiting temperature of sublimation interface are determined. The effect of system pressure on freeze-dried rate in freeze-drying process is discussed, and the method of regulating pressure circularly is determined.

  13. Self-trapped excitons in LH2 bacteriochlorophyll-protein complexes under high pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Timpmann, K.; Ellervee, Aleksandr; Kuznetsov, Anatoli; Laisaar, Arlentin; Trinkunas, Gediminas; Freiberg, Arvi

    2003-01-01

    The absorption and emission spectra of excitons in LH2 antenna complexes from the photosynthetic purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides have been studied under hydrostatic pressure. The measurements made between ambient pressure and 6 kbar over a broad temperature range reveal largely different rates of the pressure-induced shifts for the absorption and emission bands. Numerical calculations based on exciton polaron model provide evidence for the exciton self-trapping at ambient pressure as well as for the pressure stabilization of the self-trapped exciton states responsible for the emission, whereas the light absorbing states belong to nearly free excitons over the whole pressure and temperature ranges studied

  14. Effects of ambient temperature on sleep and cardiovascular regulation in mice: the role of hypocretin/orexin neurons.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viviana Lo Martire

    Full Text Available The central neural pathways underlying the physiological coordination between thermoregulation and the controls of the wake-sleep behavior and cardiovascular function remain insufficiently understood. Growing evidence supports the involvement of hypocretin (orexin peptides in behavioral, cardiovascular, and thermoregulatory functions. We investigated whether the effects of ambient temperature on wake-sleep behavior and cardiovascular control depend on the hypothalamic neurons that release hypocretin peptides. Orexin-ataxin3 transgenic mice with genetic ablation of hypocretin neurons (n = 11 and wild-type controls (n = 12 were instrumented with electrodes for sleep scoring and a telemetric blood pressure transducer. Simultaneous sleep and blood pressure recordings were performed on freely-behaving mice at ambient temperatures ranging between mild cold (20°C and the thermoneutral zone (30°C. In both mouse groups, the time spent awake and blood pressure were higher at 20°C than at 30°C. The cold-related increase in blood pressure was significantly smaller in rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS than either in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREMS or wakefulness. Blood pressure was higher in wakefulness than either in NREMS or REMS at both ambient temperatures. This effect was significantly blunted in orexin-ataxin3 mice irrespective of ambient temperature and particularly during REMS. These data demonstrate that hypocretin neurons are not a necessary part of the central pathways that coordinate thermoregulation with wake-sleep behavior and cardiovascular control. Data also support the hypothesis that hypocretin neurons modulate changes in blood pressure between wakefulness and the sleep states. These concepts may have clinical implications in patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy, who lack hypocretin neurons.

  15. Effects of ambient temperature on sleep and cardiovascular regulation in mice: the role of hypocretin/orexin neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo Martire, Viviana; Silvani, Alessandro; Bastianini, Stefano; Berteotti, Chiara; Zoccoli, Giovanna

    2012-01-01

    The central neural pathways underlying the physiological coordination between thermoregulation and the controls of the wake-sleep behavior and cardiovascular function remain insufficiently understood. Growing evidence supports the involvement of hypocretin (orexin) peptides in behavioral, cardiovascular, and thermoregulatory functions. We investigated whether the effects of ambient temperature on wake-sleep behavior and cardiovascular control depend on the hypothalamic neurons that release hypocretin peptides. Orexin-ataxin3 transgenic mice with genetic ablation of hypocretin neurons (n = 11) and wild-type controls (n = 12) were instrumented with electrodes for sleep scoring and a telemetric blood pressure transducer. Simultaneous sleep and blood pressure recordings were performed on freely-behaving mice at ambient temperatures ranging between mild cold (20°C) and the thermoneutral zone (30°C). In both mouse groups, the time spent awake and blood pressure were higher at 20°C than at 30°C. The cold-related increase in blood pressure was significantly smaller in rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS) than either in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREMS) or wakefulness. Blood pressure was higher in wakefulness than either in NREMS or REMS at both ambient temperatures. This effect was significantly blunted in orexin-ataxin3 mice irrespective of ambient temperature and particularly during REMS. These data demonstrate that hypocretin neurons are not a necessary part of the central pathways that coordinate thermoregulation with wake-sleep behavior and cardiovascular control. Data also support the hypothesis that hypocretin neurons modulate changes in blood pressure between wakefulness and the sleep states. These concepts may have clinical implications in patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy, who lack hypocretin neurons.

  16. Directly observing catalytic intermediates of methane dry reforming (MDR) on model Ni(111) catalyst via in operando surface techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Kaidi

    In this work, near ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to trace the in operando catalytic intermediates of methane dry reforming on model Ni(111) catalyst. The following reactive carbon intermediates have been characterized from dissociation of CH4: *CH, *C1 (Ni3C), *Cn (n≥2) and clock-reconstructed Ni2C. They can develop into inert graphene, and the conditions for this transition have been explored. One the other hand, the oxygen intermediates from CO2 dissociation were also studied, which play an important role on restraining graphene growth. Their dynamic coverage decreases with increasing temperature, which is suggested the fundamental mechanism of regional carbon overspill and causes irreversible graphene formation. Therefore, solutions based on Ni-O stabilization were proposed in developing coking resisting catalysts.

  17. Sol–gel synthesis of highly TiO2 aerogel photocatalyst via high temperature supercritical drying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebah Moussaoui

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Nanocrystalline powders of TiO2 xerogel and aerogel were prepared by using acid-modified sol–gel approach. For TiO2 aerogel material (TA, the solvent was high temperature supercritically extracted at 300 °C and 100 bars. However, the TiO2 xerogel material (TX was dried at 200 °C and ambient pressure. The effects of the drying processes on the crystalline structure, phase transformation and grain growth were determined by Raman spectroscopy, SAED and X-ray diffraction (XRD analyses using Rietveld refinement method. The TiO2 aerogel was composed of anatase crystalline structure. The TiO2 xerogel material was composed of anatase, brookite and small amount of amorphous phase with anatase as dominant phase. The TX sample still contains a relatively high concentration of carbon than that of TA, indicating the amorphous character of TiO2 xerogel. These materials were applied as catalyst for the degradation of indigo carmine in aqueous medium. Photo-degradation ability of TA and TX was compared to the TiO2 commercial Degussa P25. The photo-catalytic results showed that the degradation efficiency was in the order TA > P25 > TX. The photo-degradation of indigo carmine followed pseudo first order reaction kinetics.

  18. Fat Reduction and Replacement in Dry-Cured Fermented Sausage by Using High Pressure Processing Meat as Fat Replacer and Olive Oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bolumar Tomas

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The present paper describes the modification of the lipid fraction of dry-cured fermented sausage through fat reduction (35% and fat replacement of animal fat with olive oil (up to 10%. High pressure processing (HPP treated meat was employed as a novel fat replacer to reduce the fat content and as a new strategy to enable a stable incorporation of olive oil in dry-cured fermented sausages. Chemical (proximate composition and fatty acid profile, physical (water retention, structure formation and colour and sensorial (appearance, texture and flavour properties were evaluated. It is concluded that 35% of fat reduction is possible without reduction of consumer acceptability. Moreover, the addition of HPP-treated meat as a fat replacer resulted in good mimic of the fat particles together with good physical and sensory properties. Therefore, it resulted in an effective and clean alternative (no added-additives for fat reduction. However, the incorporation of olive oil either by direct addition (4.3% oil or within a HPP-created protein network (10% oil resulted in unacceptable products since the oil was not properly retained inside the sausage matrix. Further studies are needed to find processing strategies that permit a stable incorporation of liquid plant oils to dry-cured fermented sausage for the development of healthier and more sustainable dry-cured fermented meat products.

  19. MODELLING OF THIN LAYER SOLAR DRYING KINETICS AND EFFECTIVE DIFFUSIVITY OF Urtica dioica LEAVES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. LAMHARRAR

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Urtica dioica is an endemic plant of Morocco used for its virtues in traditional medicine. The drying kinetics of Urtica dioica leaves in a convective solar dryer was studied. The kinetics of drying is studied for three temperatures (40, 50 and 60 °C, ambient air temperature ranged from 30 to 35 °C. The experimental results are used to determine the characteristic drying curve. Nine mathematical models have been used for the description of the drying curve. The Midilli-Kuck model was found to be the most suitable for describing the drying curves of Urtica dioica leaves. The drying parameters in this model were quantified as a function of the drying air temperature. Moisture transfer from Urtica dioica leaves was described by applying the Fick’s diffusion model. Effective moisture diffusivity of the product was in the range of 9.38 – 72.92×10-11 m2/s. A value of 88,49 kJ/mol was determined as activation energy.

  20. PBMR spent fuel bulk dry storage heat removal - HTR2008-58170

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Wet, G. J.; Dent, C.

    2008-01-01

    A low decay heat (implying Spent Fuel (SF) pebbles older than 8-9 years) bulk dry storage section is proposed to supplement a 12-tank wet storage section. Decay heat removal by passive means must be guaranteed, taking into account the fact that dry storage vessels are under ground and inside the building footprint. Cooling takes place when ambient air (drawn downwards from ground level) passes on the outside of the 6 tanks' vessel containment (and gamma shielding), which is in a separate room inside the building, but outside PBMR building confinement and open to atmosphere. Access for loading/unloading of SF pebbles is only from the top of a tank, which is inside PBMR building confinement. No radioactive substances can therefore leak into atmosphere, as vessel design will take into account corrosion allowance. In this paper, it is shown (using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) modelling and analytical analyses) that natural convection and draught induced flow combine to remove decay heat in a self-sustaining process. Decay heat is the energy source, which powers the draught inducing capability of the dry storage modular cell system: the more decay heat, the bigger the drive to expel heated air through a higher outlet and entrain cool ambient air from ground level to the bottom of the modular cell. (authors)

  1. Effect of ambient pressure on the crystalline phase of nano TiO2 particles synthesized by a dc thermal plasma reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banerjee, I.; Karmakar, Soumen; Kulkarni, Naveen V.; Nawale, Ashok B.; Mathe, V. L.; Das, A. K.; Bhoraskar, S. V.

    2010-01-01

    The synthesis of nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) with varying percentages of anatase and rutile phases is reported. This was achieved by controlling the operating pressure in a transferred-arc, direct current thermal plasma reactor in which titanium vapors are evaporated, and then exposed to ambient oxygen. The average particle size remained around 15 nm in each case. The crystalline structure of the as-synthesized nanoparticles of TiO 2 was studied with X-ray diffraction analysis; whereas the particle morphology was investigated with the help of transmission electron microscopy. The precursor species responsible for the growth of these nanoparticles was studied with the help of optical emission spectroscopy. As inferred from the X-ray diffraction analysis, the relative abundance of anatase TiO 2 was found to be dominant when synthesized at 760 Torr, and the same showed a decreasing trend with decreasing chamber pressure. The study also reveals that anatase TiO 2 is a more effective photocatalytic agent in degrading methylene blue by comparison to its rutile phase.

  2. Det Ambiente

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Ulrik

    Det ambiente er iscenesættelsen af en karakteristisk sanseoplevelse, der er kendetegnet ved fornemmelsen af at være omgivet. I dag bliver begrebet om det ambiente mest anvendt i forbindelse med musikgenren ’ambient musik’. Det ambiente er dog ikke essentielt knyttet til det musikalske, men må...... forstås som et betydeligt bredere fænomen i den moderne æstetiske kultur, der spiller en væsentlig rolle i oplevelsen af moderne transportformer, arkitektur, film, lydkunst, installationskunst og digitale multimedieiscenesættelser. En forståelse af det ambiente er derfor centralt for forståelsen af en...... moderne æstetiseret oplevelseskultur i almindelighed. Da det ambiente ikke hidtil har været gjort til genstand for en mere indgående teoretisk behandling, er der dog stor usikkerhed omkring, hvad fænomenet overhovedet indebærer. Hovedformålet med Det ambiente – Sansning, medialisering, omgivelse er derfor...

  3. Thin layer convective solar drying and mathematical modeling of prickly pear peel (Opuntia ficus indica)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lahsasni, Siham; Kouhila, Mohammed; Mahrouz, Mostafa; Idlimam, Ali; Jamali, Abdelkrim

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents the thin layer convective solar drying and mathematical modeling of prickly pear peel. For these purposes, an indirect forced convection solar dryer consisting of a solar air collector, an auxiliary heater, a circulation fan and a drying cabinet is used for drying experiments. Moreover, the prickly pear peel is sufficiently dried in the ranges of 32 to 36 deg. C of ambient air temperature, 50 to 60 deg. C of drying air temperature, 23 to 34% of relative humidity, 0.0277 to 0.0833 m 3 /s of drying air flow rate and 200 to 950 W/m 2 of daily solar radiation. The experimental drying curves show only a falling drying rate period. The main factor in controlling the drying rate was found to be the drying air temperature. The drying rate equation is determined empirically from the characteristic drying curve. Also, the experimental drying curves obtained were fitted to a number of mathematical models. The Midilli-Kucuk drying model was found to satisfactorily describe the solar drying curves of prickly pear peel with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9998 and chi-square (χ 2 ) of 4.6572 10 -5

  4. Comparison of ambient aerosol extinction coefficients obtained from in-situ, MAX-DOAS and LIDAR measurements at Cabauw

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zieger, P.; Weingartner, E.; Henzing, J.; Moerman, M.; Leeuw, G. de; Mikkilä, J.; Ehn, M.; Petäjä, T.; Clémer, K.; Roozendael, M. van; Yilmaz, S.; Frieß, U.; Irie, H.; Wagner, T.; Shaiganfar, R.; Beirle, S.; Apituley, A.; Wilson, K.; Baltensperger, U.

    2011-01-01

    In the field, aerosol in-situ measurements are often performed under dry conditions (relative humidity RH<30-40%). Since ambient aerosol particles experience hygroscopic growth at enhanced RH, their microphysical and optical properties especially the aerosol light scattering are also strongly

  5. Effects of silk fibroin in murine dry eye

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Chae Eun; Lee, Ji Hyun; Yeon, Yeung Kyu; Park, Chan Hum; Yang, Jaewook

    2017-03-01

    The study aimed to investigate the effects of silk fibroin in a mouse model of dry eye. The experimental dry eye mouse model was developed using more than twelve-weeks-old NOD.B10.H2b mice exposing them to 30-40% ambient humidity and injecting them with scopolamine hydrobromide for 10 days. Tear production and corneal irregularity score were measured by the instillation of phosphate buffered saline or silk fibroin. Corneal detachment and conjunctival goblet cell density were observed by hematoxylin and eosin or periodic acid Schiff staining in the cornea or conjunctiva. The expression of inflammatory markers was detected by immunohistochemistry in the lacrimal gland. The silk group tear production was increased, and corneal smoothness was improved. The corneal epithelial cells and conjunctival goblet cells were recovered in the silk groups. The expression of inflammatory factors was inhibited in the lacrimal gland of the silk group. These results show that silk fibroin improved the cornea, conjunctiva, and lacrimal gland in the mouse model of dry eye. These findings suggest that silk fibroin has anti-inflammatory effects in the experimental models of dry eye.

  6. Solubility of perfumery and fragrance raw materials based on cyclohexane in 1-octanol under ambient and high pressures up to 900 MPa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Domanska, Urszula [Physical Chemistry Division, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw (Poland)], E-mail: ula@ch.pw.edu.pl; Morawski, Piotr; Piekarska, Maria [Physical Chemistry Division, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw (Poland)

    2008-04-15

    The (solid + liquid) phase equilibria (SLE) of binary mixtures containing 1-octanol and fragrance raw materials based on cyclohexane were investigated. The systems {l_brace}1-octanol (1) + cyclohexyl carboxylic acid (CCA), or cyclohexyl acetic acid (CAA), or cyclohexyl acetate (CA), or 2-cyclohexyl ethyl acetate (2CEA), or 2-cyclohexyl ethanol (2CE)(2){r_brace} have been measured by a dynamic method in wide range of temperatures from (220 to 320) K and ambient pressure. For all systems SLE diagrams were detected as eutectic mixtures with complete miscibility in the liquid phase. The experimental data were correlated by means of the Wilson and NRTL equations, utilizing parameters derived from the (solid + liquid) equilibrium. The root-mean-square deviations of the solubility temperatures for all calculated data are dependent upon the particular system and the particular equation used. Additionally, the SLE in binary mixture that contain {l_brace}1-octanol (1) + CCA (2){r_brace} has been measured under very high pressures up to about 900 MPa at the temperature range from T = (303.15 to 353.15) K. The thermostatted apparatus for the measurements of transition pressures from the (liquid + solid) state was used. The freezing and melting temperatures at a constant composition increase monotonously with pressure. The high pressure experimental results obtained at isothermal conditions (p-x) were interpolated to more convenient T-x diagram. Data of the (pressure + temperature) composition relation at the high pressure (solid + liquid) phase equilibria was correlated by the polynomial based on the Yang model. The basic thermodynamic properties of pure substances viz. the melting point, enthalpy of fusion, enthalpy of solid-solid phase transition, and glass transition, have been determined by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

  7. Development and Evaluation of Solar Tunnel Dryer for Commercial Fish Drying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohod, A. G.; Khandetod, Y. P.; Shrirame, H. Y.

    2014-01-01

    The local practice of drying fish in open sun drying poses problems such as high moisture content, uncontrolled drying and contamination. These problems can be avoided by proper use of improved methods such as the solar tunnel dryer, which results in faster drying of fish. The semi cylindrical walk-in type natural convection solar tunnel dryer, having drying area of 37.5 m2 was developed and evaluated for the drying of fish products in comparison with the conventional method of open sun drying. The experiments were conducted without fish and with fish to evaluate the performance of solar tunnel dryer. The average rise in temperature inside the solar tunnel dryer was found to be 11.24 °C and 18.29 °C over the ambient temperature during no load test in winter and summer respectively. The average 28 % saving in time was observed for selected fish drying using solar tunnel dryer over open sun drying method with average drying efficiency of 19 %. The economics was calculated for drying of prawns ( Parapaeneopsis stylifera) by solar tunnel dryer and open sun drying system on the basis of business as a whole. The economics of the solar tunnel dryer is presented in term of Net present worth, Benefit-Cost Ratio, Payback period, Profitability index and Internal rate of return. The pay back period for solar tunnel dryer was found to be 2.84 years.

  8. A Comparison of Effects of Ambient Pressure on the Atomization Performance of Soybean Oil Methyl Ester and Dimethyl Ether Sprays Comparaison des effets de la pression ambiante sur l’atomisation en “spray” de methylester d’huile de soja et de dimethyléther

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim H.J.

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is the experimental investigation of Soybean oil Methyl Ester (SME and DiMethyl Ether (DME spray characteristics injected through the common-rail injection system under various ambient pressures. A high pressure chamber that can be pressurized up to 4 MPa was utilized for a change of ambient pressure. In order to compare the spray development and atomization characteristics, the images of SME and DME were obtained by using a high speed camera with two metal halide lamps under various ambient pressures in the spray chamber. From these spray images, the spray characteristics such as the spray penetration from the nozzle tip, maximum radial distance, and spray diameter were measured and analyzed. In addition, the Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD of two fuels under ambient pressure was analyzed using the droplet measuring system. It was revealed that the axial distance of spray from the nozzle tip of the SME spray is longer than that of DME spray under same injection condition. The axial penetration, maximum radial distance, and spray diameter decreased when the ambient pressure in the chamber increased. As the ambient pressure increased, the SMD decreased and the DME spray showed a superior atomization performance compared to the SME spray. Le but de cette étude est l’investigation expérimentale de l’effet de diverses pressions ambiantes sur les caractéristiques des sprays (issus d’un système "common rail" de methylester d’huile de soja (SME et de dimethyléther (DME. La pression ambiante dépend de la chambre et sa valeur la plus haute peut monter jusqu’à 4 MPa. Pour comparer le développement de spray et la caractéristique d’atomisation, des images de spray de SME et DME à différentes pression ambiantes sont obtenues avec une caméra à haute vitesse à deux lampes de métal halide. Les caractéristiques du spray, comme la pénétration, la distance radiale maximale et le diamètre de spray, sont mesur

  9. Effects of high ambient temperature on urea-nitrogen recycling in lactating dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obitsu, Taketo; Kamiya, Mitsuru; Kamiya, Yuko; Tanaka, Masahito; Sugino, Toshihisa; Taniguchi, Kohzo

    2011-08-01

    Effects of exposure to hot environment on urea metabolism were studied in lactating Holstein cows. Four cows were fed ad libitum a total mixed ration and housed in a temperature-controlled chamber at constant moderate (18°C) or high (28°C) ambient temperatures in a cross-over design. Urea nitrogen (N) kinetics was measured by determining urea isotopomer in urine after single injection of [(15) N(2) ]urea into the jugular vein. Both dry matter intake and milk yield were decreased under high ambient temperature. Intakes of total N and digestible N were decreased under high ambient temperature but urinary urea-N excretion was increased. The ratio of urea-N production to digestible N was increased, whereas the proportion of gut urea-N entry to urea-N production tended to be decreased under high ambient temperature. Neither return to the ornithine cycle, anabolic use nor fecal excretion of urea-N recycled to the gut was affected by ambient temperature. Under high ambient temperature, renal clearance of plasma urea was not affected but the gut clearance was decreased. Increase of urea-N production and reduction of gut urea-N entry, in relative terms, were associated with increased urinary urea-N excretion of lactating dairy cows in higher thermal environments. 2011 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2011 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  10. Low pressure cooling seal system for a gas turbine engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marra, John J

    2014-04-01

    A low pressure cooling system for a turbine engine for directing cooling fluids at low pressure, such as at ambient pressure, through at least one cooling fluid supply channel and into a cooling fluid mixing chamber positioned immediately downstream from a row of turbine blades extending radially outward from a rotor assembly to prevent ingestion of hot gases into internal aspects of the rotor assembly. The low pressure cooling system may also include at least one bleed channel that may extend through the rotor assembly and exhaust cooling fluids into the cooling fluid mixing chamber to seal a gap between rotational turbine blades and a downstream, stationary turbine component. Use of ambient pressure cooling fluids by the low pressure cooling system results in tremendous efficiencies by eliminating the need for pressurized cooling fluids for sealing this gap.

  11. An empirical model to predict infield thin layer drying rate of cut switchgrass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khanchi, A.; Jones, C.L.; Sharma, B.; Huhnke, R.L.; Weckler, P.; Maness, N.O.

    2013-01-01

    A series of 62 thin layer drying experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of solar radiation, vapor pressure deficit and wind speed on drying rate of switchgrass. An environmental chamber was fabricated that can simulate field drying conditions. An empirical drying model based on maturity stage of switchgrass was also developed during the study. It was observed that solar radiation was the most significant factor in improving the drying rate of switchgrass at seed shattering and seed shattered maturity stage. Therefore, drying switchgrass in wide swath to intercept the maximum amount of radiation at these stages of maturity is recommended. Moreover, it was observed that under low radiation intensity conditions, wind speed helps to improve the drying rate of switchgrass. Field operations such as raking or turning of the windrows are recommended to improve air circulation within a swath on cloudy days. Additionally, it was found that the effect of individual weather parameters on the drying rate of switchgrass was dependent on maturity stage. Vapor pressure deficit was strongly correlated with the drying rate during seed development stage whereas, vapor pressure deficit was weakly correlated during seed shattering and seed shattered stage. These findings suggest the importance of using separate drying rate models for each maturity stage of switchgrass. The empirical models developed in this study can predict the drying time of switchgrass based on the forecasted weather conditions so that the appropriate decisions can be made. -- Highlights: • An environmental chamber was developed in the present study to simulate field drying conditions. • An empirical model was developed that can estimate drying rate of switchgrass based on forecasted weather conditions. • Separate equations were developed based on maturity stage of switchgrass. • Designed environmental chamber can be used to evaluate the effect of other parameters that affect drying of crops

  12. 40 CFR 796.1950 - Vapor pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL FATE TESTING GUIDELINES Physical and Chemical Properties § 796.1950 Vapor pressure. (a.... In addition, chemicals that are likely to be gases at ambient temperatures and which have low water... gases until the measured vapor pressure is constant, a process called “degassing.” Impurities more...

  13. Mask humidity during CPAP: influence of ambient temperature, heated humidification and heated tubing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilius G

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Georg Nilius,1,2 Ulrike Domanski,1 Maik Schroeder,1 Holger Woehrle,3,4 Andrea Graml,4 Karl-Josef Franke,1,2 1Helios Klinik Hagen-Ambrock, Department of Pneumology, Hagen, Germany; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Witten-Herdecke University, Witten, Germany; 3Sleep and Ventilation Center Blaubeuren, Respiratory Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany; 4ResMed Science Center, ResMed Germany, Martinsried, Germany Purpose: Mucosal drying during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP therapy is problematic for many patients. This study assessed the influence of ambient relative humidity (rH and air temperature (T in winter and summer on mask humidity during CPAP, with and without mask leak, and with or without heated humidification ± heated tubing. Methods: CPAP (8 and 12 cmH2O without humidification (no humidity [nH], with heated humidification controlled by ambient temperature and humidity (heated humidity [HH] and HH plus heated tubing climate line (CL, with and without leakage, were compared in 18 subjects with OSA during summer and winter. Results: The absolute humidity (aH and the T inside the mask during CPAP were significantly lower in winter versus summer under all applied conditions. Overall, absolute humidity differences between summer and winter were statistically significant in both HH and CL vs. nH (p < 0.05 in the presence and absence of mouth leak. There were no significant differences in aH between HH and CL. However, in-mask temperature during CL was higher (p < 0.05 and rH lower than during HH. In winter, CPAP with CL was more likely to keep rH constant at 80% than CPAP without humidification or with standard HH. Conclusion: Clinically-relevant reductions in aH were documented during CPAP given under winter conditions. The addition of heated humidification, using a heated tube to avoid condensation is recommended to increase aH, which could be useful in CPAP users complaining of nose and throat symptoms. Keywords: continuous positive

  14. Key composition optimization of meat processed protein source by vacuum freeze-drying technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Ma

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Vacuum freeze-drying technology is a high technology content, a wide range of knowledge of technology in the field of drying technology is involved, it is also a method of the most complex drying equipment, the largest energy consumption, the highest cost of drying method, but due to the particularity of its dry goods: the freeze-drying food has the advantages of complex water performance is good, cooler and luster of freezing and drying food to maintain good products, less nutrient loss, light weight, easy to carry transportation, easy to long-term preservation, and on the quality is far superior to the obvious advantages of other dried food, making it become the forefront of drying technology research and development. The freeze-drying process of Chinese style ham and western Germany fruit tree tenderloin is studied in this paper, their eutectic point, melting point and collapse temperature, freeze-drying curve and its heat and mass transfer characteristics are got, then the precool temperature and the highest limiting temperature of sublimation interface are determined. The effect of system pressure on freeze-dried rate in freeze-drying process is discussed, and the method of regulating pressure circularly is determined. Keywords: Ham, Tenderloin, Vacuum freeze-dry, Processing, Optimization

  15. Ambient Pressure Laser Desorption—Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Fast and Reliable Detection of Explosives, Drugs, and Their Precursors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    René Reiss

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Fast and reliable information is crucial for first responders to draw correct conclusions at crime scenes. An ambient pressure laser desorption (APLD mass spectrometer is introduced for this scenario, which enables detecting substances on surfaces without sample pretreatment. It is especially useful for substances with low vapor pressure and thermolabile ones. The APLD allows for the separation of desorption and ionization into two steps and, therefore, both can be optimized separately. Within this work, an improved version of the developed system is shown that achieves limits of detection (LOD down to 500 pg while remaining fast and flexible. Furthermore, realistic scenarios are applied to prove the usability of this system in real-world issues. For this purpose, post-blast residues of a bomb from the Second World War were analyzed, and the presence of PETN was proven without sample pretreatment. In addition, the analyzable substance range could be expanded by various drugs and drug precursors. Thus, the presented instrumentation can be utilized for an increased number of forensically important compound classes without changing the setup. Drug precursors revealed a LOD ranging from 6 to 100 ng. Drugs such as cocaine hydrochloride, heroin, (3,4-methylendioxy-methamphetamine hydrochloride (MDMA hydrochloride, and others exhibit a LOD between 10 to 200 ng.

  16. Dry piston coal feeder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hathaway, Thomas J.; Bell, Jr., Harold S.

    1979-01-01

    This invention provides a solids feeder for feeding dry coal to a pressurized gasifier at elevated temperatures substantially without losing gas from the gasifier by providing a lock having a double-acting piston that feeds the coals into the gasifier, traps the gas from escaping, and expels the trapped gas back into the gasifier.

  17. Calculation Of Pneumatic Attenuation In Pressure Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitmore, Stephen A.

    1991-01-01

    Errors caused by attenuation of air-pressure waves in narrow tubes calculated by method based on fundamental equations of flow. Changes in ambient pressure transmitted along narrow tube to sensor. Attenuation of high-frequency components of pressure wave calculated from wave equation derived from Navier-Stokes equations of viscous flow in tube. Developed to understand and compensate for frictional attenuation in narrow tubes used to connect aircraft pressure sensors with pressure taps on affected surfaces.

  18. Cell growth and resistance of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis TOMSC161 following freezing, drying and freeze-dried storage are differentially affected by fermentation conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velly, H; Fonseca, F; Passot, S; Delacroix-Buchet, A; Bouix, M

    2014-09-01

    To investigate the effects of fermentation parameters on the cell growth and on the resistance to each step of the freeze-drying process of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis TOMSC161, a natural cheese isolate, using a response surface methodology. Cells were cultivated at different temperatures (22, 30 and 38°C) and pH (5·6, 6·2 and 6·8) and were harvested at different growth phases (0, 3 and 6 h of stationary phase). Cultivability and acidification activity losses of Lc. lactis were quantified after freezing, drying, 1 and 3 months of storage at 4 and 25°C. Lactococcus lactis was not damaged by freezing but was sensitive to drying and to ambient temperature storage. Moreover, the fermentation temperature and the harvesting time influenced the drying resistance of Lc. lactis. Lactococcus lactis cells grown in a whey-based medium at 32°C, pH 6·2 and harvested at late stationary phase exhibited both an optimal growth and the highest resistance to freeze-drying and storage. A better insight on the individual and interaction effects of fermentation parameters made it possible the freeze-drying and storage preservation of a sensitive strain of technological interest. Evidence on the particularly damaging effect of the drying step and the high-temperature storage is presented. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  19. Low Ambient Temperature and Intracerebral Hemorrhage: The INTERACT2 Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danni Zheng

    Full Text Available Rates of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH increase in winter months but the magnitude of risk is unknown. We aimed to quantify the association of ambient temperature with the risk of ICH in the Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT2 participants on an hourly timescale.INTERACT2 was an international, open, blinded endpoint, randomized controlled trial of patients with spontaneous ICH (<6h of onset and elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP, 150-220 mmHg assigned to intensive (target SBP <140 mmHg or guideline-recommended (SBP <180 mmHg BP treatment. We linked individual level hourly temperature to baseline data of 1997 participants, and performed case-crossover analyses using a distributed lag non-linear model with 24h lag period to assess the association of ambient temperature and risk of ICH. Results were presented as overall cumulative odds ratios (ORs and 95% CI.Low ambient temperature (≤10°C was associated with increased risks of ICH: overall cumulative OR was 1.37 (0.99-1.91 for 10°C, 1.92 (1.31-2.81 for 0°C, 3.13 (1.89-5.19 for -10°C, and 5.76 (2.30-14.42 for -20°C, as compared with a reference temperature of 20°C.There was no clear relation of low temperature beyond three hours after exposure. Results were consistent in sensitivity analyses.Exposure to low ambient temperature within several hours increases the risk of ICH.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00716079.

  20. Dry deposition of gaseous oxidized mercury in Western Maryland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro, Mark S; Moore, Chris; Sherwell, John; Brooks, Steve B

    2012-02-15

    The purpose of this study was to directly measure the dry deposition of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) in western Maryland. Annual estimates were made using passive ion-exchange surrogate surfaces and a resistance model. Surrogate surfaces were deployed for seventeen weekly sampling periods between September 2009 and October 2010. Dry deposition rates from surrogate surfaces ranged from 80 to 1512 pgm(-2)h(-1). GOM dry deposition rates were strongly correlated (r(2)=0.75) with the weekly average atmospheric GOM concentrations, which ranged from 2.3 to 34.1 pgm(-3). Dry deposition of GOM could be predicted from the ambient air concentrations of GOM using this equation: GOM dry deposition (pgm(-2)h(-1))=43.2 × GOM concentration-80.3. Dry deposition velocities computed using GOM concentrations and surrogate surface GOM dry deposition rates, ranged from 0.2 to 1.7 cms(-1). Modeled dry deposition rates were highly correlated (r(2)=0.80) with surrogate surface dry deposition rates. Using the overall weekly average surrogate surface dry deposition rate (369 ± 340 pg m(-2)h(-1)), we estimated an annual GOM dry deposition rate of 3.2 μg m(-2)year(-1). Using the resistance model, we estimated an annual GOM dry deposition rate of 3.5 μg m(-2)year(-1). Our annual GOM dry deposition rates were similar to the dry deposition (3.3 μg m(-2)h(-1)) of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) at our site. In addition, annual GOM dry deposition was approximately 1/2 of the average annual wet deposition of total mercury (7.7 ± 1.9 μg m(-2)year(-1)) at our site. Total annual mercury deposition from dry deposition of GOM and GEM and wet deposition was approximately 14.4 μg m(-2)year(-1), which was similar to the average annual litterfall deposition (15 ± 2.1 μg m(-2)year(-1)) of mercury, which was also measured at our site. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Surface stabilized GMR nanorods of silver coated CrO{sub 2} synthesized via a polymer complex at ambient pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Biswas, S., E-mail: drsomnathbiswas@gmail.com [The LNM Institute of Information Technology, Jaipur-302031 (India); Singh, G.P. [Centre for Nanotechnology, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi-835205 (India); Ram, S. [Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721302 (India); Fecht, H.-J. [Insitut für Micro-und Nanomaterialien, Universität Ulm, Albert Einstein Allee-47, Ulm, D-89081, and Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe, D-76021 (Germany)

    2013-08-15

    Stable anisotropic nanorods of surface modified CrO{sub 2} (∼18 nm diameter) with a correlated diamagnetic layer (2–3 nm thickness) of silver efficiently tailors useful magnetic and magnetoresistance (MR) properties. Essentially, it involves a core-shell structure that is developed by displacing part of Cr{sup 4+} ions by Ag atoms on the CrO{sub 2} surface (topotactic surface layer) via an etching reaction of a CrO{sub 2}-polymer complex with Ag{sup +} ions in hot water followed by heating the dried sample at 300–400 °C in air. The stable Ag-layer so obtained in the form of a shell protects CrO{sub 2} such that it no longer converts to Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} in ambient pressure during the processing. X-ray diffractogram of the Rutile type tetragonal CrO{sub 2} structure (lattice parameters a=0.4429 nm and c=0.2950 nm) includes weak peaks of a minority phase of an fcc-Ag (a=0.4086 nm). The silver surface layer, which manifests itself in a doublet of the 3d{sub 5/2} and 3d{sub 3/2} X-ray photoelectron bands of binding energies 368.46 eV and 374.48 eV, respectively, suppresses almost all Cr bands to appear in a measurable intensity. The sample exhibits a distinctly enhanced MR-value, e.g., (−) 7.6% at 77 K, than reported values in compacted CrO{sub 2} powders or composites. Such a large MR-value in the Coulomb blockade regime (<100 K) arises not only due to the suppressed spin flipping at low temperature but also from a spin dependent co-tunneling through an interlinked structure of silver and silver coated CrO{sub 2} nanorods. - Highlights: • Synthesis and structural studies of a novel GMR material of Ag coated CrO{sub 2}. • Tailoring useful GMR property in CrO{sub 2} nanorods of controlled shape and anisotropy. • Enhanced GMR is explained in correlation to the surface structure of CrO{sub 2} nanorods.

  2. Manufacture of Regularly Shaped Sol-Gel Pellets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leventis, Nicholas; Johnston, James C.; Kinder, James D.

    2006-01-01

    An extrusion batch process for manufacturing regularly shaped sol-gel pellets has been devised as an improved alternative to a spray process that yields irregularly shaped pellets. The aspect ratio of regularly shaped pellets can be controlled more easily, while regularly shaped pellets pack more efficiently. In the extrusion process, a wet gel is pushed out of a mold and chopped repetitively into short, cylindrical pieces as it emerges from the mold. The pieces are collected and can be either (1) dried at ambient pressure to xerogel, (2) solvent exchanged and dried under ambient pressure to ambigels, or (3) supercritically dried to aerogel. Advantageously, the extruded pellets can be dropped directly in a cross-linking bath, where they develop a conformal polymer coating around the skeletal framework of the wet gel via reaction with the cross linker. These pellets can be dried to mechanically robust X-Aerogel.

  3. Dry reforming of methane at elevated pressures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schulz, L.; Lou, Y.; Jentys, A.; Lercher, J.A. [Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Herrera Delgado, K.; Kahle, L.; Deutschmann, O. [Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (KIT), Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2013-11-01

    The dry reforming of methane (CO{sub 2} + CH{sub 4} {yields} 2 H{sub 2} + 2 CO) can be an alternative to steam (CH{sub 4} + H{sub 2}O {yields} 3 H{sub 2} + CO) or autothermal reforming for the production of CO rich syngas. However, its high tendency to coking has prevented the process from been applied in chemical industry. Due to pricing and availability base metals are preferred as active metals in dry reforming, even though they are more prone to coke deposition. To overcome this drawback and create suitable base metal catalysts, a detailed understanding of the carbon deposition mechanism is mandatory. In the work presented we compare the reactions leading to coke buildup on Nickel and Platinum at reaction conditions close to technical application (850 C, 10 bar). We analyzed the deposited coke by reactant isotope labeling ({sup 13}CO{sub 2}), SEM, TEM and TPO and revealed that the main deposits after 2 hours of reaction are carbon-nano-tubes. The coke formation on the Ni catalyst was about ten times higher compared to the Pt catalysts. The isotope composition of the coke indicated that on the Nickel both reactants ({sup 12}CH{sub 4} and {sup 13}CO{sub 2}) contributed to the carbon formation, whereas on Platinum coke was formed predominately from {sup 12}CH{sub 4}. Numerical simulations of the reaction rates of the individual pathways support the experimentally derived kinetic results and give insights in the main reaction routes on the catalytic surfaces. Based on the findings we propose a carbon deposition mechanism that explains the stronger resistance of Pt based catalysts against coking. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from BMWi (0320327856D) and from DFG (LE 1187/12). (orig.) (Published in summary form only)

  4. Gamma irradiation of sun-dried apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) for quality maintenance and quarantine purposes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, Peerzada R.; Meena, Raghuveer S.; Dar, Mohd A.; Wani, Ali M.

    2011-01-01

    The study is aimed at the optimization of gamma irradiation treatment of sun-dried apricots for quality maintenance and quarantine purposes. Sun-dried apricots pre-treated with potassium meta-bisulphite (KMS) at 2.5% w/v were procured from progressive apricot grower of district Kargil, Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir state. The sun-dried apricots were packed in 250 gauge polyethylene packs and gamma irradiated in the dose range 1.0-3.0 kGy. The gamma irradiated fruit including control was stored under ambient (15±2-25±2 o C, RH 70-80%) conditions and periodically evaluated for physico-chemical, sensory and microbial quality parameters. Radiation treatment at dose levels of 2.5 and 3.0 kGy proved significantly (p≤0.05) beneficial in retention of higher levels of β-carotene, ascorbic acid, total sugars and color values without impairing the taste as perceived by the sensory panel analysists. The above optimized doses retained the β-carotene content of sun-dried apricots to the extent of 71.2% and 72.6% compared to 63.9% in control samples after 18 months of storage. Irradiation treatment facilitated the release of residual sulfur dioxide in KMS pre-treated sun-dried apricots significantly (p≤0.05) below the prescribed limit for dried products. During storage, two-fold decrease in sulfur dioxide content was recorded in irradiated samples (3.0 kGy) as compared to 16.9% in control. The above optimized doses besides maintaining the higher overall acceptability of sun-dried apricots resulted in 5 log reductions in microbial load just after irradiation and 1.0 and 1.3 log reductions in yeast and mold and bacterial count after 18 months of ambient storage.

  5. Pressure-induced amorphization of La1/3TaO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noked, O.; Melchior, A.; Shuker, R.; Livneh, T.; Steininger, R.; Kennedy, B.J.; Sterer, E.

    2013-01-01

    La 1/3 TaO 3 , an A-site cation deficient perovskite, has been studied under pressure by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. It undergoes irreversible pressure induced amorphization at P=18.5 GPa. An almost linear unit cell volume decrease vs. pressure is observed from ambient pressure up to the phase transition. The Raman spectroscopy also shows amorphization at the same pressure, with positive shifts of all modes as a function of pressure. The pressure dependence of the E g and A 1g Raman modes arising from the octahedral oxygen network is discussed. - Graphical abstract: La 1/3 Tao 3 exhibits linear pressure–volume relation until irreversible pressure induced amorphization at 18.5 Gpa. - Highlights: • La 1/3 TaO 3 has been studied under pressure by synchrotron XRD and Raman spectroscopy. • La 1/3 TaO 3 undergoes irreversible pressure induced amorphization around 18.5 GPa. • The transition is manifested in both XRD and Raman measurements. • A linear P–V relation is observed from ambient pressure up to the phase transition

  6. Thin layer convective solar drying and mathematical modeling of prickly pear peel (Opuntia ficus indica)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lahsasni, S.; Mahrouz, M. [Unite de Chimie Agroalimentaire (LCOA), Faculte des Sciences Semlalia, Marrakech (Morocco); Kouhila, M.; Idlimam, A.; Jamali, A. [Ecole Normale Superieure, Marrakech (Morocco). Lab. d' Energie Solaire et Plantes Aromatiques et Medicinales

    2004-02-01

    This paper presents the thin layer convective solar drying and mathematical modeling of prickly pear peel. For these purposes, an indirect forced convection solar dryer consisting of a solar air collector, an auxiliary heater, a circulation fan and a drying cabinet is used for drying experiments. Moreover, the prickly pear peel is sufficiently dried in the ranges of 32 to 36 {sup o} C of ambient air temperature, 50 to 60 {sup o}C of drying air temperature, 23 to 34% of relative humidity, 0.0277 to 0.0833 m{sup 3}/s of drying air flow rate and 200 to 950 W/m{sup 2} of daily solar radiation. The experimental drying curves show only a falling drying rate period. The main factor in controlling the drying rate was found to be the drying air temperature. The drying rate equation is determined empirically from the characteristic drying curve. Also, the experimental drying curves obtained were fitted to a number of mathematical models. The Midilli-Kucuk drying model was found to satisfactorily describe the solar drying curves of prickly pear peel with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9998 and chi-square ({chi}{sup 2}) of 4.6572 10{sup -5}. (Author)

  7. Ambient Noise in an Urbanized Tidal Channel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassett, Christopher

    In coastal environments, when topographic and bathymetric constrictions are combined with large tidal amplitudes, strong currents (> 2 m/s) can occur. Because such environments are relatively rare and difficult to study, until recently, they have received little attention from the scientific community. However, in recent years, interest in developing tidal hydrokinetic power projects in these environments has motivated studies to improve this understanding. In order to support an analysis of the acoustic effects of tidal power generation, a multi-year study was conducted at a proposed project site in Puget Sound (WA) are analyzed at a site where peak currents exceeded 3.5 m/s. From these analyses, three noise sources are shown to dominate the observed variability in ambient noise between 0.02-30 kHz: anthropogenic noise from vessel traffic, sediment-generated noise during periods of strong currents, and flow-noise resulting from turbulence advected over the hydrophones. To assess the contribution of vessel traffic noise, one calendar year of Automatic Identification System (AIS) ship-traffic data was paired with hydrophone recordings. The study region included inland waters of the Salish Sea within a 20 km radius of the hydrophone deployment site in northern Admiralty Inlet. The variability in spectra and hourly, daily, and monthly ambient noise statistics for unweighted broadband and M-weighted sound pressure levels is driven largely by vessel traffic. Within the one-year study period, at least one AIS transmitting vessel is present in the study area 90% of the time and over 1,363 unique vessels are recorded. A noise budget for vessels equipped with AIS transponders identifies cargo ships, tugs, and passenger vessels as the largest contributors to noise levels. A simple model to predict received levels at the site based on an incoherent summation of noise from different vessel types yields a cumulative probability density function of broadband sound pressure

  8. Drying of mint leaves in a solar dryer and under open sun: Modelling, performance analyses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akpinar, E. Kavak

    2010-01-01

    In this study was investigated the thin-layer drying characteristics in solar dryer with forced convection and under open sun with natural convection of mint leaves, and, performed energy analysis and exergy analysis of solar drying process of mint leaves. An indirect forced convection solar dryer consisting of a solar air collector and drying cabinet was used in the experiments. The drying data were fitted to ten the different mathematical models. Among the models, Wang and Singh model for the forced solar drying and the natural sun drying were found to best explain thin-layer drying behaviour of mint leaves. Using the first law of thermodynamics, the energy analysis throughout solar drying process was estimated. However, exergy analysis during solar drying process was determined by applying the second law of thermodynamics. Energy utilization ratio (EUR) values of drying cabinet varied in the ranges between 7.826% and 46.285%. The values of exergetic efficiency were found to be in the range of 34.760-87.717%. The values of improvement potential varied between 0 and 0.017 kJ s -1 . Energy utilization ratio and improvement potential decreased with increasing drying time and ambient temperature while exergetic efficiency increased.

  9. Dry coupling for whole-body small-animal photoacoustic computed tomography

    OpenAIRE

    Yeh, Chenghung; Li, Lei; Zhu, Liren; Xia, Jun; Li, Chiye; Chen, Wanyi; Garcia-Uribe, Alejandro; Maslov, Konstantin I.; Wang, Lihong V.

    2017-01-01

    We have enhanced photoacoustic computed tomography with dry acoustic coupling that eliminates water immersion anxiety and wrinkling of the animal and facilitates incorporating complementary modalities and procedures. The dry acoustic coupler is made of a tubular elastic membrane enclosed by a closed transparent water tank. The tubular membrane ensures water-free contact with the animal, and the closed water tank allows pressurization for animal stabilization. The dry coupler was tested using ...

  10. Leak detector for reactor pressure vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morimoto, Mikio.

    1991-01-01

    A branched pipe is disposed to a leak off pipeline led from a flange surface which connects the main body and the upper lid of a reactor pressure vessel. An exhaust pump is disposed to the branched pipe and a moisture gage is disposed on the side of the exhaustion and a dry air supplier is connected to the branched pipe. Upon conducting a pressure-proof leak test for the reactor pressure vessel, the exhaust pump is operated and an electromagnet valve disposed at the upstream of the dry air supplier is opened and closed repeatedly. The humidity of air sucked by the exhaust pump is detected by the moisture gage. If leaks should be caused in the joining surface of the flange, leaked water is diffused as steams. Accordingly, occurrence of leak can be detected instantly based on the comparison with the moisture level of the dry air as a standard. In this way, a leak test can be conducted reliably in a short period of time with no change of for the reactor pressure container itself. (I.N.)

  11. Behavior of spent nuclear fuel and storage system components in dry interim storage.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, A.B. Jr.; Gilbert, E.R.; Guenther, R.J.

    1982-08-01

    Irradiated nuclear fuel has been handled under dry conditions since the early days of nuclear reactor operation, and use of dry storage facilities for extended management of irradiated fuel began in 1964. Irradiated fuel is currently being stored dry in four types of facilities: dry wells, vaults, silos, and metal casks. Essentially all types of irradiated nuclear fuel are currently stored under dry conditions. Gas-cooled reactor (GCR) and liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) fuels are stored in vaults and dry wells. Certain types of fuel are being stored in licensed dry storage facilities: Magnox fuel in vaults in the United Kingdom and organic-cooled reactor (OCR) fuel in silos in Canada. Dry storage demonstrations are under way for Zircaloy-clad fuel from boiling water reactors BWR's, pressurized heavy-water reactors (PHWRs), and pressurized water reactors (PWRs) in all four types of dry storage facilities. The demonstrations and related hot cell and laboratory tests are directed toward expanding the data base and establishing a licensing basis for dry storage of water reactor fuel. This report reviews the scope of dry interim storage technology, the performance of fuel and facility materials, the status of programs in several countries to license dry storage of water reactor fuel, and the characteristics of water reactor fuel that relate to dry storage conditions.

  12. Behavior of spent nuclear fuel and storage-system components in dry interim storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, A.B. Jr.; Gilbert, E.R.; Guenther, R.J.

    1982-08-01

    Irradiated nuclear fuel has been handled under dry conditions since the early days of nuclear reactor operation, and use of dry storage facilities for extended management of irradiated fuel began in 1964. Irradiated fuel is currently being stored dry in four types of facilities: dry wells, vaults, silos, and metal casks. Essentially all types of irradiated nuclear fuel are currently stored under dry conditions. Gas-cooled reactor (GCR) and liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) fuels are stored in vaults and dry wells. Certain types of fuel are being stored in licensed dry storage facilities: Magnox fuel in vaults in the United Kingdom and organic-cooled reactor (OCR) fuel in silos in Canada. Dry storage demonstrations are under way for Zircaloy-clad fuel from boiling water reactors BWR's, pressurized heavy-water reactors (PHWRs), and pressurized water reactors (PWRs) in all four types of dry storage facilities. The demonstrations and related hot cell and laboratory tests are directed toward expanding the data base and establishing a licensing basis for dry storage of water reactor fuel. This report reviews the scope of dry interim storage technology, the performance of fuel and facility materials, the status of programs in several countries to license dry storage of water reactor fuel, and the characteristics of water reactor fuel that relate to dry storage conditions

  13. Kinetics and optimization of red clover pulp drying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Shevtsov

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The kinetics of the drying process conducted with bagasse red clover on an experimental dry¬er superheated steam at atmospheric pressure in the active hydrodynamic regimes were study¬ing. The rational intervals of parameter changes were obtained. The problem of optimization, which allowed allocating the optimum range of variation of the input factors according to three criteria through compromise was solved.

  14. Standard guide for drying behavior of spent nuclear fuel

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    2008-01-01

    1.1 This guide is organized to discuss the three major components of significance in the drying behavior of spent nuclear fuel: evaluating the need for drying, drying spent nuclear fuel, and confirmation of adequate dryness. 1.1.1 The guide addresses drying methods and their limitations in drying spent nuclear fuels that have been in storage at water pools. The guide discusses sources and forms of water that remain in SNF, its container, or both, after the drying process and discusses the importance and potential effects they may have on fuel integrity, and container materials. The effects of residual water are discussed mechanistically as a function of the container thermal and radiological environment to provide guidance on situations that may require extraordinary drying methods, specialized handling, or other treatments. 1.1.2 The basic issue in drying is to determine how dry the SNF must be in order to prevent issues with fuel retrievability, container pressurization, or container corrosion. Adequate d...

  15. Low Ambient Temperature and Intracerebral Hemorrhage: The INTERACT2 Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Danni; Arima, Hisatomi; Sato, Shoichiro; Gasparrini, Antonio; Heeley, Emma; Delcourt, Candice; Lo, Serigne; Huang, Yining; Wang, Jiguang; Stapf, Christian; Robinson, Thompson; Lavados, Pablo; Chalmers, John; Anderson, Craig S.

    2016-01-01

    Background Rates of acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) increase in winter months but the magnitude of risk is unknown. We aimed to quantify the association of ambient temperature with the risk of ICH in the Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT2) participants on an hourly timescale. Methods INTERACT2 was an international, open, blinded endpoint, randomized controlled trial of patients with spontaneous ICH (<6h of onset) and elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP, 150–220 mmHg) assigned to intensive (target SBP <140 mmHg) or guideline-recommended (SBP <180 mmHg) BP treatment. We linked individual level hourly temperature to baseline data of 1997 participants, and performed case-crossover analyses using a distributed lag non-linear model with 24h lag period to assess the association of ambient temperature and risk of ICH. Results were presented as overall cumulative odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CI. Results Low ambient temperature (≤10°C) was associated with increased risks of ICH: overall cumulative OR was 1.37 (0.99–1.91) for 10°C, 1.92 (1.31–2.81) for 0°C, 3.13 (1.89–5.19) for -10°C, and 5.76 (2.30–14.42) for -20°C, as compared with a reference temperature of 20°C.There was no clear relation of low temperature beyond three hours after exposure. Results were consistent in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions Exposure to low ambient temperature within several hours increases the risk of ICH. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00716079 PMID:26859491

  16. Drying a tuberculosis vaccine without freezing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Yun-Ling; Sampson, Samantha; Germishuizen, Willem Andreas; Goonesekera, Sunali; Caponetti, Giovanni; Sadoff, Jerry; Bloom, Barry R; Edwards, David

    2007-02-20

    With the increasing incidence of tuberculosis and drug resistant disease in developing countries due to HIV/AIDS, there is a need for vaccines that are more effective than the present bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. We demonstrate that BCG vaccine can be dried without traditional freezing and maintained with remarkable refrigerated and room-temperature stability for months through spray drying. Studies with a model Mycobacterium (Mycobacterium smegmatis) revealed that by removing salts and cryoprotectant (e.g., glycerol) from bacterial suspensions, the significant osmotic pressures that are normally produced on bacterial membranes through droplet drying can be reduced sufficiently to minimize loss of viability on drying by up to 2 orders of magnitude. By placing the bacteria in a matrix of leucine, high-yield, free-flowing, "vial-fillable" powders of bacteria (including M. smegmatis and M. bovis BCG) can be produced. These powders show relatively minor losses of activity after maintenance at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C up to and beyond 4 months. Comparisons with lyophilized material prepared both with the same formulation and with a commercial formulation reveal that the spray-dried BCG has better overall viability on drying.

  17. Prenatal air pollution exposure and newborn blood pressure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Rossem, Lenie; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl L.; Melly, Steven J.; Kloog, Itai; Luttmann-Gibson, Heike; Zanobetti, Antonella; Coull, Brent A.; Schwartz, Joel D.; Mittleman, Murray A.; Oken, Emily; Gillman, Matthew W.; Koutrakis, Petros; Gold, Diane R.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Air pollution exposure has been associated with increased blood pressure in adults. oBjective: We examined associations of antenatal exposure to ambient air pollution with newborn systolic blood pressure (SBP). Methods: We studied 1,131 mother–infant pairs in a Boston, Massachusetts,

  18. High pressure processing for dark-firm-dry beef: effect on physical properties and oxidative deterioration during refrigerated storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Utama, Dicky Tri; Lee, Seung Gyu; Baek, Ki Ho; Chung, Woon Si; Chung, In Ae; Jeon, Jung Tae; Lee, Sung Ki

    2017-03-01

    Study on the application of high pressure processing (HPP) for dark-firm-dry (DFD) beef was conducted to observe whether HPP has any impact on physical properties and to evaluate oxidative deterioration during refrigerated storage under vacuum. The longissimus lumborum muscles obtained from Friesian Holstein steers (33±0.5 months old) with 24-h postmortem pH higher than 6.0 were vacuum-packed and subjected to pressurization at 200, 400, and 600 MPa for 180 s at 15°C±2°C; the samples were then stored for 9 days at 4°C±1°C and compared with control (0.1 MPa). HPP increased meat pH by 0.1 to 0.2 units and the tenderness of cooked DFD beef significantly with no significant effects on meat texture profile. The stability of meat pH was well maintained during refrigerated storage under vacuum. No clear effects were found on the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase, however, glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly reduced by high pressure. HPP and storage time resulted in aroma changes and the increasing amount of malondialdehyde and metmyoglobin relative composition. Although the increasing amount of malondialdehyde content, metmyoglobin formation and aroma changes in HPP-treated samples could not be avoided, HPP at 200 MPa increased L* and a* values with less discoloration and oxidative deterioration during storage.

  19. High speed drying of saturated steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marty, C.; Peyrelongue, J.P.

    1993-01-01

    This paper describes the development of the drying process for the saturated steam used in the PWR nuclear plant turbines in order to prevent negative effects of water on turbine efficiency, maintenance costs and equipment lifetime. The high speed drying concept is based on rotating the incoming saturated steam in order to separate water which is more denser than the steam; the water film is then extracted through an annular slot. A multicellular modular equipment has been tested. Applications on high and low pressure extraction of various PWR plants are described (Bugey, Loviisa)

  20. Dry cupping for plantar fasciitis: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Weiqing; Leson, Chelsea; Vukovic, Corey

    2017-05-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of dry cupping on pain and function of patients with plantar fasciitis. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-nine subjects (age 15 to 59 years old, 20 females and 9 males), randomly assigned into the two groups (dry cupping therapy and electrical stimulation therapy groups), participated in this study. The research design was a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Treatments were provided to the subjects twice a week for 4 weeks. Outcome measurements included the Visual Analogue Pain Scale (VAS) (at rest, first in the morning, and with activities), the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), as well as the pressure pain threshold. [Results]The data indicated that both dry cupping therapy and electrical stimulation therapy could reduce pain and increase function significantly in the population tested, as all the 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) did not include 0 except for the pressure pain threshold. There was no significant difference between the dry cupping therapy and electrical stimulation groups in all the outcome measurements. [Conclusion] These results support that both dry cupping therapy and electrical stimulation therapy could reduce pain and increase function in the population tested.

  1. Microplasma-based flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow (FAPA) source for ambient desorption-ionization mass spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeiri, Offer M.; Storey, Andrew P.; Ray, Steven J., E-mail: sjray2@buffalo.edu; Hieftje, Gary M.

    2017-02-01

    A new direct-current microplasma-based flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow (FAPA) source was developed for use in ambient desorption-ionization mass spectrometry. The annular-shaped microplasma is formed in helium between two concentric stainless-steel capillaries that are separated by an alumina tube. Current-voltage characterization of the source shows that this version of the FAPA operates in the normal glow-discharge regime. A glass surface placed in the path of the helium afterglow reaches temperatures of up to approximately 400 °C; the temperature varies with distance from the source and helium flow rate through the source. Solid, liquid, and vapor samples were examined by means of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Results suggest that ionization occurs mainly through protonation, with only a small amount of fragmentation and adduct formation. The mass range of the source was shown to extend up to at least m/z 2722 for singly charged species. Limits of detection for several small organic molecules were in the sub-picomole range. Examination of competitive ionization revealed that signal suppression occurs only at high (mM) concentrations of competing substances. - Highlights: • The first microplasma version of the FAPA source. • Current-voltage behavior reflects the behavior of a normal glow discharge. • Detection limits below 1 pmol for the classes of organic compounds studied over a wide mass range. • Mass spectra show limited fragmentation.

  2. Efficiency and safety of subconjunctival injection of anti-VEGF agent - bevacizumab - in treating dry eye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Xiaodan; Lv, Huibin; Qiu, Weiqiang; Liu, Ziyuan; Li, Xuemin; Wang, Wei

    2015-01-01

    Dry eye is a chronic inflammatory ocular surface disease with high prevalence. The current therapies for dry eye remain to be unspecific and notcomprehensive. This study aims to explore safety and efficacy of a novel treatment - subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab - in dry eye patients. Sixty-four eyes of 32 dry eye patients received subconjunctival injection of 100 μL 25 mg/mL bevacizumab. Dry eye symptoms, signs (corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, conjunctival vascularity, corneal staining, tear break-up time, Marx line score, and blood pressure), and conjunctival impression cytology were evaluated 3 days before and 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after injection. Significant improvements were observed in dry eye symptoms, tear break-up time, and conjunctival vascularization area at all the visits after injection compared to the baseline (Pdry eye disease.

  3. Commentary on differential-pressure measurements at high reference pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasbrouck, R.T.; Noyes, R.P.

    1981-01-01

    Some practical approaches to the difficult problems in calibrating and implementing differential-pressure measurements are discussed. The data presented were gathered several years ago in separate investigations. An attempt is made to compare the results of these investigations to the common mode concept as described by Peter K. Stein in his publication, The Measurement of Differential Quantities - Problems and Approaches. Although one of these investigations involed a 10,000- to 20,000-psi reference-pressure gas measured at an ambient temperature and the other a classic /sup Δ/P flow measurement of cryogenic temperature, the problems encountered were the same

  4. Apparatus and method for maintaining an article at a temperature that is less than the temperature of the ambient air

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klett, James; Klett, Lynn

    2018-04-03

    An apparatus for maintaining the temperature of an article at a temperature that is below the ambient air temperature includes an enclosure having an outer wall that defines an interior chamber for holding a volume of sealed air. An insert is disposed inside of the chamber and has a body that is made of a porous graphite foam material. A vacuum pump penetrates the outer wall and fluidly connects the sealed air in the interior chamber with the ambient air outside of the enclosure. The temperatures of the insert and article is maintained at temperatures that are below the ambient air temperature when a volume of a liquid is wicked into the pores of the porous insert and the vacuum pump is activated to reduce the pressure of a volume of sealed air within the interior chamber to a pressure that is below the vapor pressure of the liquid.

  5. Hydrogen behavior in a large-dry pressurized water reactor containment building during a severe accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu Wensheng; Chen Hungpei; Hung Zhenyu; Lin Huichen

    2014-01-01

    Following severe accidents in nuclear power plants, large quantities of hydrogen may be generated after core degradation. If the hydrogen is transported from the reactor vessel into the containment building, an explosion might occur, which might threaten the integrity of the building; this can ultimately cause the release of radioactive materials. During the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in 2011, the primary containment structures remained intact but contaminated fragments broke off the secondary containment structures, which disrupted mitigation activities and triggered subsequent explosions. Therefore, the ability to predict the behavior of hydrogen after severe accidents may facilitate the development of effective nuclear reactor accident management procedures. The present study investigated the behavior of hydrogen in a large-dry pressurized water reactor (PWR). The amount of hydrogen produced was calculated using the Modular Accident Analysis Program. The hydrogen transport behavior and the effect of the explosion on the PWR containment building were simulated using the Flame Acceleration Simulator. The simulation results showed that the average hydrogen volume fraction is approximately 7% in the containment building and that the average temperature is 330 K. The maximum predicted pressure load after ignition is 2.55 bar, which does not endanger the structural integrity of the containment building. The results of this investigation indicate that the hydrogen mitigation system should be arranged on both the upper and lower parts of the containment building to reduce the impact of an explosion. (author)

  6. Vacuum drying of apples (cv. Golden Delicious): drying characteristics, thermodynamic properties, and mass transfer parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadi, Fatemeh; Tzempelikos, Dimitrios

    2018-01-01

    In this work, apples of cv. Golden Delicious were cut into slices that were 5 and 7 mm thick and then vacuum dried at 50, 60 and 70 °C and pressure of 0.02 bar. The thin layer model drying kinetics was studied, and mass transfer properties, specifically effective moisture diffusivity and convective mass transfer coefficient, were evaluated using the Fick's equation of diffusion. Also, thermodynamic parameters of the process, i.e. enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG), were determined. Colour properties were evaluated as one of the important indicators of food quality and marketability. Determination of mass transfer parameters and thermodynamic properties of vacuum dried apple slices has not been discussed much in the literature. In conclusion, the Nadi's model fitted best the observed data that represent the drying process. Thermodynamic properties were determined based on the dependence of the drying constant of the Henderson and Pabis model on temperature, and it was concluded that the variation in drying kinetics depends on the energy contribution of the surrounding environment. The enthalpy and entropy diminished, while the Gibbs free energy increased with the increase of the temperature of drying; therefore, it was possible to verify that variation in the diffusion process in the apple during drying depends on energetic contributions of the environment. The obtained results showed that diffusivity increased for 69%, while the mass transfer coefficient increase was even higher, 75%, at the variation of temperature of 20 °C. The increase in the dimensionless Biot number was 20%.

  7. AN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC RAIN EVENT: INFLUENCE ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF IRON AND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN SURFACE WATERS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Methods are described for measuring changes in atmospheric O2 concentration with emphasis on gas handling procedures. Cryogenically dried air samples are collected in 5 L glass flasks at ambient pressure and analyzed against reference gases derived from high-pressure aluminum tan...

  8. Monitoring the levels of toxic air pollutants in the ambient air of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    The ambient air quality in Freetown, Sierra Leone was investigated for the first time for toxic air pollutants. ..... 215 Switzerland), in a water bath at temperature of 55°C and pressure of ..... scraps. Furthermore, the prolonged use of generators.

  9. Test Plan for the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durbin, Samuel [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lindgren, Eric R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2015-11-01

    The thermal performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks are evaluated through detailed numerical analysis . These modeling efforts are completed by the vendor to demonstrate performance and regulatory compliance. The calculations are then independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask in part by increasing the efficiency of internal conduction pathways and by increasing the internal convection through greater canister helium pressure. These same vertical, canistered cask systems rely on ventilation between the canister and the overpack to convect heat away from the canister to the environment for both above and below-ground configurations. While several testing programs have been previously conducted, these earlier validation attempts did not capture the effects of elevated helium pressures or accurately portray the external convection of above-ground and below-ground canistered dry cask systems. The purpose of the investigation described in this report is to produce a data set that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations presently used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern vertical, canistered dry cask systems. The BWR cask simulator (BCS) has been designed in detail for both the above-ground and below-ground venting configurations. The pressure vessel representing the canister has been designed, fabricated, and pressure tested for a maximum allowable pressure (MAWP) rating of 24 bar at 400 deg C. An existing electrically heated but otherwise prototypic BWR Incoloy-clad test assembly is being deployed inside of a representative storage basket and cylindrical pressure vessel that represents the

  10. Iodine and creatinine testing in urine dried on filter paper

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zava, Theodore T., E-mail: ttzava@zrtlab.com [ZRT Laboratory, 8605 SW Creekside Place, Beaverton, OR 97008 (United States); Kapur, Sonia, E-mail: soniak@zrtlab.com [ZRT Laboratory, 8605 SW Creekside Place, Beaverton, OR 97008 (United States); Zava, David T., E-mail: dzava@zrtlab.com [ZRT Laboratory, 8605 SW Creekside Place, Beaverton, OR 97008 (United States)

    2013-02-18

    Highlights: ► Dried urine iodine and creatinine extract quantitatively correlates well with liquid urine. ► Filter paper strips can be easily shipped and stored. ► Urine iodine and creatinine are stable at ambient temperature when dried on filter paper. ► Dried urine iodine and creatinine are run using a 96-well format. -- Abstract: Iodine deficiency is a world-wide health problem. A simple, convenient, and inexpensive method to monitor urine iodine levels would have enormous benefit in determining an individual's recent iodine intake or in identifying populations at risk for iodine deficiency or excess. Current methods used to monitor iodine levels require collection of a large volume of urine and its transport to a testing laboratory, both of which are inconvenient and impractical in parts of the world lacking refrigerated storage and transportation. To circumvent these limitations we developed and validated methods to collect and measure iodine and creatinine in urine dried on filter paper strips. We tested liquid urine and liquid-extracted dried urine for iodine and creatinine in a 96-well format using Sandell–Kolthoff and Jaffe reactions, respectively. Our modified dried urine iodine and creatinine assays correlated well with established liquid urine methods (iodine: R{sup 2} = 0.9483; creatinine: R{sup 2} = 0.9782). Results demonstrate that the dried urine iodine and creatinine assays are ideal for testing the iodine status of individuals and for wide scale application in iodine screening programs.

  11. Iodine and creatinine testing in urine dried on filter paper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zava, Theodore T.; Kapur, Sonia; Zava, David T.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Dried urine iodine and creatinine extract quantitatively correlates well with liquid urine. ► Filter paper strips can be easily shipped and stored. ► Urine iodine and creatinine are stable at ambient temperature when dried on filter paper. ► Dried urine iodine and creatinine are run using a 96-well format. -- Abstract: Iodine deficiency is a world-wide health problem. A simple, convenient, and inexpensive method to monitor urine iodine levels would have enormous benefit in determining an individual's recent iodine intake or in identifying populations at risk for iodine deficiency or excess. Current methods used to monitor iodine levels require collection of a large volume of urine and its transport to a testing laboratory, both of which are inconvenient and impractical in parts of the world lacking refrigerated storage and transportation. To circumvent these limitations we developed and validated methods to collect and measure iodine and creatinine in urine dried on filter paper strips. We tested liquid urine and liquid-extracted dried urine for iodine and creatinine in a 96-well format using Sandell–Kolthoff and Jaffe reactions, respectively. Our modified dried urine iodine and creatinine assays correlated well with established liquid urine methods (iodine: R 2 = 0.9483; creatinine: R 2 = 0.9782). Results demonstrate that the dried urine iodine and creatinine assays are ideal for testing the iodine status of individuals and for wide scale application in iodine screening programs

  12. Periodismo ambiental

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucía Lemos

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Los periodistas toman el tema del medio ambiente cada vez más en serio. El uso de temas relacionados con el medio ambiente, debe estar ligado al análisis socio-económico y a las posibilidades de comunicación y educación de diferentes regiones del mundo. A continuación se presenta un resumen de la situación ambiental, las acciones de prensa y comunicación que se llevan a cabo en América Central (Panamá, El Salvador, Costa Rica y en Sudamérica Brasil,Colombia, Chile, México, y Perú. Se concluye en la necesidad de formar hábitos ecológicos. Los comunicadores deben presentar soluciones a los problemas, fomentar campañas comunes, compartir información y velar por el ambiente ambiente para que las generaciones futuras no tengan que perecer.

  13. Microbiological, physicochemical and sensory parameters of dry fermented sausages manufactured with high hydrostatic pressure processed raw meat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omer, M K; Prieto, B; Rendueles, E; Alvarez-Ordoñez, A; Lunde, K; Alvseike, O; Prieto, M

    2015-10-01

    The aim of this trial was to describe physicochemical, microbiological and organoleptic characteristics of dry fermented sausages produced from high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) pre-processed trimmings. During ripening of the meat products pH, weight, water activity (aw), and several microbiological parameters were measured at zero, eight, fifteen days and after 6weeks. Sensory characteristics were estimated at day 15 and after six weeks by a test panel by using several sensory tests. Enterobacteriaceae were not detected in sausages from HHP-processed trimmings. Fermentation was little affected, but weight and aw of the HHP-processed sausages decreased faster during ripening. HHP-treated sausages were consistently less favoured than non HHP-treated sausages, but the strategy may be an alternative approach if the process is optimized. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Solid Sampling with a Diode Laser for Portable Ambient Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yung, Yeni P; Wickramasinghe, Raveendra; Vaikkinen, Anu; Kauppila, Tiina J; Veryovkin, Igor V; Hanley, Luke

    2017-07-18

    A hand-held diode laser is implemented for solid sampling in portable ambient mass spectrometry (MS). Specifically, a pseudocontinuous wave battery-powered surgical laser diode is employed for portable laser diode thermal desorption (LDTD) at 940 nm and compared with nanosecond pulsed laser ablation at 2940 nm. Postionization is achieved in both cases using atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI). The laser ablation atmospheric pressure photoionization (LAAPPI) and LDTD-APPI mass spectra of sage leaves (Salvia officinalis) using a field-deployable quadrupole ion trap MS display many similar ion peaks, as do the mass spectra of membrane grown biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results indicate that LDTD-APPI method should be useful for in-field sampling of plant and microbial communities, for example, by portable ambient MS. The feasibility of many portable MS applications is facilitated by the availability of relatively low cost, portable, battery-powered diode lasers. LDTD could also be coupled with plasma- or electrospray-based ionization for the analysis of a variety of solid samples.

  15. Secondary organic aerosol formation from ambient air in an oxidation flow reactor in central Amazonia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palm, Brett B.; de Sá, Suzane S.; Day, Douglas A.; Campuzano-Jost, Pedro; Hu, Weiwei; Seco, Roger; Sjostedt, Steven J.; Park, Jeong-Hoo; Guenther, Alex B.; Kim, Saewung; Brito, Joel; Wurm, Florian; Artaxo, Paulo; Thalman, Ryan; Wang, Jian; Yee, Lindsay D.; Wernis, Rebecca; Isaacman-VanWertz, Gabriel; Goldstein, Allen H.; Liu, Yingjun; Springston, Stephen R.; Souza, Rodrigo; Newburn, Matt K.; Lizabeth Alexander, M.; Martin, Scot T.; Jimenez, Jose L.

    2018-01-01

    Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from ambient air was studied using an oxidation flow reactor (OFR) coupled to an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) during both the wet and dry seasons at the Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5) field campaign. Measurements were made at two sites downwind of the city of Manaus, Brazil. Ambient air was oxidized in the OFR using variable concentrations of either OH or O3, over ranges from hours to days (O3) or weeks (OH) of equivalent atmospheric aging. The amount of SOA formed in the OFR ranged from 0 to as much as 10 µg m-3, depending on the amount of SOA precursor gases in ambient air. Typically, more SOA was formed during nighttime than daytime, and more from OH than from O3 oxidation. SOA yields of individual organic precursors under OFR conditions were measured by standard addition into ambient air and were confirmed to be consistent with published environmental chamber-derived SOA yields. Positive matrix factorization of organic aerosol (OA) after OH oxidation showed formation of typical oxidized OA factors and a loss of primary OA factors as OH aging increased. After OH oxidation in the OFR, the hygroscopicity of the OA increased with increasing elemental O : C up to O : C ˜ 1.0, and then decreased as O : C increased further. Possible reasons for this decrease are discussed. The measured SOA formation was compared to the amount predicted from the concentrations of measured ambient SOA precursors and their SOA yields. While measured ambient precursors were sufficient to explain the amount of SOA formed from O3, they could only explain 10-50 % of the SOA formed from OH. This is consistent with previous OFR studies, which showed that typically unmeasured semivolatile and intermediate volatility gases (that tend to lack C = C bonds) are present in ambient air and can explain such additional SOA formation. To investigate the sources of the unmeasured SOA-forming gases during this campaign

  16. Thermal, electronic and ductile properties of lead-chalcogenides under pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Dinesh C; Bhat, Idris Hamid

    2013-09-01

    Fully relativistic pseudo-potential ab-initio calculations have been performed to investigate the high pressure phase transition, elastic and electronic properties of lead-chalcogenides including the less known lead polonium. The calculated ground state parameters, for the rock-salt structure show good agreement with the experimental data. PbS, PbSe, PbTe and PbPo undergo a first-order phase transition from rock-salt to CsCl structure at 19.4, 15.5, 11.5 and 7.3 GPa, respectively. The elastic properties have also been calculated. The calculations successfully predicted the location of the band gap at L-point of Brillouin zone and the band gap for each material at ambient pressure. It is observed that unlike other lead-chalcogenides, PbPo is semi-metal at ambient pressure. The pressure variation of the energy gap indicates that these materials metalize under pressure. The electronic structures of these materials have been computed in parent as well as in high pressure B2 phase.

  17. Evaluation of browning ratio in an image analysis of apple slices at different stages of instant controlled pressure drop-assisted hot-air drying (AD-DIC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Kun; Zhou, Linyan; Bi, Jinfeng; Yi, Jianyong; Wu, Xinye; Zhou, Mo; Wang, Xueyuan; Liu, Xuan

    2017-06-01

    Computer vision-based image analysis systems are widely used in food processing to evaluate quality changes. They are able to objectively measure the surface colour of various products since, providing some obvious advantages with their objectivity and quantitative capabilities. In this study, a computer vision-based image analysis system was used to investigate the colour changes of apple slices dried by instant controlled pressure drop-assisted hot air drying (AD-DIC). The CIE L* value and polyphenol oxidase activity in apple slices decreased during the entire drying process, whereas other colour indexes, including CIE a*, b*, ΔE and C* values, increased. The browning ratio calculated by image analysis increased during the drying process, and a sharp increment was observed for the DIC process. The change in 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and fluorescent compounds (FIC) showed the same trend with browning ratio due to Maillard reaction. Moreover, the concentrations of 5-HMF and FIC both had a good quadratic correlation (R 2  > 0.998) with the browning ratio. Browning ratio was a reliable indicator of 5-HMF and FIC changes in apple slices during drying. The image analysis system could be used to monitor colour changes, 5-HMF and FIC in dehydrated apple slices during the AD-DIC process. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  18. Effect of microwave and air drying of parboiled rice on stabilization of rice bran oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rizk, Laila F.

    1995-06-01

    Full Text Available Two rice varieties, Giza 175 (short grain and Giza 181 (long grain were partDoiled by soaking the grains at room temperature for 20 hours and steaming for 15 min then dried either at room temperature or by microwave. The results indicated that air and microwave drying significantly increased oil extraction in both rice bran varieties. Parboiling followed by air or microwave drying produced a slight change on protein, fiber and ash content of rice bran and reduced the development of free fatty acids (F.F.A. In oil bran. Microwave samples have less F.F.A. content than the corresponding samples air dried. Oils from the cold stored rice bran presented lower F.F.A. than the corresponding oil bran stored at room temperature. The ratio between total unsaturated fatty acids and total saturated ones (Tu/Ts decreased after air and microwave drying. Results also show that air drying increased the ratio of total hydrocarbons and total sterols (Tu/Ts in both varieties while microwave decreased it.

    Dos variedades de arroz, Giza 175 (grano corto y Giza 181 (grano largo se precocieron mediante la puesta en remojo de los granos a temperatura ambiente durante 20 horas y cocimiento al vapor durante 15 minutos, luego se secaron a temperatura ambiente o por microondas. Los resultados indicaron que el secado al aire y en microondas aumentó significativamente la extracción del aceite en ambas variedades de salvado de arroz. El precocido seguido del secado al aire o en microondas produjo un cambio pequeño en el contenido en proteína, fibra y ceniza y redujo el desarrollo de ácidos grasos libres (F.F.A. en el aceite de salvado. Las muestras secadas en microondas tuvieron un menor contenido en F.F.A. que las muestras correspondientes al secado en aire. Aceites de salvado de arroz almacenado en frió presentaron menor F.F.A. que los almacenados a temperatura ambiente. La relación entre ácidos grasos insaturados totales y los saturados totales (Tu/Ts disminuy

  19. Micro X-ray CT imaging of pore-scale changes in unconsolidated sediment under confining pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schindler, M.; Prasad, M.

    2017-12-01

    Micro X-ray computed tomography was used to image confining-pressure induced changes in a dry, unconsolidated quartz sand pack while simultaneously recording ultrasonic P-wave velocities. The experiments were performed under in-situ pressure of up to 4000 psi. The majority of digital rock physics studies rely on micro CT images obtained under ambient pressure and temperature conditions although effective rock properties strongly depend on in situ conditions. Goal of this work is to be able to obtain micro CT images of rock samples while pore and confining pressure is applied. Simultaneously we recorded ultrasonic P-wave velocities. The combination of imaging and velocity measurements provides insight in pore-scale changes in the rock and their influence on elastic properties. We visually observed a reduction in porosity by more than a third of the initial value as well as extensive grain damage, changes in pore and grain size distribution and an increase in contact number and contact radius with increasing confining pressure. An increase in measured ultrasonic P-wave velocities with increasing pressure was observed. We used porosity, contact number and contact radius obtained from micro CT images to model P-wave velocity with the contact-radius model by Bachrach et al. (1998). Our observations showed that the frame of unconsolidated sediments is significantly altered starting at pressures of only 1000 psi. This finding indicates that common assumptions in rock physics models (the solid frame remains unchanged) are violated for unconsolidated sediments. The effects on the solid frame should be taken into account when modeling the pressure dependence of elastic rock properties.

  20. Electron-beam mediated dry distillation of lignin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chulkov, V.N.; Bludenko, A.V.; Ponomarev, A.V.

    2007-01-01

    Radiation heating was studied for its application in dry distillation of lignin under high absorbed-dose irradiation with no supplementary heating device used. Commercial preparation Polyphepan containing lignin (90 wt.%) and cellulose (10 wt.%), dried at 102 deg C, was used. The test samples were exposed to 8 MeV electron beams on U-003 linear accelerator under atmospheric pressure, with dose rates of 3.6 and 4.8 kGy/s. It is demonstrated that an increased yield of liquid products of dry lignin distillation is observed under conditions studied with a two-fold decrease in energy consumption due to more favorable heating conditions and intensification of free-radical reactions [ru

  1. NpX3 compounds under high pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zwirner, S.; Kalvius, G.M.

    1993-01-01

    The systematics of hyperfine interactions and the ordering temperature T ord in isostructural NpX 3 compounds (X=Al, Si, Ga, Ge, ln, Sn) are briefly reviewed. NpSn 3 has been viewed as a Kondo lattice system, similar to CeAl 2 , NpIn 3 shows a modulated magnetic structure including low moment and nonmagnetic contributions at ambient pressure and 4.2 K. Preliminary results of recent 237 Np Moessbauer studies on NpIn 3 at ambient pressure and various temperatures and at 4.0(8) GPa and 4.2 K are reported. At 4.0(8) GPa, T ord rises from 17 to 22 K, the low-moment contributions of the modulated structure are reduced and the non-magnetic site is lost below T ord . The variation of the hyperfine parameters and of T ord with pressure is similar to the behavior observed in NpSn 3 . (orig.)

  2. Drying kinetics of whole and sliced turmeric rhizomes (Curcuma longa L. in a solar conduction dryer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Borah

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Drying of turmeric was carried out in a solar conduction dryer (SCD. Drying air temperature was achieved around 39–51 °C for an ambient temperature in the range of 25–28 °C. Moisture content from 78.65% (wb, was reduced to 6.36% (wb and 5.50% (wb for solid and sliced samples respectively in 12 h effective drying time. Drying curve of sliced samples showed more uniform falling in comparison to that of whole samples. The average effective moisture diffusivity was found to be 1.852 × 10−10 m2 s−1 for slab samples and 1.456 × 10−10 m2 s−1 for solid samples. Out of four models tried for simulation, Page model was found as best fitted thin layer drying model when simulation was done for all the drying data. The overall thermal efficiency of the dryer was found to be 55%. Drying of sliced rhizomes showed better drying kinetics and effective drying time could be reduced by slicing instead of drying in whole form.

  3. Dry coupling for whole-body small-animal photoacoustic computed tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, Chenghung; Li, Lei; Zhu, Liren; Xia, Jun; Li, Chiye; Chen, Wanyi; Garcia-Uribe, Alejandro; Maslov, Konstantin I.; Wang, Lihong V.

    2017-04-01

    We have enhanced photoacoustic computed tomography with dry acoustic coupling that eliminates water immersion anxiety and wrinkling of the animal and facilitates incorporating complementary modalities and procedures. The dry acoustic coupler is made of a tubular elastic membrane enclosed by a closed transparent water tank. The tubular membrane ensures water-free contact with the animal, and the closed water tank allows pressurization for animal stabilization. The dry coupler was tested using a whole-body small-animal ring-shaped photoacoustic computed tomography system. Dry coupling was found to provide image quality comparable to that of conventional water coupling.

  4. Surface Pressure Dependencies in the GEOS-Chem-Adjoint System and the Impact of the GEOS-5 Surface Pressure on CO2 Model Forecast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Meemong; Weidner, Richard

    2016-01-01

    In the GEOS-Chem Adjoint (GCA) system, the total (wet) surface pressure of the GEOS meteorology is employed as dry surface pressure, ignoring the presence of water vapor. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) research team has been evaluating the impact of the above discrepancy on the CO2 model forecast and the CO2 flux inversion. The JPL CMS research utilizes a multi-mission assimilation framework developed by the Multi-Mission Observation Operator (M2O2) research team at JPL extending the GCA system. The GCA-M2O2 framework facilitates mission-generic 3D and 4D-variational assimilations streamlining the interfaces to the satellite data products and prior emission inventories. The GCA-M2O2 framework currently integrates the GCA system version 35h and provides a dry surface pressure setup to allow the CO2 model forecast to be performed with the GEOS-5 surface pressure directly or after converting it to dry surface pressure.

  5. THE EFFECT OF STORAGE AT AMBIENT HUMIDITY ON THE BET-SPECIFIC SURFACE-AREA OF TABLETS COMPACTED FROM DIFFERENT MATERIALS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    RIEPMA, KA; DEKKER, BG; JAGER, RS; ELBERSE, PA; LERK, CF

    1993-01-01

    Tablets compacted from both water soluble and water insoluble particulate solids showed no change in BET-specific surface area when transferred immediately after ejection from the die in a dry atmosphere. Storage at ambient humidity resulted in an irreversible decrease in surface area, caused by

  6. Vapor pressure and vapor fractionation of silicate melts of tektite composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Louis S.; Carron, M.K.

    1964-01-01

    The total vapor pressure of Philippine tektite melts of approximately 70 per cent silica has been determined at temperatures ranging from 1500 to 2100??C. This pressure is 190 ?? 40 mm Hg at 1500??C, 450 ?? 50 mm at 1800??C and 850 ?? 70 mm at 2100?? C. Determinations were made by visually observing the temperature at which bubbles began to form at a constant low ambient pressure. By varying the ambient pressure, a boiling point curve was constructed. This curve differs from the equilibrium vapor pressure curve due to surface tension effects. This difference was evaluated by determining the equilibrium bubble size in the melt and calculating the pressure due to surface tension, assuming the latter to be 380 dyn/cm. The relative volatility from tektite melts of the oxides of Na, K, Fe, Al and Si has been determined as a function of temperature, total pressure arid roughly, of oxygen fugacity. The volatility of SiO2 is decreased and that of Na2O and K2O is increased in an oxygen-poor environment. Preliminary results indicate that volatilization at 2100??C under atmospheric pressure caused little or no change in the percentage Na2O and K2O. The ratio Fe3 Fe2 of the tektite is increased in ambient air at a pressure of 9 ?? 10-4 mm Hg (= 106.5 atm O2, partial pressure) at 2000??C. This suggests that tektites were formed either at lower oxygen pressures or that they are a product of incomplete oxidation of parent material with a still lower ferricferrous ratio. ?? 1964.

  7. Egg weights, egg component weights, and laying gaps in Great Tits (Parus major) in relation to ambient temperature

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lessells, C.M.; Dingemanse, N.J.; Both, C.; Blem, C.

    2002-01-01

    We collected 328 freshly laid Great Tit (Parus major) eggs from 38 clutches in 1999 to determine the relationship of whole egg weight, wet yolk weight, wet albumen weight, dry shell weight, and the occurrence of laying gaps with mean ambient temperature in the three days preceding laying, while

  8. Egg weights, egg component weights, and laying gaps in great tits (Parus major) in relation to ambient temperature.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lessells, C.M.; Dingemanse, N.J.; Both, C.

    2002-01-01

    We collected 328 freshly laid Great Tit (Parus major) eggs from 38 clutches in 1999 to determine the relationship of whole egg weight, wet yolk weight, wet albumen weight, dry shell weight, and the occurrence of laying gaps with mean ambient temperature in the three days preceding laying, while

  9. Experimental investigations on drying behaviour of Bulgarian brown coal in steam fluidized bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buschsieweke, F.; Koenig, J.

    1999-01-01

    The main targets were: to investigate the parameters for optimizing the drying process as steam pressure, fluidization velocity and particle size; to identify the cost of drying and combustion processes considering the necessity of milling the coal (raw or dried). Test series with Bulgarian brown coal from Maritsa-East has been made. Two fractions with different particle size was got: A from 0 to 1.6 mm (0.5 mm average) and B, resp. 1.6 to 6.3 (1.7 mm). The particle size is depending on the coal moisture. The fluidized bed process with the both fractions was performed at variations of the following parameters: steam velocity (0.07 to 1.7 m/s); raw coal feed rate (4 to 16 kg/h); raw moisture (18 to 43 wt %) and pressure (1.3 and 5 bar). Also the shrinking behaviour of the coal in different pore sizes was tested. Comparing pore size of the oven dried coal to the fluidized bed dried coal, significantly higher inner surface for the oven dried coal was established. To indicate the pore size of raw coal samples were made by freeze drying. Ice expanding should cause higher inner surface compared to oven drying method but no significant difference was established. A significant increase of heat transfer of the particles from A fraction (300 to 350 W/m 2 K0 compared to B (200 to 230 W/m 2 K) was determined. The heat transfer coefficient increased at increasing of the raw coal feed rate, mostly significant for A, due to higher particle contact. In conclusion: the particle convective mechanism is predominant for the heat transfer; development of pressurized fluidized bed drying is not of interest and the question about the total expenditure for crushing and milling remains open

  10. Two-phase flows and heat transfer within systems with ambient pressure above the thermodynamic critical pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendricks, R. C.; Braun, M. J.; Mullen, R. L.

    1986-01-01

    In systems where the design inlet and outlet pressure P sub amb are maintained above the thermodynamic critical pressure P sub c, it is often assumed that heat and mass transfer are governed by single-phase relations and that two-phase flows cannot occur. This simple rule of thumb is adequate in many low-power designs but is inadequate for high-performance turbomachines, boilers, and other systems where two-phase regions can exist even though P sub amb P sub c. Heat and mass transfer and rotordynamic-fluid-mechanic restoring forces depend on momentum differences, and those for a two-phase zone can differ significantly from those for a single-phase zone. By using a laminar, variable-property bearing code and a rotating boiler code, pressure and temperature surfaces were determined that illustrate nesting of a two-phase region within a supercritical pressure region. The method of corresponding states is applied to bearings with reasonable rapport.

  11. Nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of brass in a dry and liquid-confined environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bashir, Shazia; Vaheed, Hamza; Mahmood, Khaliq

    2013-02-01

    The effect of ambient environment (dry or wet) and overlapping laser pulses on the laser ablation performance of brass has been investigated. For this purpose, a Q-switched, frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 532 nm, pulse energy of 150 mJ, pulse width of 6 ns and repetition rate of 10 Hz is employed. In order to explore the effect of ambient environments, brass targets have been exposed in deionized water, methanol and air. The targets are exposed for 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 succeeding pulses in each atmosphere. The surface morphology and chemical composition of ablated targets have been characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) techniques. In case of liquid environment, various features like nano- and micro-scale laser-induced periodic surface structures with periodicity 500 nm-1 μm, cavities of size few micrometers with multiple ablative layers and phenomenon of thermal stress cracking are observed. These features are originated by various chemical and thermal phenomena induced by laser heating at the liquid-solid interfaces. The convective bubble motion, explosive boiling, pressure gradients, cluster and colloid formation due to confinement effects of liquids are possible cause for such kind of features. The metal oxides and alcohol formed on irradiated surface are also playing the significant role for the formation of these kinds of structure. In case of air one huge crater is formed along with the redeposition of sputtered material and is ascribed to laser-induced evaporation and oxide formation.

  12. Model for heat and mass transfer in freeze-drying of pellets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trelea, Ioan Cristian; Passot, Stéphanie; Marin, Michèle; Fonseca, Fernanda

    2009-07-01

    Lyophilizing frozen pellets, and especially spray freeze-drying, have been receiving growing interest. To design efficient and safe freeze-drying cycles, local temperature and moisture content in the product bed have to be known, but both are difficult to measure in the industry. Mathematical modeling of heat and mass transfer helps to determine local freeze-drying conditions and predict effects of operation policy, and equipment and recipe changes on drying time and product quality. Representative pellets situated at different positions in the product slab were considered. One-dimensional transfer in the slab and radial transfer in the pellets were assumed. Coupled heat and vapor transfer equations between the temperature-controlled shelf, the product bulk, the sublimation front inside the pellets, and the chamber were established and solved numerically. The model was validated based on bulk temperature measurement performed at two different locations in the product slab and on partial vapor pressure measurement in the freeze-drying chamber. Fair agreement between measured and calculated values was found. In contrast, a previously developed model for compact product layer was found inadequate in describing freeze-drying of pellets. The developed model represents a good starting basis for studying freeze-drying of pellets. It has to be further improved and validated for a variety of product types and freeze-drying conditions (shelf temperature, total chamber pressure, pellet size, slab thickness, etc.). It could be used to develop freeze-drying cycles based on product quality criteria such as local moisture content and glass transition temperature.

  13. Grapes ( Vitis vinifera) drying by semitransparent photovoltaic module (SPVM) integrated solar dryer: an experimental study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, Sumit; Tiwari, G. N.

    2018-06-01

    In present research paper, semi-transparent photovoltaic module (SPVM) integrated greenhouse solar drying system has been used for grapes ( Vitis vinifera) drying. Based on hourly experimental information namely solar intensity, moisture evaporated, ambient air temperature, grape surface temperatures, relative humidity and greenhouse air temperature etc. heat and mass transfer coefficient for the SPVM drying system have been evaluated. It has been seen that the convective heat transfer coefficients for grapes found between 3.1-0.84 W/m2 K. Also, there is a fair agreement between theoretical and practical mass transfer (moisture evaporated) during drying of grapes with a correlation coefficient (r) and root mean square percentage deviation (e) of 0.88 and 11.56 respectively. Further, nonlinear regression procedure has been used to fit various drying models namely Henderson and Pabis model, Newton's model, and Page's model. From the analysis, it was found that Page's model is best fitted for grapes drying in SPV greenhouse as well as open sun drying. Further, net electrical energy, thermal energy and equivalent thermal energy were found to be 3.61, 17.66 and 27.15 kWh during six days of drying respectively.

  14. Grapes (Vitis vinifera) drying by semitransparent photovoltaic module (SPVM) integrated solar dryer: an experimental study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, Sumit; Tiwari, G. N.

    2017-12-01

    In present research paper, semi-transparent photovoltaic module (SPVM) integrated greenhouse solar drying system has been used for grapes (Vitis vinifera) drying. Based on hourly experimental information namely solar intensity, moisture evaporated, ambient air temperature, grape surface temperatures, relative humidity and greenhouse air temperature etc. heat and mass transfer coefficient for the SPVM drying system have been evaluated. It has been seen that the convective heat transfer coefficients for grapes found between 3.1-0.84 W/m2 K. Also, there is a fair agreement between theoretical and practical mass transfer (moisture evaporated) during drying of grapes with a correlation coefficient (r) and root mean square percentage deviation (e) of 0.88 and 11.56 respectively. Further, nonlinear regression procedure has been used to fit various drying models namely Henderson and Pabis model, Newton's model, and Page's model. From the analysis, it was found that Page's model is best fitted for grapes drying in SPV greenhouse as well as open sun drying. Further, net electrical energy, thermal energy and equivalent thermal energy were found to be 3.61, 17.66 and 27.15 kWh during six days of drying respectively.

  15. High pressure processing for dark-firm-dry beef: effect on physical properties and oxidative deterioration during refrigerated storage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dicky Tri Utama

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective Study on the application of high pressure processing (HPP for dark-firm-dry (DFD beef was conducted to observe whether HPP has any impact on physical properties and to evaluate oxidative deterioration during refrigerated storage under vacuum. Methods The longissimus lumborum muscles obtained from Friesian Holstein steers (33±0.5 months old with 24-h postmortem pH higher than 6.0 were vacuum-packed and subjected to pressurization at 200, 400, and 600 MPa for 180 s at 15°C±2°C; the samples were then stored for 9 days at 4°C±1°C and compared with control (0.1 MPa. Results HPP increased meat pH by 0.1 to 0.2 units and the tenderness of cooked DFD beef significantly with no significant effects on meat texture profile. The stability of meat pH was well maintained during refrigerated storage under vacuum. No clear effects were found on the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase, however, glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly reduced by high pressure. HPP and storage time resulted in aroma changes and the increasing amount of malondialdehyde and metmyoglobin relative composition. Conclusion Although the increasing amount of malondialdehyde content, metmyoglobin formation and aroma changes in HPP-treated samples could not be avoided, HPP at 200 MPa increased L* and a* values with less discoloration and oxidative deterioration during storage.

  16. An extended view on benefits and barriers of ambient assisted living solutions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jaschinski, Christina; Allouch, S.B.

    2015-01-01

    Motivated by the older adults’ desire to age in their trusted home environment and the increasing financial pressure on the healthcare system, Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies are designed to facilitate healthy and autonomous aging in place. To aid the acceptance of these still immature

  17. Current problems of raw fish material processing while manufacturing dried products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yashonkov A. A.

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The substantiation for using techniques of fish raw material canning has been presented, raw fish being caught or farmed in aquaculture. The main problems in raw fish canning have been reviewed, including significant reduction in thermolabile vitamins in the ultimate product as compared with the raw material due to the thermal processing. Promising canning technique – vacuum drying – has been proposed. This technique makes possible to reduce the temperature of thermal processing down to 50…55 °С and significantly enlarge preservation of thermolabile vitamins from the raw fish. Sampling of raw materials, semi-finished products, finished products, including preparation for analysis has been conducted by standard methods. Disadvantages of this way have been found, it is low energy efficiency of the process. The way to intensify the vacuum drying of aquatic organisms has been proposed based on the method of preliminary pore-forming due to augmenting the area of moisture evaporation. The design of the pilot plant has been proposed in order to research the process of pore forming and vacuum drying. Target species for processing have been suggested. They are as follows: Azov goby (fillet for food products and Black Sea sprat for feeds. The recipes of the feed mixture for granulated floating food for trout have been developed. The results of the first series of the pilot research have been provided. The experiments have proved that preliminary pore forming immediately before vacuum drying makes possible to enlarge the surface area of moisture evaporation by 15…25 %. By processing photomicrographs of sections by means of a special software the authors have got the results demonstrating that when manufacturing dried products by pore forming and drying under pressure 10 kPa the pore take 35...38 % of the inner volume of the product and with drying under pressure 10 kPa – only 18...21 %, and when drying under the atmospheric pressure – 11...13 %.

  18. Pressure vessel design manual

    CERN Document Server

    Moss, Dennis R

    2013-01-01

    Pressure vessels are closed containers designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure substantially different from the ambient pressure. They have a variety of applications in industry, including in oil refineries, nuclear reactors, vehicle airbrake reservoirs, and more. The pressure differential with such vessels is dangerous, and due to the risk of accident and fatality around their use, the design, manufacture, operation and inspection of pressure vessels is regulated by engineering authorities and guided by legal codes and standards. Pressure Vessel Design Manual is a solutions-focused guide to the many problems and technical challenges involved in the design of pressure vessels to match stringent standards and codes. It brings together otherwise scattered information and explanations into one easy-to-use resource to minimize research and take readers from problem to solution in the most direct manner possible. * Covers almost all problems that a working pressure vessel designer can expect to face, with ...

  19. Evaluation of energy consumption in different drying methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Motevali, Ali; Minaei, Saeid; Khoshtagaza, Mohammad Hadi [Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Agricultural Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 14115-111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2011-02-15

    This study was conducted to evaluate energy consumption in various drying systems including hot-air convection, use of microwave pretreatment with convection dryer, microwave drying, vacuum drying and infrared drying. Tests were conducted using pomegranate arils under various experimental conditions as follows. In convection dryer at six temperature levels (45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 C) and three air velocity levels (0.5, 1 and 1.5 m/s) at three pretreatments of control, 100 W microwave pretreatment for 20 min and 200 W microwave pretreatment for 10 min. Experiments in the microwave dryer were done at three power levels of 100, 200 and 300 W and in vacuum dryer at five temperature levels (50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 C) under 250 kPa pressure. For infrared drying, there were four air velocity levels (0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 m/s) and three illumination levels (0.22, 0.31 and 0.49 W/cm{sup 2}). Experimental results showed that minimum and maximum energy consumption in pomegranate drying were associated with microwave and vacuum dryers, respectively. The use of microwave pretreatment in drying pomegranate arils in hot air dryer decreased drying time and energy consumption in comparison with pure convection drying. In infrared drying, it was found that drying time increased with air velocity which resulted in increased energy consumption. (author)

  20. Evaluation of energy consumption in different drying methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Motevali, Ali; Minaei, Saeid; Khoshtagaza, Mohammad Hadi

    2011-01-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate energy consumption in various drying systems including hot-air convection, use of microwave pretreatment with convection dryer, microwave drying, vacuum drying and infrared drying. Tests were conducted using pomegranate arils under various experimental conditions as follows. In convection dryer at six temperature levels (45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 o C) and three air velocity levels (0.5, 1 and 1.5 m/s) at three pretreatments of control, 100 W microwave pretreatment for 20 min and 200 W microwave pretreatment for 10 min. Experiments in the microwave dryer were done at three power levels of 100, 200 and 300 W and in vacuum dryer at five temperature levels (50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 o C) under 250 kPa pressure. For infrared drying, there were four air velocity levels (0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 m/s) and three illumination levels (0.22, 0.31 and 0.49 W/cm 2 ). Experimental results showed that minimum and maximum energy consumption in pomegranate drying were associated with microwave and vacuum dryers, respectively. The use of microwave pretreatment in drying pomegranate arils in hot air dryer decreased drying time and energy consumption in comparison with pure convection drying. In infrared drying, it was found that drying time increased with air velocity which resulted in increased energy consumption.

  1. High-Pressure High-Temperature Phase Diagram of the Organic Crystal Paracetamol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Spencer; Montgomery, Jeffrey; Vohra, Yogesh

    High-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) Raman spectroscopy studies have been performed on the organic crystal paracetamol in a diamond anvil cell utilizing boron-doped diamond as heating anvil. The HPHT data obtained from boron-doped diamond heater is cross-checked with data obtained using a standard block heater diamond anvil cell. Isobaric measurements were conducted at pressures up to 8.5 GPa and temperature up to 520 K in a number of different experiments. Solid state phase transitions from monoclinic Form I --> orthorhombic Form II were observed at various pressures and temperatures as well as transitions from Form II --> unknown Form IV. The melting temperature for paracetamol was observed to increase with increasing pressures to 8.5 GPa. Our previous angle dispersive x-ray diffraction studies at the Advanced Photon Source has confirmed the existence of two unknown crystal structures Form IV and Form V of paracetamol at high pressure and ambient temperature. The phase transformation from Form II to Form IV occurs at ~8.5 GPa and from Form IV to Form V occurs at ~11 GPa at ambient temperature. Our new data is combined with the previous ambient temperature high-pressure Raman and X- ray diffraction data to create the first HPHT phase diagram of paracetamol. Doe-NNSA Carnegie DOE Alliance Center (CDAC) under Grant Number DE-NA0002006.

  2. The feasibility of desorption on Zeolite-water pair using dry gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oktariani, E.; Nakashima, K.; Noda, A.; Xue, B.; Tahara, K.; Nakaso, K.; Fukai, J.

    2018-04-01

    The increase in temperature, reduction in partial pressure, reduction in concentration, purging with an inert fluid, and displacement with a more strongly adsorbing species are the basic things that occur in the practical method of desorption. In this study, dry gas at constant temperature and pressure was employed as the aid to reduce the partial pressure in the water desorption on the zeolite 13X. The objective of this study is to confirm the feasibility of desorption using dry gas experimentally and numerically. The implication of heat and mass transfers were numerically investigated to find the most influential. The results of numerical simulation agree with the experimental ones for the distribution of local temperature and average water adsorbed in the packed bed.

  3. Disentangling the environmental heterogeneity, floristic distinctiveness and current threats of tropical dry forests in Colombia

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-M, Roy; García, Hernando; Isaacs, Paola; Cuadros, Hermes; López-Camacho, René; Rodríguez, Nelly; Pérez, Karen; Mijares, Francisco; Castaño-Naranjo, Alejandro; Jurado, Rubén; Idárraga-Piedrahíta, Álvaro; Rojas, Alicia; Vergara, Hernando; Pizano, Camila

    2018-04-01

    Tropical dry forests (TDFs) have been defined as a single biome occurring mostly in the lowlands where there is a marked period of drought during the year. In the Neotropics, dry forests occur across contrasting biogeographical regions that contain high beta diversity and endemism, but also strong anthropogenic pressures that threaten their biodiversity and ecological integrity. In Colombia, TDFs occur across six regions with contrasting soils, climate, and anthropogenic pressures, therefore being ideal for studying how these variables relate to dry forest species composition, successional stage and conservation status. Here, we explore the variation in climate and soil conditions, floristic composition, forest fragment size and shape, successional stage and anthropogenic pressures in 571 dry forest fragments across Colombia. We found that TDFs should not be classified solely on rainfall seasonality, as high variation in precipitation and temperature were correlated with soil characteristics. In fact, based on environmental factors and floristic composition, the dry forests of Colombia are clustered in three distinctive groups, with high species turnover across and within regions, as reported for other TDF regions of the Neotropics. Widely distributed TDF species were found to be generalists favored by forest disturbance and the early successional stages of dry forests. On the other hand, TDF fragments were not only small in size, but highly irregular in shape in all regions, and comprising mostly early and intermediate successional stages, with very little mature forest left at the national level. At all sites, we detected at least seven anthropogenic disturbances with agriculture, cattle ranching and human infrastructure being the most pressing disturbances throughout the country. Thus, although environmental factors and floristic composition of dry forests vary across regions at the national level, dry forests are equally threatened by deforestation, degradation

  4. Temporal and spatial dynamics of laser-induced aluminum plasma in argon background at atmospheric pressure: Interplay with the ambient gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, Q.L.; Motto-Ros, V.; Lei, W.Q.; Boueri, M.; Bai, X.S.; Zheng, L.J.; Zeng, H.P.; Yu, J.

    2010-01-01

    Laser ablation in background gas implies supplementary complexities with respect to what happens in the vacuum. It is however essential to understand in detail the involved mechanisms for a number of applications requiring the ablation to be performed in an ambient gas at relative high pressure, such as pulsed-laser deposition, or laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. In this paper, the expansion of a vapor plume ablated from an aluminum target into an argon gas at atmospheric pressure is experimentally investigated using time- and space-resolved emission spectroscopy. The obtained results provide a detailed description of the interplay between the vapor and the gas. The electron density, the temperature and the number densities (and therefore the partial pressures) of aluminum vapor and argon gas have been measured in and surrounding the vapor plume. Our observations show a confinement of the vapor plume by the gas, which is expected as predicted by the usual hydrodynamics models. The result is a plasma core with quite uniform distributions in electron density, temperature and number densities. Such plasma core presents an ideal emission source for spectroscopic applications. It is however evidenced by our observations that a large amount of argon is mixed into the aluminum plume in the plasma core, which invalidates in the experimental conditions that we used, the hydrodynamic 'piston' model where the background gas is pushed out by the shock wave surrounding the vapor plume. Instead, other mechanisms such as laser-supported detonation wave should play important roles in the early stage of the expansion of the plasma for the determination of its morphology at longer delays.

  5. Storage properties of gamma-irradiated semi-dried fish varieties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vinh, P.Q.; Alur, M.D.; Nair, P.M.

    1993-01-01

    Several varieties of semi-dried unirradiated and irradiated (1 and 3 kGy) fish, namely, anchovies (Stolephorus commersonii), Bombay duck (Harpodon nehereus), shrimp (Penaeus indicus) and Vietnam scad (Alepes mate) were stored at ambient temperature (26 degree C). During the course of storage, quality characteristics such as total bacterial count (TBC), mould count and biochemical indices of freshness were studied. These studies indicated that initial TBC of semi-dried fish varied from 700-5400 cfu per g of fish, while mould could ranged from 27-1500 cfu per g. However, upon irradiation at 3 kGy, initial bacterial load was considerably reduced. Vietnam scad was not contaminated with mould after 3-5 months of storage at room temperature. Indices such as TVA and TVBN increased during storage at room temperature for both unirradiated and irradiated samples

  6. Sensing line effects on PWR-based differential pressure measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, R.P.; Neff, G.G.

    1982-01-01

    An incorrrect configuration of the fluid-filled pressure sensing lines connecting differential pressure transducers to the pressure taps in a pressurized water reactor system can cause errors in the measurement and, during rapid pressure transients, could cause the transducer to fail. Testing was performed in both static and dynamic modes to experimentally determine the effects of sensing lines of various lengths, diameters, and materials. Testing was performed at ambient temperature with absolute line pressures at about 17 MPa using water as the pressure transmission fluid

  7. Dry alcohol production plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stanković Mirjana S.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The IGPC Engineering Department designed basic projects for dry alcohol production plant, using technology developed in the IGPC laboratories. Several projects were completed: technological, machine, electrical, automation. On the basis of these projects a production plant with a capacity of 40 m3/y was manufactured, at "Zorka Pharma", Šabac in 1995-1996. The product meets all quality demands, as well as environmental regulations. The dry alcohol production process is fully automatized. There is no waste in the process, neither gaseous, nor liquid. The chosen process provides safe operation according to temperature regime and resistance in the pipes, air purification columns and filters. Working at increased pressure is suitable for evaporation and condensation at increased temperatures. The production process can be controlled manually, which is necessary during start-up, and repairs.

  8. Hydrogen storage in insulated pressure vessels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aceves, S.M.; Garcia-Villazana, O. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

    1998-08-01

    Insulated pressure vessels are cryogenic-capable pressure vessels that can be fueled with liquid hydrogen (LH{sub 2}) or ambient-temperature compressed hydrogen (CH{sub 2}). Insulated pressure vessels offer the advantages of liquid hydrogen tanks (low weight and volume), with reduced disadvantages (lower energy requirement for hydrogen liquefaction and reduced evaporative losses). This paper shows an evaluation of the applicability of the insulated pressure vessels for light-duty vehicles. The paper shows an evaluation of evaporative losses and insulation requirements and a description of the current analysis and experimental plans for testing insulated pressure vessels. The results show significant advantages to the use of insulated pressure vessels for light-duty vehicles.

  9. Dry Electrodes for ECG and Pulse Transit Time for Blood Pressure: A Wearable Sensor and Smartphone Communication Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shyamkumar, Prashanth

    Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) have been a major cause for deaths in both men and women in United States. Cerebrovascular Diseases like Strokes are known to have origins in CVDs as well. Moreover, nearly 18 Million Americans have a history of myocardial infarction and are currently undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. Consequently, CVDs are the highest costing disease groups and cost more than all types of cancer combined. However, significant cost reduction is possible through the effective use of the vast advances in embedded and pervasive electronic devices for healthcare. These devices can automate and move a significant portion of disease management to the patient's home through cyber connectivity, a concept known as point-of-care (POC) diagnostics and healthcare services. POC can minimize hospital visits and potentially avoid admission altogether with prognostic tools that give advanced notice of any abnormalities or chronic illnesses so that the treatment can be planned in advance. The POC concept requires continuous remote health monitoring. Therefore, the various sensors needed for comprehensive monitoring need to be worn daily and throughout the day. Moreover, true "roaming" capability is necessary so that it does not restrict the user's travel or his/her quotidian activities. Two biomedical signals namely, Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Blood Pressure are important diagnostic tests in assessing the cardiac health of a person. To that end, the research presented in this thesis: First , describes the development of a remote monitoring solution based on Bluetooth(TM), smartphones and cyber infrastructure for cardiac care called e-nanoflex. Second, Sensors for ECG that are compatible with everyday life style namely, (a) dry, gel-less vertically aligned gold nanowire electrodes, (b) dry textile-based conductive sensor electrodes to address the need for this technology to monitor cardiovascular diseases in women are tested with e-nanoflex and discussed. Third, non

  10. Comparison of dielectric barrier discharge, atmospheric pressure radiofrequency-driven glow discharge and direct analysis in real time sources for ambient mass spectrometry of acetaminophen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kratzer, Jan [Institute for National Measurement Standards, National Research Council of Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6 (Canada); Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the ASCR, v.v.i., Veveri 97, CZ-602 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Mester, Zoltan [Institute for National Measurement Standards, National Research Council of Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6 (Canada); Sturgeon, Ralph E., E-mail: Ralph.Sturgeon@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca [Institute for National Measurement Standards, National Research Council of Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6 (Canada)

    2011-08-15

    Three plasma-based ambient pressure ion sources were investigated; laboratory constructed dielectric barrier and rf glow discharges, as well as a commercial corona discharge (DART source). All were used to desorb and ionize a model analyte, providing sampling techniques for ambient mass spectrometry (MS). Experimental parameters were optimized to achive highest signal for acetaminophen as the analyte. Insight into the mechanisms of analyte desorption and ionization was obtained by means of emission spectrometry and ion current measurements. Desorption and ionization mechanisms for this analyte appear to be identical for all three plasma sources. Emission spectra differ only in the intensities of various lines and bands. Desorption of solid analyte requires transfer of thermal energy from the plasma source to sample surface, in the absence of which complete loss of MS response occurs. For acetaminophen, helium was the best plasma gas, providing 100- to 1000-fold higher analyte response than with argon or nitrogen. The same trend was also evident with background ions (protonated water clusters). MS analyte signal intensity correlates with the ion density (expressed as ion current) in the plasma plume and with emission intensity from excited state species in the plasma. These observations support an ionization process which occurs via proton transfer from protonated water clusters to analyte molecules.

  11. High-pressure structural study of yttrium monochalcogenides from experiment and theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vaitheeswaran, G.; Kanchana, V.; Svane, A.

    2011-01-01

    High-pressure powder x-ray diffraction experiments using synchrotron radiation are performed on the yttrium monochalcogenides YS, YSe, and YTe up to a maximum pressure of 23 GPa. The ambient NaCl structure is stable throughout the pressure range covered. The bulk moduli are determined to be 93, 82...

  12. Influence of drying conditions on the effective diffusivity and activation energy during convective air and vacuum drying of pumpkin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliana SEREMET (CECLU

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of the work is to investigate the efficiency of convective air and vacuum processing on pumpkin drying kinetics. The pumpkin samples were of two different geometrical shapes (cylinder and cube and were dried in a laboratory scale hot air dryer using some specific parameters (constant air velocity of 1.0 m/s, three different temperatures 50, 60 and 70ºC suited to relative humidity (RH values of 9.8, 6.5, and 5.4% respectively. The vacuum drying was led at constant pressures of 5 kPa and accordance temperatures of 50, 60 and 70ºC. Moisture transfer from pumpkin slices was described by applying Fick’s diffusion model. Temperature dependence of the effective diffusivity was described by the Arrhenius-type equation. Cylindrical samples have a slightly better behaviour compared to cubic samples, due to the disposition of the tissues, and the mass and thermic transfer possibilities. Analysing the results of both drying methods, it was deduced that the most efficient method is convective air drying at 70ºC.

  13. Effects of Biofuel and Variant Ambient Pressure on FlameDevelopment and Emissions of Gasoline Engine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashim, Akasha; Khalid, Amir; Sapit, Azwan; Samsudin, Dahrum

    2016-11-01

    There are many technologies about exhaust emissions reduction for wide variety of spark ignition (SI) engine have been considered as the improvement throughout the combustion process. The stricter on legislation of emission and demands of lower fuel consumption needs to be priority in order to satisfy the demand of emission quality. Besides, alternative fuel such as methanol-gasoline blends is used as working fluid in this study due to its higher octane number and self-sustain concept which capable to contribute positive effect to the combustion process. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of methanol-gasoline fuel with different blending ratio and variant ambient pressures on flame development and emission for gasoline engine. An experimental study is carried towards to the flame development of methanol-gasoline fuel in a constant volume chamber. Schlieren optical visualization technique is a visual process that used when high sensitivity is required to photograph the flow of fluids of varying density used for captured the combustion images in the constant volume chamber and analysed through image processing technique. Apart from that, the result showed combustion burn rate increased when the percentage of methanol content in gasoline increased. Thus, high percentage of methanol-gasoline blends gave greater flame development area. Moreover, the emissions of CO, NOX and HC are performed a reduction when the percentage of methanol content in gasoline is increased. Contrarily, the emission of Carbon dioxide, CO2 is increased due to the combustion process is enhanced.

  14. Investigation of hydrophobic substrates for solution residue analysis utilizing an ambient desorption liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge microplasma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paing, Htoo W; Marcus, R Kenneth

    2018-03-12

    A practical method for preparation of solution residue samples for analysis utilizing the ambient desorption liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (AD-LS-APGD-OES) microplasma is described. Initial efforts involving placement of solution aliquots in wells drilled into copper substrates, proved unsuccessful. A design-of-experiment (DOE) approach was carried out to determine influential factors during sample deposition including solution volume, solute concentration, number of droplets deposited, and the solution matrix. These various aspects are manifested in the mass of analyte deposited as well as the size/shape of the product residue. Statistical analysis demonstrated that only those initial attributes were significant factors towards the emission response of the analyte. Various approaches were investigated to better control the location/uniformity of the deposited sample. Three alternative substrates, a glass slide, a poly(tetrafluoro)ethylene (PTFE) sheet, and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated glass slide, were evaluated towards the microplasma analytical performance. Co-deposition with simple organic dyes provided an accurate means of determining the location of the analyte with only minor influence on emission responses. The PDMS-coated glass provided the best performance by virtue of its providing a uniform spatial distribution of the residue material. This uniformity yielded an improved limits of detection by approximately 22× for 20 μL and 4 x for 2 μL over the other two substrates. While they operate by fundamentally different processes, this choice of substrate is not restricted to the LS-APGD, but may also be applicable to other AD methods such as DESI, DART, or LIBS. Further developments will be directed towards a field-deployable ambient desorption OES source for quantitative analysis of microvolume solution residues of nuclear forensics importance.

  15. Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of High Injection Pressure Blended Biodiesel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalid, Amir; Jaat, Norrizam; Faisal Hushim, Mohd; Manshoor, Bukhari; Zaman, Izzuddin; Sapit, Azwan; Razali, Azahari

    2017-08-01

    Biodiesel have great potential for substitution with petrol fuel for the purpose of achieving clean energy production and emission reduction. Among the methods that can control the combustion properties, controlling of the fuel injection conditions is one of the successful methods. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of high injection pressure of biodiesel blends on spray characteristics using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Injection pressure was observed at 220 MPa, 250 MPa and 280 MPa. The ambient temperature was kept held at 1050 K and ambient pressure 8 MPa in order to simulate the effect of boost pressure or turbo charger during combustion process. Computational Fluid Dynamics were used to investigate the spray characteristics of biodiesel blends such as spray penetration length, spray angle and mixture formation of fuel-air mixing. The results shows that increases of injection pressure, wider spray angle is produced by biodiesel blends and diesel fuel. The injection pressure strongly affects the mixture formation, characteristics of fuel spray, longer spray penetration length thus promotes the fuel and air mixing.

  16. Determination of the dried product resistance variability and its influence on the product temperature in pharmaceutical freeze-drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scutellà, Bernadette; Trelea, Ioan Cristian; Bourlès, Erwan; Fonseca, Fernanda; Passot, Stephanie

    2018-07-01

    During the primary drying step of the freeze-drying process, mass transfer resistance strongly affects the product temperature, and consequently the final product quality. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the variability of the mass transfer resistance resulting from the dried product layer (R p ) in a manufacturing batch of vials, and its potential effect on the product temperature, from data obtained in a pilot scale freeze-dryer. Sublimation experiments were run at -25 °C and 10 Pa using two different freezing protocols: with spontaneous or controlled ice nucleation. Five repetitions of each condition were performed. Global (pressure rise test) and local (gravimetric) methods were applied as complementary approaches to estimate R p . The global method allowed to assess variability of the evolution of R p with the dried layer thickness between different experiments whereas the local method informed about R p variability at a fixed time within the vial batch. A product temperature variability of approximately ±4.4 °C was defined for a product dried layer thickness of 5 mm. The present approach can be used to estimate the risk of failure of the process due to mass transfer variability when designing freeze-drying cycle. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Hot dry rock heat mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duchane, D.V.

    1992-01-01

    Geothermal energy utilizing fluids from natural sources is currently exploited on a commercial scale at sites around the world. A much greater geothermal resource exists, however, in the form of hot rock at depth which is essentially dry. This hot dry rock (HDR) resource is found almost everywhere, but the depth at which usefully high temperatures are reached varies from place to place. The technology to mine the thermal energy from HDR has been under development for a number of years. Using techniques adapted from the petroleum industry, water is pumped at high pressure down an injection well to a region of usefully hot rock. The pressure forces open natural joints to form a reservoir consisting of a small amount of water dispensed in a large volume of hot rock. This reservoir is tapped by second well located at some distance from the first, and the heated water is brought to the surface where its thermal energy is extracted. The same water is then recirculated to mine more heat. Economic studies have indicated that it may be possible to produce electricity at competitive prices today in regions where hot rock is found relatively close to the surface

  18. Comparison of drying characteristic and uniformity of banana cubes dried by pulse-spouted microwave vacuum drying, freeze drying and microwave freeze drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Lim, Rui-Xin

    2014-07-01

    To overcome the flaws of high energy consumption of freeze drying (FD) and the non-uniform drying of microwave freeze drying (MFD), pulse-spouted microwave vacuum drying (PSMVD) was developed. The results showed that the drying time can be dramatically shortened if microwave was used as the heating source. In this experiment, both MFD and PSMVD could shorten drying time by 50% as compared to the FD process. Depending on the heating method, MFD and PSMVD dried banana cubes showed trends of expansion while FD dried samples demonstrated trends of shrinkage. Shrinkage also brought intensive structure and highest fracturability of all three samples dried by different methods. The residual ascorbic acid content of PSMVD dried samples can be as high as in FD dried samples, which were superior to MFD dried samples. The tests confirmed that PSMVD could bring about better drying uniformity than MFD. Besides, compared with traditional MFD, PSMVD can provide better extrinsic feature, and can bring about improved nutritional features because of the higher residual ascorbic acid content. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  19. Self-Propagating Frontal Polymerization in Water at Ambient Pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olten, Nesrin; Kraigsley, Alison; Ronney, Paul D.

    2003-01-01

    Advances in polymer chemistry have led to the development of monomers and initiation agents that enable propagating free-radical polymerization fronts to exist. These fronts are driven by the exothermicity of the polymerization reaction and the transport of heat from the polymerized product to the reactant monomer/solvent/initiator solution. The thermal energy transported to the reactant solution causes the initiator to decompose, yielding free radicals, which start the free radical polymerization process as discussed in recent reviews. The use of polymerization processes based on propagating fronts has numerous applications. Perhaps the most important of these is that it enables rapid curing of polymers without external heating since the polymerization process itself provides the high temperatures necessary to initiate and sustain polymerization. This process also enables more uniform curing of arbitrarily thick samples since it does not rely on heat transfer from an external source, which will necessarily cause the temperature history of the sample to vary with distance from the surface according to a diffusion-like process. Frontal polymerization also enables filling and sealing of structures having cavities of arbitrary shape without having to externally heat the structure. Water at atmospheric pressure is most convenient solvent to employ and the most important for practical applications (because of the cost and environmental issues associated with DMSO and other solvents). Nevertheless, to our knowledge, steady, self-propagating polymerization fronts have not been reported in water at atmospheric pressure. Currently, polymerization fronts require a high boiling point solvent (either water at high pressures or an alternative solvent such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (boiling point 189 C at atmospheric pressure.) Early work on frontal polymerization, employed pressures up to 5000 atm in order to avoid boiling of the monomer/solvent/initiator solution. High

  20. Effect of elevated [CO2] and nutrient management on wet and dry season rice production in subtropical India

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Sushree Sagarika Satapathy; Dillip Kumar Swain; Surendranath Pasupalak; Pratap Bhanu Singh Bhadoria

    2015-01-01

    The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of elevated [CO2] with varying nutrient management on rice–rice production system. The experiment was conducted in the open field and inside open-top chambers (OTCs) of ambient [CO2] (≈390μmol L−1) and elevated [CO2] environment (25%above ambient) during wet and dry seasons in 2011–2013 at Kharagpur, India. The nutrient management included recommended doses of N, P, and K as chemical fertilizer (CF), integration of chemical and organic sources, and application of increased (25%higher) doses of CF. The higher [CO2] level in the OTC increased aboveground biomass but marginally decreased filled grains per panicle and grain yield of rice, compared to the ambient environment. However, crop root biomass was increased significantly under elevated [CO2]. With respect to nutrient management, increasing the dose of CF increased grain yield significantly in both seasons. At the recommended dose of nutrients, integrated nutrient management was comparable to CF in the wet season, but significantly inferior in the dry season, in its effect on growth and yield of rice. The [CO2] elevation in OTC led to a marginal increase in organic C and available P content of soil, but a decrease in available N content. It was concluded that increased doses of nutrients via integration of chemical and organic sources in the wet season and chemical sources alone in the dry season will minimize the adverse effect of future climate on rice production in subtropical India.

  1. Terbium oxide at high pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dogra, Sugandha; Sharma, Nita Dilawar; Singh, Jasveer; Bandhyopadhyay, A.K.

    2011-01-01

    In this work we report the behaviour of terbium oxide at high pressures. The as received sample was characterized at ambient by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction showed the sample to be predominantly cubic Tb 4 O 7 , although a few peaks also match closely with Tb 2 O 3 . In fact in a recent study done on the same sample, the sample has been shown to be a mixture of Tb 4 O 7 and Tb 2 O 3 . The sample was subjected to high pressures using a Mao-Bell type diamond anvil cell upto a pressure of about 42 GPa with ruby as pressure monitor

  2. Pressure-induced phase transitions in nanocrystalline ReO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biswas, Kanishka; Muthu, D V S; Sood, A K; Kruger, M B; Chen, B; Rao, C N R

    2007-01-01

    Pressure-induced phase transitions in the nanocrystals of ReO 3 with an average diameter of ∼12 nm have been investigated in detail by using synchrotron x-ray diffraction and the results compared with the literature data of bulk samples of ReO 3 . The study shows that the ambient-pressure cubic I phase (space group Pm3-barm) transforms to a monoclinic phase (space group C 2/c), then to a rhombohedral I phase (space group R3-barc), and finally to another rhombohedral phase (rhombohedral II, space group R3-barc) with increasing pressure over the 0.0-20.3 GPa range. The cubic I to monoclinic transition is associated with the largest volume change (∼5%), indicative of a reconstructive transition. The transition pressures are generally lower than those known for bulk ReO 3 . The cubic II (Im3-bar) or tetragonal (P4/mbm) phases do not occur at lower pressures. The nanocrystals are found to be more compressible than bulk ReO 3 . On decompression to ambient pressure, the structure does not revert back to the cubic I structure

  3. Atmosphere and Ambient Space

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Ulrik

    Atmosphere and Ambient Space This paper explores the relation between atmosphere and ambient space. Atmosphere and ambient space share many salient properties. They are both ontologically indeterminate, constantly varying and formally diffuse and they are both experienced as a subtle, non......-signifying property of a given space. But from a certain point of view, the two concepts also designate quite dissimilar experiences of space. To be ’ambient’ means to surround. Accordingly, ambient space is that space, which surrounds something or somebody. (Gibson 1987: 65) Since space is essentially...... of a surrounding character, all space can thus be described as having a fundamentally ambient character. So what precisely is an ambient space, then? As I will argue in my presentation, ambient space is a sensory effect of spatiality when a space is experienced as being particularly surrounding: a ‘space effect...

  4. Secondary organic aerosol formation from ambient air in an oxidation flow reactor in central Amazonia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. B. Palm

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Secondary organic aerosol (SOA formation from ambient air was studied using an oxidation flow reactor (OFR coupled to an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS during both the wet and dry seasons at the Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5 field campaign. Measurements were made at two sites downwind of the city of Manaus, Brazil. Ambient air was oxidized in the OFR using variable concentrations of either OH or O3, over ranges from hours to days (O3 or weeks (OH of equivalent atmospheric aging. The amount of SOA formed in the OFR ranged from 0 to as much as 10 µg m−3, depending on the amount of SOA precursor gases in ambient air. Typically, more SOA was formed during nighttime than daytime, and more from OH than from O3 oxidation. SOA yields of individual organic precursors under OFR conditions were measured by standard addition into ambient air and were confirmed to be consistent with published environmental chamber-derived SOA yields. Positive matrix factorization of organic aerosol (OA after OH oxidation showed formation of typical oxidized OA factors and a loss of primary OA factors as OH aging increased. After OH oxidation in the OFR, the hygroscopicity of the OA increased with increasing elemental O : C up to O : C ∼ 1.0, and then decreased as O : C increased further. Possible reasons for this decrease are discussed. The measured SOA formation was compared to the amount predicted from the concentrations of measured ambient SOA precursors and their SOA yields. While measured ambient precursors were sufficient to explain the amount of SOA formed from O3, they could only explain 10–50 % of the SOA formed from OH. This is consistent with previous OFR studies, which showed that typically unmeasured semivolatile and intermediate volatility gases (that tend to lack C = C bonds are present in ambient air and can explain such additional SOA formation. To investigate the sources of the

  5. The structure of MgO-SiO2 glasses at elevated pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilding, Martin; Guthrie, Malcolm; Kohara, Shinji; Bull, Craig L; Akola, Jaakko; Tucker, Matt G

    2012-06-06

    The magnesium silicate system is an important geophysical analogue and neutron diffraction data from glasses formed in this system may also provide an initial framework for understanding the structure-dependent properties of related liquids that are important during planetary formation. Neutron diffraction data collected in situ for a single composition (38 mol% SiO(2)) magnesium silicate glass sample shows local changes in structure as pressure is increased from ambient conditions to 8.6 GPa at ambient temperature. A method for obtaining the fully corrected, total structure factor, S(Q), has been developed that allows accurate structural characterization as this weakly scattering glass sample is compressed. The measured S(Q) data indicate changes in chemical ordering with pressure and the real-space transforms show an increase in Mg-O coordination number and a distortion of the local environment around magnesium ions. We have used reverse Monte Carlo methods to compare the high pressure and ambient pressure structures and also compare the high pressure form with a more silica-poor glass (Mg(2)SiO(4)) that represents the approach to a more dense, void-free and topologically ordered structure. The Mg-O coordination number increases with pressure and we also find that the degree of continuous connectivity of Si-O bonds increases via a collapse of interstices.

  6. Uncertainty associated with the gravimetric measurement of particulate matter concentration in ambient air.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacey, Ronald E; Faulkner, William Brock

    2015-07-01

    This work applied a propagation of uncertainty method to typical total suspended particulate (TSP) sampling apparatus in order to estimate the overall measurement uncertainty. The objectives of this study were to estimate the uncertainty for three TSP samplers, develop an uncertainty budget, and determine the sensitivity of the total uncertainty to environmental parameters. The samplers evaluated were the TAMU High Volume TSP Sampler at a nominal volumetric flow rate of 1.42 m3 min(-1) (50 CFM), the TAMU Low Volume TSP Sampler at a nominal volumetric flow rate of 17 L min(-1) (0.6 CFM) and the EPA TSP Sampler at the nominal volumetric flow rates of 1.1 and 1.7 m3 min(-1) (39 and 60 CFM). Under nominal operating conditions the overall measurement uncertainty was found to vary from 6.1x10(-6) g m(-3) to 18.0x10(-6) g m(-3), which represented an uncertainty of 1.7% to 5.2% of the measurement. Analysis of the uncertainty budget determined that three of the instrument parameters contributed significantly to the overall uncertainty: the uncertainty in the pressure drop measurement across the orifice meter during both calibration and testing and the uncertainty of the airflow standard used during calibration of the orifice meter. Five environmental parameters occurring during field measurements were considered for their effect on overall uncertainty: ambient TSP concentration, volumetric airflow rate, ambient temperature, ambient pressure, and ambient relative humidity. Of these, only ambient TSP concentration and volumetric airflow rate were found to have a strong effect on the overall uncertainty. The technique described in this paper can be applied to other measurement systems and is especially useful where there are no methods available to generate these values empirically. This work addresses measurement uncertainty of TSP samplers used in ambient conditions. Estimation of uncertainty in gravimetric measurements is of particular interest, since as ambient particulate

  7. The effect of high pressure and residual oxygen on the color stability of minced cured restructured ham at different levels of drying, pH, and NaCl.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bak, Kathrine Holmgaard; Lindahl, Gunilla; Karlsson, Anders H; Lloret, Elsa; Gou, Pere; Arnau, Jacint; Orlien, Vibeke

    2013-10-01

    Color stability of minced cured restructured ham was studied by considering the effects of high pressure (HP) (600 MPa, 13°C, 5 min), raw meat pH24 (low, normal, high), salt content (15, 30 g/kg), drying (20%, 50% weight loss), and residual oxygen level (0.02%-0.30%). Raw hams were selected by pH24 in Semimembranosus, mixed with additives, frozen, sliced, and dried by the Quick-Dry-Slice® (QDS) process followed by HP treatment or not (control). Packaging and storage simulated industrial packaging: modified atmosphere containing 80% N2, 20% CO2, and residual O2 in one of three intervals: hams, while the stabilizing effect on 50% QDS hams was smaller, concluding that water has the dominating role. Raw meat pH24, salt content, and residual oxygen level had varying effects on the stability of the red color. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. A Reactive Oxide Overlayer on Rh Nanoparticles during CO Oxidation and Its Size Dependence Studied by in Situ Ambient Pressure XPS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grass, Michael E.; Zhang, Yawen; Butcher, Derek R.; Park, Jeong Y.; Li, Yimin; Bluhm, Hendrik; Bratlie, Kaitlin M.; Zhang, Tianfu; Somorjai, Gabor A.

    2008-01-01

    CO oxidation is one of the most studied heterogeneous reactions, being scientifically and industrially important, particularly for removal of CO from exhaust streams and preferential oxidation for hydrogen purification in fuel cell applications. The precious metals Ru, Rh, Pd, Pt, and Au are most commonly used for this reaction because of their high activity and stability. Despite the wealth of experimental and theoretical data, it remains unclear what is the active surface for CO oxidation under catalytic conditions for these metals. In this communication, we utilize in situ synchrotron ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) to monitor the oxidation state at the surface of Rh nanoparticles during CO oxidation and demonstrate that the active catalyst is a surface oxide, the formation of which is dependent on particle size. The amount of oxide formed and the reaction rate both increase with decreasing particle size.

  9. Licenciamento ambiental e sustentabilidade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Macedo Valinhas

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available A sustentabilidade está apoiada principalmente nas dimensões econômica, ambiental e social. No entanto, sem a dimensão política ela não se constrói. Um dos principais instrumentos de comando e controle da política nacional de meio ambiente, o licenciamento ambiental é um processo contínuo de gestão ambiental pública e privada. Analisou-se o processo de licenciamento ambiental como acoplamento estrutural entre os sistemas social, econômico e ambiental. Apesar da constatação de críticas aos mecanismos de comando e controle dos últimos anos, foi verificado que o Estado do Rio de Janeiro tem buscado integrar a política ambiental do Estado à gestão ambiental privada e que esta integração busca atender às demandas dos sistemas sociais e econômicos para as questões ambientais. Em linhas gerais, este caminho segue as estratégias e ações propostas na Agenda 21 brasileira.

  10. Influence of deuterium content on tensile behavior of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube material in the temperature range of ambient to 300 degC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bind, A.K.; Singh, R.N.; Chakravartty, J.K.; Dhandharia, Priyesh; Ghosh, Agnish; More, Nitin S.; Chhatre, A.G.; Vijayakumar, S.

    2011-08-01

    Tensile properties of autoclaved zirconium-2.5 wt. % niobium pressure tube material were evaluated by uniaxial tension tests at temperatures between 25 and 300 degC and under strain-rates of 1.075 x 10 -4 /s. Six number of Zr-2.5Nb alloy pressure tube spools of length 130 mm were obtained from pressure tube number 19-2557-2. Five spools were polished with abrasive paper to remove the oxide layer. These spools were gaseously charged with controlled amount of deuterium. The target deuterium concentrations were 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200 wppm of hydrogen equivalent. Ten samples were machined by EDM wire cutting from every spool. The tensile specimen axis was oriented along longitudinal direction of the tube. Metallographic examination of the deuterium charged samples suggested that the deuterides were predominantly circumferential deuterides. Analysis of tensile results showed that both yield and ultimate tensile strengths of this alloy decreased monotonically with increasing test temperatures. The tensile ductility decreased marginally with increase in test temperature from ambient to 300 degC. It was also observed that both strength and ductility appear to be unaffected by deuterium content at all temperatures, thereby suggesting that at least up to 200 wppm (Heq.) of deuterium tensile properties are not influenced by deuterium. (author)

  11. Cracking in Drying Colloidal Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Karnail B.; Tirumkudulu, Mahesh S.

    2007-05-01

    It has long been known that thick films of colloidal dispersions such as wet clays, paints, and coatings crack under drying. Although capillary stresses generated during drying have been recently identified as the cause for cracking, the existence of a maximum crack-free film thickness that depends on particle size, rigidity, and packing has not been understood. Here, we identify two distinct regimes for crack-free films based on the magnitude of compressive strain at the maximum attainable capillary pressure and show remarkable agreement of measurements with our theory. We anticipate our results to not only form the basis for design of coating formulations for the paints, coatings, and ceramics industry but also assist in the production of crack-free photonic band gap crystals.

  12. Strain engineered pyrochlore at high pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rittman, Dylan R.; Turner, Katlyn M.; Park, Sulgiye; Fuentes, Antonio F.; Park, Changyong; Ewing, Rodney C.; Mao, Wendy L.

    2017-05-22

    Strain engineering is a promising method for next-generation materials processing techniques. Here, we use mechanical milling and annealing followed by compression in diamond anvil cell to tailor the intrinsic and extrinsic strain in pyrochlore, Dy2Ti2O7 and Dy2Zr2O7. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray pair distribution function analysis, and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize atomic order over short-, medium-, and long-range spatial scales, respectively, under ambient conditions. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were further employed to interrogate the material in situ at high pressure. High-pressure behavior is found to depend on the species and concentration of defects in the sample at ambient conditions. Overall, we show that defects can be engineered to lower the phase transformation onset pressure by ~50% in the ordered pyrochlore Dy2Zr2O7, and lower the phase transformation completion pressure by ~20% in the disordered pyrochlore Dy2Zr2O7. These improvements are achieved without significantly sacrificing mechanical integrity, as characterized by bulk modulus.

  13. Size and pressure effects on glass transition temperature of poly (methyl methacrylate) thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lang, X.Y.; Zhang, G.H.; Lian, J.S.; Jiang, Q.

    2006-01-01

    A simple and unified model, without any adjustable parameter, is developed for size and pressure effects on glass transition temperatures of nanopolymers. The model is based on a model for size dependent glass transition temperature of nanopolymer glasses under ambient pressure, and a pressure-dependent function of the root of mean-square displacement of atom vibration. It is found that the size- and pressure-dependent glass transition temperatures of free-standing films or supported films having weak interaction with substrates decreases with decreasing of pressure and size. However, the glass transition temperature of supported films having strong interaction with substrates increases with the increase of pressure and the decrease of size. The predicted results correspond with available experimental evidences for atactic-Poly (methyl methacrylate) thin films under hydrostatic pressure or under the pressure induced by supercritical fluid CO 2 . In addition, the predicted glass transition temperature of isotactic-Poly (methyl methacrylate) thin films under ambient pressure is consistent with available experimental evidences

  14. Room-Temperature, Ambient-Pressure Chemical Synthesis of Amine-Functionalized Hierarchical Carbon-Sulfur Composites for Lithium-Sulfur Battery Cathodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chae, Changju; Kim, Jinmin; Kim, Ju Young; Ji, Seulgi; Lee, Sun Sook; Kang, Yongku; Choi, Youngmin; Suk, Jungdon; Jeong, Sunho

    2018-02-07

    Recently, the achievement of newly designed carbon-sulfur composite materials has attracted a tremendous amount of attention as high-performance cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries. To date, sulfur materials have been generally synthesized by a sublimation technique in sealed containers. This is a well-developed technique for the synthesizing of well-ordered sulfur materials, but it is limited when used to scale up synthetic procedures for practical applications. In this study, we suggest an easily scalable, room-temperature/ambient-pressure chemical pathway for the synthesis of highly functioning cathode materials using electrostatically assembled, amine-terminated carbon materials. It is demonstrated that stable cycling performance outcomes are achievable with a capacity of 730 mAhg -1 at a current density of 1 C with good cycling stability by a virtue of the characteristic chemical/physical properties (a high conductivity for efficient charge conduction and the presence of a number of amine groups that can interact with sulfur atoms during electrochemical reactions) of composite materials. The critical roles of conductive carbon moieties and amine functional groups inside composite materials are clarified with combinatorial analyses by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

  15. Development of drying equipment for heat sensitive material : final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schoenau, G.J.; Sokhansanj, S. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada)

    2003-07-01

    This paper described a project in which two types of prototype heat pump dryer systems were designed, constructed and field tested in 2000 to 2002. Performance testing was accomplished through a computer based simulation model for predicting dryer performance. The paper describes the procedures followed and the results obtained. The dryer is used for high value specialty crops such as ginseng, herbs and echinacea which require low temperature drying. The heat pump dryer operates under a closed loop and can dry these crops at low temperatures, independent of ambient conditions. The first prototype was a small fixed bed cabinet dryer suitable for small growers. The other was a full scale prototype moving bed cross flow system suitable for large scale commercial drying of sensitive agricultural crops. The heat pump system is faster and more energy efficient than conventional dryers. The average moisture content of ginseng roots was reduced by 10 per cent in 5 days using 190 kWh of energy. The heat pump dryer is 22 per cent more efficient than a conventional dryer due to its recirculating system. Drying time is reduced by 65 per cent. A computerized simulation validated experimental results. 30 refs., 10 tabs., 29 figs.

  16. Saúde Ambiental: uma Análise dos Resultados das Conferências Nacionais de Meio Ambiente, Saúde e Saúde Ambiental

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Beatriz Maury de Carvalho

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available A representação nas políticas públicas do conceito de saúde ambiental, como expressão do equilíbrio da rede de conexões entre a sociedade humana e a natureza é discutida neste trabalho, no intuito de demonstrar o status quo da saúde ambiental nas políticas públicas no país. Primeiro foi traçado o histórico da “ambientalização na saúde”, do conceito de saúde ambiental e da institucionalização das políticas ambientais e de saúde ambiental no âmbito dos Ministérios do Meio Ambiente e da Saúde. As interações entre as políticas de Saúde e de Meio Ambiente para a efetivação de uma Política Nacional de Saúde Ambiental e as intersecções dos resultados das Conferências Nacionais de Saúde, Meio Ambiente e Saúde Ambiental foram analisadas; concluindo- se com os avanços conseguidos pelos dois setores, os desafios para a articulação intersetorial e a participação social para a construção de políticas públicas de saúde ambiental.

  17. Equation of state of U2Mo up-to Mbar pressure range: Ab-initio study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, D.; Sahoo, B. D.; Joshi, K. D.; Kaushik, T. C.

    2018-04-01

    Experimentally, U2Mo is known to exist in tetragonal structure at ambient conditions. In contrast to experimental reports, the past theoretical studies carried out in this material do not find this phase to be stable structure at zero pressure. In order to examine this discrepancy between experiment and theory, we have performed ab-initio electronic band structure calculations on this material. In our theoretical study, we have attempted to search for lowest enthalpy structure at ambient as well at high pressure up to 200 GPa, employing evolutionary structure search algorithm in conjunction with ab-inito method. Our investigations suggest that a hexagonal structure with space group symmetry P6/mmm is the lowest enthalpy structure not only at ambient pressure but also up to pressure range of ˜200 GPa. To further, substantiate the results of these static lattice calculations the elastic and lattice dynamical stability has also been analysed. The theoretical isotherm derived from these calculations has been utilized to determine the Hugoniot of this material. Various physical properties such as zero pressure equilibrium volume, bulk modulus and its pressure derivative has also been derived from theoretical isotherm.

  18. Decomposition of silicon carbide at high pressures and temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Daviau, Kierstin; Lee, Kanani K. M.

    2017-11-01

    We measure the onset of decomposition of silicon carbide, SiC, to silicon and carbon (e.g., diamond) at high pressures and high temperatures in a laser-heated diamond-anvil cell. We identify decomposition through x-ray diffraction and multiwavelength imaging radiometry coupled with electron microscopy analyses on quenched samples. We find that B3 SiC (also known as 3C or zinc blende SiC) decomposes at high pressures and high temperatures, following a phase boundary with a negative slope. The high-pressure decomposition temperatures measured are considerably lower than those at ambient, with our measurements indicating that SiC begins to decompose at ~ 2000 K at 60 GPa as compared to ~ 2800 K at ambient pressure. Once B3 SiC transitions to the high-pressure B1 (rocksalt) structure, we no longer observe decomposition, despite heating to temperatures in excess of ~ 3200 K. The temperature of decomposition and the nature of the decomposition phase boundary appear to be strongly influenced by the pressure-induced phase transitions to higher-density structures in SiC, silicon, and carbon. The decomposition of SiC at high pressure and temperature has implications for the stability of naturally forming moissanite on Earth and in carbon-rich exoplanets.

  19. Irradiated ignition over solid materials in reduce pressure environment: Fire safety issue in man-made enclosure system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, N.; Aoki, A.

    Effects of ambient pressure and oxygen yield on irradiated ignition characteristics over solid combustibles have been studied experimentally Aim of the present study is to elucidate the flammability and chance of fire in depressurized enclosure system and give ideas for the fire safety and fire fighting strategies in such environment Thin cellulosic paper is considered as the solid combustible since cellulose is one of major organic compounds and flammables in the nature Applied atmosphere consists of inert gas either CO2 or N2 and oxygen and various mixture ratios are of concerned Total ambient pressure level is varied from 0 1MPa standard atmospheric pressure to 0 02MPa Ignition is initiated by external thermal flux exposed into the solid surface as a model of unexpected thermal input to initiate the localized fire Thermal degradation of the solid induces combustible gaseous products e g CO H2 or other low class of HCs and the gas mixes with ambient oxygen to form the combustible mixture over the solid Heat transfer from the hot irradiated surface into the mixture accelerates the local exothermic reaction in the gas phase and finally thermal runaway ignition is achieved Ignition event is recorded by high-speed digital video camera to analyze the ignition characteristics Flammable map in partial pressure of oxygen Pox and total ambient pressure Pt plane is made to reveal the fire hazard in depressurized environment Results show that wider flammable range is obtained depending on the imposed ambient

  20. Chain-length-dependent intermolecular packing in polyphenylenes: a high pressure study

    CERN Document Server

    Heimel, G; Oehzelt, M; Hummer, K; Koppelhuber-Bitschnau, B; Porsch, F; Ambrosch-Draxl, C; Resel, R

    2003-01-01

    We report on pressure-induced structural changes in crystalline oligo(para-phenylenes) containing two to six phenyl rings. The results are discussed with particular emphasis put on the implications these changes in intermolecular distances and molecular arrangement have on important bulk properties of this class of materials, such as optical response and charge transport. We performed energy dispersive x-ray diffraction in a systematic study on polycrystalline powders of biphenyl, para-terphenyl, p-quaterphenyl, p-quinquephenyl and p-sexiphenyl under hydrostatic pressure up to 60 kbar. Revisiting the crystal structures at ambient conditions reveals details in the packing principle. A linear relationship between the density at ambient conditions and the number of phenyl rings is found. High pressure data not only yields pressure-dependent lattice parameters and hints towards pressure-induced changes in the molecular arrangement but also allows for an analysis of the equations of state of these substances as a ...

  1. Low cost sonoluminescence experiment in pressurized water

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bernal, L; Insabella, M [LADOP, University of Mar del Plata (Argentina); Bilbao, L [INFIP, University of Buenos Aires and CONICET (Argentina)

    2012-06-19

    We present a low cost design for demostration and mesurements of light emission from a sonoluminescence experiment. Using pressurized water introduced in an acrylic cylinder and one piezoelectric from an ultrasonic cleaner, we are able to generate cavitacion zones with emission of light. The use of argon to pressurize the water improves the emission an the light can be seen at naked eye in a softlit ambient.

  2. Low cost sonoluminescence experiment in pressurized water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernal, L; Insabella, M; Bilbao, L

    2012-01-01

    We present a low cost design for demostration and mesurements of light emission from a sonoluminescence experiment. Using pressurized water introduced in an acrylic cylinder and one piezoelectric from an ultrasonic cleaner, we are able to generate cavitacion zones with emission of light. The use of argon to pressurize the water improves the emission an the light can be seen at naked eye in a softlit ambient.

  3. Ambient temperature and volume of perihematomal edema in acute intracerebral haemorrhage: the INTERACT1 study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Danni; Arima, Hisatomi; Heeley, Emma; Karpin, Anne; Yang, Jie; Chalmers, John; Anderson, Craig S

    2015-01-01

    As no human data exist, we aimed to determine the relation between ambient temperature and volume of perihematomal 'cerebral' edema in acute spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) among Chinese participants of the pilot phase, Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT1). INTERACT1 was a multicenter, open, blind outcome assessed, randomized controlled trial of intensive (systolic target ambient temperature (mean, minimum, maximum, and range) on the day of each participant's ICH obtained from China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System were linked to other data including edema volumes. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to evaluate association between ambient temperature and edema volumes. A generalized linear regression model with a generalized estimating equations approach (GEE) was used to assess any association of ambient temperature and change in edema volume over 72 h. A total of 250 of all 384 Chinese participants had complete data that showed positive associations between ambient temperature (mean and minimum temperatures) and edema volumes at each time point over 72 h after hospital admission (all P ambient temperature and perihematomal edema volume in acute spontaneous ICH. © 2014 World Stroke Organization.

  4. A Preliminary Study on Rock Bed Heat Storage from Biomass Combustion for Rice Drying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelwan, L. O.; Wulandani, D.; Subrata, I. D. M.

    2018-05-01

    One of the main constraints of biomass fuel utilization in a small scale rice drying system is the operating difficulties related to the adjustment of combustion/feeding rate. Use of thermal storage may reduce the problem since combustion operation can be accomplished in a much shorter time and then the use of heat can be regulated by simply adjusting the air flow. An integrated biomass furnace-rock bed thermal storage with a storage volume of 540 L was designed and tested. There were four experiments conducted in this study. Charging was performed within 1-2 hours with a combustion rate of 11.5-15.5 kg/h. In discharging process, the mixing of air passing through the rock bed and ambient air were regulated by valves. Without adjusting the valve during the discharging process, air temperature increased up to 80°C, which is not suitable for rice batch drying process. Charging with sufficiently high combustion rate (14 kg/h) within 1 hour continued by adjusting the valve during discharging process below 60°C increased the discharge-charge time ratio (DCTR) up to 5.33 at average air temperature of 49°C and ambient temperature of 33°C.The efficiency of heat discharging was ranged from 34.5 to 45.8%. From the simulation, as much as 156.8-268.8 kg of rice was able to be dried by the discharging conditions.

  5. Significant mobility improvement of amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin-film transistors annealed in a low temperature wet ambient environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jallorina, Michael Paul A.; Bermundo, Juan Paolo S.; Fujii, Mami N.; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Uraoka, Yukiharu

    2018-05-01

    Transparent amorphous oxide semiconducting materials such as amorphous InGaZnO used in thin film transistors (TFTs) are typically annealed at temperatures higher than 250 °C to remove any defects present and improve the electrical characteristics of the device. Previous research has shown that low cost and low temperature methods improve the electrical characteristics of the TFT. With the aid of surface and bulk characterization techniques in comparison to the device characteristics, this work aims to elucidate further on the improvement mechanisms of wet and dry annealing ambients that affect the electrical characteristics of the device. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry results show that despite outward diffusion of -H and -OH species, humid annealing ambients counteract outward diffusion of these species, leading to defect sites which can be passivated by the wet ambient. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy results show that for devices annealed for only 30 min in a wet annealing environment, the concentration of metal-oxide bonds increased by as much as 21.8% and defects such as oxygen vacancies were reduced by as much as 18.2% compared to an unannealed device. Our work shows that due to the oxidizing power of water vapor, defects are reduced, and overall electrical characteristics are improved as evidenced with the 150 °C wet O2, 30 min annealed sample which exhibited the highest mobility of 5.00 cm2/V s, compared to 2.36 cm2/V s for a sample that was annealed at 150 °C in a dry ambient atmospheric environment for 2 h.

  6. Preliminary comparison of three processes of AlN oxidation: dry, wet and mixed ones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Korbutowicz R.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Three methods of AlN layers oxidation: dry, wet and mixed (wet with oxygen were compared. Some physical parameters of oxidized thin films of aluminum nitride (AlN layers grown on silicon Si(1 1 1 were investigated by means Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE. Three series of the thermal oxidations processes were carried out at 1012 °C in pure nitrogen as carrying gas and various gas ambients: (a dry oxidation with oxygen, (b wet oxidation with water steam and (c mixed atmosphere with various process times. All the research methods have shown that along with the rising of the oxidation time, AlN layer across the aluminum oxide nitride transforms to aluminum oxide. The mixed oxidation was a faster method than the dry or wet ones.

  7. High pressure combustion of liquid fuels. [alcohol and n-paraffin fuels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canada, G. S.

    1974-01-01

    Measurements were made of the burning rates and liquid surface temperatures for a number of alcohol and n-paraffin fuels under natural and forced convection conditions. Porous spheres ranging in size from 0.64-1.9 cm O.D. were emloyed to simulate the fuel droplets. The natural convection cold gas tests considered the combustion in air of methanol, ethanol, propanol-1, n-pentane, n-heptane, and n-decane droplets at pressures up to 78 atmospheres. The pressure levels of the natural convection tests were high enough so that near critical combustion was observed for methanol and ethanol vaporization rates and liquid surface temperature measurements were made of droplets burning in a simulated combustion chamber environment. Ambient oxygen molar concentrations included 13%, 9.5% and pure evaporation. Fuels used in the forced convection atmospheric tests included those listed above for the natural convection tests. The ambient gas temperature ranged from 600 to 1500 K and the Reynolds number varied from 30 to 300. The high pressure forced convection tests employed ethanol and n-heptane as fuels over a pressure range of one to 40 atmospheres. The ambient gas temperature was 1145 K for the two combustion cases and 1255 K for the evaporation case.

  8. Det ambiente

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Ulrik

    Om begrebet "det ambiente", der beskriver, hvad der sker, når vi fornemmer baggrundsmusikkens diskrete beats, betragter udsigten gennem panoramavinduet eller tager 3D-brillerne på og læner os tilbage i biografsædet. Bogen analyserer, hvorfan ambiente oplevelser skabes, og hvilke konsekvenser det...

  9. Ambient Sensors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Börner, Dirk; Specht, Marcus

    2014-01-01

    This software sketches comprise two custom-built ambient sensors, i.e. a noise and a movement sensor. Both sensors measure an ambient value and process the values to a color gradient (green > yellow > red). The sensors were built using the Processing 1.5.1 development environment. Available under

  10. Superheated steam annealing of pressurized water reactor vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porowski, J.S.

    1993-01-01

    Thermal annealing of an embrittled Reactor Pressure Shell is the only recognized means for recovering material properties lost due to long-term exposure of the reactor walls to radiation. Reduced toughness of the material during operation is a major concern in evaluations of structural integrity of older reactors. Extensive studies performed within programs related to life extension of nuclear plants have confirmed that the thermal treatment of 850 deg. F for 168 hours on irradiated material essentially recovers material properties lost due to neutron exposure. Dry and wet annealing methods have been considered. Wet annealing involves operating the reactor at near design temperatures and pressures. Since the temperature of wet annealing must be limited to vessel design temperature of 650 deg. F, only partial recovery of the lost properties is achieved. Thus dry annealing was selected as an alternative for future development and industrial implementation to extend the safe life of reactors. Dry thermal annealing consists of heating portions of the reactor vessel at a specific temperature for a given period of time using a high temperature heat source. The use of spent fuel assemblies, induction heating and resistance heating elements as well as the circulation of heated fluid were investigated as potential candidate methods. To date the use of resistance heating elements which are lowered into a dry empty reactor was considered to be the preferred method. In-depth research in the United States and practical applications of such a method in Russia have confirmed feasibility of the method. The method of using circulating superheated steam to anneal the vessel at 850 deg. F without complete removal of the reactor internals is described herein. After removing the reactor head and fuel, the core barrel along with the upper and lower core in PWRs is lifted to open an annular space between the reactor shell flange and the core barrel flange. The thermal shield can remain

  11. Characteristics of Timbers Dried Using Kiln Drying and Radio Frequency-Vacuum Drying Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rabidin Zairul Amin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Heavy hardwoods are difficult-to-dry timbers as they are prone to checking and internal stresses when dried using a conventional kiln drying system. These timbers are usually dried naturally to reach 15% to 19% moisture content with an acceptable defects. Besides long drying time, timbers at these moisture contents are not suitable for indoor applications since they will further dry and causing, for example, jointing and lamination failures. Drying to a lower moisture content could only be achieved in artificial drying kilns such as conventional kiln, dehumidification kiln, solar kiln, radio frequency-vacuum, etc. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of 30 mm and 50 mm thick kekatong (Cynometra spp. timber dried using kiln drying (KD and radio frequency-vacuum drying (RFV system. The investigation involved drying time, moisture content (MC variations between and within boards, drying defects, shrinkage, and drying stress. Drying defects include checks (surface, end, and internal checks and warping (bowing, cuping, spring, and twisting. The results showed that RFV drying time was reduced to 50% compared to the KD. RFV dried boards demonstrated a more uniform MC between and within boards. Shrinkage in width and thickness, as well as tangential/radial and volumetric shrinkages were substantially less in RFV boards. The amount of cupping, bowing and spring were very low and negligible in all drying runs. There was no twisting observed in all drying methods. The number of stress-free RFV board was higher than KD. With proper procedure, the RFV technology could be used for drying heavy hardwoods which are difficult to dry in conventional kilns due to excessive drying times and degradation.

  12. Non-invasive estimation of blood pressure using ultrasound contrast agents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Klaus Scheldrup; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    2009-01-01

    Local blood pressure measurements provide important information on the state of health of organs in the body and can be used to diagnose diseases in the heart, lungs, and kidneys. This paper presents an experimental setup for investigating the ambient pressure sensitivity of a contrast agent using...

  13. Pedagogía ambiental y didáctica ambiental como fundamentos del currículo para la formación ambiental

    OpenAIRE

    Julio César Tovar-Gálvez

    2013-01-01

    Se trata el problema de la fundamentación del currículo para la formación ambiental en la educación superior, frente a lo cual es necesario construir los conceptos de pedagogía ambiental y de didáctica ambiental. El marco teórico permite definir las categorías "lo pedagógico" y "lo didáctico", a partir de lo cual se analiza la literatura y con ello definir pedagogía ambiental y didáctica ambiental. El estado del arte permite establecer que existen dos sustentos teóricos: a) uno que se cimenta...

  14. On Localized Vapor Pressure Gradients Governing Condensation and Frost Phenomena.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nath, Saurabh; Boreyko, Jonathan B

    2016-08-23

    Interdroplet vapor pressure gradients are the driving mechanism for several phase-change phenomena such as condensation dry zones, interdroplet ice bridging, dry zones around ice, and frost halos. Despite the fundamental nature of the underlying pressure gradients, the majority of studies on these emerging phenomena have been primarily empirical. Using classical nucleation theory and Becker-Döring embryo formation kinetics, here we calculate the pressure field for all possible modes of condensation and desublimation in order to gain fundamental insight into how pressure gradients govern the behavior of dry zones, condensation frosting, and frost halos. Our findings reveal that in a variety of phase-change systems the thermodynamically favorable mode of nucleation can switch between condensation and desublimation depending upon the temperature and wettability of the surface. The calculated pressure field is used to model the length of a dry zone around liquid or ice droplets over a broad parameter space. The long-standing question of whether the vapor pressure at the interface of growing frost is saturated or supersaturated is resolved by considering the kinetics of interdroplet ice bridging. Finally, on the basis of theoretical calculations, we propose that there exists a new mode of frost halo that is yet to be experimentally observed; a bimodal phase map is developed, demonstrating its dependence on the temperature and wettability of the underlying substrate. We hope that the model and predictions contained herein will assist future efforts to exploit localized vapor pressure gradients for the design of spatially controlled or antifrosting phase-change systems.

  15. The pressure-temperature phase diagram of pressure induced organic superconductors β-(BDA-TTP){2}MCl{4} (M = Ga, Fe)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, E. S.; Graf, D.; Brooks, J. S.; Yamada, J.; Tokumoto, M.

    2004-04-01

    We investigate the pressure-temperature phase diagram of β -(BDA-TTP){2}MCl{4} (M=Ga, Fe), which shows a metal-insulator (MI) transition around 120 K at ambient pressure. By applying pressure, the insulating phase is suppressed. When the pressure is higher than 5.5 kbar, the superconducting phase appears in both salts with Tc ˜ 3 K for M=Ga and 2.2 K for M=Fe. We also observed Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations at high magnetic field in both salts, where the SdH frequencies are found to be very similar each other. Key words. organic superconductor, pressure, phase diagram.

  16. Results for the Aboveground Configuration of the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durbin, Samuel G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies; Lindgren, Eric Richard [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies

    2016-09-01

    The thermal performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks are evaluated through detailed numerical analysis. These modeling efforts are completed by the vendor to demonstrate performance and regulatory compliance. The calculations are then independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask in part by increasing the efficiency of internal conduction pathways and also by increasing the internal convection through greater canister helium pressure. These same canistered cask systems rely on ventilation between the canister and the overpack to convect heat away from the canister to the environment for both above and belowground configurations. While several testing programs have been previously conducted, these earlier validation attempts did not capture the effects of elevated helium pressures or accurately portray the external convection of aboveground and belowground canistered dry cask systems. The purpose of the current investigation was to produce data sets that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern dry casks that utilize elevated helium pressure in the sealed canister in an aboveground configuration. An existing electrically heated but otherwise prototypic BWR Incoloy-clad test assembly was deployed inside of a representative storage basket and cylindrical pressure vessel that represents a vertical canister system. The symmetric single assembly geometry with well-controlled boundary conditions simplifies interpretation of results. The arrangement of ducting was used to mimic conditions for an aboveground storage configuration in a vertical, dry cask

  17. Efecto del método de secado en la longevidad y la calidad de las semillas de Bauhinia purpurea.: I. Almacenamiento en Condiciones Ambientales Effect of the drying method on the longevity and quality of seeds from Bauhinia purpurea.: I. Storage under ambient conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marlen Navarro

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Se realizó un experimento con el objetivo de determinar la influencia combinada de diferentes métodos de secado, las condiciones de almacenamiento al ambiente y la edad fisiológica de las semillas de B. purpurea, en la capacidad germinativa y en la calidad de estas. Los tratamientos para el secado fueron: A en las legumbres, B artificial, y C al sol. Se determinó el porcentaje de viabilidad y de germinación, así como el contenido de humedad (CH, con una frecuencia mensual durante un año de almacenamiento; además se registró la temperatura y la humedad relativa (máxima y mínima durante el período evaluado. En el procesamiento de la información se utilizaron análisis multivariados (GLM y Factorial. En los tratamientos A y C se observaron semejanzas en cuanto a la viabilidad y la germinación, aunque las semillas alcanzaron la muerte fisiológica a los siete y nueve meses de permanencia en el almacén, respectivamente. El secado de las semillas con silicagel mostró que la pérdida de la capacidad germinativa siguió un modelo polinomial cúbico, con una marcada tendencia a la linealidad, y al finalizar el estudio fue de 70%. Las diferencias entre el CH de las semillas secadas artificialmente (B y al sol (C permitieron confirmar que la longevidad en B fue dos a cuatro veces mayor que en C. Los factores más influyentes en el ritmo de pérdida de la calidad de las semillas B. purpurea almacenadas al ambiente fueron el contenido de humedad y la edad.A trial was carried out with the objective of determining the combined influence of different drying methods, the storage under ambient conditions and the physiological age of the seeds from B. purpurea, on their germination capacity and quality. The treatments for drying were: A in the pods, B artificial and C under sunlight. The percentage of viability and germination, as well as the moisture content (MC, were determined, with a monthly frequency during a year of storage; in addition the

  18. Cold Vacuum Drying (CVD) OCRWM Loop Error Determination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    PHILIPP, B.L.

    2000-01-01

    Characterization is specifically identified by the Richland Operations Office (RL) for the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) of the US Department of Energy (DOE), as requiring application of the requirements in the Quality Assurance Requirements and Description (QARD) (RW-0333P DOE 1997a). Those analyses that provide information that is necessary for repository acceptance require application of the QARD. The cold vacuum drying (CVD) project identified the loops that measure, display, and record multi-canister overpack (MCO) vacuum pressure and Tempered Water (TW) temperature data as providing OCRWM data per Application of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) Quality Assurance Requirements to the Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project HNF-SD-SNF-RPT-007. Vacuum pressure transmitters (PT 1*08, 1*10) and TW temperature transmitters (TIT-3*05, 3*12) are used to verify drying and to determine the water content within the MCO after CVD

  19. Three-Dimensional Digital Image Correlation of a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel During Hydrostatic Pressure Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Revilock, Duane M., Jr.; Thesken, John C.; Schmidt, Timothy E.

    2007-01-01

    Ambient temperature hydrostatic pressurization tests were conducted on a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) to understand the fiber stresses in COPV components. Two three-dimensional digital image correlation systems with high speed cameras were used in the evaluation to provide full field displacement and strain data for each pressurization test. A few of the key findings will be discussed including how the principal strains provided better insight into system behavior than traditional gauges, a high localized strain that was measured where gages were not present and the challenges of measuring curved surfaces with the use of a 1.25 in. thick layered polycarbonate panel that protected the cameras.

  20. Improvement in clinical outcomes after dry needling versus myofascial release on pain pressure thresholds, quality of life, fatigue, pain intensity, quality of sleep, anxiety, and depression in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro Sánchez, Adelaida M; García López, Hector; Fernández Sánchez, Manuel; Pérez Mármol, José Manuel; Aguilar-Ferrándiz, María Encarnación; Luque Suárez, Alejandro; Matarán Peñarrocha, Guillermo Adolfo

    2018-04-23

    To compare the effectiveness of dry needling versus myofascial release on myofascial trigger points pain in cervical muscles, quality of life, impact of symptoms pain, quality of sleep, anxiety, depression, and fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted. Sixty-four subjects with fibromyalgia were randomly assigned to a dry needling group or a myofascial release group. Pain pressure thresholds of myofascial trigger points were evaluated in the cervical muscles. In addition, quality of life, impact of fibromyalgia symptoms, quality of sleep, intensity of pain, anxiety and depression symptoms, impact of fatigue at baseline and post treatment after four weeks of intervention were evaluated. Significant improvement was found in most pain pressure thresholds of the myofascial trigger points in cervical muscles in the dry needling group compared to myofascial release (p quality of life of physical function (F = 12.74, p = 0.001), physical role (F = 11.24, p = 0.001), body pain (F =30.26, p quality of sleep (F = 11.96, p = 0.001), state anxiety (F = 7.40, p = 0.009), and trait anxiety (F = -14.63, p quality of life of physical role, body pain, vitality and social function, as well as the total impact of FMS symptoms, quality of sleep, state and trait anxiety, hospital anxiety-depression, general pain intensity and fatigue. Implications for rehabilitation Dry needling therapy reduces myofascial trigger point pain in the short term in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. This therapeutic approach improves anxiety, depression, fatigue symptoms, quality of life, and sleep after treatment. Dry needling and myofascial release therapies decrease intensity of pain, and the impact of fibromyalgia symptoms in this population. These intervention approaches should be considered in an independent manner as complementary therapies within a multidisciplinary setting.

  1. Prediction of dry ice mass for firefighting robot actuation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajala, M. T.; Khan, Md R.; Shafie, A. A.; Salami, MJE; Mohamad Nor, M. I.

    2017-11-01

    The limitation in the performance of electric actuated firefighting robots in high-temperature fire environment has led to research on the alternative propulsion system for the mobility of firefighting robots in such environment. Capitalizing on the limitations of these electric actuators we suggested a gas-actuated propulsion system in our earlier study. The propulsion system is made up of a pneumatic motor as the actuator (for the robot) and carbon dioxide gas (self-generated from dry ice) as the power source. To satisfy the consumption requirement (9cfm) of the motor for efficient actuation of the robot in the fire environment, the volume of carbon dioxide gas, as well as the corresponding mass of the dry ice that will produce the required volume for powering and actuation of the robot, must be determined. This article, therefore, presents the computational analysis to predict the volumetric requirement and the dry ice mass sufficient to power a carbon dioxide gas propelled autonomous firefighting robot in a high-temperature environment. The governing equation of the sublimation of dry ice to carbon dioxide is established. An operating time of 2105.53s and operating pressure ranges from 137.9kPa to 482.65kPa were achieved following the consumption rate of the motor. Thus, 8.85m3 is computed as the volume requirement of the CAFFR while the corresponding dry ice mass for the CAFFR actuation ranges from 21.67kg to 75.83kg depending on the operating pressure.

  2. Future drying of the southern Amazon and central Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, J.; Zeng, N.; Cook, B.

    2008-12-01

    Recent climate modeling suggests that the Amazon rainforest could exhibit considerable dieback under future climate change, a prediction that has raised considerable interest as well as controversy. To determine the likelihood and causes of such changes, we analyzed the output of 15 models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC/AR4) and a dynamic vegetation model VEGAS driven by these climate output. Our results suggest that the core of the Amazon rainforest should remain largely stable. However, the periphery, notably the southern edge, is in danger of drying out, driven by two main processes. First, a decline in precipitation of 24% in the southern Amazon lengthens the dry season and reduces soil moisture, despite of an increase in precipitation during the wet season, due to the nonlinear response in hydrology and ecosystem dynamics. Two dynamical mechanisms may explain the lower dry season precipitation: (1) a stronger north-south tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature gradient; (2) a general subtropical drying under global warming when the dry season southern Amazon is under the control of the subtropical high pressure. Secondly, evaporation will increase due to the general warming, thus also reducing soil moisture. As a consequence, the median of the models projects a reduction of vegetation by 20%, and enhanced fire carbon flux by 10-15% in the southern Amazon, central Brazil, and parts of the Andean Mountains. Because the southern Amazon is also under intense human influence, the double pressure of deforestation and climate change may subject the region to dramatic changes in the 21st century.

  3. Optimization and application of spray-drying process on oyster cooking soup byproduct

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huibin CHEN

    Full Text Available Abstract Oyster drying processes have produced a large amount of cooking soup byproducts. In this study, oyster cooking soup byproduct was concentrated and spray-dried after enzymatic hydrolysis to produce seasoning powder. Response surface methodology (RSM was performed on the basis of single-factor studies to optimize the feeding temperature, hot air temperature, atomization pressure, and total solid content of oyster drying. Results revealed the following optimized parameters of this process: feeding temperature of 60 °C, total solid content of 30%, hot air temperature of 197 °C, and atomization pressure of 92 MPa. Under these conditions, the oyster powder yield was 63.7% ± 0.7% and the moisture content was 4.1% ± 0.1%. Our pilot trial also obtained 63.1% yield and 4.0% moisture content. The enzyme hydrolysis of cooking soup byproduct further enhanced the antioxidant activity of the produced oyster seasoning powder to some extent. Spray drying process optimized by RSM can provide a reference for high-valued applications of oyster cooking soup byproducts.

  4. Types for BioAmbients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Capecchi

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available The BioAmbients calculus is a process algebra suitable for representing compartmentalization, molecular localization and movements between compartments. In this paper we enrich this calculus with a static type system classifying each ambient with group types specifying the kind of compartments in which the ambient can stay. The type system ensures that, in a well-typed process, ambients cannot be nested in a way that violates the type hierarchy. Exploiting the information given by the group types, we also extend the operational semantics of BioAmbients with rules signalling errors that may derive from undesired ambients' moves (i.e. merging incompatible tissues. Thus, the signal of errors can help the modeller to detect and locate unwanted situations that may arise in a biological system, and give practical hints on how to avoid the undesired behaviour.

  5. Quality, energy requirement and costs of drying tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hosseini, A.A.A.

    2005-11-07

    in The Netherlands and Iran were applied for various drying scenarios. The simulation model was run at selected ranges of temperature, humidity ratio, air speed and bed heights, with and without recirculation of the drying air. Considering the quality of dried material and costs, a temperature of 50C was found as the optimal temperature for drying tarragon. The costs per kg dried product was about three times higher for The Netherlands compared to Iran. The recirculation is less important in Iran because the ambient air has a higher drying potential and energy prices are lower.

  6. Pressurized waterproof case electronic device

    KAUST Repository

    Berumen, Michael L.

    2013-01-31

    A pressurized waterproof case for an electronic device is particularly adapted for fluid-tight containment and operation of a touch-screen electronic device or the like therein at some appreciable water depth. In one example, the case may be formed as an enclosure having an open top panel or face covered by a flexible, transparent membrane or the like for the operation of the touchscreen device within the case. A pressurizing system is provided for the case to pressurize the case and the electronic device therein to slightly greater than ambient in order to prevent the external water pressure from bearing against the transparent membrane and pressing it against the touch screen, thereby precluding operation of the touch screen device within the case. The pressurizing system may include a small gas cartridge or may be provided from an external source.

  7. Understanding perovskite formation through the intramolecular exchange method in ambient conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szostak, Rodrigo; Castro, Jhon A. P.; Marques, Adriano S.; Nogueira, Ana F.

    2017-04-01

    Among the methods to prepare hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite films, the intramolecular exchange method was the first one that made possible to prepare perovskite solar cells with efficiencies higher than 20%. However, perovskite formation by this method is not completely understood, especially in ambient conditions. In this work, perovskite films were prepared by the intramolecular exchange method in ambient conditions. The spin coating speed and the frequency of the MAI solution dripping onto PbI2(DMSO) were varied during the deposition steps. With the combination of these two parameters, a rigid control of the solvent drying was possible. Thus, depending on the chosen conditions, the intermediate MAPb3I8·2DMSO was formed with residual PbI2. Otherwise, direct formation of perovskite film was attained. A mechanism for the direct formation of bulk perovskite was proposed. We also investigated how the posterior thermal annealing affects the crystallinity and defects in perovskite films. With prolonged thermal annealing, the excess of MAI can be avoided, increasing the efficiency and decreasing the hysteresis of the solar cells. The best perovskite solar cell achieved a stabilized power output of 12.9%. The findings of this work pave the way for realizing the fabrication of efficient perovskite solar cells in ambient atmosphere, a very desirable condition for cost-efficient large scale manufacturing of this technology.

  8. Energy-saving drying and its application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovbasyuk, V. I.

    2015-09-01

    Superheated steam is efficiently applied as a coolant for the intensification of drying, which is an important component of many up-to-date technologies. However, traditional drying is extremely energy consuming, and many drying apparatus are environmentally unfriendly. Thus, it is important to implement the proposed drying technique using superheated steam under pressure significantly higher than the atmospheric one with subsequent steam transfer for use in a turbine for electric power generation as a compensation of energy costs for drying. This paper includes a brief thermodynamic analysis of such a technique, its environmental advantages, and possible benefits of the use of wet wastes and obtaining high-quality fuels from wet raw materials. A scheme is developed for the turbine protection from impurities that can occur in the steam at drying. Potential advantage of the technique are also the absence of heating surfaces that are in contact with wet media, the absence of the emissions to the atmosphere, and the use of low potential heat for desalination and the purification of water. The new drying technique can play an extremely important part in the implementation in the field of thermal destruction of anthropogenic wastes. In spite of the promotion of waste sorting to obtain valuable secondary raw materials, the main problem of big cities is nonutilizable waste, which makes not less than 85% of the starting quantity of waste. This can only be totally solved by combustion, which even more relates to the sewage sludge utilization. The wastes can be safely and efficiently combusted only provided that they are free of moisture. Combustion temperature optimization makes possible full destruction of dioxins and their toxic analogues.

  9. Optimization of frozen wild blueberry vacuum drying process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Šumić Zdravko M.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this research was to optimize the vacuum drying of frozen blueberries in order to preserve health benefits phytochemicals using response surface methodology. The drying was performed in a new design of vacuum dryer equipment. Investigated range of temperature was 46-74°C and of pressure 38-464 mbar. Total solids, total phenolics, vitamin C, anthocyanin content and total color change were used as quality indicators of dried blueberries. Within the experimental range of studied variables, the optimum conditions of 60 °C and 100 mbar were established for vacuum drying of blueberries. Separate validation experiments were conducted at optimum conditions to verify predictions and adequacy of the second-order polynomial models. Under these optimal conditions, the predicted amount of total phenolics was 3.70 mgCAE/100dw, vitamin C 59.79 mg/100gdw, anthocyanin content 2746.33 mg/100gdw, total solids 89.50% and total color change 88.83. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31044

  10. Effects of moisture migration on shrinkage, pore pressure and other concrete properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chapman, D.A.; England, G.L.

    1977-01-01

    This work investigates the uniaxial migration of moisture in long, upright, limestone concrete cylinders, sealed at the base and sides, and open at the top. The design represents a section through a concrete pressure vessel wall. The cylinders are subjected to a sustained temperature difference between their ends, with maximum temperatures between 105 0 C and 200 0 C. Readings of pore pressure, water content and temperature are taken at various positions along the axis of the cylinders. In one cylinder, transverse and longitudinal shrinkage readings are also recorded. The results for the cylinders show that moisture migration is away from the hot face of the specimens causing reduction in both pore pressure and water content values in this region. The moisture migration creates a drying front which moves slowly up the specimens. The rate at which this drying front, moves is influenced by the base temperature, the magnitude of temperature and pressure gradients and the coefficient of permeability of the concrete. Samples taken from the hot side of the drying front show a considerable increase in the coefficient of permeability, and Scanning Electron Microscope photographs of the microstructure show both a break-up and reduction in size of the hydration products. The experiments reported indicate that when the hot inner face temperature of a concrete pressure vessel is increased above 100 0 C, the drying rate inside the wall increases considerably, However, it is unlikely pressure vessels of the size currently in use will ever completely dry out. (Auth.)

  11. Associations between particulate matter composition and childhood blood pressure - The PIAMA study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bilenko, Natalya; Brunekreef, Bert; Beelen, Rob; Eeftens, Marloes; de Hoogh, Kees; Hoek, Gerard; Koppelman, Gerard H.; Wang, Meng; van Rossem, Lenie; Gehring, Ulrike

    2015-01-01

    Background: Childhood blood pressure is an important predictor of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Evidence for an association between ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure and blood pressure is increasing, but little is known about the relevance of different PM constituents.

  12. Data based ambient lighting control

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2012-01-01

    In controlling an ambient lighting element, a category of data being rendered by a host is identified, ambient lighting data associated with the identified category is retrieved, and the retrieved ambient lighting data is rendered in correspondence with the rendered data. The retrieved ambient

  13. Ionic conductivity measurements of zirconia under pressure using impedance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takebe, H; Sakamoto, D; Ohtaka, O; Fukui, H; Yoshiasa, A; Yamanaka, T; Ota, K; Kikegawa, T

    2002-01-01

    We have set up an electrical conductivity measurement system under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions with a multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus using an AC complex impedance method. With this system, we have successfully measured the electrical conductivity of stabilized ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 solid solution) under pressures up to 5 GPa in the temperature range from 300 to 1200 K. The electrical conductivities obtained under pressure are compatible with those of previous results measured at ambient pressure

  14. Biotecnologia Ambiental. Aplicacions biotecnològiques a la millora del medi ambient

    OpenAIRE

    Blanch i Gisbert, Anicet

    2010-01-01

    La biotecnología ambiental comprende el conjunto de actividades tecnológicas que facilitan la comprensión y la gestión de los sistemas biológicos en el medio ambiente, con el fin de proveer productos y servicios. Actualmente, la gestión del medio ambiente y de sus recursos naturales no se comprende si no se realiza de manera sostenible. Los avances científicos y tecnológicos le están permitiendo a la biotecnología ambiental, el desarrollo de nuevas herramientas y aplicaciones con los que resp...

  15. Swelling pressures of a potential buffer material for high-level waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jae Owan; Cho, Won Jin; Chun, Kwan Sik

    1999-01-01

    The swelling pressure of a potential buffer material was measured and the effect of dry density, bentonite content and initial water content on the swelling pressure was investigated to provide the information for the selection of buffer material in a high-level waste repository. Swelling tests were carried out according to Box-Behnken's experimental design. Measured swelling pressures were in the wide range of 0.7 Kg/cm 2 to 190.2 Kg/cm 2 under given experimental conditions. Based upon the experimental data, a 3-factor polynomial swelling model was suggested to analyze the effect of dry density, bentonite content and initial water content on the swelling pressure. The swelling pressure increased with an increase in the dry density and bentonite content, while it decreased with increasing the initial water content and, beyond about 12 wt.% of the initial water content, levelled to nearly constant value. (author). 21 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs

  16. Has dry/cold weather an impact on the skin condition of cleanroom workers?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weistenhöfer, Wobbeke; Uter, Wolfgang; Drexler, Hans

    2016-01-01

    In previous epidemiological studies irritant skin changes were reported significantly more frequently under dry/cold ambient air conditions. The aim of this study was to assess whether a similar effect might be observed in cleanroom workers, occupationally exposed to strictly controlled ambient conditions. This investigation examined 690 employees of a semiconductor production company in Germany, one half in winter (n = 358) and the other half in spring (n = 332). In both waves, both cleanroom workers, who used occlusive gloves predominantly during the entire shift, and employees in the administration, serving as the control group, were included. Ambient outdoor temperature and relative humidity (RH) were measured and absolute humidity (AH) was calculated. Hands were dermatologically examined with quantitative clinical skin score HEROS, supplemented by transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and stratum corneum hydration measurements. Temperature ranged from -5.41 to 6.51°C in winter (RH 71.04-92.38%; AH 2.85-6.7 g/m 3 ) and from 6.35 to 10.26°C in spring (RH 76.17-82.79%; AH 5.66-7.92 g/m 3 ). Regarding HEROS, TEWL, and corneometry, no marked consistent pattern regarding an enhanced or decreased risk of irritant skin changes was found. Work in a strictly controlled environment with prolonged wearing of occlusive gloves, with clean hands and without exposure to additional hazardous substances, did not seem to negatively affect the skin. In this particular setting, meteorological conditions also did not appear to adversely affect the skin. It is conceivable that wearing of gloves and air conditioning in the plant protect skin of the hands from adverse effects due to dry and cold air encountered when not working.

  17. The future is 'ambient'

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lugmayr, Artur

    2006-02-01

    The research field of ambient media starts to spread rapidly and first applications for consumer homes are on the way. Ambient media is the logical continuation of research around media. Media has been evolving from old media (e.g. print media), to integrated presentation in one form (multimedia - or new media), to generating a synthetic world (virtual reality), to the natural environment is the user-interface (ambient media), and will be evolving towards real/synthetic undistinguishable media (bio-media or bio-multimedia). After the IT bubble was bursting, multimedia was lacking a vision of potential future scenarios and applications. Within this research paper the potentials, applications, and market available solutions of mobile ambient multimedia are studied. The different features of ambient mobile multimedia are manifold and include wearable computers, adaptive software, context awareness, ubiquitous computers, middleware, and wireless networks. The paper especially focuses on algorithms and methods that can be utilized to realize modern mobile ambient systems.

  18. Shear dilatancy and acoustic emission in dry and saturated granular materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brodsky, E. E.; Siman-Tov, S.

    2017-12-01

    Shearing of granular materials plays a strong role in naturally sheared systems as landslides and faults. Many works on granular flows have concentrated on dry materials, but relatively little work has been done on water saturated sands. Here we experimentally investigate dry versus saturated quartz-rich sand to understand the effect of the fluid medium on the rheology and acoustic waves emission of the sheared sand. The sand was sheared in a rotary shear rheometer under applied constant normal stress boundary at low (100 µm/s) to high (1 m/s) velocities. Mechanical, acoustic data and deformation were continuously recorded and imaged. For dry and water saturated experiments the granular volume remains constant for low shear velocities ( 10-3 m/s) and increases during shearing at higher velocities ( 1 m/s). Continuous imaging of the sheared sand show that the steady state shear band thickness is thicker during the high velocity steps. No significant change observed in the shear band thickness between dry and water saturated experiments. In contrast, the amount of dilation during water saturated experiments is about half the value measured for dry material. The measured decrease cannot be explained by shear band thickness change as such is not exist. However, the reduced dilation is supported by our acoustic measurements. In general, the event rate and acoustic event amplitudes increase with shear velocity. While isolated events are clearly detected during low velocities at higher the events overlap, resulting in a noisy signal. Although detection is better for saturated experiments, during the high velocity steps the acoustic energy measured from the signal is lower compared to that recorded for dry experiments. We suggest that the presence of fluid suppresses grain motion and particles impacts leading to mild increase in the internal pressure and therefore for the reduced dilation. In addition, the viscosity of fluids may influence the internal pressure via

  19. Calibration of Relative Humidity Devices in Low-pressure, Low-temperature CO2 Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genzer, Maria; Polkko, Jouni; Nikkanen, Timo; Hieta, Maria; Harri, Ari-Matti

    2017-04-01

    Calibration of relative humidity devices requires in minimum two humidity points - dry (0%RH) and (near)saturation (95-100%RH) - over the expected operational temperature and pressure range of the device. In terrestrial applications these are relatively easy to achieve using for example N2 gas as dry medium, and water vapor saturation chambers for producing saturation and intermediate humidity points. But for example in applications intended for meteorological measurements on Mars there is a need to achieve at least dry and saturation points in low-temperature, low-pressure CO2 environment. We have developed a custom-made, small, relatively low-cost calibration chamber able to produce both dry points and saturation points in Martian range pressure CO2, in temperatures down to -70°C. The system utilizes a commercially available temperature chamber for temperature control, vacuum vessels and pumps. The main pressure vessel with the devices under test inside is placed inside the temperature chamber, and the pressure inside is controlled by pumps and manual valves and monitored with a commercial pressure reference with calibration traceable to national standards. Air, CO2, or if needed another gas like N2, is used for filling the vessel until the desired pressure is achieved. Another pressure vessel with a dedicated pressure pump is used as the saturation chamber. This vessel is placed in the room outside the temperature chamber, partly filled with water and used for achieving saturated water vapor in room-temperature low-pressure environment. The saturation chamber is connected to the main pressure vessel via valves. In this system dry point, low-pressure CO2 environment is achieved by filling the main pressure vessel with dry CO2 gas until the desired pressure is achieved. A constant flow of gas is maintained with the pump and valves and monitored with the pressure reference. The saturation point is then achieved by adding some water vapor from the saturation

  20. Technical Aspects Regarding the Preservation of Dry Onions in Different Storage Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marian Vintila

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Research refers to the ability to maintain the quality of dry onions in different conditions of temperature, the three varieties used in experimentation (De Buzau, Daytona and Countach being stored after proper preparation at ambient temperature (+20…+22°C, refrigerated (+10…+12°C and cold conditions (+3…+5°C. Storage life, the level of weight (mass and decay losses and evolution of some chemical components determined from the 9 variants led to the conclusion that the best results were obtained by De Buzau variety for storage under ambient conditions and Daytona variety for storage under refrigerated and cold conditions. Moreover large differences between varieties and their behavior depending on storage conditions require choosing resistant cultivars and optimum storage temperatures according to destination and period of marketing or consumption.

  1. Towards New Ambient Light Systems: a Close Look at Existing Encodings of Ambient Light Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrii Matviienko

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Ambient systems provide information in the periphery of a user’s attention. Their aim is to present information as unobtrusively as possible to avoid interrupting primary tasks (e.g. writing or reading. In recent years, light has been used to create ambient systems to display information. Examples of ambient light systems range from simple notification systems such as displaying messages or calendar event reminders, to more complex systems such as focusing on conveying information regarding health activity tracking. However, for ambient light systems, there is a broad design space that lacks guidelines on when to make use of light displays and how to design them. In this paper we provide a systematic overview of existing ambient light systems over four identified information classes derived from 72 existing ambient light systems. The most prominent encoding parameters among the surveyed ambient light systems are color, brightness, and their combination. By analyzing existing ambient light systems, we provide a first step towards developing guidelines for designing future ambient light systems.

  2. Characteristics of Timbers Dried Using Kiln Drying and Radio Frequency-Vacuum Drying Systems

    OpenAIRE

    Rabidin Zairul Amin; Seng Gan Kee; Wahab Mohd Jamil Abdul

    2017-01-01

    Heavy hardwoods are difficult-to-dry timbers as they are prone to checking and internal stresses when dried using a conventional kiln drying system. These timbers are usually dried naturally to reach 15% to 19% moisture content with an acceptable defects. Besides long drying time, timbers at these moisture contents are not suitable for indoor applications since they will further dry and causing, for example, jointing and lamination failures. Drying to a lower moisture content could only be ac...

  3. Application of near ambient pressure gas-phase X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to the investigation of catalytic properties of copper in methanol oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prosvirin, Igor P., E-mail: prosvirin@catalysis.ru [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentieva ave. 5, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova str. 2, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Bukhtiyarov, Andrey V., E-mail: avb@catalysis.ru [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentieva ave. 5, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Research and Educational Center for Energy Efficient Catalysis, Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova str. 2, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Bluhm, Hendrik, E-mail: hbluhm@lbl.gov [Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Bukhtiyarov, Valerii I., E-mail: vib@catalysis.ru [Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Lavrentieva ave. 5, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova str. 2, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Research and Educational Center for Energy Efficient Catalysis, Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova str. 2, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

    2016-02-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Selective oxidation of CH{sub 3}OH to CH{sub 2}O over a Cu foil has been studied by in situ gas phase XPS. • C1s and O1s spectra were used for identification of reagents and reaction products in a gas phase. • Catalytic data (conversions and reaction products yields) calculated from XPS spectra are in a good agreement with QMS results. • The possible reasons of the observed variations in reaction mechanism have been discussed. - Abstract: Application of near ambient pressure (NAP) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for characterization of catalytic properties of a heterogeneous catalyst through measurement and analysis of the core-level spectra from gas phase constituents, which become measurable in submillibar pressure range, has been demonstrated for the reaction of methanol oxidation over polycrystalline copper foil. To improve the accuracy of quantitative analysis of the gas phase signals for the routine XPS spectrometer with double Al/Mg anode used in these experiments, the sample was removed from XPS analysis zone, but it was still located in high-pressure gas cell. As consequence, only gas phase peaks from reagents and reaction products have been observed in XPS spectra. Quantitative analysis of the spectra has allowed us to calculate conversions of the reagents and yields of the reaction products, or, other words, to characterize the catalytic properties of the catalyst and to track their changes with temperature. Further comparison of the catalytic properties with concentration of the surface species measured by in situ XPS in separate experiments, but under the same conditions, gives a possibility to discuss the reaction mechanisms.

  4. A potential route to synthesize imporous MgB{sub 2} bulks by pretreatment of B powder at ambient pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pan, X F; Zhou, J D; Zhao, Y [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Cheng, C H [Superconductivity Research Group, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia)], E-mail: yzhao@home.swjtu.edu.cn

    2009-04-15

    Imporous MgB{sub 2} bulks with a density of 1.82 g cm{sup -3} have been synthesized by pretreatment of B powder in an in situ solid-state reaction at ambient pressure. The results show that the MgB{sub 2} with B powder pretreatment has a significant improvement in J{sub c}, B{sub irr}, microstructure and intergranular coupling, but with no decrease of T{sub c}. At 20 K and 4 T, the J{sub c} is enhanced by 4 times by the pretreatment of the B powder. For the B pretreated MgB{sub 2}, the B{sub irr} at 20 K reaches 5 T and J{sub c} at 10 K and 6 T reaches 2200 A cm{sup -2}, compared to 4.2 T and 670 A cm{sup -2} for the B-not-pretreated MgB{sub 2}. It is argued that the small amounts of highly dispersed carbon in B powder may enhance the mobility of B particles during the reaction of B and Mg, which avoids the formation of voids in the positions of Mg particles.

  5. Atmospheric dry deposition fluxes of trace elements measured in Bursa, Turkey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tasdemir, Yuecel; Kural, Can

    2005-01-01

    Trace element dry deposition fluxes were measured using a smooth, greased, knife-edge surrogate surface (KSS) holding greased Mylar strips in Bursa, Turkey. Sampling program was conducted between October 2002 and June 2003 and 46 dry deposition samples were collected. The average fluxes of crustal metals (Mg, Ca, and Fe) were one to four orders of magnitude higher than the fluxes of anthropogenic metals. Trace element fluxes ranged from 3 (Cd) to 24 230 (Ca) μg m -2 d -1 . The average trace element dry deposition fluxes measured in this study were similar to those measured in other urban areas. In addition, ambient air samples were also collected simultaneously with flux samples and concentrations of trace elements, collected with a TSP sampler, were between 0.7 and 4900 ng m -3 for Cd and Ca, respectively. The overall trace element dry deposition velocities, calculated by dividing the fluxes to the particle phase concentrations ranged from 2.3±1.7 cm s -1 (Pb) to 11.1±6.4 cm s -1 (Ni). These values are in good agreement with the values calculated using similar techniques. The anthropogenic and crustal contributions were estimated by employing enrichment factors (EFs) calculated relative to the average crustal composition. Low EFs for dry deposition samples were calculated. This is probably due to contamination of local dust and its important contribution to the collected samples. - Mechanical turbulence has an important influence on re-suspension and dry deposition of trace elements in an urban area

  6. In Situ Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Cobalt Perovskite Surfaces under Cathodic Polarization at High Temperatures

    KAUST Repository

    Crumlin, Ethan J.; Mutoro, Eva; Hong, Wesley T.; Biegalski, Michael D.; Christen, Hans M.; Liu, Zhi; Bluhm, Hendrik; Shao-Horn, Yang

    2013-01-01

    Heterostructured oxide interfaces have demonstrated enhanced oxygen reduction reaction rates at elevated temperatures (∼500-800 C); however, the physical origin underlying this enhancement is not well understood. By using synchrotron-based in situ ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), we focus on understanding the surface electronic structure, elemental composition, and chemical nature of epitaxial La0.8Sr 0.2CoO3-δ (LSC113), (La 0.5Sr0.5)2CoO4±δ (LSC214), and LSC214-decorated LSC113 (LSC 113/214) thin films as a function of applied electrical potentials (0 to -800 mV) at 520 C and p(O2) of 1 × 10-3 atm. Shifts in the top of the valence band binding energy and changes in the Sr 3d and O 1s spectral components under applied bias reveal key differences among the film chemistries, most notably in the degree of Sr segregation to the surface and quantity of active oxygen sites in the perovskite termination layer. These differences help to identify important factors governing the enhanced activity of oxygen electrocatalysis observed for the LSC113/214 heterostructured surface. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  7. In Situ Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Cobalt Perovskite Surfaces under Cathodic Polarization at High Temperatures

    KAUST Repository

    Crumlin, Ethan J.

    2013-08-08

    Heterostructured oxide interfaces have demonstrated enhanced oxygen reduction reaction rates at elevated temperatures (∼500-800 C); however, the physical origin underlying this enhancement is not well understood. By using synchrotron-based in situ ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), we focus on understanding the surface electronic structure, elemental composition, and chemical nature of epitaxial La0.8Sr 0.2CoO3-δ (LSC113), (La 0.5Sr0.5)2CoO4±δ (LSC214), and LSC214-decorated LSC113 (LSC 113/214) thin films as a function of applied electrical potentials (0 to -800 mV) at 520 C and p(O2) of 1 × 10-3 atm. Shifts in the top of the valence band binding energy and changes in the Sr 3d and O 1s spectral components under applied bias reveal key differences among the film chemistries, most notably in the degree of Sr segregation to the surface and quantity of active oxygen sites in the perovskite termination layer. These differences help to identify important factors governing the enhanced activity of oxygen electrocatalysis observed for the LSC113/214 heterostructured surface. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

  8. Influence of drying methods and agronomic variables on the chemical composition of mate tea leaves (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil) obtained from high-pressure CO2 extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacques, Rosângela Assis; Krause, Laiza Canielas; Freitas, Lisiane dos Santos; Dariva, Cláudio; Oliveira, J Vladimir; Caramão, Elina Bastos

    2007-12-12

    The main objective of this work is to assess the influence of two drying methods (microwave and vacuum oven) and some agronomic variables (plant fertilization conditions and sunlight intensity) on the characteristics of mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis) leaves extracts obtained from high-pressure carbon dioxide extractions performed in the temperature range from 20 to 40 degrees C and from 100 to 250 bar. Samples of mate were collected in an experiment conducted under agronomic control at Ervateira Barão LTDA, Brazil. Chemical distribution of the extracts was evaluated by gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer detector (GC/MS). In addition to extraction variables, results showed that both sample drying methods and agronomic conditions exert a pronounced influence on the extraction yield and on the chemical distribution of the extracts.

  9. High-pressure phases of uranium monophosphide studied by synchrotron x-ray diffraction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, J. Staun; Gerward, Leif; Benedict, U.

    1988-01-01

    X-ray diffraction studies have been performed on UP powder for pressures up to 51 GPa using synchrotron radiation and a diamond-anvil cell. At ambient pressure UP has the rocksalt structure. The bulk modulus has been determined to B0=102(4) GPa and its pressure derivative to B0’=4.0(8). The cubic...

  10. Use of ethyl lactate to extract bioactive compounds from Cytisus scoparius: Comparison of pressurized liquid extraction and medium scale ambient temperature systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lores, Marta; Pájaro, Marta; Álvarez-Casas, Marta; Domínguez, Jorge; García-Jares, Carmen

    2015-08-01

    An important trend in the extraction of chemical compounds is the application of new environmentally friendly, food grade solvents. Ethyl lactate (ethyl 2-hydroxypropanoate), produced by fermentation of carbohydrates, is miscible with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds being a potentially good solvent for bioactive compounds. Despite its relatively wide use as a general solvent, the utilization of ethyl lactate as an extraction solvent has only recently been considered. Here, we evaluate the possible use of ethyl lactate to extract phenolic compounds from wild plants belonging to Cytisus scoparius, and we compare the characteristics of the extracts obtained by Pressurized Solvent Extraction (the total phenolics content, the antioxidant activity and the concentration of the major polyphenols) with those of other extracts obtained with methanol. In order to explore the industrial production of the ethyl lactate Cytisus extract, we also evaluate medium scale ambient temperature setups. The whole plant and the different parts (flowers, branches, and seed pods) were evaluated separately as potential sources of polyphenols. All extracts were analyzed by LC-MS/MS for accurate identification of the major polyphenols. Similar phenolic profiles were obtained when using ethyl lactate or methanol. The main bioactives found in the Cytisus extract were the non-flavonoid phenolic compounds caffeic and protocatechuic acids and 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde; the flavonoids rutin, kaempferol and quercetin; the flavones chrysin, orientin and apigenin; and the alkaloid lupanine. Regarding the comparison of the extraction systems, although the performance of the PLE was much better than that of the ambient-temperature columns, the energy consumption was also much higher. Ethyl lactate has resulted an efficient extraction solvent for polyphenols from C. scoparius, yielding extracts with high levels of plant phenolics and antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial activity of these

  11. Results for the Aboveground Configuration of the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durbin, Samuel G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lindgren, Eric R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2016-09-30

    The thermal performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks is evaluated through detailed numerical analysis. These modeling efforts are completed by the vendor to demonstrate performance and regulatory compliance. The calculations are then independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full-sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask, in part by increasing the efficiency of internal conduction pathways, and also by increasing the internal convection through greater canister helium pressure. These same canistered cask systems rely on ventilation between the canister and the overpack to convect heat away from the canister to the environment for both above- and below-ground configurations. While several testing programs have been previously conducted, these earlier validation attempts did not capture the effects of elevated helium pressures or accurately portray the external convection of above-ground and below-ground canistered dry cask systems. The purpose of the current investigation was to produce data sets that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern dry casks that utilize elevated helium pressure in the sealed canister in an above-ground configuration.

  12. Behavior of aircraft antiskid braking systems on dry and wet runway surfaces: Hydromechanically controlled system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanner, J. A.; Stubbs, S. M.; Smith, E. G.

    1981-01-01

    The investigation utilized one main gear wheel, brake, and tire assembly of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 series 10 airplane. The landing-gear strut was replaced by a dynamometer. During maximum braking, average braking behavior indexes based upon brake pressure, brake torque, and drag-force friction coefficient developed by the antiskid system were generally higher on dry surfaces than on wet surfaces. The three braking behavior indexes gave similar results but should not be used interchangeably as a measure of the braking of this antiskid sytem. During the transition from a dry to a flooded surface under heavy braking, the wheel entered into a deep skid but the antiskid system reacted quickly by reducing brake pressure and performed normally during the remainder of the run on the flooded surface. The brake-pressure recovery following transition from a flooded to a dry surface was shown to be a function of the antiskid modulating orifice.

  13. Drying affects artemisinin, dihydroartemisinic acid, artemisinic acid, and the antioxidant capacity of Artemisia annua L. leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Jorge F S; Luthria, Devanand L

    2010-02-10

    There is limited information on how postharvest drying of Artemisia annua affects artemisinin (ART) biosynthesis and A. annua antioxidant capacity. Antioxidants may boost the bioactivity of ART and the crop commercial value. We evaluated the effect of freeze, oven, shade, and sun drying, time of drying, and light intensity on the leaf concentration of ART, dihydroartemisinic acid (DHAA), artemisinic acid (AA), and on the leaf antioxidant capacity. Freeze-dried samples had the lowest ART concentrations as compared to the other drying methods. However, the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay showed that freeze- and oven-dried samples had similarly high antioxidant activities, which declined significantly after plants were shade- and sun-dried. Shade drying for 1, 2, and 3 weeks, under ambient or low light, did not change the ART content but significantly decreased the leaf antioxidant activity, mainly if sun-dried. A significant decrease (82% average) in DHAA was observed for all drying procedures as compared to freeze drying, with a simultaneous, significant increase in ART (33% average). The average bioconversion of DHAA to ART was 43% for oven- and shade-dried plants and 94% for sun-dried plants, reiterating the hypothesis that DHAA, not AA, is the main biosynthetic precursor of ART and suggesting that sun drying improves the bioconversion from DHAA to ART. Data also indicate that oven drying for 24 h at 45 degrees C can provide good levels of both ART and antioxidants in leaves. These findings are valuable for the commercial production of ART and of bioactive antioxidants that might synergize with the antimalarial and anticancer effects of ART when combined in traditional preparations to improve human and animal health.

  14. Drastic Pressure Effect on the Extremely Large Magnetoresistance in WTe2: Quantum Oscillation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, P L; Hu, J; He, L P; Pan, J; Hong, X C; Zhang, Z; Zhang, J; Wei, J; Mao, Z Q; Li, S Y

    2015-07-31

    The quantum oscillations of the magnetoresistance under ambient and high pressure have been studied for WTe2 single crystals, in which extremely large magnetoresistance was discovered recently. By analyzing the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, four Fermi surfaces are identified, and two of them are found to persist to high pressure. The sizes of these two pockets are comparable, but show increasing difference with pressure. At 0.3 K and in 14.5 T, the magnetoresistance decreases drastically from 1.25×10(5)% under ambient pressure to 7.47×10(3)% under 23.6 kbar, which is likely caused by the relative change of Fermi surfaces. These results support the scenario that the perfect balance between the electron and hole populations is the origin of the extremely large magnetoresistance in WTe2.

  15. Hydrodynamics study on drying of pepper in swirling fluidized bed dryer (SFBD)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syaif Haron, Nazrul; Hazri Zakaria, Jamal; Faizal Mohideen Batcha, Mohd

    2017-08-01

    Malaysia is one of the pepper producer with exports quantity reaching more than 90000 tonnes between 2010 until 2016. Drying of pepper is mandatory before their export and at present, pepper was dried by sun drying to reduce cost. This conventional drying method was time consuming and may take four days during rainy season, which retards the production of pepper. This paper proposes the swirling fluidized bed drying (SFBD) method, which was known to have high mixing ability and improved solid-gas contact to shorten the drying time of products. A lab scale SFBD system was constructed to carry out this study. Hydrodynamic study was conducted for three beds loadings of 1.0 kg, 1.4 kg at a drying temperature of 90°C. The SFBD has shown excellent potential to dry the pepper with a relatively short drying time compared to the conventional method. Batch drying for the bed loads studied only took 3 hours of drying time only. It was found that bed higher bed loading of wet pepper requires longer drying time due to higher amount of moisture content in the bed. Four distinct regimes of operation were found during drying in the SFBD and these regimes offer flexibility of operation. The total bed pressure drop was relatively low during drying.

  16. Perfume fingerprinting by easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry: nearly instantaneous typification and counterfeit detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haddad, Renato; Catharino, Rodrigo Ramos; Marques, Lygia Azevedo; Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira

    2008-11-01

    Perfume counterfeiting is an illegal worldwide practice that involves huge economic losses and potential consumer risk. EASI is a simple, easily performed and rapidly implemented desorption/ionization technique for ambient mass spectrometry (MS). Herein we demonstrate that EASI-MS allows nearly instantaneous perfume typification and counterfeit detection. Samples are simply sprayed onto a glass rod or paper surface and, after a few seconds of ambient drying, a profile of the most polar components of the perfume is acquired. These components provide unique and reproducible chemical signatures for authentic perfume samples. Counterfeiting is readily recognized since the exact set and relative proportions of the more polar chemicals, sometimes at low concentrations, are unknown or hard to reproduce by the counterfeiters and hence very distinct and variable EASI-MS profiles are observed for the counterfeit samples.

  17. Solubility and dissolution performances of spray-dried solid dispersion of Efavirenz in Soluplus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavra, Zênia Maria Maciel; Pereira de Santana, Davi; Ré, Maria Inês

    2017-01-01

    Efavirenz (EFV), a first-line anti-HIV drug largely used as part of antiretroviral therapies, is practically insoluble in water and belongs to BCS class II (low solubility/high permeability). The aim of this study was to improve the solubility and dissolution performances of EFV by formulating an amorphous solid dispersion of the drug in polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer (Soluplus ® ) using spray-drying technique. To this purpose, spray-dried dispersions of EFV in Soluplus ® at different mass ratios (1:1.25, 1:7, 1:10) were prepared and characterized using particle size measurements, SEM, XRD, DSC, FTIR and Raman microscopy mapping. Solubility and dissolution were determined in different media. Stability was studied at accelerated conditions (40 °C/75% RH) and ambient conditions for 12 months. DSC and XRD analyses confirmed the EFV amorphous state. FTIR spectroscopy analyses revealed possible drug-polymer molecular interaction. Solubility and dissolution rate of EFV was enhanced remarkably in the developed spray-dried solid dispersions, as a function of the polymer concentration. Spray-drying was concluded to be a proper technique to formulate a physically stable dispersion of amorphous EFV in Soluplus ® , when protected from moisture.

  18. Polymorphism of a polymer precursor: metastable glycolide polymorph recovered via large scale high-pressure experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hutchison, Ian B.; Delori, Amit; Wang, Xiao

    2015-01-01

    Using a large volume high-pressure press a new polymorph of an important precursor for biomedical polymers was isolated in gram quantities and used to seed crystallisation experiments at ambient pressure....

  19. Measurement of pressure on a surface using bubble acoustic resonances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aldham, Ben; Manasseh, Richard; Liffman, Kurt; Šutalo, Ilija D; Illesinghe, Suhith; Ooi, Andrew

    2010-01-01

    The frequency response of gas bubbles as a function of liquid ambient pressure was measured and compared with theory. A bubble size with equivalent spherical radius of 2.29 mm was used over a frequency range of 1000–1500 Hz. The ultimate aim is to develop an acoustic sensor that can measure static pressure and is sensitive to variations as small as a few kPa. The classical bubble resonance frequency is known to vary with ambient pressure. Experiments were conducted with a driven bubble in a pressurizable tank with a signal processing system designed to extract the resonant peak. Since the background response of the containing tank is significant, particularly near tank-modal resonances, it must be carefully removed from the bubble response signal. A dual-hydrophone method was developed to allow rapid and reliable real-time measurements. The expected pressure dependence was found. In order to obtain a reasonable match with theory, the classical theory was modified by the introduction of a 'mirror bubble' to account for the influence of a nearby surface. (technical design note)

  20. CUIDADO AMBIENTAL E RESPONSABILIDADE: POSSÍVEL DIÁLOGO ENTRE PSICOLOGIA AMBIENTAL E LOGOTERAPIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diogo Arnaldo Corrêa

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available O cuidado ambiental vem sendo marcado pela tônica da conservação e da promoção da sustentabilidade. A premente necessidade de um dado compromisso e educação ambiental e de condutas pró-ambientais vem sendo defendida em vários contextos: na mídia, nas políticas públicas, por meio de campanhas sazonais. Todavia, pouco se descreve acerca do sentido presente nos modos de cuidado configurados a partir da inter-relação pessoa-ambiente. Nesta perspectiva, este estudo objetivou promover um possível diálogo a partir das contribuições da Psicologia Ambiental e da Logoterapia visando aproximar a noção de cuidado ambiental, delineada pela Psicologia Ambiental, à ideia de responsabilidade, como defendida pela Logoterapia, por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica. As articulações propositadas corroboraram, portanto, para acenar que a relação pessoa-ambiente pode ser arraigada em qualidade se a responsabilidade é reconhecida em sua propriedade de potencial humano, o que pode favorecer na emergência do sentido das atitudes e condutas pró-ambientais e explicitar o caráter de tarefa única e irrepetível inerente à vida.

  1. Experimental Compressibility of Molten Hedenbergite at High Pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agee, C. B.; Barnett, R. G.; Guo, X.; Lange, R. A.; Waller, C.; Asimow, P. D.

    2010-12-01

    Experiments using the sink/float method have bracketed the density of molten hedenbergite (CaFeSi2O6) at high pressures and temperatures. The experiments are the first of their kind to determine the compressibility of molten hedenbergite at high pressure and are part of a collaborative effort to establish a new database for an array of silicate melt compositions, which will contribute to the development of an empirically based predictive model that will allow calculation of silicate liquid density and compressibility over a wide range of P-T-X conditions where melting could occur in the Earth. Each melt composition will be measured using: (i) double-bob Archimedean method for melt density and thermal expansion at ambient pressure, (ii) sound speed measurements on liquids to constrain melt compressibility at ambient pressure, (iii) sink/float technique to measure melt density to 15 GPa, and (iv) shock wave measurements of P-V-E equation of state and temperature between 10 and 150 GPa. Companion abstracts on molten fayalite (Waller et al., 2010) and liquid mixes of hedenbergite-diopside and anorthite-hedenbergite-diopside (Guo and Lange, 2010) are also presented at this meeting. In the present study, the hedenbergite starting material was synthesized at the Experimental Petrology Lab, University of Michigan, where melt density, thermal expansion, and sound speed measurements were also carried out. The starting material has also been loaded into targets at the Caltech Shockwave Lab, and experiments there are currently underway. We report here preliminary results from static compression measurement performed at the Department of Petrology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, and the High Pressure Lab, Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico. Experiments were carried out in Quick Press piston-cylinder devices and a Walker-style multi-anvil device. Sink/float marker spheres implemented were gem quality synthetic forsterite (Fo100), San Carlos olivine (Fo90), and

  2. Performance evaluation of an open-cathode PEM fuel cell stack under ambient conditions: Case study of United Arab Emirates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Zeyoudi, Hend; Sasmito, Agus P.; Shamim, Tariq

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Performance evaluation of open-cathode PEM fuel cell stacks with forced air-convection. • Stack performance can vary up to 40% from winter to summer. • Hot and arid condition leads to membrane drying and performance deterioration. • Anode humidification improves the stack performance up to 40% during summer. - Abstract: The open-cathode polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack has been a promising candidate as a sustainable energy conversion system for replacing fossil fuel-based energy conversion devices in portable and automotive applications. As the ambient air is directly used to provide both oxidant and cooling, the complex cooling loop can be avoided which reduces the complexity and cost. However, the stack performance is highly affected by ambient conditions, i.e., ambient temperature and humidity. In this study, the effect of monthly ambient air conditions (temperature and humidity) is evaluated with respect to the stack’s power production performance as well as thermal, water and gas management by employing a validated three-dimensional open-cathode PEM fuel cell stack model. The annual climate data from the hot and arid environment of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) are used as a case study. The objective is to develop a better fundamental understanding of the interactions of physical phenomena in a fuel cell stack, which can assist in improving the performance and operation of an open-cathode PEM fuel cell-powered vehicle. The results indicate that the stack performance can vary significantly (up to 40%) from winter to summer, especially at high operating currents, with significant changes in the stack temperature and the water content at the membrane. Moreover, the anode humidification results in a significant improvement in the stack performance (up to 40%) in hot and dry conditions. However, a careful balance has to be struck between the humidifier parasitic load and the stack power.

  3. Compression under a mechanical counter pressure space suit glove

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waldie, James M A.; Tanaka, Kunihiko; Tourbier, Dietmar; Webb, Paul; Jarvis, Christine W.; Hargens, Alan R.

    2002-01-01

    Background: Current gas-pressurized space suits are bulky stiff shells severely limiting astronaut function and capability. A mechanical counter pressure (MCP) space suit in the form of a tight elastic garment could dramatically improve extravehicular activity (EVA) dexterity, but also be advantageous in safety, cost, mass and volume. The purpose of this study was to verify that a prototype MCP glove exerts the design compression of 200 mmHg, a pressure similar to the current NASA EVA suit. Methods: Seven male subjects donned a pressure measurement array and MCP glove on the right hand, which was placed into a partial vacuum chamber. Average compression was recorded on the palm, the bottom of the middle finger, the top of the middle finger and the dorsum of the hand at pressures of 760 (ambient), 660 and 580 mmHg. The vacuum chamber was used to simulate the pressure difference between the low breathing pressure of the current NASA space suits (approximately 200 mmHg) and an unprotected hand in space. Results: At ambient conditions, the MCP glove compressed the dorsum of the hand at 203.5 +/- 22.7 mmHg, the bottom of the middle finger at 179.4 +/- 16.0 mmHg, and the top of the middle finger at 183.8 +/- 22.6 mmHg. The palm compression was significantly lower (59.6 +/- 18.8 mmHg, pglove compression with the chamber pressure reductions. Conclusions: The MCP glove compressed the dorsum of the hand and middle finger at the design pressure.

  4. High-pressure X-ray diffraction studies of potassium chlorate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pravica, Michael; Bai, Ligang; Bhattacharya, Neelanjan (UNLV)

    2012-03-15

    Two static high-pressure X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies of potassium chlorate have been performed at pressures of up to {approx}14.3 GPa in a diamond anvil cell at ambient temperature using the 16 ID-B undulator beamline at the Advanced Photon Source for the X-ray source. The first experiment was conducted to ascertain decomposition rates of potassium chlorate as a function of pressure. Below 2 GPa, the sample was observed to decompose rapidly in the presence of the X-ray beam and release oxygen. Above 2 GPa (near the phase I phase II transition), the decomposition rate dramatically slowed so that good quality XRD patterns could be acquired. This suggests a phase-dependent decomposition rate. In the second study, X-ray diffraction spectra were collected at pressures from 2 to 14.3 GPa by aligning virgin portions of the sample into the focused X-ray beam at each pressure. The results suggest the co-existence of mixed monoclinic (I) and rhombohedral (II) phases of potassium chlorate near 2 GPa. At pressures beyond 4 GPa, the XRD patterns show a very good fit to KClO{sub 3} in the rhombohedral phase with space group R3m, in agreement with earlier studies. No further phase transitions were observed with pressure. Decompression of the sample to ambient pressure indicated mixed phases I and II coupled with a small amount of synchrotron X-ray-induced decomposition product. The equation of state within this pressure regime has been determined.

  5. Steam explosions of molten iron oxide drops: easier initiation at small pressurizations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, L.S.; Duda, P.M.

    1982-01-01

    Steam explosions caused by hot molten materials contacting liquid water following a possible light water nuclear reactor core overheat have been investigated by releasing single drops of a core melt simulant, molten iron oxide, into liquid water. Small steam explosions were triggered shortly afterwards by applying a pressure pulse to the water. The threshold peak pulse level above which an explosion always occurs was studied at ambient pressures between 0.083 and 1.12 MPa. It was found that the threshold decreased to a minimum in the range 0.2 - 0.8 MPa and then increased again. The effect of easier initiation as ambient pressure increases may have an important role in the triggering and propagation of a large scale steam explosion through a coarsely premixed dispersion of melt in water. (U.K.)

  6. Activity, sleep and ambient light have a different impact on circadian blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature rhythms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gubin, D G; Weinert, D; Rybina, S V; Danilova, L A; Solovieva, S V; Durov, A M; Prokopiev, N Y; Ushakov, P A

    2017-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of endogenous and exogenous factors for the expression of the daily rhythms of body temperature (BT), blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). One hundred and seventy-three young adults (YA), 17-24 years old (y.o.), of both genders were studied under a modified constant-routine (CR) protocol for 26 h. Participants were assigned randomly to groups with different lighting regimens: CR-LD, n = 77, lights (>400 l×) on from 09:00 to 17:00 h and off (lights on (>400 l×) during the whole experimental session; CR-DD, n = 15, constant dim light (Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) records from 27 YA (16-38 y.o.) and BT self-measurement data from 70 YA (17-30 y.o.) taken on ≥ 3 successive days at 08:00, 11:00, 14:00, 17:00, 20:00, 23:00 and 03:00 were available. The obtained daily patterns were different between Control and CR-DD groups, due to effects of activity, sleep and light. The comparison of Control and CR-LD groups allowed the effects of sleep and activity to be estimated since the lighting conditions were similar. The activity level substantially elevated SBP, but not DBP. Sleep, on the other hand, lowered the nighttime DBP, but has no effect on SBP. HR was affected both by activity and sleep. In accordance with previous studies, these results confirm that the steep BP increase in the morning is not driven by the circadian clock, but rather by sympathoadrenal factors related to awakening and corresponding anticipatory mechanisms. The effect on BT was not significant. To investigate the impact of light during the former dark time and darkness during the former light time, the CR-LL and CR-DD groups were each compared with the CR-LD group. Light delayed the evening decrease of BT, most likely via a suppression of the melatonin rise. Besides, it had a prominent arousal effect on SBP both in the former light and dark phases, a moderate effect on DBP and no effect on HR. Darkness induced decline in BT. BP

  7. Magnitude of [14C] DDT residues in stored dried fish and pre-cooking processing effect on their removal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahman, M.; Khatoon, J.; Matin, M.A.; Main, A.J.

    1998-01-01

    Residues of 14 C-DDT in stored dried fish was determined under ambient conditions for a 6 month period. Immediately after treatment, about 40% of the applied DDT was eliminated from surface of the dried fish with water washing. However, such removal was reduced to about 26% on storage for 6 months. Boiling of dried fish in water resulted in further removal of about 16% residues. In boiled dried fish, about 14% residues might remain and this could be removed by Soxhlet extraction. Surface extraction with hexane yielded about 80% of the residues immediately after treatment and the extractable residues decreased to about half the initial value of 6 months' storage. Dried fish residues, on surface extraction with water or hexane, when subjected to exhaustive Soxhlet extraction with methanol was found to result in further recovery of about 39-49% and 17-32%, respectively. Bound DDT residues were found to be about 5% in water washed dried fish samples and about 1.5% in case of hexane-extracted samples. Degradation of parent DDT to DDE and DDD was found. Maximum values of 16.58% DDE and 21.6% DDD were found in dried fish stored for 6 months. (author)

  8. Gradual pressure-induced change in the magnetic structure of the noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn3Ge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sukhanov, A. S.; Singh, Sanjay; Caron, L.; Hansen, Th.; Hoser, A.; Kumar, V.; Borrmann, H.; Fitch, A.; Devi, P.; Manna, K.; Felser, C.; Inosov, D. S.

    2018-06-01

    By means of powder neutron diffraction we investigate changes in the magnetic structure of the coplanar noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn3Ge caused by an application of hydrostatic pressure up to 5 GPa. At ambient conditions the kagomé layers of Mn atoms in Mn3Ge order in a triangular 120∘ spin structure. Under high pressure the spins acquire a uniform out-of-plane canting, gradually transforming the magnetic texture to a noncoplanar configuration. With increasing pressure the canted structure fully transforms into the collinear ferromagnetic one. We observed that magnetic order is accompanied by a noticeable magnetoelastic effect, namely, spontaneous magnetostriction. The latter induces an in-plane magnetostrain of the hexagonal unit cell at ambient pressure and flips to an out-of-plane strain at high pressures in accordance with the change of the magnetic structure.

  9. Structural phase stability of ThSb and ThAs under pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venkatasubramaniam, K.; Rajagopalan, M.; Palanivel, B.; Kalpana, G.

    1997-01-01

    The high-pressure behaviour of thorium monopnictides is of considerable interest as these systems exhibit structural phase transitions under pressure. At ambient conditions these compounds crystallize in the NaCl-type(B1) structure. Experiments show that with the application of pressure these compounds transform to the CsCl-type (B2) structure. ThSb and ThAs are found to exhibit B1-B2 transition in the pressure range between 9-12 GPa and 1826 GPa respectively. In this work, we present the electronic and high-pressure behaviour of ThAs and ThSb performed using the tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital method. The total energies within the atomic sphere approximation were calculated as a function of volume for both the B1 and B2 structures. The total energy calculations reveal that both ThSb and ThAs are stable in the B1 structure at ambient conditions and undergo structural transition to the B2 structure at pressures 78 and 240 kbar respectively, which are in good agreement with the experimental values. The calculated values of equilibrium lattice parameter and the transition pressure are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. (author)

  10. The Effects of Ambient Conditions on Helicopter Harmonic Noise Radiation: Theory and Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenwood, Eric; Sim, Ben W.; Boyd, D. Douglas, Jr.

    2016-01-01

    The effects of ambient atmospheric conditions, air temperature and density, on rotor harmonic noise radiation are characterized using theoretical models and experimental measurements of helicopter noise collected at three different test sites at elevations ranging from sea level to 7000 ft above sea level. Significant changes in the thickness, loading, and blade-vortex interaction noise levels and radiation directions are observed across the different test sites for an AS350 helicopter flying at the same indicated airspeed and gross weight. However, the radiated noise is shown to scale with ambient pressure when the flight condition of the helicopter is defined in nondimensional terms. Although the effective tip Mach number is identified as the primary governing parameter for thickness noise, the nondimensional weight coefficient also impacts lower harmonic loading noise levels, which contribute strongly to low frequency harmonic noise radiation both in and out of the plane of the horizon. Strategies for maintaining the same nondimensional rotor operating condition under different ambient conditions are developed using an analytical model of single main rotor helicopter trim and confirmed using a CAMRAD II model of the AS350 helicopter. The ability of the Fundamental Rotorcraft Acoustics Modeling from Experiments (FRAME) technique to generalize noise measurements made under one set of ambient conditions to make accurate noise predictions under other ambient conditions is also validated.

  11. Spray freeze-dried nanofibrillated cellulose aerogels with thermal superinsulating properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez-Saelices, Clara; Seantier, Bastien; Cathala, Bernard; Grohens, Yves

    2017-02-10

    Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) aerogels were prepared by spray freeze-drying (SFD). Their structural, mechanical and thermal insulation properties were compared to those of NFC aerogels prepared by conventional freeze-drying (CFD). The purpose of this investigation is to develop superinsulating bioaerogels by reducing their pore size. Severe reduction of the aerogel pore size and skeleton architecture were observed by SEM, aerogels prepared by SFD method show a fibril skeleton morphology, which defines a mesoporous structure. BET analyses confirm the appearance of a new organization structure with pores of nanometric sizes. As a consequence, the thermal insulation properties were significantly improved for SFD materials compared to CFD aerogel, reaching values of thermal conductivity as low as 0.018W/(mK). Moreover, NFC aerogels have a thermal conductivity below that of air in ambient conditions, making them one of the best cellulose based thermal superinsulating material. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Comparison of Biomass and Lipid Production under Ambient Carbon Dioxide Vigorous Aeration and 3% Carbon Dioxide Condition Among the Lead Candidate Chlorella Strains Screened by Various Photobioreactor Scales

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kobayashi, Naoko [Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States); Barnes, Austin [Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States); Jensen, Travis [Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States); Noel, Eric [Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States); Andlay, Gunjan [Synaptic Research, Baltimore, MD (United States); Rosenberg, Julian N. [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States); Betenbaugh, Michael J. [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States); Guarnieri, Michael T. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Oyler, George A. [Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States); Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States); Synaptic Research, Baltimore, MD (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Chlorella species from the UTEX collection, classified by rDNA-based phylogenetic analysis, were screened based on biomass and lipid production in different scales and modes of culture. Lead candidate strains of C. sorokiniana UTEX 1230 and C. vulgaris UTEX 395 and 259 were compared between conditions of vigorous aeration with filtered atmospheric air and 3% CO2 shake-flask cultivation. We found that the biomass of UTEX 1230 produced 2 times higher at 652 mg L-1 dry weight under both ambient CO2 vigorous aeration and 3% CO2 conditions, while UTEX 395 and 259 under 3% CO2 increased to 3 times higher at 863 mg L-1 dry weight than ambient CO2 vigorous aeration. The triacylglycerol contents of UTEX 395 and 259 increased more than 30 times to 30% dry weight with 3% CO2, indicating that additional CO2 is essential for both biomass and lipid accumulation in UTEX 395 and 259.

  13. Development of a dry-feed system for a coal-fired gas turbine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rothrock, J.W. Jr.; Smith, C.F.

    1993-11-01

    The objective of the reported of the reported work is to develop a dry coal feed system that provides smooth, controllable flow of coal solids into the high pressure combustor of the engine and all test rigs. The system must start quickly and easily, run continuously with automatic transfer of coal from low pressure hoppers to the high pressure delivery system, and offer at least a 3:1 smooth turn-down ratio. cost of the equipment must be minimized to maintain the economic attractiveness of the whole system. Before the current contract started some work was done with dry powder coal. For safety and convenience reasons, coal water slurry was selected as the fuel for all work on the program. Much of the experimental work, including running the Allison 501-KM engine was done with coal slurry. Recent economic analysis led to a change to powdered coal.

  14. Effects of physical parameters on the heat and mass transfer characteristics in freeze-drying processes of fruits and vegetables

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Yuming; Liu, Lijuan; Liang, Li [Shanxi Agricultural Univ. (China). Coll. of Engineering and Technology], E-mail: guoyuming99@sina.com

    2008-07-01

    Studying the effects mechanism of material physical parameters on the heat and mass transfer characteristics, the process parameters and energy consumption during freeze-drying process is of importance in improving the vacuum freeze-drying process with low energy consumption. In this paper, the sliced and mashed carrots of one variety were selected to perform the vacuum freeze-drying experiments. First, the variation laws of surface temperatures and sublimation front temperatures of the two shapes samples during the freeze-drying processes were analyzed, and it was verified that the process of sliced carrots is controlled by mass transfer, while that of the mashed ones is heat-transfer control. Second, the variations of water loss rate, energy consumption and temperature of the two shapes samples under the appropriate heating plate temperature and the different drying chamber pressure were analyzed. In addition, the effects of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity on freeze-drying time and process parameters were discussed by utilizing the theory of heat and mass transfer. In conclusion, under the heat transfer condition, the temperature of the heating plate should be as high as possible within the permitted range, and the drying chamber pressure should be set at optimal level. While under the mass transport-limited condition, the pressure level need to be altered in short time. (author)

  15. Stabilization of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccines by Freeze Drying, Spray Drying, and Foam Drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovalenti, Phillip M; Anderl, Jeff; Yee, Luisa; Nguyen, Van; Ghavami, Behnaz; Ohtake, Satoshi; Saxena, Atul; Voss, Thomas; Truong-Le, Vu

    2016-05-01

    The goal of this research is to develop stable formulations for live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) by employing the drying methods freeze drying, spray drying, and foam drying. Formulated live attenuated Type-A H1N1 and B-strain influenza vaccines with a variety of excipient combinations were dried using one of the three drying methods. Process and storage stability at 4, 25 and 37°C of the LAIV in these formulations was monitored using a TCID50 potency assay. Their immunogenicity was also evaluated in a ferret model. The thermal stability of H1N1 vaccine was significantly enhanced through application of unique formulation combinations and drying processes. Foam dried formulations were as much as an order of magnitude more stable than either spray dried or freeze dried formulations, while exhibiting low process loss and full retention of immunogenicity. Based on long-term stability data, foam dried formulations exhibited a shelf life at 4, 25 and 37°C of >2, 1.5 years and 4.5 months, respectively. Foam dried LAIV Type-B manufactured using the same formulation and process parameters as H1N1 were imparted with a similar level of stability. Foam drying processing methods with appropriate selection of formulation components can produce an order of magnitude improvement in LAIV stability over other drying methods.

  16. Drying characteristics of whole Musa AA group ‘Kluai Leb Mu Nang’ using hot air and infrared vacuum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulketwong, C.; Thungsotanon, D.; Suwanpayak, N.

    2017-06-01

    Dried Musa AA group ‘Kluai Leb Mu Nang’ are the famous processing goods of Chumphon province, the south of Thailand. In this paper, we improved the qualities of whole Musa AA group ‘Kluai leb Mu Nang’ by using the hot air and infrared vacuum (HA and infrared vacuum) drying method which has two stages. The first stage of the method is the hot air (HA) and hot air-infrared (HAI) drying for rapidly reducing the moisture content and the drying times at atmospheric pressure, and the second stage, the moisture content, and color of the samples can be controlled by the HA and infrared vacuum drying. The experiment was evaluated by the terms of firmness, color change, moisture content, vacuum pressure and energy consumption at various temperatures. The results were found that the suitable temperature of the HAI and HA and infrared vacuum drying stages at 70°C and 55°C, respectively, while the suitable vacuum pressure in the second process was -0.4 bar. The samples were dried in a total of 28 hrs using 13.83 MJ/kg of specific energy consumption (stage 1 with 8.8 MJ/kg and stage 2 of 5.03 MJ/kg). The physical characteristics of the 21% (wb) of dried bananas can be measured the color change, L*=38.56, a*=16.47 and b*=16.3, was approximate the goods from the local market, whereas the firmness of them was more tender and shown a value of 849.56 kN/m3.

  17. Influence of physicochemical characteristics and high pressure processing on the volatile fraction of Iberian dry-cured ham.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Onandi, Nerea; Rivas-Cañedo, Ana; Ávila, Marta; Garde, Sonia; Nuñez, Manuel; Picon, Antonia

    2017-09-01

    The volatile fraction of 30 Iberian dry-cured hams of different physicochemical characteristics and the effect of high pressure processing (HPP) at 600MPa on volatile compounds were investigated. According to the analysis of variance carried out on the levels of 122 volatile compounds, intramuscular fat content influenced the levels of 8 benzene compounds, 5 carboxylic acids, 2 ketones, 2 furanones, 1 alcohol, 1 aldehyde and 1 sulfur compound, salt concentration influenced the levels of 1 aldehyde and 1 ketone, salt-in-lean ratio had no effect on volatile compounds, and water activity influenced the levels of 3 sulfur compounds, 1 alcohol and 1 aldehyde. HPP-treated samples of Iberian ham had higher levels of 4 compounds and lower levels of 31 compounds than untreated samples. A higher influence of HPP treatment on volatile compounds than physicochemical characteristics was observed for Iberian ham. Therefore, HPP treatment conditions should be optimized in order to diminish its possible effect on Iberian ham odor and aroma characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Oscillatory shear and high-pressure dielectric study of 5-methyl-3-heptanol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hecksher, Tina; Jakobsen, Bo; Dyre, J. C.

    2014-01-01

    The monohydroxy alcohol 5-methyl-3-heptanol is studied using rheology at ambient pressure and using dielectric spectroscopy at elevated pressures up to 1.03 GPa. Both experimental techniques reveal that the relaxational behavior of this liquid is intermediate between those that show a large Debye...

  19. Management type affects composition and facilitative processes in altoandine dry grassland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catorci, Andrea; Cesaretti, Sabrina; Velasquez, Jose Luis; Burrascano, Sabina; Zeballos, Horacio

    2013-10-01

    We performed our study in the Dry Puna of the southern Peruvian Andes. Through a comparative approach we aimed to assess the effects of the two management systems, low grazing pressure by wild camelids vs. high grazing pressure by domestic livestock and periodic burning. Our general hypothesis was that the traditional high disturbance regime affects the dry Puna species diversity and composition through modifications of the magnitude of plant-plant-interactions and changes of the community structure due to shifts in species dominance. In 40 plots of 10 × 10 m, the cover value of each species was recorded and the species richness, floristic diversity, and community similarity of each treatment were compared. For each disturbance regime, differences of soil features (organic matter, carbon/nitrogen ratio, and potassium content) were tested. To evaluate plant-plant interactions, 4 linear transect divided into 500 plots of 10 × 10 cm were laid out and co-occurrence analysis was performed. We found that different disturbance regimes were associated with differences in the floristic composition, and that the high disturbance condition had lower species diversity and evenness. A decrease of tall species such as Festuca orthophylla and increase of dwarf and spiny Tetraglochin cristatum shrubs was observed as well. In addition, different disturbance intensities caused differences in the functional composition of the plant communities, since species with avoidance strategies are selected by high grazing pressure. High disturbance intensity was also associated to differences of soil features and to different clumped spatial structure of the dry Puna. Our results indicate also that: positive interactions are often species-specific mainly depending on the features of nurse and beneficiary species; the importance of positive interaction is higher at low grazing pressure than at high disturbance intensity; the magnitude and direction of the herbivory-mediated facilitation

  20. Spreading of Trisiloxanes on Thin Water Film: Dry Spot Profile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derrick Ovunda NJOBUENWU

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports the results of an experimental investigation of the spreading of trisiloxanes EO6, EO7, EO8, EO9 and sodium dodecyl sulphate SDS on thin films which are 320 microns in thickness; the concentrations covered are above the CMC. The spreading of SDS is accompanied by the formation of a “dry spot” which advances in time roughly as t1/4. The trisiloxanes spreading gave rise to dry spot formation that was accompanied by “irregularities”, which corresponded to an abrupt jump in the plot of dry spot radius versus time. The behaviour is attributed to a variety of factors: disjoining pressure effects or the fact that the Petri dish was too small so that backward propagating waves were set up due to reflections from the walls which interacted with the outspreading dry spot.

  1. Effect of ambient humidity on the rate at which blood spots dry and the size of the spot produced.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denniff, Philip; Woodford, Lynsey; Spooner, Neil

    2013-08-01

    For shipping and storage, dried blood spot (DBS) samples must be sufficiently dry to protect the integrity of the sample. When the blood is spotted the humidity has the potential to affect the size of the spot created and the speed at which it dries. The area of DBS produced on three types of substrates were not affected by the humidity under which they were generated. DBS samples reached a steady moisture content 150 min after spotting and 90 min for humidities less than 60% relative humidity. All packaging materials examined provided some degree of protection from external extreme conditions. However, none of the packaging examined provided a total moisture barrier to extreme environmental conditions. Humidity was shown not to affect the spot area and DBS samples were ready for shipping and storage 2 h after spotting. The packing solutions examined all provided good protection from external high humidity conditions.

  2. Swelling pressure and water absorption property of compacted granular bentonite during water absorption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oyamada, T.; Komine, H.; Murakami, S.; Sekiguchi, T.; Sekine, I.

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Bentonite is currently planned to be used as buffer materials in engineered barrier of radioactive waste disposal. Granular bentonites are expected as the materials used in constructions as buffer materials by in-situ compaction methods. After applying these buffer materials, it is expected that the condition of the buffer area changes in long-term by the seepage of groundwater into buffer area. Therefore, it is important to understand water movement and swelling behavior of the buffer materials for evaluating the performance of engineered barrier. In this study, we investigated water absorption property and swelling pressure of compacted granular bentonite. Specifically, the process of swelling pressure and amount of water absorption of granular bentonite-GX (Kunigel-GX, produced at the Tsukinuno mine in Japan) were observed by laboratory tests. To discuss the influence of maximum grain size of bentonite particle on swelling pressure and water absorption property, two types of samples were used. One is granular sample which is Bentonite-GX controlled under 2 mm the maximum grain size, the other is milled sample which is Bentonite-GX with the maximum grain size under 0.18 mm by milling with the agate mortar. In addition, the mechanism on the swelling pressure of compacted granular bentonite was considered and discussed. In the cases of granular sample, swelling pressure increases rapidly, then gradually continues to increase up to maximum value. In the cases of milled sample, swelling pressure also increases rapidly at first. However, then its value decreases before progressing of gradual increase continues. Especially, this trend was clearly observed at a relatively low dry density. At the peaks of these curves, the swelling pressure of granular samples is lower than that of milled samples. In addition, the increasing of swelling pressure by the time the peak observed during the process of swelling pressure from

  3. Properties of metallocene complexes during the oxidative crosslinking of air drying coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stava, Vit; Erben, Milan; Vesely, David; Kalenda, Petr

    2007-05-01

    Driers are added to air drying paints to accelerate the hardening of spread coating. For decades cobalt octoate has been the most widely used drier because of its good performance at ambient temperature. Recently, several reports describing possible carcinogenity and genotoxicity of cobalt and cobalt salts, such as cobalt sulfate in aerosols, have appeared. It is necessary to reduce the amount of cobalt compounds in coatings industry. Present study deals with the possibility of using ferrocene and its derivatives as driers for air drying coatings. We concentrated particularly on the synergic effect between these metallocene complexes and the cobalt drier. In the first step the kinetics of autooxidation by FTIR spectroscopy in model systems was investigated. Then the metallocene complexes were applied together with cobalt drier to alkyd resin, where their influence on hardness of spread coatings was examined.

  4. Ambient Seismic Imaging of Hydraulically Active Fractures at km Depths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malin, P. E.; Sicking, C.

    2017-12-01

    Streaming Depth Images of ambient seismic signals using numerous, densely-distributed, receivers have revealed their connection to hydraulically active fractures at 0.5 to 5 km depths. Key for this type of imaging is very high-fold stacking over both multiple receives and periods of a few hours. Also important is suppression of waveforms from fixed, repeating sources such as pumps, generators, and traffic. A typical surface-based ambient SDI survey would use a 3D seismic receiver grid. It would have 1,000 to 4,000 uniformly distributed receivers at a density of 50/km2over the target. If acquired by borehole receivers buried 100 m deep, the density can be dropped by an order of magnitude. We show examples of the acquisition and signal processing scenarios used to produce the ambient images. (Sicking et al., SEG Interpretation, Nov 2017.) While the fracture-fluid source connection of SDI has been verified by drilling and various types of hydraulic tests, the precise nature of the signal's origin is not clear. At the current level of observation, the signals do not have identifiable phases, but can be focused using P wave velocities. Suggested sources are resonances of pressures fluctuations in the fractures, or small, continuous, slips on fractures surfaces. In either case, it appears that the driving mechanism is tectonic strain in an inherently unstable crust. Solid earth tides may enhance these strains. We illustrate the value of the ambient SDI method in its industrial application by showing case histories from energy industry and carbon-capture-sequestration projects. These include ambient images taken before, during, and after hydraulic treatments in un-conventional reservoirs. The results show not only locations of active fractures, but also their time responses to stimulation and production. Time-lapse ambient imaging can forecast and track events such as well interferences and production changes that can result from nearby treatments.

  5. Pressure effects on single wall carbon nanotube bundles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teredesai, P.V.; Sharma, S.M.; Karmakar, S.; Sikka, S.K.; Govindaraj, A.; Rao, C.N.R.

    2001-01-01

    We report high pressure Raman studies on single wall carbon nanotube bundles under hydrostatic conditions using two different pressure transmitting media, alcohol mixture and pure water. The radial and tangential modes show a blue shift when SWNT bundle is immersed in the liquids at ambient pressures. The pressure dependence of the radial modes is the same in both liquids. However, the pressure derivatives dω/dP of the tangential modes are slightly higher for the water medium. Raman results are compared with studies under non-hydrostatic conditions and with recent high-pressure X-ray studies. It is seen that the mode frequencies of the recovered sample after pressure cycling from 26 GPa are downshifted by ∝7-10 cm -1 as compared to the starting sample. (orig.)

  6. Factors affecting viability of Bifidobacterium bifidum during spray drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shokri, Zahra; Fazeli, Mohammad Reza; Ardjmand, Mehdi; Mousavi, Seyyed Mohammad; Gilani, Kambiz

    2015-01-25

    There is substantial clinical data supporting the role of Bifidobacterium bifidum in human health particularly in benefiting the immune system and suppressing intestinal infections. Compared to the traditional lyophilization, spray-drying is an economical process for preparing large quantities of viable microorganisms. The technique offers high production rates and low operating costs but is not usually used for drying of substances prone to high temperature. The aim of this study was to establish the optimized environmental factors in spray drying of cultured bifidobacteria to obtain a viable and stable powder. The experiments were designed to test variables such as inlet air temperature, air pressure and also maltodextrin content. The combined effect of these variables on survival rateand moisture content of bacterial powder was studied using a central composite design (CCD). Sub-lethal heat-adaptation of a B. bifidum strain which was previously adapted to acid-bile-NaCl led to much more resistance to high outlet temperature during spray drying. The resistant B. bifidum was supplemented with cost friendly permeate, sucrose, yeast extract and different amount of maltodextrin before it was fed into a Buchi B-191 mini spray-dryer. Second-order polynomials were established to identify the relationship between the responses andthe three variables. Results of verification experiments and predicted values from fitted correlations were in close agreement at 95% confidence interval. The optimal values of the variables for maximum survival and minimum moisture content of B. bifidum powder were as follows: inlet air temperature of 111.15°C, air pressure of 4.5 bar and maltodextrin concentration of 6%. Under optimum conditions, the maximum survival of 28.38% was achieved while moisture was maintained at 4.05%. Viable and cost effective spray drying of Bifidobacterium bifidum could be achieved by cultivating heat and acid adapted strain into the culture media containing

  7. Pressure-Induced Polyamorphic Transition in Nanoscale TiO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swamy, Varghese; Muddle, Barry C.

    2009-01-01

    The detection and characterization of pressure-induced amorphization in 20 GPa and ambient temperature is documented. The characterization employed in situ high-pressure angle-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy in diamond-anvil cells. Comparative Raman spectroscopy allows the local structures of the high-density amorphous (HDA) form obtained at high pressures and its low-pressure (<10-15 GPa) low-density amorphous (LDA) analogue to be related to the baddeleyite-TiO2 and TiO2-II structures, respectively. The pressure-induced amorphization and the HDA-LDA transition in nanoscale TiO2 bear broad similarities to transitions in the Si and H2O systems.

  8. Dependence of temperature-dependent electrical resistivity of SrIrO3 on hydrostatic pressure to 9.1 kbar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foroozani, N.; Lim, J.; Li, L.; Cao, G.; Schilling, J.S.

    2013-01-01

    Non-Fermi-liquid behavior and close proximity to a quantum critical point in the 5d transition metal iridate SrIrO 3 at ambient pressure motivate our search for possible anomalous behavior in its transport properties under pressure. The electrical resistivity in the ab-plane of a single crystal of SrIrO 3 has been measured over the temperature range 1.35–285 K at both ambient and 9.1 kbar hydrostatic pressure. The resistivity decreases slightly over the entire temperature range, but no superconducting transition or changes in the non-Fermi-liquid behavior are observed under pressure. It is estimated that significantly higher pressures are likely required before sizable changes in the properties of SrIrO 3 will occur.

  9. High pressure structural studies on nanophase praseodymium oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saranya, L.; Chandra Shekar, N.V.; Amirthapandian, S.; Hussain, Shamima; Arulraj, A.; Sahu, P. Ch.

    2014-01-01

    The phase stability of nanocrystalline Pr 2 O 3 has been investigated under pressure by in-situ high pressure X-ray diffraction using Mao-Bell type diamond anvil cell. The ambient structure and phase of the praseodymium oxide have been resolved unambiguously using x-ray diffraction, SEM and TEM techniques. Under the action of pressure the cubic phase of the system is retained up to 15 GPa. This is unusual as other isostructural rare earth oxides show structural transformations even at lower pressures. From the best fit to the P–V data with the Murnaghan equation of state yields a bulk modulus of 171 GPa

  10. High pressure structural studies on nanophase praseodymium oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saranya, L. [Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirapalli 620020, Tamil Nadu (India); Chandra Shekar, N.V., E-mail: chandru@igcar.gov.in [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102, Tamil Nadu (India); Amirthapandian, S. [Materials Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102, Tamil Nadu (India); Hussain, Shamima [UGC-DAE-CSR node, Kokilamedu 603103, Tamil Nadu (India); Arulraj, A.; Sahu, P. Ch. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102, Tamil Nadu (India)

    2014-09-15

    The phase stability of nanocrystalline Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3} has been investigated under pressure by in-situ high pressure X-ray diffraction using Mao-Bell type diamond anvil cell. The ambient structure and phase of the praseodymium oxide have been resolved unambiguously using x-ray diffraction, SEM and TEM techniques. Under the action of pressure the cubic phase of the system is retained up to 15 GPa. This is unusual as other isostructural rare earth oxides show structural transformations even at lower pressures. From the best fit to the P–V data with the Murnaghan equation of state yields a bulk modulus of 171 GPa.

  11. Brachial artery responses to ambient pollution, temperature, and humidity in people with type 2 diabetes: a repeated-measures study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanobetti, Antonella; Luttmann-Gibson, Heike; Horton, Edward S; Cohen, Allison; Coull, Brent A; Hoffmann, Barbara; Schwartz, Joel D; Mittleman, Murray A; Li, Yongsheng; Stone, Peter H; de Souza, Celine; Lamparello, Brooke; Koutrakis, Petros; Gold, Diane R

    2014-03-01

    Extreme weather and air pollution are associated with increased cardiovascular risk in people with diabetes. In a population with diabetes, we conducted a novel assessment of vascular brachial artery responses both to ambient pollution and to weather (temperature and water vapor pressure, a measure of humidity). Sixty-four 49- to 85-year-old Boston residents with type 2 diabetes completed up to five study visits (279 repeated measures). Brachial artery diameter (BAD) was measured by ultrasound before and after brachial artery occlusion [i.e., flow-mediated dilation (FMD)] and before and after nitroglycerin-mediated dilation (NMD). Ambient concentrations of fine particulate mass (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon, particle number, and sulfate were measured at our monitoring site; ambient concentrations of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone were obtained from state monitors. Particle exposure in the home and during each trip to the clinic (home/trip exposure) was measured continuously and as a 5-day integrated sample. We used linear models with fixed effects for participants, adjusting for date, season, temperature, and water vapor pressure on the day of each visit, to estimate associations between our outcomes and interquartile range increases in exposure. Baseline BAD was negatively associated with particle pollution, including home/trip-integrated BC (-0.02 mm; 95% CI: -0.04, -0.003, for a 0.28 μg/m3 increase in BC), OC (-0.08 mm; 95% CI: -0.14, -0.03, for a 1.61 μg/m3 increase) as well as PM2.5, 5-day average ambient PM2.5, and BC. BAD was positively associated with ambient temperature and water vapor pressure. However, exposures were not consistently associated with FMD or NMD. Brachial artery diameter, a predictor of cardiovascular risk, decreased in association with particle pollution and increased in association with ambient temperature in our study population of adults with type 2 diabetes. Zanobetti A, Luttmann

  12. Effects of Dry Storage and Resubmersion of Oysters on Total Vibrio vulnificus and Total and Pathogenic (tdh+/trh+) Vibrio parahaemolyticus Levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinsey, Thomas P; Lydon, Keri A; Bowers, John C; Jones, Jessica L

    2015-08-01

    Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) are the two leading causes of bacterial illnesses associated with raw shellfish consumption. Levels of these pathogens in oysters can increase during routine antifouling aquaculture practices involving dry storage in ambient air conditions. After storage, common practice is to resubmerge these stored oysters to reduce elevated Vv and Vp levels, but evidence proving the effectiveness of this practice is lacking. This study examined the changes in Vv and in total and pathogenic (thermostable direct hemolysin gene and the tdh-related hemolysin gene, tdh+ and trh+) Vp levels in oysters after 5 or 24 h of dry storage (28 to 32°C), followed by resubmersion (27 to 32°C) for 14 days. For each trial, replicate oyster samples were collected at initial harvest, after dry storage, after 7 days, and after 14 days of resubmersion. Oysters not subjected to dry storage were collected and analyzed to determine natural undisturbed vibrio levels (background control). Vibrio levels were measured using a most-probable-number enrichment followed by real-time PCR. After storage, vibrio levels (excluding tdh+ and trh+ Vp during 5-h storage) increased significantly (P oysters stored for 5 h) were not significantly different (P oysters. Vv and total and pathogenic Vp levels were not significantly different (P > 0.1) from levels in background oysters after 14 days of resubmersion, regardless of dry storage time. These data demonstrate that oyster resubmersion after dry storage at elevated ambient temperatures allows vibrio levels to return to those of background control samples. These results can be used to help minimize the risk of Vv and Vp illnesses and to inform the oyster industry on the effectiveness of routine storing and resubmerging of aquaculture oysters.

  13. Influences of ambient gases on the structure and the composition of calcium phosphate films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hye-Lee; Kim, Young-Sun; Kim, Dae-Joon; Lee, Won-Jun; Han, Jung-Suk

    2006-01-01

    Calcium phosphate films were prepared by using a pulsed KrF-laser deposition (PLD) method with a hydroxyapatite target in various ambient gases, such as Ar, O 2 and H 2 O. The influence of the ambient gas on the properties of the deposited films was investigated. The chamber pressure and the substrate temperature were fixed at 0.25 Torr and 600 .deg. C, respectively. Calcium-rich amorphous calcium phosphate films were deposited with a low density in Ar due to the preferential resputtering of phosphorus from the growing film. In an O 2 ambient, the density and the Ca/P ratio of the films were similar to those of the target. However, the deposited film was amorphous calcium phosphate and did not contain OH - groups. Polycrystalline hydroxyapatite films can be deposited in a H 2 O ambient because a sufficient supply of OH - groups from the ambient gas is essential for the growth of a hydroxyapatite film.

  14. Influences of ambient gases on the structure and the composition of calcium phosphate films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hye-Lee; Kim, Young-Sun; Kim, Dae-Joon; Lee, Won-Jun [Sejong University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Han, Jung-Suk [Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-11-15

    Calcium phosphate films were prepared by using a pulsed KrF-laser deposition (PLD) method with a hydroxyapatite target in various ambient gases, such as Ar, O{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O. The influence of the ambient gas on the properties of the deposited films was investigated. The chamber pressure and the substrate temperature were fixed at 0.25 Torr and 600 .deg. C, respectively. Calcium-rich amorphous calcium phosphate films were deposited with a low density in Ar due to the preferential resputtering of phosphorus from the growing film. In an O{sub 2} ambient, the density and the Ca/P ratio of the films were similar to those of the target. However, the deposited film was amorphous calcium phosphate and did not contain OH{sup -} groups. Polycrystalline hydroxyapatite films can be deposited in a H{sub 2}O ambient because a sufficient supply of OH{sup -} groups from the ambient gas is essential for the growth of a hydroxyapatite film.

  15. Experimental investigation on the behavior of pressure suppression containment systems by the SOPRE-1 facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cerullo, N.; Delli Gatti, A.; Marinelli, M.; Mazzini, M.; Mazzoni, A.; Sbrana, A.; Todisco, P.

    1977-01-01

    The SOPRE-1 test facility is an integral model (scale 1:13) of a MARK II pressure suppression containment system. It was set up at the University of Pisa in order to study the pressure-temperature transient in pressure suppression containment systems during LOCAs. Knowledge of this transient is necessary to perform a correct structural analysis of reactor containment. The containment system behavior is studied by changing the principal parameters which affect the transient (blow-down mass and energy release, suppression pool water temperature, vent pipe number and submergence, heat transfer coefficients). The first series of tests involved: A) 13 tests with break area of 1.8 cm 2 , B) 8 tests with break area of 20.0 cm 2 . The following experimental conditions were changed: position of the simulated break (from liquid or steam zone), water pressure (20-85 Kg/cm 2 ) and mass (45-70 Kg) in the vessel model. Tests A): the CONTEMPT codes correctly forecast the pressure-temperature history, both in dry- and in wet-well. Tests B): the experimental runs have shown that increasing of blow-down flowrate produces dry-well pressure spatial differences and anomalous vent pipe behavior. This results in damped oscillations of dry- and wet-well pressure, probably due to alternating air bubble over-expansion and collapse, and in vent pipe opening and reclosing. Dry-well pressure maxima at the end of blow-down are greater than those forecasted by currently applied codes: these codes use an homogeneous model, and do not take into account the above mentioned dynamic phenomena. In some tests other interesting phenomena were observed, such as some local pressure peaks in the suppression pool greater than dry-well pessure maxima at the end of blow-down. At present, all these phenomena are under study; they could be important for the structural analysis of containment systems

  16. Metallized compliant 3D microstructures for dry contact thermal conductance enhancement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Jin; Wang, Jicheng; Zhong, Yang; Pan, Liang; Weibel, Justin A.

    2018-05-01

    Microstructured three-dimensional (3D) materials can be engineered to enable new capabilities for various engineering applications; however, microfabrication of large 3D structures is typically expensive due to the conventional top-down fabrication scheme. Herein we demonstrated the use of projection micro-stereolithography and electrodeposition as cost-effective and high-throughput methods to fabricate compliant 3D microstructures as a thermal interface material (TIM). This novel TIM structure consists of an array of metallized micro-springs designed to enhance the dry contact thermal conductance between nonflat surfaces under low interface pressures (10s-100s kPa). Mechanical compliance and thermal resistance measurements confirm that this dry contact TIM can achieve conformal contact between mating surfaces with a nonflatness of approximately 5 µm under low interface pressures.

  17. Ambient Noise Levels in Acute Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Referral Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonia R. B D'Souza

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Advances in neonatal care have resulted in improved survival of neonates admitted to the intensive care of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU. However, the NCU may be an inappropriate milieu, with presence of overwhelming stimuli, most potent being the continuous presence of noise in the ambience of the NICU. Aim and Objectives: To determine and describe the ambient noise levels in the acute NICU of a tertiary referral hospital. Material and Methods: The ambient noise, in this study was the background sound existing in the environment of the acute NICU of a tertiary referral hospital in South India. The ambient noise levels were analyzed by an audiologist and acoustical engineer using a standardized and calibrated Sound Level Meter (SLM i.e., the Hand Held Analyzer type 2250, Brüel and Kjær, Denmark on a weighted frequency A and reported as dB (A. Results: The ambient noise levels were timed measurements yielded by the SLM in terms of L eq, L as well as L exceeded the standard A 10 Aeqmax levels (Leq< 45 dB, L ≤ 50 dB, and Lmax ≤ 65 10 dB.The L eq ranged from 59.4 to 62.12 dB A. A Ventilators with alarms caused the maximum amount of ambient noise yielding a L Sound Pressure Level AF (SPL of 82.14 dB A. Conclusion: The study has found high levels of ambient noise in the acute NICU. Though there are several measures to reduce the ambient noise levels in the NICU, it is essential to raise awareness among health care personnel regarding the observed ambient noise levels and its effects on neonates admitted to the NICU.

  18. High-pressure behavior of nano titanium dioxide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, J.S.; Gerward, Leif; Jiang, Jianzhong

    2002-01-01

    Nanocrystalline rutile Titanium dioxide has been studied by X-ray diffraction at ambient temperature up to 47.4 GPa. The material is found to transform to the monoclinic baddeleyite structure between 20 and 30 GPa, which is higher than the corresponding pressure range for bulk material. Upon deco...

  19. Positive association between short-term ambient air pollution exposure and children blood pressure in China-Result from the Seven Northeast Cities (SNEC) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Xiao-Wen; Qian, Zhengmin Min; Vaughn, Michael G; Nelson, Erik J; Dharmage, Shyamali C; Bowatte, Gayan; Perret, Jennifer; Chen, Duo-Hong; Ma, Huimin; Lin, Shao; de Foy, Benjamin; Hu, Li-Wen; Yang, Bo-Yi; Xu, Shu-Li; Zhang, Chuan; Tian, Yan-Peng; Nian, Min; Wang, Jia; Xiao, Xiang; Bao, Wen-Wen; Zhang, Ya-Zhi; Dong, Guang-Hui

    2017-05-01

    The impact of ambient air pollution on health causes concerns in China. However, little is known about the association of short-term air pollution exposure with blood pressure (BP) in children. The goal of present study was to assess the association between short-term air pollution and BP in children from a highly polluted area in China. This study enrolled 9354 children in 24 elementary and middle schools (aged 5-17 years) from the Seven Northeast Cities (SNEC) study, respectively, during the period of 2012-2013. Ambient air pollutants, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤10 μm (PM 10 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and ozone (O 3 ) on the days (1-5 days) preceding BP examination were collected from local air monitoring stations. Generalized additive models and two-level regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between air pollution and BP after adjusting for other covariates. Results showed that with an interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM 10 (50.0 μg/m 3 ) and O 3 (53.0 μg/m 3 ) level during the 5-day mean exposure, positive associations with elevated BP were observed, with an odds ratio of 2.17 (95% CI, 1.61-2.93) for PM 10 and 2.77 (95% CI, 1.94-3.95) for O 3 . Both systolic BP and diastolic BP levels were positively associated with an IQR increase of four air pollutants at different lag times. Specifically, an IQR increase in the 5-day mean of PM 10 and O 3 was associated with elevation of 2.07 mmHg (95% CI, 1.71-2.44) and 3.29 mmHg (95% CI, 2.86-3.72) in systolic BP, respectively. When stratified by sex, positive relationships were observed for elevated BP with NO 2 exposure only in males. This is the first report on the relationship between ambient short-term air pollution exposure and children BP in China. Findings indicate a need to control air pollutants and protect children from heavy air pollution exposure in China. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. In Situ Studies of Surface Mobility on Noble Metal Model Catalysts Using STM and XPS at Ambient Pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butcher, Derek Robert [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2010-06-01

    High Pressure Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (HP-STM) and Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy were used to study the structural properties and catalytic behavior of noble metal surfaces at high pressure. HP-STM was used to study the structural rearrangement of the top most atomic surface layer of the metal surfaces in response to changes in gas pressure and reactive conditions. AP-XPS was applied to single crystal and nanoparticle systems to monitor changes in the chemical composition of the surface layer in response to changing gas conditions. STM studies on the Pt(100) crystal face showed the lifting of the Pt(100)-hex surface reconstruction in the presence of CO, H2, and Benzene. The gas adsorption and subsequent charge transfer relieves the surface strain caused by the low coordination number of the (100) surface atoms allowing the formation of a (1 x 1) surface structure commensurate with the bulk terminated crystal structure. The surface phase change causes a transformation of the surface layer from hexagonal packing geometry to a four-fold symmetric surface which is rich in atomic defects. Lifting the hex reconstruction at room temperature resulted in a surface structure decorated with 2-3 nm Pt adatom islands with a high density of step edge sites. Annealing the surface at a modest temperature (150 C) in the presence of a high pressure of CO or H2 increased the surface diffusion of the Pt atoms causing the adatom islands to aggregate reducing the surface concentration of low coordination defect sites. Ethylene hydrogenation was studied on the Pt(100) surface using HP-STM. At low pressure, the lifting of the hex reconstruction was observed in the STM images. Increasing the ethylene pressure to 1 Torr, was found to regenerate the hexagonally symmetric reconstructed phase. At room temperature ethylene undergoes a structural rearrangement to form ethylidyne. Ethylidyne preferentially binds at the three-fold hollow sites, which