Direct measurements of particle flux along gap sides in castellated plasma facing component in COMPASS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dejarnac, Renaud; Dimitrova, Miglena; Komm, Michael; Schweer, Bernd; Terra, Alexis; Martin, Aurelien; Boizante, Gontran; Gunn, James P.; Panek, Radomir

2014-01-01

Highlights: •We designed a probe to measure plasma deposition into gaps during tokamak discharges. •Isat profiles are measured on both side of the gap for different gap orientations. •Ion current is measured at the bottom of the gap in the toroidal orientation. •Kinetic simulations reproduce well experimental profiles qualitatively. -- Abstract: In this paper, we report results of a dedicated experiment that gives the plasma penetration profiles inside a gap of a tokamak castellated plasma-facing component. A specially designed probe that recreates a gap between two tiles has been built for the purpose of this study. It allows to measure ion saturation profiles along the 2 sides and at the bottom of the gap for both poloidal and toroidal orientations. The novelty of such experiment is the real time measurement of the plasma flux inside the gap during a tokamak D-shaped discharge compared to previous experimental studies which were mainly post-mortem. This experiment was performed in the COMPASS tokamak and results are compared with particle-in-cell simulations. The plasma deposition is found to be asymmetric in both orientations with a stronger effect in poloidal gaps. The Larmor radius of the incoming ions plays a role in the plasma penetration only in poloidal gaps but seems to have little impact in toroidal gaps. Profiles are qualitatively well reproduced by simulations. Ion current is recorded at the bottom of a toroidal gap under certain conditions

[Edge effects of forest gap in Pinus massoniana plantations on the decomposition of leaf litter recalcitrant components of Cinnamomum camphora and Toona ciliata.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Dan Ju; Li, Xun; Liu, Hua; Zhang, Ming Jin; Yang, Wan Qin; Zhang, Jian

2016-04-22

The objective of the study was to evaluate the dynamics of recalcitrant components during foliar litter decomposition under edge effects of forest gap in Pinus massoniana plantations in the low hilly land, Sichuan basin. A field litterbag experiment was conducted in seven forest gaps with different sizes (100, 225, 400, 625, 900, 1225, 1600 m 2 ) which were generated by thinning P. massoniana plantations. The degradation rate of four recalcitrant components, i.e., condensed tannins, total phenol, lignin and cellulose in foliar litter of two native species (Cinnamomum camphora and Toona ciliata) at the gap edge and under the closed canopy were measured. The results showed that the degradation rate of recalcitrant components in T. ciliata litter except for cellulose at the gap edge were significantly higher than that under the closed canopy. For C. camphora litter, only the degradation of lignin at the gap edge was higher than that under the closed canopy. After one-year decomposition, four recalcitrant components in two types of foliar litter exhibited an increment of degradation rate, and the degradation rate of condensed tannin was the fastest, followed by total phenol and cellulose, but the lignin degradation rate was the slowest. With the increase of gap size, except for cellulose, the degradation rate ofthe other three recalcitrant components of the T. ciliata at the edge of medium sized gaps (400 and 625 m 2 ) were significantly higher than at the edge of other gaps. However, lignin in the C. camphora litter at the 625 m 2 gap edge showed the greatest degradation rate. Both temperature and litter initial content were significantly correlated with litter recalcitrant component degradation. Our results suggested that medium sized gaps (400-625 m 2 ) had a more significant edge effect on the degradation of litter recalcitrant components in the two native species in P. massoniana plantations, however, the effect also depended on species.

The composite N1 component to gaps in noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt, Hillel; Bleich, Naomi; Mittelman, Nomi

2005-11-01

To indicate whether the double peaked N(1) to gaps in continuous white noise is a composite of onset and offset responses to transients or whether it reflects higher processing such as change or mismatch detection and to assess the role of attention in this process. Evoked potentials were recorded to two binaural stimulus types: (1) gaps of different durations randomly distributed in continuous white noise; and (2) click pairs at intervals identical to those between gap onsets and offsets in the continuous noise stimulus. Potentials to these stimuli were recorded while subjects read a text and while detecting gaps in noise or click pairs. Potentials were detected to all click pairs and to gaps of 5 ms or longer, corresponding to the subjects' psychoacoustic gap detection threshold. With long gap durations of 200-800 ms, distinct potentials to gap onset and gap offset were observed. The waveforms to all click pairs and to offsets of long gaps were similar and single-peaked, while potentials to gaps of 10 ms and longer, and potentials to onsets of long gaps were double-peaked, consisting of two N(1) negativities, 60 ms apart, irrespective of gap duration. The first (N(1a)), was more frontal in its distribution and similar to that of clicks. The second (N(1b)) peak's distribution was more central/temporal and its source locations and time course of activity were distinct. No effects of attention on any of the varieties and constituents of N(1) were observed. Comparing potentials to gap onsets, to click pairs and to gap offsets, suggests that potentials to gap onsets involve not only sound onset/offset responses (N(1), N(1a)) but also the subsequent pre-attentive perception of the cessation of an ongoing sound (N(1b)). We propose that N(1b) is distinct from change or mismatch detection and is associated with termination of an ongoing continuous stimulus. We propose to call it the N(egation)-process. A constituent of the N(1) complex is shown to be associated with the

Heterogenous treatment of water gaps and control rods in core calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindahl, S.Oe.

1984-08-01

The conventional fuel assembly homogenization process introduces errors in the gross power distribution of the order of 10%. A method to mitigate the homogenization error is proposed. The gaps in between the fuel pin domains, containing water, control rod blades, fuel channel shroud, etc, are described by their transmission and reflection properties while the fuel pin regions are represented by conventional, homogenized cross sections. A nodal equation, incorporating the gap transmission and reflection functions, is set up in a general form. By numerical testing on 2D core problems it is shown that the explicit gap treatment is capable of reducing the homogenization error by an order of magnitude. (author)

Exergy Analysis of Air-Gap Membrane Distillation Systems for Water Purification Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Woldemariam

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Exergy analyses are essential tools for the performance evaluation of water desalination and other separation systems, including those featuring membrane distillation (MD. One of the challenges in the commercialization of MD technologies is its substantial heat demand, especially for large scale applications. Identifying such heat flows in the system plays a crucial role in pinpointing the heat loss and thermal integration potential by the help of exergy analysis. This study presents an exergetic evaluation of air-gap membrane distillation (AGMD systems at a laboratory and pilot scale. A series of experiments were conducted to obtain thermodynamic data for the water streams included in the calculations. Exergy efficiency and destruction for two different types of flat-plate AGMD were analyzed for a range of feed and coolant temperatures. The bench scale AGMD system incorporating condensation plate with more favorable heat conductivity contributed to improved performance parameters including permeate flux, specific heat demand, and exergy efficiency. For both types of AGMD systems, the contributions of the major components involved in exergy destruction were identified. The result suggested that the MD modules caused the highest fraction of destructions followed by re-concentrating tanks.

A gap analysis of the South African innovation system for water ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A gap analysis of the South African innovation system for water. ... Two major approaches to science and innovation from the innovation systems ... infrastructure and data sharing; reorganising the research environment within universities; ...

Transport of Antarctic bottom water through the Kane Gap, tropical NE Atlantic Ocean

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morozov, E.G.; Tarakanov, R.Y.; van Haren, H.

2013-01-01

We study low-frequency properties of the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) flow through the Kane Gap (9° N) in the Atlantic Ocean. The measurements in the Kane Gap include five visits with CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) sections in 2009–2012 and a year-long record of currents on a mooring using

Band gaps and localization of surface water waves over large-scale sand waves with random fluctuations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Li, Yan; Shao, Hao; Zhong, Yaozhao; Zhang, Sai; Zhao, Zongxi

2012-06-01

Band structure and wave localization are investigated for sea surface water waves over large-scale sand wave topography. Sand wave height, sand wave width, water depth, and water width between adjacent sand waves have significant impact on band gaps. Random fluctuations of sand wave height, sand wave width, and water depth induce water wave localization. However, random water width produces a perfect transmission tunnel of water waves at a certain frequency so that localization does not occur no matter how large a disorder level is applied. Together with theoretical results, the field experimental observations in the Taiwan Bank suggest band gap and wave localization as the physical mechanism of sea surface water wave propagating over natural large-scale sand waves.

Effect of nitrogen and water deficit type on the yield gap between the potential and attainable wheat yield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiangang Liu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Water deficit and N fertilizer are the two primary limiting factors for wheat yield in the North China plain, the most important winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. production area in China. Analyzing the yield gap between the potential yield and the attainable yield can quantify the potential for increasing wheat production and exploring the limiting factors to yield gap in the high-yielding farming region of North China Plain. The Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT model was used to identify methods to increase the grain yield and decrease the gap. In order to explore the impact of N and cultivars on wheat yield in the different drought types, the climate conditions during 1981 to 2011 growing seasons was categorized into low, moderate, and severe water deficit classes according to the anomaly percentage of the water deficit rate during the entire wheat growing season. There are differences (P < 0.0001 in the variations of the potential yields among three cultivars over 30 yr. For all three water deficit types, the more recent cultivars Jimai22 and Shijiazhuang8 had higher yields compared to the older 'Jinan17'. As the N fertilizer rate increased, the yield gap decreased more substantially during the low water deficit years because of the significant increase in attainable yield. Overall, the yield gaps were smaller with less water stress. Replacement of cultivars and appropriate N fertilizer application based on the forecasted drought types can narrow the yield gap effectively.

Mechanical design of core components for a high performance light water reactor with a three pass core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, Kai; Schneider, Tobias; Redon, Thomas; Schulenberg, Thomas; Starflinger, Joerg

2007-01-01

Nuclear reactors using supercritical water as coolant can achieve more than 500 deg. C core outlet temperature, if the coolant is heated up in three steps with intermediate mixing to avoid hot streaks. This method reduces the peak cladding temperatures significantly compared with a single heat up. The paper presents an innovative mechanical design which has been developed recently for such a High Performance Light Water Reactor. The core is built with square assemblies of 40 fuel pins each, using wire wraps as grid spacers. Nine of these assemblies are combined to a cluster having a common head piece and a common foot piece. A downward flow of additional moderator water, separated from the coolant, is provided in gaps between the assemblies and in a water box inside each assembly. The cluster head and foot pieces and mixing chambers, which are key components for this design, are explained in detail. (authors)

An ontology for component-based models of water resource systems

Science.gov (United States)

Elag, Mostafa; Goodall, Jonathan L.

2013-08-01

Component-based modeling is an approach for simulating water resource systems where a model is composed of a set of components, each with a defined modeling objective, interlinked through data exchanges. Component-based modeling frameworks are used within the hydrologic, atmospheric, and earth surface dynamics modeling communities. While these efforts have been advancing, it has become clear that the water resources modeling community in particular, and arguably the larger earth science modeling community as well, faces a challenge of fully and precisely defining the metadata for model components. The lack of a unified framework for model component metadata limits interoperability between modeling communities and the reuse of models across modeling frameworks due to ambiguity about the model and its capabilities. To address this need, we propose an ontology for water resources model components that describes core concepts and relationships using the Web Ontology Language (OWL). The ontology that we present, which is termed the Water Resources Component (WRC) ontology, is meant to serve as a starting point that can be refined over time through engagement by the larger community until a robust knowledge framework for water resource model components is achieved. This paper presents the methodology used to arrive at the WRC ontology, the WRC ontology itself, and examples of how the ontology can aid in component-based water resources modeling by (i) assisting in identifying relevant models, (ii) encouraging proper model coupling, and (iii) facilitating interoperability across earth science modeling frameworks.

Assessment of drinking water quality using principal component ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of drinking water quality using principal component analysis and partial least square discriminant analysis: a case study at water treatment plants, ... water and to detect the source of pollution for the most revealing parameters.

36 CFR 7.71 - Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... THE INTERIOR SPECIAL REGULATIONS, AREAS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM § 7.71 Delaware Water Gap National... route begins at the Smithfield Beach parking area and is in two loops. Loop One is a small trail... number of axles and wheels on a vehicle, regardless of load or weight, as follows: (i) Two-axle car, van...

Water2Invest: Global facility for calculating investments needed to bridge the climate-induced water gap

Science.gov (United States)

Straatsma, Menno; Droogers, Peter; Brandsma, Jairus; Buytaert, Wouter; Karssenberg, Derek; Meijer, Karen; van Aalst, Maaike; van Beek, Rens; Wada, Yoshihide; Bierkens, Marc

2013-04-01

Decision makers responsible for climate change adaptation investments are confronted with large uncertainties regarding future water availability and water demand, as well as the investment cost required to reduce the water gap. Moreover, scientists have worked hard to increase fundamental knowledge on climate change and its impacts (climate services), while practical use of this knowledge is limited due to a lack of tools for decision support under uncertain long term future scenarios (decision services). The Water2Invest project aims are to (i) assess the joint impact of climate change and socioeconomic change on water scarcity, (ii) integrate impact and potential adaptation in one flow, (iii) prioritize adaptation options to counteract water scarcity on their financial, regional socio-economic and environmental implications, and (iv) deliver all this information in an integrated user-friendly web-based service. Global water availability is computed between 2006 and 2100 using the PCR-GLOBWB water resources model at a 6 minute spatial resolution. Climate change scenarios are based on the fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the IPCC Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) that defines four CO2 emission scenarios as representative concentration pathways. Water demand is computed for agriculture, industry, domestic, and environmental requirements based on socio-economic scenarios of increase in population and gross domestic product. Using a linear programming algorithm, water is allocated on a monthly basis over the four sectors. Based on these assessments, the user can evaluate various technological and infrastructural adaptation measures to assess the investments needed to bridge the future water gap. Regional environmental and socioeconomic effects of these investments are evaluated, such as environmental flows or downstream effects. A scheme is developed to evaluate the strategies on robustness and flexibility under climate change and scenario uncertainty

An efficient modeling of fine air-gaps in tokamak in-vessel components for electromagnetic analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Dong Keun; Pak, Sunil; Jhang, Hogun

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A simple and efficient modeling technique is introduced to avoid undesirable massive air mesh which is usually encountered at the modeling of fine structures in tokamak in-vessel component. ► This modeling method is based on the decoupled nodes at the boundary element mocking the air gaps. ► We demonstrated the viability and efficacy, comparing this method with brute force modeling of air-gaps and effective resistivity approximation instead of detail modeling. ► Application of the method to the ITER machine was successfully carried out without sacrificing computational resources and speed. - Abstract: A simple and efficient modeling technique is presented for a proper analysis of complicated eddy current flows in conducting structures with fine air gaps. It is based on the idea of replacing a slit with the decoupled boundary of finite elements. The viability and efficacy of the technique is demonstrated in a simple problem. Application of the method to electromagnetic load analyses during plasma disruptions in ITER has been successfully carried out without sacrificing computational resources and speed. This shows the proposed method is applicable to a practical system with complicated geometrical structures.

Bridging the climate-induced water gap in the twenty-first century: adaptation support based on water supply, demand, adaptation and financing.

Science.gov (United States)

Straatsma, Menno; Droogers, Peter; Brandsma, Jaïrus; Buytaert, Wouter; Karssenberg, Derek; Van Beek, Rens; Wada, Yoshihide; Sutanudjaja, Edwin; Vitolo, Claudia; Schmitz, Oliver; Meijer, Karen; Van Aalst, Maaike; Bierkens, Marc

2014-05-01

Water scarcity affects large parts of the world. Over the course of the twenty-first century, water demand is likely to increase due to population growth and associated food production, and increased economic activity, while water supply is projected to decrease in many regions due to climate change. Despite recent studies that analyze the effect of climate change on water scarcity, e.g. using climate projections under representative concentration pathways (RCP) of the fifth assessment report of the IPCC (AR5), decision support for closing the water gap between now and 2100 does not exist at a meaningful scale and with a global coverage. In this study, we aimed (i) to assess the joint impact of climatic and socio-economic change on water scarcity, (ii) to integrate impact and potential adaptation in one workflow, (iii) to prioritize adaptation options to counteract water scarcity based on their financial, regional socio-economic and environmental implications, and (iv) to deliver all this information in an integrated user-friendly web-based service. To enable the combination of global coverage with local relevance, we aggregated all results for 1604 water provinces (food producing units) delineated in this study, which is five times smaller than previous food producing units. Water supply was computed using the PCR-GLOBWB hydrological and water resources model, parameterized at 5 arcminutes for the whole globe, excluding Antarctica and Greenland. We ran PCR-GLOBWB with a daily forcing derived from five different GCM models from the CMIP5 (GFDL-ESM2M, Hadgem2-ES, IPSL-CMA5-LR, MIROC-ESM-CHEM, NorESM1-M) that were bias corrected using observation-based WATCH data between 1960-1999. For each of the models all four RCPs (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5) were run, producing the ensemble of 20 future projections. The blue water supply was aggregated per month and per water province. Industrial, domestic and irrigation water demands were computed for a limited number of

Understanding the drivers of the future water gap in the Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra basins

Science.gov (United States)

Immerzeel, W. W.; Wijngaard, R. R.; Biemans, H.; Lutz, A. F.

2017-12-01

The Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra (IGB) river systems provide water resources for the agricultural, domestic and industrial sectors sustaining the lives of about 700 million people. The region is globally a hotspot for climate change as the headwaters of these rivers are fed by melt water from snow and glaciers, both strongly influenced by temperature change. In addition, the hydrology in the region is determined by the monsoon and its future dynamics as a results of climate change remains very uncertain. Simultaneously, the population is projected to grow rapidly over the coming decades, which in combination with strong economic developments, will likely result in a rapid increase in water demand. In this study we attempt to quantify the future water gap in the IGB and attribute this water gap to climate change and socio-economic growth. For the upstream mountainous parts of the basins we use the SPHY model, which is calibrated based on historical streamflow and glacier mass balance data and forced by the latest CMIP5 future climate model data for RCP4.5 and 8.5. Output of this model feeds into the downstream LPJmL model, which allows assessment of downstream climate change impacts and projected changes in water demand as a result of socio-economic developments. The LPJmL model is run for different combinations of RCPs and Shared Socio Economic Pathways (SSPs). Our results show that for the IGB as a whole climate change will increase water availability in the coming decades, due to an overall, albeit uncertain, increase in monsoon precipitation in combination with a sustained melt water supply from the upstream parts of the basins. However, irrespective of the SSP and RCP, the water demand as a result of socio-economic growth is expected to increase extremely fast in the near future and this is likely to be the main adaptation challenge for the IGB as far as water shortages are concerned. Our results also show that regional and temporal variation in the water gap

Sustainable Water Infrastructure Asset Management: A Gap Analysis of Customer and Service Provider Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangjong Han

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The ultimate goal of urban water infrastructure asset management may be sustainable water supply with satisfaction for customers. In this work, we attempted to evaluate the gaps between the perspectives of customers and service providers in Korea’s water infrastructure asset management. To evaluate the customers’ perspective, a hierarchical questionnaire survey was conducted to estimate the weights of influence for six customer values and their attributes on Korean water utility management. To evaluate the service providers’ perspective, an AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process analysis was performed to estimate the weights of influence for the customer values and their PIs (performance indicators. The gap analysis results show that customers place higher value on customer service satisfaction (emotion and information than do the service providers (managers, whereas the managers place more value on affordability than do the customers. The findings from this work imply that improving customer service is effective in satisfying the desirable water LOS (level of service for customers. Recommendations have also been provided for administrators and engineers to develop integrated decision-making systems that can reflect customer needs regarding the improvement of their water infrastructure asset management. The findings from this work may be helpful for the Korean government and water supply utilities in improving the sustainability of their water infrastructure asset management.

Performance of Water Recirculation Loop Maintentance Components for the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator

Science.gov (United States)

Rector, Tony; Peyton, Barbara; Steele, John W.; Bue, Grant C.; Campbell, Colin; Makinen, Janice

2014-01-01

Water loop maintenance components to maintain the water quality of the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporation (SWME) water recirculation loop have undergone a comparative performance evaluation with a second SWME water recirculation loop with no water quality maintenance. Results show the benefits of periodic water maintenance. The SWME is a heat rejection device under development at the NASA Johnson Space Center to perform thermal control for advanced spacesuits. One advantage to this technology is the potential for a significantly greater degree of tolerance to contamination when compared to the existing Sublimator technology. The driver for the evaluation of water recirculation maintenance components was to further enhance this advantage through the leveraging of fluid loop management lessonslearned from the International Space Station (ISS). A bed design that was developed for a UTAS military application, and considered for a potential ISS application with the Urine Processor Assembly, provided a low pressure drop means for water maintenance in a recirculation loop. The bed design is coupled with high capacity ion exchange resins, organic adsorbents, and a cyclic methodology developed for the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Transport Water loop. The maintenance cycle included the use of a biocide delivery component developed for ISS to introduce a biocide in a microgravity-compatible manner for the Internal Active Thermal Control System (IATCS). The leveraging of these water maintenance technologies to the SWME recirculation loop is a unique demonstration of applying the valuable lessons learned on the ISS to the next generation of manned spaceflight Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) hardware.

Performance of Water Recirculation Loop Maintenance Components for the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator

Science.gov (United States)

Rector, Tony; Peyton, Barbara M.; Steele, John W.; Makinen, Janice; Bue, Grant C.; Campbell, Colin

2014-01-01

Water loop maintenance components to maintain the water quality of the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporation (SWME) water recirculation loop have undergone a comparative performance evaluation with a second SWME water recirculation loop with no water quality maintenance. Results show the benefits of periodic water maintenance. The SWME is a heat rejection device under development at the NASA Johnson Space Center to perform thermal control for advanced spacesuits. One advantage to this technology is the potential for a significantly greater degree of tolerance to contamination when compared to the existing Sublimator technology. The driver for the evaluation of water recirculation maintenance components was to further enhance this advantage through the leveraging of fluid loop management lessons learned from the International Space Station (ISS). A bed design that was developed for a UTAS military application, and considered for a potential ISS application with the Urine Processor Assembly, provided a low pressure drop means for water maintenance in a recirculation loop. The bed design is coupled with high capacity ion exchange resins, organic adsorbents, and a cyclic methodology developed for the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Transport Water loop. The maintenance cycle included the use of a biocide delivery component developed for ISS to introduce a biocide in a microgravity compatible manner for the Internal Active Thermal Control System (IATCS). The leveraging of these water maintenance technologies to the SWME recirculation loop is a unique demonstration of applying the valuable lessons learned on the ISS to the next generation of manned spaceflight Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) hardware.

Performance of materials in the component cooling water systems of pressurized water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, B.S.

1993-01-01

The component cooling water (CCW) system provides cooling water to several important loads throughout the plant under all operating conditions. An aging assessment CCW systems in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) was conducted as part of Nuclear Plant Aging Research Program (NPAR) instituted by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This paper presents some of the results on the performances of materials in respect of their application in CCW Systems. All the CCW system failures reported to the Nuclear Plant Reliability Data System (NPRDS) from January 1988 to June 1990 were reviewed; it is concluded that three of the main contributors to CCW system failures are valves, pumps, and heat exchangers. This study identified the modes and causes of failure for these components; most of the causes for the aging-related failures could be related to the performance of materials. Also, in this paper the materials used for these components are reviewed, and there aging mechanisms under CCW system conditions are discussed

Natural convection heat transfer of water in a horizontal circular gap

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

SU Guanghui; Kenichiro Sugiyama; WU Yingwei

2007-01-01

An experimental study on the natural convection heat transfer on a horizontal downward facing heated surface in a water gap was carried out under atmospheric pressure conditions. A total of 700 experimental data points were correlated using Rayleigh versus Nusselt number in various forms, based on different independent variables. The effects of different characteristic lengths and film temperatures were discussed. The results show that the buoyancy force acts as a resistance force for natural convecti on beat transfer ona downward facing horizontal heated surface in a confined space. For the estimation of the natural convection heat transfer under the present conditions, empirical correlations in which Nusselt number is expressed as a function of the Rayleigh number, or both Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers, may be used. When it is accurately predicted, the Nusselt number is expressed as a function of the Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers, as well as the gap width-to-heated surface diameter ratio; and uses the temperature difference between the heated surface and the ambient fluid in the definition of Rayleigh number. The characteristic length is the gap size and the film temperature is the average fluid temperature.

Water quality of the Chhoti Gandak River using principal component ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

; therefore water samples were collected to analyse its quality along the entire length of Chhoti Gandak. River. The principal components of water quality are controlled by lithology, gentle slope gradient, poor drainage, long residence of water, ...

Analytical characterization of selective benthic flux components in estuarine and coastal waters

Science.gov (United States)

King, Jeffrey N.

2011-01-01

Benthic flux is the rate of flow across the bed of a water body, per unit area of bed. It is forced by component mechanisms, which interact. For example, pressure gradients across the bed, forced by tide, surface gravity waves, density gradients, bed–current interaction, turbulence, and terrestrial hydraulic gradients, drive an advective benthic flux of water and constituents between estuarine and coastal waters, and surficial aquifers. Other mechanisms also force benthic flux, such as chemical gradients, bioturbation, and dispersion. A suite of component mechanisms force a total benthic flux at any given location, where each member of the suite contributes a component benthic flux. Currently, the types and characteristics of component interactions are not fully understood. For example, components may interact linearly or nonlinearly, and the interaction may be constructive or destructive. Benthic flux is a surface water–groundwater interaction process. Its discharge component to a marine water body is referred to, in some literature, as submarine groundwater discharge. Benthic flux is important in characterizing water and constituent budgets of estuarine and coastal systems. Analytical models to characterize selective benthic flux components are reviewed. Specifically, these mechanisms are for the component associated with the groundwater tidal prism, and forced by surface gravity wave setup, surface gravity waves on a plane bed, and the terrestrial hydraulic gradient. Analytical models are applied to the Indian River Lagoon, Florida; Great South Bay, New York; and the South Atlantic Bight in South Carolina and portions of North Carolina.

A geo-informatics approach for estimating water resources management components and their interrelationships

KAUST Repository

Liaqat, Umar Waqas

2016-09-21

A remote sensing based geo-informatics approach was developed to estimate water resources management (WRM) components across a large irrigation scheme in the Indus Basin of Pakistan. The approach provides a generalized framework for estimating a range of key water management variables and provides a management tool for the sustainable operation of similar schemes globally. A focus on the use of satellite data allowed for the quantification of relationships across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Variables including actual and crop evapotranspiration, net and gross irrigation, net and gross groundwater use, groundwater recharge, net groundwater recharge, were estimated and then their interrelationships explored across the Hakra Canal command area. Spatially distributed remotely sensed estimates of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) rates were determined using the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model and evaluated against ground-based evaporation calculated from the advection-aridity method. Analysis of ETa simulations across two cropping season, referred to as Kharif and Rabi, yielded Pearson correlation (R) values of 0.69 and 0.84, Nash-Sutcliffe criterion (NSE) of 0.28 and 0.63, percentage bias of −3.85% and 10.6% and root mean squared error (RMSE) of 10.6 mm and 12.21 mm for each season, respectively. For the period of study between 2008 and 2014, it was estimated that an average of 0.63 mm day−1 water was supplied through canal irrigation against a crop water demand of 3.81 mm day−1. Approximately 1.86 mm day−1 groundwater abstraction was estimated in the region, which contributed to fulfil the gap between crop water demand and canal water supply. Importantly, the combined canal, groundwater and rainfall sources of water only met 70% of the crop water requirements. As such, the difference between recharge and discharge showed that groundwater depletion was around −115 mm year−1 during the six year study period. Analysis indicated that

Design and Application of an Ontology for Component-Based Modeling of Water Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Elag, M.; Goodall, J. L.

2012-12-01

Many Earth system modeling frameworks have adopted an approach of componentizing models so that a large model can be assembled by linking a set of smaller model components. These model components can then be more easily reused, extended, and maintained by a large group of model developers and end users. While there has been a notable increase in component-based model frameworks in the Earth sciences in recent years, there has been less work on creating framework-agnostic metadata and ontologies for model components. Well defined model component metadata is needed, however, to facilitate sharing, reuse, and interoperability both within and across Earth system modeling frameworks. To address this need, we have designed an ontology for the water resources community named the Water Resources Component (WRC) ontology in order to advance the application of component-based modeling frameworks across water related disciplines. Here we present the design of the WRC ontology and demonstrate its application for integration of model components used in watershed management. First we show how the watershed modeling system Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) can be decomposed into a set of hydrological and ecological components that adopt the Open Modeling Interface (OpenMI) standard. Then we show how the components can be used to estimate nitrogen losses from land to surface water for the Baltimore Ecosystem study area. Results of this work are (i) a demonstration of how the WRC ontology advances the conceptual integration between components of water related disciplines by handling the semantic and syntactic heterogeneity present when describing components from different disciplines and (ii) an investigation of a methodology by which large models can be decomposed into a set of model components that can be well described by populating metadata according to the WRC ontology.

Climate Change and European Water Bodies, a Review of Existing Gaps and Future Research Needs: Findings of the ClimateWater Project

Science.gov (United States)

Garnier, Monica; Harper, David M.; Blaskovicova, Lotta; Hancz, Gabriella; Janauer, Georg A.; Jolánkai, Zsolt; Lanz, Eva; Porto, Antonio Lo; Mándoki, Monika; Pataki, Beata; Rahuel, Jean-Luc; Robinson, Victoria J.; Stoate, Chris; Tóth, Eszter; Jolánkai, Géza

2015-08-01

There is general agreement among scientists that global temperatures are rising and will continue to increase in the future. It is also agreed that human activities are the most important causes of these climatic variations, and that water resources are already suffering and will continue to be greatly impaired as a consequence of these changes. In particular, it is probable that areas with limited water resources will expand and that an increase of global water demand will occur, estimated to be around 35-60 % by 2025 as a consequence of population growth and the competing needs of water uses. This will cause a growing imbalance between water demand (including the needs of nature) and supply. This urgency demands that climate change impacts on water be evaluated in different sectors using a cross-cutting approach (Contestabile in Nat Clim Chang 3:11-12, 2013). These issues were examined by the EU FP7-funded Co-ordination and support action "ClimateWater" (bridging the gap between adaptation strategies of climate change impacts and European water policies). The project studied adaptation strategies to minimize the water-related consequences of climate change and assessed how these strategies should be taken into consideration by European policies. This article emphasizes that knowledge gaps still exist about the direct effects of climate change on water bodies and their indirect impacts on production areas that employ large amounts of water (e.g., agriculture). Some sectors, such as ecohydrology and alternative sewage treatment technologies, could represent a powerful tool to mitigate climate change impacts. Research needs in these still novel fields are summarized.

Climate Change and European Water Bodies, a Review of Existing Gaps and Future Research Needs: Findings of the ClimateWater Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Garnier, Monica; Harper, David M; Blaskovicova, Lotta; Hancz, Gabriella; Janauer, Georg A; Jolánkai, Zsolt; Lanz, Eva; Lo Porto, Antonio; Mándoki, Monika; Pataki, Beata; Rahuel, Jean-Luc; Robinson, Victoria J; Stoate, Chris; Tóth, Eszter; Jolánkai, Géza

2015-08-01

There is general agreement among scientists that global temperatures are rising and will continue to increase in the future. It is also agreed that human activities are the most important causes of these climatic variations, and that water resources are already suffering and will continue to be greatly impaired as a consequence of these changes. In particular, it is probable that areas with limited water resources will expand and that an increase of global water demand will occur, estimated to be around 35-60% by 2025 as a consequence of population growth and the competing needs of water uses. This will cause a growing imbalance between water demand (including the needs of nature) and supply. This urgency demands that climate change impacts on water be evaluated in different sectors using a cross-cutting approach (Contestabile in Nat Clim Chang 3:11-12, 2013). These issues were examined by the EU FP7-funded Co-ordination and support action "ClimateWater" (bridging the gap between adaptation strategies of climate change impacts and European water policies). The project studied adaptation strategies to minimize the water-related consequences of climate change and assessed how these strategies should be taken into consideration by European policies. This article emphasizes that knowledge gaps still exist about the direct effects of climate change on water bodies and their indirect impacts on production areas that employ large amounts of water (e.g., agriculture). Some sectors, such as ecohydrology and alternative sewage treatment technologies, could represent a powerful tool to mitigate climate change impacts. Research needs in these still novel fields are summarized.

Water recycling and desalination by air gap membrane distillation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meindersma, G.W.; Guijt, C.M.; de Haan, A.B.

2005-01-01

Because salt and other small components are the most common compounds in wastewater from the process industry, desalination techniques are likely to be suitable as treatment processes in many cases. Although membrane distillation (MD) is a well-known technology for desalination and water treatment,

Water reuse systems: A review of the principal components

Science.gov (United States)

Lucchetti, G.; Gray, G.A.

1988-01-01

Principal components of water reuse systems include ammonia removal, disease control, temperature control, aeration, and particulate filtration. Effective ammonia removal techniques include air stripping, ion exchange, and biofiltration. Selection of a particular technique largely depends on site-specific requirements (e.g., space, existing water quality, and fish densities). Disease control, although often overlooked, is a major problem in reuse systems. Pathogens can be controlled most effectively with ultraviolet radiation, ozone, or chlorine. Simple and inexpensive methods are available to increase oxygen concentration and eliminate gas supersaturation, these include commercial aerators, air injectors, and packed columns. Temperature control is a major advantage of reuse systems, but the equipment required can be expensive, particularly if water temperature must be rigidly controlled and ambient air temperature fluctuates. Filtration can be readily accomplished with a hydrocyclone or sand filter that increases overall system efficiency. Based on criteria of adaptability, efficiency, and reasonable cost, we recommend components for a small water reuse system.

Water-cooled beam line components at LAMPF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grisham, D.L.; Lambert, J.E.

1981-01-01

The beam line components that comprise the main experimental beam at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) have been operating since February 1976. This paper will define the functions of the primary water-cooled elements, their design evolution, and our operating experience to the present time

Ranking of risk significant components for the Davis-Besse Component Cooling Water System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seniuk, P.J.

1994-01-01

Utilities that run nuclear power plants are responsible for testing pumps and valves, as specified by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) that are required for safe shutdown, mitigating the consequences of an accident, and maintaining the plant in a safe condition. These inservice components are tested according to ASME Codes, either the earlier requirements of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, or the more recent requirements of the ASME Operation and Maintenance Code, Section IST. These codes dictate test techniques and frequencies regardless of the component failure rate or significance of failure consequences. A probabilistic risk assessment or probabilistic safety assessment may be used to evaluate the component importance for inservice test (IST) risk ranking, which is a combination of failure rate and failure consequences. Resources for component testing during the normal quarterly verification test or postmaintenance test are expensive. Normal quarterly testing may cause component unavailability. Outage testing may increase outage cost with no real benefit. This paper identifies the importance ranking of risk significant components in the Davis-Besse component cooling water system. Identifying the ranking of these risk significant IST components adds technical insight for developing the appropriate test technique and test frequency

Apparatus for the separation of water from water-steam mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Judith, H.; Schwerdtner, O. von.

1975-01-01

Steam flowing from the high-pressure part of a saturated-steam turbine of nuclear power stations to the preheater or steam directly passing off to the low-pressure part contains a high amount of moisture. This is removed by a separating device in the overflow pipe working as an axial cyclon. To this end a twist generator with radially mounted guide vanes forces a twisting movement on the water-steam mixture whereby the water component is thrown towards the wall of the overflow pipe. Behind the twist generator the overflow pipe is provided with ring slots or annular gaps through which the centrifuged water gets into water collecting chambers concentrically surrounding the overflow pipe. The main water seperation results from the first annular gap through centrifugal effects. The rest is removed by steam suction through the other gaps. For steam suction purposes, i.e. in order to produce an underpressure, the collecting chambers of these gaps are connected with the overflow pipe behind the twist generators by means of a suction pipe. In order to also remove small water droplets without increasing the twist, an agglomerator is installed in the overflow pipe before the twist generator. It consists of baffle or guide plates within an elliptic intermediate piece in a bend of the overflow pipe. Therefore the flanks of the guide plates run parallel to the flow direction of the steam. (DG/PB) [de

Using containment analysis to improve component cooling water heat exchanger limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da Silva, H.C.; Tajbakhsh, A.

1995-01-01

The Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station design requires that exit temperatures from the Component Cooling Water Heat Exchanger remain below 330.37 K during the Emergency Core Cooling System recirculation stage, following a hypothetical Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA). Due to measurements indicating a higher than expected combination of: (a) high fouling factor in the Component Cooling Water Heat Exchanger with (b) high ultimate heat sink temperatures, that might lead to temperatures in excess of the 330.37 K limit, if a LOCA were to occur, TUElectric adjusted key flow rates in the Component Cooling Water network. This solution could only be implemented with improvements to the containment analysis methodology of record. The new method builds upon the CONTEMPT-LT/028 code by: (a) coupling the long term post-LOCA thermohydraulics with a more detailed analytical model for the complex Component Cooling Water Heat Exchanger network and (b) changing the way mass and energy releases are calculated after core reflood and steam generator energy is dumped to the containment. In addition, a simple code to calculate normal cooldowns was developed to confirm RHR design bases were met with the improved limits

Aging assessment and mitigation for major LWR [light water reactor] components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, Y.N.; Ware, A.G.; Conley, D.A.; MacDonald, P.E.; Burns, J.J. Jr.

1989-01-01

This paper summarizes some of the results of the Aging Assessment and Mitigation Project sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC), Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The objective of the project is to develop an understanding of the aging degradation of the major light water reactor (LWR) structures and components and to develop methods for predicting the useful life of these components so that the impact of aging on the safe operation of nuclear power plants can be evaluated and addressed. The research effort consists of integrating, evaluating, and updating the available aging-related information. This paper discusses current accomplishments and summarizes the significant degradation processes active in two major components: pressurized water reactor pressurizer surge and spray lines and nozzles, and light water reactor primary coolant pumps. This paper also evaluates the effectiveness of the current inservice inspection programs and presents conclusions and recommendations related to aging of these two major components. 37 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs

Dynamical electron-phonon coupling, G W self-consistency, and vertex effect on the electronic band gap of ice and liquid water

Science.gov (United States)

Ziaei, Vafa; Bredow, Thomas

2017-06-01

We study the impact of dynamical electron-phonon (el-ph) effects on the electronic band gap of ice and liquid water by accounting for frequency-dependent Fan contributions in the el-ph mediated self-energy within the many-body perturbation theory (MBPT). We find that the dynamical el-ph coupling effects greatly reduce the static el-ph band-gap correction of the hydrogen-rich molecular ice crystal from-2.46 to -0.23 eV in great contrast to the result of Monserrat et al. [Phys. Rev. B 92, 140302 (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevB.92.140302]. This is of particular importance as otherwise the static el-ph gap correction would considerably reduce the electronic band gap, leading to considerable underestimation of the intense peaks of optical absorption spectra of ice which would be in great disagreement to experimental references. By contrast, the static el-ph gap correction of liquid water is very moderate (-0.32 eV), and inclusion of dynamical effects slightly reduces the gap correction to -0.19 eV. Further, we determine the diverse sensitivity of ice and liquid water to the G W self-consistency and show that the energy-only self-consistent approach (GnWn ) exhibits large implicit vertex character in comparison to the quasiparticle self-consistent approach, for which an explicit calculation of vertex corrections is necessary for good agreement with experiment.

Describing the Components of the Water Transport in the Martian Atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Montmessin, F.; Haberle, R. M.; forget, F.; Rannou, P.; Cabane, M.

2003-01-01

In this paper, we examine the meteorological components driving water transport in the Martian atmosphere. A particular emphasis is given to the role of residual mean circulation and water ice clouds in determining the geographical partitioning of water vapor and frost.

Cosine components in water levels at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, J.; Lehman, L.; Keen, K.

1990-01-01

Water-level records from wells at Yucca Mountain, Nevada are analyzed periodically to determine if they contain periodic (cosine) components. Water-level data from selected wells are input to an iterative numerical procedure that determines a best fitting cosine function. The available water-level data, with coverage of up to 5 years, appear to be representative of the natural water-level changes. From our analysis of 9 water-level records, it appears that there may be periodic components (periods of 2-3 years) in the groundwater-level fluctuations at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, although some records are fit better than others by cosine functions. It also appears that the periodic behavior has a spatial distribution. Wells west of Yucca Mountain have different periods and phase shifts from wells on and east of Yucca Mountain. Interestingly, a similar spatial distribution of groundwater chemistry at Yucca Mountain is reported by Matuska (1988). This suggests a physical cause may underlie the different physical and chemical groundwater conditions. Although a variety of natural processes could cause water-level fluctuations, hydrologic processes are the most likely, because the periodicities are only a few years. A possible cause could be periodic recharge related to a periodicity in precipitation. It is interesting that Cochran et al., (1988), show a crude two-year cycle of precipitation for 1961 to 1970 in southern Nevada. Why periods and phase shifts may differ across Yucca Mountain is unknown. Different phase shifts could indicate different lag times of response to hydrologic stimuli. Difference in periods could mean that the geologic media is heterogeneous and displays heterogeneous response to a single stimulus, or that stimuli differ in certain regions, or that a hydraulic barrier separates the groundwater system into two regions having different water chemistry and recharge areas. 13 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

Reactor materials program process water component failure probability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daugherty, W. L.

1988-01-01

The maximum rate loss of coolant accident for the Savannah River Production Reactors is presently specified as the abrupt double-ended guillotine break (DEGB) of a large process water pipe. This accident is not considered credible in light of the low applied stresses and the inherent ductility of the piping materials. The Reactor Materials Program was initiated to provide the technical basis for an alternate, credible maximum rate LOCA. The major thrust of this program is to develop an alternate worst case accident scenario by deterministic means. In addition, the probability of a DEGB is also being determined; to show that in addition to being mechanistically incredible, it is also highly improbable. The probability of a DEGB of the process water piping is evaluated in two parts: failure by direct means, and indirectly-induced failure. These two areas have been discussed in other reports. In addition, the frequency of a large bread (equivalent to a DEGB) in other process water system components is assessed. This report reviews the large break frequency for each component as well as the overall large break frequency for the reactor system

Motivation, expectations and the gender pay gap for UK graduates

OpenAIRE

Arnaud Chevalier

2004-01-01

Focussing on recent UK graduates, a wage gap of 12% is found. The unexplained component of the gap is small and a large fraction of the gap can be explained by subject choice, job characteristics, motivation and expectation variables. Motivation and expectations account for 44% of the explained gap, thus most studies over-estimate the unexplained component of the gender wage gap. Following stereotypes, women tend to be more altruistic and less career oriented than men, character traits that a...

Effects of seawater components on radiolysis of water at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Yoichi; Tachibana, Masahiko; Ishida, Kazushige; Ota, Nobuyuki; Shigenaka, Naoto; Inagaki, Hiromitsu; Noda, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Effects of seawater components on radiolysis of water at elevated temperature have been studied with a radiolysis model in order to evaluate influence on integrity of materials used in an ABWR. In 2011, seawater flowed into a wide part of the nuclear power plant system of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station Reactor No. 5 owned by Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. after condenser tubes broke during the plant shutdown operation. The reactor water temperature was 250°C and its maximum Cl − concentration was ca. 450 ppm when seawater was mixed with reactor water. In order to clarify effects of the sea water components on radiolysis of water at elevated temperature, a radiolysis model calculation was conducted with Hitachi's radiolysis analysis code 'SIMFONY'. For the calculation, the temperature range was set from 50 to 250°C with 50°C increments and the gamma dose rate was set at 60 Gys −1 to see the effect of gamma irradiation from fuels under shutdown conditions. Concentrations of radiolytic species were calculated for 10 5 s. Dilution ratio of seawater was changed to see the effects of concentration of seawater components. Reaction rate constants of the Cl − , Br − , HCO 3 − , and SO 4 2− systems were considered. The main radiolytic species were predicted to be hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide of low concentration was produced in seawater-mixed water at elevated temperatures. Compared with these main products, concentrations of radiolytic products originating from chloride ion and other seawater components were found to be rather low. The dominant product among them was ClO 3 − and its concentration was found to be below 0.01ppm at 10 5 s. Then, during the plant shutdown operation, the harmful influence from radiolytic species originating from seawater components on integrity of fuel materials must be smaller than that of chloride ion which is the main ionic species in seawater. (author)

The Key Components of Job Satisfaction in Malaysian Water Utility Industry

OpenAIRE

Khalizani Khalid; Hanisah M. Salim; Siew-Phaik Loke; Khalisanni Khalid

2011-01-01

Problem statement: This study aimed to examine the impacts of employees rewards and employees motivation on employees job satisfaction between public and private water utility organization in Malaysia. Approach: A total of 689 employees from both sectors participated. While hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to test the relationship between employees rewards, employees motivation and employees job satisfaction, gap analysis was utilized to determine the si...

Data gaps in evidence-based research on small water enterprises in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Opryszko, Melissa C; Huang, Haiou; Soderlund, Kurt; Schwab, Kellogg J

2009-12-01

Small water enterprises (SWEs) are water delivery operations that predominantly provide water at the community level. SWEs operate beyond the reach of piped water systems, selling water to households throughout the world. Their ubiquity in the developing world and access to vulnerable populations suggests that these small-scale water vendors may prove valuable in improving potable water availability. This paper assesses the current literature on SWEs to evaluate previous studies and determine gaps in the evidence base. Piped systems and point-of-use products were not included in this assessment. Results indicate that SWES are active in urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Benefits of SWEs include: no upfront connection fees; demand-driven and flexible to local conditions; and service to large populations without high costs of utility infrastructure. Disadvantages of SWEs include: higher charges for water per unit of volume compared with infrastructure-based utilities; lack of regulation; operation often outside legal structures; no water quality monitoring; increased potential for conflict with local utilities; and potential for extortion by local officials. No rigorous, evidence-based, peer-reviewed scientific studies that control for confounders examining the effectiveness of SWEs in providing potable water were identified.

Modelling raster-based monthly water balance components for Europe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulmen, C.

2000-11-01

The terrestrial runoff component is a comparatively small but sensitive and thus significant quantity in the global energy and water cycle at the interface between landmass and atmosphere. As opposed to soil moisture and evapotranspiration which critically determine water vapour fluxes and thus water and energy transport, it can be measured as an integrated quantity over a large area, i.e. the river basin. This peculiarity makes terrestrial runoff ideally suited for the calibration, verification and validation of general circulation models (GCMs). Gauging stations are not homogeneously distributed in space. Moreover, time series are not necessarily continuously measured nor do they in general have overlapping time periods. To overcome this problems with regard to regular grid spacing used in GCMs, different methods can be applied to transform irregular data to regular so called gridded runoff fields. The present work aims to directly compute the gridded components of the monthly water balance (including gridded runoff fields) for Europe by application of the well-established raster-based macro-scale water balance model WABIMON used at the Federal Institute of Hydrology, Germany. Model calibration and validation is performed by separated examination of 29 representative European catchments. Results indicate a general applicability of the model delivering reliable overall patterns and integrated quantities on a monthly basis. For time steps less then too weeks further research and structural improvements of the model are suggested. (orig.)

Critical heat flux analysis on change of plate temperature and cooling water flow rate for rectangular narrow gap with bilateral-heated cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

M Hadi Kusuma; Mulya Juarsa; Anhar Riza Antariksawan

2013-01-01

Boiling heat transfer phenomena on rectangular narrow gap was related to the safety of nuclear reactors. Research done in order to study the safety of nuclear reactors in particular relating to boiling heat transfer and useful on the improvement of next-generation reactor designs. The research focused on calculation of the heat flux during the cooling process in rectangular narrow gap size 1.0 mm. with initial temperatures 200°C. 400°C, and 600°C, also the flow rates of cooling water 0,1 liters/second. 0,2 liters/second. and 0,3 liters/second. Experiments carried out by injecting water at a certain flow rate with the water temperature 85°C. Transient temperature measurement data recorded by the data acquisition system. Transient temperature measurement data is used to calculate the flux of heat gain is then used to obtain the heat transfer coefficient. This research aimed to obtain the correlation between critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient to changes in temperatures and water flow rates for bilaterally-heated cases on rectangular narrow gap. The results obtained for a constant cooling water flow rate, critical heat flux will increase when hot plate temperature also increased. While on a constant hot plate temperature, coefficient heat transfer will increase when cooling water flow rate also increased. Thus it can be said that the cooling water flow rate and temperature of the hot plate has a significant effect on the critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient resulted in quenching process of vertical rectangular narrow gap with double-heated cases. (author)

Aging management of major light water reactor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, V.N.; Sinha, U.P.; Ware, A.G.

1992-01-01

Review of technical literature and field experience has identified stress corrosion cracking as one of the major degradation mechanisms for the major light water reactor components. Three of the stress corrosion cracking mechanisms of current concern are (a) primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) in pressurized water reactors, and (b) intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) and (c) irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in boiling water reactors. Effective aging management of stress corrosion cracking mechanisms includes evaluation of interactions between design, materials, stressors, and environment; identification and ranking of susceptible sites; reliable inspection of any damage; assessment of damage rate; mitigation of damage; and repair and replacement using corrosion-resistant materials. Management of PWSCC includes use of lower operating temperatures, reduction in residual tensile stresses, development of reliable inspection techniques, and use of Alloy 690 as replacement material. Management of IGSCC of nozzle and attachment welds includes use of Alloy 82 as weld material, and potential use of hydrogen water chemistry. Management of IASCC also includes potential use of hydrogen water chemistry

A study of water hammer phenomena in a one-component two-phase bubbly flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Terushige; Akagawa, Koji

2000-01-01

Water hammer phenomena caused by a rapid valve closure, that is, shock phenomena in two-phase flows, are an important problem for the safety assessment of a hypothetical LOCA. This paper presents the results of experimental and analytical studies of the water hammer phenomena in a one-component tow-phase bubbly flow. In order to clarify the characteristics of water hammer phenomena, experiments for a one-component two-phase flow of Freon R-113 were conducted and a numerical simulation of pressure transients was developed. An overall picture of the water hammer phenomena in a one-component two-phase flow is presented an discussed. (author)

Modeling of the water gap in BWR fuel elements using SCALE/TRITON; Modellierung des Wasserspalts bei SWR-BE mit SCALE/TRITON

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tittelbach, S.; Chernykh, M. [WTI Wissenschaftlich-Technische Ingenieurberatung GmbH, Juelich (Germany)

2012-11-01

The authors show that an adequate modeling of the water gap in BWR fuel element models using the code TRITON requires an explicit consideration of the Dancoff factors. The analysis of three modeling options reveals that considering the moderating effects of the water gap coolant for the peripheral fuel elements the resulting deviations of the U-235 and Pu-239 concentrations are significantly reduced. The increased temporal calculation efforts are justified with respect to the burnup credits for criticality safety analyses.

Functional Gap Analysis of the Maritime Operations Centers

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-01

Messaging Services TBMCS , DJC2 MI.1.3.5 Manage Suspense Control Capability Gap MI.1.3.6 Provide Component IM Cell Services Capability Gap MI.1.4 Provide...Admin Support MSRT MI.1.3.3 Manage Electronic File Plan Capability Gap MI.1.3.4 Manage Messaging Services TBMCS , DJC2 MI.1.3.5 Manage Suspense...1.5.9 Execute C4 Policies & Procedures for the Joint Operations Area GCCS-J, DCGS-N, TBMCS , CENTRIX-M EHQ.1.11 Sub Component Interagency

The water vapor nitrogen process for removing sodium from LMFBR components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crippen, M D; Funk, C W; Lutton, J M [Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory, Richland (United States)

1978-08-01

Application and operation of the Water Vapor-Nitrogen Process for removing sodium from LMFBR components is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on recent efforts to verify the technological bases of the process, to refine the values of process parameters and to ensure the utility of the process for cleaning and requalifying components. (author)

Simulating the potential yield and yield gaps of sugar beet due to water and nitrogen limitations in Khorasan province using SUCROS model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Deihimfard

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction Crop productivity is highly constrained by water and nitrogen limitations in many areas of the world (Kalra et al., 2007. Therefore, there is a need to investigate more on nitrogen and water management to achieve higher production as well as quality. Irrigated sugar beet in the cropping systems of Khorasan province in northeastern of Iran accounts for about 34% of the land area under sugar beet production (~115,000 ha with an average yield of around 36 t.ha-1 (Anonymous, 2009. However, there is a huge yield gap (the difference between potential and water and nitrogen-limited yield mainly due to biotic and abiotic factors causing major reduction in farmers’ yield. Accordingly, yield gap analysis should be carried out to reduce the yield reduction and reach the farmer’s yield to the potential yield. The current study aimed to simulate potential yield as well as yield gap related to water and nitrogen shortage in the major sugar beet-growing areas of Khorasan province of Iran. Materials and methods This study was carried out in 6 locations across Khorasan province, which is located in the northeast of Iran. Long term weather data for 1986 to 2009 were obtained from Iran Meteorological Organization for 6 selected locations. The weather data included daily sunshine hours (h, daily maximum and minimum temperatures (◦C, and daily rainfall (mm. Daily solar radiation was estimated using the Goudriaan (1993 method. The validated SUCROSBEET model (Deihimfard, 2011; Deihimfard et al., 2011 was then used to estimate potential, water and nitrogen-limited yield and yield gap of sugar beet for 6 selected locations across the Khorasan province in the northeast of Iran. This model simulates the impacts of weather, genotype and management factors on crop growth and development, soil water and nitrogen balance on a daily basis and finally it predicts crop yield. The model requires input data, including local weather and soil conditions, cultivar

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors—Air Gap Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Bore, Thierry; Wagner, Norman; Delepine Lesoille, Sylvie; Taillade, Frederic; Six, Gonzague; Daout, Franck; Placko, Dominique

2016-01-01

Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock) and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM) to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling. PMID:27096865

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors—Air Gap Effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thierry Bore

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling.

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors--Air Gap Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Bore, Thierry; Wagner, Norman; Lesoille, Sylvie Delepine; Taillade, Frederic; Six, Gonzague; Daout, Franck; Placko, Dominique

2016-04-18

Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock) and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM) to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling.

Thermal performance of an innovative roof component

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dimoudi, A. [Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vassilisis Sofias 12, 67 100 Xanthi (Greece); Lykoudis, S. [Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, I. Metaxa and B. Pavlou, 152 36 Penteli (Greece); Androutsopoulos, A. [Buildings Department, Division of Energy Efficiency, Centre for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES), 19th km Marathonos Aven., 190 09 Pikermi (Greece)

2006-11-15

In this paper, the thermal performance of a ventilated roof component is investigated during the winter period. The ventilated roof component consists of a conventional roof structure - reinforced concrete with a layer of thermal insulation - an air gap that allows the movement of the ambient air and an external layer made of a prefabricated concrete slab. The experimental results of the ventilated roof component during the winter period are presented and its thermal performance is analysed. The effect of key construction parameters like the height of the air gap and the use of a radiant barrier in the air gap is also investigated. Analysis of the results showed that the performance of a ventilated roof component is comparable to a conventional structure during winter. The ventilated component is shown to be in compliance with Greek regulatory requirements in terms of U-value. (author)

Safety analysis of water cooled components inside the JET thermonuclear fusion tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ageladarakis, P.; O'Dowd, N.; Papastergiou, S.

1998-04-01

The transient thermal behaviour of a number of components, installed in the vessel of the world's largest Fusion Tokamak (JET) has been examined with a theoretical model, which simulated normal operational conditions and abnormal scenarios namely: Loss of Coolant Flow; Loss of Torus Vacuum; and combinations. A number of theoretical results related to water and cryogenically cooled devices have been validated by a comprehensive experimental campaign conducted both inside the JET plasma chamber and in a test rig. The performance of water cooled components which may be subjected to boiling or freeze-up risks in case of a Loss of Water Flow event has also been analysed. Time constants of transient temperature changes were determined by the model while protective actions were prescribed in order to safeguard the equipment against associated risks. A completely automatic safety protection system has been designed on the basis of these analyses and implemented in the routine JET operation. During operation of JET the safety code reacted several times within the specified time limits and protected the relevant components during real off-normal events. (author)

Data report of tight-lattice rod bundle thermal-hydraulic tests (2). Gap-width effect test using 37-rod bundle simulated water-cooled breeder reactor (Contract research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamai, Hidesada; Kureta, Masatoshi; Liu, Wei; Akimoto, Hajime; Sato, Takashi; Watanabe, Hironori; Ohnuki, Akira

2006-11-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been performing tight-lattice rod bundle thermal-hydraulic tests to realize essential technologies for the technological and engineering feasibility of super high burn-up water-cooled breeder reactor featured by a high breeding ratio and super high burn-up by reducing the core water volume in water-cooled reactor. The tests are performing to make clear the fundamental subjects related to the boiling transition (BT) (Subjects: BT criteria under a highly tight-lattice rod bundle, effects of gap-width between rods and of rod-bowing) using 37-rod bundles (Base case test section (1.3mm gap-width), Two parameter effect test sections (Gap-width effect one (1.0mm) and Rod-bowing one)). In the present report, we summarize the test results from the gap-width effect test section. The thermal-hydraulic characteristics were obtained for the critical power under the steady-state and transient conditions, the pressure drop and the wall heat transfer within a wide range of pressure, flow rate, etc. including normal operational conditions of the designed reactor. Then the gap-width effects were also obtained from the comparison between the results using the base case test section and the gap-width effect one. (author)

National water, food, and trade modeling framework: The case of Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelkader, A; Elshorbagy, A; Tuninetti, M; Laio, F; Ridolfi, L; Fahmy, H; Hoekstra, A Y

2018-05-22

This paper introduces a modeling framework for the analysis of real and virtual water flows at national scale. The framework has two components: (1) a national water model that simulates agricultural, industrial and municipal water uses, and available water and land resources; and (2) an international virtual water trade model that captures national virtual water exports and imports related to trade in crops and animal products. This National Water, Food & Trade (NWFT) modeling framework is applied to Egypt, a water-poor country and the world's largest importer of wheat. Egypt's food and water gaps and the country's food (virtual water) imports are estimated over a baseline period (1986-2013) and projected up to 2050 based on four scenarios. Egypt's food and water gaps are growing rapidly as a result of steep population growth and limited water resources. The NWFT modeling framework shows the nexus of the population dynamics, water uses for different sectors, and their compounding effects on Egypt's food gap and water self-sufficiency. The sensitivity analysis reveals that for solving Egypt's water and food problem non-water-based solutions like educational, health, and awareness programs aimed at lowering population growth will be an essential addition to the traditional water resources development solution. Both the national and the global models project similar trends of Egypt's food gap. The NWFT modeling framework can be easily adapted to other nations and regions. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Reprint of "How do components of real cloud water affect aqueous pyruvate oxidation?"

Science.gov (United States)

Boris, Alexandra J.; Desyaterik, Yury; Collett, Jeffrey L.

2015-01-01

Chemical oxidation of dissolved volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds within fog and cloud droplets in the atmosphere could be a major pathway for secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. This proposed pathway consists of: (1) dissolution of organic chemicals from the gas phase into a droplet; (2) reaction with an aqueous phase oxidant to yield low volatility products; and (3) formation of particle phase organic matter as the droplet evaporates. The common approach to simulating aqueous SOA (aqSOA) reactions is photo-oxidation of laboratory standards in pure water. Reactions leading to aqSOA formation should be studied within real cloud and fog water to determine whether additional competing processes might alter apparent rates of reaction as indicated by rates of reactant loss or product formation. To evaluate and identify the origin of any cloud water matrix effects on one example of observed aqSOA production, pyruvate oxidation experiments simulating aqSOA formation were monitored within pure water, real cloud water samples, and an aqueous solution of inorganic salts. Two analysis methods were used: online electrospray ionization high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-HR-ToF-MS), and offline anion exchange chromatography (IC) with quantitative conductivity and qualitative ESI-HR-ToF-MS detection. The apparent rate of oxidation of pyruvate was slowed in cloud water matrices: overall measured degradation rates of pyruvate were lower than in pure water. This can be at least partially accounted for by the observed formation of pyruvate from reactions of other cloud water components. Organic constituents of cloud water also compete for oxidants and/or UV light, contributing to the observed slowed degradation rates of pyruvate. The oxidation of pyruvate was not significantly affected by the presence of inorganic anions (nitrate and sulfate) at cloud-relevant concentrations. Future bulk studies of aqSOA formation reactions using simplified

Performance pay and the gender wage gap : evidence from Spain

OpenAIRE

Rica, Sara de la; Dolado, Juan José; Vegas Sánchez, Raquel

2010-01-01

This paper uses detailed information from a large wage survey in 2006 to analyze the gender wage gap in the performance-pay (PP) component of total hourly wages and its contribution to the overall gender gap in Spain. Under the assumption that PP is determined in a more competitive fashion than the other wage components, one would expect, in principle, to find a low gender gap in PP. However, this is not what we find. After controlling for observable differences in individual and job characte...

Distribution coefficients for chemical components of a coal-oil/water system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Picel, K C; Stamoudis, V C; Simmons, M S

1988-09-01

Distribution coefficients (K/sub D/) were measured by equilibrating a coal oil comparative reference material (CRM-1) with water and then separating the oil and water phases. Aqueous phase concentrations were determined by direct analysis of this phase, while organic phase concentrations were determined from the original oil composition by difference. The log K/sub D/ values obtained for acidic and basic components were generally <3, while those for the neutral components ranged from 3 to 6. For aromatic hydrocarbons, strong correlations were observed between log K/sub D/ and log S/sub w/ (water solubility), and between log K/sub D/ and log K/sub o//sub w/ (octanol/water partition coefficient). Alkylated benzenes had significantly higher K/sub D/s than did unsubstituted aromatics of similar molecular weight. Examination of homologs revealed an increase of 0.307 log K/sub D/ units per additional carbon atom for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons having from 10 to 16 carbons. Alkyl substituent effects determined for various sets of homologs ranged from 0.391 to 0.466 log K/sub d/ units per -CH/sub 2/- group added. 38 refs., 5 figs., 7 tabs.

Prediction of radionuclide accumulation in main ecosystem components of NPP cooling water reservoirs and assessment of acceptable radionuclide disposal into water reservoir

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egorov, Yu.A.; Kazakov, S.V.

1987-01-01

The problems of prediction of radionuclide accumulation in ecosystem main components of NPP cooling water-reservoirs (CWR) and assessment of radionuclide acceptable disposal into water reservoir are considered. Two models are nessecary for the calculation technique: model of radionuclide migration and accumulation in CWR ecosystem components and calculation model of population dose commitment due to water consumption (at the public health approach to the normalization of the NPP radioactive effect on CWC) or calculation model of dose commitment on hydrocenosis components (at the ecological approach to the normalization). Analytical calculations and numerical calculation results in the model CWC, located in the USSR middle region, are presented

On-line component ratio measurement of oil/gas/water mixtures using an admittance sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersen, J A

1984-01-01

The operator of a production platform is primarily interested in which types of fluids a well is producing and how quickly these different components are being produced. The component ratio and production rate of a well vary during the life of a field. To optimize production, measurement of each well's output is thus desirable. Current designs for subsea production systems lack means of continuously measuring three-component flows. A new method of component ratio measurement is described. The fraction of oil, gas and water flowing between two insulated electrode plates is determined by measuring both the electrical conductance and suseptance across the sensor. A preliminary evaluation of the new measurement system has been performed using a process oil/ water/air mixture. The method is not limited to small pipe diameters. The only possible limitation is that for low velocities in very large pipe diameters an in-line mixer may be required. Advantages of this new system are that real-time measurement of void fraction and water content is possible if a non-intrusive rugged sensor is used, and there are no range limitations, as each component may be measured for any given concentration. 4 references.

Effects of Hydroxyl Radicals on Introduced Organisms of Ship's Ballast Water Based Micro-Gap Discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Mindong; Zhang Zhitao; Bai Mindi; Yang Bo; Bai Xiyao

2007-01-01

With the physical method of micro-gap gas discharge, OH· radicals were produced by the ionization of O 2 in air and H 2 O in the gaseous state, in order to explore more effective method to treat the ship's ballast water. The surface morphology of Al 2 O 3 dielectric layer was analysed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), where the size of Al 2 O 3 particles was in the range of 2 μm to 5 μm. At the same time, the biochemical effect of hydroxyl radicals on the introduced organisms and the quality of ship's ballast water were studied. The results indicate that the main reasons of cell death are lipid peroxide and damage of the antioxidant enzyme system in Catalase (CAT), Peroxidase (POD) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD). In addition, the quality of the ballast water was greatly improved

Simplifying and upscaling water resources systems models that combine natural and engineered components

Science.gov (United States)

McIntyre, N.; Keir, G.

2014-12-01

Water supply systems typically encompass components of both natural systems (e.g. catchment runoff, aquifer interception) and engineered systems (e.g. process equipment, water storages and transfers). Many physical processes of varying spatial and temporal scales are contained within these hybrid systems models. The need to aggregate and simplify system components has been recognised for reasons of parsimony and comprehensibility; and the use of probabilistic methods for modelling water-related risks also prompts the need to seek computationally efficient up-scaled conceptualisations. How to manage the up-scaling errors in such hybrid systems models has not been well-explored, compared to research in the hydrological process domain. Particular challenges include the non-linearity introduced by decision thresholds and non-linear relations between water use, water quality, and discharge strategies. Using a case study of a mining region, we explore the nature of up-scaling errors in water use, water quality and discharge, and we illustrate an approach to identification of a scale-adjusted model including an error model. Ways forward for efficient modelling of such complex, hybrid systems are discussed, including interactions with human, energy and carbon systems models.

Water Resource Assessment, Gaps, and Constraints of Vegetable Production in Robit and Dangishta Watersheds, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Worqlul, A. W.; Dile, Y.; Jeong, J.; Schmitter, P.; Bizimana, J. C.; Gerik, T.; Srinivasan, R.; Richardson, J. W.; Clarke, N.

2017-12-01

Rainfed agriculture supports the majority of the poor in sub-Saharan Africa. However, rainfall variability, land degradation and low soil fertility lessen their effectiveness for feeding the growing population. This study aims to estimate the water resources potential to sustain small-scale irrigation (SSI) in Ethiopia into the dry season to expand the food supply by growing vegetable and to understand the gaps and constraints of irrigated vegetable production. The case studies were located in Robit and Dangishta watersheds of the Ethiopian highlands near Lake Tana, where detailed field-level data were collected. The study focused on data from 18 households who have been cultivating tomato and onion during the dry season using irrigation in each watershed. The two components of the Integrated Decision Support System (IDSS) - the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) - were used to assess impacts of SSI at multiple scales. Results suggest that there is a substantial amount of surface runoff and shallow groundwater recharge at watershed scale. The field-scale analysis within the Robit watershed indicated that optimal tomato yield could be obtained with 450 mm of irrigation and 200 to 250 kg/ha of urea with 50 kg/ha of diammonium phosphate (DAP). In Dangishta, optimum onion yield can be obtained by applying 550 mm irrigation and 120 to 180 kg/ha of urea with 50 kg/ha of DAP. Studying field scale water balance, the average shallow groundwater recharge (after accounting other groundwater users such as household and livestock uses) was not sufficient to meet tomato and onion water demand. The field-scale analysis also indicated that soil evaporation attributed a significant proportion of evapotranspiration (i.e. 60% of the evapotranspiration for onion and 40% for tomato). Use of mulching or other soil and water conservation interventions could increase water for cropping by reducing soil evaporation thereby enhancing

Assessing Variation in Water Balance Components in Mountainous Inland River Basin Experiencing Climate Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenliang Yin

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Quantification of the changes of water balance components is significant for water resource assessment and management. This paper employed the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT model to estimate the water balance in a mountainous watershed in northwest China at different spatial scales over the past half century. The results showed that both Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE and determination coefficient (R2 were over 0.90 for the calibration and validation periods. The water balance components presented rising trends at the watershed scale, and the total runoff increased by 30.5% during 1964 to 2013 period. Rising surface runoff and rising groundwater flow contributed 42.7% and 57.3% of the total rising runoff, respectively. The runoff coefficient was sensitive to increasing precipitation and was not significant to the increase of temperature. The alpine meadow was the main landscape which occupied 51.1% of the watershed and contributed 55.5% of the total runoff. Grass land, forest land, bare land, and glacier covered 14.2%, 18.8%, 15.4%, and 0.5% of the watershed and contributed 8.5%, 16.9%, 15.9%, and 3.2% of the total runoff, respectively. The elevation zone from 3500 to 4500 m occupied 66.5% of the watershed area, and contributed the majority of the total runoff (70.7%. The runoff coefficients in the elevation zone from 1637 to 2800 m, 2800 to 3500 m, 3500 to 4000 m, 4000 to 4500 m, and 4500 to 5062 m were 0.20, 0.27, 0.32, 0.43, and 0.78, respectively, which tend to be larger along with the elevation increase. The quantities and change trends of the water balance components at the watershed scale were calculated by the results of the sub-watersheds. Furthermore, we characterized the spatial distribution of quantities and changes in trends of water balance components at the sub-watershed scale analysis. This study provides some references for water resource management and planning in inland river basins.

Yield gap analysis of Chickpea under semi-arid conditions: A simulation study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

seyed Reza Amiri Deh ahmadi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Yield gap analysis provides an essential framework to prioritize research and policy efforts aimed at reducing yield constraints. To identify options for increasing chickpea yield, the SSM-chickpea model was parameterized and evaluated to analyze yield potentials, water limited yields and yield gaps for nine regions representing major chickpea-growing areas of Razavi Khorasan province. The average potential yield of chickpea for the locations was 2251 kg ha-1, while the water limited yield was 1026 kg ha-1 indicating a 54% reduction in yield due to adverse soil moisture conditions. Also, the average irrigated and rainfed actual yields were respectively 64% and 79% less than simulated potential and water limited yields. Maximum and minimum yield gap between potential yield and actual yield were observed in Quchan and Torbat-jam respectively. Generally, yield gap showed an increasing trend from the north (including Nishabur, Mashhad, Quchan and Daregaz regions to the south of the province (Torbat- Jam and Gonabad. In addition, yield gap between simulated water limited potential yield and rainfed actual yield were very low because both simulated water limiting potential and average rainfed actual yields were low in these regions. Yield gap analysis provides an essential framework to prioritize research and policy efforts aimed at reducing yield constraints. To identify options for increasing chickpea yield, the SSM-chickpea model was parameterized and evaluated to analyze yield potentials, water limited yields and yield gaps for nine regions representing major chickpea-growing areas of Razavi Khorasan province. The average potential yield of chickpea for the locations was 2251 kg ha-1, while the water limited yield was 1026 kg ha-1 indicating a 54% reduction in yield due to adverse soil moisture conditions. Also, the average irrigated and rainfed actual yields were respectively 64% and 79% less than simulated potential and water limited yields

Reliability analysis of nuclear component cooling water system using semi-Markov process model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veeramany, Arun; Pandey, Mahesh D.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Semi-Markov process (SMP) model is used to evaluate system failure probability of the nuclear component cooling water (NCCW) system. → SMP is used because it can solve reliability block diagram with a mixture of redundant repairable and non-repairable components. → The primary objective is to demonstrate that SMP can consider Weibull failure time distribution for components while a Markov model cannot → Result: the variability in component failure time is directly proportional to the NCCW system failure probability. → The result can be utilized as an initiating event probability in probabilistic safety assessment projects. - Abstract: A reliability analysis of nuclear component cooling water (NCCW) system is carried out. Semi-Markov process model is used in the analysis because it has potential to solve a reliability block diagram with a mixture of repairable and non-repairable components. With Markov models it is only possible to assume an exponential profile for component failure times. An advantage of the proposed model is the ability to assume Weibull distribution for the failure time of components. In an attempt to reduce the number of states in the model, it is shown that usage of poly-Weibull distribution arises. The objective of the paper is to determine system failure probability under these assumptions. Monte Carlo simulation is used to validate the model result. This result can be utilized as an initiating event probability in probabilistic safety assessment projects.

Welding residual stress improvement in internal components by water jet peening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enomoto, K.; Hirano, K.; Hayashi, M.; Hayashi, E.

1996-01-01

Cavitations are generated when highly pressurized water is jetted in water. Surface residual stress is improved remarkably due to the peening effect of extremely high pressure caused by the collapse of cavitation bubbles. This technique is called water jet peening (WJP). WJP is expected to be an effective maintenance technique for the prevention of stress corrosion cracking caused by residual stress in various components of power generating plants. Various kinds of specimens were water jet peened to evaluate the fundamental characteristics of WJP and to select the most appropriate conditions for the residual stress improvement. Test results showed that WJP markedly improved the tensile residual stress caused by welding and grinding to the high compressive residual stress and seems to prevent the stress corrosion cracking

Aging and life extension of major light water reactor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, V.N.; MacDonald, P.E.

1993-01-01

An understanding of the aging degradation of the major pressurized and boiling water reactor structures and components is given. The design and fabrication of each structure or component is briefly described followed by information on the associated stressors. Interactions between the design, materials and various stressors that cause aging degradation are reviewed. In many cases, aging degradation problems have occurred, and the plant experience to date is analyzed. The discussion summarize the available aging-related information and are supported with extensive references, including references to US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) documents, Electric Power Research Institute reports, US and international conference proceedings and other publications

Thermal-hydraulic limitations on water-cooled fusion reactor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cha, Y.S.; Misra, B.

1986-01-01

An assessment of the cooling requirements for fusion reactor components, such as the first wall and limiter/divertor, was carried out using pressurized water as the coolant. In order to establish the coolant operating conditions, a survey of the literature on departure from nucleate boiling, critical heat flux, asymmetrical heating and heat transfer augmentation techniques was carried out. The experimental data and the empirical correlations indicate that thermal protection for the fusion reactor components based on conventional design concepts can be provided with an adequate margin of safety without resorting to either high coolant velocities, excessive coolant pressures, or heat transfer augmentation techniques. If, however, the future designs require unconventional shapes or heat transfer enhancement techniques, experimental verification would be necessary since no data on heat transfer augmentation techniques exist for complex geometries, especially under asymmetrically heated conditions. Since the data presented herein are concerned primarily with thermal protection of the reactor components, the final design should consider other factors such as thermal stresses, temperature limits, and fatigue

Application of principal component regression and partial least squares regression in ultraviolet spectrum water quality detection

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiangtong; Luo, Yongdao; Dai, Honglin

2018-01-01

Water is the source of life and the essential foundation of all life. With the development of industrialization, the phenomenon of water pollution is becoming more and more frequent, which directly affects the survival and development of human. Water quality detection is one of the necessary measures to protect water resources. Ultraviolet (UV) spectral analysis is an important research method in the field of water quality detection, which partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis method is becoming predominant technology, however, in some special cases, PLSR's analysis produce considerable errors. In order to solve this problem, the traditional principal component regression (PCR) analysis method was improved by using the principle of PLSR in this paper. The experimental results show that for some special experimental data set, improved PCR analysis method performance is better than PLSR. The PCR and PLSR is the focus of this paper. Firstly, the principal component analysis (PCA) is performed by MATLAB to reduce the dimensionality of the spectral data; on the basis of a large number of experiments, the optimized principal component is extracted by using the principle of PLSR, which carries most of the original data information. Secondly, the linear regression analysis of the principal component is carried out with statistic package for social science (SPSS), which the coefficients and relations of principal components can be obtained. Finally, calculating a same water spectral data set by PLSR and improved PCR, analyzing and comparing two results, improved PCR and PLSR is similar for most data, but improved PCR is better than PLSR for data near the detection limit. Both PLSR and improved PCR can be used in Ultraviolet spectral analysis of water, but for data near the detection limit, improved PCR's result better than PLSR.

Research of application of new material to light water reactor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mihara, Tanetoyo

1992-01-01

Advanced Nuclear Equipment Research Institute (ANERI) has been doing the research to apply the new material including metal, fine ceramics and high polymer which were developed and applied in other industries to components and parts of light water reactor for the purpose of Improvement of reliability of components, improvement of efficiency of periodic inspection, improvement of repair and reduction of radiation exposure of worker. This project started upon the sponsorship of Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) by the schedule of FY1985-FY1993 (9 years) and effective results has been obtained. (author)

The `seafood gap' in the food-water nexus literature-issues surrounding freshwater use in seafood production chains

Science.gov (United States)

Gephart, Jessica A.; Troell, Max; Henriksson, Patrik J. G.; Beveridge, Malcolm C. M.; Verdegem, Marc; Metian, Marc; Mateos, Lara D.; Deutsch, Lisa

2017-12-01

Freshwater use for food production is projected to increase substantially in the coming decades with population growth, changing demographics, and shifting diets. Ensuring joint food-water security has prompted efforts to quantify freshwater use for different food products and production methods. However, few analyses quantify freshwater use for seafood production, and those that do use inconsistent water accounting. This inhibits water use comparisons among seafood products or between seafood and agricultural/livestock products. This 'seafood gap' in the food-water nexus literature will become increasingly problematic as seafood consumption is growing globally and aquaculture is one of the fastest growing animal food sectors in the world. Therefore, the present study 1) reviews freshwater use concepts as they relate to seafood production; 2) provides three cases to highlight the particular water use concerns for aquaculture, and; 3) outlines future directions to integrate seafood into the broader food-water nexus discussion. By revisiting water use concepts through a focus on seafood production systems, we highlight the key water use processes that should be considered for seafood production and offer a fresh perspective on the analysis of freshwater use in food systems more broadly.

Effect of saline irrigation water on yield and yield components of rice ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

vaio

2013-05-29

May 29, 2013 ... levels at different growth stages of rice on yield and its components. Treatments included ... Therefore, irrigation with saline water at the early growth stages has more negative effect on ...... diversification. Land Degrad. Dev.

Interaction of water components in the semi-arid Huasco and Limarí river basins, North Central Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Strauch

2009-10-01

Full Text Available For sustainable water resource management in semi-arid regions, sound information is required about interactions between the different components of the water system: rain/snow precipitation, surface/subsurface run-off, groundwater recharge. Exemplarily, the Huasco and Limarí river basins as water stressed river catchments have been studied by isotope and hydrochemical methods for (i the origin of water, (ii water quality, (iii relations of surface and groundwater.

Applying the complex multi-isotopic and hydrochemical methodology to the water components of the Huasco and Limarí basins, a differentiation of water components concerning subsurface flow and river water along the catchment area and by anthropogenic impacts are detected. Sulphate and nitrate concentrations indicate remarkable input from mining and agricultural activities along the river catchment.

The ²H-¹⁸O relations of river water and groundwater of both catchments point to the behaviour of river waters originated in an arid to semi-arid environment.

Consequently, the groundwater from several production wells in the lower parts of the catchments is related to the rivers where the wells located, however, it can be distinguished from the river water. Using the hydrological water balance and the isotope mixing model, the interaction between surface and subsurface flows and river flow is estimated.

Volatile organic components migrating from plastic pipes (HDPE, PEX and PVC) into drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Skjevrak, Ingun; Due, Anne; Gjerstad, Karl Olav; Herikstad, Hallgeir

2003-04-01

High-density polyethylene pipes (HDPE), crossbonded polyethylene pipes (PEX) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes for drinking water were tested with respect to migration of volatile organic components (VOC) to water. The odour of water in contact with plastic pipes was assessed according to the quantitative threshold odour number (TON) concept. A major migrating component from HDPE pipes was 2,4-di-tert-butyl-phenol (2,4-DTBP) which is a known degradation product from antioxidants such as Irgafos 168(R). In addition, a range of esters, aldehydes, ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons and terpenoids were identified as migration products from HDPE pipes. Water in contact with HDPE pipes was assessed with respect to TON, and values > or =4 were determined for five out of seven brands of HDPE pipes. The total amount of VOC released to water during three successive test periods were fairly constant for the HDPE pipes. Corresponding migration tests carried out for PEX pipes showed that VOC migrated in significant amounts into the test water, and TON >/=5 of the test water were observed in all tests. Several of the migrated VOC were not identified. Oxygenates predominated the identified VOC in the test water from PEX pipes. Migration tests of PVC pipes revealed few volatile migrants in the test samples and no significant odour of the test water.

Application of Tank Model for Predicting Water Balance and Flow Discharge Components of Cisadane Upper Catchment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nana Mulyana Arifjaya

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The concept of hydrological tank model was well described into four compartments (tanks. The first tank (tank A comprised of one vertical (qA0 and two lateral (qA1 and qA2 water flow components and tank B comprised of one vertical (qB0 and one lateral (qB1 water flow components. Tank C comprised of one vertical (qC0 and one lateral (qC1 water flow components, whereas tank D comprised of one lateral water flow component (qD1.  These vertical water flows would also contribute to the depletion of water flow in the related tanks but would replenish tanks in the deeper layers. It was assumed that at all lateral water flow components would finally accumulate in one stream, summing-up of the lateral water flow, much or less, should be equal to the water discharge (Qo at specified time concerns. Tank A received precipitation (R and evapo-transpiration (ET which was its gradientof (R-ET over time would become the driving force for the changes of water stored in the soil profiles and thosewater flows leaving the soil layer.  Thus tank model could describe th vertical and horizontal water flow withinthe watershed. The research site was Cisadane Upper Catchment, located at Pasir Buncir Village of CaringinSub-District within the Regency of Bogor in West Java Province.  The elevations ranged 512 –2,235 m above sealevel, with a total drainage area of 1,811.5 ha and total length of main stream of 14,340.7 m.  The land cover wasdominated by  forest  with a total of 1,044.6 ha (57.67%,  upland agriculture with a total of 477.96 ha (26.38%,mixed garden with a total of 92.85 ha(5.13% and semitechnical irigated rice field with a total of 196.09 ha (10,8%.  The soil was classified as hydraquent (96.6% and distropept (3.4%.  Based on the calibration of tank model application in the study area, the resulting coefficient of determination (R2 was 0.72 with model efficiency (NSEof= 0.75, thus tank model could well illustrate the water flow distribution of

Experimental Determination of Temperatures in a Liquid GAP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masson, Viviana; Ojeda, Andres; Fabian, Bonetto

2003-01-01

An experimental study of heat transfer in a gap of water at atmospheric pressure is presented under natural convection conditions.The objective of the work was to experimentally determine the expected maximum temperatures in the gap for a given heater power.The experimental set-up was a plane surface heated by resistances and facing a 1mm-liquid gap.Visualisation of phenomena by video and still picture was performed

Water Resource Management Mechanisms for Intrastate Violent Conflict Resolution: the Capacity Gap and What To Do About It.

Science.gov (United States)

Workman, M.; Veilleux, J. C.

2014-12-01

Violent conflict and issues surrounding available water resources are both global problems and are connected. Violent conflict is increasingly intrastate in nature and coupled with increased hydrological variability as a function of climate change, there will be increased pressures on water resource use. The majority of mechanisms designed to secure water resources are often based on the presence of a governance framework or another type of institutional capacity, such as offered through a supra- or sub-national organization like the United Nations or a river basin organization. However, institutional frameworks are not present or loose functionality during violent conflict. Therefore, it will likely be extremely difficult to secure water resources for a significant proportion of populations in Fragile and Conflict Affected States. However, the capacity in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations for the appropriate interventions to address this problem is reduced by an increasing reluctance to participate in interventionist operations following a decade of expeditionary warfighting mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan, and related defence cuts. Therefore, future interventions in violent conflict and securing water resources may be more indirect in nature. This paper assesses the state of understanding key areas in the present literature and highlights the gap of securing water resources during violent conflict in the absence of institutional capacity. There is a need to close this gap as a matter of urgency by formulating frameworks to assess the lack of institutional oversight / framework for water resources in areas where violent conflict is prevalent; developing inclusive resource management platforms through transparency and reconciliation mechanisms; and developing endogenous confidence-building measures and evaluate how these may be encouraged by exogenous initiatives including those facilitated by the international community. This effort

Effect of cooling water on stability of NLC linac components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

F. Le Pimpec et al.

2003-02-11

Vertical vibration of linac components (accelerating structures, girders and quadrupoles) in the NLC has been studied experimentally and analytically. Effects such as structural resonances and vibration caused by cooling water both in accelerating structures and quadrupoles have been considered. Experimental data has been compared with analytical predictions and simulations using ANSYS. A design, incorporating the proper decoupling of structure vibrations from the linac quadrupoles, is being pursued.

Effect of Cooling Water on Stability of NLC Linac Components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Pimpec, Frederic

2002-11-01

Vertical vibration of linac components (accelerating structures, girders and quadrupoles) in the NLC has been studied experimentally and analytically. Effects such as structural resonances and vibration caused by cooling water both in accelerating structures and quadrupoles have been considered. Experimental data has been compared with analytical predictions and simulations using ANSYS. A design, incorporating the proper decoupling of structure vibrations from the linac quadrupoles, is being pursued.

GENERIC, COMPONENT FAILURE DATA BASE FOR LIGHT WATER AND LIQUID SODIUM REACTOR PRAs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

S. A. Eide; S. V. Chmielewski; T. D. Swantz

1990-02-01

A comprehensive generic component failure data base has been developed for light water and liquid sodium reactor probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) . The Nuclear Computerized Library for Assessing Reactor Reliability (NUCLARR) and the Centralized Reliability Data Organization (CREDO) data bases were used to generate component failure rates . Using this approach, most of the failure rates are based on actual plant data rather than existing estimates .

Water Balance of the Eğirdir Lake and the Influence of Budget Components, Isparta,Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayşen DAVRAZ

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Water budget of lakes must be determined regarding to their sustainable usage as for all water resources. One of the major problems in the management of lakes is the estimation of water budget components. The lack of regularly measured data is the biggest problem in calculation of hydrological balance of a lake. A lake water budget is computed by measuring or estimating all of the lake’s water gains and losses and measuring the corresponding changes in the lake volume over the same time period. Eğirdir Lake is one of the most important freshwater lakes in Turkey and is the most important surface water resources in the region due to different usages. Recharge of the Eğirdir Lake is supplied from especially precipitation, surface and subsurface water inflow. The discharge components of the lake are evaporation and water intake for irrigation, drinking and energy purposes. The difference between recharge and discharge of the lake was calculated as 7.78 hm3 for 1970-2010 period. According to rainfall, evaporation and the lake water level relations, rainfall is dominantly effective on the lake water level such as direct recharge to the lake and indirect recharge with groundwater flow

Effect of water stress on yield and yield components of sunflower ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A field experiment during year 2009 was conducted in the research station of the University of Tehran, College of Abouraihan in Pakdasht region, Iran. The study was aimed to investigate the effect of water stress on seed yield, yield component and some quantitative traits of four sunflower hybrids namely Azargol, Alstar, ...

Diffusion of a multi-species component and its role in oxygen and water transport in silicates

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Youxue; Stolper, E. M.; Wasserburg, G. J.

1991-01-01

The diffusion of a multispecies component is complicated by the different diffusion coefficient of each species and the interconversion reactions among the species. A diffusion equation is derived that incorporates the diffusive fluxes of all species contributing to the component's concentration. The effect of speciation on diffusion is investigated experimentally by measuring concentration profiles of all species developed during diffusion experiments. Data on water diffusion in rhyolitic glasses indicate that H2O molecules predominate over OH groups as the diffusing species at very low to high water concentrations. A simple theoretical relationship is drawn between the effective total oxygen diffusion coefficient and the total water concentration of silicates at low water content.

Large Scale Evapotranspiration Estimates: An Important Component in Regional Water Balances to Assess Water Availability

Science.gov (United States)

Garatuza-Payan, J.; Yepez, E. A.; Watts, C.; Rodriguez, J. C.; Valdez-Torres, L. C.; Robles-Morua, A.

2013-05-01

Water security, can be defined as the reliable supply in quantity and quality of water to help sustain future populations and maintaining ecosystem health and productivity. Water security is rapidly declining in many parts of the world due to population growth, drought, climate change, salinity, pollution, land use change, over-allocation and over-utilization, among other issues. Governmental offices (such as the Comision Nacional del Agua in Mexico, CONAGUA) require and conduct studies to estimate reliable water balances at regional or continental scales in order to provide reasonable assessments of the amount of water that can be provided (from surface or ground water sources) to supply all the human needs while maintaining natural vegetation, on an operational basis and, more important, under disturbances, such as droughts. Large scale estimates of evapotranspiration (ET), a critical component of the water cycle, are needed for a better comprehension of the hydrological cycle at large scales, which, in most water balances is left as the residual. For operational purposes, such water balance estimates can not rely on ET measurements since they do not exist, should be simple and require the least ground information possible, information that is often scarce or does not exist at all. Given this limitation, the use of remotely sensed data to estimate ET could supplement the lack of ground information, particularly in remote regions In this study, a simple method, based on the Makkink equation is used to estimate ET for large areas at high spatial resolutions (1 km). The Makkink model used here is forced using three remotely sensed datasets. First, the model uses solar radiation estimates obtained from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES); Second, the model uses an Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) obtained from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized to get an estimate for vegetation amount and land use which was

The use of artificial impoundments by two amphibian species in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Science.gov (United States)

Julian, J.T.; Snyder, C.D.; Young, J.A.

2006-01-01

We compared breeding activity of Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander) and Rana sylvatica (Wood Frog) in artificial impoundments to patterns in natural wetlands over a three-year period in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Rana sylvatica were 5.6 times more likely to use natural bodies of water for breeding than artificial impoundments, while A. maculatum were 2.7 times more likely to use natural bodies of water. Both species were approximately 9 times more likely to breed in fishless bodies of water than in waters with predatory fish. Ambystoma maculatum were 6 times more likely to breed in wetlands with more stable seasonal hydroperiods, while R. sylvatica were only 2 times more likely to do so. We conclude that the high likelihood of fish presence in impoundments was the primary explanation for why both species were less likely to use impoundments than natural wetlands, while the tendency of A. maculatum to avoid natural wetlands with shorter hydroperiods explained why differences in use between pond types was more pronounced for R. sylvatica.

Analysis of water hammer in two-component two-phase flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warde, H.; Marzouk, E.; Ibrahim, S.

1989-01-01

The water hammer phenomena caused by a sudden valve closure in air-water two-phase flows must be clarified for the safety analysis of LOCA in reactors and further for the safety of boilers, chemical plants, pipe transport of fluids such as petroleum and natural gas. In the present work water hammer phenomena caused by sudden valve closure in two-component two-phase flows are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The phenomena are more complicated than in single phase-flows due to the fact of the presence of compressible component. Basic partial differential equations based on a one-dimensional homogeneous flow model are solved by the method of characteristic. The analysis is extended to include friction in a two-phase mixture depending on the local flow pattern. The profiles of the pressure transients, the propagation velocity of pressure waves and the effect of valve closure on the transient pressure are found. Different two-phase flow pattern and frictional pressure drop correlations were used including Baker, Chesholm and Beggs and Bril correlations. The effect of the flow pattern on the characteristic of wave propagation is discussed primarily to indicate the effect of void fraction on the velocity of wave propagation and on the attenuation of pressure waves. Transient pressure in the mixture were recorded at different air void fractions, rates of uniform valve closure and liquid flow velocities with the aid of pressure transducers, transient wave form recorders interfaced with an on-line pc computer. The results are compared with computation, and good agreement was obtained within experimental accuracy

Results of gap conductance tests in the power burst facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garner, R.W.; Sparks, D.T.

1977-01-01

Light water reactor (LWR) fuel rod behavior studies are being conducted by the Thermal Fuels Behavior Program of EG and G Idaho, Inc. These studies are being performed under contract to the Energy Research and Development Adminstration at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), as part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Water Reactor Safety Research Fuel Behavior Program. Experimental data for verification of analytical models developed to predict light water nuclear fuel rod behavior under normal and postulated accident conditions are being obtained from a variety of in-reactor and out-of-reactor experiments. This paper summarizes the results of tests performed in the Power Burst Facility (PBF) to obtain data from which the thermal response, gap conductance, and stored energy of LWR fuel rods can be determined. Primary objectives of the PBF gap conductance test program are (a) to obtain data on a variety of pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel rod designs, under a wide range of operating conditions, from which gap conductance values can be determined and (b) to evaluate experimentally the power oscillation method for measuring the gap conductance and thermal response of a fresh or burned LWR fuel rod. Tests have been performed with both irradiated and unirradiated PWR-type fuel and with fresh BWR-type fuel rods. Some PWR rod test results are described, and the thermal response data from BWR rod tests are discussed in greater detail. Comparisons are made of gap conductance values determined by the tests with analytically calculated values using the Fuel Rod Analysis Program-Transient (FRAP-T) computer code. These comparisons provide insight into both the experimental measurements methods and the validity of the gap conductance models

Results of an aging-related failure survey of light water safety systems and components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meale, B.M.; Satterwhite, D.G.; MacDonald, P.E.

1988-01-01

The collection and evaluation of operating experience data are necessary in determining the effects of aging on the safety of operating nuclear plants. This paper presents the final results of a two-year research effort evaluating aging impacts on components in light water reactor systems. This research was performed as a part of the Nuclear Plant Aging Research program, sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Two unique types of data analyses were performed. In the first, an aging-survey study, aging-related failure data for fifteen light water reactor systems were obtained from the Nuclear Plant Reliability Data System (NPRDS). These included safety, support, and power conversion systems. A computerized sort of these records classified each record into one of five generic categories, based on the utility's choice of the failure's NPRDS cause category. Systems and components within the systems that were most affected by aging were identified. In the second analysis, information on aging-related reported causes of failures was evaluated for component failures reported to NPRDS for auxiliary feedwater, high pressure injection, service water, and Class 1E electrical power distribution systems. 3 refs., 13 figs., 4 tabs

Application of SWAT99.2 to sensitivity analysis of water balance components in unique plots in a hilly region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-feng Dai

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Although many sensitivity analyses using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT in a complex watershed have been conducted, little attention has been paid to the application potential of the model in unique plots. In addition, sensitivity analysis of percolation and evapotranspiration with SWAT has seldom been undertaken. In this study, SWAT99.2 was calibrated to simulate water balance components for unique plots in Southern China from 2000 to 2001, which included surface runoff, percolation, and evapotranspiration. Twenty-one parameters classified into four categories, including meteorological conditions, topographical characteristics, soil properties, and vegetation attributes, were used for sensitivity analysis through one-at-a-time (OAT sampling to identify the factor that contributed most to the variance in water balance components. The results were shown to be different for different plots, with parameter sensitivity indices and ranks varying for different water balance components. Water balance components in the broad-leaved forest and natural grass plots were most sensitive to meteorological conditions, less sensitive to vegetation attributes and soil properties, and least sensitive to topographical characteristics. Compared to those in the natural grass plot, water balance components in the broad-leaved forest plot demonstrated higher sensitivity to the maximum stomatal conductance (GSI and maximum leaf area index (BLAI.

The Oncogenic Role of RhoGAPs in Basal-Like Breast Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-01

mouse models . c) In vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis assays. Milestones: Identify whether ArhGAP11A and RacGAP1 can promote tumor growth and/or...proteins. RacGAP1 is a component of the centralspindlin complex during mitosis and cytokinesis, but its function during interphase is not well...switches: Rho GTPase regulation during animal cell mitosis . Cell Signal 2014;26:2998-3006. 30. Zhao WM, Fang G. MgcRacGAP controls the assembly of the

A study on critical heat flux in gap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Rae Joon; Jeong, Ji Whan; Cho, Young Ro; Chang, Young Cho; Kang, Kyung Ho; Kim, Jong Whan; Kim, Sang Baik; Kim, Hee Dong

1999-04-01

The scope and content of this study is to perform the test on critical heat flux in hemispherical narrow gaps using distilled water and Freon R-113 as experimental parameters, such as system pressure from 1 to 10 atm and gap thickness of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 mm. The CHFG test results have shown that the measured values of critical power are much lower than the predictions made by empirical CHF correlations applicable to flat plate gaps and annuli. The pressure effect on the critical power was found to be much milder than predictions by those CHF correlations. The values and the pressure trend of the critical powers measured in the present experiments are close to the values converted from the CCFL data. This confirms the claim that a CCFL brings about local dryout and finally, global dryout in hemispherical narrow gaps. Increases in the gap thickness lead to increase in critical power. The measured critical power using R-113 in hemispherical narrow gaps are 60 % lower than that using water due to the lower boiling point, which is different from the pool boiling condition. The CCFL (counter counter flow limit) test facility was constructed and the test is being performed to estimate the CCFL phenomena and to evaluate the CHFG test results on critical power in hemispherical narrow gaps. (Author). 35 refs., 2 tabs., 19 figs.

A study on critical heat flux in gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Rae Joon; Jeong, Ji Whan; Cho, Young Ro; Chang, Young Cho; Kang, Kyung Ho; Kim, Jong Whan; Kim, Sang Baik; Kim, Hee Dong

1999-04-01

The scope and content of this study is to perform the test on critical heat flux in hemispherical narrow gaps using distilled water and Freon R-113 as experimental parameters, such as system pressure from 1 to 10 atm and gap thickness of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 mm. The CHFG test results have shown that the measured values of critical power are much lower than the predictions made by empirical CHF correlations applicable to flat plate gaps and annuli. The pressure effect on the critical power was found to be much milder than predictions by those CHF correlations. The values and the pressure trend of the critical powers measured in the present experiments are close to the values converted from the CCFL data. This confirms the claim that a CCFL brings about local dryout and finally, global dryout in hemispherical narrow gaps. Increases in the gap thickness lead to increase in critical power. The measured critical power using R-113 in hemispherical narrow gaps are 60 % lower than that using water due to the lower boiling point, which is different from the pool boiling condition. The CCFL (counter counter flow limit) test facility was constructed and the test is being performed to estimate the CCFL phenomena and to evaluate the CHFG test results on critical power in hemispherical narrow gaps. (Author). 35 refs., 2 tabs., 19 figs

Emplacement Gantry Gap Analysis Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thornley, R.

2005-01-01

To date, the project has established important to safety (ITS) performance requirements for structures, systems, and components (SSCs) based on the identification and categorization of event sequences that may result in a radiological release. These performance requirements are defined within the ''Nuclear Safety Design Bases for License Application'' (NSDB) (BSC 2005 [DIRS 171512], Table A-11). Further, SSCs credited with performing safety functions are classified as ITS. In turn, assurance that these SSCs will perform as required is sought through the use of consensus codes and standards. This gap analysis is based on the design completed for license application only. Accordingly, identification of ITS SSCs beyond those defined within the NSDB are based on designs that may be subject to further development during detail design. Furthermore, several design alternatives may still be under consideration to satisfy certain safety functions, and final selection will not be determined until further design development has occurred. Therefore, for completeness, alternative designs currently under consideration will be discussed throughout this study. This gap analysis will evaluate each code and standard identified within the ''Emplacement Gantry ITS Standards Identification Study'' (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173586]) to ensure each ITS performance requirement is fully satisfied. When a performance requirement is not fully satisfied, a gap is highlighted. This study will identify requirements to supplement or augment the code or standard to meet performance requirements. Further, this gap analysis will identify nonstandard areas of the design that will be subject to a design development plan. Nonstandard components and nonstandard design configurations are defined as areas of the design that do not follow standard industry practices or codes and standards. Whereby, assurance that an SSC will perform as required may not be readily sought though the use of consensus standards. This

Acute Anxiety Predicts Components of the Cold Shock Response on Cold Water Immersion: Toward an Integrated Psychophysiological Model of Acute Cold Water Survival

Science.gov (United States)

Barwood, Martin J.; Corbett, Jo; Massey, Heather; McMorris, Terry; Tipton, Mike; Wagstaff, Christopher R. D.

2018-01-01

Introduction: Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death. In cold-water, sudden skin cooling triggers the life-threatening cold shock response (CSR). The CSR comprises tachycardia, peripheral vasoconstriction, hypertension, inspiratory gasp, and hyperventilation with the hyperventilatory component inducing hypocapnia and increasing risk of aspirating water to the lungs. Some CSR components can be reduced by habituation (i.e., reduced response to stimulus of same magnitude) induced by 3–5 short cold-water immersions (CWI). However, high levels of acute anxiety, a plausible emotion on CWI: magnifies the CSR in unhabituated participants, reverses habituated components of the CSR and prevents/delays habituation when high levels of anxiety are experienced concurrent to immersions suggesting anxiety is integral to the CSR. Purpose: To examine the predictive relationship that prior ratings of acute anxiety have with the CSR. Secondly, to examine whether anxiety ratings correlated with components of the CSR during immersion before and after induction of habituation. Methods: Forty-eight unhabituated participants completed one (CON1) 7-min immersion in to cold water (15°C). Of that cohort, twenty-five completed four further CWIs that would ordinarily induce CSR habituation. They then completed two counter-balanced immersions where anxiety levels were increased (CWI-ANX) or were not manipulated (CON2). Acute anxiety and the cardiorespiratory responses (cardiac frequency [fc], respiratory frequency [fR], tidal volume [VT], minute ventilation [E]) were measured. Multiple regression was used to identify components of the CSR from the most life-threatening period of immersion (1st minute) predicted by the anxiety rating prior to immersion. Relationships between anxiety rating and CSR components during immersion were assessed by correlation. Results: Anxiety rating predicted the fc component of the CSR in unhabituated participants (CON1; p anxiety rating predicted the f

Examination of water phase transitions in Loblolly pine and cell wall components by differential scanning calorimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Samuel L. Zelinka; Michael J. Lambrecht; Samuel V. Glass; Alex C. Wiedenhoeft; Daniel J. Yelle

2012-01-01

This paper examines phase transformations of water in wood and isolated wood cell wall components using differential scanning calorimetry with the purpose of better understanding "Type II water" or "freezable bound water" that has been reported for cellulose and other hydrophilic polymers. Solid loblolly pine (Pinus taeda...

Dynamics of leaf water relations components in co-occurring iso- and anisohydric conifer species

Science.gov (United States)

Frederick Meinzer; David Woodruff; Danielle Marias; Katherine McCulloh; Sanna Sevanto

2014-01-01

Because iso- and anisohydric species differ in stomatal regulation of the rate and magnitude of fluctuations in shoot water potential, they may be expected to show differences in the plasticity of their shoot water relations components, but explicit comparisons of this nature have rarely been made. We subjected excised shoots of co-occurring anisohydric Juniperus...

Managing Water for African Cities Johannesburg City Implementation Plan Environmental Component Appraisal Report

OpenAIRE

Damhaug, T.

2000-01-01

Årsliste 2000 This is an appraisal of the environmental component of the Johannesburg City Implementation Plan under the Habitat guided programme "Managing Water for African Cities". The objective of this appraisal was to ensure the conformity of the plan with the objectives of the Regional Project and South Africa's needs and to explore the availability of domestic resources (human, institutional, and financial) required for efficient project implementation. The environmental component wi...

Development of the interactive model between Component Cooling Water System and Containment Cooling System using GOTHIC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Choong Sup; Song, Dong Soo; Jun, Hwang Yong

2006-01-01

In a design point of view, component cooling water (CCW) system is not full-interactively designed with its heat loads. Heat loads are calculated from the CCW design flow and temperature condition which is determined with conservatism. Then the CCW heat exchanger is sized by using total maximized heat loads from above calculation. This approach does not give the optimized performance results and the exact trends of CCW system and the loads during transient. Therefore a combined model for performance analysis of containment and the component cooling water(CCW) system is developed by using GOTHIC software code. The model is verified by using the design parameters of component cooling water heat exchanger and the heat loads during the recirculation mode of loss of coolant accident scenario. This model may be used for calculating the realistic containment response and CCW performance, and increasing the ultimate heat sink temperature limits

Adaptive ultrasonic imaging with the total focusing method for inspection of complex components immersed in water

Science.gov (United States)

Le Jeune, L.; Robert, S.; Dumas, P.; Membre, A.; Prada, C.

2015-03-01

In this paper, we propose an ultrasonic adaptive imaging method based on the phased-array technology and the synthetic focusing algorithm Total Focusing Method (TFM). The general principle is to image the surface by applying the TFM algorithm in a semi-infinite water medium. Then, the reconstructed surface is taken into account to make a second TFM image inside the component. In the surface reconstruction step, the TFM algorithm has been optimized to decrease computation time and to limit noise in water. In the second step, the ultrasonic paths through the reconstructed surface are calculated by the Fermat's principle and an iterative algorithm, and the classical TFM is applied to obtain an image inside the component. This paper presents several results of TFM imaging in components of different geometries, and a result obtained with a new technology of probes equipped with a flexible wedge filled with water (manufactured by Imasonic).

Characterization of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and relationships among PARAFAC components and water quality parameters in Heilongjiang, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Hongyang; Shi, Jianhong; Qiu, Linlin; Zhao, Yue; Wei, Zimin; Wang, Xinglei; Jia, Liming; Li, Jiming

2016-05-01

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an important optically active substance that can transports nutrients and pollutants from terrestrial to aquatic systems. Additionally, it is used as a measure of water quality. To investigate the source and composition of CDOM, we used chemical and fluorescent analyses to characterize CDOM in Heilongjiang. The composition of CDOM can be investigated by excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). PARAFAC identified four individual components that were attributed to microbial humic-like (C1) and terrestrial humic-like (C2-4) in water samples collected from the Heilongjiang River. The relationships between the maximum fluorescence intensities of the four PARAFAC components and the water quality parameters indicate that the dynamic of the four components is related to nutrients in the Heilongjiang River. The relationships between the fluorescence component C3 and the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) indicates that component C3 makes a great contribution to BOD5 and it can be used as a carbon source for microbes in the Heilongjiang River. Furthermore, the relationships between component C3, the particulate organic carbon (POC), and the chemical oxygen demand (CODMn) show that component C3 and POC make great contributions to BOD5 and CODMn. The use of these indexes along with PARAFAC results would be of help to characterize the co-variation between the CDOM and water quality parameters in the Heilongjiang River.

Large band gaps of water waves through two-dimensional periodic topography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Shaohua; Wu Fugen; Zhong Huilin; Zhong Lanhua

2006-01-01

In this Letter, the band structures and band gaps of liquid surface waves propagating over two-dimensional periodic topography was investigated by plane-waves expansion method. The periodic topography drilled by square hollows with square lattice was considered. And the effects of the filling fraction and the orientation of bottom-hollows on the band gaps are investigated in detail

Measuring CO ₂ and N ₂ O Mass Transfer into GAP-1 CO ₂ –Capture Solvents at Varied Water Loadings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whyatt, Greg A.; Zwoster, Andy; Zheng, Feng; Perry, Robert J.; Wood, Benjamin R.; Spiry, Irina; Freeman, Charles J.; Heldebrant, David J.

2017-04-12

This paper investigates the CO₂ and N₂ O absorption behavior in the water-lean gamma amino propyl (GAP)-1/TEG solvent system using a wetted-wall contactor. Testing was performed on a blend of GAP-1 aminosilicone in triethylene glycol at varied water loadings in the solvent. Measurements were made with CO₂ and N₂ O at representative lean (0.04 mol CO₂/mol alkalinity), middle (0.13 mol CO₂ /mol alkalinity) and rich (0.46 mol CO₂ /mol alkalinity) solvent loadings at 0, 5, 10 and 15 wt% water loadings at 40, 60 and 80C° and N₂ O at (0.08-0.09 mol CO₂ /mol alkalinity) at 5 wt% water at 40, 60 and 80C°. CO₂ flux was found to be non-linear with respect to log mean pressure driving force (LMPD). Liquid-film mass transfer coefficients (k'g) were calculated by subtracting the gas film resistance (determined from a correlation from literature) from the overall mass transfer measurement. The resulting k'g values for CO₂ and N₂ O in GAP-1/TEG mixtures were found to be higher than that of 5M aqueous monoethanolamine under comparable driving force albeit at higher solvent viscosities. The k'g values for CO₂ were also found to decrease with increasing solvent water content and increase with a decrease in temperature. These observations indicate that mass transfer of CO₂ in GAP-1/TEG is linked to the physical solubility of CO₂ , which is higher in organic solvents compared to water. This paper expands on the understanding of the unique mass transfer behavior and kinetics of CO₂ capture in water-lean solvents.

Evaluating the hydrological consistency of satellite based water cycle components

KAUST Repository

Lopez Valencia, Oliver Miguel

2016-06-15

Advances in multi-satellite based observations of the earth system have provided the capacity to retrieve information across a wide-range of land surface hydrological components and provided an opportunity to characterize terrestrial processes from a completely new perspective. Given the spatial advantage that space-based observations offer, several regional-to-global scale products have been developed, offering insights into the multi-scale behaviour and variability of hydrological states and fluxes. However, one of the key challenges in the use of satellite-based products is characterizing the degree to which they provide realistic and representative estimates of the underlying retrieval: that is, how accurate are the hydrological components derived from satellite observations? The challenge is intrinsically linked to issues of scale, since the availability of high-quality in-situ data is limited, and even where it does exist, is generally not commensurate to the resolution of the satellite observation. Basin-scale studies have shown considerable variability in achieving water budget closure with any degree of accuracy using satellite estimates of the water cycle. In order to assess the suitability of this type of approach for evaluating hydrological observations, it makes sense to first test it over environments with restricted hydrological inputs, before applying it to more hydrological complex basins. Here we explore the concept of hydrological consistency, i.e. the physical considerations that the water budget impose on the hydrologic fluxes and states to be temporally and spatially linked, to evaluate the reproduction of a set of large-scale evaporation (E) products by using a combination of satellite rainfall (P) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) observations of storage change, focusing on arid and semi-arid environments, where the hydrological flows can be more realistically described. Our results indicate no persistent hydrological

Study on heat transfer performance of water-borne and oily graphene coatings using anti-/de-icing component

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Long; Zhang, Yidu; Wu, Qiong; Jie, Zhang

2018-02-01

A graphene coating anti-/de-icing experiment was proposed by employing water-borne and oily graphene coatings on the composite material anti-/de-icing component. Considering the characteristics of helicopter rotor sensitivity to icing, a new graphene coating enhancing thermal conductivity of anti-/de-icing component was proposed. The anti-/de-icing experiment was conducted to validate the effectiveness of graphene coating. The results of the experiment show that the graphene coatings play a prominent role in controlling the heat transfer of anti-/de-icing component. The anti-/de-icing effect of oily graphene coating is superior to water-borne graphene.

Acute Anxiety Predicts Components of the Cold Shock Response on Cold Water Immersion: Toward an Integrated Psychophysiological Model of Acute Cold Water Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Barwood, Martin J; Corbett, Jo; Massey, Heather; McMorris, Terry; Tipton, Mike; Wagstaff, Christopher R D

2018-01-01

Introduction: Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death. In cold-water, sudden skin cooling triggers the life-threatening cold shock response (CSR). The CSR comprises tachycardia, peripheral vasoconstriction, hypertension, inspiratory gasp, and hyperventilation with the hyperventilatory component inducing hypocapnia and increasing risk of aspirating water to the lungs. Some CSR components can be reduced by habituation (i.e., reduced response to stimulus of same magnitude) induced by 3-5 short cold-water immersions (CWI). However, high levels of acute anxiety, a plausible emotion on CWI: magnifies the CSR in unhabituated participants, reverses habituated components of the CSR and prevents/delays habituation when high levels of anxiety are experienced concurrent to immersions suggesting anxiety is integral to the CSR. Purpose: To examine the predictive relationship that prior ratings of acute anxiety have with the CSR. Secondly, to examine whether anxiety ratings correlated with components of the CSR during immersion before and after induction of habituation. Methods: Forty-eight unhabituated participants completed one (CON1) 7-min immersion in to cold water (15°C). Of that cohort, twenty-five completed four further CWIs that would ordinarily induce CSR habituation. They then completed two counter-balanced immersions where anxiety levels were increased (CWI-ANX) or were not manipulated (CON2). Acute anxiety and the cardiorespiratory responses (cardiac frequency [ f c ], respiratory frequency [ f R ], tidal volume [ V T ], minute ventilation [ E ]) were measured. Multiple regression was used to identify components of the CSR from the most life-threatening period of immersion (1 st minute) predicted by the anxiety rating prior to immersion. Relationships between anxiety rating and CSR components during immersion were assessed by correlation. Results: Anxiety rating predicted the f c component of the CSR in unhabituated participants (CON1; p CSR when anxiety

Basic Boiling Experiments with An Inclined Narrow Gap Associated With In-Vessel Retention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terazu, Kuninobu; Watanabe, Fukashi; Iwaki, Chikako; Yokobori, Seiichi; Akinaga, Makoto; Hamazaki, Ryoichi; SATO, Ken-ichi

2002-01-01

In the case of a severe accident with relocation of the molten corium into the lower plenum of reactor pressure vessel (RPV), the successful in-vessel corium retention (IVR) can prevent the progress to ex-vessel events with uncertainties and avoid the containment failure. One of the key phenomena governing the possibility of IVR would be the gap formation and cooling between a corium crust and the RPV wall, and for the achievement of IVR, it would be necessary to supply cooling water to RPV as early as possible. The BWR features relative to IVR behavior are a deep and massive water pool in the lower plenum, and many of control rod drive guide tubes (CRDGT) installed in the lower head of RPV, in which water is injected continuously except in the case of station blackout scenario. The present paper describes the basic boiling experiment conducted in order to investigate the boiling characteristics in an inclined narrow gap simulating a part of the lower head curvature. The boiling experiments were composed of visualization tests and heat transfer tests. In the visualization tests, two types of inclined gap were constructed using the parallel plate and the V-shaped parallel plate with heating from the top plate, and the boiling flow pattern was observed with various gap width and heat flux. These observation results showed that water was easily supplied from the gap bottom of parallel plate even in a very narrow gap with smaller width than 1 mm, and water could flow continuously in the narrow gap by the geometric and thermal imbalance from the experiment results using the V-shaped parallel plate. In the heat transfer tests, the critical heat flux (CHF) data in an inclined narrow channel formed by the parallel plates were measured in terms of the parameters of gap width, heated length and inclined angle of a channel, and the effect of inclination was incorporated into the existing CHF correlation for a narrow gap. The CHF correlation modified for an inclined narrow gap

Plasma treatment of polyethersulfone membrane for benzene removal from water by air gap membrane distillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedram, Sara; Mortaheb, Hamid Reza; Arefi-Khonsari, Farzaneh

2018-01-01

In order to obtain a durable cost-effective membrane for membrane distillation (MD) process, flat sheet polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were modified by an atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasma generated using a dielectric barrier discharge in a mixture of argon and hexamethyldisiloxane as the organosilicon precursor. The surface properties of the plasma-modified membranes were characterized by water contact angle (CA), liquid entry pressure, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The water CA of the membrane was increased from 64° to 104° by depositing a Si(CH 3 )-rich thin layer. While the pristine PES membrane was not applicable in the MD process, the modified PES membrane could be applied for the first time in an air gap membrane distillation setup for the removal of benzene as a volatile organic compound from water. The experimental design using central composite design and response surface methodology was applied to study the effects of feed temperature, concentration, and flow rate as well as their binary interactions on the overall permeate flux and separation factor. The separation factor and permeation flux of the modified PES membrane at optimum conditions were comparable with those of commercial polytetrafluoroethylene membrane.

Gap conductance model validation in the TASS/SMR-S code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Sang-Jun; Yang, Soo-Hyung; Chung, Young-Jong; Bae, Kyoo-Hwan; Lee, Won-Jae

2011-01-01

An advanced integral pressurized water reactor, SMART (System-Integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) has been developed by KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research and Institute). The purposes of the SMART are sea water desalination and an electricity generation. For the safety evaluation and performance analysis of the SMART, TASS/SMR-S (Transient And Setpoint Simulation/System-integrated Modular Reactor) code, has been developed. In this paper, the gap conductance model for the calculation of gap conductance has been validated by using another system code, MARS code, and experimental results. In the validation, the behaviors of fuel temperature and gap width are selected as the major parameters. According to the evaluation results, the TASS/SMR-S code predicts well the behaviors of fuel temperatures and gap width variation, compared to the MARS calculation results and experimental data. (author)

A multivariate analysis of intrinsic soil components influencing the mean-weight diameter of water-stable aggregates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mbagwu, J.S.C.; Chukwu, W.I.E.

1994-06-01

A knowledge of the soil properties influencing the water-stability of soil aggregates is needed for selecting those more easily-determined properties that would be useful in areas where lack of facilities makes its direct determination impossible. In this laboratory study we evaluated the main soil physical, chemical and mineralogical properties influencing the stability of macro aggregates of some Italian surface soils in water. The objective is to select a subset of soil properties which predict optimally, soil aggregate stability. The index of stability used is the mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregates whereas the method of evaluation is the principal component analysis (PCA). The range in coefficients of variation (CV) among the properties was least in the physical (12.0-61.0%), medium in the mineralogical (28.0-116.2%) and highest in the chemical (8.2-110.8%) properties. The wider the range in CV in each subset of properties, the greater the number of components extracted by the PCA. The component defining variables, i.e. those with the highest loadings on each component and therefore, provide the best relationship between the variables and aggregate stability, revealed the ratio of total sand/clay and plastic limit as the significant physical properties. The significant chemical properties are Al 2 O 3 , FeO, MgO and MnO which contribute positively to aggregate stability. Feldspar, quartz and muscovite are the significant mineralogical properties each of which is negatively related to aggregate stability. These soil components are useful for developing empirical models for estimating the stability of aggregates of these soils in water. (author). 38 refs, 7 tabs

Water Resources: the Central Component of the WEF Nexus?

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, K.; Gunda, T.; Hornberger, G. M.

2017-12-01

Increasing population growth, consumption of natural resources, and deterioration of the environment coupled with climate change impacts (such as increased variability in precipitation) will challenge our abilities to provide water, energy and food (WEF) to the global populace. Less developed areas, such as the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, are particularly vulnerable to such resource issues due to immature governance and management structures and strategies. We introduce an integrated approach to resource security analysis, which traditionally has focused on the WEF components separately and apply the methods to a suite of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, we evaluate the inter-connected nature of WEF securities by considering physical, demographic, socioeconomic, health, and institutional parameters related to each of the resource securities and by analyzing the relationships among the metrics. For example, reported food deficits for countries are strongly correlated with reported levels of access to safe drinking water. Multivariate statistical analyses are applied to identify relationships among resources and to develop indices that robustly and comprehensively capture the WEF nexus. Our results indicate that water plays the central role in the WEF nexus, due to its extensive use for both food and energy production in these countries. This approach provides a framework for analyzing the WEF nexus in other regions of the world.

Soil moisture in sessile oak forest gaps

Science.gov (United States)

Zagyvainé Kiss, Katalin Anita; Vastag, Viktor; Gribovszki, Zoltán; Kalicz, Péter

2015-04-01

By social demands are being promoted the aspects of the natural forest management. In forestry the concept of continuous forest has been an accepted principle also in Hungary since the last decades. The first step from even-aged stand to continuous forest can be the forest regeneration based on gap cutting, so small openings are formed in a forest due to forestry interventions. This new stand structure modifies the hydrological conditions for the regrowth. Without canopy and due to the decreasing amounts of forest litter the interception is less significant so higher amount of precipitation reaching the soil. This research focuses on soil moisture patterns caused by gaps. The spatio-temporal variability of soil water content is measured in gaps and in surrounding sessile oak (Quercus petraea) forest stand. Soil moisture was determined with manual soil moisture meter which use Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) technology. The three different sizes gaps (G1: 10m, G2: 20m, G3: 30m) was opened next to Sopron on the Dalos Hill in Hungary. First, it was determined that there is difference in soil moisture between forest stand and gaps. Second, it was defined that how the gap size influences the soil moisture content. To explore the short term variability of soil moisture, two 24-hour (in growing season) and a 48-hour (in dormant season) field campaign were also performed in case of the medium-sized G2 gap along two/four transects. Subdaily changes of soil moisture were performed. The measured soil moisture pattern was compared with the radiation pattern. It was found that the non-illuminated areas were wetter and in the dormant season the subdaily changes cease. According to our measurements, in the gap there is more available water than under the forest stand due to the less evaporation and interception loss. Acknowledgements: The research was supported by TÁMOP-4.2.2.A-11/1/KONV-2012-0004 and AGRARKLIMA.2 VKSZ_12-1-2013-0034.

Cooling system for auxiliary reactor component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujihira, Tomoko.

1991-01-01

A cooling system for auxiliary reactor components comprises three systems, that is, two systems of reactor component cooling water systems (RCCW systems) and a high pressure component cooling water system (HPCCW system). Connecting pipelines having partition valves are intervened each in a cooling water supply pipeline to an emmergency component of each of the RCCW systems, a cooling water return pipeline from the emmergency component of each of the RCCW systems, a cooling water supply pipeline to each of the emmergency components of one of the RCCW system and the HPCCW system and a cooling water return pipeline from each of the emmergency components of one of the RCCW system and the HPCCW system. With such constitution, cooling water can be supplied also to the emmergency components in the stand-by system upon periodical inspection or ISI, thereby enabling to improve the backup performance of the emmergency cooling system. (I.N.)

Occurrence and behaviors of fluorescence EEM-PARAFAC components in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems and their applications: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Liyang; Hur, Jin; Zhuang, Wane

2015-05-01

Fluorescence excitation emission matrices-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) is a powerful tool for characterizing dissolved organic matter (DOM), and it is applied in a rapidly growing number of studies on drinking water and wastewater treatments. This paper presents an overview of recent findings about the occurrence and behavior of PARAFAC components in drinking water and wastewater treatments, as well as their feasibility for assessing the treatment performance and water quality including disinfection by-product formation potentials (DBPs FPs). A variety of humic-like, protein-like, and unique (e.g., pyrene-like) fluorescent components have been identified, providing valuable insights into the chemical composition of DOM and the effects of various treatment processes in engineered systems. Coagulation/flocculation-clarification preferentially removes humic-like components, and additional treatments such as biological activated carbon filtration, anion exchange, and UV irradiation can further remove DOM from drinking water. In contrast, biological treatments are more effective for protein-like components in wastewater treatments. PARAFAC components have been proven to be valuable as surrogates for conventional water quality parameter, to track the changes of organic matter quantity and quality in drinking water and wastewater treatments. They are also feasible for assessing formations of trihalomethanes and other DBPs and evaluating treatment system performance. Further studies of EEM-PARAFAC for assessing the effects of the raw water quality and variable treatment conditions on the removal of DOM, and the formation potentials of various emerging DBPs, are essential for optimizing the treatment processes to ensure treated water quality.

Passive band-gap reconfiguration born from bifurcation asymmetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernard, Brian P; Mann, Brian P

2013-11-01

Current periodic structures are constrained to have fixed energy transmission behavior unless active control or component replacement is used to alter their wave propagation characteristics. The introduction of nonlinearity to generate multiple stable equilibria is an alternative strategy for realizing distinct energy propagation behaviors. We investigate the creation of a reconfigurable band-gap system by implementing passive switching between multiple stable states of equilibrium, to alter the level of energy attenuation in response to environmental stimuli. The ability to avoid potentially catastrophic loads is demonstrated by tailoring the bandpass and band-gap regions to coalesce for two stable equilibria and varying an external load parameter to trigger a bifurcation. The proposed phenomenon could be utilized in remote or autonomous applications where component modifications and active control are impractical.

Benthic boundary layer - IOS Observational Programme: Discovery Gap measurements, March 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunders, P.M.

1984-01-01

A narrow gap in the East Azores Fracture Zone provides a channel for the exchange of the bottom water between the Madeira and Iberian abyssal basins. It is named Discovery Gap and a detailed survey defines its length, morphology and sills. Year-long measurements of flow are made from six moorings and ten current meters. This data is supplemented by numerous measurements of temperature made from ship-lowered instruments. A persistent S-N flow is found in Discovery Gap and an estimate of the flux of water colder than 2.05 deg C (potential temperature) is made. This discharge spreads over a region beyond the Gap exit where it is warmed both by the geothermal heating from the seabed and also by mixing with the overlying warm water. An estimate of approximately 2 cm 2 s -1 for the through density surface diffusion is derived, quite similar to two values determined from much larger channels in the Western Atlantic. It is not known whether most of the mixing takes place near the sea-bed or not. The values are in quite striking contrast to those derived for diffusion along a density surface: in Discovery Gap values are estimated to be about 5 x 10 6 cm 2 s -1 . (author)

Application of the regulations on pressurized components or light water reactor primary coolant circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barthelemy, F.; Menjon, G.

1977-01-01

This paper describes the philosophy and the provisions of the Order of 26 February 1974 concerning application of the regulations on pressurized components for light water reactor steam supply systems. The aim is to show how these regulations which differ from other regulations on pressurized components and is more detailed on many points, is applied in practice in France in the various stages of the design, construction and operation of PWRs. (NEA) [fr

Independent principal component analysis for simulation of soil water content and bulk density in a Canadian Watershed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alaba Boluwade

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Accurate characterization of soil properties such as soil water content (SWC and bulk density (BD is vital for hydrologic processes and thus, it is importance to estimate θ (water content and ρ (soil bulk density among other soil surface parameters involved in water retention and infiltration, runoff generation and water erosion, etc. The spatial estimation of these soil properties are important in guiding agricultural management decisions. These soil properties vary both in space and time and are correlated. Therefore, it is important to find an efficient and robust technique to simulate spatially correlated variables. Methods such as principal component analysis (PCA and independent component analysis (ICA can be used for the joint simulations of spatially correlated variables, but they are not without their flaws. This study applied a variant of PCA called independent principal component analysis (IPCA that combines the strengths of both PCA and ICA for spatial simulation of SWC and BD using the soil data set from an 11 km2 Castor watershed in southern Quebec, Canada. Diagnostic checks using the histograms and cumulative distribution function (cdf both raw and back transformed simulations show good agreement. Therefore, the results from this study has potential in characterization of water content variability and bulk density variation for precision agriculture.

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy of branched gap plasmon resonators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raza, Søren; Esfandyarpour, Majid; Koh, Ai Leen

2016-01-01

The miniaturization of integrated optical circuits below the diffraction limit for high-speed manipulation of information is one of the cornerstones in plasmonics research. By coupling to surface plasmons supported on nanostructured metallic surfaces, light can be confined to the nanoscale......, enabling the potential interface to electronic circuits. In particular, gap surface plasmons propagating in an air gap sandwiched between metal layers have shown extraordinary mode confinement with significant propagation length. In this work, we unveil the optical properties of gap surface plasmons...... in silver nanoslot structures with widths of only 25 nm. We fabricate linear, branched and cross-shaped nanoslot waveguide components, which all support resonances due to interference of counter-propagating gap plasmons. By exploiting the superior spatial resolution of a scanning transmission electron...

Jumpstarting post-conflict strategic water resources protection from a changing global perspective: gaps and prospects in Afghanistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Habib, H; Anceno, A J; Fiddes, J; Beekma, J; Ilyuschenko, M; Nitivattananon, V; Shipin, O V

2013-11-15

Notwithstanding ambiguities, long-term economic resurgence in Afghanistan amidst water insecurity exacerbated by climate change decisively requires a water protection strategy that will complement a multitude of agroindustrial and socioeconomic activities in an environmentally sustainable and climate resilient manner. In this paper, we begin with a perspective on institutions, legislation, and key issues in the water sector of Afghanistan. We then embark on linking the integrated water resources management (IWRM) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) approaches as a novel framework for strategic water management and subsequently propose a strategy for post-conflict water protection based on the coalesced IWRM and SEA. Context relevant good practices worldwide are presented to provide empirical evidence for this approach whereas perceived opportunities and vulnerabilities in the Afghan context are discussed. Examination of post-conflict water sector initiatives in Afghanistan reveals the critical role of foreign assistance in both water infrastructure rehabilitation and modernization of the institutional aspect of water management. The introduction of IWRM as the basis for a progressive water sector strategy has been seen as a major milestone which is detrimentally matched by substantial deficiency in national capacity for implementation. Concurrently, the role of extra-national actors in relevant policy interventions has been considered catalytic despite criticisms of proposed regulations as being anachronistic to field realities. Therefore the view is maintained to practicable policies by accelerating policy learning in the country's water and environment sectors to encourage homegrown water strategy innovations. Demonstratively, mainstreaming IWRM-SEA coalescence will bridge institutional gaps for better feedback between local and national water stakeholders, providing a venue for improved delivery of water services to sustain post-conflict socioeconomic

Seismic Design of ITER Component Cooling Water System-1 Piping

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Aditya P.; Jadhav, Mahesh; Sharma, Lalit K.; Gupta, Dinesh K.; Patel, Nirav; Ranjan, Rakesh; Gohil, Guman; Patel, Hiren; Dangi, Jinendra; Kumar, Mohit; Kumar, A. G. A.

2017-04-01

The successful performance of ITER machine very much depends upon the effective removal of heat from the in-vessel components and other auxiliary systems during Tokamak operation. This objective will be accomplished by the design of an effective Cooling Water System (CWS). The optimized piping layout design is an important element in CWS design and is one of the major design challenges owing to the factors of large thermal expansion and seismic accelerations; considering safety, accessibility and maintainability aspects. An important sub-system of ITER CWS, Component Cooling Water System-1 (CCWS-1) has very large diameter of pipes up to DN1600 with many intersections to fulfill the process flow requirements of clients for heat removal. Pipe intersection is the weakest link in the layout due to high stress intensification factor. CCWS-1 piping up to secondary confinement isolation valves as well as in-between these isolation valves need to survive a Seismic Level-2 (SL-2) earthquake during the Tokamak operation period to ensure structural stability of the system in the Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE) event. This paper presents the design, qualification and optimization of layout of ITER CCWS-1 loop to withstand SSE event combined with sustained and thermal loads as per the load combinations defined by ITER and allowable limits as per ASME B31.3, This paper also highlights the Modal and Response Spectrum Analyses done to find out the natural frequency and system behavior during the seismic event.

Multifunctional Binary Monolayers Ge xP y: Tunable Band Gap, Ferromagnetism, and Photocatalyst for Water Splitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Pengfei; Zhang, Wei; Li, Dongdong; Liang, Changhao; Zeng, Xiao Cheng

2018-06-04

The most stable structures of two-dimensional Ge x P y and Ge x As y monolayers with different stoichiometries (e.g., GeP, GeP 2 , and GeP 3 ) are explored systematically through the combination of the particle-swarm optimization technique and density functional theory optimization. For GeP 3 , we show that the newly predicted most stable C2/ m structure is 0.16 eV/atom lower in energy than the state-of-the-art P3̅m1 structure reported previously ( Nano Lett. 2017, 17, 1833). The computed electronic band structures suggest that all the stable and metastable monolayers of Ge x P y are semiconductors with highly tunable band gaps under the biaxial strain, allowing strain engineering of their band gaps within nearly the whole visible-light range. More interestingly, the hole doping can convert the C2/ m GeP 3 monolayer from nonmagnetic to ferromagnetic because of its unique valence band structure. For the GeP 2 monolayer, the predicted most stable Pmc2 1 structure is a (quasi) direct-gap semiconductor that possesses a high electron mobility of ∼800 cm 2 V -1 s -1 along the k a direction, which is much higher than that of MoS 2 (∼200 cm 2 V -1 s -1 ). More importantly, the Pmc2 1 GeP 2 monolayer not only can serve as an n-type channel material in field-effect transistors but also can be an effective catalyst for splitting water.

Ionothermal synthesis of discrete supertetrahedral Tn (n = 4, 5) clusters with tunable components, band gaps, and fluorescence properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Dan-Dan; Li, Wei; Xiong, Wei-Wei; Li, Jian-Rong; Huang, Xiao-Ying

2018-05-01

The preparation of crystalline molecularly supertetrahedral Tn clusters with variable sizes and components is of vital importance for the fundamental study of their physicochemical properties. However, setting up an efficient method to stabilize large discrete Tn clusters is a challenge due to their high negative charges and polymerization nature. In this work, we report on the ionothermal synthesis of three discrete T4 cluster compounds, namely [Bmmim]5[(CH3)2NH2]4[NH4][M4In16S31(SH)4]·6H2O (M = Mn (1), Zn (2), Cd (3), Bmmim = 1-buty-2,3-dimethyl-imidazolium), and four discrete T5 cluster compounds, namely [Bmmim]10[NH4]3[Cu5Ga30-xInxS52(SH)4] (x = 6.6 (5), 14.5 (6), 23.8 (7), and 30 (8)). The compound [Bmmim]10[NH4]3[Cu5Ga30S52(SH)4] (4) previously reported by us features a discrete T5 cluster. The steep UV-Vis absorption edges indicate band gaps of 2.20 eV for 1, 2.64 eV for 2, 2.69 eV for 3, 3.04 eV for 4, 2.65 eV for 5, 2.48 eV for 6, 2.32 eV for 7, and 2.30 eV for 8. The compositions of T5 clusters could be varied with the ratios of Ga : In in the starting reagents, providing an opportunity to systematically control the band gaps and fluorescence performances of T5 cluster-based compounds. This research might advance the understanding of the ionothermal preparation and functionality tuning of crystalline chalcogenides.

ADMS State of the Industry and Gap Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agalgaonkar, Yashodhan P.; Marinovici, Maria C.; Vadari, Subramanian V.; Schneider, Kevin P.; Melton, Ronald B.

2016-03-31

An Advanced distribution management system (ADMS) is a platform for optimized distribution system operational management. This platform comprises of distribution management system (DMS) applications, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), outage management system (OMS), and distributed energy resource management system (DERMS). One of the primary objectives of this work is to study and analyze several ADMS component and auxiliary systems. All the important component and auxiliary systems, SCADA, GISs, DMSs, AMRs/AMIs, OMSs, and DERMS, are discussed in this report. Their current generation technologies are analyzed, and their integration (or evolution) with an ADMS technology is discussed. An ADMS technology state of the art and gap analysis is also presented. There are two technical gaps observed. The integration challenge between the component operational systems is the single largest challenge for ADMS design and deployment. Another significant challenge noted is concerning essential ADMS applications, for instance, fault location, isolation, and service restoration (FLISR), volt-var optimization (VVO), etc. There are a relatively small number of ADMS application developers as ADMS software platform is not open source. There is another critical gap and while not being technical in nature (when compared the two above) is still important to consider. The data models currently residing in utility GIS systems are either incomplete or inaccurate or both. This data is essential for planning and operations because it is typically one of the primary sources from which power system model are created. To achieve the full potential of ADMS, the ability to execute acute Power Flow solution is an important pre-requisite. These critical gaps are hindering wider Utility adoption of an ADMS technology. The development of an open architecture platform can eliminate many of these barriers and also aid seamless integration of distribution Utility legacy systems with an

SOFA 2 Component Framework and Its Ecosystem

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Malohlava, M.; Hnětynka, P.; Bureš, Tomáš

2013-01-01

Roč. 295, 9 May (2013), s. 101-106 ISSN 1571-0661. [FESCA 2012. International Workshop on Formal Engineering approaches to Software Components and Architectures /9./. Tallinn, 31.03.2012] R&D Projects: GA ČR GD201/09/H057 Grant - others:GA AV ČR(CZ) GAP202/11/0312; UK(CZ) SVV-2012-265312 Keywords : CBSE * component system * component model * component * sofa * ecosystem * development tool Subject RIV: JC - Computer Hardware ; Software

Identification of gap cooling phenomena from LAVA-4 experiment using MELCOR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jong-Hwa; Kim, Dong-Ha; Kim, See-Darl; Kim, Sang-Baik; Kim, Hee-Dong

2000-01-01

During the severe accident, whether the hot debris in. lower head will be cool-down or not is the important issue concerning the plant safety. KAERI has launched the 'LAVA' experimental program to examine the existence of initial gap and its effect on the cooling of hot debris. The objective of this study is to identify the gap cooling phenomena from the analysis of simulation results on LAVA-4 experiment using MELCOR1.8.4 code. Three parameters on the debris coolability in MELCOR are the quenching heat transfer coefficient for the interaction between molten Al 2 O 3 and water, the heat transfer coefficient from debris to wall and the diameter of the particulate debris for calculating the available heat transfer area with water. The sensitivity study was performed with these three parameters. However it was believed that there must be a gap between debris and inside wall during the transient. MELCOR1.8.4 does not consider these gap-cooling phenomena. Therefore a conceptual gap-cooling model has been developed and implemented into the lower plenum model in MELCOR to take into account the gap effect in the lower plenum. When the 'gap model' is implemented, the peak temperature of the vessel wall was reduced and its cooling rate was increased. (author)

[Water-exchange processes in hyaline cartilage and its basic components in a normal state and in osteoarthritis].

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolaeva, S S; Chkhol, K Z; Bykov, V A; Roshchina, A A; Iakovleva, L V; Koroleva, O A; Omel'ianenko, N P; Rebrov, L B

2000-01-01

The content of different forms of tissue water was studied in the normal articular cartilage and osteoarthrosis cartilage and its structural components: collagen, potassium hyaluronate, sodium chondroitinsulphate and its complexes. In the components of cartilage matrix a few of fractions of bound water different in the strength of binding are present. At the maximal humidity, all water in collagen binds with the active groups of biopolymers and in the glycosaminoglycans, in addition to bound water, are present, two crystal forms of freezing water (free water) at least. The quantity of free water in the collagen-chondroitin sulphat membrane, is increased with the increase of chondroitin sulphate. In the collagen-hyaluronate complex, fraction of free water is found only at the low concentration of hyaluronate kalium. It was shown that in the hyalin cartilage, in different from the other connective tissue (skin, achilles tendon), the most part of water is free water and its quantity is increased in the osteoarthrosis. It is supposed that the rearrangement of binding and free-water fractions in the osteoarthrosis is the result of deficiency of hyaluronic acid and therefore this may be regarded in the improvement of methods of treatment. This scientific and methodical approach allow to receive information on the forms and binding energy of water in the biological tissues, which is absorbed from fluids and steam phase and determine characters of the pathological changes.

Joint diseases: from connexins to gap junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Donahue, Henry J; Qu, Roy W; Genetos, Damian C

2017-12-19

Connexons form the basis of hemichannels and gap junctions. They are composed of six tetraspan proteins called connexins. Connexons can function as individual hemichannels, releasing cytosolic factors (such as ATP) into the pericellular environment. Alternatively, two hemichannel connexons from neighbouring cells can come together to form gap junctions, membrane-spanning channels that facilitate cell-cell communication by enabling signalling molecules of approximately 1 kDa to pass from one cell to an adjacent cell. Connexins are expressed in joint tissues including bone, cartilage, skeletal muscle and the synovium. Indicative of their importance as gap junction components, connexins are also known as gap junction proteins, but individual connexin proteins are gaining recognition for their channel-independent roles, which include scaffolding and signalling functions. Considerable evidence indicates that connexons contribute to the function of bone and muscle, but less is known about the function of connexons in other joint tissues. However, the implication that connexins and gap junctional channels might be involved in joint disease, including age-related bone loss, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, emphasizes the need for further research into these areas and highlights the therapeutic potential of connexins.

Minimum period and the gap in periods of Cataclysmic binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paczynski, B.; Sienkiewicz, R.

1983-01-01

The 81 minute cutoff to the orbital periods of hydrogen-rich cataclysmic binaries is consistent with evolution of those systems being dominated by angular momentum losses due to gravitational radiation. Unfortunately, many uncertainties, mainly poorly known atmospheric opacities below 2000 K, make is physically impossible to verify the quadrupole formula for gravitational radiation by using the observed cutoff at 81 minutes. The upper boundary of the gap in orbital periods observed at about 3 hours is almost certainly due to enhanced angular momentum losses from cataclysmic binaries which have longer periods. The physical mechanism of those losses is not identified, but a possible importance of stellar winds is pointed out. The lower boundary of the gap may be explained with the oldest cataclysmic binaries, whose periods evolved past the minimum at 81 minutes and reached the value of 2 hours within about 12 x 10 9 years after the binary had formed. Those binaries should have secondary components of only 0.02 solar masses, and their periods could be used to estimate ages of the oldest cataclysmic stars, and presumably the age of Galaxy. An alternative explanation for the gap requires that binaries should be detached while crossing the gap. A possible mechanism for this phenomenon is discussed. It requires the secondary components to be about 0.2 solar masses in the binaries just below the gap

Impact test of components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borsoi, L.; Buland, P.; Labbe, P.

1987-01-01

Stops with gaps are currently used to support components and piping: it is simple, low cost, efficient and permits free thermal expansion. In order to keep the nonlinear nature of stops, such design is often modeled by beam elements (for the component) and nonlinear springs (for the stops). This paper deals with the validity and the limits of these models through the comparison of computational and experimental results. The experimental results come from impact laboratory tests on a simplified mockup. (orig.)

Gap Balancing Sacrifices Joint-Line Maintenance to Improve Gap Symmetry: 5-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Babazadeh, Sina; Dowsey, Michelle M; Vasimalla, Michael G; Stoney, James D; Choong, Peter F M

2018-01-01

Gap balancing (GB) has been noted to sacrifice joint-line maintenance to improve gap symmetry. This study aims to determine whether this change affects function or quality of life in the midterm. A prospective blinded randomized controlled trial was completed with 103 patients randomized to measured resection (n = 52) or GB (n = 51). Primary outcome measured was femoral component rotation. Secondary outcomes measured were joint-line change, gap symmetry, and function and quality-of-life outcomes. At 5 years, 83 of 103 patients (85%) were assessed. There was no significant difference between groups in terms of functional or quality of life outcomes. A subgroup analysis revealed that there was no significant association between those with asymmetrical flexion and/or extension or medial and/or lateral gaps during knee replacement and subsequent functional outcomes. No significant difference was detected with those with an elevated joint line and postoperative function. In the midterm, the resultant change in joint-line and maintained gap symmetry noted with GB does not result in significant change to function or quality of life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of gap crossings in castellated plasma-facing components in tokamaks

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Komm, Michael; Dejarnac, Renaud; Gunn, J. P.; Pekarek, Z.

2013-01-01

Roč. 55, č. 2 (2013), 025006-025006 ISSN 0741-3335 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/09/1467; GA ČR GAP205/11/2341; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011021 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : plasma * tokamak * PIC divertor * castellation gaps Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 2.386, year: 2013 http://iopscience.iop.org/0741-3335/55/2/025006/pdf/0741-3335_55_2_025006.pdf

Use of Gap-fills in the Buffer and Backfill of an HLW Repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jae Owan; Lee, Min Soo; Choi, Heui Joo [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The buffer and backfill are significant barrier components of the repository. They play the roles of preventing the inflow of groundwater from the surrounding rock, retarding the release of radionuclides from the waste, supporting disposal container against external impacts, and discharging decay heat from the waste. When the buffer and backfill are installed for the HLW repository, there may be gaps between the container and buffer and between the backfill and the wall of disposal tunnels, respectively. These gaps occur because spaces are allowed for ease of the installation of the buffer and backfill in excavated deposition boreholes and disposal tunnels. If the gaps are left without any sealing as they are, however, the buffer and backfill can't accomplish their functions as the barrier components. This paper reviews the gap-fill concepts of the developed foreign countries, and then suggests a gap-fill concept which is applicable for the KRS. The gap-fill is suggested to employ bentonite- based materials with a type of pellet, granule, and pellet-granule mixture. The roller compression method and extrusion-cutting method are applicable for the fabrication of the bentonite pellets which can have the high density and the required amount for use to the buffer and backfill. For the installation of the gap-fill, the pouring and then pressing method and the shotcrete- blowing method are preferable for the gap of the deposition borehole and the gap of the disposal tunnel, respectively.

Radioecological consequences of potential accident in Norwegian coastal waters. Uncertainties and knowledges gaps in methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iosjpe, M.; Reistad, O.; Brown, J.; Jaworska, A.; Amundsen, I.

2007-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. A potential accident involving the transport of spent nuclear fuel along the Norwegian coastline has been choosen for evaluation of a dose assessment methodology. The accident scenario assumes that the release the radioactivity takes place under water and that there is free exchange of water between the spent fuel and the sea. The inventory has been calculated using the ORIGEN programme. Radioecological consequences are provided by the NRPA compartment model which includes the processes of advection of radioactivity between compartments and water-sediment interactions. The contamination of biota is further calculated from the radionuclide concentrations in filtered seawater in the different water regions. Doses to man are calculated on the basis of radionuclide concentrations in marine organisms, water and sediment and dose conversion factors. Collective dose-rates to man, doses to the critical groups, concentration of radionuclides in biota/sea-foods and doses to marine organisms were calculated through the evaluation of radioecological consequences after accidents. Results of calculations indicate that concentrations of radionuclides for some marine organisms can exceed guideline levels. At the same time collective dose rates to man as well as doses to a critical group are not higher than guideline levels. Comparison of results from calculations with provisional benchmark values suggests that doses to biota are in most cases unlikely to be of concern. However, to some marine organisms can be much higher than the screening dose of 10 μGyh over long periods. It is apparent that water-sediment distribution coefficients and concentration factors constitute the main sources of uncertainties in the present case. It is important to note that knowledge gaps concerning the influence of relatively low dose to populations of marine organisms over long time periods (many generations) substantially constrain the accessor's ability to

Non-metallic gage for gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiroki, Hideo.

1996-01-01

The present invention concerns a non-metallic gage for detecting a gap which can not be seen from the out side such as a gap between a water pipe and fuel rods without damaging an objective material as to whether the gap is formed within a standard value or not. The gage is made of a synthetic resin, for example, polyacetal having such a hardness as not damaging the objective material and endurable to repeating flexure upon use. The gage comprises a short gage portion having a predetermined standard thickness and an flexible extended connection portion reduced in the thickness. Provision of the extended connection portion enables wide range flexure thereof such as ±60deg relative to insertion direction during insertion operation upon testing to solve a drawback in the prior art such as worry of breakage of the gage, thereby enabling to conduct inspection rapidly at high reliability. (N.H.)

The Rheology of a Three Component System: COAL/WATER/#4 Oil Emulsions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilmartin, Barbara Jean

The purpose of this investigation was to study the rheology of a three component system, coal/water/#4 oil emulsions (COW), in which the third component, water, was present in a significant concentration, and to determine the applicability of existing theories from suspension rheology to the three component system studied. In a coal/water/oil emulsion, free coal particles adhere to the surface of the water droplets, preventing their coagulation, while the larger coal particles reside in the matrix of stabilized water droplets. The use of liquid fuels containing coal is a means of utilizing our nation's coal reserves while conserving oil. These fuels can be burned in conventional oil-fired furnaces. In this investigation, a high sulfur, high ash, bituminous coal was used, along with a heavy #4 oil to prepare the emulsions. The coal was ground to a log-normal distribution with an average particle size of 62 microns. A Haake RV3 concentric cylinder viscometer, with a ribbed measuring system, was used to determine the viscosity of the emulsions. A physical pendulum settling device measured the shift in center of mass of the COW as a function of time. The flow behavior of the fuel in pipes was also tested. In interpreting the data from the viscometer and the pipe flow experiments, a power law analysis was used in the region from 30 s('-1) to 200 s('-1). Extrapolation methods were used to obtain the low and high shear behavior of the emulsions. In the shear rate region found in boiler feed systems, COW are shear thinning with a flow behavior index of 0.7. The temperature dependent characteristic of the emulsions studied were similar and followed an Arrhenius type relationship. The viscosity of the COW decreases with increasing coal average particle size and is also a function of the width of the size distribution used. The type of coal used strongly influences the rheology of the fuel. The volatile content and the atomic oxygen to nitrogen ratio of the coal are the most

Wide gap, permanent magnet biased magnetic bearing system

Science.gov (United States)

Boden, Karl

1992-01-01

The unique features and applications of the presented electrical permanent magnetic bearing system essentially result from three facts: (1) the only bearing rotor components are nonlaminated ferromagnetic steel collars or cylinders; (2) all radial and axial forces are transmitted via radial gaps; and (3) large radial bearing gaps can be provided with minimum electric power consumption. The large gaps allow for effective encapsulation and shielding of the rotors at elevated or low temperatures, corrosive or ultra clean atmosphere or vacuum or high pressure environment. Two significant applications are described: (1) a magnetically suspended x ray rotary anode was operated under high vacuum conditions at 100 KV anode potential, 600 C temperature at the rotor collars and speed 18000 rpm with 13 mm radial bearing gap; and (2) an improved Czochralski type crystal growth apparatus using the hot wall method for pulling GaAs single crystals of low dislocation density. Both crystal and crucible are carried and transported by magnetically suspended shafts inside a hermetically sealed housing at 800 C shaft and wall temperature. The radial magnetic bearing gap measures 24 mm.

Mother-Youth Acculturation Gaps and Health-Risking/Emotional Problems among Latin-American Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiesner, Margit; Arbona, Consuelo; Capaldi, Deborah M; Kim, Hyoun K; Kaplan, Charles D

2015-07-20

Second-generation Latin-American adolescents tend to show higher levels of various health-risking behaviors and emotional problems than first-generation Latin-American adolescents. This cross-sectional study of 40 mother-adolescent dyads examined the association of mother-youth acculturation gaps to youth adjustment problems. Intergenerational acculturation gaps were assessed as a bidimensional self-report component and a novel observational measurement component. The Latin-American adolescents were predominantly second-generation of Mexican descent (M age = 13.42 years, SD = 0.55). Most of the mothers were born in Mexico (M age = 39.18 years, SD = 5.17). Data were collected from mothers, adolescents, and coders, using questionnaires, structured interviews, and videotaped mother-youth interaction tasks. Findings revealed generally weak support for the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis. In addition, stronger relative adherence to their heritage culture by the adolescents was significantly (p acculturation processes. Mother-youth acculturation gaps in orientation to the heritage culture were the most salient dimension, changing the focus on the original formulation of the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis.

Financial Management: Measurement of Water Usage by DoD Components Serviced by the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2002-01-01

Who Should Read This Report and Why? This report should be read by DoD managers who have a direct interest in, or are in need of information about the accuracy of the measurement of water usage by DoD Components serviced by the District...

Export of nutrient rich Northern Component Water preceded early Oligocene Antarctic glaciation

Science.gov (United States)

Coxall, Helen K.; Huck, Claire E.; Huber, Matthew; Lear, Caroline H.; Legarda-Lisarri, Alba; O'Regan, Matt; Sliwinska, Kasia K.; van de Flierdt, Tina; de Boer, Agatha M.; Zachos, James C.; Backman, Jan

2018-03-01

The onset of the North Atlantic Deep Water formation is thought to have coincided with Antarctic ice-sheet growth about 34 million years ago (Ma). However, this timing is debated, in part due to questions over the geochemical signature of the ancient Northern Component Water (NCW) formed in the deep North Atlantic. Here we present detailed geochemical records from North Atlantic sediment cores located close to sites of deep-water formation. We find that prior to 36 Ma, the northwestern Atlantic was stratified, with nutrient-rich, low-salinity bottom waters. This restricted basin transitioned into a conduit for NCW that began flowing southwards approximately one million years before the initial Antarctic glaciation. The probable trigger was tectonic adjustments in subarctic seas that enabled an increased exchange across the Greenland-Scotland Ridge. The increasing surface salinity and density strengthened the production of NCW. The late Eocene deep-water mass differed in its carbon isotopic signature from modern values as a result of the leakage of fossil carbon from the Arctic Ocean. Export of this nutrient-laden water provided a transient pulse of CO2 to the Earth system, which perhaps caused short-term warming, whereas the long-term effect of enhanced NCW formation was a greater northward heat transport that cooled Antarctica.

Capacity building in water demand management as a key component for attaining millennium development goals

Science.gov (United States)

Gumbo, Bekithemba; Forster, Laura; Arntzen, Jaap

Successful water demand management (WDM) implementation as a component of integrated water resource management (IWRM) can play a significant role in the alleviation of poverty through more efficient use of available water resources. The urban population in Southern African cities is characterised by so-called ‘water poor’ communities who typically expend a high percentage of their household income on poor quality water. Usually they have no access to an affordable alternative source. Although WDM as a component of IWRM is not a panacea for poverty, it can help alleviate poverty by facilitating water services management by municipal water supply agencies (MWSAs) in the region. WDM is a key strategy for achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs) and, as such, should be given due attention in the preparation of national IWRM and water efficiency plans. Various studies in the Southern African region have indicated that capacity building is necessary for nations to develop IWRM and water-use efficiency plans to meet the targets set out in the MDGs. WDM education and training of water professionals and end-users is particularly important in developing countries, which are resource and information-access poor. In response to these findings, The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and its consulting partners, the Training and Instructional Design Academy of South Africa (TIDASA), and Centre for Applied Research (CAR) designed, developed and presented a pilot WDM Guideline Training Module for MWSAs as part of Phase II of IUCN’s Southern Africa regional WDM project. Pilot training was conducted in July 2004 in Lusaka, Zambia for a group of 36 participants involved in municipal water supply from nine Southern African countries. This paper looks at the links between building the capacity of professionals, operational staff and other role-players in the municipal water supply chain to implement WDM as part of broader IWRM strategies, and the subsequent potential for

A study on the establishment of component/equipment performance criteria considering Heavy Water Reactor characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Keun Sun; Kwon, Young Chul; Lee, Min Kyu; Lee, Yun Soo [Sunmoon Univ., Asan (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Seong Hoong; Ryo, Chang Hyun [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Soong Pyung; Hwnag, Jung Rye; Chung, Chul Kee [Chosun Univ., Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2002-03-15

Foreign and domestic technology trends, regulatory requirements, design and researches for heavy water reactors are analyzed. Safety design guides of Canada industry and regulatory documents and consultative documents of Canada regulatory agency are reviewed. Applicability of MOST guidance 16 Revision 'guidance for technical criteria of nuclear reactor facility' is reviewed. Specific performance criteria are established for components and facilities for heavy water reactor.

Use of Principal Components Analysis and Kriging to Predict Groundwater-Sourced Rural Drinking Water Quality in Saskatchewan.

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod, Lianne; Bharadwaj, Lalita; Epp, Tasha; Waldner, Cheryl L

2017-09-15

Groundwater drinking water supply surveillance data were accessed to summarize water quality delivered as public and private water supplies in southern Saskatchewan as part of an exposure assessment for epidemiologic analyses of associations between water quality and type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Arsenic in drinking water has been linked to a variety of chronic diseases and previous studies have identified multiple wells with arsenic above the drinking water standard of 0.01 mg/L; therefore, arsenic concentrations were of specific interest. Principal components analysis was applied to obtain principal component (PC) scores to summarize mixtures of correlated parameters identified as health standards and those identified as aesthetic objectives in the Saskatchewan Drinking Water Quality Standards and Objective. Ordinary, universal, and empirical Bayesian kriging were used to interpolate arsenic concentrations and PC scores in southern Saskatchewan, and the results were compared. Empirical Bayesian kriging performed best across all analyses, based on having the greatest number of variables for which the root mean square error was lowest. While all of the kriging methods appeared to underestimate high values of arsenic and PC scores, empirical Bayesian kriging was chosen to summarize large scale geographic trends in groundwater-sourced drinking water quality and assess exposure to mixtures of trace metals and ions.

Static Feed Water Electrolysis Subsystem Testing and Component Development

Science.gov (United States)

Koszenski, E. P.; Schubert, F. H.; Burke, K. A.

1983-01-01

A program was carried out to develop and test advanced electrochemical cells/modules and critical electromechanical components for a static feed (alkaline electrolyte) water electrolysis oxygen generation subsystem. The accomplishments were refurbishment of a previously developed subsystem and successful demonstration for a total of 2980 hours of normal operation; achievement of sustained one-person level oxygen generation performance with state-of-the-art cell voltages averaging 1.61 V at 191 ASF for an operating temperature of 128F (equivalent to 1.51V when normalized to 180F); endurance testing and demonstration of reliable performance of the three-fluid pressure controller for 8650 hours; design and development of a fluid control assembly for this subsystem and demonstration of its performance; development and demonstration at the single cell and module levels of a unitized core composite cell that provides expanded differential pressure tolerance capability; fabrication and evaluation of a feed water electrolyte elimination five-cell module; and successful demonstration of an electrolysis module pressurization technique that can be used in place of nitrogen gas during the standby mode of operation to maintain system pressure and differential pressures.

The Joint Front Range Climate Change Vulnerability Study: Closing the Gap between Science and Water Management Decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Kaatz, L.; Yates, D.; Woodbury, M.

2008-12-01

There is increasing concern among metropolitan water providers in Colorado's Front Range about the possible impacts of global and regional climate changes on their future water supply. This is of particular worry given that recent studies indicate global warming may lead to unprecedented drought conditions in the Southwest U.S. (IPCC 2007). The City of Aurora, City of Boulder, Colorado Springs Utilities, Denver Water, City of Ft. Collins, and Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, along with additional water agencies including the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Water Research Foundation (formerly AwwaRF), and the NOAA-CIRES Western Water Assessment, have come together to participate in a study intended to provide the education, tools, and methodology necessary to examine possible effects of climate change on several common watersheds. The central objective of this project is to assess possible changes in the timing and volume of hydrologic runoff from selected climate change scenarios centered about the years 2040 and 2070. Two hydrologic models will be calibrated and implemented in the study for this purpose. The future temperature and precipitation scenarios used to generate corresponding future streamflow are based on regionally downscaled temperature and precipitation projections. The projected streamflow obtained by running varied sequences of temperature and precipitation through the hydrologic models, will be compared to historic streamflow to estimate the sensitivity of water supplies to climate change. This regional unified approach is intended to help Colorado water providers communicate with their customers and the media cohesively, by working with the same historic and projected hydrometeorological data, historic natural streamflow, and methodology. Lessons learned from this collaborative approach can be used to encourage and establish other regional efforts throughout the country. Furthermore, this study will set the stage for future

Gap junction diseases of the skin.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steensel, M.A.M. van

2004-01-01

Gap junctions are intercellular channels that allow the passage of water, ions, and small molecules. They are involved in quick, short-range messaging between cells and are found in skin, nervous tissue, heart, and muscle. An increasing number of hereditary skin disorders appear to be caused by

Yield gap analysis of Chickpea under semi-arid conditions: A simulation study

OpenAIRE

seyed Reza Amiri Deh ahmadi; mehdi parsa; mohammad bannayan aval; mahdi nassiri mahallati

2016-01-01

Yield gap analysis provides an essential framework to prioritize research and policy efforts aimed at reducing yield constraints. To identify options for increasing chickpea yield, the SSM-chickpea model was parameterized and evaluated to analyze yield potentials, water limited yields and yield gaps for nine regions representing major chickpea-growing areas of Razavi Khorasan province. The average potential yield of chickpea for the locations was 2251 kg ha-1, while the water limited yield wa...

Long-term observation of water-soluble chemical components in the bulk atmospheric aerosols collected at Okinawa, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Handa, Daishi; Somada, Yuka; Ijyu, Moriaki; Azechi, Sotaro; Nakaema, Fumiya; Arakaki, Takemitsu; Tanahara, Akira

2010-05-01

The economic development and population growth in recent Asia spread air pollution. Emission rate of air pollutants from Asia, in particular oxides of nitrogen, surpassed those from North America and Europe and should continue to exceed them for decades. The study of the long-range transported air pollution from Asian continent has gained a special attention in Japan because of increase in photochemical oxidants in relatively remote islands. Okinawa Island is situated approximately 1500 km south of Tokyo, Japan, 2000 km southeast of Beijing, China, and 1000 km south of South Korea. Its location in Asia is well suited for studying long-range transport of air pollutants in East Asia because maritime air mass prevails during summer, while continental air mass dominates during fall, winter, and spring. The maritime air mass data can be seen as background and can be compared with continental air masses which have been affected by anthropogenic activities. Bulk aerosol samples were collected on quartz filters by using a high volume air sampler. Sampling duration was one week for each sample. We determined the concentrations of water-soluble anions, cations and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the bulk aerosols collected at the Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS) using ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometry, and total organic carbon analyzer, respectively. We will report water-soluble chemical components data of anions, cations and DOC in bulk atmospheric aerosols collected at CHAAMS during August, 2005 to April, 2010. Seasonal variation of water-soluble chemical components showed that the concentrations were relatively low in summer, higher in fall and winter, and the highest in spring. When air mass came from Asian Continent, the concentrations of water-soluble chemical components were much higher compared to the other directions. In addition, we calculated background concentration of water-soluble chemical components at Okinawa

Chemical Synaptic and Gap Junctional Interactions Between Principal Neurons: Partners in Epileptogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Traub, Roger D.; Cunningham, Mark O.; Whittington, Miles A.

2010-01-01

Field potential signals, corresponding to electrographic seizures in cortical structures, often contain two components, which sometimes appear to be separable and other times to be superimposed. The first component consists of low-amplitude very fast oscillations (VFO, > 70–80 Hz); the second component consists of larger amplitude transients, lasting tens to hundreds of ms, and variously called population spikes, EEG spikes, or bursts – terms chosen in part because of the cellular correlates of the field events. To first approximation, the two components arise because of distinctive types of cellular interactions: gap junctions for VFO (a model of which is reviewed in the following), and recurrent synaptic excitation and/or inhibition for the transients. With in vitro studies of epileptic human neocortical tissue, it is possible to elicit VFO alone, or VFO superimposed on a large transient, but not a large transient without the VFO. If such observations prove to be general, they would imply that gap junction-mediated interactions are the primary factor in epileptogenesis. It appears to be the case then, that in the setting of seizure initiation (but not necessarily under physiological conditions), the gain of gap junction-mediated circuits can actually be larger than the gain in excitatory synaptic circuits. PMID:21168305

Detecting and mitigating aging in component cooling water systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lofaro, R.J.

1991-01-01

The time-dependent effects of aging on component cooling water (CCW) systems in nuclear power plants has been studied and documented as part of a research program sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was found that age related degradation leads to failures in the CCW system which can result in an increase in system unavailability, if not properly detected and mitigated. To identify effective methods of managing this degradation, information on inspection, monitoring, and maintenance practices currently available was obtained from various operating plants and reviewed. The findings were correlated with the most common aging mechanisms and failure modes and a compilation of aging detection and mitigation practices was formulated. This paper discusses the results of this work

Detecting and mitigating aging in component cooling water systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lofaro, R.J.; Aggarwal, S.

1992-01-01

The time-dependent effects of aging on component cooling water (CCW) systems in nuclear power plants has been studied and documented as part of a research program sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was found that age related degradation leads to failures in the CCW system which can result in an increase in system unavailability, if not properly detected and mitigated. To identify effective methods of managing this degradation, information on inspection, monitoring, and maintenance practices currently available was obtained from various operating plants and reviewed. The findings were correlated with the most common aging mechanisms and failure modes, and a compilation of aging detection and mitigation practices was formulated. This paper discusses the results of this work

Coexistence of pairing gaps in three-component Fermi gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nummi, O H T; Kinnunen, J J; Toermae, P

2011-01-01

We study a three-component superfluid Fermi gas in a spherically symmetric harmonic trap using the Bogoliubov-deGennes method. We predict a coexistence phase in which two pairing field order parameters are simultaneously non-zero, in stark contrast to studies performed for trapped gases using local density approximation. We also discuss the role of atom number conservation in the context of a homogeneous system.

The prototype GAPS (pGAPS) experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mognet, S.A.I.; Aramaki, T.; Bando, N.; Boggs, S.E.; Doetinchem, P. von; Fuke, H.; Gahbauer, F.H.; Hailey, C.J.; Koglin, J.E.; Madden, N.; Mori, K.; Okazaki, S.; Ong, R.A.; Perez, K.M.; Tajiri, G.; Yoshida, T.; Zweerink, J.

2014-01-01

The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) experiment is a novel approach for the detection of cosmic ray antiparticles. A prototype GAPS (pGAPS) experiment was successfully flown on a high-altitude balloon in June of 2012. The goals of the pGAPS experiment were: to test the operation of lithium drifted silicon (Si(Li)) detectors at balloon altitudes, to validate the thermal model and cooling concept needed for engineering of a full-size GAPS instrument, and to characterize cosmic ray and X-ray backgrounds. The instrument was launched from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Taiki Aerospace Research Field in Hokkaido, Japan. The flight lasted a total of 6 h, with over 3 h at float altitude (∼33km). Over one million cosmic ray triggers were recorded and all flight goals were met or exceeded

Effect of Air Gap Entrapped in Firefighter Protective Clothing on Thermal Resistance and Evaporative Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

He Hualing

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Heat and water vapor transfer behavior of thermal protective clothing is greatly influenced by the air gap entrapped in multilayer fabric system. In this study, a sweating hot plate method was used to investigate the effect of air gap position and size on thermal resistance and evaporative resistance of firefighter clothing under a range of ambient temperature and humidity. Results indicated that the presence of air gap in multilayer fabric system decreased heat and water vapor transfer abilities under normal wear. Moreover, the air gap position slightly influenced the thermal and evaporative performances of the firefighter clothing. In this study, the multilayer fabric system obtained the highest thermal resistance, when the air space was located at position B. Furthermore, the effect of ambient temperature on heat and water vapor transfer properties of the multilayer fabric system was also investigated in the presence of a specific air gap. It was indicated that ambient temperature did not influence the evaporative resistance of thermal protective clothing. A thermographic image was used to test the surface temperature of multilayer fabric system when an air gap was incorporated. These results suggested that a certain air gap entrapped in thermal protective clothing system could affect wear comfort.

Exploring the public-private sector wage gap in European countries

OpenAIRE

Christofides, Louis N.; Michael, Maria

2013-01-01

We estimate the public-private sector pay gap for 27 European countries, using the 2008 EU SILC. The coefficients of conditional (on personal and job characteristics) public sector controls give a first impression on wage differences, while decompositions into explained and unexplained components (also accounting for selectivity) allow for a more complete analysis, which helps to identify possible causes of the gap. Regional patterns exist. Separate subsample decompositions based on age, educ...

An experimental study on in-vessel debris retention through gap cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Kyung Ho; Kim, Jong Whan; Cho, Young Ro; Chang, Young Cho; Park, Rae Jun; Gu, Kil Mo; Kim, Sang Baik; Kim, Hee Dong

1999-04-01

LAVA experiments have been performed using high temperature molten material to be relocated into the 1/8 linear scaled vessel of a reactor lower plenum filled with water. An Al 2 O 3 /Fe tehrmite melt (Al 2 O 3 only) was used as a corium simulant. In this study, the influence of various initial conditions, such as internal pressure load across the vessel wall, the material composition of the melt simulant, water subcooling and depth on gap formation were investigated. As well, the thermal and mechanical behaviors of the vessel were examined. In case the internal pressure load was imposed, the gap formation between the continuous solidified debris and the vessel wall was clearly shown with post-test examination. On the other hand, in case the internal pressure load was not imposed, the iron welded to the inner surface of the vessel and the vessel experienced ablation to about 5 mm. The cooling rate of the vessel was very slow in the tests using Al 2 O 3 /Fe thermite melt but it was rather fast using Al 2 O 3 melt. It is postulated that in the Al 2 O 3 /Fe thermite tests, the iron melt layer is so dense that water ingression into the gap is difficult due to the high pressure of escaping steam. On the other hand, in the porosity of an Al 2 O 3 melt layer could enhance water ingression into the gap by giving the flow path of the evaporated steam through the porous media. The water height and subcooling could affect the melt pool formation and the initial thermal attack to the vessel. However, at present stage, the effect of water subcooling on the thermal behavior of the vessel couldn't be generalized. For clear confirmation of the effect of water subcooling, the tests will be performed at the saturated water condition. (author). 19 refs., 3 tabs., 36 figs

Examination of uranium recovery technique from sea water using natural components for adsorbent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Nobuyuki; Masaki, Hiroyuki; Shimizu, Takao; Tokiwai, Moriyasu

2010-01-01

In this study, we investigated the potency of natural components as adsorbent for uranium recovery from seawater. In addition, cost evaluation of uranium recovery from seawater using natural components for adsorbents was performed. Furthermore, new ideas on reservation system of adsorbents at sea area were proposed. Several poly-phenols were selected as adsorbent reagents, then they were adsorbed on the support such as cotton fiber by several methods as the followings; chemical syntheses, electrical beam irradiation, and traditional dyeing. As a result, the adsorbent made by traditional dyeing method using gallnut tannin as natural component, was showed high performance for uranium recovery from seawater on only the first. It was evaluated that traditional dyeing method had also advantage in the manufacturing cost, comparing with earlier method. Additionally, it was considered that reservation system of adsorbent at sea was able to be simplified compared with earlier system. Consequently, uranium recovery from sea water using natural components as adsorbent proposed in this study had a potency of practical use. (author)

The prototype GAPS (pGAPS) experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mognet, S.A.I., E-mail: mognet@astro.ucla.edu [University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Aramaki, T. [Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Bando, N. [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan); Boggs, S.E.; Doetinchem, P. von [Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Fuke, H. [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan); Gahbauer, F.H.; Hailey, C.J.; Koglin, J.E.; Madden, N. [Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Mori, K.; Okazaki, S. [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan); Ong, R.A. [University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Perez, K.M.; Tajiri, G. [Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Yoshida, T. [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan); Zweerink, J. [University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States)

2014-01-21

The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) experiment is a novel approach for the detection of cosmic ray antiparticles. A prototype GAPS (pGAPS) experiment was successfully flown on a high-altitude balloon in June of 2012. The goals of the pGAPS experiment were: to test the operation of lithium drifted silicon (Si(Li)) detectors at balloon altitudes, to validate the thermal model and cooling concept needed for engineering of a full-size GAPS instrument, and to characterize cosmic ray and X-ray backgrounds. The instrument was launched from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Taiki Aerospace Research Field in Hokkaido, Japan. The flight lasted a total of 6 h, with over 3 h at float altitude (∼33km). Over one million cosmic ray triggers were recorded and all flight goals were met or exceeded.

Modeling of Particle Transport on Channels and Gaps Exposed to Plasma Fluxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieto-Perez, Martin

2008-01-01

Many problems in particle transport in fusion devices involve the transport of plasma or eroded particles through channels or gaps, such as in the case of trying to assess damage to delicate optical diagnostics collecting light through a slit or determining the deposition and codeposition on the gaps between tiles of plasma-facing components. A dynamic-composition Monte Carlo code in the spirit of TRIDYN, previously developed to study composition changes on optical mirrors subject to ion bombardment, has been upgraded to include motion of particles through a volume defined by sets of plane surfaces. Particles sputtered or reflected from the walls of the channel/gap can be tracked as well, allowing the calculation of wall impurity transport, either back to the plasma (for the case of a gap) or to components separated from the plasma by a channel/slit (for the case of optical diagnostics). Two examples of the code application to particle transport in fusion devices will be presented in this work: one will evaluate the erosion/impurity deposition rate on a mirror separated from a plasma source by a slit; the other case will look at the enhanced emission of tile material in the region of the gap between two tiles

XHM-1 alloy as a promising structural material for water-cooled fusion reactor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solonin, M.I.; Alekseev, A.B.; Kazennov, Yu.I.; Khramtsov, V.F.; Kondrat'ev, V.P.; Krasina, T.A.; Rechitsky, V.N.; Stepankov, V.N.; Votinov, S.N.

1996-01-01

Experience gained in utilizing austenitic stainless steel components in water-cooled power reactors indicates that the main cause of their failure is the steel's propensity for corrosion cracking. In search of a material immune to this type of corrosion, different types of austenitic steels and chromium-nickel alloys were investigated and tested at VNIINM. This paper presents the results of studying physical and mechanical properties, irradiation and corrosion resistance in a water coolant at <350 C of the alloy XHM-1 as compared with austenitic stainless steels 00Cr16Ni15Mo3Nb, 00Cr20Ni25Nb and alloy 00Cr20Ni40Mo5Nb. Analysis of the results shows that, as distinct from the stainless steels studied, the XHM-1 alloy is completely immune to corrosion cracking (CC). Not a single induced damage was encountered within 50 to 350 C in water containing different amounts of chlorides and oxygen under tensile stresses up to the yield strength of the material. One more distinctive feature of the alloy compared to steels is that no change in the strength or total elongation is encountered in the alloy specimens irradiated to 32 dpa at 350 C. The XHM-1 alloy has adequate fabricability and high weldability characteristics. As far as its properties are concerned, the XHM-1 alloy is very promising as a material for water-cooled fusion reactor components. (orig.)

Experimental Study on Critical Power in a Hemispherical Narrow Gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Rae-Joon; Ha, Kwang-Soon; Kim, Sang-Baik; Kim, Hee-Dong; Jeong, Ji-Hwan

2002-01-01

An experimental study of critical heat flux in gap (CHFG) has been performed to investigate the inherent cooling mechanism in a hemispherical narrow gap. The objectives of the CHFG test are to measure critical power from a critical heat removal rate through the hemispherical narrow gap using distilled water with experimental parameters of system pressure and gap width. The CHFG test results have shown that a countercurrent flow limitation (CCFL) brings about local dryout at the small edge region of the upper part and finally global dryout in a hemispherical narrow gap. Increases in the gap width and pressure lead to an increase in critical power. The measured values of critical power are lower than the predictions made by other empirical CHF correlations applicable to flat plate, annuli, and small spherical gaps. The measured data on critical power in the hemispherical narrow gaps have been correlated using nondimensional parameters with a range of approximately ±20%. The developed correlation has been expanded to apply the spherical geometry using the Siemens/KWU correlation

Rank Regressions, Wage Distributions, and the Gender Gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortin, Nicole M.; Lemieux, Thomas

1998-01-01

Current Population Survey data from 1979 and 1991 were used to decompose changes in the gender wage gap into three components: skill distribution, wage structure, and improvements in women's position. Relative wage gains by women may have been a source of increasing wage inequality among men. (SK)

Gap-filling of dry weather flow rate and water quality measurements in urban catchments by a time series modelling approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandoval, Santiago; Vezzaro, Luca; Bertrand-Krajewski, Jean-Luc

2016-01-01

seeks to evaluate the potential of the Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA), a time-series modelling/gap-filling method, to complete dry weather time series. The SSA method is tested by reconstructing 1000 artificial discontinuous time series, randomly generated from real flow rate and total suspended......Flow rate and water quality dry weather time series in combined sewer systems might contain an important amount of missing data due to several reasons, such as failures related to the operation of the sensor or additional contributions during rainfall events. Therefore, the approach hereby proposed...... solids (TSS) online measurements (year 2007, 2 minutes time-step, combined system, Ecully, Lyon, France). Results show up the potential of the method to fill gaps longer than 0.5 days, especially between 0.5 days and 1 day (mean NSE > 0.6) in the flow rate time series. TSS results still perform very...

An Assessment of the Water Development Project (GAP) of Turkey: Meeting Its Objectives and EU Criteria for Turkey’s Accession

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-01

This became the turning point, from the 1980s onwards, in the booming history begun in the 1930s, of large dams and multipurpose projects, where...Experiments with different levels of saline water used in sprinkler irrigation systems have shown that crops such as beans, pepper, lettuce and cotton...developmentalist view on the GAP, characterized by an aggressive support for HEPP constructions, remains constant in modern Turkish history . Suleyman Demiral

Subharmonic gap structure in the characteristics of YBa2Cu3O7-x microbridges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pogrebnyakov, A.V.; Levinsen, M.T.; Sheng, Y.Q.; Freltoft, T.

1996-01-01

The subharmonic gap structures corresponding to large, 2Δ 1 =48 meV, and small, 2Δ 2 =10.3 meV, components of the energy gap were observed in the first derivatives of the current-voltage characteristics of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x epitaxial thin film microbridges. The appearance of the subharmonic gap structures is attributed to Andreev reflection. (orig.)

Water data to answer urgent water policy questions: Monitoring design, available data, and filling data gaps for determining whether shale gas development activities contaminate surface water or groundwater in the Susquehanna River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Betanzo, Elin A.; Hagen, Erik R.; Wilson, John T.; Reckhow, Kenneth H.; Hayes, Laura; Argue, Denise M.; Cangelosi, Allegra A.

2016-01-01

Throughout its history, the United States has made major investments in assessing natural resources, such as soils, timber, oil and gas, and water. These investments allow policy makers, the private sector and the American public to make informed decisions about cultivating, harvesting or conserving these resources to maximize their value for public welfare, environmental conservation and the economy. As policy issues evolve, new priorities and challenges arise for natural resource assessment, and new approaches to monitoring are needed. For example, new technologies for oil and gas development or alternative energy sources may present new risks for water resources both above and below ground. There is a need to evaluate whether today’s water monitoring programs are generating the information needed to answer questions surrounding these new policy priorities. The Northeast-Midwest Institute (NEMWI), in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, initiated this project to explore the types and amounts of water data needed to address water-quality related policy questions of critical concern to today’s policy makers and whether those data are currently available. The collaborating entities identified two urgent water policy questions and conducted case studies in the Northeast-Midwest region to determine the water data needed, water data available, and the best ways to fill the data gaps relative to those questions. This report details the output from one case study and focuses on the Susquehanna River Basin, a data-rich area expected to be a best-case scenario in terms of water data availability.

Highly efficient one-pot three-component synthesis of naphthopyran derivatives in water catalyzed by hydroxyapatite

Science.gov (United States)

An expeditious and efficient protocol for the synthesis of naphthopyrans has been developed that proceeds via one-pot three-component sequential reaction in water catalyzed by hydroxyapatite or sodium-modified-hydroxyapatite. The title compounds have been obtained in high yield a...

Band gap of two-dimensional fiber-air photonic crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Shu, E-mail: yangshu5678@163.com; Li, Masha

2016-04-15

A two-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) composed of textile fiber and air is initially discussed in this paper. Textile materials are so called soft materials, which are different from the previous PCs composed of rigid materials. The plain wave expansion method is used to calculate band structure of different PCs by altering component properties or structural parameters. Results show that the dielectric constant of textile fibers, fiber filling ratio and lattice arrangement are effective factors which influence PCs' band gap. Yet lattice constant and fiber diameter make inconspicuous influence on the band gap feature.

The informal sector wage gap among Vietnamese micro-firms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Torm, Nina Elisabeth; Rand, John

2012-01-01

Based on unique firm survey data from 2009, this paper examines the wage differential between formal and informal manufacturing household enterprises in Vietnam. Using the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method, we investigate whether the wage gap is attributed mostly to differences in observable...... characteristics (the endowments) between formal and informal firms, or to variations in the returns to these characteristics (the unexplained component). The results show that average wages are 10%–20% higher in formal firms and that the majority of this gap is due to observable characteristics, in particular...

Experimental Study on CHF in a Hemispherical Narrow Gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, J.H.; Park, R.J.; Kang, K.H.; Kim, S.B.; Kim, H.D.

1999-01-01

As a part of the SONATA-IV program, KAERI is conducting an experimental investigation of critical heat flux(CHF) in hemispherical narrow gaps. A visualization experiment, VISU-II, was done as the first step to get a visual observation of the flow behaviour inside a hemispherical gap and to understand the CHF-triggering mechanism. It was observed that the counter-current flow limitation (CCFL) phenomenon prevented water from wetting the heater surface and induced CHF. The CHFG (Critical Heat Flux in Gap) test is now being performed to measure the CHF and to investigate the inherent cooling mechanism in hemispherical narrow gaps. Temperature measurements over the heater surface show that the two-phase flow behaviour inside the gaps could be quite different from the other usual CHF experiments. The measured CHF points are lower than the predictions by existing empirical correlations based on the data measured with small-scale horizontal plates and vertical annulus. (authors)

CHEMISTRY OF FOG WATERS IN CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL VALLEY - PART 3: CONCENTRATIONS AND SPECIATION OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC NITROGEN. (R825433)

Science.gov (United States)

Although organic nitrogen (ON) has been found to be a ubiquitous and significant component in wet and dry deposition, almost nothing is known about its concentration or composition in fog waters. To address this gap, we have investigated the concentration and composition of ON...

GapBlaster-A Graphical Gap Filler for Prokaryote Genomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo H C G de Sá

Full Text Available The advent of NGS (Next Generation Sequencing technologies has resulted in an exponential increase in the number of complete genomes available in biological databases. This advance has allowed the development of several computational tools enabling analyses of large amounts of data in each of the various steps, from processing and quality filtering to gap filling and manual curation. The tools developed for gap closure are very useful as they result in more complete genomes, which will influence downstream analyses of genomic plasticity and comparative genomics. However, the gap filling step remains a challenge for genome assembly, often requiring manual intervention. Here, we present GapBlaster, a graphical application to evaluate and close gaps. GapBlaster was developed via Java programming language. The software uses contigs obtained in the assembly of the genome to perform an alignment against a draft of the genome/scaffold, using BLAST or Mummer to close gaps. Then, all identified alignments of contigs that extend through the gaps in the draft sequence are presented to the user for further evaluation via the GapBlaster graphical interface. GapBlaster presents significant results compared to other similar software and has the advantage of offering a graphical interface for manual curation of the gaps. GapBlaster program, the user guide and the test datasets are freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/gapblaster2015/. It requires Sun JDK 8 and Blast or Mummer.

Online Vibration Monitoring of a Water Pump Machine to Detect Its Malfunction Components Based on Artificial Neural Network

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmawati, P.; Prajitno, P.

2018-04-01

Vibration monitoring is a measurement instrument used to identify, predict, and prevent failures in machine instruments[6]. This is very needed in the industrial applications, cause any problem with the equipment or plant translates into economical loss and they are mostly monitored component off-line[2]. In this research, a system has been developed to detect the malfunction of the components of Shimizu PS-128BT water pump machine, such as capacitor, bearing and impeller by online measurements. The malfunction components are detected by taking vibration data using a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System(MEMS)-based accelerometer that are acquired by using Raspberry Pi microcomputer and then the data are converted into the form of Relative Power Ratio(RPR). In this form the signal acquired from different components conditions have different patterns. The collected RPR used as the base of classification process for recognizing the damage components of the water pump that are conducted by Artificial Neural Network(ANN). Finally, the damage test result will be sent via text message using GSM module that are connected to Raspberry Pi microcomputer. The results, with several measurement readings, with each reading in 10 minutes duration for each different component conditions, all cases yield 100% of accuracies while in the case of defective capacitor yields 90% of accuracy.

ATR-IR study of skin components: Lipids, proteins and water. Part I: Temperature effect

Science.gov (United States)

Olsztyńska-Janus, S.; Pietruszka, A.; Kiełbowicz, Z.; Czarnecki, M. A.

2018-01-01

In this work we report the studies of the effect of temperature on skin components, such as lipids, proteins and water. Modifications of lipids structure induced by increasing temperature (from 20 to 90 °C) have been studied using ATR-IR (Attenuated Total Reflectance Infrared) spectroscopy, which is a powerful tool for characterization of the molecular structure and properties of tissues, such as skin. Due to the small depth of penetration (0.6-5.6 μm), ATR-IR spectroscopy probes only the outermost layer of the skin, i.e. the stratum corneum (SC). The assignment of main spectral features of skin components allows for the determination of phase transitions from the temperature dependencies of band intensities [e.g. νas(CH2) and νs(CH2)]. The phase transitions were determined by using two methods: the first one was based on the first derivative of the Boltzmann function and the second one employed tangent lines of sigmoidal, aforementioned dependencies. The phase transitions in lipids were correlated with modifications of the structure of water and proteins.

Online Monitoring of Water-Quality Anomaly in Water Distribution Systems Based on Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis by UV-Vis Absorption Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dibo Hou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study proposes a probabilistic principal component analysis- (PPCA- based method for online monitoring of water-quality contaminant events by UV-Vis (ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The purpose of this method is to achieve fast and sound protection against accidental and intentional contaminate injection into the water distribution system. The method is achieved first by properly imposing a sliding window onto simultaneously updated online monitoring data collected by the automated spectrometer. The PPCA algorithm is then executed to simplify the large amount of spectrum data while maintaining the necessary spectral information to the largest extent. Finally, a monitoring chart extensively employed in fault diagnosis field methods is used here to search for potential anomaly events and to determine whether the current water-quality is normal or abnormal. A small-scale water-pipe distribution network is tested to detect water contamination events. The tests demonstrate that the PPCA-based online monitoring model can achieve satisfactory results under the ROC curve, which denotes a low false alarm rate and high probability of detecting water contamination events.

The convergence of the gender pay gap: An alternative estimation approach

OpenAIRE

Castagnetti, Carolina; Rosti, Luisa; Töpfer, Marina

2017-01-01

So far, little work has been done on directly estimating differences of wage gaps. Stud- ies estimating pay differentials, generally compare them across different subsamples. This comparison does not allow to conduct any inference or, in the case of decompositions, to confront the respective decomposition components across subsamples. We propose an exten- sion of an Oaxaca-Blinder type decomposition based on the omitted variable bias formula to directly estimate the change in pay gaps across ...

Gap junctions and inhibitory synapses modulate inspiratory motoneuron synchronization.

Science.gov (United States)

Bou-Flores, C; Berger, A J

2001-04-01

Interneuronal electrical coupling via gap junctions and chemical synaptic inhibitory transmission are known to have roles in the generation and synchronization of activity in neuronal networks. Uncertainty exists regarding the roles of these two modes of interneuronal communication in the central respiratory rhythm-generating system. To assess their roles, we performed studies on both the neonatal mouse medullary slice and en bloc brain stem-spinal cord preparations where rhythmic inspiratory motor activity can readily be recorded from both hypoglossal and phrenic nerve roots. The rhythmic inspiratory activity observed had two temporal characteristics: the basic respiratory frequency occurring on a long time scale and the synchronous neuronal discharge within the inspiratory burst occurring on a short time scale. In both preparations, we observed that bath application of gap-junction blockers, including 18 alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid, 18 beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, and carbenoxolone, all caused a reduction in respiratory frequency. In contrast, peak integrated phrenic and hypoglossal inspiratory activity was not significantly changed by gap-junction blockade. On a short-time-scale, gap-junction blockade increased the degree of synchronization within an inspiratory burst observed in both nerves. In contrast, opposite results were observed with blockade of GABA(A) and glycine receptors. We found that respiratory frequency increased with receptor blockade, and simultaneous blockade of both receptors consistently resulted in a reduction in short-time-scale synchronized activity observed in phrenic and hypoglossal inspiratory bursts. These results support the concept that the central respiratory system has two components: a rhythm generator responsible for the production of respiratory cycle timing and an inspiratory pattern generator that is involved in short-time-scale synchronization. In the neonatal rodent, properties of both components can be regulated by interneuronal

A Systematic Review of Quantitative Resilience Measures for Water Infrastructure Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangmin Shin

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Over the past few decades, the concept of resilience has emerged as an important consideration in the planning and management of water infrastructure systems. Accordingly, various resilience measures have been developed for the quantitative evaluation and decision-making of systems. There are, however, numerous considerations and no clear choice of which measure, if any, provides the most appropriate representation of resilience for a given application. This study provides a critical review of quantitative approaches to measure the resilience of water infrastructure systems, with a focus on water resources and distribution systems. A compilation of 11 criteria evaluating 21 selected resilience measures addressing major features of resilience is developed using the Axiomatic Design process. Existing gaps of resilience measures are identified based on the review criteria. The results show that resilience measures have generally paid less attention to cascading damage to interrelated systems, rapid identification of failure, physical damage of system components, and time variation of resilience. Concluding the paper, improvements to resilience measures are recommended. The findings contribute to our understanding of gaps and provide information to help further improve resilience measures of water infrastructure systems.

Evapotranspiration partitioning, stomatal conductance, and components of the water balance: A special case of a desert ecosystem in China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wenzhi; Liu, Bing; Chang, Xuexiang; Yang, Qiyue; Yang, Yuting; Liu, Zhiling; Cleverly, James; Eamus, Derek

2016-07-01

Partitioning evapotranspiration (ET) into its components reveals details of the processes that underlie ecosystem hydrologic budgets and their feedback to the water cycle. We measured rates of actual evapotranspiration (ETa), canopy transpiration (Tc), soil evaporation (Eg), canopy-intercepted precipitation (EI), and patterns of stomatal conductance of the desert shrub Calligonum mongolicum in northern China to determine the water balance of this ecosystem. The ETa was 251 ± 8 mm during the growing period, while EI, Tc, and Eg accounted for 3.2%, 63.9%, and 31.3%, respectively, of total water use (256 ± 4 mm) during the growing period. In this unique ecosystem, groundwater was the main water source for plant transpiration and soil evaporation, Tc and exceeded 60% of the total annual water used by desert plants. ET was not sensitive to air temperature in this unique desert ecosystem. Partitioning ET into its components improves our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie adaptation of desert shrubs, especially the role of stomatal regulation of Tc as a determinant of ecosystem water balance.

Inservice inspection of heavy water plants - a tool in assessing damage to components and life extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subramanian, C.V.; Thavasimuthu, M.; Bhattacharys, D.K.; Baldev Raj

1994-01-01

Any system and its components are expected to give trouble free service over a certain period of time known as life time. The life time is estimated during the design stage. To achieve the design life, certain level of quality are to be defined and this quality has to be worked into the components by proper fabrication processes and their compliance with quality are to be checked. In addition, one has to guard against initiation or propagation of defects which may occur due to normal and abnormal service conditions. Non-destructive test (NDT) techniques are widely used for finding the health of the component. The role of NDT extends from the production stage to the entire life period of the system. This paper highlights the periodic in-service inspection (ISI) carried out on various components of the Heavy Water Plants (HWP) in India in assessing the integrity of the components and predicting the life of the components. (author). 3 refs., 4 figs

Synthetic analyses of the LAVA experimental results on in-vessel corium retention through gap cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Kyoung Ho; Cho, Young Ro; Koo, Kil Mo; Park, Rae Joon; Kim, Jong Hwan; Kim, Jong Tae; Ha, Kwang Sun; Kim, Sang Baik; Kim, Hee Dong

2001-03-01

LAVA(Lower-plenum Arrested Vessel Attack) has been performed to gather proof of gap formation between the debris and lower head vessel and to evaluate the effect of the gap formation on in-vessel cooling. Through the total of 12 tests, the analyses on the melt relocation process, gap formation and the thermal and mechanical behaviors of the vessel were performed. The thermal behaviors of the lower head vessel were affected by the formation of the fragmented particles and melt pool during the melt relocation process depending on mass and composition of melt and subcooling and depth of water. During the melt relocation process 10.0 to 20.0 % of the melt mass was fragmented and also 15.5 to 47.5 % of the thermal energy of the melt was transferred to water. The experimental results address the non-adherence of the debris to the lower head vessel and the consequent gap formation between the debris and the lower head vessel in case there was an internal pressure load across the vessel abreast with the thermal load induced by the thermite melt. The thermal behaviors of the lower head vessel during the cooldown period were mainly affected by the heat removal characteristics through this gap, which were determined by the possibilities of the water ingression into the gap depending on the melt composition of the corium simulant. The enhanced cooling capacity through the gap was distinguished in the Al 2 O 3 melt tests. It could be inferred from the analyses on the heat removal capacity through the gap that the lower head vessel could effectively cooldown via heat removal in the gap governed by counter current flow limits(CCFL) even if 2mm thick gap should form in the 30 kg Al 2 O 3 melt tests, which was also confirmed through the variations of the conduction heat flux in the vessel and rapid cool down of the vessel outer surface in the Al 2 O 3 melt tests. In the case of large melt mass of 70 kg Al 2 O 3 melt, however, the infinite possibility of heat removal through the

Customizing Laboratory Information Systems: Closing the Functionality Gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Gershkovich, Peter; Sinard, John H

2015-09-01

Highly customizable laboratory information systems help to address great variations in laboratory workflows, typical in Pathology. Often, however, built-in customization tools are not sufficient to add all of the desired functionality and improve systems interoperability. Emerging technologies and advances in medicine often create a void in functionality that we call a functionality gap. These gaps have distinct characteristics—a persuasive need to change the way a pathology group operates, the general availability of technology to address the missing functionality, the absence of this technology from your laboratory information system, and inability of built-in customization tools to address it. We emphasize the pervasive nature of these gaps, the role of pathology informatics in closing them, and suggest methods on how to achieve that. We found that a large number of the papers in the Journal of Pathology Informatics are concerned with these functionality gaps, and an even larger proportion of electronic posters and abstracts presented at the Pathology Informatics Summit conference each year deal directly with these unmet needs in pathology practice. A rapid, continuous, and sustainable approach to closing these gaps is critical for Pathology to provide the highest quality of care, adopt new technologies, and meet regulatory and financial challenges. The key element of successfully addressing functionality gaps is gap ownership—the ability to control the entire pathology information infrastructure with access to complementary systems and components. In addition, software developers with detailed domain expertise, equipped with right tools and methodology can effectively address these needs as they emerge.

Early age sealing of buffer-rock gap by artificial wetting to induce bentonite swelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holt, Erika; Marjavaara, Pieti

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The aim of this work is to study the homogeneous and rapid swelling of bentonite in the gap between the buffer blocks and the rock wall of the Olkiluoto disposal facility by artificial wetting. The focus was on the construction period of the deposition hole and buffer, and thus only the very early ages of the first weeks. In practice it is desirable that the bentonite material has a volume increase sufficient enough to prevent rock scaling while lowering the risks of bentonite piping and erosion due to potential water flow. This initial study was done in a small-scale mock-up in laboratory conditions. The small-scale steel mock-up had dimensions of 39 cm in height by 36 cm in diameter and included 12 pressure sensors, two displacement transducers, thermal couples, and pore water pressure measurements. The radial and axial pressure development was typically measured over a two week period to assess the rate and magnitude of sealing. A steel confining lid was used for simulating overpressure, though in some cases a plexiglass lid was used to take video images of the gap sealing. The buffer blocks were produced by isostatic compression of 100 MPa. The material was MX-80 Wyoming bentonite having a water content of approximately 13% and a dry density of 1890 kg/m 3 . The testing samples were dry sawn and core drilled from the large block and machined to their final dimensions. These were typically 30 x 30 cm, either as a solid block or three disks of 10 cm height each. The diameter was sometimes varied to allow for a change of gap width between 25 to 50 mm The study included various scenarios, such as: eccentric aligned blocks with gap sizes of 5 and 45 mm, free upward swelling or confinement, different types of pellet and granular gap filling, addition of water at varying rates, and longer term test duration. The samples were typically disassembled after two weeks. At this ending point, material assessments were done

Energy gap subharmonic in characteristics of Y Ba2 Cu3 O7-x microbridges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pogrebnyakov, A.V.; Levinsen, M.T.; Sheng, Yu.K.; Frel'toft, T.

1996-01-01

The microbridges formed in thin epitaxial Y Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-x films were investigated. The characteristics of the microbridges exhibited subharmonic gap structures corresponding to large (2Δ = 49 meV) and small (2Δ 2 = 10.3 meV) components of the energy gap at T = 4.2 K. The appearance of the subharmonic gap structures is attributed to the phenomenon of Andreev reflection

An Overview of Hybrid Water Supply Systems in the Context of Urban Water Management: Challenges and Opportunities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukta Sapkota

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a critical review of the physical impacts of decentralized water supply systems on existing centralized water infrastructures. This paper highlights the combination of centralized and decentralized systems, which is referred to as hybrid water supply systems. The system is hypothesized to generate more sustainable and resilient urban water systems. The basic concept is to use decentralized water supply options such as rainwater tanks, storm water harvesting and localized wastewater treatment and reuse in combination with centralized systems. Currently the impact of hybrid water supply technologies on the operational performance of the downstream infrastructure and existing treatment processes is yet to be known. The paper identifies a number of significant research gaps related to interactions between centralized and decentralized urban water services. It indicates that an improved understanding of the interaction between these systems is expected to provide a better integration of hybrid systems by improved sewerage and drainage design, as well as facilitate operation and maintenance planning. The paper also highlights the need for a framework to better understand the interaction between different components of hybrid water supply systems.

UV Photocatalytic Activity for Water Decomposition of SrxBa1−xNb2O6 Nanocrystals with Different Components and Morphologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guoqiang Han

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Strontium barium niobate SrxBa1-xNb2O6 (SBN nanocrystals with different components (x=0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 were synthesized by Molten Salt Synthesis (MSS method at various reaction temperatures (T = 950°C, 1000°C, 1050°C, and 1100°C. The SBN nanocrystals yielded through flux reactions possess different morphologies and sizes with a length of about ~100 nm~7 μm and a diameter of about ~200~500 nm. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM and X-ray Diffraction (XRD techniques were used to study the compositions, structures, and morphologies of the nanocrystals. The absorption edges of the SBN nanocrystals are at a wavelength region of approximate 390 nm, which corresponds to band-gap energy of ~3.18 eV. The SBN nanocrystals with different sizes display different photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet light in decomposition of water. The SBN60 nanocrystals exhibit stable photocatalytic rates (~100~130 μmol of H2·g−1·h−1 for hydrogen production. The SBN nanocrystals can be a potential material in the application of photocatalysis and micro/nanooptical devices.

Impact of Water Withdrawals from Groundwater and Surface Water on Continental Water Storage Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Doell, Petra; Hoffmann-Dobrev, Heike; Portmann, Felix T.; Siebert, Stefan; Eicker, Annette; Rodell, Matthew; Strassberg, Gil

2011-01-01

Humans have strongly impacted the global water cycle, not only water flows but also water storage. We have performed a first global-scale analysis of the impact of water withdrawals on water storage variations, using the global water resources and use model WaterGAP. This required estimation of fractions of total water withdrawals from groundwater, considering five water use sectors. According to our assessment, the source of 35% of the water withdrawn worldwide (4300 cubic km/yr during 1998-2002) is groundwater. Groundwater contributes 42%, 36% and 27% of water used for irrigation, households and manufacturing, respectively, while we assume that only surface water is used for livestock and for cooling of thermal power plants. Consumptive water use was 1400 cubic km/yr during 1998-2002. It is the sum of the net abstraction of 250 cubic km/yr of groundwater (taking into account evapotranspiration and return flows of withdrawn surface water and groundwater) and the net abstraction of 1150 km3/yr of surface water. Computed net abstractions indicate, for the first time at the global scale, where and when human water withdrawals decrease or increase groundwater or surface water storage. In regions with extensive surface water irrigation, such as Southern China, net abstractions from groundwater are negative, i.e. groundwater is recharged by irrigation. The opposite is true for areas dominated by groundwater irrigation, such as in the High Plains aquifer of the central USA, where net abstraction of surface water is negative because return flow of withdrawn groundwater recharges the surface water compartments. In intensively irrigated areas, the amplitude of seasonal total water storage variations is generally increased due to human water use; however, in some areas, it is decreased. For the High Plains aquifer and the whole Mississippi basin, modeled groundwater and total water storage variations were compared with estimates of groundwater storage variations based on

Polysaccharide components from the scape of Musa paradisiaca: main structural features of water-soluble polysaccharide component.

Science.gov (United States)

Anjaneyalu, Y V; Jagadish, R L; Raju, T S

1997-06-01

Polysaccharide components present in the pseudo-stem (scape) of M. paradisiaca were purified from acetone powder of the scape by delignification followed by extraction with aqueous solvents into water soluble polysaccharide (WSP), EDTA-soluble polysaccharide (EDTA-SP), alkali-soluble polysaccharide (ASP) and alkali-insoluble polysaccharide (AISP) fractions. Sugar compositional analysis showed that WSP and EDTA-SP contained only D-Glc whereas ASP contained D-Glc, L-Ara and D-Xyl in approximately 1:1:10 ratio, respectively, and AISP contained D-Glc, L-Ara and D-Xyl in approximately 10:1:2 ratio, respectively. WSP was further purified by complexation with iso-amylalcohol and characterized by specific rotation, IR spectroscopy, Iodine affinity, ferricyanide number, blue value, hydrolysis with alpha-amylase and glucoamylase, and methylation linkage analysis, and shown to be a amylopectin type alpha-D-glucan.

Detailed RIF decomposition with selection : the gender pay gap in Italy

OpenAIRE

Töpfer, Marina

2017-01-01

In this paper, we estimate the gender pay gap along the wage distribution using a detailed decomposition approach based on unconditional quantile regressions. Non-randomness of the sample leads to biased and inconsistent estimates of the wage equation as well as of the components of the wage gap. Therefore, the method is extended to account for sample selection problems. The decomposition is conducted by using Italian microdata. Accounting for labor market selection may be particularly rele...

Band-gap creation by icosahedral symmetry in nearly-free-electron materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsson, A.E.

1993-01-01

A series of numerical electronic density-of-states calculations is performed for rational approximants to a model one-electron potential based on icosahedrally arranged plane-wave components. It is found that high-order approximants can have band gaps even if the low-order approximants do not; furthermore, the magnitude of the gap increases with the order of the approximant. The results are interpreted via a two- and three-wave analysis of the energy eigenvalues at the pseudo-Jones-zone faces and edges. It is also found that the mechanism of band-gap reduction in the rational approximants is the presence of a small density of gap states. An analytic calculation shows that these gap states result from a splitting of threefold and pseudothreefold states at the valence-band edge when the icosahedral symmetry is broken. The splitting is proportional to the error with which the ratio between the approximant indices approximates τ, the golden mean. Finally, an application to the AlCuLi system is presented

Analysis of environmental setting, surface-water and groundwater data, and data gaps for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area, Oklahoma, through 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, William J.; Harich, Christopher R.; Smith, S. Jerrod; Lewis, Jason M.; Shivers, Molly J.; Seger, Christian H.; Becker, Carol J.

2013-01-01

in more urbanized areas. Much of the water in the area is of good quality, though some parts of this area have water quality impaired by very hard surface water and groundwater; large chloride concentrations in some smaller streams; relatively large concentrations of nutrients and counts of fecal-indicator bacteria in the North Canadian River; and chloride, iron, manganese, and uranium concentrations that exceed primary or secondary drinking-water standards in water samples collected from small numbers of wells. Substantial amounts of hydrologic and water-quality data have been collected in much of this area, but there are gaps in those data caused by relatively few streamflow-gaging stations, uneven distribution of surface-water quality sampling sites, lack of surface-water quality sampling at high-flow and low-flow conditions, and lack of a regularly measured and sampled groundwater network. This report summarizes existing water-use, climatic, geographic, hydrologic, and water-quality data and describes several means of filling gaps in hydrologic data for this area.

A radiographic analysis of implant component misfit.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Sharkey, Seamus

2011-07-01

Radiographs are commonly used to assess the fit of implant components, but there is no clear agreement on the amount of misfit that can be detected by this method. This study investigated the effect of gap size and the relative angle at which a radiograph was taken on the detection of component misfit. Different types of implant connections (internal or external) and radiographic modalities (film or digital) were assessed.

The unequal distribution of unequal pay - An empirical analysis of the gender wage gap in Switzerland

OpenAIRE

Dorothe Bonjour; Michael Gerfin

2001-01-01

In this paper we analyze the distribution of the gender wage gap. Using microdata for Switzerland we estimate conditional wage distribution functions and find that the total wage gap and its discrimination component are not constant over the range of wages. At low wages an overproportional part of the wage gap is due to discrimination. In a further analysis of specific individuals we examine the wage gap at different quantiles and propose a new measure to assess equal earnings opportunities. ...

RF HEATING AND TEMPERATURE OSCILLATIONS DUE TO A SMALL GAP IN A PEP-II VACUUM CHAMBER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novokhatski, Alexander

2003-01-01

Wake fields excited in a small gap of a vacuum chamber by ampere beams can have enough amplitude to heat the chamber. The electric component of these fields can be above the arcing limit. Usually flange connections in a vacuum chamber contain a vacuum gasket and an inner RF gasket. If a small gap occurs between the RF gasket and flange surface, wake fields can heat the flanges. The flanges are usually made of stainless steel, which efficiently absorbs RF power. Some flanges consist of two parts (like a vacuum valve flange) and are mechanically connected but have poor thermal contact. A temperature rise can lengthen the inner part of the flange and make firmer the thermal contact to the outer part of the flange. The heat will then flow to the outer part of the flange, which is air and water-cooled. This cooling lowers the flange temperature and the thermal contact becomes poor again. This ''quasi'' periodic mechanism can explain the nature of temperature oscillations observed at several locations in PEP-II, the SLAC B-factory

Design of medium band gap Ag-Bi-Nb-O and Ag-Bi-Ta-O semiconductors for driving direct water splitting with visible light.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Limin; Cao, Bingfei; Kang, Wei; Hybertsen, Mark; Maeda, Kazuhiko; Domen, Kazunari; Khalifah, Peter G

2013-08-19

Two new metal oxide semiconductors belonging to the Ag-Bi-M-O (M = Nb, Ta) chemical systems have been synthesized as candidate compounds for driving overall water splitting with visible light on the basis of cosubstitution of Ag and Bi on the A-site position of known Ca2M2O7 pyrochlores. The low-valence band edge energies of typical oxide semiconductors prevents direct water splitting in compounds with band gaps below 3.0 eV, a limitation which these compounds are designed to overcome through the incorporation of low-lying Ag 4d(10) and Bi 6s(2) states into compounds of nominal composition "AgBiM2O7". It was found that the "AgBiTa2O7" pyrochlores are in fact a solid solution with an approximate range of Ag(x)Bi(5/6)Ta2O(6.25+x/2) with 0.5 semiconductors with the onset of strong direct absorption at 2.72 and 2.96 eV, respectively. Electronic structure calculations for an ordered AgBiNb2O7 structure show that the band gap reduction and the elevation of the valence band primarily result from hybridized Ag d(10)-O 2p orbitals that lie at higher energy than the normal O 2p states in typical pyrochlore oxides. While the minimum energy gap is direct in the band structure, the lowest energy dipole allowed optical transitions start about 0.2 eV higher in energy than the minimum energy transition and involve different bands. This suggests that the minimum electronic band gap in these materials is slightly smaller than the onset energy for strong absorption in the optical measurements. The elevated valence band energies of the niobate and tantalate compounds are experimentally confirmed by the ability of these compounds to reduce 2 H(+) to H2 gas when illuminated after functionalization with a Pt cocatalyst.

Introduction. [usefulness of modern remote sensing techniques for studying components of California water resources

Science.gov (United States)

Colwell, R. N.

1973-01-01

Since May 1970, personnel on several campuses of the University of California have been conducting investigations which seek to determine the usefulness of modern remote sensing techniques for studying various components of California's earth resources complex. Emphasis has been given to California's water resources as exemplified by the Feather River project and other aspects of the California Water Plan. This study is designed to consider in detail the supply, demand, and impact relationships. The specific geographic areas studied are the Feather River drainage in northern California, the Chino-Riverside Basin and Imperial Valley areas in southern California, and selected portions of the west side of San Joaquin Valley in central California. An analysis is also given on how an effective benefit-cost study of remote sensing in relation to California's water resources might best be made.

Near-surface gravity actuated pipe (GAP{sup TM}) system for Brazilian deepwater fluid transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fromage, Lionel; Brown, Paul A. [SBM Offshore (Monaco)

2009-12-19

The recent discovery of new deep water and ultra-deep water oil and gas fields offshore Brazil, including pre-salt reservoirs, has become a focal point for field development Operators and Contractors. The aggressive nature of fluids (sour, high density) in combination with deeper waters implies potential flow assurance issues. These issues challenge riser and pipeline technology to find cost effective solutions for hydrocarbon fluid transfer in field development scenarios involving phased tied-back. The near-surface GAP{sup TM}, system (Gravity Actuated Pipe{sup TM}), which has been in operation for more than two years on the Kikeh field offshore Malaysia in 1325 m of water between a Dry Tree Unit (SPAR) and a turret-moored FPSO, is considered to meet these challenges since such a product is quasi independent of water depth and takes advantage of being near surface to optimize flow assurance. Furthermore the GAP{sup TM} has undergone technical upgrades when compared to the Kikeh project in order to make it suitable for the more hostile met ocean conditions offshore Brazil. This paper presents the design features, the construction and assembly plans in Brazil and the offshore installation of a GAP fluid transfer system for operation in Brazilian deep waters. (author)

Experimental Study of the Cooling of Electrical Components Using Water Film Evaporation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Harmand

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Heat and mass transfer, which occur in the evaporation of a falling film of water, are studied experimentally. This evaporation allows the dissipation of the heat flux produced by twelve resistors, which simulate electrical components on the back side of an aluminium plate. On the front side of the plate, a falling film of water flows by the action of gravity. An inverse heat conduction model, associated with a spatial regularisation, was developed and produces the local heat fluxes on the plate using the measured temperatures. The efficiency of this evaporative process has been studied with respect to several parameters: imposed heat flux, inlet mass flow rate, and geometry. A comparison of the latent and sensible fluxes used to dissipate the imposed heat flux was studied in the case of a plexiglass sheet in front of the falling film at different distances from the aluminium plate.

Analysis of failed nuclear plant components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diercks, D.R.

1993-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory has conducted analyses of failed components from nuclear power-generating stations since 1974. The considerations involved in working with an analyzing radioactive components are reviewed here, and the decontamination of these components is discussed. Analyses of four failed components from nuclear plants are then described to illustrate the kinds of failures seen in service. The failures discussed are (1) intergranular stress-corrosion cracking of core spray injection piping in a boiling water reactor, (2) failure of canopy seal welds in adapter tube assemblies in the control rod drive head of a pressurized water reactor, (3) thermal fatigue of a recirculation pump shaft in a boiling water reactor, and (4) failure of pump seal wear rings by nickel leaching in a boiling water reactor

Analysis of failed nuclear plant components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diercks, D.R.

1992-07-01

Argonne National Laboratory has conducted analyses of failed components from nuclear power generating stations since 1974. The considerations involved in working with and analyzing radioactive components are reviewed here, and the decontamination of these components is discussed. Analyses of four failed components from nuclear plants are then described to illustrate the kinds of failures seen in service. The failures discussed are (a) intergranular stress corrosion cracking of core spray injection piping in a boiling water reactor, (b) failure of canopy seal welds in adapter tube assemblies in the control rod drive head of a pressure water reactor, (c) thermal fatigue of a recirculation pump shaft in a boiling water reactor, and (d) failure of pump seal wear rings by nickel leaching in a boiling water reactor

Gap junctions-guards of excitability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stroemlund, Line Waring; Jensen, Christa Funch; Qvortrup, Klaus

2015-01-01

Cardiomyocytes are connected by mechanical and electrical junctions located at the intercalated discs (IDs). Although these structures have long been known, it is becoming increasingly clear that their components interact. This review describes the involvement of the ID in electrical disturbances...... of the heart and focuses on the role of the gap junctional protein connexin 43 (Cx43). Current evidence shows that Cx43 plays a crucial role in organizing microtubules at the intercalated disc and thereby regulating the trafficking of the cardiac sodium channel NaV1.5 to the membrane....

Estimation of available water capacity components of two-layered soils using crop model inversion: Effect of crop type and water regime

Science.gov (United States)

Sreelash, K.; Buis, Samuel; Sekhar, M.; Ruiz, Laurent; Kumar Tomer, Sat; Guérif, Martine

2017-03-01

Characterization of the soil water reservoir is critical for understanding the interactions between crops and their environment and the impacts of land use and environmental changes on the hydrology of agricultural catchments especially in tropical context. Recent studies have shown that inversion of crop models is a powerful tool for retrieving information on root zone properties. Increasing availability of remotely sensed soil and vegetation observations makes it well suited for large scale applications. The potential of this methodology has however never been properly evaluated on extensive experimental datasets and previous studies suggested that the quality of estimation of soil hydraulic properties may vary depending on agro-environmental situations. The objective of this study was to evaluate this approach on an extensive field experiment. The dataset covered four crops (sunflower, sorghum, turmeric, maize) grown on different soils and several years in South India. The components of AWC (available water capacity) namely soil water content at field capacity and wilting point, and soil depth of two-layered soils were estimated by inversion of the crop model STICS with the GLUE (generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation) approach using observations of surface soil moisture (SSM; typically from 0 to 10 cm deep) and leaf area index (LAI), which are attainable from radar remote sensing in tropical regions with frequent cloudy conditions. The results showed that the quality of parameter estimation largely depends on the hydric regime and its interaction with crop type. A mean relative absolute error of 5% for field capacity of surface layer, 10% for field capacity of root zone, 15% for wilting point of surface layer and root zone, and 20% for soil depth can be obtained in favorable conditions. A few observations of SSM (during wet and dry soil moisture periods) and LAI (within water stress periods) were sufficient to significantly improve the estimation of AWC

Clustering analysis of water distribution systems: identifying critical components and community impacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Diao, K; Farmani, R; Fu, G; Astaraie-Imani, M; Ward, S; Butler, D

2014-01-01

Large water distribution systems (WDSs) are networks with both topological and behavioural complexity. Thereby, it is usually difficult to identify the key features of the properties of the system, and subsequently all the critical components within the system for a given purpose of design or control. One way is, however, to more explicitly visualize the network structure and interactions between components by dividing a WDS into a number of clusters (subsystems). Accordingly, this paper introduces a clustering strategy that decomposes WDSs into clusters with stronger internal connections than external connections. The detected cluster layout is very similar to the community structure of the served urban area. As WDSs may expand along with urban development in a community-by-community manner, the correspondingly formed distribution clusters may reveal some crucial configurations of WDSs. For verification, the method is applied to identify all the critical links during firefighting for the vulnerability analysis of a real-world WDS. Moreover, both the most critical pipes and clusters are addressed, given the consequences of pipe failure. Compared with the enumeration method, the method used in this study identifies the same group of the most critical components, and provides similar criticality prioritizations of them in a more computationally efficient time.

Soil Texture and Cultivar Effects on Rice (Oryza sativa, L. Grain Yield, Yield Components and Water Productivity in Three Water Regimes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fugen Dou

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the effects of water regime/soil condition (continuous flooding, saturated, and aerobic, cultivar ('Cocodrie' and 'Rondo', and soil texture (clay and sandy loam on rice grain yield, yield components and water productivity using a greenhouse trial. Rice grain yield was significantly affected by soil texture and the interaction between water regime and cultivar. Significantly higher yield was obtained in continuous flooding than in aerobic and saturated soil conditions but the latter treatments were comparable to each other. For Rondo, its grain yield has decreased with soil water regimes in the order of continuous flooding, saturated and aerobic treatments. The rice grain yield in clay soil was 46% higher than in sandy loam soil averaged across cultivar and water regime. Compared to aerobic condition, saturated and continuous flooding treatments had greater panicle numbers. In addition, panicle number in clay soil was 25% higher than in sandy loam soil. The spikelet number of Cocodrie was 29% greater than that of Rondo, indicating that rice cultivar had greater effect on spikelet number than soil type and water management. Water productivity was significantly affected by the interaction of water regime and cultivar. Compared to sandy loam soil, clay soil was 25% higher in water productivity. Our results indicated that cultivar selection and soil texture are important factors in deciding what water management option to practice.

Equivalent water height extracted from GRACE gravity field model with robust independent component analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jinyun; Mu, Dapeng; Liu, Xin; Yan, Haoming; Dai, Honglei

2014-08-01

The Level-2 monthly GRACE gravity field models issued by Center for Space Research (CSR), GeoForschungs Zentrum (GFZ), and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are treated as observations used to extract the equivalent water height (EWH) with the robust independent component analysis (RICA). The smoothing radii of 300, 400, and 500 km are tested, respectively, in the Gaussian smoothing kernel function to reduce the observation Gaussianity. Three independent components are obtained by RICA in the spatial domain; the first component matches the geophysical signal, and the other two match the north-south strip and the other noises. The first mode is used to estimate EWHs of CSR, JPL, and GFZ, and compared with the classical empirical decorrelation method (EDM). The EWH STDs for 12 months in 2010 extracted by RICA and EDM show the obvious fluctuation. The results indicate that the sharp EWH changes in some areas have an important global effect, like in Amazon, Mekong, and Zambezi basins.

Experimental investigation of photonic band gap in one-dimensional photonic crystals with metamaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yihang; Wang, Xinggang; Yong, Zehui; Zhang, Yunjuan; Chen, Zefeng; He, Lianxing; Lee, P.F.; Chan, Helen L.W.; Leung, Chi Wah; Wang, Yu

2012-01-01

Composite right/left-handed transmission lines with lumped element series capacitors and shunt inductors are used to experimentally realize the one-dimensional photonic crystals composed of single-negative metamaterials. The simulated and experimental results show that a special photonic band gap corresponding to zero-effective-phase (zero-φ eff ) may appear in the microwave regime. In contrast to the Bragg gap, by changing the length ratio of the two component materials, the width and depth of the zero-φ eff gap can be conveniently adjusted while keeping the center frequency constant. Furthermore, the zero-φ eff gap vanishes when both the phase-matching and impedance-matching conditions are satisfied simultaneously. These transmission line structures provide a good way for realizing microwave devices based on the zero-φ eff gap. -- Highlights: ► 1D photonic crystals with metamaterials were investigated experimentally. ► Both Bragg gap and zero-φ eff gap were observed in the microwave regime. ► The width and depth of the zero-φ eff gap were experimentally adjusted. ► Zero-φ eff gap was observed to be close when two match conditions were satisfied.

Experimental investigation of photonic band gap in one-dimensional photonic crystals with metamaterials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yihang, E-mail: eon.chen@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Laboratory of Quantum Information Technology, School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou (China); Wang, Xinggang [Laboratory of Quantum Information Technology, School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou (China); Yong, Zehui; Zhang, Yunjuan [Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Chen, Zefeng [Laboratory of Quantum Information Technology, School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou (China); He, Lianxing; Lee, P.F.; Chan, Helen L.W.; Leung, Chi Wah [Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Wang, Yu, E-mail: apywang@inet.polyu.edu.hk [Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)

2012-03-19

Composite right/left-handed transmission lines with lumped element series capacitors and shunt inductors are used to experimentally realize the one-dimensional photonic crystals composed of single-negative metamaterials. The simulated and experimental results show that a special photonic band gap corresponding to zero-effective-phase (zero-φ{sub eff}) may appear in the microwave regime. In contrast to the Bragg gap, by changing the length ratio of the two component materials, the width and depth of the zero-φ{sub eff} gap can be conveniently adjusted while keeping the center frequency constant. Furthermore, the zero-φ{sub eff} gap vanishes when both the phase-matching and impedance-matching conditions are satisfied simultaneously. These transmission line structures provide a good way for realizing microwave devices based on the zero-φ{sub eff} gap. -- Highlights: ► 1D photonic crystals with metamaterials were investigated experimentally. ► Both Bragg gap and zero-φ{sub eff} gap were observed in the microwave regime. ► The width and depth of the zero-φ{sub eff} gap were experimentally adjusted. ► Zero-φ{sub eff} gap was observed to be close when two match conditions were satisfied.

Comparison of Component Frameworks for Real-Time Embedded Systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pop, T.; Hnětynka, P.; Hošek, P.; Malohlava, M.; Bureš, Tomáš

2014-01-01

Roč. 40, č. 1 (2014), s. 127-170 ISSN 0219-1377 Grant - others:GA AV ČR(CZ) GAP202/11/0312; GA UK(CZ) Project 378111; UK(CZ) SVV-2013- 267312 Keywords : component-based development * component frameworks * real-time and embedded systems Subject RIV: JC - Computer Hardware ; Software Impact factor: 1.782, year: 2014

Gap Resolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-04-25

Gap Resolution is a software package that was developed to improve Newbler genome assemblies by automating the closure of sequence gaps caused by repetitive regions in the DNA. This is done by performing the follow steps:1) Identify and distribute the data for each gap in sub-projects. 2) Assemble the data associated with each sub-project using a secondary assembler, such as Newbler or PGA. 3) Determine if any gaps are closed after reassembly, and either design fakes (consensus of closed gap) for those that closed or lab experiments for those that require additional data. The software requires as input a genome assembly produce by the Newbler assembler provided by Roche and 454 data containing paired-end reads.

Entrainment, retention, and transport of freely swimming fish in junction gaps between commercial barges operating on the Illinois Waterway

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jeremiah J.; Jackson, P. Ryan; Engel, Frank; LeRoy, Jessica Z.; Neeley, Rebecca N.; Finney, Samuel T.; Murphy, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Large Electric Dispersal Barriers were constructed in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) to prevent the transfer of invasive fish species between the Mississippi River Basin and the Great Lakes Basin while simultaneously allowing the passage of commercial barge traffic. We investigated the potential for entrainment, retention, and transport of freely swimming fish within large gaps (> 50 m3) created at junction points between barges. Modified mark and capture trials were employed to assess fish entrainment, retention, and transport by barge tows. A multi-beam sonar system enabled estimation of fish abundance within barge junction gaps. Barges were also instrumented with acoustic Doppler velocity meters to map the velocity distribution in the water surrounding the barge and in the gap formed at the junction of two barges. Results indicate that the water inside the gap can move upstream with a barge tow at speeds near the barge tow travel speed. Water within 1 m to the side of the barge junction gaps was observed to move upstream with the barge tow. Observed transverse and vertical water velocities suggest pathways by which fish may potentially be entrained into barge junction gaps. Results of mark and capture trials provide direct evidence that small fish can become entrained by barges, retained within junction gaps, and transported over distances of at least 15.5 km. Fish entrained within the barge junction gap were retained in that space as the barge tow transited through locks and the Electric Dispersal Barriers, which would be expected to impede fish movement upstream.

Experimental study of critical heat flux in inclined rectangular gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S.J.; Kim, Y.H.; Noh, S.W.; Suh, K.Y.; Rempe, J.L.; Cheung, F.B.; Kim, S.B.

2003-01-01

In the TMI-2 accident, the lower part of the reactor pressure vessel was overheated and then rather rapidly cooled down, as was later found out in a vessel investigation project. This accounted for the possibility of gap cooling feasibility. For this reason, a great deal of investigations was performed to determine the critical heat flux (CHF) from the standpoint of in-vessel retention (IVR). As part of a joint Korean-U.S. International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (INERI) project, Tests were conducted to examine the critical heat flux (CHF) on the one-dimensional downward heating rectangular channel having a narrow gap by changing the orientation of the copper test heater assembly in a pool of saturated water under the atmospheric pressure. The test parameters include both the gap sizes of 1, 2, 5 and 10 mm, and the surface orientation angles from the downward-facing position (180deg) to the vertical position (90deg), respectively. It was observed that the CHF generally decreases as the surface inclination angle increases and as the gap size decreases. However, in downward-facing position (180deg), somewhat differing results were detected relative to previous reports. For a certain gap size having a similar dimension with vapor layer thickness, more efficient heat transfer was detected and this may be interpreted by characteristic property such as the vapor layer thickness of water. In consistency with several studies reported in the literature, it was found that there exists a transition angle above that the CHF changes with a rapid slope. (author)

Influence of hydrazine primary water chemistry on corrosion of fuel cladding and primary circuit components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iourmanov, V.; Pashevich, V.; Bogancs, J.; Tilky, P.; Schunk, J.; Pinter, T.

1999-01-01

Earlier at Paks 1-4 NPP standard ammonia chemistry was in use. The following station performance indicators were improved when hydrazine primary water chemistry was introduced: occupational radiation exposures of personnel; gamma-radiation dose rates near primary system components during refuelling and maintenance outages. The reduction of radiation exposures and radiation fields were achieved without significant expenses. Recent results of experimental studies allowed to explain the mechanism of hydrazine dosing influence on: corrosion rate of structure materials in primary coolant; behaviour of soluble and insoluble corrosion products including long-life corrosion-induced radionuclides in primary system during steady-state and transient operation modes; radiolytic generation of oxidising radiolytic products in core and its corrosion activity in primary system; radiation situation during refuelling and maintenance outages; foreign material degradation and removal (including corrosion active oxidant species) from primary system during abnormal events. Operational experience and experimental data have shown that hydrazine primary water chemistry allows to reduce corrosion wear and thereby makes it possible to extend the life-time of plant components in primary system. (author)

Analysis of failed nuclear plant components

Science.gov (United States)

Diercks, D. R.

1993-12-01

Argonne National Laboratory has conducted analyses of failed components from nuclear power- gener-ating stations since 1974. The considerations involved in working with and analyzing radioactive compo-nents are reviewed here, and the decontamination of these components is discussed. Analyses of four failed components from nuclear plants are then described to illustrate the kinds of failures seen in serv-ice. The failures discussed are (1) intergranular stress- corrosion cracking of core spray injection piping in a boiling water reactor, (2) failure of canopy seal welds in adapter tube assemblies in the control rod drive head of a pressurized water reactor, (3) thermal fatigue of a recirculation pump shaft in a boiling water reactor, and (4) failure of pump seal wear rings by nickel leaching in a boiling water reactor.

Zero-Gap Alkaline Water Electrolysis Using Ion-Solvating Polymer Electrolyte Membranes at Reduced KOH Concentrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraglund, Mikkel Rykær; Aili, David; Jankova Atanasova, Katja

2016-01-01

Membranes based on poly(2,2'-(m-phenylene)-5,5-bibenzimidazole) (m-PBI) can dissolve large amounts of aqueous KOH to give electrolyte systems with ion conductivity in a practically useful range. The conductivity of the membrane strongly depends on the concentration of the aqueous KOH phase......, reaching about 10-1 S cm-1 or higher in 15-25 wt% KOH. Herein, m-PBI membranes are systematically characterized with respect to performance and short-term stability as electrolyte in a zero-gap alkaline water electrolyzer at different KOH concentrations. Using plain uncatalyzed nickel foam electrodes......, the cell based on m-PBI outperforms the cell based on the commercially available state-of-the-art diaphragm and reaches a current density of 1500 mA cm-2 at 2.4 V in 20 wt% KOH at 80°C. The cell performance remained stable during two days of operation, though post analysis of the membrane using size...

Development of an abort gap monitor for the large hadron collider

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beche, J.-F.; Byrd, J.; De Santis, S.; Placidi, M.; Turner, W.; Zolotorev, M.

2004-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), presently under construction at CERN, requires monitoring the parasitic charge in the 3.3ms long gap in the machine fill structure. This gap, referred to as the abort gap, corresponds to the raise time of the abort kickers magnets. Any circulating particle present in the abort gap at the time of the kickers firing is lost inside the ring, rather than in the beam dump, and can potentially damage a number of the LHC components. CERN specifications indicate a linear density of 6 x 106 protons over a 100 ns interval as the maximum charge safely allowed to accumulate in the abort gap at 7 TeV. We present a study of an abort gap monitor, based on a photomultiplier tube with a gated microchannel plate, which would allow for detecting such low charge densities by monitoring the synchrotron radiation emitted in the dedicated diagnostics port. We show results of beam test experiments at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) using a Hamamatsu 5961U MCP-PMT, which indicate that such an instrument has the required sensitivity to meet LHC specifications

Strategic environmental assessment and monitoring: Arctic key gaps and bridging pathways

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azcárate, Juan; Balfors, Berit; Bring, Arvid; Destouni, Georgia

2013-01-01

The Arctic region undergoes rapid and unprecedented environmental change. Environmental assessment and monitoring is needed to understand and decide how to mitigate and/or adapt to the changes and their impacts on society and ecosystems. This letter analyzes the application of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and the monitoring, based on environmental observations, that should be part of SEA, elucidates main gaps in both, and proposes an overarching SEA framework to systematically link and improve both with focus on the rapidly changing Arctic region. Shortcomings in the monitoring of environmental change are concretized by examples of main gaps in the observations of Arctic hydroclimatic changes. For relevant identification and efficient reduction of such gaps and remaining uncertainties under typical conditions of limited monitoring resources, the proposed overarching framework for SEA application includes components for explicit gap/uncertainty handling and monitoring, systematically integrated within all steps of the SEA process. The framework further links to adaptive governance, which should explicitly consider key knowledge and information gaps that are identified through and must be handled in the SEA process, and accordingly (re)formulate and promote necessary new or modified monitoring objectives for bridging these gaps. (letter)

Assessment of water quality in the elbe river at flood water conditions based on cluster analysis, principle components analysis, and source apportionment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baborowski, Martina [Department of River Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Magdeburg (Germany); Simeonov, Vasil [Faculty of Chemistry, University of Sofia, Sofia (Bulgaria); Einax, Juergen W. [Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena (Germany)

2012-04-15

An assessment of water quality measurements during a spring flood in the Elbe River is presented. Daily samples were taken at a site in the middle Elbe, which is part of the network of the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe River (IKSE/MKOL). Cluster analysis (CA), principal components analysis (PCA), and source apportionment (APCS apportioning) were used to assess the flood-dependent matter transport. As a result, three main components could be extracted as important to the matter transport in the Elbe River basin during flood events: (i) re-suspended contaminated sediments, which led to temporarily increased concentrations of suspended matter and of most of the investigated heavy metals; (ii) water discharge related concentrations of pedogenic dissolved organic matter (DOM) as well as preliminary diluted concentrations of uranium and chloride, parameters with stable pollution background in the river basin; and (iii) abandoned mines, i.e., their dewatering systems, with particular influence on nickel, manganese, and zinc concentrations. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Assessment of water quality in the elbe river at flood water conditions based on cluster analysis, principle components analysis, and source apportionment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baborowski, Martina; Simeonov, Vasil; Einax, Juergen W.

2012-01-01

An assessment of water quality measurements during a spring flood in the Elbe River is presented. Daily samples were taken at a site in the middle Elbe, which is part of the network of the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe River (IKSE/MKOL). Cluster analysis (CA), principal components analysis (PCA), and source apportionment (APCS apportioning) were used to assess the flood-dependent matter transport. As a result, three main components could be extracted as important to the matter transport in the Elbe River basin during flood events: (i) re-suspended contaminated sediments, which led to temporarily increased concentrations of suspended matter and of most of the investigated heavy metals; (ii) water discharge related concentrations of pedogenic dissolved organic matter (DOM) as well as preliminary diluted concentrations of uranium and chloride, parameters with stable pollution background in the river basin; and (iii) abandoned mines, i.e., their dewatering systems, with particular influence on nickel, manganese, and zinc concentrations. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Gas Bubbles Investigation in Contaminated Water Using Optical Tomography Based on Independent Component Analysis Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Taufiq Mohd Khairi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of concentration profiles for gas bubble flow in a vertical pipeline containing contaminated water using an optical tomography system. The concentration profiles for the bubble flow quantities are investigated under five different flows conditions, a single bubble, double bubbles, 25% of air opening, 50% of air opening, and 100% of air opening flow rates where a valve is used to control the gas flow in the vertical pipeline. The system is aided by the independent component analysis (ICA algorithm to reconstruct the concentration profiles of the liquid-gas flow. The behaviour of the gas bubbles was investigated in contaminated water in which the water sample was prepared by adding 25 mL of colour ingredients to 3 liters of pure water. The result shows that the application of ICA has enabled the system to detect the presence of gas bubbles in contaminated water. This information provides vital information on the flow inside the pipe and hence could be very significant in increasing the efficiency of the process industries.

Geodatabase compilation of hydrogeologic, remote sensing, and water-budget-component data for the High Plains aquifer, 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Houston, Natalie A.; Gonzales-Bradford, Sophia L.; Flynn, Amanda T.; Qi, Sharon L.; Peterson, Steven M.; Stanton, Jennifer S.; Ryter, Derek W.; Sohl, Terry L.; Senay, Gabriel B.

2013-01-01

The High Plains aquifer underlies almost 112 million acres in the central United States. It is one of the largest aquifers in the Nation in terms of annual groundwater withdrawals and provides drinking water for 2.3 million people. The High Plains aquifer has gained national and international attention as a highly stressed groundwater supply primarily because it has been appreciably depleted in some areas. The U.S. Geological Survey has an active program to monitor the changes in groundwater levels for the High Plains aquifer and has documented substantial water-level changes since predevelopment: the High Plains Groundwater Availability Study is part of a series of regional groundwater availability studies conducted to evaluate the availability and sustainability of major aquifers across the Nation. The goals of the regional groundwater studies are to quantify current groundwater resources in an aquifer system, evaluate how these resources have changed over time, and provide tools to better understand a systems response to future demands and environmental stresses. The purpose of this report is to present selected data developed and synthesized for the High Plains aquifer as part of the High Plains Groundwater Availability Study. The High Plains Groundwater Availability Study includes the development of a water-budget-component analysis for the High Plains completed in 2011 and development of a groundwater-flow model for the northern High Plains aquifer. Both of these tasks require large amounts of data about the High Plains aquifer. Data pertaining to the High Plains aquifer were collected, synthesized, and then organized into digital data containers called geodatabases. There are 8 geodatabases, 1 file geodatabase and 7 personal geodatabases, that have been grouped in three categories: hydrogeologic data, remote sensing data, and water-budget-component data. The hydrogeologic data pertaining to the northern High Plains aquifer is included in three separate

Development of Multidimensional Gap Conductance model using Virtual Link Gap Element

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyo Chan; Yang, Yong Sik; Kim, Dae Ho; Bang, Je Geon; Kim, Sun Ki; Koo, Yang Hyun [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

The gap conductance that determines temperature gradient between pellet and cladding can be quite sensitive to gap thickness. For instance, once the gap size increases up to several micrometers in certain region, difference of pellet surface temperatures increases up to 100 Kelvin. Therefore, iterative thermo-mechanical coupled analysis is required to solve temperature distribution throughout pellet and cladding. Recently, multidimensional fuel performance codes have been being developed in the advanced countries to evaluate thermal behavior of fuel for off normal conditions and DBA(design based accident) conditions using the Finite Element Method (FEM). FRAPCON-FRAPTRAN code system, which is well known as the verified and reliable code, incorporates 1D thermal module and multidimensional mechanical module. In this code, multidimensional gap conductance model is not applied. ALCYONE developed by CEA introduces equivalent heat convection coefficient that represents multidimensional gap conductance as a function of gap thickness. BISON, which is multidimensional fuel performance code developed by INL, owns multidimensional gap conductance model using projected thermal contact. In general, thermal contact algorithm is nonlinear calculation which is expensive approach numerically. The gap conductance model for multi-dimension is difficult issue in terms of convergence and nonlinearity because gap conductance is function of gap thickness which depends on mechanical analysis at each iteration step. In this paper, virtual link gap (VLG) element has been proposed to resolve convergence issue and nonlinear characteristic of multidimensional gap conductance. In terms of calculation accuracy and convergence efficiency, the proposed VLG model was evaluated. LWR fuel performance codes should incorporate thermo-mechanical loop to solve gap conductance problem, iteratively. However, gap conductance in multidimensional model is difficult issue owing to its nonlinearity and

Feasibility analysis of modified AL-6XN steel for structure component application in supercritical water-cooled reactor

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xinggang LI; Qingzhi YAN; Rong MA; Haoqiang WANG; Changchun GE

2009-01-01

Modified AL-6XN austenite steel was patterned after AL-6XN superaustenitic stainless steel by introducing microalloy elements such as zirconium and titanium in order to adapt to recrystallizing thermo-mechanical treatment and further improve crevice corrosion resistance. Modified AL-6XN exhibited comparable tensile strength, and superior plasticity and impact toughness to commercial AL-6XN steel. The effects of aging behavior on corrosion resistance and impact toughness were measured to evaluate the qualification of modified AL-6XN steel as an in-core component and cladding material in a supercritical water-cooled reactor. Attention should be paid to degradation in corrosion resistance and impact toughness after aging for 50 hours when modified AL-6XN steel is considered as one of the candidate materials for in-core components and cladding tubes in supercritical water-cooled reactors.

LWR nuclear power plant component failures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, W.H.

1980-10-01

An analysis of the most significant light water reactor (LWR) nuclear power plant component failures, from information in the computerized Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC) data bank, shows that for both pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) plants the component category most responsible for reactor shutdowns is valves. Next in importance for PWR shutdowns is steam generators followed by seals of all kinds. For BWR plants, seals, and pipes and pipe fittings are the second and third most important component failure categories which lead to reactor shutdown. The data are for records extending from early 1972 through September 1978. A list of the most significant component categories and a breakdown of the number of component citations for both PWR and BWR reactor types are presented

Material gap membrane distillation: A new design for water vapor flux enhancement

KAUST Repository

Francis, Lijo; Ghaffour, NorEddine; Alsaadi, Ahmad Salem; Amy, Gary L.

2013-01-01

A new module design for membrane distillation, namely material gap membrane distillation (MGMD), for seawater desalination has been proposed and successfully tested. It has been observed that employing appropriate materials between the membrane

Component activities in the system thorium nitrate-nitric acid-water at 25oC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemire, R.J.; Brown, C.P.

1982-01-01

The equilibrium composition of the vapor above thorium nitrate-nitric acid-water mixtures has been studied as a function of the concentrations of thorium nitrate and nitric acid using a transpiration technique. At 25 o C, the thorium nitrate concentrations m T ranged from 0.1 to 2.5 molal and the nitric acid concentrations m N from 0.3 to 25 molal. The vapor pressure of the nitric acid was found to increase with increasing thorium nitrate concentration for a constant molality of nitric acid in aqueous solution. At constant m T , the nitric acid vapor pressure was particularly enhanced at low nitric acid concentrations. The water vapor pressures decreased regularly with increasing concentrations of both nitric acid and thorium nitrate. The experimental data were fitted to Scatchard's ion-component model, and to empirical multiparameter functions. From the fitting parameters, and available literature data for the nitric acid-water and thorium nitrate-water systems at 25 o C, expressions were calculated for the variation of water and thorium nitrate activities, as functions of the nitric acid and thorium nitrate concentrations, using the Gibbs-Duhem equation. Calculated values for the thorium nitrate activities were strongly dependent on the form of the function originally used to fit the vapor pressure data. (author)

Precision of jaw-closing movements for different jaw gaps.

Science.gov (United States)

Hellmann, Daniel; Becker, Georg; Giannakopoulos, Nikolaos N; Eberhard, Lydia; Fingerhut, Christopher; Rammelsberg, Peter; Schindler, Hans J

2014-02-01

Jaw-closing movements are basic components of physiological motor actions precisely achieving intercuspation without significant interference. The main purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that, despite an imperfect intercuspal position, the precision of jaw-closing movements fluctuates within the range of physiological closing movements indispensable for meeting intercuspation without significant interference. For 35 healthy subjects, condylar and incisal point positions for fast and slow jaw-closing, interrupted at different jaw gaps by the use of frontal occlusal plateaus, were compared with uninterrupted physiological jaw closing, with identical jaw gaps, using a telemetric system for measuring jaw position. Examiner-guided centric relation served as a clinically relevant reference position. For jaw gaps ≤4 mm, no significant horizontal or vertical displacement differences were observed for the incisal or condylar points among physiological, fast, and slow jaw-closing. However, the jaw positions under these three closing conditions differed significantly from guided centric relation for nearly all experimental jaw gaps. The findings provide evidence of stringent neuromuscular control of jaw-closing movements in the vicinity of intercuspation. These results might be of clinical relevance to occlusal intervention with different objectives. © 2013 Eur J Oral Sci.

Narrowing Maize Yield Gaps Under Rain-fed conditions in Tanzania ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. The wide gap between potential and actual yields of maize in Tanzania, due low productivity is the major constraint to ... An International Journal of Basic and Applied Research ... for determining maize grain yield followed by water.

Inter-assembly gap deviations in VVER-1000: Accounting for effects on engineering margin factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shishkov, Lev; Gorodkov, Sergey; Mikailov, Eldar; Sukhino-Khomenko, Evgenia [Nuclear Research Centre ' ' Kurchatov Institute' ' , Moscow (Russian Federation)

2015-09-15

Jacketless fuel assemblies change their form in the course of operation. Often they bow lengthwise. Primarily, these fuel assembly (FA) bows threaten to reduce the control rods' fall rate, but at the same time they change (e.g. increase) the amount of moderator in inter-assembly gaps, thus producing additional power surges. Gap sizes vary randomly and their impact is accounted for with the help of engineering margin factors. For VVER-1000, this account of engineering margin factors increases the fuel component of electricity generation cost by 3 - 5 %, and a half of this increase is due to inter- assembly gap variations. This paper discusses the technique used to account for the impact produced by these gaps on fuel rod power; gives numerical values of sensitivity factors for power variations vs. gap sizes depending on the computational model assumed; and discusses the interference of gap effects and the account of power and coolant temperature feedbacks.

Gap-Balancing versus Measured Resection Technique in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Comparison Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Churchill, Jessica L; Khlopas, Anton; Sultan, Assem A; Harwin, Steven F; Mont, Michael A

2018-01-01

Proper femoral component alignment in the axial plane during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) depends on accurate bone cuts and soft tissue balancing. Two methods that are used to achieve this are "measured resection" and "gap balancing." However, a controversy exists as to which method is more accurate and leads to better outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate: (1) implant survivorship, (2) patient outcomes, (3) complications, and (4) radiographic analysis comparing patients who underwent TKA with either gap-balancing or measured resection techniques. A total of 214 consecutive patients (221 knees) underwent primary TKA by a single surgeon between 2011 and 2012. Component alignment was achieved by using measured resection in 116 knees and gap balancing was used in 105 knees. The patients had a mean age of 66 years (range, 44-86 years) and a mean body mass index of 32 kg/m 2 (range, 22-52 kg/m 2 ). Patient range-of-motion (ROM) and Knee Society (KS) function and pain scores, and radiographic assessment, were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at ∼6 weeks, 3 months, 1 year, and then annually. The mean follow-up time was 3 years. A Kaplan-Meier's analysis was performed to calculate the survivorship. The aseptic survivorship was 98% in both the measured resection and gap-balancing groups. The mean ROM was not significantly different between the measured resection and gap-balancing groups (123 vs. 123 degrees, p  = 0.990). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the KS function scores (86 vs. 85 points, p  = 0.829) or the KS pain scores (93 vs. 92 points, p  = 0.425). Otherwise, the radiographic evaluation at latest follow-up did not demonstrate any evidence of progressive radiolucencies or loosening, of any prosthesis. The results of this study found that at a mean follow-up of 3 years, both the measured resection and gap-balancing techniques achieved excellent survivorship and

Influence of removal of invisible fixation on the saccadic and manual gap effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueda, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Kohske; Watanabe, Katsumi

2014-01-01

Saccadic and manual reactions to a peripherally presented target are facilitated by removing a central fixation stimulus shortly before a target onset (the gap effect). The present study examined the effects of removal of a visible and invisible fixation point on the saccadic gap effect and the manual gap effect. Participants were required to fixate a central fixation point and respond to a peripherally presented target as quickly and accurately as possible by making a saccade (Experiment 1) or pressing a corresponding key (Experiment 2). The fixation point was dichoptically presented, and visibility was manipulated by using binocular rivalry and continuous flash suppression technique. In both saccade and key-press tasks, removing the visible fixation strongly quickened the responses. Furthermore, the invisible fixation, which remained on the display but suppressed, significantly delayed the saccadic response. Contrarily, the invisible fixation had no effect on the manual task. These results indicate that partially different processes mediate the saccadic gap effect and the manual gap effect. In particular, unconscious processes might modulate an oculomotor-specific component of the saccadic gap effect, presumably via subcortical mechanisms.

[Research progress of larger flexion gap than extension gap in total knee arthroplasty].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Weisong; Hao, Dingjun

2017-05-01

To summarize the progress of larger flexion gap than extension gap in total knee arthro-plasty (TKA). The domestic and foreign related literature about larger flexion gap than extension gap in TKA, and its impact factors, biomechanical and kinematic features, and clinical results were summarized. During TKA, to adjust the relations of flexion gap and extension gap is one of the key factors of successful operation. The biomechanical, kinematic, and clinical researches show that properly larger flexion gap than extension gap can improve both the postoperative knee range of motion and the satisfaction of patients, but does not affect the stability of the knee joint. However, there are also contrary findings. So adjustment of flexion gap and extension gap during TKA is still in dispute. Larger flexion gap than extension gap in TKA is a new joint space theory, and long-term clinical efficacy, operation skills, and related complications still need further study.

Active animal health surveillance in European Union Member States: gaps and opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Bisdorff, B; Schauer, B; Taylor, N; Rodríguez-Prieto, V; Comin, A; Brouwer, A; Dórea, F; Drewe, J; Hoinville, L; Lindberg, A; Martinez Avilés, M; Martínez-López, B; Peyre, M; Pinto Ferreira, J; Rushton, J; VAN Schaik, G; Stärk, K D C; Staubach, C; Vicente-Rubiano, M; Witteveen, G; Pfeiffer, D; Häsler, B

2017-03-01

Animal health surveillance enables the detection and control of animal diseases including zoonoses. Under the EU-FP7 project RISKSUR, a survey was conducted in 11 EU Member States and Switzerland to describe active surveillance components in 2011 managed by the public or private sector and identify gaps and opportunities. Information was collected about hazard, target population, geographical focus, legal obligation, management, surveillance design, risk-based sampling, and multi-hazard surveillance. Two countries were excluded due to incompleteness of data. Most of the 664 components targeted cattle (26·7%), pigs (17·5%) or poultry (16·0%). The most common surveillance objectives were demonstrating freedom from disease (43·8%) and case detection (26·8%). Over half of components applied risk-based sampling (57·1%), but mainly focused on a single population stratum (targeted risk-based) rather than differentiating between risk levels of different strata (stratified risk-based). About a third of components were multi-hazard (37·3%). Both risk-based sampling and multi-hazard surveillance were used more frequently in privately funded components. The study identified several gaps (e.g. lack of systematic documentation, inconsistent application of terminology) and opportunities (e.g. stratified risk-based sampling). The greater flexibility provided by the new EU Animal Health Law means that systematic evaluation of surveillance alternatives will be required to optimize cost-effectiveness.

Development of a large scale structure in the rod gap region for turbulent in-line flow through closely spaced rod arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooper, J.D.

1984-01-01

Experimental studies of developed axial single-phase flow through closely spaced rod arrays have shown, with reducing p/d ratio, the development of high axial and azimuthal turbulence intensities in the rod gap region. Associated with this is the existence of very high levels of the azimuthal Reynolds shear stress component either side of the rod gap centre. Spatial correlation analysis of the three turbulent velocity components has shown a large scale coherent and almost periodic structure in the rod gap region. The structure is markedly different to the currently accepted secondary flow model. 14 references

Gap Junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Morten Schak; Axelsen, Lene Nygaard; Sorgen, Paul L.; Verma, Vandana; Delmar, Mario; Holstein-Rathlou, Niels-Henrik

2013-01-01

Gap junctions are essential to the function of multicellular animals, which require a high degree of coordination between cells. In vertebrates, gap junctions comprise connexins and currently 21 connexins are known in humans. The functions of gap junctions are highly diverse and include exchange of metabolites and electrical signals between cells, as well as functions, which are apparently unrelated to intercellular communication. Given the diversity of gap junction physiology, regulation of gap junction activity is complex. The structure of the various connexins is known to some extent; and structural rearrangements and intramolecular interactions are important for regulation of channel function. Intercellular coupling is further regulated by the number and activity of channels present in gap junctional plaques. The number of connexins in cell-cell channels is regulated by controlling transcription, translation, trafficking, and degradation; and all of these processes are under strict control. Once in the membrane, channel activity is determined by the conductive properties of the connexin involved, which can be regulated by voltage and chemical gating, as well as a large number of posttranslational modifications. The aim of the present article is to review our current knowledge on the structure, regulation, function, and pharmacology of gap junctions. This will be supported by examples of how different connexins and their regulation act in concert to achieve appropriate physiological control, and how disturbances of connexin function can lead to disease. © 2012 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 2:1981-2035, 2012. PMID:23723031

URGAP: A gap conductance model for transient conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lassmann, K.; Pazdera, F.

1983-01-01

A gap conductance model, URGAP, has been developed with contributions from solid, fluid and radiation heat transfer components. Model parameters are easily available, independent of different combinations of material surfaces. The model parameters were fitted to 388 data points under reactor conditions. For model verification, another 274 data points of steel-steel and aluminium-aluminium interfaces, respectively, were used. For minor surface roughnesses normally prevailing in reactor fuel elements the model asymptotically yields Ross' and Stoute's model for the open gap, which is thus confirmed. Materials data were carefully checked over a wide range of temperatures. Special attention was paid to the contact term for high temperatures. Thus, the model can be applied to transients. The URGAP model is being used successfully in several codes (e.g. URANUS, SSYST). (author)

Analysis of Removal Alternatives for the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor at the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, M.B.

1996-08-01

This engineering study was developed to evaluate different options for decommissioning of the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR) at the Savannah River Site. This document will be placed in the DOE-SRS Area reading rooms for a period of 30 days in order to obtain public input to plans for the demolition of HWCTR

Validation of heat transfer models for gap cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okano, Yukimitsu; Nagae, Takashi; Murase, Michio

2004-01-01

For severe accident assessment of a light water reactor, models of heat transfer in a narrow annular gap between overheated core debris and a reactor pressure vessel are important for evaluating vessel integrity and accident management. The authors developed and improved the models of heat transfer. However, validation was not sufficient for applicability of the gap heat flux correlation to the debris cooling in the vessel lower head and applicability of the local boiling heat flux correlations to the high-pressure conditions. Therefore, in this paper, we evaluated the validity of the heat transfer models and correlations by analyses for ALPHA and LAVA experiments where molten aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) at about 2700 K was poured into the high pressure water pool in a small-scale simulated vessel lower head. In the heating process of the vessel wall, the calculated heating rate and peak temperature agreed well with the measured values, and the validity of the heat transfer models and gap heat flux correlation was confirmed. In the cooling process of the vessel wall, the calculated cooling rate was compared with the measured value, and the validity of the nucleate boiling heat flux correlation was confirmed. The peak temperatures of the vessel wall in ALPHA and LAVA experiments were lower than the temperature at the minimum heat flux point between film boiling and transition boiling, so the minimum heat flux correlation could not be validated. (author)

CASE STUDY: China — Bridging the Gap between Scientists and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2011-01-05

Jan 5, 2011 ... CASE STUDY: China — Bridging the Gap between Scientists and ... the right inputs of water, fertilizer, and pesticides to maximize yields. ... Some are rare and unique to the area, such as black wax maize and mountain lily.

Forest filled with gaps : effects of gap size on water and nutrient cycling in tropical rain forest : a study in Guyana

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dam, O. van

2001-01-01

Guyana's forests are selectively logged and a forest management is desired that is economically sustainable and ecologically responsible. Canopy gaps, created by selective logging, induce changes to microclimatic and edaphic conditions. These changes influence the regeneration of the

Capabilities and limitations of fracture mechanics methods in the assessment of integrity of light water reactor components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burdekin, F M

1988-12-31

This document deals with fracture mechanics methods used for the assessment of Light Water Reactor (LWR) components. The background to analysis methods using elastic plastic parameters is described. Several results obtained with these methods are presented as well as results of reliability analysis methods. (TEC). 27 refs.

Mythic gaps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Hansen

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Different kinds of omissions sometimes occur, or are perceived to occur, in traditional narratives and in tradition-inspired literature. A familiar instance is when a narrator realizes that he or she does not fully remember the story that he or she has begun to tell, and so leaves out part of it, which for listeners may possibly result in an unintelligible narrative. But many instances of narrative gap are not so obvious. From straightforward, objective gaps one can distinguish less-obvious subjective gaps: in many cases narrators do not leave out anything crucial or truly relevant from their exposition, and yet readers perceive gaps and take steps to fill them. The present paper considers four examples of subjective gaps drawn from ancient Greek literature (the Pandora myth, ancient Roman literature (the Pygmalion legend, ancient Hebrew literature (the Joseph legend, and early Christian literature (the Jesus legend. I consider the quite varied ways in which interpreters expand the inherited texts of these stories, such as by devising names, manufacturing motives, creating backstories, and in general filling in biographical ellipses. Finally, I suggest an explanation for the phenomenon of subjective gaps, arguing that, despite their variety, they have a single cause.

Biological control component [Management of water hyacinth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harley, K.L.S.

1981-01-01

Both chemical and biological control have been used with limited success for the management of water hyacinth in Fiji. In some cases heavy application of chemicals have been successful in completely killing limited areas of water hyacinth, but have resulted in the destruction of biological agents introduced to control the water hyacinth and high contamination of natural water supplies. It is proposed that under the direction of Mr S R Singh, the Senior Research Scientist (Entomology) of the Koronivia Research Station, Suva, Fiji, a collaborative programme with Dr Harley of Australia on chemical and biological control of water hyacinth be initiated. This programme would be fundamentally short-term with the prime objective being an investigation of levels of insect population following varying levels of application of chemical sprays. By comparison with control areas, observations would be made of both chemical damage and insect damage within the limited time span of the period

Arsenic and other elements in drinking water and dietary components from the middle Gangetic plain of Bihar, India: Health risk index.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Manoj; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Ramanathan, A L; Naidu, Ravi

2016-01-01

This study investigates the level of contamination and health risk assessment for arsenic (As) and other elements in drinking water, vegetables and other food components in two blocks (Mohiuddinagar and Mohanpur) from the Samastipur district, Bihar, India. Groundwater (80%) samples exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value (10μg/L) of As while Mn exceeded the previous WHO limit of 400μg/L in 28% samples. The estimated daily intake of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn from drinking water and food components were 169, 19, 26, 882, 4645, 14582, 474, 1449 and 12,955μg, respectively (estimated exposure 3.70, 0.41, 0.57, 19.61, 103.22, 324.05, 10.53, 32.21 and 287.90μg per kg bw, respectively). Twelve of 15 cooked rice contained high As concentration compared to uncooked rice. Water contributes (67%) considerable As to daily exposure followed by rice and vegetables. Whereas food is the major contributor of other elements to the dietary exposure. Correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated natural source for As but for other elements, presence of diffused anthropogenic activities were responsible. The chronic daily intake (CDI) and health risk index (HRI) were also estimated from the generated data. The HRI were >1 for As in drinking water, vegetables and rice, for Mn in drinking water, vegetables, rice and wheat, for Pb in rice and wheat indicated the potential health risk to the local population. An assessment of As and other elements of other food components should be conducted to understand the actual health hazards caused by ingestion of food in people residing in the middle Gangetic plain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Water resources management in Tanzania: identifying research ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper aims at identifying research gaps and needs and recommendations for a research agenda on water resources management in Tanzania. We reviewed published literature on water resources management in Tanzania in order to highlight what is currently known, and to identify knowledge gaps, and suggest ...

Hydrogen production by Tuning the Photonic Band Gap with the Electronic Band Gap of TiO2

KAUST Repository

Waterhouse, G. I. N.; Wahab, A. K.; Al-Oufi, M.; Jovic, V.; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Sun-Waterhouse, D.; Llorca, J.; Idriss, H.

2013-01-01

Tuning the photonic band gap (PBG) to the electronic band gap (EBG) of Au/TiO2 catalysts resulted in considerable enhancement of the photocatalytic water splitting to hydrogen under direct sunlight. Au/TiO2 (PBG-357 nm) photocatalyst exhibited superior photocatalytic performance under both UV and sunlight compared to the Au/TiO2 (PBG-585 nm) photocatalyst and both are higher than Au/TiO2 without the 3 dimensionally ordered macro-porous structure materials. The very high photocatalytic activity is attributed to suppression of a fraction of electron-hole recombination route due to the co-incidence of the PBG with the EBG of TiO2 These materials that maintain their activity with very small amount of sacrificial agents (down to 0.5 vol.% of ethanol) are poised to find direct applications because of their high activity, low cost of the process, simplicity and stability.

Hydrogen production by Tuning the Photonic Band Gap with the Electronic Band Gap of TiO2

KAUST Repository

Waterhouse, G. I. N.

2013-10-10

Tuning the photonic band gap (PBG) to the electronic band gap (EBG) of Au/TiO2 catalysts resulted in considerable enhancement of the photocatalytic water splitting to hydrogen under direct sunlight. Au/TiO2 (PBG-357 nm) photocatalyst exhibited superior photocatalytic performance under both UV and sunlight compared to the Au/TiO2 (PBG-585 nm) photocatalyst and both are higher than Au/TiO2 without the 3 dimensionally ordered macro-porous structure materials. The very high photocatalytic activity is attributed to suppression of a fraction of electron-hole recombination route due to the co-incidence of the PBG with the EBG of TiO2 These materials that maintain their activity with very small amount of sacrificial agents (down to 0.5 vol.% of ethanol) are poised to find direct applications because of their high activity, low cost of the process, simplicity and stability.

Water resources of the Black Sea Basin at high spatial and temporal resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Rouholahnejad, Elham; Abbaspour, Karim C.; Srinivasan, Raghvan; Bacu, Victor; Lehmann, Anthony

2014-07-01

The pressure on water resources, deteriorating water quality, and uncertainties associated with the climate change create an environment of conflict in large and complex river system. The Black Sea Basin (BSB), in particular, suffers from ecological unsustainability and inadequate resource management leading to severe environmental, social, and economical problems. To better tackle the future challenges, we used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to model the hydrology of the BSB coupling water quantity, water quality, and crop yield components. The hydrological model of the BSB was calibrated and validated considering sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. River discharges, nitrate loads, and crop yields were used to calibrate the model. Employing grid technology improved calibration computation time by more than an order of magnitude. We calculated components of water resources such as river discharge, infiltration, aquifer recharge, soil moisture, and actual and potential evapotranspiration. Furthermore, available water resources were calculated at subbasin spatial and monthly temporal levels. Within this framework, a comprehensive database of the BSB was created to fill the existing gaps in water resources data in the region. In this paper, we discuss the challenges of building a large-scale model in fine spatial and temporal detail. This study provides the basis for further research on the impacts of climate and land use change on water resources in the BSB.

Interoperability Assets for Patient Summary Components: A Gap Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Heitmann, Kai U; Cangioli, Giorgio; Melgara, Marcello; Chronaki, Catherine

2018-01-01

The International Patient Summary (IPS) standards aim to define the specifications for a minimal and non-exhaustive Patient Summary, which is specialty-agnostic and condition-independent, but still clinically relevant. Meanwhile, health systems are developing and implementing their own variation of a patient summary while, the eHealth Digital Services Infrastructure (eHDSI) initiative is deploying patient summary services across countries in the Europe. In the spirit of co-creation, flexible governance, and continuous alignment advocated by eStandards, the Trillum-II initiative promotes adoption of the patient summary by engaging standards organizations, and interoperability practitioners in a community of practice for digital health to share best practices, tools, data, specifications, and experiences. This paper compares operational aspects of patient summaries in 14 case studies in Europe, the United States, and across the world, focusing on how patient summary components are used in practice, to promote alignment and joint understanding that will improve quality of standards and lower costs of interoperability.

Spontaneous nano-gap formation in Ag film using NaCl sacrificial layer for Raman enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Min, Kyungchan; Jeon, Wook Jin; Kim, Youngho; Choi, Jae-Young; Yu, Hak Ki

2018-03-01

We report the method of fabrication of nano-gaps (known as hot spots) in Ag thin film using a sodium chloride (NaCl) sacrificial layer for Raman enhancement. The Ag thin film (20-50 nm) on the NaCl sacrificial layer undergoes an interfacial reaction due to the AgCl formed at the interface during water molecule intercalation. The intercalated water molecules can dissolve the NaCl molecules at interfaces and form the ionic state of Na+ and Cl-, promoting the AgCl formation. The Ag atoms can migrate by the driving force of this interfacial reaction, resulting in the formation of nano-size gaps in the film. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity of Ag films with nano-size gaps has been investigated using Raman reporter molecules, Rhodamine 6G (R6G).

Crack growth behaviour of low alloy steels for pressure boundary components under transient light water reactor operating conditions (CASTOC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foehl, J.; Weissenberg, T.; Gomez-Briceno, D.; Lapena, J.; Ernestova, M.; Zamboch, M.; Seifert, H.P.; Ritter, S.; Roth, A.; Devrient, B.; Ehrnsten, U.

2004-01-01

The CASTOC project addresses environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) phenomena in low alloy steels used for pressure boundary components in both Western type boiling water reactors (BWR) and Russian type pressurised water reactors (VVER). It comprises the four work packages (WP): inter-laboratory comparison test (WP1); EAC behaviour under static load (WP2), EAC behaviour under cyclic load and load transients (WP3); evaluation of the results with regard to their relevance for components in practice (WP4). The use of sophisticated test facilities and measurement techniques for the on-line detection of crack advances have provided a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms of environmentally assisted cracking and provided quantitative data of crack growth rates as a function of loading events and time, respectively. The effect of several major parameters controlling EAC was investigated with particular emphasis on the transferability of the results to components in service. The obtained crack growth rate data were reflected on literature data and on commonly applied prediction curves as presented in the appropriate Code. At relevant stress intensity factors it could be shown that immediate cessation of growing cracks occurs after changing from cyclic to static load in high purity oxygenated BWR water and oxygen-free VVER water corresponding to steady state operation conditions. Susceptibility to environmentally assisted cracking under static load was observed for a heat affected zone material in oxygenated high purity water and also in base materials during a chloride transient representing BWR water condition below Action Level 1 of the EPRI Water Chemistry Guidelines according to the lectrical conductivity of the water but in the range of Action Level 2 according to the content of chlorides. Time based crack growth was also observed in one Russian type base material in oxygenated VVER water and in one Western type base material in oxygenated high purity BWR

The Knowledge Gap Versus the Belief Gap and Abstinence-Only Sex Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Hindman, Douglas Blanks; Yan, Changmin

2015-08-01

The knowledge gap hypothesis predicts widening disparities in knowledge of heavily publicized public affairs issues among socioeconomic status groups. The belief gap hypothesis extends the knowledge gap hypothesis to account for knowledge and beliefs about politically contested issues based on empirically verifiable information. This analysis of 3 national surveys shows belief gaps developed between liberals and conservatives regarding abstinence-only sex education; socioeconomic status-based knowledge gaps did not widen. The findings partially support both belief gap and knowledge gap hypotheses. In addition, the unique contributions of exposure to Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC in this process were investigated. Only exposure to Fox News was linked to beliefs about abstinence-only sex education directly and indirectly through the cultivation of conservative ideology.

Tunable band gaps in bio-inspired periodic composites with nacre-like microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yanyu; Wang, Lifeng

2014-08-01

Periodic composite materials have many promising applications due to their unique ability to control the propagation of waves. Here, we report the existence and frequency tunability of complete elastic wave band gaps in bio-inspired periodic composites with nacre-like, brick-and-mortar microstructure. Numerical results show that complete band gaps in these periodic composites derive from local resonances or Bragg scattering, depending on the lattice angle and the volume fraction of each phase in the composites. The investigation of elastic wave propagation in finite periodic composites validates the simulated complete band gaps and further reveals the mechanisms leading to complete band gaps. Moreover, our results indicate that the topological arrangement of the mineral platelets and changes of material properties can be utilized to tune the evolution of complete band gaps. Our finding provides new opportunities to design mechanically robust periodic composite materials for wave absorption under hostile environments, such as for deep water applications.

Construction of the HTTR in-core components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maruyama, S.; Saikusa, A.; Shiozawa, S.; Tsuji, N.; Jinza, K.; Miki, T.

1996-01-01

The reactor internals of HTTR consist of graphite and metallic core support structures and shielding blocks and are designed to support core elements and to shield neutron fluence. They also have functions to restrict by-pass flow for ensuring the core cooling performance and to maintain the temperature of metallic core support structures within their design limits. The detailed design of the HTTR core support structure was approved by the government through safety review, 1990-1991. Machining of all graphite components, which consist of about 150 large blocks, was finished in September 1994 successfully. Machining and fabricating of the metallic components were also finished in September. Prior to their installation in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), the assembly test of actual reactor internals was performed at the works to confirm above mentioned functions. The assembly test was conducted by examining fabricating precision of each component and alignment of piled-up structures, measuring circumferential coolant velocity profile in the passage between the RPV and reactor internals as well as under the core support plates with respect to structural integrity, and measuring by-pass flow rate through gaps between graphite components which may degrade core performance. The another purpose of the assembly test was to confirm the installation procedure of those components. All components were assembled at the works according to the planned procedure, and the tests were executed while assembling. As a result of the tests, measured level difference and gap width between reactor internals were negligible from core thermal and hydraulic performance point of view. Coolant flows uniformly in circumferential direction at any axial level in the RPV. By-pass flow rate was found to be suppressed sufficiently and far less than the design limit. (J.P.N.)

Regression analysis for bivariate gap time with missing first gap time data.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chia-Hui; Chen, Yi-Hau

2017-01-01

We consider ordered bivariate gap time while data on the first gap time are unobservable. This study is motivated by the HIV infection and AIDS study, where the initial HIV contracting time is unavailable, but the diagnosis times for HIV and AIDS are available. We are interested in studying the risk factors for the gap time between initial HIV contraction and HIV diagnosis, and gap time between HIV and AIDS diagnoses. Besides, the association between the two gap times is also of interest. Accordingly, in the data analysis we are faced with two-fold complexity, namely data on the first gap time is completely missing, and the second gap time is subject to induced informative censoring due to dependence between the two gap times. We propose a modeling framework for regression analysis of bivariate gap time under the complexity of the data. The estimating equations for the covariate effects on, as well as the association between, the two gap times are derived through maximum likelihood and suitable counting processes. Large sample properties of the resulting estimators are developed by martingale theory. Simulations are performed to examine the performance of the proposed analysis procedure. An application of data from the HIV and AIDS study mentioned above is reported for illustration.

Gender Wage Gaps by College Major in Taiwan: Empirical Evidence from the 1997-2003 Manpower Utilization Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Eric S.

2010-01-01

In this article, we examine the effect of incorporating the fields of study on the explained and unexplained components of the standard Oaxaca decomposition for the gender wage gaps in Taiwan using 1997-2003 Manpower Utilization Survey data. Using several existing and lately developed measures, we inspect the gender wage gap by college major to…

The effect of pressurizer-water-level on the low frequency component of the pressure spectrum in a PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Por, G.; Izsak, E.; Valko, J.

1984-09-01

The pressure fluctuations were measured in the cooling system of the Paks-1 reactor. A shift of the peak was detected in low frequency component of the pressure fluctuation spectrum which is due to the fluctuations of water level in the pressurizer. Using the model of Katona and Nagy (1983), the eigenfrequencies, the magnitude of the shift and the sensitivity to the pressurizer water level were reproduced in good accordance with the experimental data. (D.Gy.)

A new time-space accounting scheme to predict stream water residence time and hydrograph source components at the watershed scale

Science.gov (United States)

Takahiro Sayama; Jeffrey J. McDonnell

2009-01-01

Hydrograph source components and stream water residence time are fundamental behavioral descriptors of watersheds but, as yet, are poorly represented in most rainfall-runoff models. We present a new time-space accounting scheme (T-SAS) to simulate the pre-event and event water fractions, mean residence time, and spatial source of streamflow at the watershed scale. We...

Quantifying yield gaps in wheat production in Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schierhorn, Florian; Prishchepov, Alexander V; Koch, Friedrich J; Müller, Daniel; Faramarzi, Monireh

2014-01-01

Crop yields must increase substantially to meet the increasing demands for agricultural products. Crop yield increases are particularly important for Russia because low crop yields prevail across Russia’s widespread and fertile land resources. However, reliable data are lacking regarding the spatial distribution of potential yields in Russia, which can be used to determine yield gaps. We used a crop growth model to determine the yield potentials and yield gaps of winter and spring wheat at the provincial level across European Russia. We modeled the annual yield potentials from 1995 to 2006 with optimal nitrogen supplies for both rainfed and irrigated conditions. Overall, the results suggest yield gaps of 1.51–2.10 t ha −1 , or 44–52% of the yield potential under rainfed conditions. Under irrigated conditions, yield gaps of 3.14–3.30 t ha −1 , or 62–63% of the yield potential, were observed. However, recurring droughts cause large fluctuations in yield potentials under rainfed conditions, even when the nitrogen supply is optimal, particularly in the highly fertile black soil areas of southern European Russia. The highest yield gaps (up to 4 t ha −1 ) under irrigated conditions were detected in the steppe areas in southeastern European Russia along the border of Kazakhstan. Improving the nutrient and water supply and using crop breeds that are adapted to the frequent drought conditions are important for reducing yield gaps in European Russia. Our regional assessment helps inform policy and agricultural investors and prioritize research that aims to increase crop production in this important region for global agricultural markets. (letter)

Technology development for special nuclear components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanatkumar, A.

1994-01-01

One of the attractive features of Candu Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor design which influenced the decision to make it the foundation of our nuclear power programme, is that its main components (calandria, end shields, coolant channel components) are relatively simple - in comparison with reactor pressure vessel and associated components of Boiling Water Reactors or Pressurised Water Reactors - and considered to be within the scope of manufacture of developing countries. Over the last two decades, India has been very successful in technology development in many important and critical areas. We are now about to launch the construction of the first 500 MWe PHWR project at Tarapur. In this context, this paper focuses attention on some of the aspects relating to self-reliance in design, engineering and manufacture of these special components as currently perceived. (author). 3 refs

Water data to answer urgent water policy questions: Monitoring design, available data and filling data gaps for determining the effectiveness of agricultural management practices for reducing tributary nutrient loads to Lake Erie

Science.gov (United States)

Bentanzo, Elin A.; Choquette, Anne F.; Reckhow, Kenneth H.; Hayes, Laura; Hagan, Erik R; Argue, Denise M.; Cangelosi, A.A.

2015-01-01

Throughout its history, the United States has made major investments in assessing natural resources, such as soils, timber, oil and gas, and water. These investments allow policy makers, the private sector and the American public to make informed decisions about cultivating, harvesting or conserving these resources to maximize their value for public welfare, environmental conservation and the economy. As policy issues evolve, new priorities and challenges arise for natural resource assessment, and new approaches to monitoring are needed. For example, informed conservation and use of the nation’s finite fresh water resources in the context of increasingly intensive land development is a priority for today’s policy decisionmakers. There is a need to evaluate whether today’s water monitoring programs are generating the information needed to answer questions surrounding these new policy priorities. The Northeast-Midwest Institute (NEMWI), in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, initiated this project to explore the types and amounts of water data needed to address water-quality related policy questions of critical concern to today’s policy makers. The collaborating entities identified two urgent water policy questions and conducted case studies in the Northeast-Midwest region to determine the water data needed, water data available, and the best ways to fill the data gaps relative to those questions. This report details the output from one case study and focuses on the Lake Erie drainage basin, a data-rich area expected to be a best-case scenario in terms of water data availability.

Options for decoupling economic growth from water use and water pollution: A report of the Water Working Group of the International Resource Panel Options for decoupling economic growth from water use and water pollution

Science.gov (United States)

Global trends have pointed to a relative decoupling of water – that is, the rate of water resource use is increasing at a rate slower than that of economic growth. Despite this progress at the global level, it is projected that by 2030 there will be a 40% gap between water supply and water demand if...

A Linked Hydro-Economic Model to Examine the Effects of Water Policy on Rural Poverty

Science.gov (United States)

Maneta, M. P.; Torres, M.; Vosti, S. A.; Wallender, W. W.; Howitt, R.; Rodrigues, L. N.; Bassoi, L. H.; Pfeiffer, L.; Young, J.

2006-12-01

The sustainable intensification of small-scale agriculture is a necessary condition for reducing rural poverty in developing countries. Increasing the amount of irrigated cropland and the economic efficiency of irrigation are two key components of most intensification strategies. Improved access to water generally increases farm income but richer farmers use a disproportionate share of the available water, decreasing the chances of poor farmers to meet their water needs. Furthermore, water and poverty have strong spatial components that have so far been neglected in water planning. In that sense, too little is known about the short and long term hydrological effects, especially the externality effects of changes in on-farm water use and its implications to nearby farmers. To address this gap in knowledge, a spatially distributed and transient description of changes in surface and groundwater allocation under different agricultural management scenarios is needed. We propose a hydro-economic model providing a realistic spatio-temporal description of the linkages between the economic and hydrologic subsystems. This hydro-economic model is composed of a basin-level 3D spatially distributed transient hydrologic model (MOD-HMS) and a farm-level, spatially distributed agricultural production model. Both models are explicitly linked through the boundary conditions of the hydrologic model. The linkage will account for the spatial and temporal impact of different crop mixes, irrigation techniques and groundwater pumpage on water availability at farm level to assess the effects of policy action on the hydro-economic components of the system.

PRODUCTION COMPONENTS OF Vigna unguiculata (L. Walp IRRIGATED WITH BRACKISH WATER UNDER DIFFERENT LEACHING FRACTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JOSÉ FRANCISCO DE CARVALHO

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate the production components of cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L. Walp subjected to irrigation with brackish water and different leaching fractions. The experiment was conducted in a lysimeter system of the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife campus. The treatments, consisting of two water salinity levels (ECw (1.2 and 3.3 dS m - 1 and five leaching fractions (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%, were evaluated using a completely randomized design in a 2x5 factorial arrangement with four replications. The variables evaluated were: number of pods per plant, 100 - grain weight, number of grains per pod, grain and shoot dry weight, grain yield and harvest index. The soil salinity increased with increasing salinity of the water used for irrigation, and reduced with increasing leaching fraction. The salinity of the water used for irrigation influenced only the variables number of pods per plant and grain yield. The estimated leaching fractions of 9.1% and 9.6% inhibited the damage caused by salinity on the number of pods per plant and grain yield, respectively. Therefore, the production of V. unguiculata irrigated with brackish water, leaching salts from the plant root environment, is possible under the conditions evaluated.

Bulk superconducting gap of V_3Si studied by low-energy ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, T.; Souma, S.; Nakayama, K.; Sugawara, K.; Toyota, N.; Takahashi, T.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We report ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy of A15 compound V_3Si. • We found a sharp quasiparticle peak due to superconducting-gap opening. • The surface metallic component is negligibly small in the bulk-sensitive measurement. • We show that V_3Si is a single-gap s-wave superconductor. - Abstract: We have performed low-energy ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy (PES) of A15 compound V_3Si with a xenon-plasma discharge lamp to elucidate the bulk superconducting gap. Below the superconducting transition temperature (T_c = 15.9 K), we found a sharp quasiparticle peak at the Fermi level in the PES spectrum. The gap spectrum is well fitted by a single s-wave superconducting-gap function together with a dip structure at ∼30 meV suggestive of a strong electron-phonon coupling. The anomalous in-gap state previously observed in the PES measurement with high-energy photons is absent or negligibly small in the present bulk-sensitive measurement. The present PES result shows that V_3Si is a single-gap s-wave superconductor.

Water chemistry and corrosion control of cladding and primary circuit components. Proceedings of a technical committee meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-12-01

Corrosion is the principal life limiting degradation mechanism in nuclear steam supply systems, especially taking into account the trends to increase fuel burnup, thermal rate and cycle length. Primary circuit components of water cooled power reactors have an impact on Zr-based alloys behaviour due to crud (primary circuit corrosion products) formation, transport and deposition on heat transfer surfaces. Crud deposits influence water chemistry, radiation and thermal hydraulic conditions near cladding surface, and by this way-Zr-based alloy corrosion. During the last decade, significant improvements were achieved in the reduction of the corrosion and dose rates by changing the cladding material for one more resistant to corrosion or by the improvement of water chemistry conditions. However, taking into account the above mentioned tendency for heavier fuel duties, corrosion and water chemistry, control will remain a serious task to work with for nuclear power plant operators and scientists, as well as development of generally accepted corrosion model of Zr-based alloys in a water environment in a new millennium. Upon the recommendation of the International Working Group on Water Reactor Fuel Performance and Technology, water chemistry and corrosion of cladding and primary circuit components are in the focus of the IAEA activities in the area of fuel technology and performance. At present the IAEA performs two co-ordinated research projects (CRPs): on On-line High Temperature Monitoring of Water Chemistry and Corrosion (WACOL) and on Activity Transport in Primary Circuits. Two CRPs deal with hydrogen and hydride degradation of the Zr-based alloys. A state-of-the-art review entitled: 'Waterside Corrosion of Zirconium Alloys in Nuclear Power Plants' was published in 1998. Technical Committee meetings on the subject were held in 1985 (Cadarache, France), 1989 (Portland, USA), 1993 (Rez, Czech Republic). During the last few years extensive exchange of experience in

Design and Test of Wendelstein 7-X Water-Cooled Divertor Scraper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boscary, J. [Max-Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, Garching, Germany; Greuner, Henri [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching, Germany; Ehrke, Gunnar [Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics, Greifswald, Germany; Boeswirth, Bernd [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching, Germany; Wang, Zhongwei [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching, Germany; Clark, Emily [The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Lumsdaine, Arnold [ORNL; Tretter, Jorg [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching, Germany; Junghanns, Patrick [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching, Germany; Stadler, Reinhold [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching, Germany; McGinnis, William Dean [ORNL; Lore, Jeremy D. [ORNL; Team, W7-X [Max-Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik, Griefswald, Germany

2018-04-01

Heat load calculations have indicated the possible overloading of the ends of the water-cooled divertor facing the pumping gap beyond their technological limit. The intention of the scraper is the interception of some of the plasma fluxes both upstream and downstream before they reach the divertor surface. The scraper is divided into six modules of four plasma facing components (PFCs); each module has four PFCs hydraulically connected in series by two water boxes (inlet and outlet). A full-scale prototype of one module has been manufactured. Development activities have been carried out to connect the water boxes to the cooling pipes of the PFCs by tungsten inert gas internal orbital welding. This prototype was successfully tested in the GLADIS facility with 17 MW/m2 for 500 cycles. The results of these activities have confirmed the possible technological basis for a fabrication of the water-cooled scraper.

GAP Analysis Program (GAP)

Data.gov (United States)

Kansas Data Access and Support Center — The Kansas GAP Analysis Land Cover database depicts 43 land cover classes for the state of Kansas. The database was generated using a two-stage hybrid classification...

On inclusion of water resource management in Earth system models - Part 1: Problem definition and representation of water demand

Science.gov (United States)

Nazemi, A.; Wheater, H. S.

2015-01-01

Human activities have caused various changes to the Earth system, and hence the interconnections between human activities and the Earth system should be recognized and reflected in models that simulate Earth system processes. One key anthropogenic activity is water resource management, which determines the dynamics of human-water interactions in time and space and controls human livelihoods and economy, including energy and food production. There are immediate needs to include water resource management in Earth system models. First, the extent of human water requirements is increasing rapidly at the global scale and it is crucial to analyze the possible imbalance between water demands and supply under various scenarios of climate change and across various temporal and spatial scales. Second, recent observations show that human-water interactions, manifested through water resource management, can substantially alter the terrestrial water cycle, affect land-atmospheric feedbacks and may further interact with climate and contribute to sea-level change. Due to the importance of water resource management in determining the future of the global water and climate cycles, the World Climate Research Program's Global Energy and Water Exchanges project (WRCP-GEWEX) has recently identified gaps in describing human-water interactions as one of the grand challenges in Earth system modeling (GEWEX, 2012). Here, we divide water resource management into two interdependent elements, related firstly to water demand and secondly to water supply and allocation. In this paper, we survey the current literature on how various components of water demand have been included in large-scale models, in particular land surface and global hydrological models. Issues of water supply and allocation are addressed in a companion paper. The available algorithms to represent the dominant demands are classified based on the demand type, mode of simulation and underlying modeling assumptions. We discuss

Application of large-scaled pre-cast components for the construction of water intake for a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Topolnicki, M.

1976-01-01

Problem of the construction of water intake for a 4000 MW nuclear power plant located at the seashore is solved. The advantages of application of large-size pre-cast components are presented,. The constructional solutions and proposed technologies are described in detail. (A.S.)

Rasputin, the Drosophila homologue of the RasGAP SH3 binding protein, functions in ras- and Rho-mediated signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Pazman, C; Mayes, C A; Fanto, M; Haynes, S R; Mlodzik, M

2000-04-01

The small GTPase Ras plays an important role in many cellular signaling processes. Ras activity is negatively regulated by GTPase activating proteins (GAPs). It has been proposed that RasGAP may also function as an effector of Ras activity. We have identified and characterized the Drosophila homologue of the RasGAP-binding protein G3BP encoded by rasputin (rin). rin mutants are viable and display defects in photoreceptor recruitment and ommatidial polarity in the eye. Mutations in rin/G3BP genetically interact with components of the Ras signaling pathway that function at the level of Ras and above, but not with Raf/MAPK pathway components. These interactions suggest that Rin is required as an effector in Ras signaling during eye development, supporting an effector role for RasGAP. The ommatidial polarity phenotypes of rin are similar to those of RhoA and the polarity genes, e.g. fz and dsh. Although rin/G3BP interacts genetically with RhoA, affecting both photoreceptor differentiation and polarity, it does not interact with the gain-of-function genotypes of fz and dsh. These data suggest that Rin is not a general component of polarity generation, but serves a function specific to Ras and RhoA signaling pathways.

Component-Level Prognostics Health Management Framework for Passive Components - Advanced Reactor Technology Milestone: M2AT-15PN2301043

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Roy, Surajit; Hirt, Evelyn H.; Prowant, Matthew S.; Pitman, Stan G.; Tucker, Joseph C.; Dib, Gerges; Pardini, Allan F.

2015-06-19

This report describes research results to date in support of the integration and demonstration of diagnostics technologies for prototypical advanced reactor passive components (to establish condition indices for monitoring) with model-based prognostics methods. Achieving this objective will necessitate addressing several of the research gaps and technical needs described in previous technical reports in this series.

Boiling-Water Reactor internals aging degradation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luk, K.H.

1993-09-01

This report documents the results of an aging assessment study for boiling water reactor (BWR) internals. Major stressors for BWR internals are related to unsteady hydrodynamic forces generated by the primary coolant flow in the reactor vessel. Welding and cold-working, dissolved oxygen and impurities in the coolant, applied loads and exposures to fast neutron fluxes are other important stressors. Based on results of a component failure information survey, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and fatigue are identified as the two major aging-related degradation mechanisms for BWR internals. Significant reported failures include SCC in jet-pump holddown beams, in-core neutron flux monitor dry tubes and core spray spargers. Fatigue failures were detected in feedwater spargers. The implementation of a plant Hydrogen Water Chemistry (HWC) program is considered as a promising method for controlling SCC problems in BWR. More operating data are needed to evaluate its effectiveness for internal components. Long-term fast neutron irradiation effects and high-cycle fatigue in a corrosive environment are uncertainty factors in the aging assessment process. BWR internals are examined by visual inspections and the method is access limited. The presence of a large water gap and an absence of ex-core neutron flux monitors may handicap the use of advanced inspection methods, such as neutron noise vibration measurements, for BWR

Bridging the Gap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kramer Overgaard, Majken; Broeng, Jes; Jensen, Monika Luniewska

Bridging the Gap (BtG) is a 2-year project funded by The Danish Industry Foundation. The goal of Bridging the Gap has been to create a new innovation model which will increase the rate at which Danish universities can spinout new technology ventures.......Bridging the Gap (BtG) is a 2-year project funded by The Danish Industry Foundation. The goal of Bridging the Gap has been to create a new innovation model which will increase the rate at which Danish universities can spinout new technology ventures....

Hot gas path component having near wall cooling features

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Carlos Miguel; Kottilingam, Srikanth Chandrudu; Lacy, Benjamin Paul

2017-11-28

A method for providing micro-channels in a hot gas path component includes forming a first micro-channel in an exterior surface of a substrate of the hot gas path component. A second micro-channel is formed in the exterior surface of the hot gas path component such that it is separated from the first micro-channel by a surface gap having a first width. The method also includes disposing a braze sheet onto the exterior surface of the hot gas path component such that the braze sheet covers at least of portion of the first and second micro-channels, and heating the braze sheet to bond it to at least a portion of the exterior surface of the hot gas path component.

Formation of the Innovation Component of Marketing Technologies of Enterprises That Produce Mineral Waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golodniuk Olena S.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The article considers main marketing technologies of building competitive advantages by enterprises that produce Ukrainian mineral waters. It considers individual innovations of the conceptual (eco-marketing and applied (branding, benchmarking and competitive reconnaissance nature with consideration of their significance for participants of this market. It offers directions of increasing the innovation component of topical marketing technologies with the aim of implementation of their results into management of competitive advantages of enterprises. It draws a conclusion about a necessity of: reducing evident and growth of a number of latent competitive advantages, based on intellectual technologies, and also development and realisation of a conceptual model of providing marketing innovations in the system of managing competitive advantages of enterprises; and formation of the system of monitoring marketing innovations with the aim of development of additional services and means of building competitive advantages of enterprises that produce mineral waters.

Friction and wear studies of nuclear power plant components in pressurized high temperature water environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, P.L.; Zbinden, M.; Taponat, M.C.; Robertson, M.F.

1997-01-01

The present paper is part of a series of papers aiming to present the friction and wear results of a collaborative study on nuclear power plant components tested in pressurized high temperature water. The high temperature test facilities and the methodology in presenting the kinetics and wear results are described in detail. The results of the same material combinations obtained from two very different high temperature test facilities (NRCC and EDF) are presented and discussed. (K.A.)

Development of heat transfer models for gap cooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kohriyama, Tamio; Murase, Michio; Tamaki, Tomohiko [Institute of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Mihama, Fukui (Japan)

2001-09-01

In a severe accident of a light water reactor (LWR), heat transfer models in a narrow annular gap between superheated core debris and a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) are important to evaluate the integrity of RPV and emergency procedures. This paper discusses the effects of superheat on the heat flux based on existing data. In low superheat conditions, the heat flux in the narrow gap is higher than the heat flux in pool nucleate boiling due to restricted flow area. It approaches the nucleate boiling heat flux as superheat increasing and reaches a critical value subject to the counter-current flow limiting (CCFL) at the top end of the gap. A heat transfer correlation was derived as a function of dimensionless superheat and a Kutateladze-type CCFL correlation was deduced for critical heat flux (CHF) restricted by CCFL, which gave good prediction for a wide range of the CHF data. Effect of an angle of inclination of the gap could also be incorporated in the CCFL correlation. In high superheat conditions, the heat flux in the narrow gap maintains a similar shape to the pool boiling curve but shifts the position to a higher superheated side than the pool boiling except film boiling, which could be expressed by the typical pool film boiling correlation. Incorporating quench test data, the heat flux correlation was derived as a function of dimensionless superheat using the same formula for the low superheat and the Kutateladze-type CCFL correlation was deduced for CHF. The CHF at the high superheat was 3-4 times as large as CHF at the low superheat and this difference was well predicted by different flow patterns in the gap and the balance of pressure gradients between gas and liquid phases. (author)

Technique for estimating relocated gap width for gap conductance calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klink, P.H.

1978-01-01

Thermally induced fuel fragmentation and relocation has been demonstrated to influence the thermal behavior of a fuel rod in two ways. The effective fuel pellet conductivity is decreased and pellet-to-cladding heat transfer is improved. This paper presents a correlation between as-built and relocated gap width which, used with the Ross and Stoute Gap Conductance Correlation and an appropriate fuel thermal expansion model, closely predicts the measured gap conductances

Evaluation of Yield and Yield Components of Some Pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. Genotypes under Late Season Water Deficit Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

somayyeh soheili movahhed

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction Drought or water deficit stress is the most important environmental factor which has severe negative impacts on crop yields, especially when the water stress occurs in the flowering stage. Iran is located in arid and semi-arid areas, therefore, attention to the effects of water deficit stress in different stages of plants growth seems necessary. Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. is one of the most important legumes that has a major contribution to human diet and provides an important part of the human protein. According to studies, cultivation areas of legumes in Iran are about 97300 hectares and its total production is about 208350 tons of grain. Bean is a fast-growing plant (Tran and Singh, 2002, thus soil water must be sufficiently available to ensure its desirable growth and yield. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of drought stress on yield and yield components of some pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cultivated in Zanjan province. Materials and methods An experiment was conducted as spilt plot based on randomized complete block design with four replications in Zanjan university research farm. Irrigation levels (control and drought stress and genotypes (Local khomein, Sadri, Ks21193 and Ks21189 were set in the main and subplot, respectively. Water deficit stress was applied during flowering stage (50% of the plants were at anthesis. Sampling was performed to measure yield and yield components at the end of the growth period and final maturity. In this experiment number of pod per Plant, numberof grain per pod, 100 grain weight, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index were measured. Results and Discussion In this experiment it was observed that drought stress, genotype and interact irrigation×genotyps were significantly for all traits except biological yield. Drought stress reduced number of pod perplant, number of grain per pod, 100 grain weight, grain yield, biological yield and Harvest Index. Results

EBR-II facility for cleaning and maintenance of LMR components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Washburn, R.A.

1986-01-01

The cleaning and maintenance of EBR-II sodium wetted components is accomplished in a separate hands-on maintenance facility known as the Sodium Components Maintenance Shop (SCMS). Sodium removal is mostly done using alcohol but steam or water is used. The SCMS has three alcohol cleaning systems: one for small nonradioactive components, one for small radioactive components, and one for large radioactive components. The SCMS also has a water-wash station for the removal of sodium with steam or water. An Alcohol Recovery Facility removes radioactive contaminants from the alcohol and reclaims the alcohol for reuse. Associated with the large components cleaning system is a major component handling system

Conductive component after cochlear implantation in patients with residual hearing conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chole, Richard A; Hullar, Timothy E; Potts, Lisa G

2014-12-01

Changes in auditory thresholds following cochlear implantation are generally assumed to be due to damage to neural elements. Theoretical studies have suggested that placement of a cochlear implant can cause a conductive hearing loss. Identification of a conductive component following cochlear implantation could guide improvements in surgical techniques or device designs. The purpose of this study is to characterize new-onset conductive hearing losses after cochlear implantation. In a prospective study, air- and bone-conduction audiometric testing were completed on cochlear implant recipients. An air-bone gap equal to or greater than 15 dB HL at 2 frequencies determined the presence of a conductive component. Of the 32 patients with preoperative bone-conduction hearing, 4 patients had a new-onset conductive component resulting in a mixed hearing loss, with air-conduction thresholds ranging from moderate to profound and an average air-bone gap of 30 dB HL. One had been implanted through the round window, 2 had an extended round window, and 1 had a separate cochleostomy. Loss of residual hearing following cochlear implantation may be due in part to a conductive component. Identifying the mechanism for this conductive component may help minimize hearing loss. Postoperative hearing evaluation should measure both air- and bone-conduction thresholds.

Components of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klinda, J.; Lieskovska, Z.

1998-01-01

This report of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic deals with the components of the environment. The results of monitoring of air (emission situation), ambient air quality, atmospheric precipitation, tropospheric ozone, water (surface water, groundwater resources, waste water and drinking water), geological factors (geothermal energy, fuel deposits, ore deposits, non-metallic ore deposits), soil (area statistics, soil contamination. soil reaction and active extractable aluminium, soil erosion), flora and fauna (national strategy of biodiversity protection) are presented

Canopy gap edge determination and the importance of gap edges for plant diversity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Salvador-Van Eysenrode

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Canopy gaps, i.e. openings in the forest cover caused by the fall of structural elements, are considered to be important for the maintenance of diversity and for the forest cycle. A gap can be considered as a young forest patch in the forest matrix, composed of interior surrounded by an edge, both enclosed by a perimeter. Much of the attention has been focused on the gap interior. However, at gap edges the spectrum of regeneration opportunities for plants may be larger than in the interior. Although definitions of gap are still discussed, any definition can describe it in an acceptable way, if justified, but defining edges is complicated and appropriate descriptors should be used. A method to determine gap interior and edge, using light as a descriptor, is presented with an example of gaps from a beech forest (Fagus sylvatica in Belgium. Also, the relevance and implications of gap edges for plant diversity and calculation of forest turnover is discussed.

Effect of Mycorrhizal Fungus (Glomus spp on Wheat (Triticumaestivum Yield and Yield Components with Regard to Irrigation Water Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Habibi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction Decrease in water quality affected by salinization of the water resources due to the drought is one of the limiting factors of plant production. Using mycorrhizal fungi is an important approach to deal with damaging effects during stress conditions. The symbiosis of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM with the host plant and hence, the production of a very extensive network of hypha, enhances nutrient acquisition and improves water uptake in the host plant. The specialized network of hypha raises the uptake and translocation of nutrients to the plant, whereas it inhibits high uptake of Na and Cl and their transport to plant shoots compared with plant roots. Hence, AM can alleviate the stress of salinity on plant growth and increases their tolerance to the stresses. Materials and Methods In order to evaluate the influence of mycorrhizal fungi on yield and yield components of wheat, a greenhouse experiment was conducted in research farm of Shahid Chamran Ahvaz University. Experimental design was a randomized complete block design arranged in split factorial with three replications. The factors were water salinity (water quality including filtered water (EC ≥ 1 dS m-1, tap water (EC = 1/7-3 ds m-1, tap water plus NaCl and filtered water plus NaCl (EC = 8 ds m-1. Soil sterilization included sterilized and non-sterilized soil and mycorrhizal inoculation were in five levels (non-inoculated, inoculated with ‌Glomusmosseae, G. intraradices, G. geosporum and mixture of them. Yield and yield components were measured at crop maturity and colonization percentage of root was determined at flowering stage. Root colonization by AM was determined through preparing root samples at 1 g in each experimental unit, and roots were stained using the Gridline- Intersect Method. The harvest index and mycorrhizal dependency were also measured. Salinity levels determined approximate the threshold of wheat –tolerate- salinity before the results would rather

The gender pay gap in the Australian private sector: Is selection relevant across the wage distribution?

OpenAIRE

Chzhen, Yekaterina; Mumford, Karen A.; Nicodemo, Catia

2012-01-01

We use quantile regression and counterfactual decomposition methods to explore gender gaps across the earning distribution for full-time employees in the Australian private sector. Significant evidence of a self selection effect for women into full-time employment (or of components of self selection related to observable or unobservable characteristics) is, interestingly, not found to be relevant in the Australian context. Substantial gender earnings gaps (and glass ceilings) are established,...

Gap filling strategies for long term energy flux data sets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Falge, E.; Baldocchi, D.; Olson, R.

2001-01-01

At present a network of over 100 field sites are measuring carbon dioxide, water vapor and sensible heat fluxes between the biosphere and atmosphere, on a nearly continuous basis. Gaps in the long term measurements of evaporation and sensible heat flux must be filled before these data can be used...... for hydrological and meteorological applications. We adapted methods of gap filling for NEE (net ecosystem exchange of carbon) to energy fluxes and applied them to data sets available from the EUROFLUX and AmeriFlux eddy covariance databases. The average data coverage for the sites selected was 69% and 75......% for latent heat (lambdaE) and sensible heat (H). The methods were based on mean diurnal variations (half-hourly binned means of fluxes based on previous and subsequent days, MDV) and look-up tables for fluxes during assorted meteorological conditions (LookUp), and the impact of different gap filling methods...

Process for the manufacture of a shielding or container wall assembled from components in plants with radioactive radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

The shielding or container wall is assembled from cast iron components. Liquid lead at a temperature of 500 0 C is introduced into the gaps between the cast iron components by means of a lead pump and a heated lance. The casting can be done at several positions of the container wall. To increase the flow paths of the lead, the walls with gaps are provided with a ground cork layer. (DG) [de

A comparison of the wide gap and narrow gap resistive plate chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerron Zeballos, E.; Crotty, I.; Hatzifotiadou, D.; Valverde, J.L.; Neupane, S.; Peskov, V.; Singh, S.; Williams, M.C.S.; Zichichi, A.

1996-01-01

In this paper we study the performance of a wide gap RPC and compare it with that of a narrow gap RPC, both operated in avalanche mode. We have studied the total charge produced in the avalanche. We have measured the dependence of the performance with rate. In addition we have considered the effect of the tolerance of gas gap and calculated the power dissipated in these two types of RPC. We find that the narrow gap RPC has better timing ability; however the wide gap has superior rate capability, lower power dissipation in the gas volume and can be constructed with less stringent mechanical tolerances. (orig.)

A comparison of the wide gap and narrow gap resistive plate chamber

CERN Document Server

Cerron-Zeballos, E; Hatzifotiadou, D; Lamas-Valverde, J; Neupane, S; Peskov, Vladimir; Singh, S; Williams, M C S; Zichichi, Antonino

1996-01-01

In this paper we study the performance of a wide gap RPC and compare it with that of a narrow gap RPC, both operated in avalanche mode. We have studied the total charge produced in the avalanche. We have measured the dependence of the performance with rate. In addition we have considered the effect of the tolerance of gas gap and calculated the power dissipated in these two types of RPC. We find that the narrow gap RPC has better timing ability; however the wide gap has superior rate capability, lower power dissipation in the gas volume and can be constructed with less stringent mechanical tolerances.

Gap filling strategies for long term energy flux data sets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Falge, E.; Baldocchi, D.; Olson, R.; Anthoni, P.; Aubinet, M.; Bernhofer, C.; Burba, G.; Ceulemans, R.; Clement, R.; Dolman, H.; Granier, A.; Gross, P.; Grünwald, T.; Hollinger, D.; Jensen, N.O.; Katul, G.; Keronen, P.; Kowalski, A.; Lai, C.T.; Law, B.E.; Meyers, T.; Moncrieff, J.; Moors, E.J.; Munger, J.W.; Pilegaard, K.; Rebmann, C.; Suyker, A.; Tenhunen, J.; Tu, K.

2001-01-01

At present a network of over 100 field sites are measuring carbon dioxide, water vapor and sensible heat fluxes between the biosphere and atmosphere, on a nearly continuous basis. Gaps in the long term measurements of evaporation and sensible heat flux must be filled before these data can be used

Demographic characteristics in patients with short-gap and long-gap ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Further analysis of this topic is warranted ... Keywords: demographic characteristics, long-gap esophageal atresia, short-gap ... Thus, we conducted the present study to analyze the character- ..... this issue, providing fundamental information.

Influence of humidity on the graphene band gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakaryan, H.A.; Aroutiounian, V.M.

2015-01-01

Influences of the humidity on graphene properties are studied and comparisons of graphene and polymer humidity sensors are carried out. Graphene sensors have remarkable response compare to nanoporous polymer membranes. The resistance of polymer sensors is 150 GOhm and decreases in 7.5 times at 60 per cent of the relative humidity. For graphene, resistance drops 4 times starting from ~100 kOhm. This is connected with the extension of graphene band gap. The reason of this is adsorbed water, which can create defects in the lattice or can transfer charge which depends on relative position of HOMO/LUMO of water and Dirac point of graphene

Evaluation and mitigation of the degradation by corrosion in the components of the service water system of a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salaices A, E.; Salaices, M.; Ovando, R.

2005-01-01

One of the main problems that face the nuclear power stations is the degradation by corrosion in the service water systems. The corrosion causes lost substantial in energy generation and a high cost in maintenance and repairs. In this work, the results of a study of the degradation by the MIC mechanisms (microorganisms influenced corrosion), incrustations in heat exchangers and erosion for solid particles in the components of a typical service water system of a nuclear plant are presented. Diverse mitigation options are analyzed for these mechanisms. In the analysis, it was used the CHECWORKS-CWA code to carry out the evaluation of the degradation so much as well as the mitigation of the caused damage. The results are presented in susceptibility indexes and degradation rates component-by-component. A significant decrement could be observed in the susceptibility to MIC when changing the operation conditions of stagnated flow to continuous flow. With respect to the erosion by solid particles, it was found a significant reduction of the damage it when adding filters to the system. Finally, in the case of the heat exchangers, it is shown that one of the more viable options to diminish incrustations and existent calcium deposits it is the reduction of the pH of the service water. (Author)

Characterization of the hydrologic resources of San Miguel County, New Mexico, and identification of hydrologic data gaps, 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Matherne, Anne Marie; Stewart, Anne M.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with San Miguel County, New Mexico, conducted a study to assess publicly available information regarding the hydrologic resources of San Miguel County and to identify data gaps in that information and hydrologic information that could aid in the management of available water resources. The USGS operates four continuous annual streamgages in San Miguel County. Monthly discharge at these streamgages is generally bimodally distributed, with most runoff corresponding to spring runoff and to summer monsoonal rains. Data compiled since 1951 on the geology and groundwater resources of San Miguel County are generally consistent with the original characterization of depth and availability of groundwater resources and of source aquifers. Subsequent exploratory drilling identified deep available groundwater in some locations. Most current (2011) development of groundwater resources is in western San Miguel County, particularly in the vicinity of El Creston hogback, the hogback ridge just west of Las Vegas, where USGS groundwater-monitoring wells indicate that groundwater levels are declining. Regarding future studies to address identified data gaps, the ability to evaluate and quantify surface-water resources, both as runoff and as potential groundwater recharge, could be enhanced by expanding the network of streamgages and groundwater-monitoring wells throughout the county. A series of seepage surveys along the lengths of the rivers could help to determine locations of surface-water losses to and gains from the local groundwater system and could help to quantify the component of streamflow attributable to irrigation return flow; associated synoptic water-quality sampling could help to identify potential effects to water quality attributable to irrigation return flow. Effects of groundwater withdrawals on streamflow could be assessed by constructing monitoring wells along transects between production wells and stream reaches

Annular gap measurement between pressure tube and calandria tube by eddy current technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhole, V.M.; Rastogi, P.K.; Kulkarni, P.G.

1992-01-01

In pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) major distinguishing feature is that there are number of identical fuel channels in the reactor core. Each channel consists of pressure tube of Zr-2.5 Nb or zircaloy-2 through which high temperature, high pressure primary coolant is passing. The pressure tube contains fuel. Surrounding the pressure tube there is low pressure, cool heavy water (moderator). The moderator is thermally separated from coolant by the tube which is nominally concentric with pressure tube called calandria tube. There are four garter springs in the annular gap between pressure tube and calandria tube. During the life of the reactor there are number of factors by which the pressure tube sags, most important factors are irradiation creep, thermal creep, fuel load etc. Because of the sag of pressure tube it can touch the calandria tube resulting in formation of cold spot. This leads to hydrogen concentration at that spot by which the material at that place becomes brittle and can lead to catastrophic failure of pressure tube. There is no useful access for measurement of annular gap either through the gas annular space or from exterior of calandria tube. So the annular gap was measured from inside surface of pressure tube which is accessible. Eddy current technique was used for finding the gap. The paper describe the details of split coil design of bobbin probe, selection of operating point on normalised impedance diagram by choosing frequency. Experimental results on full scale mock up, and actual gap measurement in reactor channel, are also given. (author). 7 figs

The 6/94 gap in health impact assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erlanger, Tobias E.; Krieger, Gary R.; Singer, Burton H.; Utzinger, Juerg

2008-01-01

Health impact assessment (HIA), a methodology that aims to facilitate the mitigation of negative and enhancement of positive health effects due to projects, programmes and policies, has been developed over the past 20-30 years. There is an underlying assumption that HIA has become a full fledged critical piece of the impact assessment process with a stature equal to both environmental and social impact assessments. This assumption needs to be supported by evidence however. Within the context of projects in developing country settings, HIA is simply a slogan without a clearly articulated and relevant methodology, offered by academia and having little or no salience in the decision-making process regarding impacts. This harsh assertion is supported by posing a simple question: 'Where in the world have HIAs been carried out?' To answer this question, we systematically searched the peer-reviewed literature and online HIA-specific databases. We identified 237 HIA-related publications, but only 6% of these publications had a focus on the developing world. What emerges is, therefore, a huge disparity, which we coin the 6/94 gap in HIA, even worse than the widely known 10/90 gap in health research (10% of health research funding is utilized for diseases causing 90% of the global burden of disease). Implications of this 6/94 gap in HIA are discussed with pointed emphasis on extractive industries (oil/gas and mining) and water resources development. We conclude that there is a pressing need to institutionalize HIA in the developing world, as a consequence of current predictions of major extractive industry and water resources development, with China's investments in these sectors across Africa being particularly salient

Spin Orbit Coupling Gap and Indirect Gap in Strain-Tuned Topological Insulator-Antimonene

OpenAIRE

Cheung, Chi-Ho; Fuh, Huei-Ru; Hsu, Ming-Chien; Lin, Yeu-Chung; Chang, Ching-Ray

2016-01-01

Recently, searching large-bulk band gap topological insulator (TI) is under intensive study. Through k?P theory and first-principles calculations analysis on antimonene, we find that ?-phase antimonene can be tuned to a 2D TI under an in-plane anisotropic strain and the magnitude of direct bulk band gap (SOC gap) depends on the strength of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) which is strain-dependent. As the band inversion of this TI accompanies with an indirect band gap, the TI bulk band gap is the in...

Balanced Flexion and Extension Gaps Are Not Always of Equal Size.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinsey, Tracy L; Mahoney, Ormonde M

2018-04-01

It has been widely accepted in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) that flexion and extension gaps in the disarticulated knee during surgery should be equalized. We hypothesized that tensioning during assessment of the flexion gap can induce temporary widening of the gap due to posterior tibial translation. We aimed to describe posterior tibial translation at flexion gap (90°) assessments and assess the correlation of tibial translation with laxity (flexion space increase) using constrained and non-constrained inserts. Imageless navigation was used to measure flexion angle, tibial position relative to the femoral axis, and lateral/medial laxity in 30 patients undergoing primary TKA. Trialing was conducted using posteriorly stabilized and cruciate retaining trials of the same size to elucidate the association of posterior tibial translation with changes in joint capsule laxity at 90° knee flexion. All patients demonstrated posterior tibial translation during flexion gap assessment relative to their subsequent final implantation [mean ± standard deviation (range), 11.3 ± 4.4 (4-21) mm]. Positive linear correlation [r = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44-0.84, P ≤ .001] was demonstrated between translations [8.7 ± 2.4 (3-13) mm] and laxity changes [2.9° ± 2.0° (-0.7° to 7.4°)] at 90° of flexion. Posterior tibial translation can cause artifactual widening of the flexion gap during gap balancing in posteriorly stabilized TKA, which can be of sufficient magnitude to alter femoral component size selection for some patients. Recognition and management of these intra-operative dynamics for optimal kinematics could be feasible with the advent of robotic applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanics of Fluid-Filled Interstitial Gaps. II. Gap Characteristics in Xenopus Embryonic Ectoderm.

Science.gov (United States)

Barua, Debanjan; Parent, Serge E; Winklbauer, Rudolf

2017-08-22

The ectoderm of the Xenopus embryo is permeated by a network of channels that appear in histological sections as interstitial gaps. We characterized this interstitial space by measuring gap sizes, angles formed between adjacent cells, and curvatures of cell surfaces at gaps. From these parameters, and from surface-tension values measured previously, we estimated the values of critical mechanical variables that determine gap sizes and shapes in the ectoderm, using a general model of interstitial gap mechanics. We concluded that gaps of 1-4 μm side length can be formed by the insertion of extracellular matrix fluid at three-cell junctions such that cell adhesion is locally disrupted and a tension difference between cell-cell contacts and the free cell surface at gaps of 0.003 mJ/m 2 is generated. Furthermore, a cell hydrostatic pressure of 16.8 ± 1.7 Pa and an interstitial pressure of 3.9 ± 3.6 Pa, relative to the central blastocoel cavity of the embryo, was found to be consistent with the observed gap size and shape distribution. Reduction of cell adhesion by the knockdown of C-cadherin increased gap volume while leaving intracellular and interstitial pressures essentially unchanged. In both normal and adhesion-reduced ectoderm, cortical tension of the free cell surfaces at gaps does not return to the high values characteristic of the free surface of the whole tissue. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimation of Leakage Ratio Using Principal Component Analysis and Artificial Neural Network in Water Distribution Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongwoo Jang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Leaks in a water distribution network (WDS constitute losses of water supply caused by pipeline failure, operational loss, and physical factors. This has raised the need for studies on the factors affecting the leakage ratio and estimation of leakage volume in a water supply system. In this study, principal component analysis (PCA and artificial neural network (ANN were used to estimate the volume of water leakage in a WDS. For the study, six main effective parameters were selected and standardized data obtained through the Z-score method. The PCA-ANN model was devised and the leakage ratio was estimated. An accuracy assessment was performed to compare the measured leakage ratio to that of the simulated model. The results showed that the PCA-ANN method was more accurate for estimating the leakage ratio than a single ANN simulation. In addition, the estimation results differed according to the number of neurons in the ANN model’s hidden layers. In this study, an ANN with multiple hidden layers was found to be the best method for estimating the leakage ratio with 12–12 neurons. This suggested approaches to improve the accuracy of leakage ratio estimation, as well as a scientific approach toward the sustainable management of water distribution systems.

A molecular-gap device for specific determination of mercury ions

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Zheng; Liu, Zhong-Gang; Yao, Xian-Zhi; Zhang, Kai-Sheng; Chen, Xing; Liu, Jin-Huai; Huang, Xing-Jiu

2013-11-01

Specific determination/monitoring of trace mercury ions (Hg2+) in environmental water is of significant importance for drinking safety. Complementarily to conventional inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and atomic emission/absorption spectroscopy, several methods, i.e., electrochemical, fluorescent, colorimetric, and surface enhanced Raman scattering approaches, have been developed recently. Despite great success, many inevitably encounter the interferences from other metal ions besides the complicated procedures and sophisticated equipments. Here we present a molecular-gap device for specific determination of trace Hg2+ in both standardized solutions and environmental samples based on conductivity-modulated glutathione dimer. Through a self-assembling technique, a thin film of glutathione monolayer capped Au nanoparticles is introduced into 2.5 μm-gap-electrodes, forming numerous double molecular layer gaps. Notably, the fabricated molecular-gap device shows a specific response toward Hg2+ with a low detection limit actually measured down to 1 nM. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the specific sensing mechanism greatly depends on the electron transport ability of glutathione dimer bridged by heavy metal ions, which is determined by its frontier molecular orbital, not the binding energy.

An experimental study on critical heat flux in a hemispherical narrow gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, R.J.; Lee, S.J.; Kang, K.H.; Kim, J.H.; Kim, S.B.; Kim, H.D.; Jeong, J.H.

2000-01-01

An experimental study of CHFG (Critical Heat Flux in Gap) has been performed to investigate the inherent cooling mechanism using distilled water and Freon R-113 in hemispherical narrow gaps. As a separate effect test of the CHFG test, a CCFL (Counter Current Flow Limit) test has been also performed to confirm the mechanism of the CHF in narrow annular gaps with large diameter. The CHFG test results have shown that an increase in the gap thickness leads to an increase in critical power. The pressure effect on the critical power was found to be much milder than predictions by CHF correlations of other studies. In the CCFL experiment, the occurrence of CCFL was correlated with the Wallis parameter, which was assumed to correspond to the critical power in the CHFG experiment. The measured values of critical power in the CHFG tests are much lower than CCFL experimental data and the predictions made by empirical CHF correlations. (author)

A procedure for evaluating residual life of major components in light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, S.; Fujimori, H.; Ibe, E.; Kuniya, J.; Hayashi, M.; Fuse, M.; Yamauchi, K.

1995-01-01

A computer program for evaluating residual life of major components in boiling water reactors is proposed. It divides the stress corrosion cracking process into two stages; a probabilistic crack generation stage and a deterministic crack propagation one. The minimum period of the crack generation stage is evaluated assuming an exponential distribution of the stage. The crack propagation rate is calculated by the slip-dissolution/film-rupture model. The neutron flux and fluence dependence of the neutron radiation effects on material properties was evaluated by using theoretical models of radiation damage. The computer program works on an engineering work station. Evaluated results are displayed as a map of the residual life, or as graphs of crack length evolution

Spark gap produced plasma diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, H.Y.

1990-01-01

A Spark Gap (Applied voltage : 2-8KV, Capacitor : 4 Micro F. Dia of the tube : 1 inch, Electrode distance : .3 ∼.5 inch) was made to generate a small size dynamic plasma. To measure the plasma density and temperature as a function of time and position, we installed and have been installing four detection systems - Mach-Zehnder type Interferometer for the plasma refractivity, Expansion speed detector using two He-Ne laser beams, Image Processing using Lens and A Optical-Fiber Array for Pointwise Radiation Sensing, Faraday Rotation of a Optical Fiber to measure the azimuthal component of B-field generated by the plasma drift. These systems was used for the wire explosion diagnostics, and can be used for the Laser driven plasma also

Ultrasonic measurement of gap between calandria tube and liquid injection shutdown system tube in PHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Tae Ryong; Sohn, Seok Man; Lee, Jun Shin; Lee, Sun Ki; Lee, Jong Po

2001-01-01

Sag of CT or liquid injection shutdown system tubes in pressurized heavy water reactor is known to occur due to irradiation creep and growth during plant operation. When the sag of CT is big enough, the CT tube possibly comes in contact with liquid injection shutdown system tube (LIN) crossing beneath the CT, which subsequently may prevent the safe operation. It is therefore necessary to check the gap between the two tubes in order to confirm no contacts when using a proper measure periodically during the plant life. An ultrasonic gap measuring probe assembly which can be fed through viewing port installed on the calandria was developed and utilized to measure the sags of both tubes in a pressurized heavy water reactor in Korea. It was found that the centerlines of CT and LIN can be precisely detected by ultrasonic wave. The gaps between two tubes were easily obtained from the relative distance of the measured centerline elevations of the tubes. But the measured gap data observed at the viewing port were actually not the data at the crossing point of CT and LIN. To get the actual gap between two tubes, mathematical modeling for the deflection curves of two tubes was used. The sags of CT and LIN tubes were also obtained by comparison of the present centerlines with the initial elevations at the beginning of plant operation. The gaps between two tubes in the unmeasurable regions were calculated based on the measurement data and the channel power distribution

An experimental study on counter current flow limitation in annular narrow gaps with large diameter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Rae Joon; Jeong, Ji Whan; Lee, Sung Jin; Cho, Young Ro; Ha, Kwang Sun; Kim, Sang Baik; Kim, Hee Dong [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejeon (Korea)

2002-04-01

The present study intends to carry out CCFL experiment with the same gap size as the CHFG facility and suggest an empirical correlation in order to provide basic information useful to development of an empirical critical-power correlation. The present facility consists of water accumulator tank, test section, DC pump, air regulator, valves and sensors. Air and water are used as working fluids. The experiments are carried out at the atmospheric pressure. Differential pressure between the gap ends, liquid and gas phase flow rates, temperature, lower plenum pressure are measured.Measured values are expressed in terms of Wallis' parameter using gap size as a characteristic length. There is a big difference between the present experimental results and the Koizumi et al.'s results, but the present experimental results are very similar to the Richter et al.'s results. The present results agree well with the Osakabe and Kawasaki's results. In comparison of present experiments with the Koizumi et al.'s experiments, gap thickness is similar, but the diameter of the present is bigger than that of Koizumi et al.'s experiments. In comparison of present experiments with the Richter et al.'s experiments, diameter is similar, but the gap thickness of the present is smaller than that of Richter et al.'s experiments. It is judged from these results that correlation development on CCFL to consider gap thickness is reasonable at similar condition of diameter.The developed correlation will be used to develop the CHFG model. 36 refs., 26 figs., 7 tabs. (Author)

Is there a gap in the gap? Regional differences in the gender pay gap

OpenAIRE

Hirsch, Boris; König, Marion; Möller, Joachim

2009-01-01

In this paper, we investigate regional differences in the gender pay gap both theoretically and empirically. Within a spatial oligopsony model, we show that more densely populated labour markets are more competitive and constrain employers' ability to discriminate against women. Utilising a large administrative data set for western Germany and a flexible semi-parametric propensity score matching approach, we find that the unexplained gender pay gap for young workers is substantially lower in ...

Assessment of corrosion and stress corrosion cracking results for SCWR development: gaps and needs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, W.; Gu, G.; Guzonas, D.; Luo, J.

2010-01-01

International efforts on materials evaluation for the development of supercritical water-cooled reactors (SCWRs) have produced a considerable amount of corrosion test data in the open literature. These data are helping guide the selection of candidate alloys for further, longer-term evaluation. As continuing research in this area advances, the gaps and limitations in the published data are being identified. These gaps can be seen in several areas, including the test environment and the severity of test condition as compared with reactor service/operating condition. While some of these gaps can be filled readily with existing capabilities, others require major investments in advanced test facilities. (author)

A resuscitation "dilemma" theory-practice-ethics. Is there a theory-practice-ethics gap?

Science.gov (United States)

Mortell, Manfred

2009-07-01

The theory-practice-ethics gap - a new paradigm to contemplate. Practices based on tradition, rituals and outdated information are placed into a nonscientific paradigm called the theory-practice gap. Within this paradigm there is often a gap between theoretical knowledge and its application in practice. This theory-practice gap has always existed [Allmark, P., 1995. A classical view of the theory-practice gap in nursing. J. Adv. Nurs. 22 (1), 18-23; Hewison, A. et al., 1996. The theory-practice gap in nursing: a new dimension. J. Adv. Nurs. 24 (4), 754-761]. Its creation is often sited as a culmination of theory being idealistic and impractical, even if practical and beneficial, are often ignored. Most of the evidence relating to the non integration of theory and practice makes the assumption that environmental factors are responsible and will affect learning and practice outcomes, hence the "gap". In fact, it is the author's belief, that to "bridge the gap" between theory and practice an additional component is required, called ethics. A moral duty and obligation ensuring theory and practice integrate. In order to effectively implement new practices, one must deem these practices are worthy and relevant to their role as healthcare providers. Otherwise, we fall victims to providing nothing more than a lip service. This introduces a new concept which the author refers to as the theory-practice-ethics gap. This theory-practice-ethics gap must be considered when reviewing some of the unacceptable outcomes in health care practice. The author believes that there is a crisis of ethics where theory and practice integrate, and as a consequence, malfeasance. We are failing to fulfill our duty as healthcare providers and as patient advocates. One practice of major concern, which the author will endeavor to unfold relates to adult and pediatric resuscitation.

Light and heavy water replacing system in reactor container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyamoto, Keiji.

1979-01-01

Purpose: To enable to determine the strength of a reactor container while neglecting the outer atmospheric pressure upon evacuation, by evacuating the gap between the reactor container and a biological thermal shield, as well as the container simultaneously upon light water - heavy water replacement. Method: Upon replacing light water with heavy water by vacuum evaporation system in a nuclear reactor having a biological thermal shield surrounding the reactor container incorporating therein a reactor core by way of a heat expansion absorbing gap, the reactor container and the havy water recycling system, as well as the inside of heat expansion absorbing gap are evacuated simultaneously. This enables to neglect the outer atmospheric outer pressure upon evacuation in the determination of the container strength, and the thickness of the container can be decreased by so much as the external pressure neglected. (Moriyama, K.)

Long-term observation of water-soluble chemical components and acid-digested metals in the total suspended particles collected at Okinawa, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Handa, D.; Okada, K.; Kuroki, Y.; Nakama, Y.; Nakajima, H.; Somada, Y.; Ijyu, M.; Azechi, S.; Oshiro, Y.; Nakaema, F.; Miyagi, Y.; Arakaki, T.; Tanahara, A.

2011-12-01

The economic growth and population increase in recent Asia have been increasing air pollution. Emission rate of air pollutants from Asia, in particular oxides of nitrogen, surpassed those from North America and Europe and should continue to exceed them for decades. Okinawa Island is situated approximately 1500 km south of Tokyo, Japan, 2000 km southeast of Beijing, China, and 1000 km south of South Korea. Its location is ideal in observing East Asia's air quality because maritime air mass prevails during summer, while continental air mass dominates during fall, winter, and spring. The maritime air mass data can be seen as background clean air and can be compared with continental air masses which have been affected by anthropogenic activities. We collected total suspended particles (TSP) on quartz filters by using a high volume air sampler at the Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS), Okinawa, Japan during August 2005 and August 2010. Sampling duration was one week for each sample. We determined the concentrations of water-soluble anions, cations, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and acid-digested metals in TSP samples using ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometry, total organic carbon analyzer and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), respectively. Seasonal variation of water-soluble chemical components and acid-digested metals showed that the concentrations were the lowest in summer, higher in fall and winter, and the highest in spring. When air mass came from Asian continent, the concentrations of water-soluble chemical components and acid-digested metals were much higher compared to the other directions, suggesting long-range transport of air pollutants from Asian continent. Also, when the air mass came from Asian continent (75-100% dominant), the mean concentrations of non-sea salt sulfate and nitrate increased ca. 1.8 times and ca. 3.7 times, respectively between 2005 and 2010, and the ratio of nitrate to

Wide-Gap Chalcopyrites

CERN Document Server

Siebentritt, Susanne

2006-01-01

Chalcopyrites, in particular those with a wide band gap, are fascinating materials in terms of their technological potential in the next generation of thin-film solar cells and in terms of their basic material properties. They exhibit uniquely low defect formation energies, leading to unusual doping and phase behavior and to extremely benign grain boundaries. This book collects articles on a number of those basic material properties of wide-gap chalcopyrites, comparing them to their low-gap cousins. They explore the doping of the materials, the electronic structure and the transport through interfaces and grain boundaries, the formation of the electric field in a solar cell, the mechanisms and suppression of recombination, the role of inhomogeneities, and the technological role of wide-gap chalcopyrites.

GDP Growth, Potential Output, and Output Gaps in Mexico

OpenAIRE

Ebrima A Faal

2005-01-01

This paper analyzes the sources of Mexico's economic growth since the 1960s and compares various decompositions of historical growth into its trend and cyclical components. The role of the implied output gaps in the inflationary process is then assessed. Looking ahead, the paper presents medium-term paths for GDP based on alternative assumptions for productivity growth rates. The results indicate that the most important factor underlying the slowdown in output growth was a decline in trend to...

Postirradiation examination data report for gap conductance test series. Test GC 2-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murdock, B.A.

1978-02-01

The results of the postirradiation examination of four boiling water reactor type, zircaloy-clad, UO 2 -fueled rods tested in the Power Burst Facility are discussed. These rods were employed in Gap Conductance Test GC 2-1 which was performed to obtain experimental data from which test fuel rod gap conductance values could be determined by both the steady state ∫kdT and the power oscillation methods. The postirradiation examination results provided in the document will aid in interpreting the experimental data obtained during Test GC 2-1 and in evaluating the effect of fuel behavior on the fuel rod thermal response and interpreted gap conductances. Fuel rod fill gas composition and pressure are discussed. Measurements of fuel pellet-cladding gap and fuel crack areas are presented. The fuel structure is analyzed. Test rod instrumentation and power profiles are examined to better evaluate the test conditions

Yield gap mapping as a support tool for risk management in agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Lahlou, Ouiam; Imani, Yasmina; Slimani, Imane; Van Wart, Justin; Yang, Haishun

2016-04-01

The increasing frequency and magnitude of droughts in Morocco and the mounting losses from extended droughts in the agricultural sector emphasized the need to develop reliable and timely tools to manage drought and to mitigate resulting catastrophic damage. In 2011, Morocco launched a cereals multi-risk insurance with drought as the most threatening and the most frequent hazard in the country. However, and in order to assess the gap and to implement the more suitable compensation, it is essential to quantify the potential yield in each area. In collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a study is carried out in Morocco and aims to determine the yield potentials and the yield gaps in the different agro-climatic zones of the country. It fits into the large project: Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas: http://www.yieldgap.org/. The yield gap (Yg) is the magnitude and difference between crop yield potential (Yp) or water limited yield potential (Yw) and actual yields, reached by farmers. World Food Studies (WOFOST), which is a Crop simulation mechanistic model, has been used for this purpose. Prior to simulations, reliable information about actual yields, weather data, crop management data and soil data have been collected in 7 Moroccan buffer zones considered, each, within a circle of 100 km around a weather station point, homogenously spread across the country and where cereals are widely grown. The model calibration was also carried out using WOFOST default varieties data. The map-based results represent a robust tool, not only for drought insurance organization, but for agricultural and agricultural risk management. Moreover, accurate and geospatially granular estimates of Yg and Yw will allow to focus on regions with largest unexploited yield gaps and greatest potential to close them, and consequently to improve food security in the country.

Bulk superconducting gap of V{sub 3}Si studied by low-energy ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, T., E-mail: t-sato@arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Souma, S. [WPI Research Center, Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Nakayama, K. [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Sugawara, K. [WPI Research Center, Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Toyota, N. [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Takahashi, T. [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); WPI Research Center, Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

2016-04-15

Highlights: • We report ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy of A15 compound V{sub 3}Si. • We found a sharp quasiparticle peak due to superconducting-gap opening. • The surface metallic component is negligibly small in the bulk-sensitive measurement. • We show that V{sub 3}Si is a single-gap s-wave superconductor. - Abstract: We have performed low-energy ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy (PES) of A15 compound V{sub 3}Si with a xenon-plasma discharge lamp to elucidate the bulk superconducting gap. Below the superconducting transition temperature (T{sub c} = 15.9 K), we found a sharp quasiparticle peak at the Fermi level in the PES spectrum. The gap spectrum is well fitted by a single s-wave superconducting-gap function together with a dip structure at ∼30 meV suggestive of a strong electron-phonon coupling. The anomalous in-gap state previously observed in the PES measurement with high-energy photons is absent or negligibly small in the present bulk-sensitive measurement. The present PES result shows that V{sub 3}Si is a single-gap s-wave superconductor.

Design, conditioning, and performance of a high voltage, high brightness dc photoelectron gun with variable gap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maxson, Jared; Bazarov, Ivan; Dunham, Bruce; Dobbins, John; Liu, Xianghong; Smolenski, Karl [Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)

2014-09-15

A new high voltage photoemission gun has been constructed at Cornell University which features a segmented insulator and a movable anode, allowing the cathode-anode gap to be adjusted. In this work, we describe the gun's overall mechanical and high voltage design, the surface preparation of components, as well as the clean construction methods. We present high voltage conditioning data using a 50 mm cathode-anode gap, in which the conditioning voltage exceeds 500 kV, as well as at smaller gaps. Finally, we present simulated emittance results obtained from a genetic optimization scheme using voltage values based on the conditioning data. These results indicate that for charges up to 100 pC, a 30 mm gap at 400 kV has equal or smaller 100% emittance than a 50 mm gap at 450 kV, and also a smaller core emittance, when placed as the source for the Cornell energy recovery linac photoinjector with bunch length constrained to be <3 ps rms. For 100 pC up to 0.5 nC charges, the 50 mm gap has larger core emittance than the 30 mm gap, but conversely smaller 100% emittance.

Transportation of Large Wind Components: A Review of Existing Geospatial Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mooney, Meghan [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Maclaurin, Galen [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-09-01

This report features the geospatial data component of a larger project evaluating logistical and infrastructure requirements for transporting oversized and overweight (OSOW) wind components. The goal of the larger project was to assess the status and opportunities for improving the infrastructure and regulatory practices necessary to transport wind turbine towers, blades, and nacelles from current and potential manufacturing facilities to end-use markets. The purpose of this report is to summarize existing geospatial data on wind component transportation infrastructure and to provide a data gap analysis, identifying areas for further analysis and data collection.

Separation and Fixation of Toxic Components in Salt Brines Using a Water-Based Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franks, Carrie J.; Quach, Anh P.; Birnie, Dunbar P.; Ela, Wendell P.; Saez, Avelino E.; Zelinski, Brian J.; Smith, Harry D.; Smith, Gary Lynn L.

2004-01-01

Efforts to implement new water quality standards, increase water reuse and reclamation, and minimize the cost of waste storage motivate the development of new processes for stabilizing waste water residuals that minimize waste volume, water content and the long-term environmental risk from related by products. This work explores the use of an aqueous-based emulsion process to create an epoxy/rubber matrix for separating and encapsulating waste components from salt laden, arsenic contaminated, amorphous iron hydrate sludges. Such sludges are generated from conventional water purification precipitation/adsorption processes, used to convert aqueous brine streams to semi-solid waste streams, such as ion exchange/membrane separation, and from other precipitative heavy metal removal operations. In this study, epoxy and polystyrene butadiene (PSB) rubber emulsions are mixed together and then combined with a surrogate sludge. The surrogate sludge consists of amorphous iron hydrate with 1 part arsenic fixed to the surface of the hydrate per 10 parts iron mixed with sodium nitrate and chloride salts and water. The resulting emulsion is cured and dried at 80 C to remove water. Microstructure characterization by electron microscopy confirms that the epoxy/PSB matrix surrounds and encapsulates the arsenic laden amorphous iron hydrate phase while allowing the salt to migrate to internal and external surfaces of the sample. Salt extraction studies indicate that the porous nature of the resulting matrix promotes the separation and removal of as much as 90% of the original salt content in only one hours time. Long term leaching studies based on the use of the infinite slab diffusion model reveal no evidence of iron migration or, by inference, arsenic migration, and demonstrate that the diffusion coefficients of the unextracted salt yield leachability indices within regulations for non-hazardous landfill disposal. Because salt is the most mobile species, it is inferred that arsenic

IMPROVEMENT OF MANGOSTEEN FARMING AND POSTHARVEST HANDLING STRATEGIES BASED ON GLOBAL GAP STANDARD AT KIARA PEDES, PURWAKARTA DISTRICT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nanda Erlangga

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this research were (1 to determine the value chain of mangosteen at Kiara Pedes Sub district, Purwakarta District, (2 to identify the gap between actual condition at Kiara Pedes and Global GAP standard, (3 to identify internal and external factors that can affect the implementation strategy of Global GAP standards, and (4 to develop alternative strategies that can be applied to improve the system of mangosteen cultivation and post harvest handling based on Global GAP standards. The analytical tools being used in this study were value chain analysis, gap analysis, internal and external factor evaluation (IFE, EFE, IE matrix, SWOT analysis, and quantitative strategic planning matrix (QSPM. Identified primary actors in mangosteen value chain were farmers, middlemen, suppliers, exporters, and local and overseas retailers. Based on IE Matrix and SWOT analysis, the strategies to implement Global GAP standards were (a to increase mangosteen productivity and improve its quality by using developed cultivation and postharvest technology, (b to increase productivity, and improve quality and transportation network in accordance with Global GAP standard, (c to improve clean water and post-harvest infrastructure through cooperation with exporters and financial institutions, and (d to improve warehouse and supporting facilities such as packaging and sanitation according to the Global GAP standard for minimizing the environmental constraints. The most priority strategies from the QSPM analysis were improving clean water and post-harvest infrastructure through cooperation with exporters and financial institutions, followed by using the developed cultivation and postharvest technology to increase mangosteen productivity and improve its quality.Keywords: Mangosteen, Global GAP Standard, Value Chain, Improvement Strategies, Farming and Postharvest Handling Practices

Driven Factors Analysis of China’s Irrigation Water Use Efficiency by Stepwise Regression and Principal Component Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renfu Jia

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces an integrated approach to find out the major factors influencing efficiency of irrigation water use in China. It combines multiple stepwise regression (MSR and principal component analysis (PCA to obtain more realistic results. In real world case studies, classical linear regression model often involves too many explanatory variables and the linear correlation issue among variables cannot be eliminated. Linearly correlated variables will cause the invalidity of the factor analysis results. To overcome this issue and reduce the number of the variables, PCA technique has been used combining with MSR. As such, the irrigation water use status in China was analyzed to find out the five major factors that have significant impacts on irrigation water use efficiency. To illustrate the performance of the proposed approach, the calculation based on real data was conducted and the results were shown in this paper.

The effects of gaseous bubble composition and gap distance on the characteristics of nanosecond discharges in distilled water

KAUST Repository

Hamdan, Ahmad

2016-05-17

Electric discharge in liquids with bubbles can reduce the energy consumption, which increases treatment efficiency. We present an experimental study of nanosecond discharges in distilled water bubbled with the monoatomic gas argon and with the polyatomic gases methane, carbon dioxide, and propane. We monitor the time evolution of the voltage and current waveforms, and calculate the injected charges to characterize the discharge. We establish a relationship between the injected charges and the shape of the plasma by time-resolved imaging to find that increasing the size of the gap reduces the injected charges. Moreover, we determine the plasma characteristics, including electron density, excitation temperatures (for atoms and ions), and rotational temperature of the OH and C2 radicals found in the plasma. Our space- and time-averaged measurements allow us to propose a spatial distribution of the plasma that is helpful for understanding the plasma dynamics necessary to develop and optimize applications based on nanosecond discharges in bubbled liquids. © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Identifying and assessing the factors affecting skill gap in digital marketing in communication industry companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fereshteh Ghotbifar

2017-03-01

Full Text Available As far as new communication channels are concerned, there have been extensive developments in communications and marketing in digital era. Today, therefore, companies try to take advantage of digital marketing channels to provide suitable services to customers to improve their satisfaction level. However, this study aimed to identify and assess factors affecting skill gap in digital marketing. This was descriptive correlation study. The population consisted of experts in communications industry to identify most important skill gaps in digital marketing and factors affecting them; also, managers and specialists of these companies were investigated to determine the role of identified factors in reducing skills gaps. Using localized questionnaire and interviewing with ten experts who were selected by Delphi snowball method, the skill gaps in marketing and factors affecting them were identified. Also, a researcher made questionnaire with 32 questions was distributed among 226 employees to investigate the identified factors role in reducing skills gap in digital marketing. The results showed that from four identified factors, the components including operational strategic factors and environmental factors had direct and positive impact on creating skill gap in digital marketing of studied companies. The environmental factors such as social and cultural conditions, religion, technology, and economy had more proactive impact on skills gap in digital marketing. Also, the results showed that among skills gaps in digital marketing of studied companies, the skills (Principles of Communication and (Predicting Future had the highest and lowest gaps, respectively.

Library thermohydraulic components for training simulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castelao Caruana, M. J.; Di Benedetto, A.; Pierini, J.P.

2013-01-01

The thermohydraulic components Library was modeled in MatLab/Simulink®. This library owns Pipe type components (pump, control valve and / or heaters), storage tanks (Open, Closed and Equilibrium Water Vapor-Air) and Heat Exchangers (Co-Current, Counter-Current and U-tubes). Each component can be attached to other components through the component library Header, in order to create a more complex thermal-hydraulic system which in turn can interact with other thermal-hydraulic systems. (author)

Impact of climate change on maize potential productivity and the potential productivity gap in southwest China

Science.gov (United States)

He, Di; Wang, Jing; Dai, Tong; Feng, Liping; Zhang, Jianping; Pan, Xuebiao; Pan, Zhihua

2014-12-01

The impact of climate change on maize potential productivity and the potential productivity gap in Southwest China (SWC) are investigated in this paper. We analyze the impact of climate change on the photosynthetic, light-temperature, and climatic potential productivity of maize and their gaps in SWC, by using a crop growth dynamics statistical method. During the maize growing season from 1961 to 2010, minimum temperature increased by 0.20°C per decade ( p gap between light-temperature and climatic potential productivity varied from 12 to 2729 kg ha-1, with the high value areas centered in northern and southwestern SWC. Climatic productivity of these areas reached only 10%-24% of the light-temperature potential productivity, suggesting that there is great potential to increase the maize potential yield by improving water management in these areas. In particular, the gap has become larger in the most recent 10 years. Sensitivity analysis shows that the climatic potential productivity of maize is most sensitive to changes in temperature in SWC. The findings of this study are helpful for quantification of irrigation water requirements so as to achieve maximum yield potentials in SWC.

Determining the ’Gap’

Science.gov (United States)

2009-05-01

Army training doctrine, and by adjusting the curriculum of the officer core in order to close the knowledge gap . The author closes by concluding...fight. The research to find these gaps begins with a process trace of doctrine from 1976 to the present, starting with the advent of Active Defense...discovering the one gap , three were found. Upon further examination below, even these initially perceived gaps dissipate under close scrutiny. Gap

Fitting probability distributions to component water quality data from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The treatment of water is carried out to make the available water meet the standards for its intended use. Such use may be for drinking and other household needs, industries,livestock rearing or fisheries etc. poor quality water is commonly treated to ensure potability. Potable water should be free from unpleasant tastes and ...

Mechanics of Fluid-Filled Interstitial Gaps. I. Modeling Gaps in a Compact Tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Parent, Serge E; Barua, Debanjan; Winklbauer, Rudolf

2017-08-22

Fluid-filled interstitial gaps are a common feature of compact tissues held together by cell-cell adhesion. Although such gaps can in principle be the result of weak, incomplete cell attachment, adhesion is usually too strong for this to occur. Using a mechanical model of tissue cohesion, we show that, instead, a combination of local prevention of cell adhesion at three-cell junctions by fluidlike extracellular material and a reduction of cortical tension at the gap surface are sufficient to generate stable gaps. The size and shape of these interstitial gaps depends on the mechanical tensions between cells and at gap surfaces, and on the difference between intracellular and interstitial pressures that is related to the volume of the interstitial fluid. As a consequence of the dependence on tension/tension ratios, the presence of gaps does not depend on the absolute strength of cell adhesion, and similar gaps are predicted to occur in tissues of widely differing cohesion. Tissue mechanical parameters can also vary within and between cells of a given tissue, generating asymmetrical gaps. Within limits, these can be approximated by symmetrical gaps. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating yield gaps at the cropping system level.

Science.gov (United States)

Guilpart, Nicolas; Grassini, Patricio; Sadras, Victor O; Timsina, Jagadish; Cassman, Kenneth G

2017-05-01

Yield gap analyses of individual crops have been used to estimate opportunities for increasing crop production at local to global scales, thus providing information crucial to food security. However, increases in crop production can also be achieved by improving cropping system yield through modification of spatial and temporal arrangement of individual crops. In this paper we define the cropping system yield potential as the output from the combination of crops that gives the highest energy yield per unit of land and time, and the cropping system yield gap as the difference between actual energy yield of an existing cropping system and the cropping system yield potential. Then, we provide a framework to identify alternative cropping systems which can be evaluated against the current ones. A proof-of-concept is provided with irrigated rice-maize systems at four locations in Bangladesh that represent a range of climatic conditions in that country. The proposed framework identified (i) realistic alternative cropping systems at each location, and (ii) two locations where expected improvements in crop production from changes in cropping intensity (number of crops per year) were 43% to 64% higher than from improving the management of individual crops within the current cropping systems. The proposed framework provides a tool to help assess food production capacity of new systems ( e.g. with increased cropping intensity) arising from climate change, and assess resource requirements (water and N) and associated environmental footprint per unit of land and production of these new systems. By expanding yield gap analysis from individual crops to the cropping system level and applying it to new systems, this framework could also be helpful to bridge the gap between yield gap analysis and cropping/farming system design.

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

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

Heavy water: a distinctive and essential component of CANDU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, A.I.; van Alstyne, H.M.

1994-06-01

The exceptional properties of heavy water as a neutron moderator provide one of the distinctive features of CANDU reactors. Although most of the chemical and physical properties of deuterium and protium (mass 1 hydrogen) are appreciably different, the low terrestrial abundance of deuterium makes the separation of heavy water a relatively costly process, and so of considerable importance to the CANDU system. World heavy-water supplies are currently provided by the Girdler-Sulphide process or processes based on ammonia-hydrogen exchange. Due to cost and hazard considerations, new processes will be required for the production of heavy water in and beyond the next decade. Through AECL's development and refinement of wetproofed catalysts for the exchange of hydrogen isotopes between water and hydrogen, a family of new processes is expected to be deployed. Two monothermal processes, CECE (Combined Electrolysis and Catalytic Exchange, using water-to-hydrogen conversion by electrolysis) and CIRCE (Combined Industrially Reformed hydrogen and Catalytic Exchange, based on steam reforming of hydrocarbons), are furthest advanced. Besides its use for heavy-water production, the CECE process is a highly effective technology for heavy-water upgrading and for tritium separation from heavy (or light) water. (author). 10 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs

Why the racial gap in life expectancy is declining in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Firebaugh, Glenn; Acciai, Francesco; Noah, Aggie J.; Prather, Christopher; Nau, Claudia

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Blacks have lower life expectancy than whites in the United States. That disparity could be due to racial differences in the causes of death, with blacks being more likely to die of causes that affect the young, or it could be due to differences in the average ages of blacks and whites who die of the same cause. Prior studies fail to distinguish these two possibilities. OBJECTIVE In this study we determine how much of the 2000–10 reduction in the racial gap in life expectancy resulted from narrowing differences in the cause-specific mean age at death for blacks and whites, as opposed to changing cause-specific probabilities for blacks and whites. METHOD We introduce a method for separating the difference-in-probabilities and difference-inage components of group disparities in life expectancy. RESULTS Based on the new method, we find that 60% of the decline in the racial gap in life expectancy from 2000 to 2010 was attributable to reduction in the age component, largely because of declining differences in the age at which blacks and whites die of chronic diseases. CONCLUSION Our findings shed light on the sources of the declining racial gap in life expectancy in the United States, and help to identify where advances need to be made to achieve the goal of eliminating racial disparities in life expectancy. PMID:25580083

Why the racial gap in life expectancy is declining in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glenn Firebaugh

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Blacks have lower life expectancy than whites in the United States. That disparity could be due to racial differences in the causes of death, with blacks being more likely to die of causes that affect the young, or it could be due to differences in the average ages of blacks and whites who die of the same cause. Prior studies fail to distinguish these two possibilities. Objective: In this study we determine how much of the 2000-10 reduction in the racial gap in life expectancy resulted from narrowing differences in the cause-specific mean age at death for blacks and whites, as opposed to changing cause-specific probabilities for blacks and whites. Methods: We introduce a method for separating the difference-in-probabilities and difference-in-age components of group disparities in life expectancy. Results: Based on the new method, we find that 60Š of the decline in the racial gap in life expectancy from 2000 to 2010 was attributable to reduction in the age component, largely because of declining differences in the age at which blacks and whites die of chronic diseases. Conclusions: Our findings shed light on the sources of the declining racial gap in life expectancy in the United States, and help to identify where advances need to be made to achieve the goal of eliminating racial disparities in life expectancy.

Explaining the widening education gap in mortality among U.S. white women.

Science.gov (United States)

Montez, Jennifer Karas; Zajacova, Anna

2013-06-01

Over the past half century the gap in mortality across education levels has grown in the United States, and since the mid-1980s, the growth has been especially pronounced among white women. The reasons for the growth among white women are unclear. We investigated three explanations-social-psychological factors, economic circumstances, and health behaviors-for the widening education gap in mortality from 1997 to 2006 among white women aged 45 to 84 years using data from the National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality File (N = 46,744; 4,053 deaths). Little support was found for social-psychological factors, but economic circumstances and health behaviors jointly explained the growing education gap in mortality to statistical nonsignificance. Employment and smoking were the most important individual components. Increasing high school graduation rates, reducing smoking prevalence, and designing work-family policies that help women find and maintain desirable employment may reduce mortality inequalities among women.

Sapling growth and crown expansion in canopy gaps of Nothofagus pumilio (lenga) forests in Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez Bernal, P. M.; Defosse, G. E.; Quinteros, C. P.; Bava, J. O.

2012-07-01

In the province of Chubut in Patagonia, Argentina, Nothofagus pumilio forests (locally known as lenga), are managed through selective cuts, which imply the opening of canopy gaps. This management scheme is carried out without taking into consideration the changes of sapling requirements through either a cutting cycle or the precipitation gradient in which these forests thrive. To analyze these changes, we inferred the facilitation-competition balance between the canopy and regeneration, studying the effects of precipitation levels, gap size and gap age on saplings growth in height on 45 canopy gaps artificially created between 1960 and 1993. Results showed that during the first 20 years since gap opening, growth of regeneration is determined by light availability in mesic sites and by water availability in xeric sites. However, differences due to precipitation levels gradually decrease over time. Moreover, in the period between 20 and 35 years after gap opening, in both mesic and xeric sites, growth is limited by light availability. This indicates that in xeric sites, sapling growth requirements shift from a water-dependent situation to a light-dependent situation. The average closing rate of gaps due to lateral growth of bordering trees is high enough so that within the proposed gap size range, gap healing can occur before regeneration reaches the upper stratum. Consequently, in mesic sites gap opening can be done by a single operation that generates gaps with diameters of approximately twice the average height of the canopy (D/H). While in xeric environments, lenga seedling establishment and initial growth require the cover of small gaps, but advanced regeneration requires bigger gaps to reach the canopy. For this reason, gaps should be opened in two stages: the first gaps should be opened with a D/H between 0.8 and 1, and after a cutting cycle of 35 years, these openings should be enlarged to a D/H between 1.5 and 2. The close relationship maintained between the

Gender Pay Gap, Productivity Gap and Discrimination in Canadian Clothing Manufacturing in 1870

OpenAIRE

Catherine L McDevitt; James R Irwin; Kris Inwood

2009-01-01

Women's earnings were less than men's in Canadian clothing factories in 1870. Orthodox neoclassical theory would explain that gender pay gap as a reflection of a gender productivity gap. Using classical hypothesis testing we reject that view, based on a large cross-section of 1870 census data. We find the gender pay gap was significantly larger than the gender productivity gap, much as Hellerstein et al. [1999] found for US manufacturing circa 1990. Our results are clear and compell...

Public Perception of Water Consumption and Its Effects on Water Conservation Behavior

OpenAIRE

Liangxin Fan; Fei Wang; Guobin Liu; Xiaomei Yang; Wei Qin

2014-01-01

The usual perception of consumers regarding water consumption is that their bills do not match their actual water consumption. However, this mismatch has been insufficiently studied; particularly for cases related to specific water-use patterns, water conservation practices, and user socio-demographics. In this study, a total of 776 households in 16 villages situated in the rural Wei River Basin are investigated to address the gap in the literature. Questionnaires and 3-day water diaries are...

Problems in Analyzing Time Series with Gaps and Their Solution with the WinABD Software Package

Science.gov (United States)

Desherevskii, A. V.; Zhuravlev, V. I.; Nikolsky, A. N.; Sidorin, A. Ya.

2017-12-01

Technologies for the analysis of time series with gaps are considered. Some algorithms of signal extraction (purification) and evaluation of its characteristics, such as rhythmic components, are discussed for series with gaps. Examples are given for the analysis of data obtained during long-term observations at the Garm geophysical test site and in other regions. The technical solutions used in the WinABD software are considered to most efficiently arrange the operation of relevant algorithms in the presence of observational defects.

MERIS Retrieval of Water Quality Components in the Turbid Albemarle-Pamlico Sound Estuary, USA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans W. Paerl

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Two remote-sensing optical algorithms for the retrieval of the water quality components (WQCs in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System (APES were developed and validated for chlorophyll a (Chl. Both algorithms were semi-empirical because they incorporated some elements of optical processes in the atmosphere, water, and air/water interface. One incorporated a very simple atmospheric correction and modified quasi-single-scattering approximation (QSSA for estimating the spectral Gordon’s parameter, and the second estimated WQCs directly from the top of atmosphere satellite radiance without atmospheric corrections. A modified version of the Global Meteorological Database for Solar Energy and Applied Meteorology (METEONORM was used to estimate directional atmospheric transmittances. The study incorporated in situ Chl data from the Ferry-Based Monitoring (FerryMon program collected in the Neuse River Estuary (n = 633 and Pamlico Sound (n = 362, along with Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS satellite imagery collected (2006–2009 across the APES; providing quasi-coinciding samples for Chl algorithm development and validation. Results indicated a coefficient of determination (R2 of 0.70 and mean-normalized root-mean-squares errors (NRMSE of 52% in the Neuse River Estuary and R2 = 0.44 (NRMSE = 75 % in the Pamlico Sound—without atmospheric corrections. The simple atmospheric correction tested provided on performance improvements. Algorithm performance demonstrated the potential for supporting long-term operational WQCs satellite monitoring in the APES.

Vulnerability Assessment of Water Supply Systems: Status, Gaps and Opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Wheater, H. S.

2015-12-01

Conventional frameworks for assessing the impacts of climate change on water resource systems use cascades of climate and hydrological models to provide 'top-down' projections of future water availability, but these are subject to high uncertainty and are model and scenario-specific. Hence there has been recent interest in 'bottom-up' frameworks, which aim to evaluate system vulnerability to change in the context of possible future climate and/or hydrological conditions. Such vulnerability assessments are generic, and can be combined with updated information from top-down assessments as they become available. While some vulnerability methods use hydrological models to estimate water availability, fully bottom-up schemes have recently been proposed that directly map system vulnerability as a function of feasible changes in water supply characteristics. These use stochastic algorithms, based on reconstruction or reshuffling methods, by which multiple water supply realizations can be generated under feasible ranges of change in water supply conditions. The paper reports recent successes, and points to areas of future improvement. Advances in stochastic modeling and optimization can address some technical limitations in flow reconstruction, while various data mining and system identification techniques can provide possibilities to better condition realizations for consistency with top-down scenarios. Finally, we show that probabilistic and Bayesian frameworks together can provide a potential basis to combine information obtained from fully bottom-up analyses with projections available from climate and/or hydrological models in a fully integrated risk assessment framework for deep uncertainty.

Mass transfer in fuel cells. [electron microscopy of components, thermal decomposition of Teflon, water transport, and surface tension of KOH solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, R. D., Jr.

1973-01-01

Results of experiments on electron microscopy of fuel cell components, thermal decomposition of Teflon by thermogravimetry, surface area and pore size distribution measurements, water transport in fuel cells, and surface tension of KOH solutions are described.

EBRPOCO - a program to calculate detailed contributions of power reactivity components of EBR-II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meneghetti, D.; Kucera, D.A.

1981-01-01

The EBRPOCO program has been developed to facilitate the calculations of the power coefficients of reactivity of EBR-II loadings. The program enables contributions of various components of the power coefficient to be delineated axially for every subassembly. The program computes the reactivity contributions of the power coefficients resulting from: density reduction of sodium coolant due to temperature; displacement of sodium coolant by thermal expansions of cladding, structural rods, subassembly cans, and lower and upper axial reflectors; density reductions of these steel components due to temperature; displacement of bond-sodium (if present) in gaps by differential thermal expansions of fuel and cladding; density reduction of bond-sodium (if present) in gaps due to temperature; free axial expansion of fuel if unrestricted by cladding or restricted axial expansion of fuel determined by axial expansion of cladding. Isotopic spatial contributions to the Doppler component my also be obtained. (orig.) [de

Large Bandgap Semiconductors for Solar Water Splitting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malizia, Mauro

Photoelectrochemical water splitting represents an eco-friendly technology that could enable the production of hydrogen using water as reactant and solar energy as primary energy source. The exploitation of solar energy for the production of hydrogen would help modern society to reduce the reliance...... on fossil fuels as primary feedstock for hydrogen production and diminish the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, weakening the global warming phenomenon.The dissertation reports the development of GaP (gallium phosphide) photocathodes as a large bandgap semiconductor for photoelectrochemical...... water splitting devices having tandem design. The increase of the photovoltage produced by GaP under illumination was the main goal of this work. GaP has a bandgap of 2.25 eV and could in theory produce a photovoltage of approximately 1.7 V. Instead, the photovoltage produced by the semiconductor...

Water quality assessment using SVD-based principal component ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SVD) of hydrological data was tested for water quality assessment. Using two case studies of waste- and drinking water, PCA via SVD was able to find latent variables which explain 80.8% and 83.7% of the variance, respectively. By means of ...

Urban water sustainability: framework and application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Yang

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Urban areas such as megacities (those with populations greater than 10 million are hotspots of global water use and thus face intense water management challenges. Urban areas are influenced by local interactions between human and natural systems and interact with distant systems through flows of water, food, energy, people, information, and capital. However, analyses of water sustainability and the management of water flows in urban areas are often fragmented. There is a strong need to apply integrated frameworks to systematically analyze urban water dynamics and factors that influence these dynamics. We apply the framework of telecoupling (socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances to analyze urban water issues, using Beijing as a demonstration megacity. Beijing exemplifies the global water sustainability challenge for urban settings. Like many other cities, Beijing has experienced drastic reductions in quantity and quality of both surface water and groundwater over the past several decades; it relies on the import of real and virtual water from sending systems to meet its demand for clean water, and releases polluted water to other systems (spillover systems. The integrative framework we present demonstrates the importance of considering socioeconomic and environmental interactions across telecoupled human and natural systems, which include not only Beijing (the water-receiving system but also water-sending systems and spillover systems. This framework helps integrate important components of local and distant human-nature interactions and incorporates a wide range of local couplings and telecouplings that affect water dynamics, which in turn generate significant socioeconomic and environmental consequences, including feedback effects. The application of the framework to Beijing reveals many research gaps and management needs. We also provide a foundation to apply the telecoupling framework to better understand and manage water

Modeling of air-gap membrane distillation process: A theoretical and experimental study

KAUST Repository

Alsaadi, Ahmad Salem

2013-06-03

A one dimensional (1-D) air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) model for flat sheet type modules has been developed. This model is based on mathematical equations that describe the heat and mass transfer mechanisms of a single-stage AGMD process. It can simulate AGMD modules in both co-current and counter-current flow regimes. The theoretical model was validated using AGMD experimental data obtained under different operating conditions and parameters. The predicted water vapor flux was compared to the flux measured at five different feed water temperatures, two different feed water salinities, three different air gap widths and two MD membranes with different average pore sizes. This comparison showed that the model flux predictions are strongly correlated with the experimental data, with model predictions being within +10% of the experimentally determined values. The model was then used to study and analyze the parameters that have significant effect on scaling-up the AGMD process such as the effect of increasing the membrane length, and feed and coolant flow rates. The model was also used to analyze the maximum thermal efficiency of the AGMD process by tracing changes in water production rate and the heat input to the process along the membrane length. This was used to understand the gain in both process production and thermal efficiency for different membrane surface areas and the resultant increases in process capital and water unit cost. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Investigation of the condition of spent-fuel pool components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kustas, F.M.; Bates, S.O.; Opitz, B.E.; Johnson, A.B. Jr.; Perez, J.M. Jr.; Farnsworth, R.K.

1981-09-01

It is currently projected that spent nuclear fuel, which is discharged from the reactor and then stored in water pools, may remain in those pools for several decades. Other studies have addressed the expected integrity of the spent fuel during extended water storage; this study assesses the integrity of metallic spent fuel pool components. Results from metallurgical examinations of specimens taken from stainless steel and aluminum components exposed in spent fuel pools are presented. Licensee Event Reports (LERs) relating to problems with spent fuel components were assessed and are summarized to define the types of operational problems that have occurred. The major conclusions of this study are: aluminum and stainless steel spent fuel pool components have a good history of performance in both deionized and borated water pools. Although some operational problems involving pool components have occurred, these problems have had minimal impacts

Investigation of the condition of spent-fuel pool components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kustas, F.M.; Bates, S.O.; Opitz, B.E.; Johnson, A.B. Jr.; Perez, J.M. Jr.; Farnsworth, R.K.

1981-09-01

It is currently projected that spent nuclear fuel, which is discharged from the reactor and then stored in water pools, may remain in those pools for several decades. Other studies have addressed the expected integrity of the spent fuel during extended water storage; this study assesses the integrity of metallic spent fuel pool components. Results from metallurgical examinations of specimens taken from stainless steel and aluminum components exposed in spent fuel pools are presented. Licensee Event Reports (LERs) relating to problems with spent fuel components were assessed and are summarized to define the types of operational problems that have occurred. The major conclusions of this study are: aluminum and stainless steel spent fuel pool components have a good history of performance in both deionized and borated water pools. Although some operational problems involving pool components have occurred, these problems have had minimal impacts.

Integrating evolutionary game theory into an agent-based model of ductal carcinoma in situ: Role of gap junctions in cancer progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Malekian, Negin; Habibi, Jafar; Zangooei, Mohammad Hossein; Aghakhani, Hojjat

2016-11-01

There are many cells with various phenotypic behaviors in cancer interacting with each other. For example, an apoptotic cell may induce apoptosis in adjacent cells. A living cell can also protect cells from undergoing apoptosis and necrosis. These survival and death signals are propagated through interaction pathways between adjacent cells called gap junctions. The function of these signals depends on the cellular context of the cell receiving them. For instance, a receiver cell experiencing a low level of oxygen may interpret a received survival signal as an apoptosis signal. In this study, we examine the effect of these signals on tumor growth. We make an evolutionary game theory component in order to model the signal propagation through gap junctions. The game payoffs are defined as a function of cellular context. Then, the game theory component is integrated into an agent-based model of tumor growth. After that, the integrated model is applied to ductal carcinoma in situ, a type of early stage breast cancer. Different scenarios are explored to observe the impact of the gap junction communication and parameters of the game theory component on cancer progression. We compare these scenarios by using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test succeeds in proving a significant difference between the tumor growth of the model before and after considering the gap junction communication. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test also proves that the tumor growth significantly depends on the oxygen threshold of turning survival signals into apoptosis. In this study, the gap junction communication is modeled by using evolutionary game theory to illustrate its role at early stage cancers such as ductal carcinoma in situ. This work indicates that the gap junction communication and the oxygen threshold of turning survival signals into apoptosis can notably affect cancer progression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of pellet-to-cladding gap design parameters on the reliability of high burnup PWR fuel rods under steady state and transient conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tas, Fatma Burcu; Ergun, Sule

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Fuel performance of a typical Pressurized Water Reactor rod is analyzed. • Steady state fuel rod behavior is examined to see the effects of pellet to cladding gap thickness and gap gas pressure. • Transient fuel rod behavior is examined to see the effects of pellet to cladding gap thickness and gap gas pressure. • The optimum pellet to cladding gap thickness and gap gas pressure values of the simulated fuel are determined. • The effects of pellet to cladding gap design parameters on nuclear fuel reliability are examined. - Abstract: As an important improvement in the light water nuclear reactor operations, the nuclear fuel burnup rate is increased in recent decades and this increase causes heavier duty for the nuclear fuel. Since the high burnup fuel is exposed to very high thermal and mechanical stresses and since it operates in an environment with high radiation for about 18 month cycles, it carries the risk of losing its integrity. In this study; it is aimed to determine the effects of pellet–cladding gap thickness and gap pressure on reliability of high burnup nuclear fuel in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) under steady state operation conditions and suggest optimum values for the examined parameters only and validate these suggestions for a transient condition. In the presented study, fuel performance was analyzed by examining the effects of pellet–cladding gap thickness and gap pressure on the integrity of high burnup fuels. This work is carried out for a typical Westinghouse type PWR fuel. The steady state conditions were modeled and simulated with FRAPCON-3.4a steady state fuel performance code and the FRAPTRAN-1.4 fuel transient code was used to calculate transient fuel behavior. The analysis included the changes in the important nuclear fuel design limitations such as the centerline temperature, cladding stress, strain and oxidation with the change in pellet–cladding gap thickness and initial pellet–cladding gap gas

Comparison of GAP-3 and GAP-4 experiments with conduction freezing calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sienicki, J.J.; Spencer, B.W.

1983-01-01

Experiments GAP-3 and GAP-4 were performed at ANL to investigate the ability of molten fuel to penetrate downward through the narrow channels separating adjacent subassemblies during an LMFBR hypothetical core disruptive accident. Molten fuel-metal mixtures (81% UO 2 , 19% Mo) at an initial temperature of 3470 0 K generated by a thermite reaction were injected downward into 1 m long rectangular test sections (gap thickness = 0.43 cm, channel width = 20.3 cm) initially at 1170 0 K simulating the nominal Clinch River Breeder Reactor intersubassembly gap. In the GAP-3 test, a prolonged reaction time of approx. 15 s resulted in segregation of the metallic Mo and oxidic UO 2 constituents within the reaction vessel prior to injection. Consequently, Mo entered the test section first and froze, forming a complete plug at a penetration distance of 0.18 m. In GAP-4, the reaction time was reduced to approx. 3 s and the constituents remained well mixed upon injection with the result that the leading edge penetration distance increased to 0.35 m. Posttest examination of the cut-open test sections has revealed the existence of stable insulating crusts upon the underlying steel walls with melting and ablation of the walls only very localized

Method of nickel-plating large components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilbuer, K.

1997-01-01

The invention concerns a method of nickel-plating components, according to which even large components can be provided with an adequate layer of nickel which is pore- and stress-free and such that water is not lost. According to the invention, the component is heated and, after heating, is pickled, rinsed, scoured, plated in an electrolysis process, and rinsed again. (author)

Effect of Model Selection on Computed Water Balance Components

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jhorar, R.K.; Smit, A.A.M.F.R.; Roest, C.W.J.

2009-01-01

Soil water flow modelling approaches as used in four selected on-farm water management models, namely CROPWAT. FAIDS, CERES and SWAP, are compared through numerical experiments. The soil water simulation approaches used in the first three models are reformulated to incorporate ail evapotranspiration

Percolation cooling of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 lower head by way of thermal cracking and gap formation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, K.L.

2002-01-01

Two partial models have been developed to elucidate the Three Mile Island Unit 2 lower head coolability by water percolation from above into the thermally cracking debris bed and into a gap between the debris and the wall The bulk permeability of the cracked top crust is estimated based on simple...... fracture mechanics and application of Poiseuille's law to the fractures. The gap is considered as an abstraction representing an initially rugged interface, which probably expanded by thermal deformation and cracking in connection with the water ingress. The coupled flow and heat conduction problem...

Stress relief of ceramic components in high voltage assemblies. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinen, R.J.

1979-02-01

Two types of ceramic packages were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of encapsulating the ceramic components in beta eucryptite filled epoxy. The requirements (no high voltage breakdown, no ceramic cracking, and no encapsulant cracking) were met by the spark gap assembly, but the sprytron assembly had cracking in the encapsulant after thermal cycling. The encapsulation of the ceramic component in beta eucryptite filled epoxy with a stress decoupling material selectively applied in the stress concentrated areas were used to prevent cracking in the sprytron encapsulant. This method is proposed as the standard encapsulation process for high voltage ceramic components

Integrity of neutron-absorbing components of LWR fuel systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, W.J.; Berting, F.M.

1991-03-01

A study of the integrity and behavior of neutron-absorbing components of light-water (LWR) fuel systems was performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) and sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE). The components studies include control blades (cruciforms) for boiling-water reactors (BWRs) and rod cluster control assemblies for pressurized-water reactors (PWRs). The results of this study can be useful for understanding the degradation of neutron-absorbing components and for waste management planning and repository design. The report includes examples of the types of degradation, damage, or failures that have been encountered. Conclusions and recommendations are listed. 84 refs

Effect of Mycorrhiza Symbiosis on Yield, Yield Components and Water Use Efficiency of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L. Affected by Different Irrigation Regimes in Mashhad Condition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Koocheki

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction Plant association with mycorrhiza has been considered as one of the options to improve input efficiency particularly for water and nutrient - (Allen and Musik, 1993; Bolan, 1991. This has been due to kncreasing the absorbing area of the root and therefore better contact with water and nutrients. Inoculation with mycorrhiza enhances nutrient uptake with low immobility such as phosphorus and solphur-, improve association and could be an option to drought and other environmental abnormalities such as salinity (Rice et al., 2002. Moreover, higher water use efficiency (WUE for crops -has been reported in the literatures (Sekhara and Reddy, 1993.The sustainable use of scarce water resources in Iran is a priority for agricultural development. The pressure of using water in agriculture sector is increasing, so creating ways to improve water-use efficiency and taking a full advantage of available water are crucial. Water stress reduce crop yield by impairing the growth of crop canopy and biomass. Scheduling water application is very crucial for efficient use of drip irrigation system, as excessive irrigation reduces yield, while inadequate irrigation causes water stress and reduces production. The aim of present study was to evaluate the symbiotic effect of mycorrhiza on yield, yield components and water use efficiency of sesame under different irrigation regimes in Mashhad. Material and Methods In order to investigate the impact of inoculation with two species of Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi on yield, yield components and water use efficiency (WUE of sesame (Sesamum indicum L. under different irrigation regimes, an experiment was conducted as split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications during two growing seasons 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 at the Agricultural Research Station, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.. The experimental factors were three irrigation regimes include 2000, 3000 and

Generic component failure data base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eide, S.A.; Calley, M.B.

1992-01-01

This report discusses comprehensive component generic failure data base which has been developed for light water reactor probabilistic risk assessments. The Nuclear Computerized Library for Assessing Reactor Reliability (NUCLARR) was used to generate component failure rates. Using this approach, most of the failure rates are based on actual plant data rather then existing estimates

Bridge the Gap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marselis, Randi

2017-01-01

This article focuses on photo projects organised for teenage refugees by the Society for Humanistic Photography (Berlin, Germany). These projects, named Bridge the Gap I (2015), and Bridge the Gap II (2016), were carried out in Berlin and brought together teenagers with refugee and German...

The composition, functional components, and physical characteristics of grain from staygreen and senescent sorghum lines grown under variable water availability

Science.gov (United States)

The inclusion of sorghum into human food and feed is limited by its low digestibility compared to corn, which has been linked to the higher total kafirin levels in sorghum grain. Water stress after pollination reduced grain filling, affects the grain composition, functional components and grain phys...

Is physical water scarcity a new phenomenon? Global assessment of water shortage over the last two millennia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kummu, M.S.; Ward, P.J.; de Moel, H.; Varis, O.

2010-01-01

In this letter we analyse the temporal development of physical population-driven water scarcity, i.e. water shortage, over the period 0 AD to 2005 AD. This was done using population data derived from the HYDE dataset, and water resource availability based on the WaterGAP model results for the period

'Mind the Gap!'

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Persson, Karl Gunnar

This paper challenges the widely held view that sharply falling real transport costs closed the transatlantic gap in grain prices in the second half of the 19th century. Several new results emerge from an analysis of a new data set of weekly wheat prices and freight costs from New York to UK...... markets. Firstly, there was a decline in the transatlantic price gap but it was not sharp and the gap remained substantial. Secondly, the fall in the transatlantic price differential had more to do with improved market and marketing efficiency than with falling transport costs. Thirdly, spurious price...

Edge loading of plasma facing components in fusion devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohanti, R.; Deksnis, E.; Lomas, P.; Pick, M.

1993-03-01

The new poloidal and the inner wall guard limiter tiles of the Joint European Torus Experiment (JET) have been shaped to maximise power handling capability. The existing design of the divertor tiles of JET have been modified to reduce edge exposure. All of these components consist of discrete tiles with finite gaps. Under the assumption that the particle power flow is along field lines, the leading edges of the tiles are exposed due to field line penetration between gaps. The peak loading of these tiles to be at the edges. The report presents a generalised solution to the edge problem which indicates the steps required to shape the tiles for maximum power handling capability. (Author)

Cortical dynamics during the preparation of antisaccadic and prosaccadic eye movements in humans in a gap paradigm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabel Cordones

Full Text Available To compare the cortical dynamics of different oculomotor tasks, EEG and eye movements were recorded in 21 volunteers. Using a comprehensive approach, subjects were asked to perform saccadic tasks, which included a saccadic eye movement to a peripheral target (prosaccadic, a movement to the opposite side (antisaccadic, or maintain the gaze fixed (no-go. In mixed trials, prosaccadic, antisaccadic and no-go tasks were indicated by a color square (S1 present for 1900-2500 ms (instructive period. S1 disappeared for 370 ms (gap and a black dot at 8 deg at right or left indicated the beginning of the task. Reaction times, amplitude of eye movements and number of errors were greatest in antisaccadic tasks, suggesting a greater difficulty. The EEG showed a contingent negativity variation (CNV that increased progressively along the instructive period and suddenly during the gap: higher in antisaccadic, followed by prosaccadic and no-go tasks. Principal component analysis (PCA disentangled fronto-central and occipital CNV-related and fronto-central gap-related components. The instructive period was characterized by fronto-central and occipital beta desynchronization (ERD higher in antisaccadic than in no-go and parieto-occipital alpha synchronization higher in no-go than in antisaccadic tasks. During the gap, parieto-occipital beta and alpha ERD were higher in antisaccadic compared to no-go. The gap was further characterized by a fronto-central increase of inter-trial coherence in theta: highest during antisaccadic, followed by prosaccadic and no-go tasks. This phase locking in theta was also accompanied by theta ERS, which was significantly higher in antisaccadic than in the other two tasks. In PCA of spectral power two main components had dynamics similar to those extracted from voltage data, suggesting cross-frequency coupling. These results suggest that the more difficult saccadic tasks are associated with top-down control mediated by frontal cortex

Behind the Pay Gap

Science.gov (United States)

Dey, Judy Goldberg; Hill, Catherine

2007-01-01

Women have made remarkable gains in education during the past three decades, yet these achievements have resulted in only modest improvements in pay equity. The gender pay gap has become a fixture of the U.S. workplace and is so ubiquitous that many simply view it as normal. "Behind the Pay Gap" examines the gender pay gap for college graduates.…

Differences in the water-balance components of four lakes in the southern-central Tibetan Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Biskop, S.; Maussion, F.; Krause, P.; Fink, M.

2016-01-01

The contrasting patterns of lake-level fluctuations across the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are indicators of differences in the water balance over the TP. However, little is known about the key hydrological factors controlling this variability. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a more quantitative understanding of these factors for four selected lakes in the southern-central part of the TP: Nam Co and Tangra Yumco (increasing water levels), and Mapam Yumco and Paiku Co (stable or slightly decreasing water levels). We present the results of an integrated approach combining hydrological modeling, atmospheric-model output and remote-sensing data. The J2000g hydrological model was adapted and extended according to the specific characteristics of closed-lake basins on the TP and driven with High Asia Refined analysis (HAR) data at 10 km resolution for the period 2001-2010. Differences in the mean annual water balances among the four basins are primarily related to higher precipitation totals and attributed runoff generation in the Nam Co and Tangra Yumco basins. Precipitation and associated runoff are the main driving forces for inter-annual lake variations. The glacier-meltwater contribution to the total basin runoff volume (between 14 and 30 % averaged over the 10-year period) plays a less important role compared to runoff generation from rainfall and snowmelt in non-glacierized land areas. Nevertheless, using a hypothetical ice-free scenario in the hydrological model, we indicate that ice-melt water constitutes an important water-supply component for Mapam Yumco and Paiku Co, in order to maintain a state close to equilibrium, whereas the water balance in the Nam Co and Tangra Yumco basins remains positive under ice-free conditions. These results highlight the benefits of linking hydrological modeling with atmospheric-model output and satellite-derived data, and the presented approach can be readily transferred to other data-scarce closed lake basins, opening new

Trending analysis of incidents involving primary water stress corrosion cracking on Alloy 600 components at U.S. PWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahara, Shogo; Watanabe, Norio

2006-01-01

Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking (PWSCC) which occurs on Nickel based alloy (Alloy 600) is a worldwide concern since early 1980's. Recently several significant degradations that originate from PWSCC in the reactor coolant pressure boundary (RCPB) components have been observed at U.S. PWR plants (e.g. Oconee-3, Davis Besse). The United States Nuclear Regulation Commission (NRC) has issued generic communications to address this problem and, in response to the Davis Besse event in 2002, gave the inspection order EA-03-009 for the PWR licensees to implement the inspection of the reactor vessel heads depending upon the effective degradation years. As well, in Japan, PWSCC is considered one of the safety issues, in particular, for aged nuclear power plants and actually, some plants have experienced PWSCC on RCPB components. In the present study, we analyzed the U.S. experience with Alloy 600 degradation by reviewing the licensee event reports from 1999 to 2005 and examined the trend of them mainly focusing on affected components, characteristics of cracking and inspection approaches for detecting the PWSCC. This study indicates that PWSCC is found to be occurred on the RCPB components exposed to the environment with high temperature such as the reactor vessel head, and has the tendency to happen for specific manufactures and material according to the RCPB components. As well, it is shown that for several components, the non-destructive examination is generally needed to detect and/or confirm the PWSCC after the visual inspection and different repair techniques are applied depending on the components affected. (author)

Increasing gap junctional coupling: a tool for dissecting the role of gap junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Axelsen, Lene Nygaard; Haugan, Ketil; Stahlhut, Martin

2007-01-01

Much of our current knowledge about the physiological and pathophysiological role of gap junctions is based on experiments where coupling has been reduced by either chemical agents or genetic modification. This has brought evidence that gap junctions are important in many physiological processes....... In a number of cases, gap junctions have been implicated in the initiation and progress of disease, and experimental uncoupling has been used to investigate the exact role of coupling. The inverse approach, i.e., to increase coupling, has become possible in recent years and represents a new way of testing...... the role of gap junctions. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge obtained with agents that selectively increase gap junctional intercellular coupling. Two approaches will be reviewed: increasing coupling by the use of antiarrhythmic peptide and its synthetic analogs...

Seasonal variation of water-soluble chemical components in the bulk atmospheric aerosols collected at Okinawa Island, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Handa, D.; Nakajima, H.; Nakaema, F.; Arakaki, T.; Tanahara, A.

2008-12-01

The economic development and population growth in recent Asia spread air pollution. Emission rate of air pollutants from Asia, in particular oxides of nitrogen, surpassed those from North America and Europe and should continue to exceed them for decades. The study of the air pollution transported from Asian continent has gained a special attention in Japan. Okinawa Island is situated approximately 1500 km south of Tokyo, Japan, 2000 km southeast of Beijing, China, and 1000 km south of South Korea. Its location is ideal in observing East Asian atmospheric aerosols because maritime air mass prevails during summer, while continental air mass dominates during fall, winter, and spring. The maritime air mass data can be seen as background and can be compared with continental air masses which have been affected by anthropogenic activities. In 2005, Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS) was established by the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) at the northern tip of Okinawa Island, Japan to monitor the air quality of Asia. Bulk aerosol samples were collected on quartz filters by using a high volume air sampler. Sampling duration was one week for each sample. We determined the concentrations of water-soluble anions, cations and dissolved organic carbon in the bulk aerosols collected at the CHAAMS, using ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometry, and total organic carbon analyzer, respectively. Seasonal variation of water-soluble chemical components showed that the concentrations were relatively low in summer, higher in fall and winter, and the highest in spring. When air mass came from Asian Continent, the concentrations of water-soluble chemical components were much higher compared to the other directions.

Gap and density theorems

CERN Document Server

Levinson, N

1940-01-01

A typical gap theorem of the type discussed in the book deals with a set of exponential functions { \\{e^{{{i\\lambda}_n} x}\\} } on an interval of the real line and explores the conditions under which this set generates the entire L_2 space on this interval. A typical gap theorem deals with functions f on the real line such that many Fourier coefficients of f vanish. The main goal of this book is to investigate relations between density and gap theorems and to study various cases where these theorems hold. The author also shows that density- and gap-type theorems are related to various propertie

Pilot studies on management of ageing of nuclear power plant components: Results of Phase 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-10-01

To facilitate cooperation between the IAEA Member States and thus to enhance the safety and reliability of operating nuclear plants the IAEA has initiated pilot studies on the management of ageing of four representative plant components: the primary nozzle of the reactor pressure vessel, a motor operated valve, the concrete containment building and instrumentation and control cables. Phase 1 of the studies has been completed and its results are presented in this report. The report documents current understanding of ageing and methods for monitoring and mitigation of this ageing for the above components, identifies existing knowledge and technology gaps and defines follow-up work to deal with these gaps. Refs, figs and tabs

Direct-Bandgap InAs Quantum-Dots Have Long-Range Electron--Hole Exchange Whereas Indirect Gap Si Dots Have Short-Range Exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juo, J.W.; Franceschetti, A.; Zunger, A.

2009-01-01

Excitons in quantum dots manifest a lower-energy spin-forbidden 'dark' state below a spin-allowed 'bright' state; this splitting originates from electron-hole (e-h) exchange interactions, which are strongly enhanced by quantum confinement. The e-h exchange interaction may have both a short-range and a long-range component. Calculating numerically the e-h exchange energies from atomistic pseudopotential wave functions, we show here that in direct-gap quantum dots (such as InAs) the e-h exchange interaction is dominated by the long-range component, whereas in indirect-gap quantum dots (such as Si) only the short-range component survives. As a result, the exciton dark/bright splitting scales as 1/R 2 in InAs dots and 1/R 3 in Si dots, where R is the quantum-dot radius.

From the Kohn-Sham band gap to the fundamental gap in solids. An integer electron approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Baerends, E J

2017-06-21

It is often stated that the Kohn-Sham occupied-unoccupied gap in both molecules and solids is "wrong". We argue that this is not a correct statement. The KS theory does not allow to interpret the exact KS HOMO-LUMO gap as the fundamental gap (difference (I - A) of electron affinity (A) and ionization energy (I), twice the chemical hardness), from which it indeed differs, strongly in molecules and moderately in solids. The exact Kohn-Sham HOMO-LUMO gap in molecules is much below the fundamental gap and very close to the much smaller optical gap (first excitation energy), and LDA/GGA yield very similar gaps. In solids the situation is different: the excitation energy to delocalized excited states and the fundamental gap (I - A) are very similar, not so disparate as in molecules. Again the Kohn-Sham and LDA/GGA band gaps do not represent (I - A) but are significantly smaller. However, the special properties of an extended system like a solid make it very easy to calculate the fundamental gap from the ground state (neutral system) band structure calculations entirely within a density functional framework. The correction Δ from the KS gap to the fundamental gap originates from the response part v resp of the exchange-correlation potential and can be calculated very simply using an approximation to v resp . This affords a calculation of the fundamental gap at the same level of accuracy as other properties of crystals at little extra cost beyond the ground state bandstructure calculation. The method is based on integer electron systems, fractional electron systems (an ensemble of N- and (N + 1)-electron systems) and the derivative discontinuity are not invoked.

Putting produced water to a useful purpose : regulatory gaps and other concerns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwasniak, A.J.

2006-01-01

This presentation discussed issues related to produced water from oil and gas activities and its use and disposal in Alberta. The province is in danger of a water shortage, and studies have shown that runoff volumes in the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB) are below average. A recent assessment of 33 river reaches in the SSRB has shown that 31 river reaches are approaching ecologically unacceptable values. Water produced from coalbed methane (CBM) activities will be only marginally saline or non-saline, and CBM activities are expected to increase in the region in order to supplement Alberta's dwindling natural gas supplies. Approximately 10 per cent of the CBM wells drilled in 2004 targeted seams that contained water. Approximately 50,000 more CBM wells will be drilled in Alberta in the next decade. While water conservation will help to address the situation, the re-use of produced water in processing technologies will help to reduce the impact of oil and gas activities in the province. However, regulatory difficulties may prevent produced water from being re-used. It is not currently known whether operators require a water rights permit to produce water. Regulatory obligations concerning damage to aquifers and water discharges are also unclear. The Water Act currently requires statutory authorizations for diversions of water. If the water is non-saline, then the operator is required to obtain a licence to divert produced water from its source. It was concluded that clear legislation is needed to determine if water can be re-used after it is brought to the surface. The introduction of an American-style beneficial rights use was recommended. refs., tabs., figs

Gap junctions composed of connexins 41.8 and 39.4 are essential for colour pattern formation in zebrafish

Science.gov (United States)

Irion, Uwe; Frohnhöfer, Hans Georg; Krauss, Jana; Çolak Champollion, Tuǧba; Maischein, Hans-Martin; Geiger-Rudolph, Silke; Weiler, Christian; Nüsslein-Volhard, Christiane

2014-01-01

Interactions between all three pigment cell types are required to form the stripe pattern of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), but their molecular nature is poorly understood. Mutations in leopard (leo), encoding Connexin 41.8 (Cx41.8), a gap junction subunit, cause a phenotypic series of spotted patterns. A new dominant allele, leotK3, leads to a complete loss of the pattern, suggesting a dominant negative impact on another component of gap junctions. In a genetic screen, we identified this component as Cx39.4 (luchs). Loss-of-function alleles demonstrate that luchs is required for stripe formation in zebrafish; however, the fins are almost not affected. Double mutants and chimeras, which show that leo and luchs are only required in xanthophores and melanophores, but not in iridophores, suggest that both connexins form heteromeric gap junctions. The phenotypes indicate that these promote homotypic interactions between melanophores and xanthophores, respectively, and those cells instruct the patterning of the iridophores. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05125.001 PMID:25535837

A likely planet-induced gap in the disc around T Cha

Science.gov (United States)

Hendler, Nathanial P.; Pinilla, Paola; Pascucci, Ilaria; Pohl, Adriana; Mulders, Gijs; Henning, Thomas; Dong, Ruobing; Clarke, Cathie; Owen, James; Hollenbach, David

2018-03-01

We present high-resolution (0.11 × 0.06 arcsec2) 3 mm ALMA observations of the highly inclined transition disc around the star T Cha. Our continuum image reveals multiple dust structures: an inner disc, a spatially resolved dust gap, and an outer ring. When fitting sky-brightness models to the real component of the 3 mm visibilities, we infer that the inner emission is compact (≤1 au in radius), the gap width is between 18 and 28 au, and the emission from the outer ring peaks at ˜36 au. We compare our ALMA image with previously published 1.6 μm VLT/SPHERE imagery. This comparison reveals that the location of the outer ring is wavelength dependent. More specifically, the peak emission of the 3 mm ring is at a larger radial distance than that of the 1.6 μm ring, suggesting that millimeter-sized grains in the outer disc are located farther away from the central star than micron-sized grains. We discuss different scenarios to explain our findings, including dead zones, star-driven photoevaporation, and planet-disc interactions. We find that the most likely origin of the dust gap is from an embedded planet, and estimate - for a single planet scenario - that T Cha's gap is carved by a 1.2MJup planet.

Board affiliation and pay gap

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shenglan Chen

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the effects of board affiliation on the corporate pay gap. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms from 2005 to 2011, we find that boards with a greater presence of directors appointed by block shareholders have lower pay gaps. Furthermore, the governance effects of board affiliation with and without pay are distinguished. The empirical results show that board affiliation without pay is negatively related to the pay gap, while board affiliation with pay is positively related to the pay gap. Overall, the results shed light on how block shareholders affect their companies’ pay gaps through board affiliation.

Effects of axial gap and nozzle distribution on aerodynamic forces of a supersonic partial-admission turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinpeng JIANG

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The turbine in an LH2/LOX rocket engine is designed as a two-stage supersonic partial-admission turbine. Three-dimensional steady and unsteady simulations were conducted to analyze turbine performance and aerodynamic forces on rotor blades. Different configurations were employed to investigate the effects of the axial gap and nozzle distribution on the predicted performance and aerodynamic forces. Rotor blades experience unsteady aerodynamic forces because of the partial admission. Aerodynamic forces show periodicity in the admission region, and are close to zero after leaving the admission region. The unsteady forces in frequency domain indicate that components exist in a wide frequency region, and the admission passing frequency is dominant. Those multiples of the rotational frequency which are multiples of the nozzle number in a full-admission turbine are notable components. Results show that the turbine efficiency decreases as the axial gap between nozzles and the 1st stage rotor (rotor 1 increases. Fluctuation of the circumferential aerodynamic force on rotor 1 blades decreases with the axial gap increasing. The turbine efficiency decreases as the circumferential spacing between nozzles increases. Fluctuations of the circumferential and axial aerodynamic forces increase as the circumferential spacing increases. As for the non-equidistant nozzle distribution, it produces similar turbine performance and amplitude-frequency characteristics of forces to those of the normal configuration, when the mean spacing is equal to that of the normal case. Keywords: Aerodynamic force, Axial gap, Computational fluid dynamics (CFD, Nozzle distribution, Partial admission, Turbine

Practice Patterns of School-Based Occupational Therapists Targeting Handwriting: A Knowledge-to-Practice Gap

Science.gov (United States)

Cramm, Heidi; Egan, Mary

2015-01-01

Poor handwriting is a common reason for referral to school-based occupational therapy. A survey was used to explore the extent to which current practice patterns in Ontario, Canada, align with evidence on effective intervention for handwriting. Knowledge-to-practice gaps were identified related to focus on performance components versus…

Thermotropic nanostructured gels with complex hierarchical structure and two gelling components for water shut-off and enhance of oil recovery

Science.gov (United States)

Altunina, L. K.; Kuvshinov, I. V.; Kuvshinov, V. A.; Kozlov, V. V.; Stasyeva, L. A.

2017-12-01

This work presents the results of laboratory and field tests of thermotropic composition MEGA with two simultaneously acting gelling components, polymer and inorganic. The composition is intended for improving oil recovery and water shut-off at oilfields developed by thermal flooding, and cyclic-steam stimulated oil production wells. The composition forms an in-situ "gel-in-gel" system with improved structural-mechanical properties, using reservoir or carrier fluid heat for gelling. The gel blocks water breakthrough into producing wells and redistribute fluid flows, thus increasing the oil recovery factor.

Assessing the state of environmental quality in cities – A multi-component urban performance (EMCUP) index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stossel, Zeev; Kissinger, Meidad; Meir, Avinoam

2015-01-01

Urban environmental quality indices can provide policy makers and the public with valuable information. However, common assessment tools have several shortcomings: most indices do leave out some important components of the state of urban environmental quality; they use a relative assessment in which urban environmental performance is evaluated relative to other cities, not against established environmental benchmarks; and only a few assessment tools compare urban performance to environmental quality standards. This paper presents a new multi component urban performance (EMCUP) index aiming to tackle those shortcomings. It analyses the overall state of urban environmental quality by using a list of indicators to evaluate key urban environmental quality topics such as air, water, open space, sanitation and solid waste. It presents an absolute score calculated in relation to both the standard and desired optimum levels. The use of the index is demonstrated by three Israeli cities. - Highlights: • The index provides a new framework for analyzing the overall urban environmental quality. • The index scores are calculated based on environmental standards and desired optimum benchmark values. • The paper demonstrates the gap between the state of existing urban environmental quality and the desired goals. - Introducing a multi component urban performance (EMCUP) index, which measures urban environmental quality related to environmental benchmarks.

Model studies on heterogeneous reactions of organic components within aerosols and their influence on the condensation of water: Surface-analytical investigations on the water up-take of fly-ashes before and after exposition to fluoranthene and toluene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faude, F.; Goschnick, J.

1993-01-01

The condensation of water onto four different fly ashes was investigated without any treatment, after annealing and subsequent to exposure with toluene and fluoranthene. It was intented to reveal the influence of organic aerosol components on atmospheric scavenging from particulate pollutants. Because the interaction with the ambient atmosphere is restricted to a very thin surface layer, surface analysis methods were applied to examine directly the adsorption of water or organic compounds at the surface of the fly ashes. Already some of the fly ashes as received contained organic components, which could be desorbed thermally. After their thermal removal the take-up of water improved considerably. Fluoranthene as well as the far more volatile toluene adsorbed at the particle surfaces and both caused strong impediment of the water take-up of originally hydrophilic fly ashes. The results suggest, that for any type of fly ashes the formation of a hydrophobic organic coating can be expected. This may be a result of organic flue gas components such as fluoranthene which condense downstream onto combustion aerosol particles. Or during transport of fly ash particles through organically polluted areas - e.g. with toluene in the air of busy traffic locations - organic coatings may built up. In all cases the hydrophobic coating interferes with the water take-up resulting at least in a considerable delay of the removal of pollutant particulates from the atmosphere. (orig.) [de

Defining the anesthesia gap for reproductive health procedures in resource-limited settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, R Eleanor; Ahn, Roy; Nelson, Brett D; Chavez, Jean; de Redon, Emily; Burke, Thomas

2014-12-01

In resource-limited settings, severe shortages of anesthetists and anesthesiologists lead to surgical delays that increase maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. To more clearly understand the individual components of the anesthesia gap pertaining to reproductive health surgeries and procedures in resource-limited settings. Medline, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, and POPLINE were systematically searched for reports published before December 31, 2013. Search terms were related to obstetric surgery, resource-limited settings, and anesthesia. Studies that addressed the use of anesthesia in reproductive procedures in resource-limited settings were included. Reviewers independently evaluated the full text of identified studies, extracted information related to study objectives and conclusions, and identified the anesthesia gap. Overall, 14 publications met the inclusion criteria. A significant lack of infrastructure, equipment and supplies, and trained personnel were identified as key factors responsible for a lack of anesthesia services. A shortage of trained anesthesia providers, equipment, supplies, medications, and infrastructure, along with limitations in transportation in resource-limited settings have produced a wide gap between available anesthesia services and the demand for them for reproductive health surgeries and procedures. Safe, affordable, and scalable solutions to address the anesthesia gap are urgently needed. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water, Water, Everywhere.

Science.gov (United States)

Selinger, Ben

1979-01-01

Water is a major component in many consumer products. Azeotropic distillation of products such as detergents and foodstuffs to form a two-phase distillate is a simple experimental method to determine the percentage of water in the product. (Author/GA)

Bridging the Gap Between Climate Science and Water-resource Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, J. R.; Clark, M. P.; Wood, A.; Gutmann, E. D.; Nijssen, B.; Brekke, L. D.

2015-12-01

Since 2010, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Climate Preparedness and Resilience Program has supported development of a coordinated system of products and tools to improve use of climate information in water-resource planning and management. The key products include: 1) a new understanding of the limitations of methods used to quantify impacts of climate change on water resources; 2) development and evaluation of national-domain climate downscaling and hydrologic simulation capabilities to provide information from climate model output relevant to the multiple scales of water resources decision-making with a spatially consistent assessment of the impacts of climate change on hydrologic conditions; and 3) development and evaluation of advanced streamflow forecasting methods. This will support USACE Districts and their stakeholders and partners with new data, new and newly evaluated model output, and specific tools in a framework to help with routine applications for managing water resources throughout the U.S., and to enhance considerations of climate preparedness and resilience in that work. This presentation will summarize the collaborative development of some of those products; describe current and planned future USACE capabilities for incorporating advanced climate information at multiple scales of analysis and decision; discuss uses of climate information in water-resources planning and management; and outline key unanswered science questions being addressed to increase utility and use of information in short- and longer-term planning. Specifically, we will describe the current suite and planned trajectory of new products, moving from capability development through to testing in limited pilot domains, on to product applications throughout the U.S., and, ultimately, into actual implementation at the level of USACE Districts to address climate change issues. Two key foci of this talk will be: 1) where climatological and hydrologic science is currently

Aging Management Strategy and Requirements of Pressurized Water Reactor Internal Components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Jun Seog; Oh, Sung Jin; Won, Se Yol; Jeong, Sun Mi [KHNP, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The demonstration that the effects of degradation in the components of PWR internals are adequately managed is essential for maintaining a healthy fleet and ensuring the continued functionality of the reactor internals. It is also very important to determine when and where irradiation susceptibility may occur for the continued operation. This paper introduces the aging management strategies and requirements for PWR internals components and discusses effects of irradiation aging results from the functionality assessments based on the categorization of internal components. This paper introduces aging management strategies and requirements for PWR internals components. The aging management requirements for PWR internals are specified in four final component groups, which are Primary, Expansion, Existing Program and No Additional Measures. Among these groups, Primary groups include any restriction on general applicability, degradation mechanism, forward link to any Expansion components, examination method, initial examination and frequency, and examination coverage and accessibility. Expansion groups are backward link to the Primary component.