Seasonal and diel patterns in sedimentary flux of krill fecal pellets recorded by an echo sounder

KAUST Repository

Rø stad, Anders; Kaartvedt, Stein

2013-01-01

We used a moored upward-facing 200 kHz echo sounder to address sedimentation of fecal pellets (FPs) from dielly migrating Meganyctiphanes norvegica. The echo sounder was located on the bottom at 150 m depth in the Oslofjord, Norway, and was cabled

Capture-recapture of white-tailed deer using DNA from fecal pellet-groups

Science.gov (United States)

Goode, Matthew J; Beaver, Jared T; Muller, Lisa I; Clark, Joseph D.; van Manen, Frank T.; Harper, Craig T; Basinger, P Seth

2014-01-01

Traditional methods for estimating white-tailed deer population size and density are affected by behavioral biases, poor detection in densely forested areas, and invalid techniques for estimating effective trapping area. We evaluated a noninvasive method of capture—recapture for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) density estimation using DNA extracted from fecal pellets as an individual marker and for gender determination, coupled with a spatial detection function to estimate density (spatially explicit capture—recapture, SECR). We collected pellet groups from 11 to 22 January 2010 at randomly selected sites within a 1-km2 area located on Arnold Air Force Base in Coffee and Franklin counties, Tennessee. We searched 703 10-m radius plots and collected 352 pellet-group samples from 197 plots over five two-day sampling intervals. Using only the freshest pellets we recorded 140 captures of 33 different animals (15M:18F). Male and female densities were 1.9 (SE = 0.8) and 3.8 (SE = 1.3) deer km-2, or a total density of 5.8 deer km-2 (14.9 deer mile-2). Population size was 20.8 (SE = 7.6) over a 360-ha area, and sex ratio was 1.0 M: 2.0 F (SE = 0.71). We found DNA sampling from pellet groups improved deer abundance, density and sex ratio estimates in contiguous landscapes which could be used to track responses to harvest or other management actions.

Copepod faecal pellet transfer through the meso- and bathypelagic layers in the Southern Ocean in spring

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Belcher, Anna; Manno, Clara; Ward, Peter; Henson, Stephanie A.; Sanders, Richard; Tarling, Geraint A.

2017-03-01

The faecal pellets (FPs) of zooplankton can be important vehicles for the transfer of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the deep ocean, often making large contributions to carbon sequestration. However, the routes by which these FPs reach the deep ocean have yet to be fully resolved. We address this by comparing estimates of copepod FP production to measurements of copepod FP size, shape, and number in the upper mesopelagic (175-205 m) using Marine Snow Catchers, and in the bathypelagic using sediment traps (1500-2000 m). The study is focussed on the Scotia Sea, which contains some of the most productive regions in the Southern Ocean, where epipelagic FP production is likely to be high. We found that, although the size distribution of the copepod community suggests that high numbers of small FPs are produced in the epipelagic, small FPs are rare in the deeper layers, implying that they are not transferred efficiently to depth. Consequently, small FPs make only a minor contribution to FP fluxes in the meso- and bathypelagic, particularly in terms of carbon. The dominant FPs in the upper mesopelagic were cylindrical and elliptical, while ovoid FPs were dominant in the bathypelagic. The change in FP morphology, as well as size distribution, points to the repacking of surface FPs in the mesopelagic and in situ production in the lower meso- and bathypelagic, which may be augmented by inputs of FPs via zooplankton vertical migrations. The flux of carbon to the deeper layers within the Southern Ocean is therefore strongly modulated by meso- and bathypelagic zooplankton, meaning that the community structure in these zones has a major impact on the efficiency of FP transfer to depth.

Coprorhexy, coprophagy, and coprochaly in the copepods Calanus helgolandicus, Pseudocalanus elongatus, and Oithona similis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, Morten; Poulsen, Louise K.

2007-01-01

Studies of fecal pellet flux show that a large percentage of pellets produced in the upper ocean is degraded within the surface waters. It is therefore important to investigate these degradation mechanisms to understand the role of fecal pellets in the oceanic carbon cycle. Degradation of pellets...

Variable food absorption by Antarctic krill: Relationships between diet, egestion rate and the composition and sinking rates of their fecal pellets

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, A.; Schmidt, K.; Fielding, S.; Kawaguchi, S.; Geissler, P. A.

2012-01-01

The kinetics of food processing by zooplankton affects both their energy budgets and the biogeochemical fate of their fecal pellets. We sampled 40 schools of krill across the Scotia Sea during spring, summer and autumn and found that in all 3 seasons, every aspect of their absorption and defecation varied greatly. The C content of fecal pellets varied from 0.85% to 29% of their dry mass (median 9.8%) and C egestion rates varied 75-fold. C:N mass ratios of pellets ranged from 4.9 to 13.2 (median 7.8), higher than values of 3.9 in the krill and 5.4 in their food, pointing to enhanced uptake of N. Pellet sinking rates equated to 27-1218 m d -1 (median 304 m d -1), being governed mainly by pellet diameter (80-600 μm, mean 183 μm) and density (1.038-1.391 g cm -3, mean 1.121 g cm -3). Pellets showed little loss of C or N in filtered seawater over the first 2 days and were physically robust. When feeding rates were low, slow gut passage time and high absorption efficiency resulted in low egestion rates of pellets that were low in C and N content. These pellets were compact, dense and fast-sinking. Conversely, in good feeding conditions much food tended to pass quickly through the gut and was not efficiently absorbed, producing C and N-rich, slow-sinking pellets. Such "superfluous feeding" probably maximises the absolute rates of nutrient absorption. Food composition was also important: diatom-rich diets depressed the C content of the pellets but increased their sinking rates, likely due to silica ballasting. So depending on how krill process food, their pellets could represent both vehicles for rapid export and slow sinking, C and N-rich food sources for pelagic scavengers. C egestion rates by krill averaged 3.4% of summer primary production (and ingestion rates would be 2-10-fold higher than this) so whatever the fate of the pellets, krill are an important re-packager within the food web. While salp pellets tend to sink faster than those of krill, it is the latter

Seasonal and diel patterns in sedimentary flux of krill fecal pellets recorded by an echo sounder

KAUST Repository

Røstad, Anders

2013-11-01

We used a moored upward-facing 200 kHz echo sounder to address sedimentation of fecal pellets (FPs) from dielly migrating Meganyctiphanes norvegica. The echo sounder was located on the bottom at 150 m depth in the Oslofjord, Norway, and was cabled to shore for continuous measurements during winter and spring. Records of sinking pellets were for the first time observed with an echo sounder. Seasonal patterns of sedimentation of krill FPs were strongly correlated with data from continuous measurement of fluorescence, which illustrate the development of the spring bloom. Sedimenting particles were first observed as fluorescence values started to increase at the end of February and continued to increase until the bloom suddenly culminated at the end of March. This collapse of the bloom was detected on the echo sounder as a pulse of slowly sinking acoustic targets over a 2 d period. Prior to this event, there was a strong diel pattern in sedimentation, which correlated, with some time lag, with the diel migration of krill foraging at night near the surface. Pellet average sinking speeds ranged between 423 m d−1 and 804 m d−1, with a strong relation to pellet target strength, which is an acoustic proxy for size. This novel approach shows that echo sounders may be a valuable tool in studies of vertical pellet flux and, thereby, carbon flux, providing temporal resolution and direct observation of the sedimentation process, which are not obtained from standard methods.

Production, oxygen respiration rates, and sinking velocity of copepod fecal pellets: Direct measurements of ballasting by opal and calcite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ploug, H.; Iversen, M.H.; Koski, Marja

2008-01-01

sp., T. weissflogii, and E. huxleyi, respectively. The average carbon-specific respiration rate was 0.15 d(-1) independent on diet (range: 0.08-0.21 d(-1)). Because of ballasting of opal and calcite, sinking velocities were significantly higher for pellets produced on T. weissflogii (322 +/- 169 m d...

Prymnesium parvum exotoxins affect the grazing and viability of the calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sopanen, S.; Koski, Marja; Uronen, P.

2008-01-01

The calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis from the northern Baltic Sea was exposed to cell-free filtrates of the toxic haptophyte Prymnesium parvum as well as to cell mixtures of P. parvum and Rhodomonas salina. To test the effects of P. parvum exudates and allelopathy on selective grazers, copepods...... cultures were grown in nutrient-balanced (+NP) or limited (-N or -P) media to obtain different levels of toxicity. Survival, ingestion, faecal pellet production rates and egg production were measured over 3 d, together with measurements of P. parvum toxicity (hemolytic activity) (HA). Most of the copepods...... on grazers, and these effects are stronger under nutrient-depleted conditions; however, the presence of good-quality food lowers harmful effects for copepods. The negative effects caused either by direct intoxication or by food limitation following from strong allelopathic effects of P. parvum on other...

Using DNA to test the utility of pellet-group counts as an index of deer counts

Science.gov (United States)

T. J. Brinkman; D. K. Person; W. Smith; F. Stuart Chapin; K. McCoy; M. Leonawicz; K. Hundertmark

2013-01-01

Despite widespread use of fecal pellet-group counts as an index of ungulate density, techniques used to convert pellet-group numbers to ungulate numbers rarely are based on counts of known individuals, seldom evaluated across spatial and temporal scales, and precision is infrequently quantified. Using DNA from fecal pellets to identify individual deer, we evaluated the...

Radiocarbon dating of American pika fecal pellets provides insights into population extirpations and climate refugia.

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Millar, Constance I; Heckman, Katherine; Swanston, Christopher; Schmidt, Karena; Westfall, Robert D; Delany, Diane L

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) has become a species of concern for its sensitivity to warm temperatures and potential vulnerability to global warming. We explored the value of radiocarbon dating of fecal pellets to address questions of population persistence and timing of site extirpation. Carbon was extracted from pellets collected at 43 locations in the western Great Basin, USA, including three known occupied sites and 40 sites of uncertain status at range margins or where previous studies indicated the species is vulnerable. We resolved calibrated dates with high precision (within several years), most of which fell in the period of the mid-late 20th century bomb curve. The two-sided nature of the bomb curve renders far- and near-side dates of equal probability, which are separated by one to four decades. We document methods for narrowing resolution to one age range, including stratigraphic analysis of vegetation collected from pika haypiles. No evidence was found for biases in atmospheric 14C levels due to fossil-derived or industrial CO2 contamination. Radiocarbon dating indicated that pellets can persist for >59 years; known occupied sites resolved contemporary dates. Using combined evidence from field observations and radiocarbon dating, and the Bodie Mountains as an example, we propose a historical biogeographic scenario for pikas in minor Great Basin mountain ranges adjacent to major cordillera, wherein historical climate variability led to cycles of extirpation and recolonization during alternating cool and warm centuries. Using this model to inform future dynamics for small ranges in biogeographic settings similar to the Bodie Mountains in California, extirpation of pikas appears highly likely under directional warming trends projected for the next century, even while populations in extensive cordillera (e.g., Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountains, Cascade Range) are likely to remain viable due to extensive, diverse habitat and high connectivity.

Effects of temperature and food availability on feeding and egg production of Calanus hyperboreus from Disko Bay, Western Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Marie Vestergaard; Jung-Madsen, Signe; Nielsen, Torkel Gissel

2012-01-01

The effects of temperature and food availability on feeding and egg production of the Arctic copepod Calanus hyperboreus were investigated in Disko Bay, western Greenland, from winter to spring 2009. The abundance of females in the near bottom layer and the egg production of C. hyperboreus prior...... reproduction, the females migrated to the surface layer to exploit the bloom and refill their lipid stores. In 2 laboratory experiments, initiated before and during the spring bloom, mature females were kept with and without food at 5 different temperatures ranging from 0 to 10°C and the fecal pellet and egg...... production were monitored. Food had a clear effect on fecal pellet production but no effect on egg production, while temperature did not have an effect on egg or fecal pellet production in any of the experiments. Analyses of carbon and lipid content of the females before and after the experiments did...

Carbon budget of a marine phytoplankton-herbivore system with carbon-14 as a tracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Copping, A.E.; Lorenzen, C.J.

1980-01-01

Adult female and stage V Calanus pacificus were fed 14 C-labeled phytoplankton in the laboratory in the form of monospecific cultures and natural populations. A carbon budget was constructed by following the 14 C activity and the specific activity, over 48 h, in the phytoplankton, copepod, dissolved organic, dissolved inorganic, and fecal carbon compartments. The average incorporation of carbon into the copepod's body was 45% of the phytoplankton carbon available. Of the phytoplankton carbon, 27% appeared as dissolved organic carbon, 24% as dissolved inorganic carbon, and 3 to 4% in the form of fecal pellets. All of the tracer was recovered at the end of the experiments. The specific activity of the phytoplankton compartment was constant throughout each experiment. The other compartments had initial specific activities of zero, or close to zero, and increased throughout the experiment. In most experiments, the copepod specific activity equalled that of the phytoplankton at the end of 48 h, while the dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, and fecal specific activities remained well below that of the phytoplankton

Long-Term Patterns in Production and Export of Fecal Pellets by Krill and Salps along the Western Antarctic Peninsula

Science.gov (United States)

Steinberg, D. K.; Ruck, K. E.; Cope, J. S.

2016-02-01

The Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth, and where climate-induced changes in zooplankton abundance and species composition could dramatically affect the pelagic food web and biogeochemical cycling. We examined long-term (1993 to the present) and spatial trends in summer abundance of, and fecal pellet production (FPP) by, Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and gelatinous salps (Salpa thompsoni) and their relationship with physical and other environmental parameters. Zooplankton were collected as part of the Palmer, Antarctica Long-Term Ecological Research Program (PAL LTER) from the epipelagic zone in a region divided into latitudinal (North, South, and Far South) and cross-shelf (coastal, shelf, slope) sub-regions. Beginning in 2009, FPP and sinking rate experiments were conducted at representative stations along these gradients. FPP peaks occurred every 4-6 years in both species in the north and south, but alternated such that some years were characterized by high krill-mediated export, and others by high salp-mediated export. In the far south (where perennial sea ice still persists), and in both coastal and shelf sub-regions, krill FFP exceeded that of salps. Conversely, off the slope, salp FPP exceeded that of krill. Variability in krill FPP was strongly and positively influenced by primary production 2-years prior, and negatively correlated with sea surface temperature (no lag). Salp FPP was most significantly correlated with sea ice parameters, with highest FPP in years of lowest sea-ice extent, duration, and area. Warmer water and ice-free conditions favored salps over krill, which also increased overall potential export of fecal pellet carbon to depth. We discuss the implications of this potential increase in biological pump efficiency as the climate warms.

Population dynamics and life history strategies of the dominant copepods in a sub-arctic Greenlandic fjord

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjellerup, Sanne; Nielsen, Torkel Gissel

Investigations of the Arctic and Sub-Arctic pelagic food web have previously focused on the copepod genus Calanus, as they often dominate the mesozooplankton community and serve as a lipid rich food source for higher trophic levels. However, if night samples are considered a different food web...... might emerges with the omnivorous copepod Metridia spp. in a major role. Biology of Metridia is practically unknown but deviates from Calanus e.g. Metridia does not hibernate but stays active yearlong benefiting from being omnivore. In the present study abundance, depth distribution, and egg and pellet...... hibernating Calanus. M. longa might thereby also have a central role in the lipid rich food chain which is a distinct feature for Arctic and Sub-Arctic ecosystems...

Endosymbiotic copepods may feed on zooxanthellae from their coral host, Pocillopora damicornis

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Y.-R.; Dai, C.-F.

2010-03-01

The Xarifiidae is one of the most common families of endosymbiotic copepods that live in close association with scleractinian corals. Previous studies on xarifiids primarily focused on their taxonomy and morphology, while their influence on corals is still unknown. In this study, we collected a total of 1,579 individuals belonging to 6 species of xarifiids from 360 colonies of Pocillopora damicornis at Nanwan Bay, southern Taiwan from July 2007 to May 2008. Furthermore, using optical and electron microscopic observations, we examined the gut contents of Xarifia fissilis, the most abundant species of the Xarifiidae that we collected. We found that the gut of X. fissilis was characterized by a reddish-brown color due to the presence of numerous unicellular algae with diameters of 5-10 μm. TEM observations indicated that the unicellular algae possessed typical characteristics of Symbiodinium including a peripheral chloroplast, stalked pyrenoids, starch sheaths, mesokaryotic nuclei, amphiesmas, an accumulation body, and mitochondria. After starving the isolated X. fissilis in the light and dark (light intensity: 140 μmol photon m-2 s-1; photoperiod: 12 h light/12 h dark) for 2 weeks, fluorescence was clearly visible in its gut and fecal pellets under fluorescent microscopic observations. The cultivation experiment supports the hypothesis that the unicellular algae were beneficial to the survival of X. fissilis under light conditions, possibly through transferring photosynthates to the hosts. These results suggest that X. fissilis may consume and retain unicellular algae for further photosynthesis.

Toxicity of nickel in the marine calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa: Nickel chloride versus nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, C.; Vitiello, V.; Casals, E.; Puntes, V.F.; Iamunno, F.; Pellegrini, D.; Changwen, W.; Benvenuto, G.; Buttino, I.

2016-01-01

. Overall, A. tonsa is more sensitive to NiCl_2 than NiNPs with EC_5_0 being one order of magnitude higher for NiNPs. Finally, we exposed adult copepods for 4 days to NiCl_2 and NiNPs (chronic exposure) to study the effect on fecundity in terms of daily egg production and naupliar viability. Egg production is not affected by either form of nickel, whereas egg viability is significantly reduced by 0.025 mg L"−"1 NiCl_2 and by 8.5 mg L"−"1 NiNPs. At NiNP concentration below the acute EC_5_0 (17 mg L"−"1) only 9% of embryos hatched after 4 days. Interestingly, the percentage of naupliar mortality (>82%) observed in the semichronic test at the nominal concentration of 10 mg L"−"1 NiNPs corresponding to almost 0.10 mg L"−"1 of dissolved Ni, was similar to that recorded at the same Ni salt concentration. Electron microscopical analyses revealed that A. tonsa adults ingest NiNPs and excrete them through fecal pellets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the toxicity of two different forms of Ni on the reproductive physiology of the copepod A. tonsa and showing the ability of the calanoid copepod to ingest nanoparticles from seawater.

Toxicity of nickel in the marine calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa: Nickel chloride versus nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, C; Vitiello, V; Casals, E; Puntes, V F; Iamunno, F; Pellegrini, D; Changwen, W; Benvenuto, G; Buttino, I

2016-01-01

below the acute EC50 (17mgL(-1)) only 9% of embryos hatched after 4 days. Interestingly, the percentage of naupliar mortality (>82%) observed in the semichronic test at the nominal concentration of 10mgL(-1) NiNPs corresponding to almost 0.10mgL(-1) of dissolved Ni, was similar to that recorded at the same Ni salt concentration. Electron microscopical analyses revealed that A. tonsa adults ingest NiNPs and excrete them through fecal pellets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the toxicity of two different forms of Ni on the reproductive physiology of the copepod A. tonsa and showing the ability of the calanoid copepod to ingest nanoparticles from seawater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of pelleted or powdered diets containing soy protein or sodium caseinate on lipid concentrations and bile acid excretion in golden Syrian hamsters.

Science.gov (United States)

Butteiger, Dustie N; Krul, Elaine S

2015-08-01

Custom diets are a convenient vector for oral administration of test articles, but the processing and physical form of a diet can affect its nutritional properties and how it is consumed. Here, the authors evaluated the feeding behavior and physiology of golden Syrian hamsters fed diets of either soy or caseinate protein in pelleted or powdered forms for 28 d to determine whether dietary processing and form mediates the physiological effects of dietary proteins. The authors compared body weight, food consumption, serum cholesterol concentration, serum triglyceride concentration, fecal weight and fecal excretion of bile acids between treatment groups. Hamsters fed powdered diets showed higher food consumption than hamsters fed pelleted diets, regardless of protein source. Hamsters fed soy pelleted diets showed lower serum cholesterol concentration and higher fecal excretion of bile acid than hamsters fed caseinate pelleted diets, and serum cholesterol concentration correlated strongly with fecal excretion of bile acid. This correlation suggests that the physiological effects of soy protein on cholesterol and excretion of bile acid might be related or similarly mediated through diet. The differences observed between hamsters on different diets indicate that dietary form can influence both feeding behavior and the physiological effects of a diet in hamsters.

Fecal Transplants: What Is Being Transferred?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana P Bojanova

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Fecal transplants are increasingly utilized for treatment of recurrent infections (i.e., Clostridium difficile in the human gut and as a general research tool for gain-of-function experiments (i.e., gavage of fecal pellets in animal models. Changes observed in the recipient's biology are routinely attributed to bacterial cells in the donor feces (~1011 per gram of human wet stool. Here, we examine the literature and summarize findings on the composition of fecal matter in order to raise cautiously the profile of its multipart nature. In addition to viable bacteria, which may make up a small fraction of total fecal matter, other components in unprocessed human feces include colonocytes (~107 per gram of wet stool, archaea (~108 per gram of wet stool, viruses (~108 per gram of wet stool, fungi (~106 per gram of wet stool, protists, and metabolites. Thus, while speculative at this point and contingent on the transplant procedure and study system, nonbacterial matter could contribute to changes in the recipient's biology. There is a cautious need for continued reductionism to separate out the effects and interactions of each component.

Detecting in situ copepod diet diversity using molecular technique: development of a copepod/symbiotic ciliate-excluding eukaryote-inclusive PCR protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Simin; Guo, Zhiling; Li, Tao; Carpenter, Edward J; Liu, Sheng; Lin, Senjie

2014-01-01

Knowledge of in situ copepod diet diversity is crucial for accurately describing pelagic food web structure but is challenging to achieve due to lack of an easily applicable methodology. To enable analysis with whole copepod-derived DNAs, we developed a copepod-excluding 18S rDNA-based PCR protocol. Although it is effective in depressing amplification of copepod 18S rDNA, its applicability to detect diverse eukaryotes in both mono- and mixed-species has not been demonstrated. Besides, the protocol suffers from the problem that sequences from symbiotic ciliates are overrepresented in the retrieved 18S rDNA libraries. In this study, we designed a blocking primer to make a combined primer set (copepod/symbiotic ciliate-excluding eukaryote-common: CEEC) to depress PCR amplification of symbiotic ciliate sequences while maximizing the range of eukaryotes amplified. We firstly examined the specificity and efficacy of CEEC by PCR-amplifying DNAs from 16 copepod species, 37 representative organisms that are potential prey of copepods and a natural microplankton sample, and then evaluated the efficiency in reconstructing diet composition by detecting the food of both lab-reared and field-collected copepods. Our results showed that the CEEC primer set can successfully amplify 18S rDNA from a wide range of isolated species and mixed-species samples while depressing amplification of that from copepod and targeted symbiotic ciliate, indicating the universality of CEEC in specifically detecting prey of copepods. All the predetermined food offered to copepods in the laboratory were successfully retrieved, suggesting that the CEEC-based protocol can accurately reconstruct the diets of copepods without interference of copepods and their associated ciliates present in the DNA samples. Our initial application to analyzing the food composition of field-collected copepods uncovered diverse prey species, including those currently known, and those that are unsuspected, as copepod prey

Molecular Characterization of Copepod Photoreception.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Megan L; Steck, Mireille; Roncalli, Vittoria; Lenz, Petra H

2017-08-01

Copepod crustaceans are an abundant and ecologically significant group whose basic biology is guided by numerous visually guided behaviors. These behaviors are driven by copepod eyes, including naupliar eyes and Gicklhorn's organs, which vary widely in structure and function among species. Yet little is known about the molecular aspects of copepod vision. In this study we present a general overview of the molecular aspects of copepod vision by identifying phototransduction genes from newly generated and publicly available RNA-sequencing data and assemblies from 12 taxonomically diverse copepod species. We identify a set of 10 expressed transcripts that serve as a set of target genes for future studies of copepod phototransduction. Our more detailed evolutionary analyses of the opsin gene responsible for forming visual pigments found that all of the copepod species investigated express two main groups of opsins: middle-wavelength-sensitive (MWS) opsins and pteropsins. Additionally, there is evidence from a few species (e.g., Calanus finmarchicus, Eurytemora affinis, Paracyclopina nana, and Lernaea cyprinacea) for the expression of two additional groups of opsins-the peropsins and rhodopsin 7 (Rh7) opsins-at low levels or distinct developmental stages. An ontogenetic analysis of opsin expression in Calanus finmarchicus found the expression of a single dominant MWS opsin, as well as evidence for differences in expression across development in some MWS, pteropsin, and Rh7 opsins, with expression peaking in early naupliar through early copepodite stages.

Toxicity of nickel in the marine calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa: Nickel chloride versus nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, C. [Istituto per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale ISPRA-STS Livorno, Piazzale dei marmi 12, 57123 Livorno (Italy); Academic Centre for Innovation and Development in the Food Industry (CAISIAL), Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80055 Portici (Italy); Vitiello, V. [Istituto per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale ISPRA-STS Livorno, Piazzale dei marmi 12, 57123 Livorno (Italy); Casals, E. [Institut Català de Nanotecnologia, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelone, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Puntes, V.F. [Institut Català de Nanotecnologia, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelone, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona (Spain); Iamunno, F. [Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli (Italy); Pellegrini, D. [Istituto per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale ISPRA-STS Livorno, Piazzale dei marmi 12, 57123 Livorno (Italy); Changwen, W. [Zhejiang Ocean University, 1 Rd. South Haida, Lincheng New Area, Dinghai District Zhoushan City, 316022 (China); Benvenuto, G. [Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli (Italy); Buttino, I., E-mail: isabella.buttino@isprambiente.it [Istituto per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale ISPRA-STS Livorno, Piazzale dei marmi 12, 57123 Livorno (Italy)

2016-01-15

}, showed EC{sub 50} of 0.164 and 0.039 mg L{sup −1}, respectively. Overall, A. tonsa is more sensitive to NiCl{sub 2} than NiNPs with EC{sub 50} being one order of magnitude higher for NiNPs. Finally, we exposed adult copepods for 4 days to NiCl{sub 2} and NiNPs (chronic exposure) to study the effect on fecundity in terms of daily egg production and naupliar viability. Egg production is not affected by either form of nickel, whereas egg viability is significantly reduced by 0.025 mg L{sup −1} NiCl{sub 2} and by 8.5 mg L{sup −1} NiNPs. At NiNP concentration below the acute EC{sub 50} (17 mg L{sup −1}) only 9% of embryos hatched after 4 days. Interestingly, the percentage of naupliar mortality (>82%) observed in the semichronic test at the nominal concentration of 10 mg L{sup −1} NiNPs corresponding to almost 0.10 mg L{sup −1} of dissolved Ni, was similar to that recorded at the same Ni salt concentration. Electron microscopical analyses revealed that A. tonsa adults ingest NiNPs and excrete them through fecal pellets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the toxicity of two different forms of Ni on the reproductive physiology of the copepod A. tonsa and showing the ability of the calanoid copepod to ingest nanoparticles from seawater.

Observing copepods through a genomic lens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnson Stewart C

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Copepods outnumber every other multicellular animal group. They are critical components of the world's freshwater and marine ecosystems, sensitive indicators of local and global climate change, key ecosystem service providers, parasites and predators of economically important aquatic animals and potential vectors of waterborne disease. Copepods sustain the world fisheries that nourish and support human populations. Although genomic tools have transformed many areas of biological and biomedical research, their power to elucidate aspects of the biology, behavior and ecology of copepods has only recently begun to be exploited. Discussion The extraordinary biological and ecological diversity of the subclass Copepoda provides both unique advantages for addressing key problems in aquatic systems and formidable challenges for developing a focused genomics strategy. This article provides an overview of genomic studies of copepods and discusses strategies for using genomics tools to address key questions at levels extending from individuals to ecosystems. Genomics can, for instance, help to decipher patterns of genome evolution such as those that occur during transitions from free living to symbiotic and parasitic lifestyles and can assist in the identification of genetic mechanisms and accompanying physiological changes associated with adaptation to new or physiologically challenging environments. The adaptive significance of the diversity in genome size and unique mechanisms of genome reorganization during development could similarly be explored. Genome-wide and EST studies of parasitic copepods of salmon and large EST studies of selected free-living copepods have demonstrated the potential utility of modern genomics approaches for the study of copepods and have generated resources such as EST libraries, shotgun genome sequences, BAC libraries, genome maps and inbred lines that will be invaluable in assisting further efforts to

Observing copepods through a genomic lens

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Copepods outnumber every other multicellular animal group. They are critical components of the world's freshwater and marine ecosystems, sensitive indicators of local and global climate change, key ecosystem service providers, parasites and predators of economically important aquatic animals and potential vectors of waterborne disease. Copepods sustain the world fisheries that nourish and support human populations. Although genomic tools have transformed many areas of biological and biomedical research, their power to elucidate aspects of the biology, behavior and ecology of copepods has only recently begun to be exploited. Discussion The extraordinary biological and ecological diversity of the subclass Copepoda provides both unique advantages for addressing key problems in aquatic systems and formidable challenges for developing a focused genomics strategy. This article provides an overview of genomic studies of copepods and discusses strategies for using genomics tools to address key questions at levels extending from individuals to ecosystems. Genomics can, for instance, help to decipher patterns of genome evolution such as those that occur during transitions from free living to symbiotic and parasitic lifestyles and can assist in the identification of genetic mechanisms and accompanying physiological changes associated with adaptation to new or physiologically challenging environments. The adaptive significance of the diversity in genome size and unique mechanisms of genome reorganization during development could similarly be explored. Genome-wide and EST studies of parasitic copepods of salmon and large EST studies of selected free-living copepods have demonstrated the potential utility of modern genomics approaches for the study of copepods and have generated resources such as EST libraries, shotgun genome sequences, BAC libraries, genome maps and inbred lines that will be invaluable in assisting further efforts to provide genomics tools for

Occurrence of heavy copepod infestation on Hemiramphus lutkei and double parasitisms on Hemiramphus far with copepod (Lernaeenicus hemiramphi) and isopod (Mothocya plagulophora)

OpenAIRE

Vijayakumar, R.; Raja, K.; Velvizhi, S.; Sinduja, K.; Gopalakrishnan, A.

2013-01-01

In the present study about, 66 copepod parasites of Lernaeenicus hemiramphi of two Hemiramphus sp., H. far (17 copepod) and H. lutkei (49 copepod), and an isopod (Mothocya plagulophora) on the gill chamber were observed. H. lutkei was added as a new host for L. hemiramphi. The copepod infestation was almost on the ventral side of the hosts.

Economic feasibility of copepod production for commercial use

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gedefaw Abate, Tenaw; Nielsen, Rasmus; Nielsen, Max

2015-01-01

of producing copepods for commercial application. This is the first empirical study to investigate the economic feasibility of copepod production for commercial use. To this end, a standard cost-benefit analysis based on a prototype production facility of Acartia tonsa (Dana) eggs at Roskilde University...... condition, reduces mal-pigmentation and allows breeding of ‘new’ marine finfish species. However, copepods are not yet commercially produced and therefore not widely used in the aquaculture industry. One of the bottlenecks for large-scale production has been lack of economic knowledge on the feasibility......, Denmark, is employed. The result reveals that commercial production of copepods is economically feasible considering the existing market prices on both copepods and competing live feed items such as rotifers. The study provides valuable information for businesses who consider investing in live feed...

Mortality of marine planktonic copepods : global rates and patterns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hirst, A.G.; Kiørboe, Thomas

2002-01-01

Using life history theory we make predictions of mortality rates in marine epi-pelagic copepods from field estimates of adult fecundity, development times and adult sex ratios. Predicted mortality increases with temperature in both broadcast and sac spawning copepods, and declines with body weight...... in broadcast spawners, while mortality in sac spawners is invariant with body size. Although the magnitude of copepod mortality does lie close to the overall general pattern for pelagic animals, copepod mortality scaling is much weaker, implying that small copepods are avoiding some mortality agent....../s that other pelagic animals of a similar size do not, We compile direct in situ estimates of copepod mortality and compare these with our indirect predictions; we find the predictions generally match the field measurements well with respect to average rates and patterns. Finally, by comparing in situ adult...

Prey detection in a cruising copepod

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjellerup, Sanne; Kiørboe, Thomas

2012-01-01

. Yet, direct interception has been proposed to explain how rapidly cruising, blind copepods feed on non-motile phytoplankton prey. Here, we demonstrate a novel mechanism for prey detection in a cruising copepod, and describe how motile and non-motile prey are discovered by hydromechanical and tactile...

Does copepods influence dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus early development?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monica Mateus

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Good knowledge on the development of early life stages is essential for successful conservation programs of threatened fish species. Diet and rearing system affects early life survival and juvenile quality. Copepods are the natural food of fish larvae in the wild possessing high nutritional value, when compared with live feeds used in aquaculture (rotifers and artemia, and a wide range of size classes. Rearing systems with low water column disturbance and low larval densities enhanced the survival of fragile fish larvae. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of the introduction of copepods in the diet of early dusky grouper larvae reared in controlled mesocosm systems using larval development and juvenile quality as indicators. Two feeding protocols were tested, one composed only by rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis, brine shrimp (Artemia spp. and dry feed and the other supplemented with copepods (Paracartia grani from mouth opening (2 day after hatching - DAH to 8 DAH. Feeding behavior, growth, survival, skeletal malformations and digestive enzymes activity was assessed at different developmental stages. The addition of copepods to the early larvae diet of dusky grouper resulted in faster development and higher survival rates. Larvae fed with copepods improved their development. At 20 DAH all larvae reared at the mesocosm with copedods were already at the stage of post-flexion while in the system without copepods this stage was attained later. At 25 DAH only 64% of the larvae were in post flexion in the mesoscosm without copepods. At 30 DAH larvae supplemented with copepods attained an acidic digestion (high specific activity of pepsin earlier than at the system without copepods. In this last system alkaline digestion (trypsin specific activity, characteristic of early larval stages, was significantly higher reinforcing the faster development of larvae fed with copepods. In both systems the incidence of skeletal malformations was low.

Copepods of the nearshore waters of Bombay

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gajbhiye, S.N.; Stephen, R.; Nair, V.R.; Desai, B.N.

Variability in copepod population was studied along 2 transects off Mahim and Versova (Bombay, Maharashtra, India) during November 1979 to December 1980 covering eight stations from the creek towards the offshore area. Contribution of copepods...

Computational analysis and functional expression of ancestral copepod luciferase.

Science.gov (United States)

Takenaka, Yasuhiro; Noda-Ogura, Akiko; Imanishi, Tadashi; Yamaguchi, Atsushi; Gojobori, Takashi; Shigeri, Yasushi

2013-10-10

We recently reported the cDNA sequences of 11 copepod luciferases from the superfamily Augaptiloidea in the order Calanoida. They were classified into two groups, Metridinidae and Heterorhabdidae/Lucicutiidae families, by phylogenetic analyses. To elucidate the evolutionary processes, we have now further isolated 12 copepod luciferases from Augaptiloidea species (Metridia asymmetrica, Metridia curticauda, Pleuromamma scutullata, Pleuromamma xiphias, Lucicutia ovaliformis and Heterorhabdus tanneri). Codon-based synonymous/nonsynonymous tests of positive selection for 25 identified copepod luciferases suggested that positive Darwinian selection operated in the evolution of Heterorhabdidae luciferases, whereas two types of Metridinidae luciferases had diversified via neutral mechanism. By in silico analysis of the decoded amino acid sequences of 25 copepod luciferases, we inferred two protein sequences as ancestral copepod luciferases. They were expressed in HEK293 cells where they exhibited notable luciferase activity both in intracellular lysates and cultured media, indicating that the luciferase activity was established before evolutionary diversification of these copepod species. © 2013.

Optimal mate choice patterns in pelagic copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heuschele, Jan; Eliassen, Sigrun; Kiørboe, Thomas

2013-01-01

The importance of sexual selection for the evolution, dynamics and adaptation of organisms is well known for many species. However, the topic is rarely studied in marine plankton, the basis of the marine food web. Copepods show behaviors that suggest the existence of sexually selected traits......, and recent laboratory experiments identified some selected morphological traits. Here, we use a ‘life history-based’ model of sex roles to determine the optimal choosiness behavior of male and female copepods for important copepod traits. Copepod females are predicted to be choosy at population densities...... typically occurring during the main breeding season, whereas males are not. The main drivers of this pattern are population density and the difference in non-receptive periods between males and females. This suggests that male reproductive traits have evolved mainly due to mate competition. The model can...

Prey switching behaviour in the planktonic copepod Acartia tonsa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas; Saiz, E.; Viitasalo, M.

1996-01-01

The copepod Acartia tonsa has 2 different prey encounter strategies. It can generate a feeding current to encounter and capture immobile prey (suspension feeding) or it can sink slowly and perceive motile prey by means of mechanoreceptors on the antennae (ambush feeding). We hypothesized that A....... tonsa adopts the feeding mode that generates the highest energy intake rate; i.e. that prey selection changes according to the relative concentrations of alternative prey (prey switching) and that the copepods spend disproportionately more time in the feeding mode that provides the greatest reward...... be captured by suspension feeding copepods. Finally, we demonstrate that turbulence favours the selection of ciliates as prey. We suggest that prey switching by copepods may provide survival windows for microzooplankters during blooms of net phytoplankton because predation pressure from the copepods...

Effect of sericea lespedeza leaf meal pellets on adult female Haemonchus contortus in goats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kommuru, D S; Whitley, N C; Miller, J E; Mosjidis, J A; Burke, J M; Gujja, S; Mechineni, A; Terrill, T H

2015-01-15

Sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) is a perennial warm-season forage rich in condensed tannins (CT) that has been reported to have anthelmintic activity against small ruminant gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), particularly Haemonchus contortus, a highly pathogenic blood-feeder, but the mechanism of action of CT against H. contortus is not clearly understood. An experiment with young goats was designed to study the effect of SL leaf meal pellets on (1) a mature H. contortus infection, and (2) the surface appearance of adult H. contortus female worms. Thirty-six female and castrated male Boer crossbred goats artificially infected with H. contortus larvae were fed 75% SL leaf meal pellets or alfalfa pellets (18 goats/treatment group) in a 28-day confinement feeding trial. Fecal and blood samples were collected weekly for fecal egg count (FEC) and packed cell volume (PCV) determination, respectively, and all goats were slaughtered at the end of the trial for adult GIN recovery and counting. Five adult female H. contortus were recovered from the abomasum of two goats from each treatment group and from a prior study in which 75% and 95% SL leaf meal pellets or a commercial feed pellet were group-fed to grazing goats (270 days old, Spanish males, 10/treatment group) at 0.91 kg/head/d for 11 weeks. Adult GIN collected were fixed and examined for evidence of surface damage using scanning electron microscopy. Feeding 75% SL pellets to young goats in confinement reduced (P<0.05) FEC compared with control animals, while total worm numbers and PCV were not influenced by treatment. Three out of the 5 adult H. contortus recovered from SL treatment goats in the confinement feeding trial had cuticular surface damage, while no damage was observed on worms from the control group. All five worms observed from both SL treatments in the grazing study showed a shrunken, disheveled cuticular surface, whereas this was not observed on worms from control animals. Overall, this work

Algal toxins alter copepod feeding behavior.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiarong Hong

Full Text Available Using digital holographic cinematography, we quantify and compare the feeding behavior of free-swimming copepods, Acartia tonsa, on nutritional prey (Storeatula major to that occurring during exposure to toxic and non-toxic strains of Karenia brevis and Karlodinium veneficum. These two harmful algal species produce polyketide toxins with different modes of action and potency. We distinguish between two different beating modes of the copepod's feeding appendages-a "sampling beating" that has short durations (<100 ms and involves little fluid entrainment and a longer duration "grazing beating" that persists up to 1200 ms and generates feeding currents. The durations of both beating modes have log-normal distributions. Without prey, A. tonsa only samples the environment at low frequency. Upon introduction of non-toxic food, it increases its sampling time moderately and the grazing period substantially. On mono algal diets for either of the toxic dinoflagellates, sampling time fraction is high but the grazing is very limited. A. tonsa demonstrates aversion to both toxic algal species. In mixtures of S. major and the neurotoxin producing K. brevis, sampling and grazing diminish rapidly, presumably due to neurological effects of consuming brevetoxins while trying to feed on S. major. In contrast, on mixtures of cytotoxin producing K. veneficum, both behavioral modes persist, indicating that intake of karlotoxins does not immediately inhibit the copepod's grazing behavior. These findings add critical insight into how these algal toxins may influence the copepod's feeding behavior, and suggest how some harmful algal species may alter top-down control exerted by grazers like copepods.

Hydrodynamic signal perception in the copepod Acartia tonsa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas; Saiz, E.; Visser, Andre

1999-01-01

Copepods may remotely detect predators from the velocity gradients these generate in the ambient water. Each of the different components and characteristics of a velocity gradient (acceleration, vorticity, longitudinal and shear deformation) can cause a velocity difference between the copepod...... and noted the minimum intensities to which the copepod Acartia tonsa responded. As hypothesised, threshold signal strengths due to longitudinal and shear deformation were similar, ~0.015 cm s-1, and were invariant with developmental stage. The latter implies that the threshold deformation rate for response...... that threshold signal strength due to deformation varies by ca 2 orders of magnitude between copepods and exceeds the neurophysiological response threshold by more than a factor of 10. In contrast, threshold deformation rates vary much less, ~ 0.5 to 5 s-1. Model calculations suggest that such threshold...

The chemical ecology of copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heuschele, Jan; Selander, Erik

2014-01-01

for the functioning of the marine food web, much is still unknown. We synthesize current knowledge about chemical ecology of copepods including foraging, survival and reproduction. We also compile information on the sensory apparatus and new analytical approaches that may facilitate the identification of signal...... molecules. The review illustrates the importance of chemical interactions in many aspects of copepod ecology and identifies gaps in our knowledge, such as the lack of identified infochemicals and electrophysiological studies to confirm the function of sensory structures. We suggest approaches...

Stable Associations Masked by Temporal Variability in the Marine Copepod Microbiome.

Science.gov (United States)

Moisander, Pia H; Sexton, Andrew D; Daley, Meaghan C

2015-01-01

Copepod-bacteria interactions include permanent and transient epi- and endobiotic associations that may play roles in copepod health, transfer of elements in the food web, and biogeochemical cycling. Microbiomes of three temperate copepod species (Acartia longiremis, Centropages hamatus, and Calanus finmarchicus) from the Gulf of Maine were investigated during the early summer season using high throughput amplicon sequencing. The most prominent stable component of the microbiome included several taxa within Gammaproteobacteria, with Pseudoalteromonas spp. especially abundant across copepod species. These Gammaproteobacteria appear to be promoted by the copepod association, likely benefitting from nutrient enriched microenvironments on copepods, and forming a more important part of the copepod-associated community than Vibrio spp. during the cold-water season in this temperate system. Taxon-specific associations included an elevated relative abundance of Piscirickettsiaceae and Colwelliaceae on Calanus, and Marinomonas sp. in Centropages. The communities in full and voided gut copepods had distinct characteristics, thus the presence of a food-associated microbiome was evident, including higher abundance of Rhodobacteraceae and chloroplast sequences in the transient communities. The observed variability was partially explained by collection date that may be linked to factors such as variable time since molting, gender differences, and changes in food availability and type over the study period. While some taxon-specific and stable associations were identified, temporal changes in environmental conditions, including food type, appear to be key in controlling the composition of bacterial communities associated with copepods in this temperate coastal system during the early summer.

Functional & phylogenetic diversity of copepod communities

Science.gov (United States)

Benedetti, F.; Ayata, S. D.; Blanco-Bercial, L.; Cornils, A.; Guilhaumon, F.

2016-02-01

The diversity of natural communities is classically estimated through species identification (taxonomic diversity) but can also be estimated from the ecological functions performed by the species (functional diversity), or from the phylogenetic relationships among them (phylogenetic diversity). Estimating functional diversity requires the definition of specific functional traits, i.e., phenotypic characteristics that impact fitness and are relevant to ecosystem functioning. Estimating phylogenetic diversity requires the description of phylogenetic relationships, for instance by using molecular tools. In the present study, we focused on the functional and phylogenetic diversity of copepod surface communities in the Mediterranean Sea. First, we implemented a specific trait database for the most commonly-sampled and abundant copepod species of the Mediterranean Sea. Our database includes 191 species, described by seven traits encompassing diverse ecological functions: minimal and maximal body length, trophic group, feeding type, spawning strategy, diel vertical migration and vertical habitat. Clustering analysis in the functional trait space revealed that Mediterranean copepods can be gathered into groups that have different ecological roles. Second, we reconstructed a phylogenetic tree using the available sequences of 18S rRNA. Our tree included 154 of the analyzed Mediterranean copepod species. We used these two datasets to describe the functional and phylogenetic diversity of copepod surface communities in the Mediterranean Sea. The replacement component (turn-over) and the species richness difference component (nestedness) of the beta diversity indices were identified. Finally, by comparing various and complementary aspects of plankton diversity (taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity) we were able to gain a better understanding of the relationships among the zooplankton community, biodiversity, ecosystem function, and environmental forcing.

Does copepod size determine food consumption of particulate feeding fish?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deurs, Mikael van; Koski, Marja; Rindorf, Anna

2014-01-01

on adult particulate feeding fish is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that the availability of the large copepods determines food consumption and growth conditions of lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) in the North Sea. Analysis of stomach content suggested that food...... consumption is higher for fish feeding on large copepods, and additional calculations revealed how handling time limitation may provide part of the explanation for this relationship. Comparing stomach data and zooplankton samples indicated that lesser sandeel actively target large copepods when......The climate-induced reduction in the mean copepod size, mainly driven by a decrease in the abundance of the large Calanus finmarchicus around 1987, has been linked to the low survival of fish larvae in the North Sea. However, to what extent this sort of reduction in copepod size has any influence...

Do copepods inhabit hypersaline waters worldwide? A short review and discussion

Science.gov (United States)

Anufriieva, Elena V.

2015-11-01

A small number of copepod species have adapted to an existence in the extreme habitat of hypersaline water. 13 copepod species have been recorded in the hypersaline waters of Crimea (the largest peninsula in the Black Sea with over 50 hypersaline lakes). Summarizing our own and literature data, the author concludes that the Crimean extreme environment is not an exception: copepod species dwell in hypersaline waters worldwide. There are at least 26 copepod species around the world living at salinity above 100; among them 12 species are found at salinity higher than 200. In the Crimea Cletocamptus retrogressus is found at salinity 360×10-3 (with a density of 1 320 individuals/m3) and Arctodiaptomus salinus at salinity 300×10-3 (with a density of 343 individuals/m3). Those species are probably the most halotolerant copepod species in the world. High halotolerance of osmoconforming copepods may be explained by exoosmolyte consumption, mainly with food. High tolerance to many factors in adults, availability of resting stages, and an opportunity of long-distance transportation of resting stages by birds and/or winds are responsible for the wide geographic distribution of these halophilic copepods.

Raw materials for pellets; Rohstoffe fuer Pellets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neumann, H.

2008-01-15

In order to keep the pellet prices stable, producers look for new raw materials. Sawdust as a former basis also competes with the manufacturers of chip boards and paper. Three classes of quality are discussed by the pellet manufacturers: (a) the DINplus pellet as a premium segment for which high-quality sawdust are used; (b) a wood pellet from natural wood with varying quality for the utilization in larger plants with filters; (c) the inexpensive industrial wood pellet which deviates from the DINplus commodity regarding to the ingredients and form and could be fired in larger power stations.

Copepod guts as biogeochemical hotspots in the sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tang, Kam W.; Glud, Ronnie N.; Glud, Anni

2011-01-01

The environmental conditions inside the gut of Calanus hyperboreus and C. glacialis were measured with microelectrodes. An acidic potential hydrogen (pH) gradient was present in the gut of C. hyperboreus, and the lowest pH recorded was 5.40. The gut pH of a starved copepod decreased by 0.53 after...... the copepod resumed feeding for a few hours, indicating the secretion of acidic digestive fluid. A copepod feeding on Thalassiosira weissflogii (diatom) had slightly lower pH than that feeding on Rhodomonas salina (cryptophyte). Oxygen was undersaturated in the gut of both C. hyperboreus and C. glacialis......, with a steep gradient from the anal opening to the metasome region. The central metasome region was completely anoxic. Food remains in the gut led to a lower oxygen level, and a diatom diet induced a stronger oxygen gradient than a cryptophyte diet. The acidic and suboxic–anoxic environments of the copepod gut...

The fluid dynamics of swimming by jumping in copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Houshuo; Kiørboe, Thomas

2011-01-01

Copepods swim either continuously by vibrating their feeding appendages or erratically by repeatedly beating their swimming legs resulting in a series of small jumps. The two swimming modes generate different hydrodynamic disturbances and therefore expose the swimmers differently to rheotactic...... limited and temporally ephemeral owing to jump-impulsiveness and viscous decay. In contrast, continuous steady swimming generates two well-extended long-lasting momentum jets both in front of and behind the swimmer, as suggested by the well-known steady stresslet model. Based on the observed jump-swimming...... kinematics of a small copepod Oithona davisae, we further showed that jump-swimming produces a hydrodynamic disturbance with much smaller spatial extension and shorter temporal duration than that produced by a same-size copepod cruising steadily at the same average translating velocity. Hence, small copepods...

Prey perception in feeding-current feeding copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas; Goncalves, Rodrigo J.; Florian Couespel, Damien

2016-01-01

We reply to the comments of Paffenhöfer and Jiang () who argues that remote chemical prey perception is necessary for feeding-current feeding copepods to fulfill their nutritional requirements in a dilute ocean, that remote chemical prey detection may only be observed at very low prey concentrati......We reply to the comments of Paffenhöfer and Jiang () who argues that remote chemical prey perception is necessary for feeding-current feeding copepods to fulfill their nutritional requirements in a dilute ocean, that remote chemical prey detection may only be observed at very low prey...... cells have short intense leakage burst, only a very small fraction of prey cells would be available to the copepod at any instance in time and, thus would be inefficient at low prey concentration. Finally, we report a few new observations of prey capture in two species of copepods, Temora longicornis...... and Centropages hamatus, offered a 45-μm sized dinoflagellate at very low concentration. The observed short prey detection distances, up to a few prey cell radii, are consistent with mechanoreception and we argue briefly that near-field mechanoreception is the most likely and common prey perception mechanism...

Table-top pellet injector (TATOP) for impurity pellet injection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szepesi, Tamás, E-mail: szepesi.tamas@wigner.mta.hu [Wigner RCP, RMI, Konkoly Thege 29-33, H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Herrmann, Albrecht [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Kocsis, Gábor; Kovács, Ádám; Németh, József [Wigner RCP, RMI, Konkoly Thege 29-33, H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Ploeckl, Bernhard [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • A portable pellet injector for solid state pellets was designed. • Aims to study ELM triggering potential of impurity pellets. • Aims for multi-machine comparison of pellet–plasma interaction. • Max. pellet speed: 450 m/s, max. rate: 25 Hz. • Pellet size: 0.5–1.5 mm (diameter). - Abstract: A table-top pellet injector (TATOP) has been designed to fulfill the following scientific aims: to study the ELM triggering potential of impurity pellets, and to make pellet injection experiments comparable over several fusion machines. The TATOP is based on a centrifugal accelerator therefore the complete system is run in vacuum, ensuring the compatibility with fusion devices. The injector is able to launch any solid material (stable at room temperature) in form of balls with a diameter in the 0.5–1.5 mm range. The device hosts three individual pellet tanks that can contain e.g. pellets of different materials, and the user can select from those without opening the vacuum chamber. A key element of the accelerator is a two-stage stop cylinder that reduces the spatial scatter of pellets exiting the acceleration arm below 6°, enabling the efficient collection of all fired pellets. The injector has a maximum launch speed of 450 m/s. The launching of pellets can be done individually by providing TTL triggers for the injector, giving a high level of freedom for the experimenter when designing pellet trains. However, the (temporary) firing rate cannot be larger than 25 Hz. TATOP characterization was done in a test bed; however, the project is still in progress and before application at a fusion oriented experiment.

Determination Of Simulated Pellet To Pellet Gap Using Neutron Radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusnowo, A.

1996-01-01

The defect on the irradiated fuel element could be detected using neutron radiography. The defect could occurred in pellet to pellet gap, cladding, or even cladding to pellet gap. An investigations has been performed to detect pellet to pellet gap defect that might occur in an irradiated fuel element. An Al foil of 0,1; 0,2; 0,3; und 0,4 mm was inserted between pellets to simulate various pellet to pellet gap. The neutron radiography used had power of 700 kW. The result showed that this simulation represented well enough problems that irradiated fuel element may experience

Wood pellet seminar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aarniala, M.; Puhakka, A.

2001-01-01

The objective of the wood pellet seminar, arranged by OPET Finland and North Karelia Polytechnic, was to deliver information on wood pellets, pellet burners and boilers, heating systems and building, as well as on the activities of wood energy advisors. The first day of the seminar consisted of presentations of equipment and products, and of advisory desks for builders. The second day of the seminar consisted of presentations held by wood pellet experts. Pellet markets, the economy and production, the development of the pellet markets and their problems (in Austria), the economy of heating of real estates by different fuel alternatives, the production, delivery and marketing of wood pellets, the utilization of wood pellet in different utilization sites, the use of wood pellets in detached houses, pellet burners and fireplaces, and conversion of communal real estate houses to use wood pellets were discussed in the presentations. The presentations held in the third day discussed the utilization of wood pellets in power plants, the regional promotion of the production and the use of pellets. The seminar consisted also of visits to pellet manufacturing plant and two pellet burning heating plants

Experimental evaluation of koala scat persistence and detectability with implications for pellet-based fauna census

OpenAIRE

Cristescu, Romane H; Goethals, Klara; Banks, Peter B; Carrick, Frank N; Frère, Céline

2012-01-01

Establishing species distribution and population trends are basic requirements in conservation biology, yet acquiring this fundamental information is often difficult. Indirect survey methods that rely on fecal pellets (scats) can overcome some difficulties but present their own challenges. In particular, variation in scat detectability and decay rate can introduce biases. We studied how vegetation communities affect the detectability and decay rate of scats as exemplified by koalas Phascolarc...

Ocean acidification challenges copepod reproductive plasticity

Science.gov (United States)

Vehmaa, A.; Almén, A.-K.; Brutemark, A.; Paul, A.; Riebesell, U.; Furuhagen, S.; Engström-Öst, J.

2015-11-01

Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton) are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia bifilosa in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC) as a function of acidification (fCO2 ~ 365-1231 μatm), and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal if transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female copepod size and egg hatching success. In addition, we found a threshold of fCO2 concentration (~ 1000 μatm), above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon ~ 55 μm) or quality (C : N) weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high ORAC produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that A. bifilosa could be affected by projected near future CO2 levels.

What makes pelagic copepods so successful?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas

2011-01-01

in detecting and escaping predators. The specific force production and velocities during escape jumps are both about an order of magnitude higher than for other similarly sized organisms. (ii) The capability to remotely detect prey and to either capture these as they arrive in a scanning current......, or as they swim through the perceptive sphere of the copepod, releases the copepods from the penalties associated filtering sticky water for prey particles. Scanning currents and active attack jumps are found in only few other zooplankters. (iii) Efficient mate finding in a mate-dilute environment allows...

Copepods' Response to Burgers' Vortex: Deconstructing Interactions of Copepods with Turbulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, D R; Young, D L; Yen, J

2015-10-01

This study examined the behavioral response of two marine copepods, Acartia tonsa and Temora longicornis, to a Burgers' vortex intended to mimic the characteristics of a turbulent vortex that a copepod is likely to encounter in the coastal or near-surface zone. Behavioral assays of copepods were conducted for two vortices that correspond to turbulent conditions with mean dissipation rates of turbulence of 0.009 and 0.096 cm(2) s(-3) (denoted turbulence level 2 and level 3, respectively). In particular, the Burgers' vortex parameters (i.e., circulation and rate of axial strain rate) were specified to match a vortex corresponding to the median rate of dissipation due to viscosity for each target level of turbulence. Three-dimensional trajectories were quantified for analysis of swimming kinematics and response to hydrodynamic cues. Acartia tonsa did not significantly respond to the vortex corresponding to turbulence level 2. In contrast, A. tonsa significantly altered their swimming behavior in the turbulence-level-3 vortex, including increased relative speed of swimming, angle of alignment of the trajectory with the axis of the vortex, ratio of net-to-gross displacement, and acceleration during escape, along with decreased turn frequency (relative to stagnant control conditions). Further, the location of A. tonsa escapes was preferentially in the core of the stronger vortex, indicating that the hydrodynamic cue triggering the distinctive escape behavior was vorticity. In contrast, T. longicornis did not reveal a behavioral response to either the turbulence level 2 or the level 3 vortex. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Zooplankton motile behavior: traits and trade-offs in planktonic copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Someren Gréve, Hans

Research on planktonic copepod ecology is vital to understand the factors controlling marine food web dynamics since copepods are the major components of zooplankton communities and the main link between trophic levels in marine environments. Despite their taxonomic diversity, copepods share...... certain phenotypic characteristics, or ´traits´, that are essential in determining trophic interactions and fitness. One important characteristic that decisively influences organism interactions is behavior. Copepods display two distinct behavioral strategies in terms of motility: ´active´ (feeding...... differences between genders in feeding efficiency and predation risk. Finally, we also found that foraging activity decreased with increasing food availability, especially in active feeding strategies, resulting in a decrease in predation risk. Therefore, changes in behavior depending on food availability...

Freshwater copepods and rotifers: predators and their prey

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Brandl, Zdeněk

2005-01-01

Roč. 546, č. 1 (2005), s. 475-489 ISSN 0018-8158. [Rotifera /10./. Illmitz, 07.06.2003-13.06.2003] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) KSK6005114 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60170517 Keywords : rotifers * cyclopoid copepod s * calanoid copepod s * feeding * predation Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.978, year: 2005

Effects of oil spill response technologies on the physiological performance of the Arctic copepod Calanus glacialis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toxværd, Kirstine; Pančić, Marina; Eide, Helene O.

2018-01-01

the mesocosms in winter and spring was used in laboratory incubation experiments, where effects on fecal pellet production, egg production and hatching success were investigated over a period of 14 days. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) seawater concentrations were lowest in winter. Brine channel formation...... seawater concentrations. However, a higher mortality and deformity of nauplii was observed in the chemical dispersion treatment, highlighting the importance of considering secondary effects on next generation in future environmental risk assessment of OSR. This study shows that during the ice...

Re-assessing copepod growth using the Moult Rate method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hirst, Andrew G.; Keister, J. E.; Richardson, A. J.

2014-01-01

Estimating growth and production rates of mesozooplankton, and copepods in particular, is important in describing flows of material and energy though pelagic systems. Over the past 30 years, the Moult Rate (MR) method has been used to estimate juvenile copepod growth rates in ∼40 papers. Yet the MR......-moulting stage, e.g. copepodite stage 5 to adult. We performed experiments with Calanus pacificus to estimate growth of stage C5 using an alternative method. We found that the error size and sign varied between mass type (i.e. DW, C and N). Recommendations for practical future assessments of growth in copepods...

Pellet dimension checker

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marmo, A.R.

1980-01-01

A pellet dimension checker was developed for use in making nuclear-fuel pellets. This checker eliminates operator handling of the pellet but permits remote-monitoring of the operation, and is thus suitable for mass production of green fuel pellets particularly in reprocessing plants handling irradiated uranium or plutonium. It comprises a rotatable arm for transferring a pellet from a conveyor to several dimensional measuring stations and back to the conveyor if the dimensions of the pellet are within predetermined limits. If the pellet is not within the limits, the arm removes the pellet from the process stream. (DN)

Trophic interactions and productivity of copepods as live feed from tropical Taiwanese outdoor aquaculture ponds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blanda, Elisa; Drillet, Guillaume; Huang, Cheng-Chien

2015-01-01

The present study describes three outdoor ponds for mass rearing of copepods in tropical southern Taiwan. The systems are designed for culturing and harvesting of copepods, which are used as live feed in the production of groupers in the region. However, the production of the most common copepod...... to enable a correct description of the copepods ecology and a preliminary evaluation of the status of the pond management; and (III) provide advices for improved management leading towards a higher and more stable output of P. annandalei. Copepods were experiencing prey ad libitum since the quantity...... during high season. This harvest, in terms of biomass, corresponded to 20–40% of the copepod standing stock, which indicates a sustainable management when compared to the secondary productivity of the copepods. To further increase the copepod production of the ponds, better water quality must be achieved...

Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of dioxins in marine copepods and fish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Qiong; Yang Liuyan; Wang Wenxiong

2011-01-01

Despite the great concerns about dioxins in the marine environments, the biokinetics and bioaccumulation of these compounds in marine organisms remains little known. Using radioactive tracers the aqueous uptake, dietary assimilation efficiency, and elimination of dioxins were measured in marine phytoplankton, copepods and seabream. The calculated uptake rate constant of dioxins decreased with increasing trophic levels, whereas the dietary assimilation efficiency (AE) was 28.5-57.6% in the copepods and 36.6-70.2% in the fish. The dietary AE was highly dependent on the food concentrations and food type. The elimination rate constant of dioxin in the copepods varied with different exposure pathways as well as food concentration and food type. Biokinetic calculation showed that dietary accumulation was the predominant pathway for dioxin accumulation in marine copepods and fish. Aqueous uptake can be an important pathway only when the bioconcentration of dioxins in the phytoplankton was low. - Highlights: → Radiotracer was used to quantify the biokinetics of dioxins in a marine food chain. → Aqueous uptake rate of dioxins decreased with increasing trophic levels. → Dietary assimilation efficiencies were comparable between the copepods and the fish. → Both food type and density significantly affected the dietary assimilation of dioxins. → Diet was the predominant pathway for dioxin accumulation in marine copepods and fish. - Biokinetic calculation showed that dietary accumulation was the predominant pathway for dioxin accumulation in marine copepods and fish.

Sinkers or floaters? Contribution from salp pellets to the export flux during a large bloom event in the Southern Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Iversen, Morten H.; Pakhomov, Evgeny A.; Hunt, Brian P. V.; van der Jagt, Helga; Wolf-Gladrow, Dieter; Klaas, Christine

2017-04-01

Salp fecal pellets are rich in organic matter and have been shown to sink at very high velocities. In recent years, salp abundances have been increasing in the Southern Ocean where they seem to be replacing krill as the dominant grazers on phytoplankton. As salps can form large swarms with high pellet production rates, it has been suggested that they will become increasingly important for the vertical export of particulate organic matter in the Southern Ocean. However, detailed studies combining both investigations of pellet production rates, turnover, and export are still needed in order to determine whether salp pellets are important for export ('sinkers') or recycling ('floaters') of organic matter. Our results suggest that pellets are produced at high rates in the upper few hundred meters of the water column. Although we observed high sinking velocities and low microbial degradation rates of the produced salp pellets, only about one third of the produced pellets were captured in sediment traps placed at 100 m and about 13% of the produced pellets were exported to sediment traps placed at 300 m. The high retention of these fast-settling pellets seems to be caused by break-up and loosening of the pellets, possibly by zooplankton and salps themselves. We measured 3-fold lower size-specific sinking velocities in loosened and fragmented compared to freshly produced intact pellets-. This enhanced the residence times (>1 day) of both small and large pellets in the upper water column. We postulate that the fragile nature of salp pellets make them more important for recycling of organic matter in the upper mesopelagic layer rather than as a conduit for export of particulate organic matter to the seafloor.

PELLETS AND PELLETIZATION: EMERGING TRENDS IN THE PHARMA INDUSTRY.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaman, Muhammad; Saeed-Ul-Hassan, Syed; Sarfraz, Rai Muhammad; Batool, Nighat; Qureshi, Muhammad Junaid; Akram, Muhammad Abdullah; Munir, Saiqa; Danish, Zeeshan

2016-11-01

The present time is considered as an era of advancements in drug delivery systems. Different novel approaches are under investigation that range from uniparticulate to multi particulate system, macro to micro and nano particulate systems. Pelletization is one of the novel drug delivery technique that provides an effective way to deliver the drug in modified pattern. It is advantageous in providing site specific delivery of the drug. Drugs with unpleasant taste, poor bioavailability and short biological half-life can be delivered efficiently through pellets. Their reduced size makes them more valuable as compared to the conventional drug deliv- ery system. Different techniques are used to fabricate the pellets such as extrusion and spheronization, hot melt extrusion, powder layering, suspension or solution layering, freeze pelletization and pelletization by direct compression method. Various natural polymers including xanthan gum, guar gum, tragacanth and gum acacia, semisynthetic polymers like cellulose derivatives, synthetic polymers like derivatives of acrylamides, can be used in pellets formulation. Information provided in this review is collected from various national and intemational research articles, review articles and literature available in the books. The purpose of the current review is to discuss pellets, their characterizations, different techniques of pelletization and the polymers with potential of being suitable for pellets formulation.

Host-Specific and pH-Dependent Microbiomes of Copepods in an Extensive Rearing System.

Science.gov (United States)

Skovgaard, Alf; Castro-Mejia, Josue Leonardo; Hansen, Lars Hestbjerg; Nielsen, Dennis Sandris

2015-01-01

Copepods are to an increasing extent cultivated as feed for mariculture fish larvae with variable production success. In the temperate climate zone, this production faces seasonal limitation due to changing abiotic factors, in particular temperature and light. Furthermore, the production of copepods may be influenced by biotic factors of the culture systems, such as competing microorganisms, harmful algae, or other eukaryotes and prokaryotes that may be non-beneficial for the copepods. In this study, the composition of bacteria associated with copepods was investigated in an extensive outdoor copepod production system. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that bacteria were primarily found attached to the exoskeleton of copepods although a few bacteria were also found in the gut as well as internally in skeletal muscle tissue. Through 16S rRNA gene-targeted denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis, a clear difference was found between the microbiomes of the two copepod species, Acartia tonsa and Centropages hamatus, present in the system. This pattern was corroborated through 454/FLX-based 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of copepod microbiomes, which furthermore showed that the abiotic parameters pH and oxygen concentration in rearing tank water were the key factors influencing composition of copepod microbiomes.

Host-Specific and pH-Dependent Microbiomes of Copepods in an Extensive Rearing System.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alf Skovgaard

Full Text Available Copepods are to an increasing extent cultivated as feed for mariculture fish larvae with variable production success. In the temperate climate zone, this production faces seasonal limitation due to changing abiotic factors, in particular temperature and light. Furthermore, the production of copepods may be influenced by biotic factors of the culture systems, such as competing microorganisms, harmful algae, or other eukaryotes and prokaryotes that may be non-beneficial for the copepods. In this study, the composition of bacteria associated with copepods was investigated in an extensive outdoor copepod production system. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that bacteria were primarily found attached to the exoskeleton of copepods although a few bacteria were also found in the gut as well as internally in skeletal muscle tissue. Through 16S rRNA gene-targeted denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE analysis, a clear difference was found between the microbiomes of the two copepod species, Acartia tonsa and Centropages hamatus, present in the system. This pattern was corroborated through 454/FLX-based 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of copepod microbiomes, which furthermore showed that the abiotic parameters pH and oxygen concentration in rearing tank water were the key factors influencing composition of copepod microbiomes.

Copepod behavior response to Burgers' vortex treatments mimicking turbulent eddies

Science.gov (United States)

Elmi, D.; Webster, D. R.; Fields, D. M.

2017-11-01

Copepods detect hydrodynamic cues in the water by their mechanosensory setae. We expect that copepods sense the flow structure of turbulent eddies in order to evoke behavioral responses that lead to population-scale distribution patterns. In this study, the copepods' response to the Burgers' vortex is examined. The Burgers' vortex is a steady-state solution of three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations that allows us to mimic turbulent vortices at the appropriate scale and eliminate the stochastic nature of turbulence. We generate vortices in the laboratory oriented in the horizontal and vertical directions each with four intensity levels. The objective of including vortex orientation as a parameter in the study is to quantify directional responses that lead to vertical population distribution patterns. The four intensity levels correspond to target vortex characteristics of eddies corresponding to the typical dissipative vortices in isotropic turbulence with mean turbulent dissipation rates in the range of 0.002 to 0.25 cm2/s3. These vortices mimic the characteristics of eddies that copepods most likely encounter in coastal zones. We hypothesize that the response of copepods to hydrodynamic features depends on their sensory architecture and relative orientation with respect to gravity. Tomo-PIV is used to quantify the vortex circulation and axial strain rate for each vortex treatment. Three-dimensional trajectories of the copepod species Calanus finmarchicus are analyzed to examine their swimming kinematics in and around the vortex to quantify the hydrodynamic cues that trigger their behavior.

Energy wood. Part 2b: Wood pellets and pellet space-heating systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nussbaumer, T.

2002-01-01

The paper gives an overview on pellet utilization including all relevant process steps: Potential and properties of saw dust as raw material, pellet production with drying and pelletizing, standardization of wood pellets, storage and handling of pellets, combustion of wood pellets in stoves and boilers and applications for residential heating. In comparison to other wood fuels, wood pellets show several advantages: Low water content and high heating value, high energy density, and homogeneous properties thus enabling stationary combustion conditions. However, quality control is needed to ensure constant properties of the pellets and to avoid the utilization of contaminated raw materials for the pellet production. Typical data of efficiencies and emissions of pellet stoves and boilers are given and a life cycle analysis (LCA) of wood pellets in comparison to log wood and wood chips is described. The LCA shows that wood pellets are advantageous thanks to relatively low emissions. Hence, the utilization of wood pellet is proposed as a complementary technology to the combustion of wood chips and log wood. Finally, typical fuel cost of wood pellets in Switzerland are given and compared with light fuel oil. (author)

Motivation for hay: effects of a pelleted diet on behavior and physiology of horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Elia, Jamie B; Erb, Hollis N; Houpt, Katherine Albro

2010-12-02

The natural diet of free-ranging horses is grass, which is typically high in fiber and calorically dilute, however diets for high performance domestic horses are often low in fiber and calorically dense. The aim of the study was to determine the motivation of horses for hay when fed a low roughage diet. Their motivation could be used to determine if low roughage diets compromise the welfare of horses. Eight mares were fed two different diets in counterbalanced order: ad libitum orchard grass hay; a complete pelleted feed (pellets). Each trial lasted three weeks, with a one-week transition period between diets. To determine the motivation of horses for fiber they were taught to press a panel to obtain a food reward. The fixed ratio (FR) was increased using a progressive ratio ((1,2,4,7,11…) technique. When fed pellets, the horses worked for a median FR of 1 (Range=1-497) to attain pellets, and when fed hay, they worked for a median FR of 25.5 (4-497) to attain pellets. When fed hay, the horses worked for a median FR of 0 (0-0) to attain hay, and when fed pellets, they worked for a FR of 13 (2-79) to attain hay. These results indicate a greater motivation for hay, a high fiber diet, when fed a low fiber diet. The horses spent 10 (5-19.4)% of their time during a 24-hour period eating pellets compared to 61.5 (29-76) % of their time eating hay. Horses spent 58% of their time standing when fed the pellets and only 37% of their time standing when fed hay. Searching behavior (i.e. sifting through wood shaving bedding for food particles) took up 11.5 (1.4-32) % of the horse's day when fed pellets, but only 1.2 (0-3.5) % of the daily time budget when fed hay. Horses chew more times when eating a hay diet (43,476chews/day) than when eating a pellet diet (10,036chews/day). Fecal pH was lower in horses fed the pelleted diet. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender-specific feeding rates in planktonic copepods with different feeding behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Someren Gréve, Hans; Almeda, Rodrigo; Lindegren, Martin

2017-01-01

Planktonic copepods have sexually dimorphic behaviors, which can cause differences in feeding efficiency between genders. Copepod feeding rates have been studied extensively but most studies have focused only on females. In this study, we experimentally quantified feeding rates of males and females...... copepods, particularly in ambush feeders, where the males must sacrifice feeding for mate searching. We conducted gender-specific functional feeding response experiments using prey of different size and motility. In most cases, gender-specific maximum ingestion and clearance rates were largely explained...... in copepods with different feeding behavior: ambush feeding (Oithona nana), feeding-current feeding (Temora longicornis) and cruising feeding (Centropages hamatus). We hypothesize that carbon-specific maximum ingestion rates are similar between genders, but that maximum clearance rates are lower for male...

Copepods use chemical trails to find sinking marine snow aggregates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lombard, Fabien; Koski, Marja; Kiørboe, Thomas

2013-01-01

Copepods are major consumers of sinking marine particles and hence reduce the efficiency of the biological carbon pump. Their high abundance on marine snow suggests that they can detect sinking particles remotely. By means of laboratory observations, we show that the copepod Temora longicornis ca...

Tumour-like anomaly of copepods-an evaluation of the possible causes in Indian marine waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Jagadeesan, L; Jyothibabu, R

2016-04-01

Globally, tumour-like anomalies (TLA) in copepods and the critical assessment of their possible causes are rare. The exact causative factor and ecological consequences of TLA in copepods are still unclear and there is no quantitative data available so far to prove conclusively the mechanism involved in developing TLA in copepods. TLA in copepods are considered as a potential threat to the well-being of the aquatic food web, which prompted us to assess these abnormalities in Indian marine waters and assess the possible etiological agents. We carried out a focused study on copepods collected from 10 estuarine inlets and five coastal waters of India using a FlowCAM, advanced microscopes and laboratory-incubated observations. The analysis confirmed the presence of TLA in copepods with varying percentage of incidence in different environments. TLA was recorded in 24 species of copepods, which constituted ~1-15 % of the community in different environments. TLA was encountered more frequently in dominant copepods and exhibited diverse morphology; ~60 % was round, dark and granular, whereas ~20 % was round/oval, transparent and non-granular. TLA was mostly found in the dorsal and lateral regions of the prosome of copepods. The three suggested reasons/assumptions about the causes of TLA such as ecto-parasitism (Ellobiopsis infection), endo-parasitism (Blastodinium infection) and epibiont infections (Zoothamnium and Acineta) were assessed in the present study. We did find infections of endo-parasite Blastodinium, ecto-parasite Ellobiopsis and epibiont Zoothamnium and Acineta in copepods, but these infectious percentages were found <1.5 % to the total density and most of them are species specific. Detailed microscopical observations of the samples collected and the results of the incubation experiments of infected copepods revealed that ecto-parasitism, endo-parasitism and epibiont infections have less relevance to the formation of TLA in copepods. On the other hand

The pellet handbook: the production and thermal utilisation of pellets

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Obernberger, Ingwald; Thek, Gerold

2010-01-01

...: - International overview of standards for pellets - Evaluation of raw materials and raw material potentials - Quality and properties of pellets - Technical evaluation of the pellet production process...

Pellet-press-to-sintering-boat nuclear fuel pellet loading system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucher, G.D.

1988-01-01

This patent describes a system for loading nuclear fuel pellets into a sintering boat from a pellet press which ejects newly made the pellets from a pellet press die table surface. The system consists of: (a) a bowl having an inner surface, a longitudinal axis, an open and generally circular top of larger diameter, and an open and generally circular bottom of smaller diameter; (b) means for supporting the bowl in a generally upright position such that the bowl is rotatable about its longitudinal axis; (c) means for receiving the ejected pellets proximate the die table surface of the pellet press and for discharging the received pellets into the bowl at a location proximate the inner surface towards the top of the bowl with a pellet velocity having a horizontal component which is generally tangent to the inner surface of the bowl proximate the location; (d) means for rotating the bowl about the longitudinal axis such that the bowl proximate the location has a velocity generally equal, in magnitude and direction, to the horizontal component of the pellet velocity at the location; and (e) means for moving the sintering boat generally horizontally beneath and proximate the bottom of the bowl

Copepod communities from surface and ground waters in the everglades, south Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, M.C.; Cunningham, K.J.; Perry, S.A.

2003-01-01

We studied species composition and individual abundance of copepods in the surficial aquifer northeast of Everglades National Park. We identified the spatial distribution of subsurface habitats by assessing the depth of the high porosity layers in the limestone along a canal system, and we used copepods to assess the exchange between surface water and ground water along canal banks, at levels in the wells where high porosity connections to the canals exist. Surface- and ground-water taxa were defined, and species composition was related to areal position, sampling depth, and time. Subsurface copepod communities were dominated by surface copepods that disperse into the aquifer following the groundwater seepage along canal L-31N. The similarities in species composition between wells along canal reaches, suggest that copepods mainly enter ground water horizontally along canals via active and passive dispersal. Thus, the copepod populations indicate continuous connections between surface- and ground waters. The most abundant species were Orthocyclops modestus, Arctodiaptomus floridanus, Mesocyclops edax, and Thermocyclops parvus, all known in literature from surface habitats; however, these species have been collected in ground water in ENP. Only two stygophiles were collected: Diacylcops nearcticus and Diacyclops crassicaudis brachycercus. Restoration of the Everglades ecosystem requires a mosaic of data to reveal a complete picture of this complex system. The use of copepods as indicators of seepage could be a tool in helping to assess the direction and the duration of surface and ground water exchange.

Seasonal variation in the copepod gut microbiome in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoemaker, Katyanne M; Moisander, Pia H

2017-08-01

Characterisation of marine copepod gut microbiome composition and its variability provides information on function of marine food webs, biogeochemical cycles and copepod health. Copepod gut microbiomes were investigated quarterly over two years at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Station in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, while assessing seasonal shifts in stable and transient communities. Microbial communities were analysed using amplicon sequencing targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA V3-V4 region and the cyanobacterial ntcA gene. Persistent bacterial groups belonging to Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were present in the copepod guts throughout the year, and showed synchronous changes, suggesting a link to variability in copepod nutritional content. The gut communities were separate from those in the seawater, suggesting the copepod gut hosts long-term, specialized communities. Major temporal variations in the gut communities during the early winter and spring, specifically a high relative abundance of Synechococcus (up to 65%), were attributed to bacterioplankton shifts in the water column, and copepod grazing on these picoplanktonic cyanobacteria. The presence of obligate and facultative anaerobes, including Clostridiales year round, suggests that anaerobic bacterial processes are common in these dynamic microhabitats in the oligotrophic open ocean. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

From a single pellet press to a bench scale pellet mill - Pelletizing six different biomass feedstocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Puig Arnavat, Maria; Shang, Lei; Sárossy, Zsuzsa

2016-01-01

The increasing demand for biomass pellets requires the investigation of alternative raw materials for pelletizetion. In the present paper, the pelletization process of fescue, alfalfa, sorghum, triticale, miscanthus and willow is studied to determine if results obtained in a single pellet press (...

Developmental Stages of some Tropical and Subtropical Planktonic Marine Copepods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Björnberg, Tagea K.S.

1972-01-01

Most planktonic marine copepods have nauplii which differ greatly from the copepodids so that it is difficult to relate them to the adult form. Rearing experiments are usually unsuccessful; only 8% of ca. 800 species of planktonic marine copepods have identified nauplii (see below cited list). To

PELLET: a computer routine for modeling pellet fueling in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houlberg, W.A.; Iskra, M.A.; Howe, H.C.; Attenberger, S.E.

1979-01-01

Recent experimental results of frozen hydrogenic pellet injection into hot tokamak plasmas and substantial agreement with theoretical predictions have led to a much greater interest in pellets as a means of refueling plasmas. The computer routine PELLET has been developed and used as an aid in assessing pellet ablation models and the effects of pellets on plasma behavior. PELLET provides particle source profiles under various options for the ablation model and can be coupled either to a fluid transport code or to a brief routine which supplies the required input parameters

Opportunities for Pellet Trade - Towards a Single European Pellet Market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pigaht, Maurice; Janssen, Rainer; Rutz, Dominik; Boehm, Thorsten; Vasen, Norbert; Vegas, Laura; Karapanagiotis, Nicolas

2006-01-01

The potential for Pellets trade in Europe was researched and assessed. Such trade is of key importance for the development of a European pellet market of sufficient supply, demand, price and quality standards. Three target markets were taken as case studies for the trade assessment: Greece, Spain and Italy. All three markets stand to profit greatly from international trade. For these markets, pellet imports could supply the basis for the development of a domestic boiler market. At the same time, pellet exports would allow the planning of larger pellet production plants. Whilst these additional costs amount to some 10-20% of the Pellets price, they are financially acceptable, especially for new markets and 'peaks' in the demand/supply of established markets

Effects of food on bacterial community composition associated with the copepod Acartia tonsa Dana

OpenAIRE

Tang, Kam; Dziallas, Claudia; Hutalle-Schmelzer, Kristine; Grossart, Hans-Peter

2009-01-01

The estuarine copepod Acartia tonsa naturally carried diverse strains of bacteria on its body. The bacterial community composition (BCC) remained very conservative even when the copepod was fed different axenic algal species, indicating that the food per se did not much affect BCC associated with the copepod. In xenic algal treatments, however, copepod-associated BCC differed with each alga fed, even though the same bacterial source was used to inoculate the algae. In addition, starved copepo...

A global synthesis of seasonal temperature-size responses in copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Horne, Curtis R.; Hirst, Andrew G.; Atkinson, David

2016-01-01

is that calanoid copepods, which utilize feeding currents to capture prey, exhibit a four-fold greater reduction in adult body mass per degrees C (-3.66%) compared with cyclopoid copepods (-0.91%), which are ambush feeders. By contrast, species body size or reproductive strategy did not explain variation...

Neutron absorber pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radford, K.C.

1983-01-01

An annular burnable poison pellet of aluminium oxide - boron carbide (Al 2 O 3 - B 4 C) adapted for positioning in the annular space of concentrically disposed zircaloy tubes. Each tubular pellet is fabricated from Al 2 O 3 powders of moderate sintering activity which serves as a matrix for B 4 C medium size particle distribution. Special pellet moisture controls are incorporated in the pellet for moisture stability and the pellet is sintered in the temperature range of 1630 deg to 1650 deg C. This method of fabrication produces a pellet about 2 inch long with a wall thickness of from 0.020 inch to 0.040 inch. Fabricating each pellet to about 70% theoretical density gives an optimum compromise between fabricability, microstructure, strength and moisture absorption. (author)

Propulsion efficiency and imposed flow fields of a copepod jump.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Houshuo; Kiørboe, Thomas

2011-02-01

Pelagic copepods jump to relocate, to attack prey and to escape predators. However, there is a price to be paid for these jumps in terms of their energy costs and the hydrodynamic signals they generate to rheotactic predators. Using observed kinematics of various types of jumps, we computed the imposed flow fields and associated energetics of jumps by means of computational fluid dynamics simulations by modeling the copepod as a self-propelled body. The computational fluid dynamics simulation was validated by particle image velocimetry data. The flow field generated by a repositioning jump quickly evolves into two counter-rotating viscous vortex rings that are near mirror image of one another, one in the wake and one around the body of the copepod; this near symmetrical flow may provide hydrodynamic camouflage because it contains no information about the position of the copepod prey within the flow structure. The flow field associated with an escape jump sequence also includes two dominant vortex structures: one leading wake vortex generated as a result of the first jump and one around the body, but between these two vortex structures is an elongated, long-lasting flow trail with flow velocity vectors pointing towards the copepod; such a flow field may inform the predator of the whereabouts of the escaping copepod prey. High Froude propulsion efficiency (0.94-0.98) was obtained for individual power stroke durations of all simulated jumps. This is unusual for small aquatic organisms but is caused by the rapidity and impulsiveness of the jump that allows only a low-cost viscous wake vortex to travel backwards.

Seasonal variability of planktonic copepods (Copepoda: Crustacea in a tropical estuarine region in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina de Oliveira Dias

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The Caravelas River estuary and adjacent coastal region were studied during the rainy and dry seasons of 2003-2004 to assess the copepod community structure. Abiotic and biotic parameters were measured, and the total density, frequency and percentage of copepod taxa were determined for each sampling period. Copepod densities showed significant differences between sampling periods, with higher densities in the rainy seasons (Mean: 90,941.80 ind.m-3; S.D.: 26,364.79. The sampling stations located to the north and south, in the coastal region adjacent to the Caravelas River estuary presented the lowest copepod density values. The copepod assemblage was composed mainly of estuarine and estuarine/coastal copepods. The seasonal variations in temperature and salinity influenced the abundance of species during the rainy and dry seasons, with the following dominant species alternating: Paracalanus quasimodo Bowman, 1971 in the rainy season of 2003, Parvocalanus crassirostris Dahl, 1894 in the dry season of 2003 and Acartia lilljeborgii Giesbrecht, 1892 in the rainy and dry seasons of 2004. Non-parametric multidimensional scaling indicated differences in copepod assemblages between sampling periods, but not between sampling stations.

Physiological improvement in the copepod Eurytemora affinis through thermal and multi-generational selection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Souissi, Anissa; Souissi, Sami; Hansen, Benni Winding

2016-01-01

As a major part of fish larval diet in nature, copepods constitute an appropriate live prey for aquaculture purposes. Considering the difficulty of mastering copepod mass production, studies on their growth performance at different environmental conditions are needed to improve their productivity....... In this study a new selective approach based on temperature control is proposed to improve the physiological (body size, fecundity and lipid storage) performance of copepods. The estuarine copepod Eurytemora affinis known to have a high genetic variance in temperature tolerance was used as a biological model....... First two different copepod lines were obtained after long-term culture at constant cold (7°C) and warm (20°C) temperatures. Then both populations were transferred to a higher temperature of 24°C appropriate for aquaculture use and followed during five generations. During the first two generations (F1–F...

Vibrio elicits targeted transcriptional responses from copepod hosts.

Science.gov (United States)

Almada, Amalia A; Tarrant, Ann M

2016-06-01

Copepods are abundant crustaceans that harbor diverse bacterial communities, yet the nature of their interactions with microbiota are poorly understood. Here, we report that Vibrio elicits targeted transcriptional responses in the estuarine copepod Eurytemora affinis We pre-treated E. affinis with an antibiotic cocktail and exposed them to either a zooplankton specialist (Vibrio sp. F10 9ZB36) or a free-living species (Vibrio ordalii 12B09) for 24 h. We then identified via RNA-Seq a total of 78 genes that were differentially expressed following Vibrio exposure, including homologs of C-type lectins, chitin-binding proteins and saposins. The response differed between the two Vibrio treatments, with the greatest changes elicited upon inoculation with V. sp. F10 We suggest that these differentially regulated genes play important roles in cuticle integrity, the innate immune response, and general stress response, and that their expression may enable E. affinis to recognize and regulate symbiotic vibrios. We further report that V. sp. F10 culturability is specifically altered upon colonization of E. affinis These findings suggest that rather than acting as passive environmental vectors, copepods discriminately interact with vibrios, which may ultimately impact the abundance and activity of copepod-associated bacteria. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Hydrodynamics and energetics of jumping copepod nauplii and copepodids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wadhwa, Navish; Andersen, Anders Peter; Kiørboe, Thomas

2014-01-01

Within its life cycle, a copepod goes through drastic changes in size, shape and swimming mode. In particular, there is a stark difference between the early (nauplius) and later (copepodid) stages. Copepods inhabit an intermediate Reynolds number regime (between similar to 1 and 100) where both v......, presumably due to the change in hydrodynamic regime accompanied with a well-adapted body form and swimming stroke...

Fish pelleting

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PUBLICATIONS1

fish meal pelletizing machine utilized 4kg of ingredients to produce 3.77kg pellets at an effi- ciency of .... Design and fabrication of fish meal pellet processing machine ... 53 ... horsepower for effective torque application on .... two edges were tacked with a spot weld to hold ... then welded on to the shaft making sure that the.

The US pellet market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliot, S.

2007-01-01

Bear Mountain is the largest producer of pellets, firelogs, animal beddings, and barbecue pellets in Western United States. The company's branded products are sold directly to more than 400 retail dealers. This presentation included a series of graphs depicting Bear Mountain's USA pellet sales in tons from 2002 to 2007; truckloads to various distribution areas; pellet stoves and insert units shipped from 1998 to 2006; and hearth appliance shipments from 1998 to 2006. It was noted that in the United States, 98 per cent of the pellets sold come in 40 pound bags and are delivered to retailers by truck. Space is needed for inventory purposes, as each customer may use 2 to 4 tons. The pellets are used in small ash capacity room heaters. The pellet producers buy sawdust from area mills. It was noted that the soft housing market combined with competition for pulp and paper has pinched the supply of pellets. Pellets were in short supply in the west coast during the winter of 2006-2007 and in eastern United States during the winters of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, indicating that summer production of pellets is required in order to meet winter demand. The key demand factors for pellets include stove sales; pellet pricing; pricing of other fuels; and, weather. The key supply factors for pellets include availability of sawdust; logistics; competition; and cost. The greatest challenge facing pellet producers is the high cost of freight. It was concluded that 2008 will be another year of uncertainty for pellet producers, due to the abundant supply of pellets in the east and midwest, and stabilized alternative fuel pricing. tabs., figs

The Relationship between Phytoplankton Evenness and Copepod Abundance in Lake Nansihu, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Tian

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is a central issue in ecology. Previous studies have shown that producer diversity can impact the consumer community via predator-prey interactions. However, direct observations of this relationship remain rare, in particular for aquatic ecosystems. In this research, the relationship between phytoplankton diversity (species richness and evenness and the abundance of copepods was analyzed in Lake Nansihu, a meso-eutrophic lake in China. The results showed that copepods abundance was significantly decreased with increasing phytoplankton evenness throughout the year. However, both species richness and phytoplankton biomass showed no significant relationship with the abundance of copepods. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that phytoplankton evenness was negatively correlated with Thermocyclops kawamurai, Cyclops vicinus, Eucyclops serrulatus, Mesocyclops leuckarti, Sinocalanus tenellus, Sinocalanus dorrii, Copepods nauplius, but positively correlated with many Cyanophyta species (Chroococcus minutus, Dactylococcopsis acicularis, Microcystis incerta, Merismopedia tenuissima, Merismopedia sinica and Lyngbya limnetica. Based on our results, phytoplankton evenness was a better predictor of copepods abundance in meso-eutrophic lakes. These results provide new insights into the relationship between diversity and ecosystem functioning in aquatic ecosystems.

Culture conditions affect the nutritional value of the copepod Acartia tonsa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arne M. Malzahn

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Live feed are still necessary for the rearing of larval stages of several fish species, especially marine ones. Compared to Artemia, copepods are of superior quality. This is based on a suite of traits like size, movement, and nutritional value. Copepods are for example usually high in protein and fatty acids. Essential fatty acid profiles reflect to a large degree the fatty acid supply, which provides the opportunity to manipulate fatty acid profiles of, amongst others, copepods. By manipulating nutrient supply of the algae Rhodomonas salina we were able to double essential fatty acid concentrations in naupliar and copepodit life stages of the copepod Acartia tonsa. However, this lead to growth depression rather than to increased growth rates in a series of consumer species, including larval fish. The reason for the growth depression is likely to be mineral deficiencies occurring along with the nutrient manipulation of the algae.

Antibiotic-induced change of bacterial communities associated with the copepod Nitocra spinipes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Edlund

Full Text Available Environmental pressures, such as physical factors, diet and contaminants may affect interactions between microbial symbionts and their multicellular hosts. Despite obvious relevance, effects of antimicrobial contaminants on host-symbiont relations in non-target aquatic organisms are largely unknown. We show that exposure to antibiotics had negative effects on survival and juvenile development of the copepod Nitocra spinipes and caused significant alterations in copepod-associated bacterial communities. The significant positive correlations between indices of copepod development and bacterial diversity indicate that disruption of the microflora was likely to be an important factor behind retarded juvenile development in the experimental animals. Moreover, as evidenced by ribotype distribution in the bacterial clone libraries, the exposure to antibiotics caused a shift in dominance from Betaproteobacteria to Cardinium bacteria; the latter have been shown to cause reproductive manipulations in various terrestrial arthropods. Thus, in addition to providing evidence that the antibiotic-induced perturbation of the microbial community associates with reductions in fitness-related traits of the host, this study is the first record of a copepod serving as a host for endosymbiotic Cardinium. Taken together, our results suggest that (1 antimicrobial substances and possibly other stressors can affect micobiome and symbiont-mediated interactions in copepods and other hosts, and (2 Cardinium endosymbionts may occur in other copepods and affect reproduction of their hosts.

Production and ejection of solid hydrogen-isotope pellet (single pellet)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasai, Satoshi; Hasegawa, Koichi; Miura, Yukitoshi; Ishibori, Ikuo

1986-03-01

The pneumatic gun type pellet injector (single pellet) has been constructed, which is basic type used at ORNL. The pellet in the carrier is 1.65 mm in diameter and 1.65 mm in length, and another is 1 mmD x 1 mmL. Hydrogen pellet velocity of about 900 m/s was observed at propellant gas (He) pressure of 14 kg/cm 2 . In the injection experiment into a plasma, typical velocity is 714 ∼ 833 m/s. These values are 80 ∼ 95 % of velocity calculated from the ideal gun model. The ejected pellet size is 71 ∼ 90 % of the hole size in the carrier disk (1.65 mmD x 1.65 mmL) and 46 ∼ 56 % (1 mmD x 1 mmL). The spread in the pellet trajectories is about 26 mm in diameter at a plasma center. (author)

Distribution and diversity of copepods in the Mandovi-Zuari estuarine system, Goa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.

Truly estuarine and estuarine-marine species were the major components of copepods Neritic and limnetic species were stragglers in this environment and showed fortuitous distribution Monsoonal cycle induced seasonal rhythm on salinity and copepods...

Dissolution of coccolithophorid calcite by microzooplankton and copepod grazing

Science.gov (United States)

Antia, A. N.; Suffrian, K.; Holste, L.; Müller, M. N.; Nejstgaard, J. C.; Simonelli, P.; Carotenuto, Y.; Putzeys, S.

2008-01-01

Independent of the ongoing acidification of surface seawater, the majority of the calcium carbonate produced in the pelagial is dissolved by natural processes above the lysocline. We investigate to what extent grazing and passage of coccolithophorids through the guts of copepods and the food vacuoles of microzooplankton contribute to calcite dissolution. In laboratory experiments where the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi was fed to the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, the heterotrophic flagellate Oxyrrhis marina and the copepod Acartia tonsa, calcite dissolution rates of 45-55%, 37-53% and 5-22% of ingested calcite were found. We ascribe higher loss rates in microzooplankton food vacuoles as compared to copepod guts to the strongly acidic digestion and the individual packaging of algal cells. In further experiments, specific rates of calcification and calcite dissolution were also measured in natural populations during the PeECE III mesocosm study under differing ambient pCO2 concentrations. Microzooplankton grazing accounted for between 27 and 70% of the dynamic calcite stock being lost per day, with no measurable effect of CO2 treatment. These measured calcite dissolution rates indicate that dissolution of calcite in the guts of microzooplankton and copepods can account for the calcite losses calculated for the global ocean using budget and model estimates.

Axially alignable nuclear fuel pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johansson, E.B.; Klahn, D.H.; Marlowe, M.O.

1978-01-01

An axially alignable nuclear fuel pellet of the type stacked in end-to-end relationship within a tubular cladding is described. Fuel cladding failures can occur at pellet interface locations due to mechanical interaction between misaligned fuel pellets and the cladding. Mechanical interaction between the cladding and the fuel pellets loads the cladding and causes increased cladding stresses. Nuclear fuel pellets are provided with an end structure that increases plastic deformation of the pellets at the interface between pellets so that lower alignment forces are required to straighten axially misaligned pellets. Plastic deformation of the pellet ends results in less interactions beween the cladding and the fuel pellets and significantly lowers cladding stresses. The geometry of pellets constructed according to the invention also reduces alignment forces required to straighten fuel pellets that are tilted within the cladding. Plastic deformation of the pellets at the pellet interfaces is increased by providing pellets with at least one end face having a centrally-disposed raised area of convex shape so that the mean temperature and shear stress of the contact area is higher than that of prior art pellets

Fuel pellet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, K.

1980-01-01

Fuel pellet for insertion into a cladding tube in order to form a fuel element or a fuel rod. The fuel pellet has got a belt-like projection around its essentially cylindrical lateral circumferential surface. The upper and lower edges in vertical direction of this belt-like projection are wave-shaped. The projection is made of the same material as the bulk pellet. Both are made in one piece. (orig.) [de

Ocean acidification challenges copepod phenotypic plasticity

Science.gov (United States)

Vehmaa, Anu; Almén, Anna-Karin; Brutemark, Andreas; Paul, Allanah; Riebesell, Ulf; Furuhagen, Sara; Engström-Öst, Jonna

2016-11-01

Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton) are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia sp. in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg-hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC) as a function of acidification (fCO2 ˜ 365-1231 µatm) and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal whether transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female size. In addition, we found signs of a possible threshold at high fCO2, above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg-hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon < 55 µm) or quality (C : N) weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high-ORAC-produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that Acartia sp. could be affected by projected near-future CO2 levels.

46 CFR 148.04-21 - Coconut meal pellets (also known as copra pellets).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Coconut meal pellets (also known as copra pellets). 148.04-21 Section 148.04-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) DANGEROUS... § 148.04-21 Coconut meal pellets (also known as copra pellets). (a) Coconut meal pellets; (1) Must...

Observation on Marine Copepod - Appendicularian Naturally Changing Concentrations Along Southwest Coast of India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean J. JOSE

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Patterns of copepod - appendicularian distribution were studied along the Mangalore coastal waters (12�50�49� N; 74�48�50� E of the Arabian Sea to understand the food and feeding relationship existing among these groups. Sampling was conducted during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon extending from January 2009 to December 2010. The copepod and appendicularian community was sampled with a 60 ?m net to include the smallest species and their developmental stages. Copepod biomass, especially calanoids, was substantially high throughout the study. Seasonal mean results showed that the small-sized copepods (calanoids, harpacticoida and cyclopoids dominated in terms of biomass and production. Calanoids found in abundance included Acartia, Centropages, Calanus, Eucalanus and Labidocera. Cyclopoid and Harpacticoid copepods genera dominated included Oithona, Oncaea and Microsetella, Macrosetella. Appendicularian species diversity was represented by Oikopleura fusiformis, O. dioica and its juveniles represented as Oikopleura sp. Total chlorophyll (chlorophyll a ranging between 10 and 20 mg m-3 indicated the eutrophic state as well as productivity prevailing during the study period. Principal component analysis (PCA indicated the routine and opportunistic seasonal grazers and establishes a phytoplankton - appendicularia - copepod - fish food chain relationship along Mangalore coast.

Female-biased sex ratios in marine pelagic copepods: Comment on Gusmao et al. (2013)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hirst, Andrew G.; Bonnet, D; Conway, DVP

2013-01-01

Gusmao et al. (2013; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 482:279-298) review causes of sex ratio skew in pelagic copepods and in doing so repeatedly dispute the paper of Hirst et al. (2010) ‘Does predation control adult sex ratios and longevities in marine pelagic copepods?’ Here we respond to some important error...... in their citation of our paper and briefly highlight where future work is needed in order to attribute the causes of strong sex ratio skew seen in some copepod families......Gusmao et al. (2013; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 482:279-298) review causes of sex ratio skew in pelagic copepods and in doing so repeatedly dispute the paper of Hirst et al. (2010) ‘Does predation control adult sex ratios and longevities in marine pelagic copepods?’ Here we respond to some important errors...

Response of marine copepods to a changing tropical environment: winners, losers and implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Chew, Li Lee; Chong, Ving Ching

2016-01-01

Background. Climate change concurrent with anthropogenic disturbances can initiate serial changes that reverberate up the food chain with repercussions for fisheries. To date, there is no information available concerning the combined effects of global warming and human impacts on tropical marine food webs. While temperate copepods respond differently to warming and environmental stressors, the extent to which tropical copepods can adapt to rising temperature of already warm waters remains unknown. We hypothesize that sea warming and other anthropogenic disturbances over the long term will have the greatest impact on the copepod community in nearshore waters where their effects are accentuated, and therefore vulnerable and resilient species could be identified. Methods. Zooplankton samples were collected during two time periods (1985-86 and 2014-15) interposed by marked anthropogenic disturbances, and at the same five stations located progressively from inshore to offshore in Klang Strait, Malaysia, following the asymmetrical before-after-control-impact (BACI) design. Copepods were identified to species, and results were interpreted by univariate (ANOVA) and multivariate (PERMANOVA, PCO) analyses of the computed species abundance and diversity measures. Results. Copepod total abundance was not significantly different among stations but higher after disturbance than before disturbance. However, changes in the abundance of particular species and the community structure between time periods were dramatic. Coastal large-bodied calanoid species (e.g., Acartia spinicauda, Calanopia thompsoni, Pseudodiaptomus bowmani and Tortanus forcipatus) were the most vulnerable group to disturbance. This however favored the opportunistic species (e.g., Oithona simplex, O. attenuata, Hemicyclops sp., Pseudomacrochiron sp. and Microsetella norvegica). Small-bodied copepods (e.g., Paracalanus sp., Parvocalanus crassirostris and Euterpina acutifrons) were unaffected. Centropages

Response of marine copepods to a changing tropical environment: winners, losers and implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Lee Chew

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background. Climate change concurrent with anthropogenic disturbances can initiate serial changes that reverberate up the food chain with repercussions for fisheries. To date, there is no information available concerning the combined effects of global warming and human impacts on tropical marine food webs. While temperate copepods respond differently to warming and environmental stressors, the extent to which tropical copepods can adapt to rising temperature of already warm waters remains unknown. We hypothesize that sea warming and other anthropogenic disturbances over the long term will have the greatest impact on the copepod community in nearshore waters where their effects are accentuated, and therefore vulnerable and resilient species could be identified. Methods. Zooplankton samples were collected during two time periods (1985–86 and 2014–15 interposed by marked anthropogenic disturbances, and at the same five stations located progressively from inshore to offshore in Klang Strait, Malaysia, following the asymmetrical before-after-control-impact (BACI design. Copepods were identified to species, and results were interpreted by univariate (ANOVA and multivariate (PERMANOVA, PCO analyses of the computed species abundance and diversity measures. Results. Copepod total abundance was not significantly different among stations but higher after disturbance than before disturbance. However, changes in the abundance of particular species and the community structure between time periods were dramatic. Coastal large-bodied calanoid species (e.g., Acartia spinicauda, Calanopia thompsoni, Pseudodiaptomus bowmani and Tortanus forcipatus were the most vulnerable group to disturbance. This however favored the opportunistic species (e.g., Oithona simplex, O. attenuata, Hemicyclops sp., Pseudomacrochiron sp. and Microsetella norvegica. Small-bodied copepods (e.g., Paracalanus sp., Parvocalanus crassirostris and Euterpina acutifrons were unaffected

Response of marine copepods to a changing tropical environment: winners, losers and implications

Science.gov (United States)

Chew, Li Lee

2016-01-01

Background. Climate change concurrent with anthropogenic disturbances can initiate serial changes that reverberate up the food chain with repercussions for fisheries. To date, there is no information available concerning the combined effects of global warming and human impacts on tropical marine food webs. While temperate copepods respond differently to warming and environmental stressors, the extent to which tropical copepods can adapt to rising temperature of already warm waters remains unknown. We hypothesize that sea warming and other anthropogenic disturbances over the long term will have the greatest impact on the copepod community in nearshore waters where their effects are accentuated, and therefore vulnerable and resilient species could be identified. Methods. Zooplankton samples were collected during two time periods (1985–86 and 2014–15) interposed by marked anthropogenic disturbances, and at the same five stations located progressively from inshore to offshore in Klang Strait, Malaysia, following the asymmetrical before-after-control-impact (BACI) design. Copepods were identified to species, and results were interpreted by univariate (ANOVA) and multivariate (PERMANOVA, PCO) analyses of the computed species abundance and diversity measures. Results. Copepod total abundance was not significantly different among stations but higher after disturbance than before disturbance. However, changes in the abundance of particular species and the community structure between time periods were dramatic. Coastal large-bodied calanoid species (e.g., Acartia spinicauda, Calanopia thompsoni, Pseudodiaptomus bowmani and Tortanus forcipatus) were the most vulnerable group to disturbance. This however favored the opportunistic species (e.g., Oithona simplex, O. attenuata, Hemicyclops sp., Pseudomacrochiron sp. and Microsetella norvegica). Small-bodied copepods (e.g., Paracalanus sp., Parvocalanus crassirostris and Euterpina acutifrons) were unaffected. Centropages

Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria Support Copepod Reproduction and Development in the Baltic Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Hogfors, Hedvig; Motwani, Nisha H.; Hajdu, Susanna; El-Shehawy, Rehab; Holmborn, Towe; Vehmaa, Anu; Engström-Öst, Jonna; Brutemark, Andreas; Gorokhova, Elena

2014-01-01

It is commonly accepted that summer cyanobacterial blooms cannot be efficiently utilized by grazers due to low nutritional quality and production of toxins; however the evidence for such effects in situ is often contradictory. Using field and experimental observations on Baltic copepods and bloom-forming diazotrophic filamentous cyanobacteria, we show that cyanobacteria may in fact support zooplankton production during summer. To highlight this side of zooplankton-cyanobacteria interactions, we conducted: (1) a field survey investigating linkages between cyanobacteria, reproduction and growth indices in the copepod Acartia tonsa; (2) an experiment testing relationships between ingestion of the cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena (measured by molecular diet analysis) and organismal responses (oxidative balance, reproduction and development) in the copepod A. bifilosa; and (3) an analysis of long term (1999–2009) data testing relationships between cyanobacteria and growth indices in nauplii of the copepods, Acartia spp. and Eurytemora affinis, in a coastal area of the northern Baltic proper. In the field survey, N. spumigena had positive effects on copepod egg production and egg viability, effectively increasing their viable egg production. By contrast, Aphanizomenon sp. showed a negative relationship with egg viability yet no significant effect on the viable egg production. In the experiment, ingestion of N. spumigena mixed with green algae Brachiomonas submarina had significant positive effects on copepod oxidative balance, egg viability and development of early nauplial stages, whereas egg production was negatively affected. Finally, the long term data analysis identified cyanobacteria as a significant positive predictor for the nauplial growth in Acartia spp. and E. affinis. Taken together, these results suggest that bloom forming diazotrophic cyanobacteria contribute to feeding and reproduction of zooplankton during summer and create a favorable growth

Bloom-forming cyanobacteria support copepod reproduction and development in the Baltic Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Hogfors, Hedvig; Motwani, Nisha H; Hajdu, Susanna; El-Shehawy, Rehab; Holmborn, Towe; Vehmaa, Anu; Engström-Öst, Jonna; Brutemark, Andreas; Gorokhova, Elena

2014-01-01

It is commonly accepted that summer cyanobacterial blooms cannot be efficiently utilized by grazers due to low nutritional quality and production of toxins; however the evidence for such effects in situ is often contradictory. Using field and experimental observations on Baltic copepods and bloom-forming diazotrophic filamentous cyanobacteria, we show that cyanobacteria may in fact support zooplankton production during summer. To highlight this side of zooplankton-cyanobacteria interactions, we conducted: (1) a field survey investigating linkages between cyanobacteria, reproduction and growth indices in the copepod Acartia tonsa; (2) an experiment testing relationships between ingestion of the cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena (measured by molecular diet analysis) and organismal responses (oxidative balance, reproduction and development) in the copepod A. bifilosa; and (3) an analysis of long term (1999-2009) data testing relationships between cyanobacteria and growth indices in nauplii of the copepods, Acartia spp. and Eurytemora affinis, in a coastal area of the northern Baltic proper. In the field survey, N. spumigena had positive effects on copepod egg production and egg viability, effectively increasing their viable egg production. By contrast, Aphanizomenon sp. showed a negative relationship with egg viability yet no significant effect on the viable egg production. In the experiment, ingestion of N. spumigena mixed with green algae Brachiomonas submarina had significant positive effects on copepod oxidative balance, egg viability and development of early nauplial stages, whereas egg production was negatively affected. Finally, the long term data analysis identified cyanobacteria as a significant positive predictor for the nauplial growth in Acartia spp. and E. affinis. Taken together, these results suggest that bloom forming diazotrophic cyanobacteria contribute to feeding and reproduction of zooplankton during summer and create a favorable growth

Active prey selection in two pelagic copepods feeding on potentially toxic and non-toxic dinoflagellates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, Mette; Kiørboe, Thomas

2009-01-01

Grazing on two red tide dinoflagellates, the potentially toxic Karenia mikimotoi and the non-toxic Gyrodinium instriatum, was examined in two species of marine copepods, Pseudocalanus elongatus and Temora longicornis. Both copepods cleared K. mikimotoi at rates that were a little lower but compar......Grazing on two red tide dinoflagellates, the potentially toxic Karenia mikimotoi and the non-toxic Gyrodinium instriatum, was examined in two species of marine copepods, Pseudocalanus elongatus and Temora longicornis. Both copepods cleared K. mikimotoi at rates that were a little lower...

Development of a pellet cutting and loading device for the JT-60 repetitive pellet injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiratsuka, Hajime; Ichige, Hisashi; Kizu, Kaname; Iwahashi, Takaaki; Honda, Masao

2001-03-01

In JT-60, a pellet injector that repetitively injects deuterium pellets is under development to supply fuel to high temperature plasmas and sustain high-density plasmas. The pellet injector generates cubic pellets and accelerates them with a straight-arm rotor by centrifugal force. In this acceleration method, it is important to supply pellets reliably and stably, to prevent pellet orbits from disordering and to stabilize the launching direction. To achieve higher performance of the injector, a pellet cutting and loading device that cuts a deuterium ice rod into cubic pellets and loads them to the pellet injector successively and stably has been developed. The pellet cutting and loading device can cut a deuterium ice rod produced at low temperature of -8 Pam 3 /s, cutting time of <3 ms, cutting frequency of 1-20 Hz and cutter stroke of 2.5 mm were confirmed in the device test. In the operation test after assembling this device to the centrifugal pellet injector, the operational performance of pellet injection frequency of ∼10 Hz, pellet speed of ∼690 m/s and pellet injection duration time of ∼3.5 s was achieved. Thus, the development of the pellet cutting and loading device contributed to the upgrade of the JT-60 pellet injector. (author)

Rapid enzymatic response to compensate UV radiation in copepods.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Sol Souza

Full Text Available Ultraviolet radiation (UVR causes physical damage to DNA, carboxylation of proteins and peroxidation of lipids in copepod crustaceans, ubiquitous and abundant secondary producers in most aquatic ecosystems. Copepod adaptations for long duration exposures include changes in behaviour, changes in pigmentation and ultimately changes in morphology. Adaptations to short-term exposures are little studied. Here we show that short-duration exposure to UVR causes the freshwater calanoid copepod, Eudiaptomus gracilis, to rapidly activate production of enzymes that prevent widespread collateral peroxidation (glutathione S-transferase, GST, that regulate apoptosis cell death (Caspase-3, Casp-3, and that facilitate neurotransmissions (cholinesterase-ChE. None of these enzyme systems is alone sufficient, but they act in concert to reduce the stress level of the organism. The interplay among enzymatic responses provides useful information on how organisms respond to environmental stressors acting on short time scales.

Propulsion and perception in intermediate Re regimes: aquatic microcrustacean copepod responses to wake structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, J.; Pender Healy, L. A.; Heaphy, M.

2016-02-01

Flow sensing by the mechanoreceptive cuticular arrays of sensors on copepods has been shaped by over 400 million years of evolution and plays an important role in predator avoidance, foraging, mating, and rheotaxis. These 3D wakes are produced by animal propulsive activities and contain cues that guide these key survival responses. We have demonstrated that the fluid mechanical and chemical information retained in the hydrodynamic envelope can be interpreted by suitable sensor arrays; copepod sensor arrays are capable of perceiving minute differences in wake structures. Temora longicornis, a coastal marine copepod, and Hesperodiaptomus shoshone, a high-alpine freshwater lake copepod, track laminar trails. High-speed videography coupled with high-magnification Schlieren optics enabled us to visualize the deformation of the trail signal and the propulsive movements of the male copepod. Males followed the trail mimic and our observations show clear differences between the marine and freshwater species. Comparative analyses reveal tracking mechanisms that differ in sensor location with respect to the trail and locomotory kinematics. Copepods perform directed motions that lead them to a stimulus source in the absence of other collimating stimuli. Tracking by the copepod around the trail allows it to have one or numerous sensors inside and outside the trail to facilitate edge detection using spatial sampling. The advantage of this remarkable behavior of following trails fast and accurately is to encounter mates or food patches more frequently, thus contributing to population recruitment and energy transfer up the trophic food web. Precise mate and food finding strategies found for pelagic copepods may be a key adaptation, promoting survival in these open-ocean planktonic populations.

What factors drive copepod community distribution in the Gulf of Gabes, Eastern Mediterranean Sea?

Science.gov (United States)

Drira, Zaher; Bel Hassen, Malika; Ayadi, Habib; Aleya, Lotfi

2014-02-01

The spatial and temporal variations in copepod communities were investigated during four oceanographic cruises conducted between July 2005 and March 2007 aboard the R/V Hannibal. A close relationship was observed between the temperature, salinity, hydrographic properties and water masses characterising the Gulf of Gabes. Indeed, water thermal stratification began in May-June, and a thermocline was established at a 20-m depth, but ranged from 25 m in July to more than 30 m in September. The zooplankton community is dominated by copepods representing 69 % to 83 % of total zooplankton. Spatial and temporal variation of copepods in relation to environmental factors shows their close relationship with the hydrodynamic features of the water column. Thermal stratification in the column, established in summer, supports copepod development. In fact, copepod abundance increases gradually with rising water temperature and salinity, starting from the beginning of thermal stratification (May-June 2006) and lasting until its completion (July 2005 and September 2006). When the water column is well mixed (March 2007), copepod abundance decreased. Our finding shows that temperature and salinity seem to be the most important physical factors and thus strongly influence the taxonomic diversity and distribution of the copepod population. They are characterised by the dominance of Oithona nana, representing 75-86 % of total cyclopoid abundance. The most abundant species during the stratification period were O. nana, Acartia clausi and Stephos marsalensis in July 2005 and September 2006. However, during the mixing period, Euterpina acutifrons was more abundant, representing 21 % of the total. Unlike the copepod community, which is more abundant during the period of high stratification, phytoplankton proliferates during semi-mixed conditions.

ORNL pellet acceleration program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, C.A.; Milora, S.L.

1978-01-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) pellet fueling program is centered around developing equipment to accelerate large pellets of solidified hydrogen to high speeds. This equipment will be used to experimentally determine pellet-plasma interaction physics on contemporary tokamaks. The pellet experiments performed on the Oak Ridge Tokamak (ORMAK) indicated that much larger, faster pellets would be advantageous. In order to produce and accelerate pellets of the order of 1 to 6 mm in diameter, two apparatuses have been designed and are being constructed. The first will make H 2 pellets by extruding a filament of hydrogen and mechanically chopping it into pellets. The pellets formed will be mechanically accelerated with a high speed arbor to a speed of 950 m/sec. This technique may be extended to speeds up to 5000 m/sec, which makes it a prime candidate for a reactor fueling device. In the second technique, a hydrogen pellet will be formed, loaded into a miniature rifle, and accelerated by means of high pressure hydrogen gas. This technique should be capable of speeds of the order of 1000 m/sec. While this technique does not offer the high performance of the mechanical accelerator, its relative simplicity makes it attractive for near-term experiments

Uptake, absorption efficiency and elimination of DDT in marine phytoplankton, copepods and fish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xinhong; Wang Wenxiong

2005-01-01

Uptake, absorption efficiency and elimination of DDT were measured in marine phytoplankton, copepods (Acartia erythraea) and fish (mangrove snappers Lutjanus argentimaculatus). The uptake rate constant of DDT from water decreased with increasing trophic level. The dietary absorption efficiency (AE) of DDT was 10-29% in copepods and 72-99% in fish. Food concentration did not significantly affect the AEs of DDT, but the AEs varied considerably among the different food diets. The elimination rate constants of DDT by the copepods were comparable following uptake from the diet and from the water. Elimination of DDT from the fish was exceedingly low. Both aqueous and dietary uptake are equally important for DDT accumulation in the copepods. In fish, dissolved exposure is a more significant route than intake from the diet. The predicted trophic transfer factors in the copepods and the fish are consistent with the field measurements in marine zooplankton and fish. -Biomagnification and exposure of DDT in a marine food chain is demonstrated by measurements of uptake and elimination rates and kinetic modeling

Status and recommendations on marine copepod cultivation for use as live feed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drillet, Guillaume; Frouël, Stéphane; Sichlau, Mie Hylstofte

2011-01-01

Copepods are important crustaceans studied because of their key role in ecology, trophic biology, fisheries management, in modeling the flow of energy and matter, ecotoxicology, aquaculture and aquarium trade. This paper discusses various aspects of the state of knowledge of copepod culture...

Copepod carcasses as microbial hot spots for pelagic denitrification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glud, Ronnie N.; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Larsen, Morten

2015-01-01

Copepods are exposed to a high non-predatory mortality and their decomposing carcasses act as microniches with intensified microbial activity. Sinking carcasses could thereby represent anoxic microenvironment sustaining anaerobic microbial pathways in otherwise oxic water columns. Using non...... investigated carcass samples and thereby documented the potential for microbial denitrification in carcasses. The nirS gene was occasionally expressed in live copepods, but not as consistently as in carcasses. Incubations of sinking carcasses in 15NO2 3 amended seawater demonstrated denitrification, of which...

Contrasting ecosystem-effects of morphologically similar copepods.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blake Matthews

Full Text Available Organisms alter the biotic and abiotic conditions of ecosystems. They can modulate the availability of resources to other species (ecosystem engineering and shape selection pressures on other organisms (niche construction. Very little is known about how the engineering effects of organisms vary among and within species, and, as a result, the ecosystem consequences of species diversification and phenotypic evolution are poorly understood. Here, using a common gardening experiment, we test whether morphologically similar species and populations of Diaptomidae copepods (Leptodiaptomus ashlandi, Hesperodiaptomus franciscanus, Skistodiaptomus oregonensis have similar or different effects on the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems. We found that copepod species had contrasting effects on algal biomass, ammonium concentrations, and sedimentation rates, and that copepod populations had contrasting effects on prokaryote abundance, sedimentation rates, and gross primary productivity. The average size of ecosystem-effect contrasts between species was similar to those between populations, and was comparable to those between fish species and populations measured in previous common gardening experiments. Our results suggest that subtle morphological variation among and within species can cause multifarious and divergent ecosystem-effects. We conclude that using morphological trait variation to assess the functional similarity of organisms may underestimate the importance of species and population diversity for ecosystem functioning.

Prey detection and prey capture in copepod nauplii

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruno, Eleonora; Borg, Marc Andersen; Kiørboe, Thomas

2012-01-01

Copepod nauplii are either ambush feeders that feed on motile prey or they produce a feeding current that entrains prey cells. It is unclear how ambush and feeding-current feeding nauplii perceive and capture prey. Attack jumps in ambush feeding nauplii should not be feasible at low Reynolds...... (Temora longicornis). We demonstrate that the ambush feeders both detect motile prey remotely. Prey detection elicits an attack jump, but the jump is not directly towards the prey, such as has been described for adult copepods. Rather, the nauplius jumps past the prey and sets up an intermittent feeding...

Structural and functional responses of harpacticoid copepods to anoxia in the Northern Adriatic: an experimental approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. De Troch

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Combined in situ and laboratory studies were conducted to document the effects of anoxia on the structure and functioning of meiobenthic communities, with special focus on harpacticoid copepods. In a first step, anoxia was created artificially by means of an underwater chamber at 24 m depth in the Northern Adriatic, Gulf of Trieste (Mediterranean. Nematodes were found as the most abundant taxon, followed by harpacticoid copepods. While nematode densities were not affected by treatment (anoxia/normoxia or sediment depth, these factors had a significant impact on copepod abundances. Harpacticoid copepod family diversity, in contrast, was not affected by anoxic conditions, only by depth. Ectinosomatidae and Cletodidae were most abundant in both normoxic and anoxic samples. The functional response of harpacticoid copepods to anoxia was studied in a laboratory tracer experiment by adding 13C pre-labelled diatoms to sediment cores in order to test (1 if there is a difference in food uptake by copepods under normoxic and anoxic conditions and (2 whether initial (normoxia feeding of harpacticoid copepods on diatoms results in a better survival of copepods in subsequent anoxic conditions. Independent of the addition of diatoms, there was a higher survival rate in normoxia than anoxia. The supply of additional food did not result in a higher survival rate of copepods in anoxia, which might be explained by the presence of a nutritionally better food source and/or a lack of starvation before adding the diatoms. However, there was a reduced grazing pressure by copepods on diatoms in anoxic conditions. This resulted in a modified fatty acid composition of the sediment. We concluded that anoxia not only impacts the survival of consumers (direct effect but also of primary producers (indirect effect, with important implications for the recovery phase.

Pellet injectors for JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andelfinger, C.; Buechl, K.; Lang, R.S.; Schilling, H.B.; Ulrich, M.

1981-09-01

Pellet injection for the purpose of refuelling and diagnostic of fusion experiments is considered for the parameters of JET. The feasibility of injectors for single pellets and for quasistationary refuelling is discussed. Model calculations on pellet ablation with JET parameters show the required pellet velocity ( 3 ). For single pellet injection a light gas gun, for refuelling a centrifuge accelerator is proposed. For the latter the mechanical stress problems are discussed. Control and data acquisition systems are outlined. (orig.)

Ocean acidification challenges copepod phenotypic plasticity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Vehmaa

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia sp. in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg-hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC as a function of acidification (fCO2  ∼  365–1231 µatm and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal whether transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female size. In addition, we found signs of a possible threshold at high fCO2, above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg-hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon < 55 µm or quality (C : N weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high-ORAC-produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that Acartia sp. could be affected by projected near-future CO2 levels.

[Response of copepod community characteristics to environmental factors in the Backshore Wetland of Expo Garden, Shanghai].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Li-Jing; Wu, Yan-Fang; Jing, Yu-Xiang; Wang, Cong; Zhang, Yin-Jiang

2012-11-01

The Backshore Wetland of Expo Garden was the emphasis of the World Expo construction project in Shanghai in 2010, China programming district. We carried out studies on the community structure and spatial-temporal variation of copepod from September 2009 to August 2010. Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) was used for relevant statistical analysis between physicochemical parameters and copepod standing crop. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied to further explore the correlation between copepod species and environmental parameters using CANOCO 4.5. A total of 23 copepod species in 11 genera, 6 families were identified. 5 dominant species of copepod were recorded during the survey period. They were Eucyclops serrulatus, Thermocyclops taihokuensis, Mesocyclops leuckarti, Thermocyclops brevifurcatus and Microcyclops varicans. The annual mean density of copepod was (8.6 +/- 16.6) ind x L(-1) and the biomass was (0.083 6 +/- 0.143 1) mg x L(-1). The standing crop of copepod had its first peak in July, the second in October and the bottom in January. The highest trophic level was measured at Site 1, decreasing along the flowing direction of the water current, and the lowest level was found at Site 10. The Margelf index remained low in winter and spring, but was increased in summer and autumn. The community structure of copepod was analyzed in relation to water quality parameters by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Water temperature, pH, nitrate nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, TN, TP and dissolved oxygen were strongly correlated with the copepod community structure.

Development of copepod nauplii to copepodites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Henrik Rasmus; Wollenberger, Leah; Halling-Sørensen, Bent

2001-01-01

Test compounds including natural hormones, endocrine disrupters, environmentally occurring compounds, and reference compounds were tested for acute toxicity and inhibitory effect on larval development in the copepod Acartia tonsa. Three compounds, 17a-ethinylestradiol, p-octylphenol, and tamoxifen...

Hydrodynamic and Sensory Factors Governing Response of Copepods to Simulated Predation by Balaenid Whales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander J. Werth

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Predator/prey interactions between copepods and balaenid (bowhead and right whales were studied with controlled lab experiments using moving baleen in still water and motionless baleen in flowing water to simulate zooplankton passage toward, into, and through the balaenid oral cavity. Copepods showed a lesser escape response to baleen and to a model head simulating balaenid oral hydrodynamics than to other objects. Copepod escape response increased as water flow and body size increased and was greatest at distances ≥10 cm from baleen and at copepod density = 10,000 m−3. Data from light/dark experiments suggest that escape is based on mechanoreception, not vision. The model head captured 88% of copepods. Results support previous research showing hydrodynamic effects within a whale’s oral cavity create slight suction pressures to draw in prey or at least preclude formation of an anterior compressive bow wave that could scatter or alert prey to the presence of the approaching whale.

Early Miocene amber inclusions from Mexico reveal antiquity of mangrove-associated copepods.

Science.gov (United States)

Huys, Rony; Suárez-Morales, Eduardo; Serrano-Sánchez, María de Lourdes; Centeno-García, Elena; Vega, Francisco J

2016-10-12

Copepods are aquatic microcrustaceans and represent the most abundant metazoans on Earth, outnumbering insects and nematode worms. Their position of numerical world predominance can be attributed to three principal radiation events, i.e. their major habitat shift into the marine plankton, the colonization of freshwater and semiterrestrial environments, and the evolution of parasitism. Their variety of life strategies has generated an incredible morphological plasticity and disparity in body form and shape that are arguably unrivalled among the Crustacea. Although their chitinous exoskeleton is largely resistant to chemical degradation copepods are exceedingly scarce in the geological record with limited body fossil evidence being available for only three of the eight currently recognized orders. The preservation of aquatic arthropods in amber is unusual but offers a unique insight into ancient subtropical and tropical ecosystems. Here we report the first discovery of amber-preserved harpacticoid copepods, represented by ten putative species belonging to five families, based on Early Miocene (22.8 million years ago) samples from Chiapas, southeast Mexico. Their close resemblance to Recent mangrove-associated copepods highlights the antiquity of the specialized harpacticoid fauna living in this habitat. With the taxa reported herein, the Mexican amber holds the greatest diversity of fossil copepods worldwide.

Development of repetitive railgun pellet accelerator and steady-state pellet supply system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oda, Y.; Onozuka, M.; Azuma, K.; Kasai, S.; Hasegawa, K.

1995-01-01

A railgun system for repetitive high-speed pellet acceleration and steady-state pellet supply system has been developed and investigated. Using a 2m-long railgun system, the hydrogen pellet was accelerated to 2.6km/sec by the supplied energy of 1.7kJ. It is expected that the hydrogen pellet can be accelerated to 3km/sec using the present pneumatic pellet accelerator and a 2m-long augment railgun. Screw-driven hydrogen-isotope filament extruding system has been fabricated and will be tested to examine its applicability to the steady-state extrusion of the solid hydrogen-isotope filament

Development of repetitive railgun pellet accelerator and steady-state pellet supply system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oda, Y.; Onozuka, M.; Azuma, K. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Kobe (Japan); Kasai, S.; Hasegawa, K. [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka (Japan)

1995-12-31

A railgun system for repetitive high-speed pellet acceleration and steady-state pellet supply system has been developed and investigated. Using a 2m-long railgun system, the hydrogen pellet was accelerated to 2.6km/sec by the supplied energy of 1.7kJ. It is expected that the hydrogen pellet can be accelerated to 3km/sec using the present pneumatic pellet accelerator and a 2m-long augment railgun. Screw-driven hydrogen-isotope filament extruding system has been fabricated and will be tested to examine its applicability to the steady-state extrusion of the solid hydrogen-isotope filament.

Nuclear fuel pellet inspection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, H.J.; Beatty, J.M.; Kugler, R.W.

1992-01-01

At least one axially extending linear portion of the peripheral surface of the pellet is optically sensed, a set of digital values representative of the pellet surface is generated, and the set is compared to a predetermined standard. Groups of adjacent locations on the surface of the pellet having values greater or less than the predetermined standard are identified, and the pellet is rejected, when a flawed area exceeds a predetermined size. During inspection, the pellet is moved axially through an inspection station by parallel support rolls, spaced by a distance less than the pellet diameter. The rolls are rotated upward and outward from each other, rotating the pellet, and chain dogs are positioned between the spaced rolls for engaging a pellet and moving it along the rolls. The pellet is rejected if its peripheral surface area is too great, and a reference pellet may be used. (author)

Evaluation of the coat quality of sustained release pellets by individual pellet dissolution methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Min; Liew, Celine Valeria; Heng, Paul Wan Sia

2015-01-15

This study explored the application of 400-DS dissolution apparatus 7 for individual pellet dissolution methodology by a design of experiment approach and compared its capability with that of the USP dissolution apparatus 1 and 2 for differentiating the coat quality of sustained release pellets. Drug loaded pellets were prepared by extrusion-spheronization from powder blends comprising 50%, w/w metformin, 25%, w/w microcrystalline cellulose and 25%, w/w lactose, and then coated with ethyl cellulose to produce sustained release pellets with 8% and 10%, w/w coat weight gains. Various pellet properties were investigated, including cumulative drug release behaviours of ensemble and individual pellets. When USP dissolution apparatus 1 and 2 were used for drug release study of the sustained release pellets prepared, floating and clumping of pellets were observed and confounded the release profiles of the ensemble pellets. Hence, the release profiles obtained did not characterize the actual drug release from individual pellet and the applicability of USP dissolution apparatus 1 and 2 to evaluate the coat quality of sustained release pellets was limited. The cumulative release profile of individual pellet using the 400-DS dissolution apparatus 7 was found to be more precise at distinguishing differences in the applied coat quality. The dip speed and dip interval of the reciprocating holder were critical operational parameters of 400-DS dissolution apparatus 7 that affected the drug release rate of a sustained release pellet during the individual dissolution study. The individual dissolution methodology using the 400-DS dissolution apparatus 7 is a promising technique to evaluate the individual pellet coat quality without the influence of confounding factors such as pellet floating and clumping observed during drug release test with dissolution apparatus 1 and 2, as well as to facilitate the elucidation of the actual drug release mechanism conferred by the applied sustained

The copepod Calanus spp. (Calanidae) is repelled by polarized light

Science.gov (United States)

Lerner, Amit; Browman, Howard I.

2016-10-01

Both attraction and repulsion from linearly polarized light have been observed in zooplankton. A dichotomous choice experiment, consisting of plankton light traps deployed in natural waters at a depth of 30 m that projected either polarized or unpolarized light of the same intensity, was used to test the hypothesis that the North Atlantic copepod, Calanus spp., is linearly polarotactic. In addition, the transparency of these copepods, as they might be seen by polarization insensitive vs. sensitive visual systems, was measured. Calanus spp. exhibited negative polarotaxis with a preference ratio of 1.9:1. Their transparency decreased from 80% to 20% to 30% in the unpolarized, partially polarized, and electric (e-) vector orientation domains respectively - that is, these copepods would appear opaque and conspicuous to a polarization-sensitive viewer looking at them under conditions rich in polarized light. Since the only difference between the two plankton traps was the polarization cue, we conclude that Calanus spp. are polarization sensitive and exhibit negative polarotaxis at low light intensities (albeit well within the sensitivity range reported for copepods). We hypothesize that Calanus spp. can use polarization vision to reduce their risk of predation by polarization-sensitive predators and suggest that this be tested in future experiments.

PBX/TFTR pellet program PPPL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, G.

1986-01-01

Goals, current results and plans for pellet injection work for the PBX and TFTR programs are outlined. The present PBX injector is a prototype for ORNL 4 pellet condensing injectors. It has demonstrated that pellet injection on PBX can be used to increase overall density and alter the density profile. Future PBX operation requires reliable operation in deuterium and tritium, multiple pellet capability and ability to vary the size of pellets. These goals will require the construction of a new injector similar to the TFTR DPI system. It has also been demonstrated that pellets can efficiently fuel TFTR, producing a clean, high density plasma. Issues which are still outstanding include isotope exchange effects, use of different pellet sizes, optimization of pellet density perturbations and pellet penetration at high beam power

Pellet transfer apparatus and method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DiGrande, J.T.; Huggins, T.B. Sr.; Lambert, D.V.; Roberts, E.

1991-01-01

This patent describes a pellet inspection system having a station for inspecting a predetermined parameter of a pellet. It comprises means for aligning and guiding pellets in a first row to be advanced along a linear path past the pellet inspecting station and in a second row previously advanced along the linear path past the pellet inspecting station; and a transfer mechanism operable for engaging at least one of the pellets in each of the first and second rows and moving from an initial position through a forward stroke to advance the first and second rows of pellets along the liner path such that the inspecting station can inspect the preselected parameter of the pellets in the first row as they are advanced successively , the transfer mechanism being operable for disengaging the pellets and moving through a return stroke relative to the stationary advanced first and second rows of pellets back to the initial position

Reproductive and life cycle strategies in egg-carrying cyclopoid and free-spawning calanoid copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas; Sabatini, Marian

1994-01-01

Egg-carrying cyclopoid copepods have lower fecundity and feeding rates, and longer egg hatching times, than free-spawning calanoid copepods. Simple demographic considerations suggest that the lower feeding and fecundity of egg-carrying cyclopoids are adaptations to the potentially elevated...... mortality of ovigerous females, while the shorter egg hatching time and higher feeding and fecundity rates found in free-spawning calanoid copepods represent adaptations to the very high mortality rates experienced by suspended eggs....

Pelletizing and combustion of wood from thinning; Pelletering och foerbraenning av gallringsvirke

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oerberg, Haakan; Thyrel, Mikael; Kalen, Gunnar; Larsson, Sylvia

2007-12-14

This work has been done in order to find new raw material sources for an expanding pellet industry, combined with finding a use for a forest product that has no market today. The raw material has been forest from early thinning in two typical stands in Vaesterbotten. The purpose has been to evaluate this material as a raw material for producing pellets. Two typical stands have been chosen. One stand with only pine trees and one mixed stand dominated by birch. The soil of these stands was poor. Half of the trees were delimbed by harvest and half of the trees were not delimbed. This formed four different assortments that were handled in the study. After harvesting the assortments were transported to an asphalt area to be stored. Half of the material was stored during one summer and half of the material was stored during one year and one summer. The different assortments were upgraded to pellets and test combusted in the research plant BTC at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, in Umeaa. The upgrading process contains of the following steps: 1.Chipping by a mobile chipper. 2.Low temperature drying (85 deg C). 3. Coarse shredding ({phi}15 mm). 4. Fine shredding ({phi}4-6 mm) and 5. Pelletizing (Die: {phi}8). Samples for fuel analysis were taken during the chipping. Analyses shows that the net calorific value for delimbed assortments are about 0,3 MJ/kg DM higher than for limbed assortments. Pellets made of the assortments Mixed limbed and Pine limbed has shown a net calorific value comparable to stem wood pellets. Pellets made of Birch delimbed show a net calorific value 0,4 MJ/kg DM lower than stem wood pellets. Analyses show that ash contents of the assortment Mixed delimbed was 1 %-unit higher compared to stem wood pellets. The assortment Pine delimbed and Birch delimbed has showed an ash contents comparable with stem wood pellets. The ash melting characteristics can reduce the value of a raw material. Low ash melting temperature for a fuel might cause

Parasites and diseases in marine copepods: Challenges for future mass-production of live feed for fish larva production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skovgaard, Alf

Copepods are the natural food for many marine fish larvae, and the use of cultured copepods as life feed is, therefore, becoming increasingly important as more marine fish species are being produced in aquaculture. Large-scale cultivation of copepods may be challenged by diseases and parasites....... In nature, marine copepods are hosts for parasitic organisms of many different taxonomic groups, including e.g. dinoflagellates, ciliates, paramyxans, nematodes and even other crustaceans. In addition, several parasites of copepods have yet not been investigated in relation to their taxonomic affiliation...

Manufacture of wood-pellets doubles. Biowatti Oy started a wood pellet plant in Turenki

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rantanen, M.

1999-01-01

Wood pellets have many advantages compared to other fuels. It is longest processed biofuel with favorable energy content. It is simple to use, transport and store. Heating with wood pellets is cheaper than with light fuel oil, and approximately as cheap as utilization of heavy fuel oil, about 110 FIM/MWh. The taxable price of wood pellets is about 550 FIM/t. Stokers and American iron stoves are equally suitable for combustion of wood pellets. Chip fueled stokers are preferred in Finland, but they are also suitable for the combustion of wood pellets. Wood pellets is an environmentally friendly product, because it does not increase the CO 2 load in the atmosphere, and its sulfur and soot emissions are relatively small. The wood pelletizing plant of Biowatti Oy in Turenki was started in an old sugar mill. The Turenki sugar mill was chosen because the technology of the closed sugar factory was suitable for production of wood pellets nearly as such, and required only by slight modifications. A press, designed for briquetting of sugar beat clippings makes the pellets. The Turenki mill will double the volume of wood pellet manufacture in Finland during the next few years. At the start the annual wood pellet production will be 20 000 tons, but the environmental permit allows the production to be increased to 70 000 tons. At first the mill uses planing machine chips as a raw material in the production. It is the most suitable raw material, because it is already dry (moisture content 8-10%), and all it needs is milling and pelletizing. Another possible raw material is sawdust, which moisture content is higher than with planing machine chips. Most of the wood pellets produced are exported e.g. to Sweden, Denmark and Middle Europe. In Sweden there are over 10 000 single-family houses using wood pellets. Biowatti's largest customer is a power plant located in Stockholm, which combusts annually about 200 000 tons of wood pellets

Nuclear fuel pellet loading machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dazen, J.R.; Denero, J.V.

1976-01-01

A nuclear fuel pellet loading machine is described including an inclined rack mounted on a base and having parallel spaced grooves on its upper surface arranged to support fuel rods. A fuel pellet tray is adapted to be placed on a table spaced from the rack, the tray having columns of fuel pellets which are in alignment with the open ends of fuel rods located in the rack grooves. A transition plate is mounted between the fuel rod rack and the fuel pellet tray to receive and guide the pellets into the open ends of the fuel rods. The pellets are pushed into the fuel rods by a number of mechanical fingers mounted on a motor operated block which is moved along the pellet tray length by a drive screw driven by the motor. To facilitate movement of the pellets in the fuel rods the rack is mounted on a number of spaced vibrators which vibrate the fuel rods during fuel pellet insertion. A pellet sensing device movable into an end of each fuel rod indicates to an operator when each rod has been charged with the correct number of pellets

Impact of the invasive parasitic copepod

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goedknegt, M.A.; Bedolfe; Drent, J.; van der Meer, J.; Thieltges, D.W.

2018-01-01

Invasive species can indirectly affect native species by modifying parasite–host dynamics and disease occurrence. This scenario applies to European coastal waters where the invasive Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas) co-introduced the parasitic copepod Mytilicola orientalis that spills

Tolerance of un-ionized ammonia in live feed cultures of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa Dana

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jepsen, Per Meyer; Andersen, Claus V. B.; Schjelde, Johannes

2015-01-01

Optimal water quality is considered as being a restriction for marine copepod cultures for live feed. There is a lack of knowledge on the water-quality conditions in copepod cultures and the effect on copepods. Few studies have investigated the effect of ammonia on copepods, and fewer reports...... No Observed Effect Concentrations (NOEC) and Lowest Observed Effect Concentrations (LOEC), which provides safety levels before cultures are affected. This study investigates the tolerance of Acartia tonsa nauplii and adults to ammonia, using mortality as the endpoint after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure. Nauplii...

Ectoparasitic copepod infestation on a wild population of Neotropical catfish Sciades herzbergii Bloch, 1794: Histological evidences of lesions on host.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Deborah; Fuentes, José Luis; Soto, Luz Marina; Lafuente, Wilson; Moncayo-Estrada, Rodrigo; López, Carlos

2017-12-01

We analyzed the infestation of the attached copepod species Lepeophtheirus sp on a wild population of Sciades herzbergii . The infestation and occurrence of attached copepods were related to body size, maturity and sex of host and the presence of lesions on fish skin were described. In 61 fish specimens (37 males and 24 females), total of 218 ectoparasitic copepods, including 204 mature and 14 immature stages were found. Copepods were attached to different regions of fish body without any regular pattern. The prevalence of infestation was 80.3% and intensity between 1 and 15 copepods/fish. No significant differences were found between sex or maturity and the presence of attached Lepeophtheirus sp. However, a contingency table including both sex and maturity status, and the total number of attached copepod per combined category showed a significant association. A positive correlation was found between body length of fish and intensity of infestation. Similarly, when comparing the infested fish according to group size, we found more copepods on larger individual. Attached copepods were associated with the presence of lesions visible to the naked eye. Histological analyses showed changes in cell architecture when sections of copepod-free tissues and attached copepods were compared.

Deuterium pellet injector gun design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lunsford, R.V.; Wysor, R.B.; Bryan, W.E.; Shipley, W.D.; Combs, S.K.; Foust, C.R.; Milora, S.L.; Fisher, P.W.

1985-01-01

The Deuterium Pellet Injector (DPI), an eight-pellet pneumatic injector, is being designed and fabricated for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). It will accelerate eight pellets, 4 by 4 mm maximum, to greater than 1500 m/s. It utilizes a unique pellet-forming mechanism, a cooled pellet storage wheel, and improved propellant gas scavenging

Climate change affects low trophic level marine consumers: warming decreases copepod size and abundance.

Science.gov (United States)

Garzke, Jessica; Ismar, Stefanie M H; Sommer, Ulrich

2015-03-01

Concern about climate change has re-ignited interest in universal ecological responses to temperature variations: (1) biogeographical shifts, (2) phenology changes, and (3) size shifts. In this study we used copepods as model organisms to study size responses to temperature because of their central role in the pelagic food web and because of the ontogenetic length constancy between molts, which facilitates the definition of size of distinct developmental stages. In order to test the expected temperature-induced shifts towards smaller body size and lower abundances under warming conditions, a mesocosm experiment using plankton from the Baltic Sea at three temperature levels (ambient, ambient +4 °C, ambient -4 °C) was performed in summer 2010. Overall copepod and copepodit abundances, copepod size at all life stages, and adult copepod size in particular, showed significant temperature effects. As expected, zooplankton peak abundance was lower in warm than in ambient treatments. Copepod size-at-immature stage significantly increased in cold treatments, while adult size significantly decreased in warm treatments.

Crustaceans from bitumen clast in Carboniferous glacial diamictite extend fossil record of copepods.

Science.gov (United States)

Selden, Paul A; Huys, Rony; Stephenson, Michael H; Heward, Alan P; Taylor, Paul N

2010-08-10

Copepod crustaceans are extremely abundant but, because of their small size and fragility, they fossilize poorly. Their fossil record consists of one Cretaceous (c. 115 Ma) parasite and a few Miocene (c. 14 Ma) fossils. In this paper, we describe abundant crustacean fragments, including copepods, from a single bitumen clast in a glacial diamictite of late Carboniferous age (c. 303 Ma) from eastern Oman. Geochemistry identifies the source of the bitumen as an oilfield some 100-300 km to the southwest, which is consistent with an ice flow direction from glacial striae. The bitumen likely originated as an oil seep into a subglacial lake. This find extends the fossil record of copepods by some 188 Ma, and of free-living forms by 289 Ma. The copepods include evidence of the extant family Canthocamptidae, believed to have colonized fresh water in Pangaea during Carboniferous times.

Technology and distribution of pellets. Experience about the European network on wood pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rapp, S.W.

1999-01-01

Wood pellets might become the most important alternative to fossil fuels in the near future. As a bio-fuel it has the following characteristics: heat value, min 4.7 kWh/kg; ash fraction less than 1.0 vol. %; humidity less than 10 vol. %; diameter (rod shaped) min 6 mm and volumetric weight about 650 kg/m 3 . About 2.1 t pellets substitute 1000 l fuel oil. Sweden and Austria have more than 15 year experience in using wood pellets, followed by Germany. They are an environmentally friendly alternative for private houses, for district heating plants and especially suitable for densely built-up and inhabited areas. Having high energy density they can be transported to the areas with high energy requirements. Among their advantages are: low humidity, easy transport and storage, can be produced by renewable raw materials and provide new local jobs, fit for renewable energy systems with closed cycle. Disadvantages include: relatively more expensive for private houses compared to oil and gas and necessity of two times larger storage space than oil. Wood pellets are produced by all kind of paper waste and wood wastes from industry. They are especially suitable for small boiler plants and the oil burner can be replaced by a pellet burner in the same boiler. The leading producer of wood pellets is Sweden, of pellet stoves - USA. Pellet stoves, pellet burners and pellet boilers both for private houses and for heating plants are manufactured also in Sweden, Denmark,Finland, Germany, Austria and Ireland

Review of pellet fueling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turnbull, R.J.

1978-01-01

Fusion reactors based on the Tokamak concept (possibly mirrors, too) will require a low energy method of fueling. Refueling by using solid pellets of hydrogen isotopes appears to be the most promising low energy technique. The main issue in assessing the feasibility of pellet fueling is the ability of the pellet to penetrate into the central region of the reactor. A review is presented of the various theories predicting the lifetime of the pellet and their regions of applicability. Among the phenomena considered are neutral ablation of the solid, ionized ablation of the solid, shielding of the pellet by neutral molecules and electrons and ions, flow of the ablation cloud, distortion of the magnetic field by the flow of an ionized ablation cloud, and charging and electrostatic shielding of the pellet. A brief summary of results of experiments done by the University of Illinois-Oak Ridge and Riso groups is presented. The results of these experiments indicate that, at least at the low temperatures and densities used, a neutral ablation-neutral shielding model is correct. Finally, since all indications are that in order for pellet fueling to be successful, high velocity pellets will be needed, a brief discussion of possible acceleration techniques is presented

Climate alters intraspecific variation in copepod effect traits through pond food webs.

Science.gov (United States)

Charette, Cristina; Derry, Alison M

2016-05-01

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are primarily generated by phytoplankton in aquatic ecosystems, and can limit the growth, development, and reproduction of higher consumers. Among the most critical of the EFAs are highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs), which are only produced by certain groups of phytoplankton. Changing environmental conditions can alter phytoplankton community and fatty acid composition and affect the HUFA content of higher trophic levels. Almost no research has addressed intraspecific variation in HUFAs in zooplankton, nor intraspecific relationships of HUFAs with body size and fecundity. This is despite that intraspecific variation in HUFAs can exceed interspecific variation and that intraspecific trait variation in body size and fecundity is increasingly recognized to have an important role in food web ecology (effect traits). Our study addressed the relative influences of abiotic selection and food web effects associated with climate change on intraspecific differences and interrelationships between HUFA content, body size, and fecundity of freshwater copepods. We applied structural equation modeling and regression analyses to intraspecific variation in a dominant calanoid copepod, Leptodiatomus minutus, among a series of shallow north-temperate ponds. Climate-driven diurnal temperature fluctuations favored the coexistence of diversity of phytoplankton groups with different temperature optima and nutritive quality. This resulted in unexpected positive relationships between temperature, copepod DHA content and body size. Temperature correlated positively with diatom biovolume, and mediated relationships between copepod HUFA content and body size, and between copepod body size and fecundity. The presence of brook trout further accentuated these positive effects in warm ponds, likely through nutrient cycling and stimulation of phytoplankton resources. Climate change may have previously unrecognized positive effects on freshwater copepod DHA content

Non-consumptive effects of predator presence on copepod reproduction: insights from a mesocosm experiment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heuschele, Jan; Ceballos, Sara; Borg, Marc Andersen

2014-01-01

Reproduction in planktonic animals depends on numerous biotic and abiotic factors. One of them is predation pressure, which can have both direct consumptive effects on population density and sex ratio, and non-consumptive effects, for example on mating and migration behaviour. In copepods, predator...... vulnerability depends on their sex, motility pattern and mating behaviour. Therefore, copepods can be affected at multiple stages during the mating process. We investigated the reproductive dynamics of the estuarine copepod Eurytemora affinis in the presence and absence of its predator the mysid Neomysis...... treatment, but increased towards the end of the experiment. The proportion of fertilized females was similar in both treatments, but constantly fell behind model predictions using a random mating model. Our results highlight the importance of non-consumptive effects of predators on copepod reproduction...

Ectoparasitic copepod infestation on a wild population of Neotropical catfish Sciades herzbergii Bloch, 1794: Histological evidences of lesions on host

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deborah Fogel

2017-12-01

Full Text Available We analyzed the infestation of the attached copepod species Lepeophtheirus sp on a wild population of Sciades herzbergii. The infestation and occurrence of attached copepods were related to body size, maturity and sex of host and the presence of lesions on fish skin were described. In 61 fish specimens (37 males and 24 females, total of 218 ectoparasitic copepods, including 204 mature and 14 immature stages were found. Copepods were attached to different regions of fish body without any regular pattern. The prevalence of infestation was 80.3% and intensity between 1 and 15 copepods/fish. No significant differences were found between sex or maturity and the presence of attached Lepeophtheirus sp. However, a contingency table including both sex and maturity status, and the total number of attached copepod per combined category showed a significant association. A positive correlation was found between body length of fish and intensity of infestation. Similarly, when comparing the infested fish according to group size, we found more copepods on larger individual. Attached copepods were associated with the presence of lesions visible to the naked eye. Histological analyses showed changes in cell architecture when sections of copepod-free tissues and attached copepods were compared. Keywords: Damages, Fish, Lepeophtheirus, lesions, Sea lice, Parasitism

Do inactivated Microbial Preparations Improve Life History Traits of the Copepod Acartia tonsa?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drillet, Guillaume; Rabarimanantsoa, Tahina; Frouel, Stéphane

2011-01-01

We have tested a microbial preparation with probiotic effects (PSI; Sorbial A/S DANISCO) on the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana) development time and reproduction effectiveness in culture. The hypotheses were that PSI increases the productivity and quality of copepods in culture (increased egg...

Copepod egg production, moulting and growth rates and secondary production in the Skagerrak in August 1988

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peterson, W.T.; Tiselius, P.; Kiørboe, Thomas

1991-01-01

Measurements of hydrography, chlorophyll, moulting rates of juvenile copepods and egg production rates of adult female copepods were made at eight stations along a transect across the Skagerrak. The goals of the study were to determine (i) if there were correlations between spatial variations...... in hydrography, phytoplankton and copepod production rates, (ii) if copepod egg production rates were correlated with juvenile growth rates, and (iii) if there was evidence of food-niche separation among co-occurring female copepods. The 200 km wide Skagerrak had a stratified water column in the center...... is similar to maximum rates known from laboratory studies, thus were probably not food-limited. Egg production rates were food-limited with the degree of limitation varying among species: 75% of maximum for Centropages typicus, 50% for Calanus finmarchicus, 30% for Paracalanus parvus and 15% for Acartia...

Tritium pellet injector results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, P.W.; Bauer, M.L.; Baylor, L.R.; Deleanu, L.E.; Fehling, D.T.; Milora, S.L.; Whitson, J.C.

1988-01-01

Injection of solid tritium pellets is considered to be the most promising way of fueling fusion reactors. The Tritium Proof-of- Principle (TPOP) experiment has demonstrated the feasibility of forming and accelerating tritium pellets. This injector is based on the pneumatic pipe-gun concept, in which pellets are formed in situ in the barrel and accelerated with high-pressure gas. This injector is ideal for tritium service because there are no moving parts inside the gun and because no excess tritium is required in the pellet production process. Removal of 3 He from tritium to prevent blocking of the cryopumping action by the noncondensible gas has been demonstrated with a cryogenic separator. Pellet velocities of 1280 m/s have been achieved for 4-mm-diam by 4-mm-long cylindrical tritium pellets with hydrogen propellant at 6.96 MPa (1000 psi). 10 refs., 10 figs

Fundamentals of Biomass pellet production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Jens Kai; Henriksen, Ulrik Birk; Hustad, Johan Einar

2005-01-01

Pelletizing experiments along with modelling of the pelletizing process have been carried out with the aim of understanding the fundamental physico-chemical mechanisms that control the quality and durability of biomass pellets. A small-scale California pellet mill (25 kg/h) located with the Biomass...

Modeling pellet impact drilling process

Science.gov (United States)

Kovalyov, A. V.; Ryabchikov, S. Ya; Isaev, Ye D.; Ulyanova, O. S.

2016-03-01

The paper describes pellet impact drilling which could be used to increase the drilling speed and the rate of penetration when drilling hard rocks. Pellet impact drilling implies rock destruction by metal pellets with high kinetic energy in the immediate vicinity of the earth formation encountered. The pellets are circulated in the bottom hole by a high velocity fluid jet, which is the principle component of the ejector pellet impact drill bit. The experiments conducted has allowed modeling the process of pellet impact drilling, which creates the scientific and methodological basis for engineering design of drilling operations under different geo-technical conditions.

Myofibril Changes in the Copepod Pseudodiaptomus marinus Exposed to Haline and Thermal Stresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Ali; Souissi, Anissa; Leray, Aymeric; Héliot, Laurent; Vandenbunder, Bernard; Souissi, Sami

2016-01-01

Copepods are small crustaceans capable to survive in various aquatic environments. Their responses to changes in different external factors such as salinity and temperature can be observed at different integration levels from copepod genes to copepod communities. Until now, no thorough observation of the temperature or salinity effect stresses on copepods has been done by optical microscopy. In this study, we used autofluorescence to visualize these effects on the morphology of the calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus marinus maintained during several generations in the laboratory at favorable and stable conditions of salinity (30 psu) and temperature (18°C). Four different stress experiments were conducted: at a sharp decrease in temperature (18 to 4°C), a moderate decrease in salinity (from 30 to 15 psu), a major decrease in salinity (from 30 to 0 psu), and finally a combined stress with a decrease in both temperature and salinity (from 18°C and 30 psu to 4°C and 0 psu). After these stresses, images acquired by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed changes in copepod cuticle and muscle structure. Low salinity and/or temperature stresses affected both the detection of fluorescence emitted by muscle sarcomeres and the distance between them. In the remaining paper we will use the term sarcomeres to describe the elements located within sarcomeres and emitted autofluorescence signals. Quantitative study showed an increase in the average distance between two consecutive sarcomeres from 2.06 +/- 0.11 μm to 2.44 +/- 0.42 μm and 2.88 +/- 0.45μm after the exposure to major haline stress (18°C, 0 psu) and the combined stress (4°C, 0 psu), respectively. These stresses also caused cuticle cracks which often occurred at the same location, suggesting the cuticle as a sensitive area for osmoregulation. Our results suggest the use of cuticular and muscle autofluorescence as new biomarkers of stress detectable in formalin-preserved P. marinus individuals. Our

Multi-shot type pellet injection device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, Masaki; Uchikawa, Takashi; Kuribayashi, Shitomi.

1988-01-01

Purpose: To inject pellets at high speed without melting or sublimating not-injected pellets even at a long pellet injection interval. Constitution: In the conventional multi-shot pellet injection device, the pellet injection interval is set depending on the plasma retention time. However, as the pellet injection interval is increased, not-injected pellets are melted or sublimated due to the introduced heat of acceleration gases supplied from an acceleration gas introduction pipe to give an effect on the dimensional shape of the pellets. In view of the above, a plurality of pellet forming and injection portions each comprising a carrier, an injection pipe and a holder are disposed independently of each other and pellets are formed and injected independently to thereby prevent the thermal effects of the acceleration gases. (Kamimura, M.)

Multi-shot type pellet injection device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, Masaki; Uchikawa, Takashi; Kuribayashi, Shitomi.

1988-07-27

Purpose: To inject pellets at high speed without melting or sublimating not-injected pellets even at a long pellet injection interval. Constitution: In the conventional multi-shot pellet injection device, the pellet injection interval is set depending on the plasma retention time. However, as the pellet injection interval is increased, not-injected pellets are melted or sublimated due to the introduced heat of acceleration gases supplied from an acceleration gas introduction pipe to give an effect on the dimensional shape of the pellets. In view of the above, a plurality of pellet forming and injection portions each comprising a carrier, an injection pipe and a holder are disposed independently of each other and pellets are formed and injected independently to thereby prevent the thermal effects of the acceleration gases. (Kamimura, M.).

Genome-wide identification of nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily genes in the copepod Tigriopus japonicus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Dae-Sik; Lee, Bo-Young; Kim, Hui-Su; Lee, Min Chul; Kyung, Do-Hyun; Om, Ae-Son; Rhee, Jae-Sung; Lee, Jae-Seong

2014-11-18

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are a large superfamily of proteins defined by a DNA-binding domain (DBD) and a ligand-binding domain (LBD). They function as transcriptional regulators to control expression of genes involved in development, homeostasis, and metabolism. The number of NRs differs from species to species, because of gene duplications and/or lineage-specific gene losses during metazoan evolution. Many NRs in arthropods interact with the ecdysteroid hormone and are involved in ecdysone-mediated signaling in arthropods. The nuclear receptor superfamily complement has been reported in several arthropods, including crustaceans, but not in copepods. We identified the entire NR repertoire of the copepod Tigriopus japonicus, which is an important marine model species for ecotoxicology and environmental genomics. Using whole genome and transcriptome sequences, we identified a total of 31 nuclear receptors in the genome of T. japonicus. Nomenclature of the nuclear receptors was determined based on the sequence similarities of the DNA-binding domain (DBD) and ligand-binding domain (LBD). The 7 subfamilies of NRs separate into five major clades (subfamilies NR1, NR2, NR3, NR4, and NR5/6). Although the repertoire of NR members in, T. japonicus was similar to that reported for other arthropods, there was an expansion of the NR1 subfamily in Tigriopus japonicus. The twelve unique nuclear receptors identified in T. japonicus are members of NR1L. This expansion may be a unique lineage-specific feature of crustaceans. Interestingly, E78 and HR83, which are present in other arthropods, were absent from the genomes of T. japonicus and two congeneric copepod species (T. japonicus and Tigriopus californicus), suggesting copepod lineage-specific gene loss. We identified all NR receptors present in the copepod, T. japonicus. Knowledge of the copepod nuclear receptor repertoire will contribute to a better understanding of copepod- and crustacean-specific NR evolution.

Predation vulnerability of planktonic copepods: consequences of predator foraging strategies and prey sensory abilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Viitasalo, M; Kiørboe, T; Flinkman, J.

1998-01-01

We investigated the vulnerability of 2 copepod species (Eurytemora affinis and Temora longicornis) to predation by predators with different foraging modes, three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus juveniles and mysid shrimps Neomysis integer. Copepods were videofilmed escaping from predators...

EFFECT OF MICROALGAE ON GROWTH AND FATTY ACID PROFILES OF HARPACTICOID COPEPOD, Tisbe holothuriae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gede Suwarthama Sumiarsa

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Growth of marine copepods is influenced by feed. The purposes of this trial were to observe both growth and fatty acid compositions of harpacticoid copepod nauplii, Tisbe holothuriae by feeding with several microalgal species in laboratory: (A Isochrysis tahiti; (B Nannochloropsis oculata; (C Rhodomonas sp., and (D Tetraselmis chuii. The trial was carried out for 35 days with randomized complete design and triplicates in each treatment. The results showed that final copepod nauplii densities were not significantly different (P>0.05 in all treatments. However, lipid content of copepod nauplii fed with T. chuii was significantly higher (P<0.05 compared to that of other treatments while fatty acid profiles of EPA, DHA and DHA/EPA ratios showed both insignificant and significant differences among treatments.

Pellet imaging techniques on ASDEX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wurden, G.A.; Buechl, K.; Hofmann, J.; Lang, R.; Loch, R.; Rudyj, A.; Sandmann, W.

1990-01-01

As part of a USDOE/ASDEX collaboration, a detailed examination of pellet ablation in ASDEX with a variety of diagnostics has allowed a better understanding of a number of features of hydrogen ice pellet ablation in a plasma. In particular, fast gated photos with an intensified Xybion CCD video camera allow in-situ velocity measurements of the pellet as it penetrates the plasma. With time resolution of typically 100 nanoseconds and exposures every 50 microseconds, the evolution of each pellet in a multi-pellet ASDEX tokamak plasma discharge can be followed. When the pellet cloud track has striations, the light intensity profile through the cloud is hollow (dark near the pellet), whereas at the beginning or near the end of the pellet trajectory the track is typically smooth (without striations) and has a gaussian-peaked light emission profile. New, single pellet Stark broadened D α D β , and D γ spectra, obtained with a tangentially viewing scanning mirror/spectrometer with Reticon array readout, are consistent with cloud densities of 2 x 10 17 cm -3 or higher in the regions of strongest light emission. A spatially resolved array of D α detectors shows that the light variations during the pellet ablation are not caused solely by a modulation of the incoming energy flux as the pellet crosses rational q-surfaces, but instead are a result of a dynamic, non-stationary, ablation process. 20 refs., 4 figs

Swimming Behavior and Flow Geometry: A Fluid Mechanical Study of the Feeding Currents in Calanoid Copepods

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Houshuo; Meneveau, Charles; Osborn, Thomas R.

2003-11-01

Copepods are small crustaceans living in oceans and fresh waters and play an important role in the marine and freshwater food webs. As they are the biggest biomass in the oceans some call them "the insects of the sea". Previous laboratory observations have shown that the fluid mechanical phenomena occurring at copepod body scale are crucial for the survival of copepods. One of the interesting phenomena is that many calanoid copepods display various behaviors to create the feeding currents for the purpose of capturing food particles. We have developed a fluid mechanical model to study the feeding currents. The model is a self-propelled body model in that the Navier-Stokes equations are properly coupled with the dynamic equations for the copepod's body. The model has been solved both analytically using the Stokes approximation with a spherical body shape and numerically using CFD with a realistic body shape.

Methane pellet moderator development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, C.A.; Schechter, D.E.; Carpenter, J.M.

2004-01-01

A methane pellet moderator assembly consisting of a pelletizer, a helium cooled sub-cooling tunnel, a liquid helium cooled cryogenic pellet storage hopper and a 1.5L moderator cell has been constructed for the purpose demonstrating a system for use in high-power spallation sources. (orig.)

Nuclear fuel pellet collating system and method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rieben, S.L.; Kugler, R.W.; Scherpenberg, J.J.; Wiersema, D.T.

1990-01-01

This patent describes a method of collating nuclear fuel pellets. It comprises: supporting a plurality of pellet supply trays and a plurality of pellet storage trays at a tray positioning station. Each of the supply trays containing in at least one row thereon a plurality of nuclear fuel pellets of an enrichment different from the enrichment pellets on at least some other of the supply trays; transferring one pellet supply tray from the tray positioning station and disposing the same at an input station of a pellet collating line; transferring one pellet storage tray from the tray positioning station and disposing the same at an output station of the pellet collating line; sweeping pellets in the at least one row thereof from the one pellet supply tray onto a work station of the pellet collating line located between the input and output stations thereof; measuring a desired length of pellets in the at least one row on the work station and separating the measured desired length of pellets from the remaining pellets, if any, in the row thereof; sweeping the remaining pellets, if any, in the row from the work station back onto the one pellet supply tray; transferring the one pellet supply tray and remaining pellets, if any, back to the tray positioning station; sweeping the measured desired length of pellets from the work station onto the one pellet storage tray; and transferring the one pellet storage tray and measured desired length of pellets back to the tray positioning station

Second jet workshop on pellet injection: pellet fueling program in the United States. Summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milora, S.L.

1983-01-01

S. Milora described the US programme on pellet injection. It has four parts: (1) a confinement experimental program; (2) pellet injector development; (3) theoretical support; and (4) tritium pellet study for TFTR

Steam-treated wood pellets: Environmental and financial implications relative to fossil fuels and conventional pellets for electricity generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKechnie, Jon; Saville, Brad; MacLean, Heather L.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Steam-treated pellets can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions relative to coal. • Cost advantage is seen relative to conventional pellets. • Higher pellet cost is more than balanced by reduced retrofit capital requirements. • Low capacity factors further favour steam-treated pellets over conventional pellets. - Abstract: Steam-treated pellets can help to address technical barriers that limit the uptake of pellets as a fuel for electricity generation, but there is limited understanding of the cost and environmental impacts of their production and use. This study investigates life cycle environmental (greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions) and financial implications of electricity generation from steam-treated pellets, including fuel cycle activities (biomass supply, pellet production, and combustion) and retrofit infrastructure to enable 100% pellet firing at a generating station that previously used coal. Models are informed by operating experience of pellet manufacturers and generating stations utilising coal, steam-treated and conventional pellets. Results are compared with conventional pellets and fossil fuels in a case study of electricity generation in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Steam-treated pellet production has similar GHG impacts to conventional pellets as their higher biomass feedstock requirement is balanced by reduced process electricity consumption. GHG reductions of more than 90% relative to coal and ∼85% relative to natural gas (excluding retrofit infrastructure) could be obtained with both pellet options. Pellets can also reduce fuel cycle air pollutant emissions relative to coal by 30% (NOx), 97% (SOx), and 75% (PM 10 ). Lesser retrofit requirements for steam-treated pellets more than compensate for marginally higher pellet production costs, resulting in lower electricity production cost compared to conventional pellets ($0.14/kW h vs. $0.16/kW h). Impacts of retrofit infrastructure become increasingly

Sex, sex-ratios, and the dynamics of pelagic copepod populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas

2006-01-01

equal adult sex ratios in field populations. Winter population densities are orders of magnitude less than the critical population density required for population persistence, but populations survive winter seasons as resting eggs in the sediment. Population growth in these species is potentially high...... because they have on average a factor of 2 higher egg production rates than other pelagic copepods. Secondly, other copepods require only one mating to stay fertile, and populations of these species have strongly female-skewed adult sex-ratios in field populations. Resting eggs have not been described...

Copepod recruitment and food composition : Do diatoms affect hatching success?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jonasdottir, Sigrun; Kiørboe, Thomas

1996-01-01

was fed several different diets while egg production and hatching success were monitored. The diet was analysed for fatty acid content as an indicator of food quality. Both egg production and hatching were found to be affected by the nutritional quality of the food. Hatching was also highly dependent......Laboratory experiments were conducted to differentiate between factors controlling the hatching success of copepod eggs. Factors that could affect viability of eggs; viz food quality, female condition and external factors were investigated. In a series of experiments the copepod Acartia tonsa Dana...

Wood pellets in a power plant - mixed combustion of coal and wood pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nupponen, M.

2001-01-01

The author reviews in his presentation the development of Turku Energia, the organization of the company, the key figures of the company in 2000, as well as the purchase of energy in 2000. He also presents the purchase of basic heat load, the energy production plants of the company, the sales of heat in 2000, the emissions of the plants, and the fuel consumption of the plants in 2000. The operating experiences of the plants are also presented. The experiences gained in Turku Energia on mixed combustion of coal and wood pellets show that the mixing ratios, used at the plants, have no effect on the burning properties of the boiler, and the use of wood pellets with coal reduce the SO 2 and NO x emissions slightly. Simultaneously the CO 2 share of the wood pellets is removed from the emissions calculations. Several positive effects were observed, including the disappearance of the coal smell of the bunker, positive publicity of the utilization of wood pellets, and the subsidies for utilization of indigenous fuels in power generation. The problems seen include the tendency of wood pellets to arc the silos, especially when the pellets include high quantities of dust, and the loading of the trucks and the pneumatic unloading of the trucks break the pellets. Additionally the wood pellets bounce on the conveyor so they drop easily from the conveyor, the screw conveyors designed for conveying grain are too weak and they get stuck easily, and static electricity is easily generated in the plastic pipe used as the discharge pipe for wood pellet (sparkling tendency). This disadvantage has been overcome by using metal net and grounding

Foraging response and acclimation of ambush feeding and feeding-current feeding copepods to toxic dinoflagellates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Jiayi; Nielsen, Lasse Tor; Kiørboe, Thomas

2018-01-01

reticulatum. We hypothesize (1) that ambush feeders are less affected by toxic algae than feeding-current feeders, (2) that copepods acclimate to the toxic algae, and (3) that phytoplankton cells previously exposed to copepod cues elicit stronger responses. Both copepod species consumed the toxic algae...... to examine the response and temporal acclimation (5 d) of two copepods with different foraging behaviors to toxic dinoflagellates. Feeding-current feeding Temora longicornis and ambush feeding Acartia tonsa were offered three strains of toxic Alexandrium tamarense and a nontoxic control Protoceratium...... at a reduced rate and there was no difference in their net-response, but the mechanisms differed. T. longicornis responded in strain-specific ways by reducing its feeding activity, by rejecting captured algae, or by regurgitating consumed cells. A. tonsa reduced its consumption rate, jump frequency, and jump...

Accumulation of polyunsaturated aldehydes in the gonads of the copepod Acartia tonsa revealed by tailored fluorescent probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfram, Stefanie; Nejstgaard, Jens C; Pohnert, Georg

2014-01-01

Polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs) are released by several diatom species during predation. Besides other attributed activities, these oxylipins can interfere with the reproduction of copepods, important predators of diatoms. While intensive research has been carried out to document the effects of PUAs on copepod reproduction, little is known about the underlying mechanistic aspects of PUA action. Especially PUA uptake and accumulation in copepods has not been addressed to date. To investigate how PUAs are taken up and interfere with the reproduction in copepods we developed a fluorescent probe containing the α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated aldehyde structure element that is essential for the activity of PUAs as well as a set of control probes. We developed incubation and monitoring procedures for adult females of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa and show that the PUA derived fluorescent molecular probe selectively accumulates in the gonads of this copepod. In contrast, a saturated aldehyde derived probe of an inactive parent molecule was enriched in the lipid sac. This leads to a model for PUAs' teratogenic mode of action involving accumulation and covalent interaction with nucleophilic moieties in the copepod reproductive tissue. The teratogenic effect of PUAs can therefore be explained by a selective targeting of the molecules into the reproductive tissue of the herbivores, while more lipophilic but otherwise strongly related structures end up in lipid bodies.

Accumulation of polyunsaturated aldehydes in the gonads of the copepod Acartia tonsa revealed by tailored fluorescent probes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefanie Wolfram

Full Text Available Polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs are released by several diatom species during predation. Besides other attributed activities, these oxylipins can interfere with the reproduction of copepods, important predators of diatoms. While intensive research has been carried out to document the effects of PUAs on copepod reproduction, little is known about the underlying mechanistic aspects of PUA action. Especially PUA uptake and accumulation in copepods has not been addressed to date. To investigate how PUAs are taken up and interfere with the reproduction in copepods we developed a fluorescent probe containing the α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated aldehyde structure element that is essential for the activity of PUAs as well as a set of control probes. We developed incubation and monitoring procedures for adult females of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa and show that the PUA derived fluorescent molecular probe selectively accumulates in the gonads of this copepod. In contrast, a saturated aldehyde derived probe of an inactive parent molecule was enriched in the lipid sac. This leads to a model for PUAs' teratogenic mode of action involving accumulation and covalent interaction with nucleophilic moieties in the copepod reproductive tissue. The teratogenic effect of PUAs can therefore be explained by a selective targeting of the molecules into the reproductive tissue of the herbivores, while more lipophilic but otherwise strongly related structures end up in lipid bodies.

Pellet injector development at ORNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milora, S.L.; Argo, B.E.; Baylor, L.R.; Cole, M.J.; Combs, S.K.; Dyer, G.R.; Fehling, D.T.; Fisher, P.W.; Foster, C.A.; Foust, C.R.; Gouge, M.J.; Jernigan, T.C.; Langley, R.A.; Qualls, A.L.; Schechter, D.E.; Sparks, D.O.; Tsai, C.C.; Whealton, J.H.; Wilgen, J.B.; Schmidt, G.L.

1992-01-01

Plasma fueling systems for magnetic confinement experiments are under development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). ORNL has recently provided a four-shot tritium pellet injector with up to 4-mm-diam capability for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). This injector, which is based on the in situ condensation technique for pellet formation, features three single-stage gas guns that have been qualified in deuterium at up to 1.7 km/s and a two-stage light gas gun driver that has been operated at 2.8-km/s pellet speeds for deep penetration in the high-temperature TFTR supershot regime. Performance improvements to the centrifugal pellet injector for the Tore Supra tokamak are being made by modifying the storage-type pellet feed system, which has been redesigned to improve the reliability of delivery of pellets and to extend operation to longer pulse durations (up to 400 pellets). Two-stage light gas guns and electron-beam (e-beam) rocket accelerators for speeds in the range from 2 to 10 km/s are also under development. A repeating, two-stage light gas gun that has been developed can accelerate low-density plastic pellets at a 1-Hz repetition rate to speeds of 3 km/s. In a collaboration with ENEA-Frascati, a test facility has been prepared to study repetitive operation of a two-stage gas gun driver equipped with an extrusion-type deuterium pellet source. Extensive testing of the e-beam accelerator has demonstrated a parametric dependence of propellant burn velocity and pellet speed, in accordance with a model derived from the neutral gas shielding theory for pellet ablation in a magnetized plasma

Checklist of copepods (Crustacea: Calanoida, Cyclopoida,Harpacticoida) from Wyoming, USA, with new state records

Science.gov (United States)

Presentation of a comprehensive checklist of the copepod fauna of Wyoming, USA with 41 species of copepods; based on museum specimens, literature reviews, and active surveillance. Of these species 19 were previously unknown from the state. This checklist includes species in the families Centropagida...

Pellets standard on the way

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laeng, H.-P.

2001-01-01

This short article introduces the Swiss standard that has been adapted from the German standard for heating pellets made of untreated wood. The various requirements placed on the materials used in the manufacture of the pellets and their influence on the pollution emissions produced by boilers and ovens using the pellets as a heating fuel are listed. Further points in the standard referring to declarations to be made by the manufacturer, size and specific weight of the pellets and instructions for the storage and burning of the pellets are discussed

Pneumatic pellet injector for JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andelfinger, C.; Buechl, K.; Jacobi, D.; Sandmann, W.; Schiedeck, J.; Schilling, H.B.; Weber, G.

1983-07-01

Pellet injection is a useful tool for plasma diagnostics of tokamaks. Pellets can be applied for investigation of particle, energy and impurity transport, fueling efficiency and magnetic surfaces. Design, operation and control of a single shot pneumatic pellet gun is described in detail including all supplies, the vacuum system and the diagnostics of the pellet. The arrangement of this injector in the torus hall and the interfaces to the JET system and CODAS are considered. A guide tube system for pellet injection is discussed but it will not be recommended for JET. (orig.)

Pellet injection in WVIIA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renner, H.; Wuersohing, E.; Weller, A.; Jaeckel, H.; Hartfuss, H.; Hacker, H.; Ringler, H.; Buechl, K.

1986-01-01

The results of pellet injection experiments in the Wendelstein VII A stellarator are presented. The injector was a single shot pneumatic gun using deuterium pellets. Experiments were carried out in both ECRH and NI plasmas. Data is shown for plasma density, energy confinement, penetration depth and pellet ablation. Results are compared to a neutral gas shielding model

Nuclear fuel pellet loading machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kee, R.W.; Denero, J.V.

1975-01-01

An apparatus for loading nuclear fuel pellets on trays for transfer in a system is described. A conveyor supplies pellets from a source to a loading station. When the pellets reach a predetermined position at the loading station, a manual or automatically operated arm pushes the pellets into slots on a tray and this process is repeated until pellet sensing switches detect that the tray is full. Thereupon, the tray is lowered onto a belt or other type conveyor and transferred to other apparatus in the system, such as a furnace for sintering, and in some cases, reduction of UO 2 . 2 to UO 2 . The pellets are retained on the tray and subsequently loaded directly into fuel rods to be used in the reactor core. (auth)

Dimethyl sulfide triggers search behavior in copepods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steinke, M.; Stefels, J.; Stamhuis, E.J.

The oceans are nutritionally dilute, and finding food is a major challenge for many zooplanktonic predators. Chemodetection is necessary for successful prey-capture, but little is known about the infochemicals involved in the interaction between herbivorous copepods and their phytoplankton prey. We

Host-specific and pH-dependent microbiomes of copepods in an extensive rearing system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skovgaard, Alf; Castro Mejia, Josue Leonardo; Hansen, Lars Hestbjerg

2015-01-01

copepod production system. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that bacteria were primarily found attached to the exoskeleton of copepods although a few bacteria were also found in the gut as well as internally in skeletal muscle tissue. Through 16S rRNA gene-targeted denaturing...

Fuel rod pellet loading head

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, T.E.

1975-01-01

An assembly for loading nuclear fuel pellets into a fuel rod comprising a loading head for feeding pellets into the open end of the rod is described. The pellets rest in a perforated substantially V-shaped seat through which air may be drawn for removal of chips and dust. The rod is held in place in an adjustable notched locator which permits alignment with the pellets

Wood pellets : a worldwide fuel commodity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melin, S.

2005-01-01

Aspects of the wood pellet industry were discussed in this PowerPoint presentation. Details of wood pellets specifications were presented, and the wood pellet manufacturing process was outlined. An overview of research and development activities for wood pellets was presented, and issues concerning quality control were discussed. A chart of the effective calorific value of various fuels was provided. Data for wood pellet mill production in Canada, the United States and the European Union were provided, and various markets for Canadian wood pellets were evaluated. Residential sales as well as Canadian overseas exports were reviewed. Production revenues for British Columbia and Alberta were provided. Wood pellet heat and electricity production were discussed with reference to prefabricated boilers, stoves and fireplaces. Consumption rates, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and fuel ratios for wood pellets and fossil fuels were compared. Price regulating policies for electricity and fossil fuels have prevented the domestic expansion of the wood pellet industry. There are currently no incentives for advanced biomass combustion to enter British Columbia markets, and this has led to the export of wood pellets. It was concluded that climate change mitigation policies will be a driving force behind market expansion for wood pellets. tabs., figs

Quality wood chips - an alternative to pellets; Alternative zu Pellets. Qualischnitzel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keel, A.

2008-07-01

This article takes a look at a new wood-chip product that features wood-chips that are dryer than traditional ones. The new 'quality chips' are also of a calibrated size and are supplied dust-free. Their low water content permits their use in the same areas as wood pellets, where, especially in summer, low water-content is important. The increasing use of pellets and the growing shortages of clean sawdust and shavings for their production is commented on, as is the use of forestry wastes in pellet production. The new wood-chip product is further discussed as being a direct alternative to pellets. The low 'grey energy' content for tree-felling, hacking, transport and the drying of the chips is quoted as being less than 5% of the energy in the chippings.

Review: study of single-pellet injection experiments and development of pellet injector in JFT-2M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasai, Satoshi; Miura, Yukitoshi; Hasegawa, Kouichi; Sengoku, Seio

1987-10-01

The single pellet injector developed for JFT-2M and the improvement of plasma characteristics in the auxiliary-heated discharges by single-pellet injection are reviewed for the period 1982 - 1986. The pellet injector is a pneumatic type and the designed pellet size is 1.65 mmD x 1.65 mmL and 1 mmD x 1 mmL. The hydrogen, deuterium and mixed (H 2 + D 2 ) pellets can be produced with good reproducibility. Maximum pellet velocity is about 970 m/s (pellet is deuterium and propellant gas is hydrogen). In the pellet injection experiments into auxiliary-heated (NB, ICRF) divertor or limiter discharges, the plasma confinement time is improved by a factor of 1.4 - 1.7 compared with the confinement time in the Ohmic discharges. The achieved confinement time is longer than that on the high confinement mode (H-mode) in gas fueled discharges, although the phenomena are transient. (author)

Life cycle strategies of copepods in coastal upwelling zones

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, W.

1998-06-01

Life cycles of copepods of coastal upwelling zones are of the multigenerational type—as many as 10 or more generations may be produced each year, depending upon water temperature, food concentration and length of the upwelling season. Abundant food resources and moderate temperature convey advantages to those copepods living in coastal upwelling zones, however, there is a clear disadvantage in that coastal upwelling zones are highly advective environments. Typically, water circulation patterns are such that surface waters are carried offshore, deeper waters carried onshore and most of the water column over the continental shelf is moving equatorward. The challenge to copepod species that inhabit upwelling systems is life cycle closure—how do eggs, nauplii, juveniles and adults avoid being swept out of these ecosystems in the face of persistent transport out of the system? In this review, I first list the species which dominate coastal upwelling ecosystems then discuss three variations on the multigenerational life cycle scheme that are observed in upwelling systems. The latter part of the review is devoted to discussion of how individuals are retained in the productive continental shelf waters within coastal upwelling ecosystems. The suggestion is made that the only copepod species that successfully achieve life cycle closure in such systems are those that are preadapted to upwelling circulation patterns. Our quantitative understanding of the relative importance of physical factors (such as advection) and biological factors (birth, growth, and mortality) on life cycle strategies and population dynamics is quite rudimentary. It would help our understanding if there were more field studies and more computer modeling studies that focused on seasonal cycles of abundance, development times and vertical distribution of life cycle stages, and measurements of water circulation patterns.

In vitro fermentation characteristics of novel fibers, coconut endosperm fiber and chicory pulp, using canine fecal inoculum.

Science.gov (United States)

de Godoy, M R C; Mitsuhashi, Y; Bauer, L L; Fahey, G C; Buff, P R; Swanson, K S

2015-01-01

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of in vitro fermentation of coconut endosperm fiber (CEF), chicory pulp (CHP), and selective blends of these substrates on SCFA production and changes in microbiota using canine fecal inocula. A total of 6 individual substrates, including short-chain fructooligosaccharide (scFOS; a well-established prebiotic source), pectin (PEC; used as a positive control), pelletized cellulose (PC; used as a negative control), beet pulp (BP; considered the gold standard fiber source in pet foods), CEF, and CHP, and 3 CEF:CHP blends (75:25% CEF:CHP [B1], 50:50% CEF:CHP [B2], and 25:75% CEF:CHP [B3]) were tested. Triplicate samples of each substrate were fermented for 0, 8, and 16 h after inoculation. A significant substrate × time interaction (P fiber substrates. Future research should investigate the effects of CEF, CHP, and their blends on gastrointestinal health and fecal quality in dogs.

Pellet injection into ASDEX upgrade plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lang, P.T.; Zohm, H.; Buechl, K.; Fuchs, J.C.; Gehre, O.; Gruber, O.; Lang, R.S.; Mertens, V.; Neuhauser, J.; Salzmann, H.

1996-04-01

This work comprises results obtained using the new centrifuge injection system for the two first years of pellet injection experiments at Asdex Upgrade until the end of the 1995 experimental campaign. The main aim of the pellet injection investigation is to develop scenarios allowing for a more flexible plasma density control means of injection of cryogenic solid hydrogen pellets. Efforts have been made to develop scenarios allowing more flexible plasma density control by injecting cryogenic solid hydrogen pellets. While the injection of pellets during ohmic discharges was found to be most efficient and also improves the plasma performance, increasing the auxiliary heating power causes a detoriation of the pellet fuelling efficiency. A further strong reduction of the pellet fuelling efficiency by an additional process was observed for the more reactor-relevant conditions of shallow particle deposition during H-mode phases. With injection during type I ELMy H-mode phases, each pellet was found to trigger the release of an ELM and therefore cause particle losses mainly from the edge region. In the type I ELMy H-mode, only sufficient pellet penetration allowed noticeable, persistent particle deposition in the plasma by the pellets. Applying adequate pellet injection conditions and favourable scenarios using combined pellet/gas puff refuelling, significant density ramp-up to densities exceeding the empirical Greenwald limit by up to a factor of two was achieved even for strongly heated H-mode plasmas. (orig.)

COPEPOD: The Coastal & Oceanic Plankton Ecology, Production, & Observation Database

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Coastal & Oceanic Plankton Ecology, Production, & Observation Database (COPEPOD) provides NMFS scientists with quality-controlled, globally distributed...

Pelletizing using forest fuels and Salix as raw materials. A study of the pelletizing properties; Pelletering med skogsbraensle och Salix som raavara. En undersoekning av pelleterbarheten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinsson, Lars; Oesterberg, Stefan [Swedish National Testing and Research Inst., Boraas (Sweden)

2004-08-01

Three common forest fuels: light thinning material, cull tree and logging residues as well as energy forest fuel (Salix) has been used as fuel pellet materials. Logging residues and Salix were stacked for approximately 6 and 10 months respectively. Parameters varied for each raw material have been the moisture content and the press length of the die. These parameters have been changed to obtain best possible quality, mainly concerning mechanical durability. Pellets were also produced from bark free shavings in order to use as a reference in this study. Physical as well as chemical properties have been compared. It was comparatively easy to press logging residues and Salix into durable pellets and, even with larger press length, the production of pellets was higher than it was for the other raw materials. The density was equal for all pellets while the mechanical durability was better for all tested raw materials compared with the reference material. The fact that all raw materials besides the reference material contains bark which has an improving effect on the degree of hardness. The quality properties were mainly about the same or better for pellets made of light thinning material and cull tree respectively, compared with the reference pellets. However, the ash content was approximately twice as high compared with the reference pellets. The pellets made of logging residues and Salix respectively were of very good quality concerning duration and density but the ash content was approximately 10 times higher than in the reference pellets. Additionally, the nitrogen content was 6-9 times higher compared with the reference pellets.

Pontellid copepods, Labidocera spp., affected by ocean acidification: A field study at natural CO2 seeps.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Joy N; Richter, Claudio; Fabricius, Katharina E; Cornils, Astrid

2017-01-01

CO2 seeps in coral reefs were used as natural laboratories to study the impacts of ocean acidification on the pontellid copepod, Labidocera spp. Pontellid abundances were reduced by ∼70% under high-CO2 conditions. Biological parameters and substratum preferences of the copepods were explored to determine the underlying causes of such reduced abundances. Stage- and sex-specific copepod lengths, feeding ability, and egg development were unaffected by ocean acidification, thus changes in these physiological parameters were not the driving factor for reduced abundances under high-CO2 exposure. Labidocera spp. are demersal copepods, hence they live amongst reef substrata during the day and emerge into the water column at night. Deployments of emergence traps showed that their preferred reef substrata at control sites were coral rubble, macro algae, and turf algae. However, under high-CO2 conditions they no longer had an association with any specific substrata. Results from this study indicate that even though the biology of a copepod might be unaffected by high-CO2, Labidocera spp. are highly vulnerable to ocean acidification.

Pontellid copepods, Labidocera spp., affected by ocean acidification: A field study at natural CO2 seeps.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joy N Smith

Full Text Available CO2 seeps in coral reefs were used as natural laboratories to study the impacts of ocean acidification on the pontellid copepod, Labidocera spp. Pontellid abundances were reduced by ∼70% under high-CO2 conditions. Biological parameters and substratum preferences of the copepods were explored to determine the underlying causes of such reduced abundances. Stage- and sex-specific copepod lengths, feeding ability, and egg development were unaffected by ocean acidification, thus changes in these physiological parameters were not the driving factor for reduced abundances under high-CO2 exposure. Labidocera spp. are demersal copepods, hence they live amongst reef substrata during the day and emerge into the water column at night. Deployments of emergence traps showed that their preferred reef substrata at control sites were coral rubble, macro algae, and turf algae. However, under high-CO2 conditions they no longer had an association with any specific substrata. Results from this study indicate that even though the biology of a copepod might be unaffected by high-CO2, Labidocera spp. are highly vulnerable to ocean acidification.

Calanoid copepods of the International Indian Ocean Expedition

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Stephen, R.; Devi, K.S.; Meenakshikunjamma, P.P.; Gopalakrishnan, T.C.; Saraswathy, M.

The distribution of calanoid copepods is discussed based on the subsorted taxa of the International Indian Ocean Expedition samples. Of the 32 calanoid taxa only 17 groups were considered as significant components. The family Eycalanidae...

Biochemical composition of the promising live feed tropical calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus annadalei (Sewell 1991) cultured in Taiwaneese outdoor ponds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rayner, Thomas Allan; Jørgensen, Niels. O.G.; Blanda, Elisa

2015-01-01

The use of copepods as live feed has shown good potential, and in Taiwan copepods are harvested specifically as live feed for fin-fish production. The calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus annandalei is a species found typically in Taiwanese aquaculture and in the rest of the Indo-Pacific region...

Increased tolerance to oil exposure by the cosmopolitan marine copepod Acartia tonsa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krause, Kamille Elvstrøm; Dinh, Khuong Van; Nielsen, Torkel Gissel

2017-01-01

Oil contamination is an environmental hazard to marine ecosystems, but marine organism tolerance to oil after many generations of exposure remains poorly known. We studied the effects of transgenerational oil exposure on fitness-related traits in a cosmopolitan neritic copepod, Acartia tonsa....... Copepods were exposed to an oil compound, the PAH pyrene, at concentrations of 1, 10, 100 and 100+ (the saturated pyrene concentration in seawater) nMover two generations and measured survival, sex ratio, size atmaturity, grazing rate and reproductive success. Exposure to the pyrene concentration of 100+ n...... to pyrene exposure in the second generation: the reduction in size atmaturity of females was less pronounced in the second generation and survival, egg production and hatching success were recovered to control levels in the second generation. The increased tolerance of copepods to oil contamination may...

Perceiving the algae: How feeding-current feeding copepods detect their nonmotile prey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goncalves, Rodrigo J.; Kiørboe, Thomas

2015-01-01

demonstrate that (1) long-range chemical detection is incompatible with known algal leakage rates and reasonable assumptions of sensitivity, (2) that near-field chemical detection is constrained by diffusion across the boundary layer of the sensor and takes longer than observed near-contact times, and (3......Feeding-current feeding copepods detect and capture prey individually, but the mechanism by which nonmotile prey is detected has been unclear. Early reports that copepods detect phytoplankton prey at distances of one body length or more led to the hypothesis that solutes leaking from the prey would......) that most reported detection distances are well predicted by models of fluid mechanical signal generation and detection. We conclude that near-field mechanoreception is the common prey detection mode in pelagic copepods. Prey detection distances are thus governed mainly by the reach of the feeding...

Initial deuterium pellet experiments on FTU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snipes, J.A.

1993-01-01

Initial experiments have been performed with the Single Pellet INjector (SPIN) on FTU. SPIN is a two-stage cryogenic deuterium pellet injector capable of injection,a pellets with velocities up to 2.5 km/s. The nominal pellet mass for these experiments was approximately 1 x 10 20 atoms. These initial pellet experiments concentrated on studying pellet penetration under a variety of plasma conditions to compare with code predictions and to examine toroidal particle transport. The principal diagnostics used were two fast (∼1 μsec) photomultiplier tubes at nearly opposite toroidal locations with H α (D α ) interference filters (λ = 656 nm), a microwave cavity for pellet mass and velocity, a vertical array of soft x ray diodes without filters looking down onto the pellet, a DCN interferometer for electron density profiles, and a Michelson ECE system for electron temperature profiles. The time integral of the absolutely calibrated fast H α signal appears to give reasonable agreement with the expected pellet mass. Toroidal transport of deuterium ions from the pellet to nearly the opposite side of the tokamak agrees with calculated thermal deuterium velocities near the plasma edge. Comparison of the experimental results with code calculations using the Neutral Gas Shielding model show good agreement for the post-pellet electron temperature and density profiles and the H α profiles in some cases. Calculated penetration distances agree within 20%

Fuel Pellets from Wheat Straw: The Effect of Lignin Glass Transition and Surface Waxes on Pelletizing Properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stelte, Wolfgang; Clemons, Craig; Holm, Jens K.

2012-01-01

and a high concentration of hydrophobic waxes on its outer surface that may limit the pellet strength. The present work studies the impact of the lignin glass transition on the pelletizing properties of wheat straw. Furthermore, the effect of surface waxes on the pelletizing process and pellet strength...... are investigated by comparing wheat straw before and after organic solvent extraction. The lignin glass transition temperature for wheat straw and extracted wheat straw is determined by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. At a moisture content of 8%, transitions are identified at 53°C and 63°C, respectively....... Pellets are pressed from wheat straw and straw where the waxes have been extracted from. Two pelletizing temperatures were chosen—one below and one above the glass transition temperature of lignin. The pellets compression strength, density, and fracture surface were compared to each other. Pellets pressed...

The JET multi-pellet injector launcher

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupschus, P.; Bailey, W.; Gadeberg, M.; Hedley, L.; Twyman, P.; Szabo, T.; Evans, D.

1987-01-01

Under a collaborative agreement between the Joint European Torus JET and the United States Department of Energy US DOE, JET and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) jointly built a multi-pellet injector for fuelling and re-fuelling of the JET plasma. A three-barrel repetitive pneumatic pellet Launcher - built by ORNL - is attached to a JET pellet launcher-machine interface (in short: Pellet Interface) which is the subject of this paper. The present Launcher-Interface combination provides deuterium or hydrogen injection at moderate pellet speeds for the next two operational periods on JET. The Pellet Interface, however, takes into account the future requirements of JET. It was designed to allow the attachment of the high speed pellet launchers now under development at JET and complies with the requirements of remote handling and tritium operation. In addition, the use of tritium pellets is being considered

Reciprocating pellet press

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Charles W.

1981-04-07

A machine for pressing loose powder into pellets using a series of reciprocating motions has an interchangeable punch and die as its only accurately machines parts. The machine reciprocates horizontally between powder receiving and pressing positions. It reciprocates vertically to press, strip and release a pellet.

Tumour-like anomaly of copepods-an evaluation of the possible causes in Indian marine waters

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Jagadeesan, L.; Jyothibabu, R.

so far to prove conclusively the mechanism involved in developing TLA in copepods. TLA in copepods are considered as a potential threat to the well-being of the aquatic food web, which prompted us to assess these abnormalities in Indian marine waters...

Observations of copepod feeding and vertical distribution under natural turbulent conditions in the North Sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Visser, Andre; Saito, H.; Saiz, E.

2001-01-01

We present results of simultaneous measurements of turbulent- dissipation rate, zooplankton vertical distribution and copepod gut pigments in the northern North Sea. Analysis shows that some, but not all, copepods (by species, sex and stage) exhibit significant dependence on turbulence in respect...

Ecology and Distribution of Copepods from the Salt Pan Ecosystems of Mumbai, West Coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Stephen, R.; Jayalakshmy, K.V.; NaveenKumar, K.R.; Nair, V.R.

Ecology, distribution and diversity of Copepod collected from two salt pans of Mumbai, India, are presented. Copepods, the mai zooplankton components, consisted mainly of Bestiolina similis, Acartia southwelli, Oithona sp., O. similis, O. hebes...

Manufacture, delivery and marketing of wood pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huhtanen, T.

2001-01-01

Wood pellet is a cheap fuel, the use of which can easily bee automated. Pellet heating can be carried out with a stoker or a pellet burner, which can be mounted to oil and solid fuels boiler or to solid fuel boilers. Vapo Oy delivers wood pellet to farms and detached houses via Agrimarket stores. Vapo Oy delivers pellets to large real estates, municipalities, industry, greenhouses and power plants directly as bulk. The pellets are delivered either by trailers or lorries equipped with fan-operated unloaders. The use of wood pellets is a suitable fuel especially for real estates, the boiler output of which is 20 - 1000 kW. Vapo Oy manufactures wood pellets of cutter chips, grinding dust and sawdust. The raw material for Ilomantsi pellet plant is purchased from the province of North Karelia. The capacity of pelletizing plant is 45 000 t of pellets per year, half of which is exported mainly to Sweden and Denmark

Calanoid Copepod Behavior in Thin Layer Shear Flows: Freshwater Versus Marine

Science.gov (United States)

Skipper, A. N.; Webster, D. R.; Yen, J.

2015-11-01

Marine copepods have been shown to behaviorally respond to vertical gradients of horizontal velocity and aggregate around thin layers. The current study addresses whether a freshwater copepod from an alpine lake demonstrates similar behavior response. Hesperodiaptomus shoshone is often the greatest biomass in alpine lakes and is the dominant zooplankton predator within its environment. The hypothesis is that H. shoshone responds to vertical gradients of horizontal velocity, which are associated with river outflows from alpine lakes, with fine-scale changes in swimming kinematics. The two calanoid copepods studied here, H. shoshone (freshwater) and Calanus finmarchicus(marine), are of similar size (2 - 4 mm), have similar morphologies, and utilize cruising as their primary swimming mode. The two animals differ not only in environment, but also in diet; H. shoshone is a carnivore, whereas C. finmarchicusis an herbivore. A laminar, planar jet (Bickley) was used in the laboratory to simulate a free shear flow. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) quantified the flow field. The marine species changed its swimming behavior significantly (increased swimming speed and turning frequency) and spent more time in the layer (40% vs. 70%) from control to treatment. In contrast, the freshwater species exhibited very few changes in either swimming behavior or residence time. Swimming kinematics and residence time results were also similar between males and females. Unlike the marine copepod, the results suggest the environmental flow structure is unimportant to the freshwater species.

Tritium pellet injector for TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gouge, M.J.; Baylor, L.R.; Cole, M.J.; Combs, S.K.; Dyer, G.R.; Fehling, D.T.; Fisher, P.W.; Foust, C.R.; Langley, R.A.; Milora, S.L.; Qualls, A.L.; Wilgen, J.B.; Schmidt, G.L.; Barnes, G.W.; Persing, R.G.

1992-01-01

The tritium pellet injector (TPI) for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) will provide a tritium pellet fueling capability with pellet speeds in the 1- to 3-km/s range for the TFTR deuterium-tritium (D-T) phase. The existing TFTR deuterium pellet injector (DPI) has been modified at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to provide a four-shot, tritium-compatible, pipe-gun configuration with three upgraded single-stage pneumatic guns and a two-stage light gas gun driver. The TPI was designed to provide pellets ranging from 3.3 to 4.5 mm in diameter in arbitrarily programmable firing sequences at speeds up to approximately 1.5 km/s for the three single-stage drivers and 2.5 to 3 km/s for the two-stage driver. Injector operation is controlled by a programmable logic controller. The new pipe-gun injector assembly was installed in the modified DPI guard vacuum box, and modifications were made to the internals of the DPI vacuum injection line, including a new pellet diagnostics package. Assembly of these modified parts with existing DPI components was then completed, and the TPI was tested at ORNL with deuterium pellet. Results of the limited testing program at ORNL are described. The TPI is being installed on TFTR to support the D-D run period in 1992. In 1993, the tritium pellet injector will be retrofitted with a D-T fuel manifold and secondary tritium containment systems and integrated into TFTR tritium processing systems to provide full tritium pellet capability

Nuclear fuel pellet loading apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerkey, K.S.

1979-01-01

An automatic apparatus for loading a predetermined amount of nuclear fuel pellets into a nuclear fuel element to be used in a nuclear reactor is described. The apparatus consists of a vibratory bed capable of supporting corrugated trays containing rows of nuclear fuel pellets and arranged in alignment with the open ends of several nuclear fuel elements. A sweep mechanism is arranged above the trays and serves to sweep the rows of fuel pellets onto the vibratory bed and into the fuel element. A length detecting system, in conjunction with a pellet stopping mechanism, is also provided to assure that a predetermined amount of nuclear fuel pellets are loaded into each fuel element

Making Sense of Protists – aspects of phototaxis and chemo sensory behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moldrup, Morten

07) of Kryptoperidinium foliaceum, showed that the eyespot in two of these strains have degenerated following decades in culture. Thus, previous studies have failed to report positive phototaxis due to loss of directionality caused by the degenerated eyespot. The results are discussed in a broader...... “protozoan filter” for fecal pellets in the water column. The photosynthetic dinoflagellate Karlodinium is known to form massive blooms worldwide and often these are associated with fish kills. Here we show that Karlodinum armiger can reverse the traditional trophic pathway from primary producers to copepods...... or a quite recently established symbiont. Here we present data from a number of experiments in which we tried to replace the symbionts in M. rubrum by supplying a number of different cryptophyte species belonging to different cryptophyte clades. Growth and ingestion rates of M. rubrum fed these cryptophytes...

Copepod Behavior Response in an Internal Wave Apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, D. R.; Jung, S.; Haas, K. A.

2017-11-01

This study is motivated to understand the bio-physical forcing in zooplankton transport in and near internal waves, where high levels of zooplankton densities have been observed in situ. A laboratory-scale internal wave apparatus was designed to create a standing internal wave for various physical arrangements that mimic conditions observed in the field. A theoretical analysis of a standing internal wave inside a two-layer stratification system including non-linear wave effects was conducted to derive the expressions for the independent variables controlling the wave motion. Focusing on a case with a density jump of 1.0 σt, a standing internal wave was generated with a clean interface and minimal mixing across the pycnocline. Spatial and frequency domain measurements of the internal wave were evaluated in the context of the theoretical analysis. Behavioral assays with a mixed population of three marine copepods were conducted in control (stagnant homogeneous fluid), stagnant density jump interface, and internal wave flow configurations. In the internal wave treatment, the copepods showed an acrobatic, orbital-like motion in and around the internal wave region (bounded by the crests and the troughs of the waves). Trajectories of passive, neutrally-buoyant particles in the internal wave flow reveal that they generally oscillate back-and-forth along fixed paths. Thus, we conclude that the looping, orbital trajectories of copepods in the region near the internal wave interface are due to animal behavior rather than passive transport.

Numerical analysis of the influence of the fuel pellet shape on the pellet-cladding contact condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marajofsky, Adolfo; Denis, Alicia C.; Soba, Alejandro

2004-01-01

One of the problems of greater concern in nuclear fuels operation is that of pellet-cladding interaction (PCI), since it may be cause of fuel failure. In unfailed claddings, the occurrence of contact with the pellet is generally evidenced by a typical deformation pattern known as bamboo effect. In the present work different pellets' shapes are proposed, all of them with a chamfer next to the top and bottom surfaces. The performance of these pellets design is simulated with a numerical code, DIONISIO, previously developed in this working group, which makes use of the finite elements method. It provides the temperature, stress and strain distribution and the inventory of fission gases by analyzing phenomena like thermal expansion, elasticity, plasticity, creep, irradiation growth, PCI, swelling and densification. The pellets' design tested are grouped into two types: those with a straight chamfer running from the central pellet plane to both extremes (R-type pellets) and those with the chamfer occupying one quarter of the pellet's height leaving a central ring of the standard, cylindrical shape (M-type pellets). Different chamfer depths were numerically tested. It was found that the gap increase associated with the introduction of a deep chamfer is responsible for a significant temperature increment. But chamfers which leave a gap of 110 to 150 μm (assuming a normal fuel element with a gap 90 μm thick) gave place to pellets with an adequate thermal response and, moreover, the disappearance of the bamboo effect or even the appearance of an inverse effect, that is, pellets which make contact with the cladding in the region around its middle plane. (author) [es

Impurity pellet injection experiments at TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marmar, E.S.

1992-01-01

Impurity (Li and C) pellet injection experiments on TFTR have produced a number of new and significant results. (1) We observe reproducible improvements of TFTR supershots after wall-conditioning by Li pellet injection ('lithiumization'). (2) We have made accurate measurements of the pitch angle profiles of the internal magnetic field using two novel techniques. The first measures the internal field pitch from the polarization angles of Li + line emission from the pellet ablation cloud, while the second measures the pitch angle profiles by observing the tilt of the cigar-shaped Li + emission region of the ablation cloud. (3) Extensive measurements of impurity pellet penetration into plasmas with central temperatures ranging from ∼0.3 to ∼7 keV have been made and compared with available theoretical models. Other aspects of pellet cloud physics have been investigated. (4) Using pellets as a well defined perturbation has allowed study of transport phenomena. In the case of small pellet perturbations, the characteristics of the background plasmas are probed, while with large pellets, pellet induced effects are clearly observed. These main results are discussed in more detail in this paper

Influence of N, P additions on the transfer of nickel from phytoplankton to copepods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Minghua; Wang Dazhi; Wang Guizhong; Huang Xuguang; Hong Huasheng

2007-01-01

We examined the influence of macronutrient (nitrate and phosphate) additions on Ni uptake by phytoplankton (Prorocentrum donghaiense and Skeletonema costatum) and its subsequent transfer to marine copepods (Calanus sinicus and Labidocera euchaeta). Ni uptake by phytoplankton after 24 h of exposure was markedly dependent on nutrient conditions, with a higher nutrient quota facilitating Ni accumulation in the algae. Trophic transfer was quantified by measurements of the Ni assimilation efficiency in C. sinicus and L. euchaeta, feeding on the algae under different nutrient treatments. Ni assimilation efficiency generally increased with an increase of nutrient concentration in the algae. A significant positive-correlation was found between the Ni assimilation efficiencies of the copepods and the %intracellular Ni in the algal cells. However, ambient nutritional conditions had little effect on the physiological turnover rate constant of Ni by copepods. Thus, nutrient enrichment may lead to an increase in Ni uptake and transfer in marine plankton. - Higher nitrate or phosphate levels will facilitate the biological uptake of Ni by phytoplankton and subsequently improve its transfer to marine copepods

Introducing wood pellet fuel to the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cotton, R A; Giffard, A

2001-07-01

Technical and non-technical issues affecting the introduction of wood pellet-fired heating to the UK were investigated with the aim of helping to establish a wood pellet industry in the UK. The project examined the growth and status of the industry in continental Europe and North America, reviewed relevant UK standards and legislation, identified markets for pellet heating in the UK, organised workshops and seminars to demonstrate pellet burning appliances, carried out a trial pelletisation of a range of biomass fuels, helped to set up demonstration installations of pellet-fired appliances, undertook a promotional campaign for wood pellet fuel and compiled resource directories for pellet fuel and pellet burning appliances in the UK. The work was completed in three phases - review, identification and commercialisation. Project outputs include UK voluntary standards for wood pellet fuel and combustion appliances, and a database of individuals with an interest in wood pellet fuel.

The kinematics of swimming and relocation jumps in copepod nauplii

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borg, Marc Andersen; Bruno, Eleonora; Kiørboe, Thomas

2012-01-01

Copepod nauplii move in a world dominated by viscosity. Their swimming-by-jumping propulsion mode, with alternating power and recovery strokes of three pairs of cephalic appendages, is fundamentally different from the way other microplankters move. Protozoans move using cilia or flagella, and cop......Copepod nauplii move in a world dominated by viscosity. Their swimming-by-jumping propulsion mode, with alternating power and recovery strokes of three pairs of cephalic appendages, is fundamentally different from the way other microplankters move. Protozoans move using cilia or flagella...... of pelagic copepods: Temora longicornis, Oithona davisae and Acartia tonsa. The kinematics of jumping is similar between the three species. Jumps result in a very erratic translation with no phase of passive coasting and the nauplii move backwards during recovery strokes. This is due to poorly synchronized...... recovery strokes and a low beat frequency relative to the coasting time scale. For the same reason, the propulsion efficiency of the nauplii is low. Given the universality of the nauplius body plan, it is surprising that they seem to be inefficient when jumping, which is different from the very efficient...

Mandibular gnathobases of marine planktonic copepods – feeding tools with complex micro- and nanoscale composite architectures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Michels

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Copepods are dominant members of the marine zooplankton. Their diets often comprise large proportions of diatom taxa whose silicified frustules are mechanically stable and offer protection against grazers. Despite of this protection, many copepod species are able to efficiently break even the most stable frustule types. This ability requires specific feeding tools with mechanically adapted architectures, compositions and properties. When ingesting food, the copepods use the gnathobases of their mandibles to grab and, if necessary, crush and mince the food items. The morphology of these gnathobases is related to the diets of the copepods. Gnathobases of copepod species that mainly feed on phytoplankton feature compact and stable tooth-like structures, so-called teeth. In several copepod species these gnathobase teeth have been found to contain silica. Recent studies revealed that the siliceous teeth are complex microscale composites with silica-containing cap-like structures located on chitinous exoskeleton sockets that are connected with rubber-like bearings formed by structures with high proportions of the soft and elastic protein resilin. In addition, the silica-containing cap-like structures exhibit a nanoscale composite architecture. They contain some amorphous silica and large proportions of the crystalline silica type α-cristobalite and are pervaded by a fine chitinous fibre network that very likely serves as a scaffold during the silicification process. All these intricate composite structures are assumed to be the result of a coevolution between the copepod gnathobases and diatom frustules in an evolutionary arms race. The composites very likely increase both the performance of the siliceous teeth and their resistance to mechanical damage, and it is conceivable that their development has favoured the copepods’ dominance of the marine zooplankton observed today.

Apparatus for unloading more particularly for nuclear fuel pellets, and to fill tubes with these pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fort, C.; Masson, S.

1985-01-01

The device allows to discharge the nuclear fuel pellets arranged in trays, and to introduce them to form stacks of pellets of determined length in storage tubes of associated diameter. It comprises a carriage to make the pellets slip from each tray on a guide vibrating bowl to a shute and then on a conveyor which loads the pellets into an intermediate tube to form a stack of the said length. A lift moves the intermediate tube transversally to its length between a loading position and a transfer position. Means allow to move a storage tube bundle to put each tube in its turn face to the transfer position. The stack of pellets contained in the intermediate tube which is in the transfer position is thus sent back to the storage tube facing it. The invention applies to pellets which have been sintered in the trays in inert atmosphere. These pellets have to be stored before several examinations and grinding, and finally loading into the cans to constitute fuel rods. These sintered pellets have a cylindrical shape and the invention spares them hard handling which would damage them [fr

Method of manufacturing nuclear fuel pellet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oguma, Masaomi; Masuda, Hiroshi; Hirai, Mutsumi; Tanabe, Isami; Yuda, Ryoichi.

1989-01-01

In a method of manufacturing nuclear fuel pellets by compression molding an oxide powder of nuclear fuel material followed by sintering, a metal nuclear material is mixed with an oxide powder of the nuclear fuel material. As the metal nuclear fuel material, whisker or wire-like fine wire or granules of metal uranium can be used effectively. As a result, a fuel pellet in which the metal nuclear fuel is disposed in a network-like manner can be obtained. The pellet shows a great effect of preventing thermal stress destruction of pellets upon increase of fuel rod power as compared with conventional pellets. Further, the metal nuclear fuel material acts as an oxygen getter to suppress the increase of O/M ratio of the pellets. Further, it is possible to reduce the swelling of pellet at high burn-up degree. (T.M.)

Fecal microbiota transplant

Science.gov (United States)

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007703.htm Fecal microbiota transplant To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) helps to replace some of the " ...

Fuel pellet loading apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

Apparatus is described for loading a predetermined amount of nuclear fuel pellets into nuclear fuel elements and particularly for the automatic loading of fuel pellets from within a sealed compartment. (author)

Copepod swarm in the Campbell Bay (Andaman Sea)

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.; Rao, T.S.S.

)forming 91.9 to 96.1 c of the total copepod population and constituted mainly by 4 species of Pontellopsis was recorded The species in order of abundance were Pontella spinipes Giesbrecht Pontellopsis regalis (Dana), Pontella princeps Dana and P...

A trait database for marine copepods

Science.gov (United States)

Brun, Philipp; Payne, Mark R.; Kiørboe, Thomas

2017-02-01

The trait-based approach is gaining increasing popularity in marine plankton ecology but the field urgently needs more and easier accessible trait data to advance. We compiled trait information on marine pelagic copepods, a major group of zooplankton, from the published literature and from experts and organized the data into a structured database. We collected 9306 records for 14 functional traits. Particular attention was given to body size, feeding mode, egg size, spawning strategy, respiration rate, and myelination (presence of nerve sheathing). Most records were reported at the species level, but some phylogenetically conserved traits, such as myelination, were reported at higher taxonomic levels, allowing the entire diversity of around 10 800 recognized marine copepod species to be covered with a few records. Aside from myelination, data coverage was highest for spawning strategy and body size, while information was more limited for quantitative traits related to reproduction and physiology. The database may be used to investigate relationships between traits, to produce trait biogeographies, or to inform and validate trait-based marine ecosystem models. The data can be downloaded from PANGAEA, PANGAEA.862968" target="_blank">doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.862968.

Pneumatic pellet injector for JT-60

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, Masanori; Hiratsuka, Hajime; Kawasaki, Kouzo.

1990-01-01

The pneumatic 4-shot pellet injector has been installed and operated for JT-60 (JAERI Tokamak-60). The performance tests have proven that the device provides high speed pellets as planned. The maximum pellet velocity obtained in the hydrogen pellet tests is greater than 2.3km/s at 100 bar propellant gas. (author)

Pneumatic pellet injector for JT-60

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, Masanori (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)); Hiratsuka, Hajime; Kawasaki, Kouzo

1990-11-01

The pneumatic 4-shot pellet injector has been installed and operated for JT-60 (JAERI Tokamak-60). The performance tests have proven that the device provides high speed pellets as planned. The maximum pellet velocity obtained in the hydrogen pellet tests is greater than 2.3km/s at 100 bar propellant gas. (author).

Comparison of copepod collection efficiencies by three commonly used plankton nets: A case study in Bohai Sea, China

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongju; Yu, Hao; Liu, Guangxing

2016-12-01

Selection of net with a suitable mesh size is a key concern in the quantitative assessment of zooplankton, which is crucial to understand pelagic ecosystem processes. This study compared the copepod collecting efficiency of three commonly used plankton nets, namely, the China standard coarse net (505 μm mesh), the China standard fine net (77 μm), and the WP-2 net (200 μm). The experiment was performed at six stations in the Bohai Sea during the autumn of 2012. The coarse net substantially under-sampled small individuals (body widths copepod species but failed to collect rare species. The WP-2 net appeared to be a compromise of the two other nets, collecting both small copepods and rare species. The abundance of copepods collected by the coarse net (126.4 ± 86.5 ind m-3) was one to two orders of magnitude lower than that by the WP-2 net (5802.4 ± 2595.4 ind m-3), and the value of the fine net (11117.0 ± 4563.41 ind m-3) was nearly twice that of the WP-2 net. The abundance of large copepods ( i.e., adult Calanus sinicus) in the three nets showed no significant differences, but the abundance of small copepods declined with decreasing mesh size. The difference in abundance resulted from the under-sampling of small copepods with body widths < 672 μm and < 266 μm by the coarse and WP-2 nets, respectively.

The fecal bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Sadowsky, Michael J.; Whitman, Richard L.

2011-01-01

The Fecal Bacteria offers a balanced, integrated discussion of fecal bacteria and their presence and ecology in the intestinal tract of mammals, in the environment, and in the food supply. This volume covers their use in examining and assessing water quality in order to offer protection from illnesses related to swimming in or ingesting contaminated water, in addition to discussing their use in engineering considerations of water quality, modeling, monitoring, and regulations. Fecal bacteria are additionally used as indicators of contamination of ready-to-eat foods and fresh produce. The intestinal environment, the microbial community structure of the gut microbiota, and the physiology and genomics of this broad group of microorganisms are explored in the book. With contributions from an internationally recognized group of experts, the book integrates medicine, public health, environmental, and microbiological topics in order to provide a unique, holistic understanding of fecal bacteria. Moreover, it shows how the latest basic science and applied research findings are helping to solve problems and develop effective management strategies. For example, readers will discover how the latest tools and molecular approaches have led to our current understanding of fecal bacteria and enabled us to improve human health and water quality. The Fecal Bacteria is recommended for microbiologists, clinicians, animal scientists, engineers, environmental scientists, food safety experts, water quality managers, and students. It will help them better understand fecal bacteria and use their knowledge to protect human and environmental health. They can also apply many of the techniques and molecular tools discussed in this book to the study of a broad range of microorganisms in a variety of habitats.

Uranium dioxide pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zawidzki, T.W.

1979-01-01

Sintered uranium dioxide pellets composed of particles of size > 50 microns suitable for power reactor use are made by incorporating a small amount of sulphur into the uranium dioxide before sintering. The increase in grain size achieved results in an improvement in overall efficiency when such pellets are used in a power reactor. (author)

New pellet production and acceleration technologies for high speed pellet injection system 'HIPEL' in large helical device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viniar, I.; Sudo, S.

1994-12-01

New technologies of pellet production and acceleration for fueling and diagnostics purposes in large thermonuclear reactors are proposed. The technologies are intended to apply to the multiple-pellet injection system 'HIPEL' for Large Helical Device of NIFS in Japan. The pellet production technology has already been tested in a pipe-gun type pellet injector. It will realize the repeating pellet injection by means of decreasing of the pellet formation time into the pipe-gun barrel. The acceleration technology is based upon a new pump tube operation in two-stage gas gun and also upon a new conception of the allowable pressure acting on a pellet into a barrel. Some preliminary estimations have been made, and principles of a pump tube construction providing for a reliable long term operation in the repeating mode without any troubles from a piston are proposed. (author)

Micrallecto uncinata n. gen., n.sp., a parasitic copepod from a remarkable host, the pteropod Pneumoderma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stock, Jan H.

1971-01-01

A new genus and species of copepod crustacean parasite, Micrallecto uncinata, is described from Pneumoderma pygmaeum (Tesch, 1903), a gymnosome pteropod (Mollusca) collected West of Bermuda. The parasite probably belongs to the family Splanchnotrophidae and is the first copepod associate reported

The effects of bis(tributyltin) oxide on the development, reproduction and sex ratio of calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus marinus

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ying; Zhu, Liyan; Liu, Guangxing

2006-08-01

In order to study the biological effects by bis(tributyltin) oxide (TBTO) exposure, chronic toxicity tests were conducted on the calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus marinus over two generations. The results indicated that nauplii were more sensitive than copepodites. F1 copepods were more vulnerable than F0 copepods and a drastic increase in mortality was observed as the TBTO concentration became higher. Exposure of copepods to 60 ng l -1 TBTO concentration reduced the fecundity and resulted in some females being infecund (in the F0 generation). The time to the first egg sac for females in the F1 generation exposed to 6 ng l -1 TBTO concentration was significantly reduced, and the fecundity of this generation was increased. The female-to-male ratio in the F1 generation exposed to 20 ng l -1 TBTO concentration was significantly reduced. These results show that the current ambient TBT concentration may influence populations of copepods in the coastal environment.

Optimization of bentonite pellet properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanden, Torbjoern; Andersson, Linus; Jonsson, Esther; Fritzell, Anni

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. SKB in Sweden is developing and implementing concepts for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. A KBS-3V repository consists of a deposition tunnel with copper canisters containing spent fuel placed in vertical deposition holes. The canisters are embedded in highly compacted bentonite. After emplacement of canisters and bentonite blocks, the tunnels will be backfilled and sealed with an in-situ cast plug at the entrance. The main concept for backfilling the deposition tunnels imply pre compacted blocks of bentonite stacked on a bed of bentonite pellet. The remaining slot between blocks and rock will be filled with bentonite pellets. The work described in this abstract is a part of the ASKAR-project which main goal is to make a system design based on the selected concept for backfilling. Immediately after starting the backfill installation, inflowing water from the rock will come in contact with the pellet filling and thereby influence the characteristics of the pellet filling. The pellet filling helps to increase the average density of the backfill, but one of the most important properties beside this is the water storing capacity which will prevent water from reaching the backfill front where it would disturb and influence the quality of the installation. If water flows through the pellet filling out to the backfilling front, there will be erosion of material which also will affect the quality of the installed backfill. In order to optimize the properties regarding water storing capacity and sensitivity for erosion a number of tests have been made with different pellet types. The tests were made in different scales and with equipment specially designed for the purpose. The performed tests can be divided in four parts: 1. Standard tests (determining water content and density of pellet fillings and individual pellets, compressibility of the pellet fillings and strength of the individual pellets); 2. Erosion

Ranking of lignocellulosic biomass pellets through multicriteria modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sultana, A.; Kumar, A. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2009-07-01

A study was conducted in which pellets from different lignocellulosic biomass sources were ranked using a multicriteria assessment model. Five different pellet alternatives were compared based on 10 criteria. The pair-wise comparison was done in order to develop preference indices for various alternatives. The methodology used in this study was the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment and Evaluation (PROMETHEE). The biomass included wood pellets, straw pellets, switchgrass pellets, alfalfa pellets and poultry pellets. The study considered both quantitative and qualitative criteria such as energy consumption to produce the pellets, production cost, bulk density, NOx emissions, SOx emissions, deposit formation, net calorific value, moisture content, maturity of technology, and quality of material. A sensitivity analysis was performed by changing weights of criteria and threshold values of the criteria. Different scenarios were developed for ranking cost and environmental impacts. According to preliminary results, the wood pellet is the best energy source, followed by switchgrass pellets, straw pellets, alfalfa pellets and poultry pellets.

Development of railgun pellet injector using a laser-induced plasma armature. Results of dummy pellet acceleration tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, Masanori; Oda, Yasushi; Azuma, Kingo; Ogino, Mutsuo

1995-01-01

Using the low electric energy railgun system, dummy pellet acceleration tests have been conducted to investigate the application of the electromagnetic railgun system for high-speed pellet injection into fusion plasmas. The primary objective of the development is to improve the pellet acceleration efficiency and durability of the rail materials. In the system, the pellet is pre-accelerated before railgun acceleration. A laser beam is used to induce plasma armature. The ignited plasma armature is accelerated by an electromagnetic force that accelerates the pellet. As low electric energy was used, rail materials were used for multiple operations. Tungsten-alloy rail provided longer durability and slightly higher energy conversion coefficient than copper rail. The energy conversion coefficient was from 0.3 to 0.5% using a plastic insulator. A ceramic insulator improved the energy conversion coefficient by 80%. The highest pellet velocity was 1.7 km/s using wooden pellets accelerated by 1m-long railgun. Based on the findings, it is estimated that the hydrogen pellet has the potential to be accelerated to 5 km/s using a 3m-long railgun. (author)

Development of railgun pellet injector using a laser-induced plasma armature. Results of dummy pellet acceleration tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, Masanori; Oda, Yasushi; Azuma, Kingo; Ogino, Mutsuo [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan). Nuclear Energy Systems Engineering Center

1995-03-01

Using the low electric energy railgun system, dummy pellet acceleration tests have been conducted to investigate the application of the electromagnetic railgun system for high-speed pellet injection into fusion plasmas. The primary objective of the development is to improve the pellet acceleration efficiency and durability of the rail materials. In the system, the pellet is pre-accelerated before railgun acceleration. A laser beam is used to induce plasma armature. The ignited plasma armature is accelerated by an electromagnetic force that accelerates the pellet. As low electric energy was used, rail materials were used for multiple operations. Tungsten-alloy rail provided longer durability and slightly higher energy conversion coefficient than copper rail. The energy conversion coefficient was from 0.3 to 0.5% using a plastic insulator. A ceramic insulator improved the energy conversion coefficient by 80%. The highest pellet velocity was 1.7 km/s using wooden pellets accelerated by 1m-long railgun. Based on the findings, it is estimated that the hydrogen pellet has the potential to be accelerated to 5 km/s using a 3m-long railgun. (author).

Pellets - A fuel with a future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This special brochure presents a series of articles on the topic of wood pellets as a fuel of the future. Dr. Walter Steinmann, director of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) introduces the topic, stressing that the Swiss Confederation and the Cantons are supporting efforts to increase the sustainable use of wood fuels. Further articles take a closer look at pellets and their form. Pellets-fired heating units are introduced as a viable alternative to traditional oil-fired units. Tips are presented on the various ways of storing pellets. Quality-assurance aspects are examined and manufacturers and distributors of wood pellets are listed. A further article takes a closer look at a large Swiss manufacturer of pellets and describes the production process used as well as the logistics necessary for the transportation of raw materials and finished products. The brochure also presents a selection of pellet ovens and heating systems from various manufacturers. A further article illustrates the use of pellets as a means of heating apartment blocks built to the MINERGIE low-energy-consumption standard. In the example quoted, the classic combination of solar energy for the pre-heating of hot water and pellets for the central heating and hot water supply is used. The use of a buried spherical tank to store pellets - and thus the saving of space inside the building - is described in a further article that takes a look at the refurbishment of the heating system in a single-family home. Finally, various contributions presented at the Pellets Forum held in Berne in November 2003 are summarised in a short article

Power from Pellets Technology and Applications

CERN Document Server

Döring, Stefan

2013-01-01

This book provides a practical description of the technology of pellet production on the basis of renewable sources as well as the utilization of pellets. The author explains what kinds of biomass are usable in addition to wood, how to produce pellets and how to use pellets to produce energy. Starting with the basics of combustion, gasification and the pelletizing process, several different technologies are described. The design, planning, construction and economic efficiency are discussed as well. The appendix gives useful advice about plant concepts, calculations, addresses, conversion tables and formulas.

Unsteady motion: escape jumps in planktonic copepods, their kinematics and energetics

Science.gov (United States)

Kiørboe, Thomas; Andersen, Anders; Langlois, Vincent J.; Jakobsen, Hans H.

2010-01-01

We describe the kinematics of escape jumps in three species of 0.3–3.0 mm-sized planktonic copepods. We find similar kinematics between species with periodically alternating power strokes and passive coasting and a resulting highly fluctuating escape velocity. By direct numerical simulations, we estimate the force and power output needed to accelerate and overcome drag. Both are very high compared with those of other organisms, as are the escape velocities in comparison to startle velocities of other aquatic animals. Thus, the maximum weight-specific force, which for muscle motors of other animals has been found to be near constant at 57 N (kg muscle)−1, is more than an order of magnitude higher for the escaping copepods. We argue that this is feasible because most copepods have different systems for steady propulsion (feeding appendages) and intensive escapes (swimming legs), with the muscular arrangement of the latter probably adapted for high force production during short-lasting bursts. The resulting escape velocities scale with body length to power 0.65, different from the size-scaling of both similar sized and larger animals moving at constant velocity, but similar to that found for startle velocities in other aquatic organisms. The relative duration of the pauses between power strokes was observed to increase with organism size. We demonstrate that this is an inherent property of swimming by alternating power strokes and pauses. We finally show that the Strouhal number is in the range of peak propulsion efficiency, again suggesting that copepods are optimally designed for rapid escape jumps. PMID:20462876

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON POPULATION DYNAMIC OF HARPACTICOID COPEPOD Euterpina acutifrons IN CULTURE CONDITION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip Teguh Imanto

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The most important factor to high mortality rate in larval rearing is feeding success in early larval stage related to kind and size of natural live food. Copepod basically is the main source of natural food in the open ocean having some advantages such as smaller size of nauplii, attractive movement and high nutritional value. Observation on population dynamic of harpacticoid copepod Euterpina acutifrons was carried out using 5-L plastic bucket with initial density 100 ind./L. Green algae Nannochloropsis sp. was added to culture media at density of 50,000 cells/mL as a basic feed and additional feeds given were wheat flour (group A and chicken liver (group B at a rate of 50 mg/bucket. The result showed that there was no difference on population pattern in both groups where the incubation time took eight days to hatch, from nauplii to the copepodite stage was three days and from copepodite to adult copepod took five-to-six days. The differences came up from population number: in group (A the highest number of copepod-bearing-egg was only 133 ind., nauplii production up to 62,833 ind. and number of copepodites was 22,333 ind. lower compared to group (B with the highest copepod-egg was 308 ind., nauplii was 113,333 ind. and copepodite was 51,167 ind. The conclusion pointed out that the kind of food did not influence population pattern (quality but gave effect to population growth.

Effect of ocean acidification on the nutritional quality of phytoplankton for copepod reproduction

Science.gov (United States)

Meyers, M.; Cochlan, W. P.; Kimmerer, W.; Carpenter, E. J.

2016-02-01

Phytoplankton are the oceans' primary producers of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which provide marine organisms with nutrients needed for health and reproduction. It is hypothesized that future ocean acidification (OA) conditions could change the availability of phytoplankton PUFAs for ecologically significant predators such as copepods, affecting their reproductive success. Three species of phytoplankton (Rhodomonas salina, Skeletonema marinoi, Prorocentrum micans) were cultured under present-day (400ppm CO2, pH 8.1) and predicted future (1000ppm CO2, pH 7.8) oceanic conditions. For four days, female Acartia tonsa copepods were fed a phytoplankton mixture from either the present-day or predicted-future treatment. To assess changes in phytoplankton PUFA content, fatty acid profiles were analyzed via capillary gas chromatography. Copepod egg production (EP), hatching success (HS), and egg viability (EV) were determined to assess copepod reproductive success. Fatty acid analysis shows essential PUFAs comprise a smaller percentage of total fatty acids in phytoplankton cultured under high pCO2 (Rho 21.5%; Ske 14.1%; Pro 14.4%) compared to those cultured under present-day pCO2 (Rho 28.8%, Ske 32.7%, Pro 39.3%). Copepod reproduction data demonstrate that females fed phytoplankton cultured under high pCO2 have significantly lower EP (μ=14.3 eggs female-1), HS (μ=35.8%), and EV (μ=12.5%) compared to reproductive success of females fed phytoplankton cultured under present-day CO2 (EP μ=27.0 eggs female-1; HS μ=91.5%; EV μ=96.6%). This study demonstrates that OA can change the nutritional quality of primary producers, which can affect the reproductive success of fundamental secondary consumers.

Distribution of pelagic harpacticoid copepods from the Indian ocean

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Haridas, P.; Rao, T.S.S.

Pelagic harpacticoid copepods have been studied from the International Indian Ocean Expedition collections. Macrosetella gracilis and Miracia efferata were the most common species of harpacticoids with high densities near land masses. Other three...

Solid deuterium centrifuge pellet injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, C.A.

1982-01-01

Pellet injectors are needed to fuel long pulse tokamak plasmas and other magnetic confinement devices. For this purpose, an apparatus has been developed that forms 1.3-mm-diam pellets of frozen deuterium at a rate of 40 pellets per second and accelerates them to a speed of 1 km/s. Pellets are formed by extruding a billet of solidified deuterium through a 1.3-mm-diam nozzle at a speed of 5 cm/s. The extruding deuterium is chopped with a razor knife, forming 1.3-mm right circular cylinders of solid deuterium. The pellets are accelerated by synchronously injecting them into a high speed rotating arbor containing a guide track, which carries them from a point near the center of rotation to the periphery. The pellets leave the wheel after 150 0 of rotation at double the tip speed. The centrifuge is formed in the shape of a centrifugal catenary and is constructed of high strength KEVLAR/epoxy composite. This arbon has been spin-tested to a tip speed of 1 km/s

Nuclear fuel pellet charging device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komuro, Kojiro.

1990-01-01

The present invention concerns a nuclear fuel pellet loading device, in which nuclear fuel pellets are successively charged from an open end of a fuel can while rotating the can. That is, a fuel can sealed at one end with an end plug and opened at the other end is rotated around its pipe axis as the center on a rotationally diriving table. During rotation of the fuel can, nuclear fuel pellets are successively charged by means of a feed rod of a feeding device to the inside of the fuel can. The fuel can is rotated while being supported horizontally and the fuel pellets are charged from the open end thereof. Alternatively, the fuel can is rotated while being supported obliquely and the fuel pellets are charged gravitationally into the fuel can. In this way, the damages to the barrier of the fuel can can be reduce. Further, since the fuel pellets can be charged gravitationally by rotating the fuel can while being supported obliquely, the damages to the barrier can be reduced remarkably. (I.S.)

Solid deuterium centrifuge pellet injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, C.A.

1983-01-01

Pellet injectors are needed to fuel long pulse tokamak plasmas and other magnetic confinement devices. For this purpose, an apparatus has been developed that forms 1.3-mm-diam pellets of frozen deuterium at a rate of 40 pellets per second and accelerates them to a speed of 1 km/s. Pellets are formed by extruding a billet of solidified deuterium through a 1.3-mm-diam nozzle at a speed of 5 cm/s. The extruding deuterium is chopped with a razor knife, forming 1.3-mm right circular cylinders of solid deuterium. The pellets are accelerated by synchronously injecting them into a high speed rotating arbor containing a guide track, which carries them from a point near the center of rotation to the periphery. The pellets leave the wheel after 150 0 of rotation at double the tip speed. The centrifuge is formed in the shape of a centrifugal catenary and is constructed of high strength Kevlar/epoxy composite. This arbor has been spin-tested to a tip speed of 1 km/s

Consequences of acclimation to Microcystis on the selective feeding behavior of the calanoid copepod Eudiaptomus gracilis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ger, K.A.; Panosso, R.; Lürling, M.

2011-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that calanoid copepods would adapt to extended periods of Microcystis exposure by increasing selective feeding on alternative food. Copepod (Eudiaptomus gracilis) clearance rates were compared before and after a 5-d acclimation to Microcystis aeruginosa using paired food

Automatic pellet density checking machine using vision technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Suman; Raju, Y.S.; Raj Kumar, J.V.; Sairam, S.; Sheela; Hemantha Rao, G.V.S.

2012-01-01

Uranium di-oxide powder prepared through chemical process is converted to green pellets through the powder metallurgy route of precompaction and final compaction operations. These green pellets are kept in a molybdenum boat, which consists of a molybdenum base and a shroud. The boats are passed through the high temperature sintering furnaces to achieve required density of pellets. At present MIL standard 105 E is followed for measuring density of sintered pellets in the boat. As per AQL 2.5 of MIL standard, five pellets are collected from each boat, which contains approximately 800 nos of pellets. The densities of these collected pellets are measured. If anyone pellet density is less than the required value, the entire boat of pellets are rejected and sent back for dissolution for further processing. An Automatic Pellet Density Checking Machine (APDCM) was developed to salvage the acceptable density pellets from the rejected boat of pellets

Emissions from burning of softwood pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsson, Maria; Kjaellstrand, Jennica

2004-01-01

Softwood pellets from three different Swedish manufacturers were burnt in laboratory scale to determine compounds emitted. The emissions were sampled on Tenax cartridges and assessed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. No large differences in the emissions from pellets from different manufacturers were observed. The major primary semi-volatile compounds released during flaming burning were 2-methoxyphenols from lignin. The methoxyphenols are of interest due to their antioxidant effect, which may counteract health hazards of aromatic hydrocarbons. Glowing combustion released the carcinogenic benzene as the predominant aromatic compound. However, the benzene emissions were lower than from flaming burning. To relate the results from the laboratory burnings to emissions from pellet burners and pellet stoves, chimney emissions were determined for different burning equipments. The pellet burner emitted benzene as the major aromatic compound, whereas the stove and boiler emitted phenolic antioxidants together with benzene. As the demand for pellets increases, different biomass wastes will be considered as raw materials. Ecological aspects and pollution hazards indicate that wood pellets should be used primarily for residential heating, whereas controlled large-scale combustion should be preferred for pellets made of most other types of biomass waste. (Author)

Electrothermal plasma gun as a pellet injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kincaid, R.W.; Bourham, M.A.

1994-01-01

The NCSU electrothermal plasma gun SIRENS has been used to accelerate plastic (Lexan polycarbonate) pellets, to determine the feasibility of the use of electrothermal guns as pellet injectors. The use of an electrothermal gun to inject frozen hydrogenic pellets requires a mechanism to provide protective shells (sabots) for shielding the pellet from ablation during acceleration into and through the barrel of the gun. The gun has been modified to accommodate acceleration of the plastic pellets using special acceleration barrels equipped with diagnostics for velocity and position of the pellet, and targets to absorb the pellet's energy on impact. The length of the acceleration path could be varied between 15 and 45 cm. The discharge energy of the electrothermal gun ranged from 2 to 6 kJ. The pellet velocities have been measured via a set of break wires. Pellet masses were varied between 0.5 and 1.0 grams. Preliminary results on 0.5 and 1.0 g pellets show that the exit velocity reaches 0.9 km/s at 6 kJ input energy to the source. Higher velocities of 1.5 and 2.7 km/s have been achieved using 0.5 and 1.0 gm pellets in 30 cm long barrel, without cleaning the barrel between the shots

Resting eggs in free living marine and estuarine copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Mark Wejlemann; Kiørboe, Thomas; Brun, Philipp Georg

2018-01-01

Marine free living copepods can survive harsh periods and cope with seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions using resting eggs (embryonic dormancy). Laboratory experiments show that temperature is the common driver for resting egg production. Hence, we hypothesize (i) that seasonal...... temperature variation, rather than variation in food abundance is the main driver for the occurrence of the resting eggs strategy in marine and estuarine copepod species; and (ii) that the thermal boundaries of the distribution determine where resting eggs are produced and whether they are produced to cope...... with warm or cold periods. We compile literature information on the occurrence of resting egg production and relate this to spatio-temporal patterns in sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a concentration obtained from satellite observations. We find that the production of resting eggs has been reported...

Pellet-plasma interactions in tokamaks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chang, C.T.

1991-01-01

confinement time, offset by the accumulation of impurities at the plasma core is brought into focus. A possible remedy is suggested to diminish the effect of the impurities. Plausible arguments are presented to explain the apparent controversial observations on the propagation of a fast cooling front ahead......The ablation of a refuelling pellet of solid hydrogen isotopes is governed by the plasma state, especially the density and energy distribution of the electrons. On the other hand, the cryogenic pellet gives rise to perturbations of the plasma temperature and density. Based on extensive experimental...... data, the interaction between the pellet and the plasma is reviewed. Among the subjects discussed are the MHD activity, evolution of temperature and density profiles, and the behaviour of impurities following the injection of a pellet (or pellets). The beneficial effect of density peaking on the energy...

Dealing with the presence of the ciliate Euplotes sp. in cultures of the copepod Acartia tonsa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drillet, Guillaume; Dutz, Jörg

2014-01-01

Ciliates in live feed cultures can be a pest that lower production yields. This could dramatically affect the management and success of copepod cultures. In this study, we investigated the effect of the ciliate Euplotes sp. on egg production, specific egg production and egg hatching success...... of unsaturated fatty acids, but the amount of fatty acids compared to their carbon weight was very low and, therefore, it was considered as a poor food source. We propose a short-term interruption of food supply to copepod cultures in order to mitigate bloom formation of ciliates. This will force copepods...

High-rate behaviour of iron ore pellet

Science.gov (United States)

Gustafsson, Gustaf; Häggblad, Hans-Åke; Jonsén, Pär; Nishida, Masahiro

2015-09-01

Iron ore pellets are sintered, centimetre-sized spheres of ore with high iron content. Together with carbonized coal, iron ore pellets are used in the production of steel. In the transportation from the pelletizing plants to the customers, the iron ore pellets are exposed to different loading situations, resulting in degradation of strength and in some cases fragmentation. For future reliable numerical simulations of the handling and transportation of iron ore pellets, knowledge about their mechanical properties is needed. This paper describes the experimental work to investigate the dynamic mechanical properties of blast furnace iron ore pellets. To study the dynamic fracture of iron ore pellets a number of split Hopkinson pressure bar tests are carried out and analysed.

Patterns of copepod diversity in the Chilean coastal upwelling system

Science.gov (United States)

Hidalgo, Pamela; Escribano, Ruben; Vergara, Odette; Jorquera, Erika; Donoso, Katty; Mendoza, Paula

2010-12-01

The copepod community structure from the Northern and Central/southern upwelling regions off Chile was studied and compared. The derived community descriptors were species abundance (N), species richness (R) and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H'). These descriptors were related to distinct habitats and conditions, sea surface temperature (SST) and depth of the upper boundary of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). From 159 samples, obtained between 2002 and 2008, a total number of 118 species were found of which the calanoids Paracalanus indicus, Acartia tonsa and Eucalanus inermis, along with the cyclopoid Oithona similis, and the poecilostomatoids Triconia conifera and Oncaea media were the dominant species. H' was higher in the northern region, but no differences in N and R were detected between regions. N was higher in the epipelagic vs the deep habitat, but R and H' did not differ. N, R and H' correlated positively to SST and negatively to OMZ depth. The ascent of the OMZ to the upper layer forced by upwelling was proposed as a mechanism that aggregates and increases copepod diversity in the food-rich photic zone. All these findings suggest a fundamental role of upwelling variation for modulating copepod dynamics and community structure in this highly productive but strongly variable marine ecosystem.

Fuel pellets from biomass: The importance of the pelletizing pressure and its dependency on the processing conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stelte, Wolfgang; Holm, Jens K.; Sanadi, Anand R.

2011-01-01

The aim of the present study was to identify the key factors affecting the pelletizing pressure in biomass pelletization processes. The impact of raw material type, pellet length, temperature, moisture content and particle size on the pressure build up in the press channel of a pellet mill...... act as lubricants, lowering the friction between the biomass and the press channel walls. The effect of moisture content on the pelletizing pressure was dependent on the raw material species. Different particle size fractions, from below 0.5 mm up to 2.8 mm diameter, were tested, and it was shown...

Response of copepods to elevated pCO2 and environmental copper as co-stressors--a multigenerational study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan C Fitzer

Full Text Available We examined the impacts of ocean acidification and copper as co-stressors on the reproduction and population level responses of the benthic copepod Tisbe battagliai across two generations. Naupliar production, growth, and cuticle elemental composition were determined for four pH values: 8.06 (control; 7.95; 7.82; 7.67, with copper addition to concentrations equivalent to those in benthic pore waters. An additive synergistic effect was observed; the decline in naupliar production was greater with added copper at decreasing pH than for decreasing pH alone. Naupliar production modelled for the two generations revealed a negative synergistic impact between ocean acidification and environmentally relevant copper concentrations. Conversely, copper addition enhanced copepod growth, with larger copepods produced at each pH compared to the impact of pH alone. Copepod digests revealed significantly reduced cuticle concentrations of sulphur, phosphorus and calcium under decreasing pH; further, copper uptake increased to toxic levels that lead to reduced naupliar production. These data suggest that ocean acidification will enhance copper bioavailability, resulting in larger, but less fecund individuals that may have an overall detrimental outcome for copepod populations.

Effect of grazing-mediated dimethyl sulfide (DMS) production on the swimming behavior of the copepod Calanus helgolandicus.

Science.gov (United States)

Breckels, Mark N; Bode, Nikolai W F; Codling, Edward A; Steinke, Michael

2013-07-15

Chemical interactions play a fundamental role in the ecology of marine foodwebs. Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is a ubiquitous marine trace gas that acts as a bioactive compound by eliciting foraging behavior in a range of marine taxa including the copepod Temora longicornis. Production of DMS can rapidly increase following microzooplankton grazing on phytoplankton. Here, we investigated whether grazing-induced DMS elicits an increase in foraging behavior in the copepod Calanus helgolandicus. We developed a semi-automated method to quantify the effect of grazing-mediated DMS on the proportion of the time budget tethered females allocate towards slow swimming, typically associated with feeding. The pooled data showed no differences in the proportion of the 25 min time budget allocated towards slow swimming between high (23.6 ± 9.74%) and low (29.1 ± 18.33%) DMS treatments. However, there was a high degree of variability between behavioral responses of individual copepods. We discuss the need for more detailed species-specific studies of individual level responses of copepods to chemical signals at different spatial scales to improve our understanding of chemical interactions between copepods and their prey.

Laboratory scale photobioreactor for high production of microalgae Rhodomonas salina used as food for intensive copepod cultures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thuy, Minh Vu Thi; Jepsen, Per Meyer; Hansen, Benni Winding

Introduction Microalgae are essential feeds for many cultured molluscs, larvae of marine fishes, crustaceans as well as other important live feeds including rotifers, Artemia and copepods (Muller-Feuga, 2000). Microalgae are grown either in open culture systems (ponds) or closed systems (photobio......Introduction Microalgae are essential feeds for many cultured molluscs, larvae of marine fishes, crustaceans as well as other important live feeds including rotifers, Artemia and copepods (Muller-Feuga, 2000). Microalgae are grown either in open culture systems (ponds) or closed systems...... for copepods (Støttrup and Jensen, 1990; Zhang et al., 2013). Despite the benefit of using R. salina in cultivation of copepods, to our knowledge, there is no report on the production of this microalga at industrial scale to supply sufficient food for mass production of copepods. We intend to conduct the basic...... was cultivated continuously at temperature of 20ºC and salinity of 30ppt in two tubular PBRs with addition of CO2. The experiment was run two times and each PBR in 18 - 30 days. Periodically, the algae were sampled for analyzing the growth, biochemical composition and production. An exponential light model...

Intelligent Automated Nuclear Fuel Pellet Inspection System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keyvan, S.

1999-01-01

At the present time, nuclear pellet inspection is performed manually using naked eyes for judgment and decisionmaking on accepting or rejecting pellets. This current practice of pellet inspection is tedious and subject to inconsistencies and error. Furthermore, unnecessary re-fabrication of pellets is costly and the presence of low quality pellets in a fuel assembly is unacceptable. To improve the quality control in nuclear fuel fabrication plants, an automated pellet inspection system based on advanced techniques is needed. Such a system addresses the following concerns of the current manual inspection method: (1) the reliability of inspection due to typical human errors, (2) radiation exposure to the workers, and (3) speed of inspection and its economical impact. The goal of this research is to develop an automated nuclear fuel pellet inspection system which is based on pellet video (photographic) images and uses artificial intelligence techniques

Copepod composition, abundance and diversity in Makupa Creek ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evenness (J) was, however, relatively constant (0.67 to 0.84) during the entire sampling period. These results point to suppressed copepod diversity and abundance in Makupa Creek, and possible reasons for this, which may include environmental degradation caused by pollution, are presented. Western Indian Ocean ...

FBR pellet fabrication - density and dimensional control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, D.E.; Schaus, P.S.

1982-01-01

The fuel pellet fabricating experience described in this paper involved pellet processing tests using mixed oxide (PuO 2 -UO 2 ) powders to produce fast breeder reactor (FBR) fuel pellets. Objectives of the pellet processing tests were to establish processing parameters for sintered-to-size fuel pellets to be used in an irradiation test in the Fast Flux Test Facility and to establish baseline fabrication control information. 26 figures, 7 tables

Survival, growth performance and immune capacity of the juvenile lined seahorse Hippocampus erectus fed with rifampicin-treated copepods.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Tingting; Wang, Changbo; Liu, Xin; Gao, Fen; Xiao, Dongxue; Zhang, Dong; Zhu, Xialian

2017-06-19

Gastrointestinal disease is one of the most serious diseases in cultured seahorse juveniles. Treatment with antimicrobials of live food (i.e. copepods and Artemia) that is used to feed the juveniles may be a promising measure to alleviate the occurrence of gastrointestinal disease. However, relevant investigations are rare. In the present study, we first investigated the antimicrobial efficacies on bacteria within copepods that were treated with 4 antimicrobials, including 3 antibiotics (i.e. enrofloxacin hydrochloride, oxytetracycline and rifampicin [RFP]) that are approved for use in aquaculture and 1 disinfectant (i.e. povidone iodine). We then assessed the effects of copepods treated with the antimicrobial that had the best antimicrobial efficacy on survival, growth performance and immune capacity of juvenile lined seahorses Hippocampus erectus. The results showed that RFP had the best antimicrobial efficacy on both Pseudoalteromonas spp. and Vibrio spp., 2 dominant bacteria with potential pathogenicity within the copepods; the proper concentration of RFP was 6 mg l-1. Moreover, H. erectus juveniles fed with RFP-treated copepods demonstrated an improved survivorship and immune capacity and had a lower abundance of pathogenic bacteria within their gastrointestinal tracts compared to juveniles fed with untreated copepods. These results suggest that treating live food with RFP is a potential measure for reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal disease in seahorse juveniles.

Histopathology of a mesoparasitic hatschekiid copepod in hospite: does Mihbaicola sakamakii (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Hatschekiidae) fast within the host fish tissue?

Science.gov (United States)

Hirose, Euichi; Uyeno, Daisuke

2014-08-01

Mihbaicola sakamakii is a mesoparasitic copepod that infests the branchiostegal membranes of groupers (Perciformes: Serranidae). In this study, we observed M. sakamakii within host tissue. Histologically, copepods were found enclosed inside a pouch composed of the thickened epidermis of the host, tightly encased on all sides by the host epidermal pouch wall. There were no host blood cells or other food resources in the pouch lumen. Since the host epidermis was intact and continuous, even in the vicinity of the oral region of the parasite, the copepod would not have access to the host blood in this state. However, the stomach (ampullary part of the mid gut) was filled with granular components, the majority of which were crystalloids that likely originated from fish erythrocyte hemoglobin. We supposed that the parasite drinks blood exuded from the lesion in the fish caused by copepod entry into the host tissue. Invasion of the parasite may elicit immune responses in the host, but there were no traces on the copepod of any cellular immune reactions, such as encapsulation. The array of minute protuberances on the copepod cuticle surface may be involved in avoidance of cell adhesion. After the lesion has healed, the copepod is enclosed in a tough epidermal pouch, in which it gradually digests the contents of its stomach and continues egg production.

Uranium dioxide pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zawidzki, T.W.

1982-01-01

A process for the preparation of a sintered, high density, large crystal grain size uranium dioxide pellet is described which involves: (i) reacting a uranyl nitrate of formula UO 2 (NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O with a sulphur source, at a temperature of from about 300 deg. C to provide a sulphur-containing uranium trioxide; (ii) reacting the thus-obtained modified uranium trioxide with ammonium nitrate to form an insoluble sulphur-containing ammonium uranate; (iii) neutralizing the thus-formed slurry with ammonium hydroxide to precipitate out as an insoluble ammonium uranate the remaining dissolved uranium; (iv) recovering the thus-formed precipitates in a dry state; (v) reducing the dry precipitate to UO 2 , and forming it into 'green' pellets; and (vi) sintering the pellets in a hydrogen atmosphere at an elevated temperature

Copepod (Crustacea) emergence from soils from everglades marshes with different hydroperiods

Science.gov (United States)

Loftus, W.F.; Reid, J.W.

2000-01-01

During a severe drought period in the winter and spring of 1989, we made three collections of dried marsh soils from freshwater sloughs in Everglades National Park, Florida, at sites characterized by either long or intermediate annual periods of flooding (hydroperiod). After rehydrating the soils in aquaria, we documented the temporal patterns of copepod emergence over two-week periods. The species richness of copepods in the rehydrated soils was lower than in pre-drought samples from the same slough sites. Only six of the 16 species recorded from the Everglades emerged in the aquarium tests. The long hydroperiod site had a slightly different assemblage and higher numbers of most species than the intermediate-hydroperiod sites. More individuals and species emerged from the early dry-season samples compared with samples taken later in the dry season. The harpacticoid, Cletocamptus deitersi, and the cyclopoid, Microcyclops rubellus, were abundant at most sites. The cyclopoids - Ectocyclops phaleratus, Homocyclops ater, and Paracyclops chiltoni - are new records for the Everglades. We infer that 1) only a subset of Everglades copepod species can survive drought by resting in soils; and that 2) survival ability over time differs by species.

Combined Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Copepod Abundance, Body Size and Fatty Acid Content.

Science.gov (United States)

Garzke, Jessica; Hansen, Thomas; Ismar, Stefanie M H; Sommer, Ulrich

2016-01-01

Concerns about increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming have initiated studies on the consequences of multiple-stressor interactions on marine organisms and ecosystems. We present a fully-crossed factorial mesocosm study and assess how warming and acidification affect the abundance, body size, and fatty acid composition of copepods as a measure of nutritional quality. The experimental set-up allowed us to determine whether the effects of warming and acidification act additively, synergistically, or antagonistically on the abundance, body size, and fatty acid content of copepods, a major group of lower level consumers in marine food webs. Copepodite (developmental stages 1-5) and nauplii abundance were antagonistically affected by warming and acidification. Higher temperature decreased copepodite and nauplii abundance, while acidification partially compensated for the temperature effect. The abundance of adult copepods was negatively affected by warming. The prosome length of copepods was significantly reduced by warming, and the interaction of warming and CO2 antagonistically affected prosome length. Fatty acid composition was also significantly affected by warming. The content of saturated fatty acids increased, and the ratios of the polyunsaturated essential fatty acids docosahexaenoic- (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) to total fatty acid content increased with higher temperatures. Additionally, here was a significant additive interaction effect of both parameters on arachidonic acid. Our results indicate that in a future ocean scenario, acidification might partially counteract some observed effects of increased temperature on zooplankton, while adding to others. These may be results of a fertilizing effect on phytoplankton as a copepod food source. In summary, copepod populations will be more strongly affected by warming rather than by acidifying oceans, but ocean acidification effects can modify some temperature impacts.

Marine bioinvasions: Differences in tropical copepod communities between inside and outside a port

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, Marcelo de Oliveira; Campos, Carolina Coelho; Santos, Nívia Maria Oliveira; Barroso, Hortência de Sousa; Mota, Erika Maria Targino; Menezes, Maria Ozilea Bezerra de; Rossi, Sergio; Garcia, Tatiane Martins

2018-04-01

The difficulty of detecting non-indigenous species (NIS) in marine environments is an "invisible problem" in areas where plankton monitoring does not occur. In this study, we investigated the dominance of the NIS Temora turbinata and copepod community structure in two tropical marine habitats: inside an offshore port, which had turbid and calm waters, and outside the port, which was more hydrodynamic. Our study area was on the northeast coast of Brazil. We found 17 taxa of Copepoda, which were dominated by T. turbinata and the congener, T. stylifera. The high average density of the NIS (21.03 ind./m3) was in stark contrast with that of the native copepods (0.01-3.27 ind./m3). The NIS density was negatively correlated with the species richness and evenness of the native community, was significantly higher inside the port than outside, and was positively correlated with phytoplankton density. A multivariate analysis revealed that there was a significant difference in copepod community structure between inside and outside the port; outside the port, the community was more diverse, and the native T. stylifera was more abundant. We found that tropical copepod communities inside an offshore port have low diversity, and probably have little biotic resistance against NIS invasions. Our results, combined with those previously obtained, highlight the need to study the spatial distributions of NIS and native species in pelagic environments.

SAF line pellet gaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jedlovec, D.R.; Bowen, W.W.; Brown, R.L.

1983-10-01

Automated and remotely controlled pellet inspection operations will be utilized in the Secure Automated Fabrication (SAF) line. A prototypic pellet gage was designed and tested to verify conformance to the functions and requirements for measurement of diameter, surface flaws and weight-per-unit length

Development and problems of pellet markets in Austria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemestothy, K.P.; Rakos, C.

2001-01-01

Wood pellets became into Austrian markets in 1994. Up to then the Austrian industry had manufactured pellet fireplaces for export, but none was sold into Austria, because there were not pellets available in the Austrian markets. In spite of significant problems in the beginning and unfavourable economic conditions (decrease of oil prices) the pellet markets in Austria have increased since 1996 dynamically. Annual pellet deliveries have increased from 15 000 t/a to present 45 000 t/a. Customers and Austrian industry are interested in pellets and they believe in the future. The pellet manufacturing capacity increases continuously. In 1999 the capacity of 12 companies was 120 000 t. In 2003 the annual pellet consumption is estimated to over 100 000 tons and in 2010 about 200 000 tons. Main portion of the pellet manufactures in Austria is also used in the country by detached houses and small real estate houses. The pellet markets for large real estates are developing after the boiler manufacturers have started to produce pellet-fired equipment. The number of pellet-fired devices in 1997, sold to detached houses was 425, and in 2000 the number was 3500

Linking climate change to community-level impacts on copepods via a new, trait-based model: Life-history and metabolic mechanisms compared

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banas, Neil S.; Møller, Eva Friis; Nielsen, Torkel Gissel

2017-01-01

A new, trait-based copepod model ("Coltrane": Copepod Life-history Traits and Adaptation to Novel Environments) has been developed, drawing on past work on both optimal annual routines and trait-based plankton metacommunity models, in order to evaluate climate impacts on copepods via 1) phenology...... and physiology of local populations of C. finmarchicus, C. glacialis, and C. hyperboreus. Futhermore, the model replicates the observed range of stored lipid content of these copepod populations (30–60%, C. finmarchicus–C. hyperboreus), suggesting a means for linking changes in temperature and primary production...

Linking climate change to community-level impacts on copepods via a new, trait-based model: Life-history and metabolic mechanisms compared

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banas, Neil S.; Møller, Eva Friis; Nielsen, Torkel Gissel

A new, trait-based copepod model ("Coltrane": Copepod Life-history Traits and Adaptation to Novel Environments) has been developed, drawing on past work on both optimal annual routines and trait-based plankton metacommunity models, in order to evaluate climate impacts on copepods via 1) phenology...... and physiology of local populations of C. finmarchicus, C. glacialis, and C. hyperboreus. Futhermore, the model replicates the observed range of stored lipid content of these copepod populations (30–60%, C. finmarchicus–C. hyperboreus), suggesting a means for linking changes in temperature and primary production...

A centrifuge CO2 pellet cleaning system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, C.A.; Fisher, P.W.; Nelson, W.D.; Schechter, D.E.

1993-01-01

Centrifuge-based cryogenic pellet accelerator technology, originally developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the purpose of refueling fusion reactors with high-speed pellets of frozen deuterium/tritium,is now being developed as a method of cleaning without the use of conventional solvents. In these applications large quantities of pellets made of frozen CO 2 or argon are accelerated in a high-speed rotor. The accelerated pellet stream is used to clean or etch surfaces. The advantage of this system is that the spent pellets and debris resulting from the cleaning process can be filtered leaving only the debris for disposal. This paper discusses the centrifuge CO 2 pellet cleaning system, the physics model of the pellet impacting the surface, the centrifuge apparatus, and some initial cleaning and etching tests

Nuclear fuel pellet transfer escalator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huggins, T.B. Sr.; Roberts, E.; Edmunds, M.O.

1991-01-01

This patent describes a nuclear fuel pellet escalator for loading nuclear fuel pellets into a sintering boat. It comprises a generally horizontally-disposed pellet transfer conveyor for moving pellets in single file fashion from a receiving end to a discharge end thereof, the conveyor being mounted about an axis at its receiving end for pivotal movement to generally vertically move its discharge end toward and away from a sintering boat when placed below the discharge end of the conveyor, the conveyor including an elongated arm swingable vertically about the axis and having an elongated channel recessed below an upper side of the arm and extending between the receiving and discharge ends of the conveyor; a pellet dispensing chute mounted to the arm of the conveyor at the discharge end thereof and extending therebelow such that the chute is carried at the discharge end of the conveyor for generally vertical movement therewith toward and away from the sintering boat

Pellet injector development and experiments at ORNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baylor, L.R.; Argo, B.E.; Barber, G.C.; Combs, S.K.; Cole, M.J.; Dyer, G.R.; Fehling, D.T.; Fisher, P.W.; Foster, C.A.; Foust, C.R.; Gouge, M.J.; Jernigan, T.C.; Langley, R.A.; Milora, S.L.; Qualls, A.L.; Schechter, D.E.; Sparks, D.O.; Tsai, C.C.; Wilgen, J.B.; Whealton, J.H.

1993-01-01

The development of pellet injectors for plasma fueling of magnetic confinement fusion experiments has been under way at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the past 15 years. Recently, ORNL provided a tritium-compatible four-shot pneumatic injector for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) based on the in situ condensation technique that features three single-stage gas guns and an advanced two-stage light gas gun driver. In another application, ORNL supplied the Tore Supra tokamak with a centrifuge pellet injector in 1989 for pellet fueling experiments that has achieved record numbers of injected pellets into a discharge. Work is progressing on an upgrade to that injector to extend the number of pellets to 400 and improve pellet repeatability. In a new application, the ORNL three barrel repeating pneumatic injector has been returned from JET and is being readied for installation on the DIII-D device for fueling and enhanced plasma performance experiments. In addition to these experimental applications, ORNL is developing advanced injector technologies, including high-velocity pellet injectors, tritium pellet injectors, and long-pulse feed systems. The two-stage light gas gun and electron-beam-driven rocket are the acceleration techniques under investigation for achieving high velocity. A tritium proof-of-principle (TPOP) experiment has demonstrated the feasibility of tritium pellet production and acceleration. A new tritium-compatible, extruder-based, repeating pneumatic injector is being fabricated to replace the pipe gun in the TPOP experiment and will explore issues related to the extrudability of tritium and acceleration of large tritium pellets. The tritium pellet formation experiments and development of long-pulse pellet feed systems are especially relevant to the International Tokamak Engineering Reactor (ITER)

The reproductive effort of Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Copepoda: Caligidae): insights into the egg production strategy of parasitic copepods.

Science.gov (United States)

Frade, D G; Santos, M J; Cavaleiro, F I

2016-01-01

The reproductive effort of Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Müller O. F., 1776), a caligid copepod, which is commonly found infecting the European flounder, Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758), is studied in detail for the first time. Seasonal variation in body dimensions and reproductive effort are analysed. Data for 120 ovigerous females, 30 from each season of the year, were considered in the analyses. Females were larger and produced a larger number of smaller eggs in winter, than during the summer. The relationship between egg number and egg size is similar to that recorded for other copepods exploiting fish hosts. Much of the recorded variation was also similar to that reported for a copepod parasitic on an invertebrate host, which suggests the possibility of a general trend in copepod reproduction. Overall, our results provide further support for the hypothesis that there is an alternation of summer and winter generations.

The toxicity of arsenic(III), chromium(VI) and zinc to groundwater copepods.

Science.gov (United States)

Hose, G C; Symington, K; Lott, M J; Lategan, M J

2016-09-01

Groundwater ecosystems globally are threatened by anthropogenic contamination, yet there are few ecotoxicological data using obligate groundwater biota on which to base risk assessments. Copepods are found inhabiting aquifers of different geologies around the world and so are a useful taxon for use in ecotoxicological studies of groundwater. The aim of this study was to test the sensitivity of obligate groundwater copepods to metal contaminants (arsenic(III), chromium(VI) and zinc) in groundwater in static 96 h, 14 days and 28 days exposure tests. The copepods were variably sensitive to As, Cr and Zn, with Cr being the most toxic across all taxa. No taxon was consistently most sensitive and there was no apparent relationship between the hardness, pH and organic carbon concentration of the diluent water and the sensitivity of biota. As expected, toxicity increased with exposure period and we encourage the use of longer exposure periods in future toxicity tests with groundwater organisms to reflect the greater exposure periods likely to be associated with groundwater contamination.

Bioaccumulation of sediment-associated fluoranthene in benthic copepods: uptake, elimination and biotransformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lotufo, G.R.

1998-01-01

Most polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) entering aquatic systems reside in sediments and in the storage lipids of the benthic biota. Massive amounts of PAHs reach estuarine systems and threaten their ecosystems. Copepods abound in the estuarine benthos, where they are an important component of food webs. The accumulation of sediment-associated [ 14 C]fluoranthene was examined in adult females of two species of sediment-dwelling copepods, Schizopera knabeni and Coullana sp., collected from a Louisiana salt marsh. Accumulation was measured throughout a short- (24 h) and a long-term (10-day) exposure to concentrations in the sediment ranging from 0 to 1652 nmol (g dry wt.) -1 . Fluoranthene apparent steady state body residue was reached very rapidly ( 14 C activity in the tissues following a 96-h sediment exposure in both species. Given that fluoranthene was taken up from spiked sediment very efficiently and reached steady-state levels in the tissues very rapidly, PAH-contaminated sediments may pose a risk for benthic copepods and their predators. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Pellets - the advance of refined bioenergy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahlstroem, J.E.

1997-01-01

This conference paper discusses the role of pellets in the use of bioenergy in Sweden. Pellets (P) have many advantages: (1) P are dry and can be stored, (2) P create local jobs, (3) P burn without seriously polluting the environment, (4) P are made from domestic and renewable resources, (5) P have high energy density, (6) P fit well in an energy system adapted to nature, (6) P are an economical alternative, both on a small scale and on a large scale. Pellets are more laborious to use than oil or electricity and require about three times as much storage space as oil. The Swedish pellets manufacturers per 1997 are listed. Locally pellets are most conveniently transported as bulk cargo and delivered to a silo by means of pressurized air. Long-distance transport use train or ship. At present, pellets are most often used in large or medium-sized heat plants, but equipment exists for use from private houses and up to the size of MW. Pellets may become the most important alternative to the fossil fuels which along with electricity today are dominating the small scale market. 1 fig., 1 table

Effects of four synthetic musks on the life cycle of the harpacticoid copepod Nitocra spinipes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breitholtz, M.; Wollenberger, Leah; Dinan, L.

2003-01-01

A full life-cycle (:! 26 days exposure) toxicity test with the harpacticoid copepod Nitocra spinipes was used to study the effects of one nitro musk (musk ketone) as well as three polycyclic musks (Tonalide(TM), Celestolide(TM) and Galaxolide(TM)). A subchronic individual life-table endpoint......, the larval development rate, was recorded after 7-8 days exposure of juveniles and was significantly decreased in copepods exposed to sublethal concentrations of musk ketone, Celestolide(TM) and Galaxolide(TM). However, none of the Tonalide(TM) concentrations had any effect on larval development. The lowest...... significantly affected r(m) (***P copepods were dead at the end of the exposures. This shows that a sensitive individual life-table endpoint is protective over the population-level endpoint r(m). Though we think...

Pellet-plasma interaction studies at ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocsis, G.; Belonohy, E.; Gal, K.; Kalvin, S.; Veres, G.; Lang, P.T.

2005-01-01

Pellets produced from cryogenic hydrogen isotopes are used for efficient plasma refueling. Beyond this 'classical' application, pellets pacing the frequency of Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) turned out to be a suitable technique to mitigate the power load on plasma facing components. Although pellet pacing is already integrated in the toolkit for plasma control, its underlying physics is still poorly understood. For investigations aiming to resolve where and how an ELM is triggered by the pellet imposed local perturbation precise knowledge of the ablation profile is required. This renewed and even boosted the interest to understand the interaction of pellets with the hot ambient plasma. Both the investigation of the pellet ablation and also its impact on the target plasma were highlighted. Dedicated investigations require precise information both in the space and time domain. E. g. it is necessary to determine the localization of the pellet at the moment it triggers the ELM as well as the actual imposed 3D distribution of the pellet cloud and its mass deposition profile. By these means, a spatial distribution can be mapped out for a local perturbation of the plasma sufficient to release ELMs. High resolution ablation profile and pellet path measurements at different pellet parameters (mass and velocity) could also help to understand the mechanism of the ELM triggering. Recently pellet-plasma interaction is intensively investigated both experimentally at ASDEX Upgrade tokamak and theoretically based on the obtained experimental data. To gain detailed information an observation system was developed at ASDEX Upgrade consisting of digital cameras that detect the pellet cloud distribution and photo diodes that measure the time evolution of the light emission. The great variety of possible combinations of different images, timings and wavelength selections makes the detection sophisticated. Combination of triggered fast camera images and photo diode signals also enables us

Circular economy in drinking water treatment: reuse of ground pellets as seeding material in the pellet softening process.

Science.gov (United States)

Schetters, M J A; van der Hoek, J P; Kramer, O J I; Kors, L J; Palmen, L J; Hofs, B; Koppers, H

2015-01-01

Calcium carbonate pellets are produced as a by-product in the pellet softening process. In the Netherlands, these pellets are applied as a raw material in several industrial and agricultural processes. The sand grain inside the pellet hinders the application in some high-potential market segments such as paper and glass. Substitution of the sand grain with a calcite grain (100% calcium carbonate) is in principle possible, and could significantly improve the pellet quality. In this study, the grinding and sieving of pellets, and the subsequent reuse as seeding material in pellet softening were tested with two pilot reactors in parallel. In one reactor, garnet sand was used as seeding material, in the other ground calcite. Garnet sand and ground calcite performed equally well. An economic comparison and a life-cycle assessment were made as well. The results show that the reuse of ground calcite as seeding material in pellet softening is technologically possible, reduces the operational costs by €38,000 (1%) and reduces the environmental impact by 5%. Therefore, at the drinking water facility, Weesperkarspel of Waternet, the transition from garnet sand to ground calcite will be made at full scale, based on this pilot plant research.

Injection of pellets into the TCA tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Y.

1993-05-01

This thesis presents experimental results from the analysis of the ablation process of pellets injected into the TCA tokamak. The determination of scaling laws relating the pellet penetration to the pellet and plasma parameters preceding injection, were used to improve the understanding of the interaction of the pellet with the plasma since a) the pellet and plasma conditions preceding injection were varied over a large range, and b) the estimation of the penetration depth takes into account the influence of striations in the deposition profile. Over 400 pellets with a range of sizes and speeds were injected into a range of plasma parameters in order to create a database from which the scaling laws could be deduced. The ablation characteristics were principally measured with two CCD video cameras, which provided good spatial resolution, and two filtered photomultiplier tubes, which provided good temporal resolution of the light emitted from the pellet ablation cloud. In the text, the traditional methods of analysing these diagnostics are examined with special reference to the presumptions that a) the pellet velocity is constant in the plasma, and b) the light intensity determined from the ablation cloud is proportional to the ablation rate. After successive data reduction from the database, in order to separate the effects of varying different parameters, the main observations were that, a) the pellet penetration varies as the square root of the pellet velocity, b) the scaling laws for the other parameters strongly depend on whether the pellet has sufficient velocity to reach the q=1 rational magnetic surface in the tokamak. (author) 45 refs

biological control agents of cyclopoid copepod, vector of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In order to determine the predating capability of some indigenous fishes to Nigeria on cyclopoid copepods, the vector of Dracunculus medinensis, species of three genera of fishes were fled experimentally with Cyclops in the presence or absence of alternate food substances as described in the text. The study revealed that ...

Handling of Deuterium Pellets for Plasma Refuelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Peter Bjødstrup; Andersen, Verner

1982-01-01

The use of a guide tube technique to inject pellets in pellet-plasma experiments is described. The effect of the guide tube on the mass and speed of a slowly moving pellet ( nu approximately 150 m s-1) is negligible. To improve the divergence in trajectories of the pellets on leaving the guide tube...

Copepod colonization of organic and inorganic substrata at a deep-sea hydrothermal vent site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Plum, Christoph; Pradillon, Florence; Fujiwara, Yoshihiro; Sarrazin, Jozée

2017-03-01

The few existing studies on deep-sea hydrothermal vent copepods indicate low connectivity with surrounding environments and reveal high endemism among vents. However, the finding of non-endemic copepod species in association with engineer species at different reduced ecosystems poses questions about the dispersal of copepods and the colonization of hydrothermal vents as well as their ecological connectivity. The objective of this study is to understand copepod colonization patterns at a hydrothermal vent site in response to environmental factors such as temperature and fluid flow as well as the presence of different types of substrata. To address this objective, an in situ experiment was deployed using both organic (woods, pig bones) and inorganic (slates) substrata along a gradient of hydrothermal activity at the Lucky Strike vent field (Eiffel Tower, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). The substrata were deployed in 2011 during the MoMARSAT cruise and were recovered after two years in 2013. Overall, copepod density showed significant differences between substrata types, but was similar among different hydrothermal activity regimes. Highest densities were observed on woods at sites with moderate or low fluid input, whereas bones were the most densely colonized substrata at the 2 sites with higher hydrothermal influence. Although differences in copepod diversity were not significant, the observed trends revealed overall increasing diversity with decreasing temperature and fluid input. Slates showed highest diversity compared to the organic substrata. Temperature and fluid input had a significant influence on copepod community composition, resulting in higher similarity among stations with relatively high and low fluid inputs, respectively. While vent-specialists such as dirivultids and the tegastid Smacigastes micheli dominated substrata at high vent activity, the experiment demonstrated increasing abundance and dominance of non-vent taxa with decreasing temperature and fluid

Copepod distribution and production in a Mid-Atlantic Ridge archipelago

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PEDRO A.M.C. MELO

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA are located close to the Equator in the Atlantic Ocean. The aim of this study was to assess the spatial variations in the copepod community abundance, and the biomass and production patterns of the three most abundant calanoid species in the SPSPA. Plankton samples were collected with a 300 µm mesh size net along four transects (north, east, south and west of the SPSPA, with four stations plotted in each transect. All transects exhibited a tendency toward a decrease in copepod density with increasing distance from the SPSPA, statistically proved in the North. Density varied from 3.33 to 182.18 ind.m−3, and differences were also found between the first perimeter (first circular distance band and the others. The total biomass varied from 15.25 to 524.50 10−3 mg C m−3 and production from 1.19 to 22.04 10−3 mg C m−3d−1. The biomass and production of Undinula vulgaris (Dana, 1849, Acrocalanus longicornis Giesbrecht, 1888 and Calocalanus pavo (Dana, 1849 showed differences between some transects. A trend of declining biodiversity and production with increasing distance from archipelago was observed, suggesting that even small features like the SPSPA can affect the copepod community in tropical oligotrophic oceanic areas.

Community effectiveness of copepods for dengue vector control: systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazaro, A; Han, W W; Manrique-Saide, P; George, L; Velayudhan, R; Toledo, J; Runge Ranzinger, S; Horstick, O

2015-06-01

Vector control remains the only available method for primary prevention of dengue. Several interventions exist for dengue vector control, with limited evidence of their efficacy and community effectiveness. This systematic review compiles and analyses the existing global evidence for community effectiveness of copepods for dengue vector control. The systematic review follows the PRISMA statement, searching six relevant databases. Applying all inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 articles were included. There is evidence that cyclopoid copepods (Mesocyclops spp.) could potentially be an effective vector control option, as shown in five community effectiveness studies in Vietnam. This includes long-term effectiveness for larval and adult control of Ae. aegypti, as well as dengue incidence. However, this success has so far not been replicated elsewhere (six studies, three community effectiveness studies--Costa Rica, Mexico and USA, and three studies analysing both efficacy and community effectiveness--Honduras, Laos and USA), probably due to community participation, environmental and/or biological factors. Judging by the quality of existing studies, there is a lack of good study design, data quality and appropriate statistics. There is limited evidence for the use of cyclopoid copepods as a single intervention. There are very few studies, and more are needed in other communities and environments. Clear best practice guidelines for the methodology of entomological studies should be developed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Capabilities of nitrogen admixed cryogenic deuterium pellets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharov, Igor; Sergeev, Vladimir [SPU, Saint-Petersburg (Russian Federation); Lang, Peter; Ploeckl, Bernhard; Cavedon, Marco [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Garching (Germany); Kocsis, Gabor; Szepesi, Tamas [Wigner RCP RMI, Budapest (Hungary); Collaboration: ASDEX Upgrade Team

2015-05-01

Operation at high core density with high energy confinement - as foreseen in a future fusion reactor like DEMO - is being investigated at ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. The efficiency of pellet fuelling from the high-field side usually increases with increasing injection speed. Due to the fragile nature of the deuterium ice, however, the increment of pellet mass losses and subsequent pellet fragmentations take place when the speed is increased. Studies show, that admixing of a small amount of nitrogen (N{sub 2}) into D{sub 2} gas can be favorable for the mechanical stability of pellets. This might be helpful for deeper pellet penetration. Besides, seeding by N{sub 2} can enhance plasma performance due to both increasing the energy confinement time and reducing the divertor heat load in the envisaged ELMy H-mode plasma scenario. Fuelling efficiency of N{sub 2}-admixed solid D{sub 2} pellets and their nitrogen seeding capabilities were investigated. It was found that both the overall plasma density increase and the measured averaged pellet penetration depth were smaller in case of the admixed (1% mol. in the gas resulting in about 0.8% in the ice) pellet fuelling. Possibility of the N{sub 2}-seeding by admixed pellets was confirmed by CXRS measurements of N{sup 7+} content in plasma.

Combined Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Copepod Abundance, Body Size and Fatty Acid Content.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Garzke

Full Text Available Concerns about increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming have initiated studies on the consequences of multiple-stressor interactions on marine organisms and ecosystems. We present a fully-crossed factorial mesocosm study and assess how warming and acidification affect the abundance, body size, and fatty acid composition of copepods as a measure of nutritional quality. The experimental set-up allowed us to determine whether the effects of warming and acidification act additively, synergistically, or antagonistically on the abundance, body size, and fatty acid content of copepods, a major group of lower level consumers in marine food webs. Copepodite (developmental stages 1-5 and nauplii abundance were antagonistically affected by warming and acidification. Higher temperature decreased copepodite and nauplii abundance, while acidification partially compensated for the temperature effect. The abundance of adult copepods was negatively affected by warming. The prosome length of copepods was significantly reduced by warming, and the interaction of warming and CO2 antagonistically affected prosome length. Fatty acid composition was also significantly affected by warming. The content of saturated fatty acids increased, and the ratios of the polyunsaturated essential fatty acids docosahexaenoic- (DHA and arachidonic acid (ARA to total fatty acid content increased with higher temperatures. Additionally, here was a significant additive interaction effect of both parameters on arachidonic acid. Our results indicate that in a future ocean scenario, acidification might partially counteract some observed effects of increased temperature on zooplankton, while adding to others. These may be results of a fertilizing effect on phytoplankton as a copepod food source. In summary, copepod populations will be more strongly affected by warming rather than by acidifying oceans, but ocean acidification effects can modify some temperature impacts.

Wood pellets for stoker burner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nykaenen, S.

2000-01-01

The author of this article has had a stoker for several years. Wood chips and sod peat has been used as fuels in the stoker, either separately or mixed. Last winter there occurred problems with the sod peat due to poor quality. Wood pellets, delivered by Vapo Oy were tested in the stoker. The price of the pellets seemed to be a little high 400 FIM/500 kg large sack. If the sack is returned in good condition 50 FIM deposit will be repaid to the customer. However, Vapo Oy informed that the calorific value of wood pellets is three times higher than that of sod peat so it should not be more expensive than sod peat. When testing the wood pellets in the stoker, the silo of the stoker was filled with wood pellets. The adjustments were first left to position used for sod peat. However, after the fire had ignited well, the adjustments had to be decreased. The content of the silo was combusted totally. The combustion of the content of the 400 litter silo took 4 days and 22 hours. Respectively combustion of 400 l silo of good quality sod peat took 2 days. The water temperature with wood pellets remained at 80 deg C, while with sod peat it dropped to 70 deg C. The main disadvantage of peat with small loads is the unhomogenous composition of the peat. The results of this test showed that wood pellets will give better efficiency than peat, especially when using small burner heads. The utilization of them is easier, and the amount of ash formed in combustion is significantly smaller than with peat. Wood pellets are always homogenous and dry if you do not spoil it with unproper storage. Pellets do not require large storages, the storage volume needed being less than a half of the volume needed for sod peat. When using large sacks the amount needed can even be transported at the trunk of a passenger car. Depending on the area to be heated, a large sack is sufficient for heating for 2-3 weeks. Filling of stoker every 2-5 day is not an enormous task

Railgun pellet injection system for fusion experimental devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, M.; Hasegawa, K.

1995-01-01

A railgun pellet injection system has been developed for fusion experimental devices. Using a low electric energy railgun system, hydrogen pellet acceleration tests have been conducted to investigate the application of the electromagnetic railgun system for high speed pellet injection into fusion plasmas. In the system, the pellet is pre-accelerated before railgun acceleration. A laser beam is used to induce plasma armature. The ignited plasma armature is accelerated by an electromagnetic force that accelerates the pellet. Under the same operational conditions, the energy conversion coefficient for the dummy pellets was around 0.4%, while that for the hydrogen pellets was around 0.12%. The highest hydrogen pellet velocity was 1.4 km s -1 using a 1 m long railgun. Based on the findings, it is estimated that the hydrogen pellet has the potential to be accelerated to 5 km s -1 using a 3 m long railgun. (orig.)

Pellets direct from the forest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keel, A.

2006-01-01

This article takes a look at developments in the market for wood pellets and their production from forest wood. The general situation in the booming pellets market is reviewed and the potential of this climate-neutral form of heating is discussed. Figures and prognoses on the use of wood pellets are presented. In particular, the potential for the use of forestry wood supplies to augment the use of wood wastes and sawdust from sawmills is looked at

Bioaccumulation of photoprotective compounds in copepods: environmental triggers and sources of intra-specific variability

Science.gov (United States)

Zagarese, H. E.; García, P.; Diéguez, M. D.; Ferraro, M. A.

2012-12-01

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and temperature are two globally important abiotic factors affecting freshwater ecosystems. Planktonic organisms have developed a battery of counteracting mechanisms to minimize the risk of being damaged by UVR, which respond to three basic principles: avoid, protect, repair. Copepods are among the most successful zooplankton groups. They are highly adaptable animals, capable of displaying flexible behaviors, physiologies, and life strategies. In particular, they are well equipped to cope with harmful UVR. Their arsenal includes vertical migration, accumulation of photoprotective compounds, and photorepair. The preference for a particular strategy is affected by a plethora of environmental (extrinsic) parameters, such as the existence of a depth refuge, the risk of visual predation, and temperature. Temperature modifies the environment (e.g. the lake thermal structure), and animal metabolism (e.g., swimming speed, bioaccumulation of photoprotective compounds). In addition, the relative weight of UVR-coping strategies is also influenced by the organism (intrinsic) characteristics (e.g., inter- and intra-specific variability). The UV absorbing compounds, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), are widely distributed among freshwater copepods. Animals are unable to synthesize MAAs, and therefore depend on external sources for accumulating these compounds. Although copepods may acquire MAAs from their food, for the few centropagic species investigated so far, the main source of MAAs are microbial (most likely prokaryotic) organisms living in close association with the copepods. Boeckella gracilipes is a common centropagic copepod in Patagonian lakes. We suspected that its occurrence in different types of lakes, hydrologically unconnected, but within close geographical proximity, could have resulted in different microbial-copepod associations (i.e., different MAAs sources) that could translate into intra-specific differences in the accumulation

Description of pelletizing facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vojin Cokorilo; Dinko Knezevic; Vladimir Milisavljevic [University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia). Faculty of Mining and Geology

2006-07-01

A lot of electrical energy in Serbia was used for heating, mainly for domestics. As it is the most expensive source for heating the government announced a National Program of Energy Efficiency with only one aim, to reduce the consumption of electric energy for the heating. One of the contributions to mentioned reduction is production of coal pellets from the fine coal and its use for domestic heating but also for heating of schools, hospitals, military barracks etc. Annual production of fine coal in Serbia is 300,000 tons. The stacks of fine coal present difficulties at each deep mine because of environmental pollution, spontaneous combustion, low price, smaller market etc. To overcome the difficulties and to give the contribution to National Program of Energy Efficiency researchers from the Department of Mining Engineering, the University of Belgrade designed and realized the project of fine coal pelletizing. This paper describes technical aspect of this project. Using a CPM machine Model 7900, a laboratory facility, then a semi-industrial pelletizing facility followed by an industrial facility was set up and produced good quality pellets. The plant comprised a coal fines hopper, conveyor belt, hopper for screw conveyor, screw conveyor, continuous mixer conditioner, binder reservoir, pump and pipelines, pellet mill, product conveyor belt and product hopper. 4 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

Some unsolved problems concerning copepods associated with marine invertebrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gotto, R.V.

1990-01-01

Three unsolved problems relating to symbiotic copepods of marine invertebrates are discussed: 1. The whereabouts of the unknown male of the gill parasite of lobsters, Nicothoe astaci. 2. The occurrence of very large and apparently post-reproductive females in the annelidicolous Cyclorhiza megalova.

IAEA technical committee meeting on pellet injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The IAEA Technical Committee Meeting on Pellet Injection, May 10-12, 1993, at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki-ken, Japan, was held to review the latest results on pellet injection and its effects on plasma confinement. In particular, topics included in the meeting include (i) pellet ablation and particle fueling results, (ii) pellet injection effects on confinement, including improved confinement modes, edge effects, magnetohydrodynamic activity and impurity transport, and (iii) injector technology and diagnostics using pellets. About 30 experts attended and 23 papers were presented. Refs, figs and tabs

Pelletization of fine coals. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sastry, K.V.S.

1995-12-31

Coal is one of the most abundant energy resources in the US with nearly 800 million tons of it being mined annually. Process and environmental demands for low-ash, low-sulfur coals and economic constraints for high productivity are leading the coal industry to use such modern mining methods as longwall mining and such newer coal processing techniques as froth flotation, oil agglomeration, chemical cleaning and synthetic fuel production. All these processes are faced with one common problem area--fine coals. Dealing effectively with these fine coals during handling, storage, transportation, and/or processing continues to be a challenge facing the industry. Agglomeration by the unit operation of pelletization consists of tumbling moist fines in drums or discs. Past experimental work and limited commercial practice have shown that pelletization can alleviate the problems associated with fine coals. However, it was recognized that there exists a serious need for delineating the fundamental principles of fine coal pelletization. Accordingly, a research program has been carried involving four specific topics: (i) experimental investigation of coal pelletization kinetics, (ii) understanding the surface principles of coal pelletization, (iii) modeling of coal pelletization processes, and (iv) simulation of fine coal pelletization circuits. This report summarizes the major findings and provides relevant details of the research effort.

Railgun pellet injection system for fusion experimental devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, M. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan). Adv. Tech. Dev. Dept.; Oda, Y. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan). Adv. Tech. Dev. Dept.; Azuma, K. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan). Adv. Tech. Dev. Dept.; Satake, K. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan). Adv. Tech. Dev. Dept.; Kasai, S. [Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun 319-11 (Japan); Hasegawa, K. [Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun 319-11 (Japan)

1995-11-01

A railgun pellet injection system has been developed for fusion experimental devices. Using a low electric energy railgun system, hydrogen pellet acceleration tests have been conducted to investigate the application of the electromagnetic railgun system for high speed pellet injection into fusion plasmas. In the system, the pellet is pre-accelerated before railgun acceleration. A laser beam is used to induce plasma armature. The ignited plasma armature is accelerated by an electromagnetic force that accelerates the pellet. Under the same operational conditions, the energy conversion coefficient for the dummy pellets was around 0.4%, while that for the hydrogen pellets was around 0.12%. The highest hydrogen pellet velocity was 1.4 km s{sup -1} using a 1 m long railgun. Based on the findings, it is estimated that the hydrogen pellet has the potential to be accelerated to 5 km s{sup -1} using a 3 m long railgun. (orig.).

Vertical pellet injection in FTU discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giovannozzi, E.; Annibaldi, S.V.; Buratti, P.

2005-01-01

Central fuelling and pellet enhanced performance modes have been obtained with pellets injected vertically from the high field side on the FTU tokamak. Four phases have been recognized: ablation of the pellets, drifting plasmoids, MHD modes which take the density to the centre of the discharge and finally an anomalous drift which further increases the density peaking. Pellet ablation data have been compared with values from a pellet ablation and deposition code. Comparison between 0.8 and 1.1 MA discharges at a high magnetic field (B T = 7 T) has been carried out: a higher performance has been obtained with the latter due to the higher target density and the larger inversion radius which would increase the effects of m = 1 modes to take the density to the plasma centre

Factors Affecting the Sintering of UO2 Pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Hakim, E.; Afifi, Y.K.

1999-01-01

Sintering of UO 2 pellets is affected by many parameters such as; UO 2 powder parameters, the conditions followed for preparing the green UO 2 pellets and the sintering scheme(heating and cooling rate, soaking time and temperature). The aim of this work is to study the effect of some these parameters on the characteristics of the sintered UO 2 pellets were qualified according to the technical specifications of Candu fuel. Pressed green pellets at different pressing force (15 to 50 k N) were sintered at 1650 ±20 degree for two hours to study the effect of pressing force on the sintered pellets characteristics; visual inspection, pellet dimensions, density and shrinkage ratio. Compacted green pellets at a pressing force of 48 k N were sintered at different sintering temperature (1600± 20 degree, 1650 ±20 degree, 1700± 20 degree) for two hours to study the effect of sintering temperature on the sintered pellets characteristics. The effect of the heating rate (200,300 and 400 degree per hour) on the sintered pellets characteristics was also investigated. It was found that the pressing force used to compact the green pellets had an effect on the density of the sintered pellets. Pellets pressed at 15 k N have a density of 10.3 g/cm 3 while, those pressed at 50 k N have a density of 10.6 g/cm 3. It was observed that increasing the heating rate to 400 degree /h lead to cracked pellets

Pellet injector research and development at ORNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combs, S.K.; Argo, B.E.; Baylor, L.R.; Cole, M.J.; Dyer, G.R.; Fehling, D.T.; Fisher, P.W.; Foster, C.A.; Foust, C.R.; Gouge, M.J.; Jernigan, T.C.; Langley, R.A.; Milora, S.L.; Qualls, A.L.; Schechter, E.; Sparks, D.O.; Tsai, C.C.; Wilgen, J.B.; Whealton, J.W.

1993-01-01

A variety of pellet injector designs have been developed at ORNL including single-shot guns that inject one pellet, multiple-shot guns that inject four and eight pellets, machine gun-types (single- and multiple-barrel) that can inject up to >100 pellets, and centrifugal accelerators (mechanical devices that are inherently capable of high repetition rates and long-pulse operation). With these devices, macroscopic pellets (1--6 mm in diameter) composed of hydrogen isotopes are typically accelerated to speeds of ∼1.0 to 2.0 km/s for injection into plasmas of experimental fusion devices. In the past few years, steady progress has been made at ORNL in the development and application of pellet injectors for fueling present-day and future fusion devices. In this paper, we briefly describe some research and development activities at ORNL, including: (1) two recent applications and a new one on large experimental fusion devices, (2) high-velocity pellet injector development, and (3) tritium injector research

Sex-specific starvation tolerance of copepods with different foraging strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Mark Wejlemann; Torres, Rocio Rodriguez; van Someren Gréve, Hans

2018-01-01

in starvation tolerance are not due to dissimilarities in lipid reserves. Gender differences in starvation tolerance can be partially explained by body size differences between sexes. This indicates a minor influence of mate-seeking behaviour on male starvation tolerance, likely due to reduced mate......Planktonic copepods have sexual dimorphism that can lead to differences in starvation tolerance between genders. Additionally, mating may be energetically costly and thus reduce starvation tolerance. We investigated the influence of sexual dimorphism and mating on starvation tolerance of copepods...... with different feeding behaviours: Oithona nana (ambusher), Temora longicornis (feeding-current feeder) and Centropages typicus (cruiser). Males of C. typicus and O. nana had a starvation tolerance lower than females, whereas T. longicornis had a similar starvation tolerance between genders. Only O. nana males...

Power matching for pellet fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, R.L.; Arnold, R.C.

1976-01-01

The number of beams required for optimum power transfer from a given power source to the surface of a pellet is derived. The result is valid for linear optical systems, hence, for pellet fusion by laser or high energy ion beams. The optimum number of beams turns out to be inconceivably large for any practical system. Practical pellet fusion by lasers or high energy heavy ion beams must thus compromise physical principles in favor of reduced cost and optical complexity

Production of hydrogen, nitrogen and argon pellets with the Moscow-Juelich pellet target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buescher, M.; Boukharov, A.; Semenov, A.; Gerasimov, A.; Chernetsky, V.; Fedorets, P.

2009-01-01

Targets of frozen droplets ("pellets") from various liquefiable gases like H 2 , D 2 , N 2 , Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe are very promising for high luminosity experiments with a 4π detector geometry at storage-rings. High effective target densities (> 10 15 atoms/cm 2 ), a small target size (⊘ ≈ 20–30 μm), a low gas load and a narrow pellet beam are the main advantages of such targets. Pioneering work on pellet targets has been made at Uppsala, Sweden. A next generation target has been built at the IKP of FZJ in collaboration with two institutes (ITEP and MPEI) from Moscow, Russia. It is a prototype for the future pellet target at the PANDA experiment at FAIR/HESR (supported by INTAS 06-1000012-8787, 2007/08) and makes use of a new cooling and liquefaction method, based on cryogenic liquids instead of cooling machines. The main advantages of this method are the vibration-free cooling and the possibility for cryogenic jet production from various gases in a wide range of temperatures. Different regimes of pellet production from H 2 , N 2 and Ar have been observed and their parameters have been measured. For the first time, mono-disperse and satellite-free droplet production was achieved for cryogenic liquids from H 2 , N 2 and Ar. (author)

Wood pellets. The cost-effective fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2001-01-01

The article is based on an interview with Juhani Hakkarainen of Vapo Oy. Wood pellets are used in Finland primarily to heat buildings such as schools and offices and in the home. They are equally suitable for use in larger installations such as district heating plants and power stations. According to him wood pellets are suitable for use in coal-fired units generating heat, power, and steam. Price-wise, wood pellets are a particularly competitive alternative for small coal-fired plants away from the coast. Price is not the only factor on their side, however. Wood pellets also offer a good environmental profile, as they burn cleanly and generate virtually no dust, an important plus in urban locations. The fact that pellets are a domestically produced fuel is an added benefit, as their price does not fluctuate in the same way that the prices of electricity, oil, coal, and natural gas do. The price of pellets is largely based on direct raw material and labour costs, which are much less subject to ups and downs

Optimization of a multi-parameter model for biomass pelletization to investigate temperature dependence and to facilitate fast testing of pelletization behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Jens Kai; Stelte, Wolfgang; Posselt, Dorthe

2011-01-01

Pelletization of biomass residues increases the energy density, reduces storage and transportation costs and results in a homogeneous product with well-defined physical properties. However, raw materials for fuel pellet production consist of ligno-cellulosic biomass from various resources...... and error” experiments and personal experience. However in recent years the utilization of single pellet press units for testing the biomass pelletizing properties has attracted more attention. The present study outlines an approach where single pellet press testing is combined with modeling to mimic...... the pelletizing behavior of new types of biomass in a large scale pellet mill. This enables a fast estimation of key process parameters such as optimal press channel length and moisture content. Secondly, the study addresses the question of the origin of the observed relationship between pelletizing pressure...

Nuclear fuel pellet production method and nuclear fuel pellet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuda, Ryoichi; Ito, Ken-ichi; Masuda, Hiroshi.

1993-01-01

In a method of manufacturing nuclear fuel pellets by compression-molding UO 2 powders followed by sintering, a sintering agent having a composition of about 40 to 80 wt% of SiO 2 and the balance of Al 2 O 3 , a sintering agent at a ratio of 10 to 500 ppm based on the total amount of UO 2 and UO 2 powders are mixed, compression molded and then sintered at a sintering temperature of about 1500 of 1800degC. The UO 2 particles have an average grain size of about 20 to 60μm, most of the crystal grain boundary thereof is coated with a glassy or crystalline alumina silicate phase, and the porosity is about 1 to 4 vol%. With such a constitution, the sintering agent forms a single liquid phase eutectic mixture during sintering, to promote a surface reaction between nuclear fuel powders by a liquid phase sintering mechanism, increase their density and promote the crystal growth. Accordingly, it is possible to lower the softening temperature, improve the creep velocity of the pellets and improve the resistance against pellet-clad interaction. (T.M.)

Macroevolutionary patterns of sexual size dimorphism in copepods

Science.gov (United States)

Hirst, Andrew G.; Kiørboe, Thomas

2014-01-01

Major theories compete to explain the macroevolutionary trends observed in sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in animals. Quantitative genetic theory suggests that the sex under historically stronger directional selection will exhibit greater interspecific variance in size, with covariation between allometric slopes (male to female size) and the strength of SSD across clades. Rensch's rule (RR) also suggests a correlation, but one in which males are always the more size variant sex. Examining free-living pelagic and parasitic Copepoda, we test these competing predictions. Females are commonly the larger sex in copepod species. Comparing clades that vary by four orders of magnitude in their degree of dimorphism, we show that isometry is widespread. As such we find no support for either RR or for covariation between allometry and SSD. Our results suggest that selection on both sexes has been equally important. We next test the prediction that variation in the degree of SSD is related to the adult sex ratio. As males become relatively less abundant, it has been hypothesized that this will lead to a reduction in both inter-male competition and male size. However, the lack of such a correlation across diverse free-living pelagic families of copepods provides no support for this hypothesis. By comparison, in sea lice of the family Caligidae, there is some qualitative support of the hypothesis, males may suffer elevated mortality when they leave the host and rove for sedentary females, and their female-biased SSD is greater than in many free-living families. However, other parasitic copepods which do not appear to have obvious differences in sex-based mate searching risks also show similar or even more extreme SSD, therefore suggesting other factors can drive the observed extremes. PMID:25100692

Solidification of radioactive waste solutions by pelletization technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akbar, A.H.; Koester, R.; Rudolph, G.

1980-04-01

A possible way of performing the cement fixation of radioactive wastes is the incorporation into cement pellets on a pan pelletizer, followed by embedding the pellets into an inactive cement matrix. This procedure is suitable for various types of waste, particularly for medium level liquid wastes, and can be used both at drum disposal and at in-situ solidification. This report describes some initial studies on the pelletization technique using a laboratory pelletizer. Formation and size of the pellets have been found to be determined by speed, angle, and load of the pan, ratio and mode of addition of the liquid and solid components, ect. Pellets in various compositions have been produced from cement and water or simulated waste solution, in some cases with the addition of bentonite for improving cesium retention. Some mechanical properties of the pellets such as fall height of fresh pellets, development of hardness (crush test), impact and abrasion resistance, have been determined. Some preliminary experiments were done on backfilling the void space between the pellets - about 40 per cent of the bulk volume - with cement grouts of appropriate compositions. (orig.) [de

Production and use of copepods in marine fish larviculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Støttrup, Josianne; Norsker, N.H.

1997-01-01

Batch and continuous cultures of the harpacticoid copepod Tisbe holothuriae have been run for numerous generations in the laboratory at the North Sea Centre and the harvested nauplii used as food in preliminary trials with first-feeding turbot (Psetta maxima syn. Scophthalmus maximus). The naupliar...

Water-body preferences of dominant calanoid copepod species in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The distribution of five dominant calanoid copepods was related to different water masses in the Angola-Benguela Front system. Five water bodies were identified by principal component analysis, on the basis of abiotic parameters such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, silicate, nitrate and nitrite.

Abundance, distribution, diversity and zoogeography of epipelagic copepods off the Egyptian Coast (Mediterranean Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Howaida Y. Zakaria

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The abundance, distribution and diversity of epipelagic copepods were studied along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast during April, August, 2008, February, 2009 and 2010. The geographical distribution and ecological affinities of the recorded species are presented in order to follow up the migrant species that recently entered in the study area. Copepoda was the most dominant zooplankton group, representing 74.14% of the total zooplankton counts. The annual averages of copepod abundance in the coastal, shelf and offshore zones were 699.3, 609.7 and 555.7 ind.m−3, respectively. Spring was the most productive and diversified season. 118 copepod species were identified in the study area; among them twelve species are recorded in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time and 41 species are new records in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters. The community was dominated by Oithona nana, Calocalanus pavo, Nannocalanus minor, Clausocalanus arcuicornis and Paracalanus parvus. The study area could be considered as a crossroad for migration process from Atlantic Ocean in the west and Indian Ocean via Red Sea and Suez Canal from the south. In addition, the maritime activities in the Mediterranean Sea may have contributed into the change of copepod diversity in the study area where some species could have come to the Egyptian Coast from other water systems via ballast water.

Linear resonance acceleration of pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, R.G.

1978-01-01

A possible requirement for the acceleration of macroscopic pellets to velocities exceeding 10 4 meters per second implies the development of new apparatus. A satisfactory approach might be the linear resonance accelerator. Such apparatus would require the charging of pellets to very high values not yet demonstrated. The incompatibility of phase stability with radial stability in these machines may require abandoning phase stability and adopting feedback control of the accelerating voltage to accommodate statistical fluctuations in the charge to mass ratio of successive pellets

An advanced cold moderator using solid methane pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, C.A.; Carpenter, J.M.

2001-01-01

This paper reports developments of the pellet formation and transport technologies required for producing a liquid helium or hydrogen cooled methane pellet moderator. The Phase I US DOE SBIR project, already completed, demonstrated the production of 3 mm transparent pellets of frozen methane and ammonia and transport of the pellets into a 40 cc observation cell cooled with liquid helium. The methane pellets, formed at 72 K, stuck together during the loading of the cell. Ammonia pellets did not stick and fell readily under vibration into a packed bed with a 60% fill fraction. A 60% fill fraction should produce a very significant increase in long-wavelength neutron production and advantages in shorter pulse widths as compared to a liquid hydrogen moderator. The work also demonstrated a method of rapidly changing the pellets in the moderator cell. The Phase II project, just now underway, will develop a full-scale pellet source and transport system with a 1.5 L 'moderator' cell. The Phase II effort will also produce an apparatus to sub-cool the methane pellets to below 20 K, which should prevent the methane pellets from sticking together. In addition to results of the phase I experiments, the presentation includes a short video of the pellets, and a description of plans for the Phase II project. (author)

Apparatus for feeding nuclear fuel pellets to a loading tray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huggins, T.B.

1979-01-01

Apparatus for feeding nuclear fuel pellets at a uniform predetermined rate between pellet centering and grinding apparatus and a tray for loading pellets into nuclear fuel rod. Pellets discharged from the grinding apparatus are conveyed by a belt to a drive wheel forcing the pellets in engagement with the belt. The pellets under the drive wheel are capable of pushing a line of about 36 pellets onto a pellet dumping mechanism. As the dumping mechanism is actuated to dump the pellets on to a loading tray, the pellets moving toward the mechanism are stopped and the drive wheel is simultaneously lifted off the pellets until the pellet dumping process is completed. (U.K.)

Metabarcoding of Fecal Samples to Determine Herbivore Diets: A Case Study of the Endangered Pacific Pocket Mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanowicz, Deborah D; Vandergast, Amy G; Cornman, Robert S; Adams, Cynthia R; Kohn, Joshua R; Fisher, Robert N; Brehme, Cheryl S

2016-01-01

Understanding the diet of an endangered species illuminates the animal's ecology, habitat requirements, and conservation needs. However, direct observation of diet can be difficult, particularly for small, nocturnal animals such as the Pacific pocket mouse (Heteromyidae: Perognathus longimembris pacificus). Very little is known of the dietary habits of this federally endangered rodent, hindering management and restoration efforts. We used a metabarcoding approach to identify source plants in fecal samples (N = 52) from the three remaining populations known. The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal loci were sequenced following the Illumina MiSeq amplicon strategy and processed reads were mapped to reference databases. We evaluated a range of threshold mapping criteria and found the best-performing setting generally recovered two distinct mock communities in proportions similar to expectation. We tested our method on captive animals fed a known diet and recovered almost all plant sources, but found substantial heterogeneity among fecal pellets collected from the same individual at the same time. Observed richness did not increase with pooling of pellets from the same individual. In field-collected samples, we identified 4-14 plant genera in individual samples and 74 genera overall, but over 50 percent of reads mapped to just six species in five genera. We simulated the effects of sequencing error, variable read length, and chimera formation to infer taxon-specific rates of misassignment for the local flora, which were generally low with some exceptions. Richness at the species and genus levels did not reach a clear asymptote, suggesting that diet breadth remained underestimated in the current pool of samples. Large numbers of scat samples are therefore needed to make inferences about diet and resource selection in future studies of the Pacific pocket mouse. We conclude that our minimally invasive method is promising for determining herbivore

Metabarcoding of Fecal Samples to Determine Herbivore Diets: A Case Study of the Endangered Pacific Pocket Mouse.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deborah D Iwanowicz

Full Text Available Understanding the diet of an endangered species illuminates the animal's ecology, habitat requirements, and conservation needs. However, direct observation of diet can be difficult, particularly for small, nocturnal animals such as the Pacific pocket mouse (Heteromyidae: Perognathus longimembris pacificus. Very little is known of the dietary habits of this federally endangered rodent, hindering management and restoration efforts. We used a metabarcoding approach to identify source plants in fecal samples (N = 52 from the three remaining populations known. The internal transcribed spacers (ITS of the nuclear ribosomal loci were sequenced following the Illumina MiSeq amplicon strategy and processed reads were mapped to reference databases. We evaluated a range of threshold mapping criteria and found the best-performing setting generally recovered two distinct mock communities in proportions similar to expectation. We tested our method on captive animals fed a known diet and recovered almost all plant sources, but found substantial heterogeneity among fecal pellets collected from the same individual at the same time. Observed richness did not increase with pooling of pellets from the same individual. In field-collected samples, we identified 4-14 plant genera in individual samples and 74 genera overall, but over 50 percent of reads mapped to just six species in five genera. We simulated the effects of sequencing error, variable read length, and chimera formation to infer taxon-specific rates of misassignment for the local flora, which were generally low with some exceptions. Richness at the species and genus levels did not reach a clear asymptote, suggesting that diet breadth remained underestimated in the current pool of samples. Large numbers of scat samples are therefore needed to make inferences about diet and resource selection in future studies of the Pacific pocket mouse. We conclude that our minimally invasive method is promising for

Wood pellets offer a competitive energy option in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

The market for wood pellets in Sweden grew rapidly during the 1990s and production now stands at around 550,000 tonnes/year. More efficient combustion technology, pellet transportation, pellet storage and pellet delivery have also been developed. The pellets, which are produced by some 25 plants, are used in family houses, large-scale district heating plants, and combined heat and power (CHP) plants. Most of the pellets are made from biomass resources such as forest residues and sawdust and shavings from wood mills. Pellet production, the energy content of saw mill by-products, the current market and its potential for future expansion, the way in which the pellets are used in different combustion systems, the theoretical market potential for wood pellet heating installations in small houses and the Swedish P-certificate system for the certification of pellet stoves and burners are described

An analysis of how to improve production of copepods as live feed from tropical Taiwanese outdoor aquaculture ponds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blanda, Elisa; Drillet, Guillaume; Huang, Cheng-Chien

2017-01-01

. Lastly, this study shows evidence on the yearlong availability of copepods to the pond managers, which, based on standing stock and secondary productivity, easily could improve and intensify their harvest effort. Nauplii could be harvested all year long and adult copepods and copepodites could also...

Linking foraging strategies of marine calanoid copepods to patterns of nitrogen stable isotope signatures in a mesocosm study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommer, Frank; Saage, A.; Santer, B.

2005-01-01

foraging mode and, further, with its nitrogen stable isotope signature (delta(15)N). This is because a more carnivorous diet may be expected to result in a higher delta(15)N. We tested this hypothesis in a mesocosm study using a density gradient (0 to 80 ind. 1(-1)) of calanoid copepods. We expected......The foraging modes of calanoid copepods differ in that stationary suspension-feeding is more easily detected by prey with strong escape responses (ciliates) than is 'cruising' or 'ambushing' feeding. Thus, the ability of a copepod to include heterotrophic prey in its diet may be associated with its...

Copepod feeding currents : flow patterns, filtration rates and energetics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Duren, L.A; Stamhuis, E.J; Videler, J.J

Particle image velocimetry was used to construct a quasi 3-dimensional image of the flow generated by the feeding appendages of the calanoid copepod Temora longicornis. By scanning layers of flow, detailed information was obtained on flow velocity and velocity gradients. The flow around feeding T.

Present status of laser fusion fuel pellet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakai, Sadao; Mima, Kunioki; Norimatsu, Takayoshi; Takagi, Masaru.

1986-01-01

Accompanying the advance of pellet implosion experiment, the data base required for fuel pellet design has been steadily accumulated. The clarification of the physics related to the process of absorbing laser beam, energy transport, the generation of ablative pressure, the hydrodynamic mechanism of implosion, the energy transmission to fuel core and so on progressed, and the design data supported by these results are prepared. Based on the data base like this, the design of fuel pellets taking the optimization of implosion in consideration is carried out. The various fuel pellets designed in this way are tested for their effectiveness by implosion experiment. For this purpose, the high performance measurement of implosion and the high accuracy manufacture of fuel pellets become very important. In this paper, the present state of the research on the method of laser implosion, the example of pellet design and the law of proportion, the manufacturing techniques of the fuel pellets having various structures, the techniques dealing with tritium and so on is summarized, and the direction of future research and development is ascertained. At present, implosion experiment is carried out mostly by hanging a pellet target with a fiber of several μm diameter, but the fiber impairs the symmetry of implosion. The levitation techniques without contact is required. (Kako, I.)

A centrifuge CO2 pellet cleaning system

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, C. A.; Fisher, P. W.; Nelson, W. D.; Schechter, D. E.

1995-01-01

An advanced turbine/CO2 pellet accelerator is being evaluated as a depaint technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The program, sponsored by Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (ALC), Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, has developed a robot-compatible apparatus that efficiently accelerates pellets of dry ice with a high-speed rotating wheel. In comparison to the more conventional compressed air 'sandblast' pellet accelerators, the turbine system can achieve higher pellet speeds, has precise speed control, and is more than ten times as efficient. A preliminary study of the apparatus as a depaint technology has been undertaken. Depaint rates of military epoxy/urethane paint systems on 2024 and 7075 aluminum panels as a function of pellet speed and throughput have been measured. In addition, methods of enhancing the strip rate by combining infra-red heat lamps with pellet blasting and by combining the use of environmentally benign solvents with the pellet blasting have also been studied. The design and operation of the apparatus will be discussed along with data obtained from the depaint studies.

Pellet fired appliances. Market survey. 7. rev. ed.; Pelletheizungen. Marktuebersicht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-01-15

The market survey under consideration reports on pellet central heating systems and pellet fired appliances. The main chapters of this market survey are concerned to: (1) Information on wood pellets and pellet fired appliances; (2) Information about the interpretation of the market survey; (3) Survey of all compared pellet fired appliances with respect to the nominal power; (4) Price lists of pellet fired appliances and pellet central heating systems; (5) Type sheets of the compared pellet fired appliances and pellet central heating systems. Finally, this brochure contains the addresses of the produces and distribution partners of pellet fired appliances and pellet central heating systems.

Temperature effects on copepod egg hatching: does acclimatization matter?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Benni Winding; Drillet, Guillaume; Kozmér, A.

2010-01-01

This report investigates female sizes, egg sizes and egg hatching rates in relation to temperature for the near-shore calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa cultured at 6, 9, 14 and 24°C for several generations to achieve acclimatization. Inverse size relationships of eggs and females were revealed...... with increasing temperature. Eggs produced at 6°C were 85 ± 4 µm in diameter, but decreased to 80 ± 3 µm at 24°C. Female cephalothorax length was 840 ± 52 and 692 ± 39 µm at 9 and 24°C, respectively. Parallel hatching experiments were performed between non-acclimatized and acclimatized cultures across a range...... of temperatures reflecting natural conditions in Danish waters. A greater fraction of eggs enter quiescence as temperature declines. Eggs were able to hatch at temperatures as low as 1.5°C. Final egg hatching success increased with temperature. Acclimatization of the copepods resulted in a lower maximum hatching...

Pellet injection and toroidal confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-12-01

The proceedings of a technical committee meeting on pellet injection and toroidal confinement, held in Gut Ising, Federal Republic of Germany, 24-26 October, 1988, are given in this report. Most of the major fusion experiments are using pellet injectors; these were reported at this meeting. Studies of confinement, which is favorably affected, impurity transport, radiative energy losses, and affects on the ion temperature gradient instability were given. Studies of pellet ablation and effects on plasma profiles were presented. Finally, several papers described present and proposed injection guns. Refs, figs and tabs

Inhibition of larval development of the marine copepod Acartia tonsa by four synthetic musk substances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wollenberger, Leah; Breitholtz, M.; Kusk, Kresten Ole

2003-01-01

A nitro musk (musk ketone). and three polycyclic musks (Tonalide(TM), Galaxolide(TM) and Celestolide(TM)) were tested for acute and subchronic effects on a marine crustacean, the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa. Sublethal effects on A. tonsa larvae were investigated with a rapid and cost effective...... bioassay, which is based on the easily detectable morphological change from the last nauplius to the first copepodite stage during copepod larval development. The inhibition of larval development after 5 days exposure was a very sensitive endpoint, with 5-d-EC(50)-values as low as 0.026 mg/l (Tonalide...... of synthetic musks, for which there is little published ecotoxicological information available regarding Crustacea. It is suggested that subchronic and chronic copepod toxicity tests should be used more frequently for risk assessment of environmental pollutants. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights...

Advanced turbine/CO2 pellet accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, C.A.; Fisher, P.W.

1994-01-01

An advanced turbine/CO 2 pellet accelerator is being evaluated as a depaint technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The program, sponsored by Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, has developed a robot-compatible apparatus that efficiently accelerates pellets of dry ice with a high-speed rotating wheel. In comparison to the more conventional compressed air sandblast pellet accelerators, the turbine system can achieve higher pellet speeds, has precise speed control, and is more than ten times as efficient. A preliminary study of the apparatus as a depaint technology has been undertaken. Depaint rates of military epoxy/urethane paint systems on 2024 and 7075 aluminum panels as a function of pellet speed and throughput have been measured. In addition, methods of enhancing the strip rate by combining infra-red heat lamps with pellet blasting have also been studied. The design and operation of the apparatus will be discussed along with data obtained from the depaint studies. Applications include removal of epoxy-based points from aircraft and the cleaning of surfaces contaminated with toxic, hazardous, or radioactive substances. The lack of a secondary contaminated waste stream is of great benefit

Tritium proof-of-principle pellet injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, P.W.

1991-07-01

The tritium proof-of-principle (TPOP) experiment was designed and built by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to demonstrate the formation and acceleration of the world's first tritium pellets for fueling of future fusion reactors. The experiment was first used to produce hydrogen and deuterium pellets at ORNL. It was then moved to the Tritium Systems Test Assembly at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the production of tritium pellets. The injector used in situ condensation to produce cylindrical pellets in a 1-m-long, 4-mm-ID barrel. A cryogenic 3 He separator, which was an integral part of the gun assembly, was capable of lowering 3 He levels in the feed gas to <0.005%. The experiment was housed to a glovebox for tritium containment. Nearly 1500 pellets were produced during the course of the experiment, and about a third of these were pure tritium or mixtures of deuterium and tritium. Over 100 kCi of tritium was processed through the experiment without incident. Tritium pellet velocities of 1400 m/s were achieved with high-pressure hydrogen propellant. The design, operation, and results of this experiment are summarized. 34 refs., 44 figs., 3 tabs

Quality properties of fuel pellets from forest biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehtikangas, P.

1999-07-01

Nine pellet assortments, made of fresh and stored sawdust, bark and logging residues (a mixture of Norway spruce and Scots pine) were tested directly after production and after 5 months of storage in large bags (volume about 1 m{sup 3} loose pellets) for moisture content, heating value and ash content. Dimensions, bulk density, density of individual pellets and durability were also determined. Moreover, sintering risk and contents of sulphur, chlorine, and lignin of fresh pellets were determined. It is concluded that bark and logging residues are suitable raw materials for pellets production, especially regarding durability and if the ash content is controlled. Pellets density had no effect on its durability, unlike lignin content which was positively correlated. The pellets had higher ash content and lower calorific heating value than the raw materials, probably due to loss of volatiles during drying. In general, the quality changes during storage were not large, but notable. The results showed that storage led to negative effects on durability, especially on pellets made of fresh materials. The average length of pellets was decreased due to breakage during storage. Microbial growth was noticed in some of the pellet assortments. Pellets made out of fresh logging residues were found to be weakest after storage. The tendency to reach the equilibrium with the ambient moisture content should be taken into consideration during production due to the risk of decreasing durability.

Fuel Pellets from Wheat Straw: The Effect of Lignin Glass Transition and Surface Waxes on Pelletizing Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfgang Stelte; Craig Clemons; Jens K. Holm; Jesper Ahrenfeldt; Ulrik B. Henriksen; Anand R. Sanadi

2012-01-01

The utilization of wheat straw as a renewable energy resource is limited due to its low bulk density. Pelletizing wheat straw into fuel pellets of high density increases its handling properties but is more challenging compared to pelletizing wood biomass. Straw has a lower lignin content and a high concentration of hydrophobic waxes on its outer surface that may limit...

Propulsion efficiency and imposed flow fields of a copepod jump

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, H.; Kiørboe, Thomas

2011-01-01

Pelagic copepods jump to relocate, to attack prey and to escape predators. However, there is a price to be paid for these jumps in terms of their energy costs and the hydrodynamic signals they generate to rheotactic predators. Using observed kinematics of various types of jumps, we computed...... the imposed flow fields and associated energetics of jumps by means of computational fluid dynamics simulations by modeling the copepod as a self-propelled body. The computational fluid dynamics simulation was validated by particle image velocimetry data. The flow field generated by a repositioning jump...... the flow structure. The flow field associated with an escape jump sequence also includes two dominant vortex structures: one leading wake vortex generated as a result of the first jump and one around the body, but between these two vortex structures is an elongated, long-lasting flow trail with flow...

Study of the copepods population in the Oum Er Rbia estuary (Atlantic Moroccan coast): tides and reservoir release effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Khalki, A.; Moncef, M.

2007-01-01

Variation of environmental parameters and copepods population were studied in the Oum Er Rbia estuary (Atlantic - Moroccan coast) according to the seasons, ( August 1995 to August 1997), tides and reservoir release events. Environemental variability influences copepods diversity and abundance. Salinity (5 to 20 g l-1) appears as the main controlling factor. Among the 27 copepod species recorded, only three marine species (Oithona helgolandica, Euterpina acutifrons, Acartia clausi) and one freshwater species (Acanthocyclops robustus) are able to maintain significant populations due to their large degree of tolerance to salinity changes. (author)

Apparatus and method for loading pellets into fuel rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Widener, W.H.

1991-01-01

An apparatus for feeding a column of aligned cylindrical pellets along a longitudinal path of travel and while identifying a pellet of improper size. It comprises guide surface means adapted for supporting a plurality of serially arranged and longitudinally oriented cylindrical pellets, and such that the pellets are adapted to be slidably and longitudinally advanced along the guide surface means to define an advancing column of pellets, and pellet segregation means positioned adjacent one end of the guide surface means for permitting each advancing pellet having a cross-sectional diameter equal to a predetermined minimum diameter to advance thereacross while permitting each advancing pellet having a cross-sectional diameter less than the predetermined minimum diameter to drop to a level below the level of the remaining pellets in the advancing column

Application of EMILAC to pellet injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwamura, Yasuhiro; Yamasaki, Takao; Nakamura, Hirone; Hashimoto, Mitsuo; Miya, Kenzo

1987-01-01

A new type of electromagnetic accelerator for pellet injection is proposed. Projectile of cylinder shape is accelerated with the repulsive force generated by a combination of two coils, which are different in purpose. And the accelerator is named EMILAC (Electro-Magnetic Inductive Linear Accelerator). In this paper, we investigate the method of applying EMILAC to pellet injection, and calculate the ablation rate of pellet. (author)

Differences in the structure of copepod assemblages in four tropical estuaries: Importance of pollution and the estuary hydrodynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Araujo, Adriana V; Dias, Cristina O; Bonecker, Sérgio L C

2017-02-15

We examined the relationship between pollution and structure of copepod assemblages in estuaries, using sampling standardization of salinity range to reduce the effects of "Estuarine Quality Paradox". Copepod assemblages were analyzed in four Southeast Brazilian estuaries with different water quality levels and different hydrodynamic characteristics. The pollution negatively impacted the descriptors of the assemblage structure. The distribution of structure of copepod assemblages also showed a main separation trend between the most polluted estuaries and those less polluted. Temperature was the main factor affecting the assemblage structuring in the four estuaries. This factor acted in synergism with the effects of pollution impact and physical characteristics of the estuaries on the structure of copepod assemblages, supporting the potential vulnerability of coastal environments due to nutrient enrichment associated with climate change. Our study demonstrated the importance of sampling standardization of the salinity range in estuaries for reliable analysis of pollution effects on biota. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metabarcoding and metabolome analyses of copepod grazing reveal feeding preference and linkage to metabolite classes in dynamic microbial plankton communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Jessica L; Althammer, Julia; Skaar, Katrine S; Simonelli, Paolo; Larsen, Aud; Stoecker, Diane; Sazhin, Andrey; Ijaz, Umer Z; Quince, Christopher; Nejstgaard, Jens C; Frischer, Marc; Pohnert, Georg; Troedsson, Christofer

2016-11-01

In order to characterize copepod feeding in relation to microbial plankton community dynamics, we combined metabarcoding and metabolome analyses during a 22-day seawater mesocosm experiment. Nutrient amendment of mesocosms promoted the development of haptophyte (Phaeocystis pouchetii)- and diatom (Skeletonema marinoi)-dominated plankton communities in mesocosms, in which Calanus sp. copepods were incubated for 24 h in flow-through chambers to allow access to prey particles (<500 μm). Copepods and mesocosm water sampled six times spanning the experiment were analysed using metabarcoding, while intracellular metabolite profiles of mesocosm plankton communities were generated for all experimental days. Taxon-specific metabarcoding ratios (ratio of consumed prey to available prey in the surrounding seawater) revealed diverse and dynamic copepod feeding selection, with positive selection on large diatoms, heterotrophic nanoflagellates and fungi, while smaller phytoplankton, including P. pouchetii, were passively consumed or even negatively selected according to our indicator. Our analysis of the relationship between Calanus grazing ratios and intracellular metabolite profiles indicates the importance of carbohydrates and lipids in plankton succession and copepod-prey interactions. This molecular characterization of Calanus sp. grazing therefore provides new evidence for selective feeding in mixed plankton assemblages and corroborates previous findings that copepod grazing may be coupled to the developmental and metabolic stage of the entire prey community rather than to individual prey abundances. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fuel pellets from biomass - Processing, bonding, raw materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stelte, W.

2011-12-15

The present study investigates several important aspects of biomass pelletization. Seven individual studies have been conducted and linked together, in order to push forward the research frontier of biomass pelletization processes. The first study was to investigate influence of the different processing parameters on the pressure built up in the press channel of a pellet mill. It showed that the major factor was the press channel length as well as temperature, moisture content, particle size and extractive content. Furthermore, extractive migration to the pellet surface at an elevated temperature played an important role. The second study presented a method of how key processing parameters can be estimated, based on a pellet model and a small number of fast and simple laboratory trials using a single pellet press. The third study investigated the bonding mechanisms within a biomass pellet, which indicate that different mechanisms are involved depending on biomass type and pelletizing conditions. Interpenetration of polymer chains and close intermolecular distance resulting in better secondary bonding were assumed to be the key factors for high mechanical properties of the formed pellets. The outcome of this study resulted in study four and five investigating the role of lignin glass transition for biomass pelletization. It was demonstrated that the softening temperature of lignin was dependent on species and moisture content. In typical processing conditions and at 8% (wt) moisture content, transitions were identified to be at approximately 53-63 deg. C for wheat straw and about 91 deg. C for spruce lignin. Furthermore, the effects of wheat straw extractives on the pelletizing properties and pellet stability were investigated. The sixth and seventh study applied the developed methodology to test the pelletizing properties of thermally pre-treated (torrefied) biomass from spruce and wheat straw. The results indicated that high torrefaction temperatures above 275 deg

Dissolution test for homogeneity of mixed oxide fuel pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lerch, R.E.

1979-08-01

Experiments were performed to determine the relationship between fuel pellet homogeneity and pellet dissolubility. Although, in general, the amount of pellet residue decreased with increased homogeneity, as measured by the pellet figure of merit, the relationship was not absolute. Thus, all pellets with high figure of merit (excellent homogeneity) do not necessarily dissolve completely and all samples that dissolve completely do not necessarily have excellent homogeneity. It was therefore concluded that pellet dissolubility measurements could not be substituted for figure of merit determinations as a measurement of pellet homogeneity. 8 figures, 3 tables

Trapping of pellet cloud radiation in thermonuclear plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sergeev, V.Yu.; Miroshinikov, I.V.; Sudo, Shigeru; Namba, C.; Lisitsa, V.S.

2001-01-01

The experimental and theoretical data on radiation trapping in clouds of pellets injected into thermonuclear plasmas are presented. The theoretical modeling is performed in terms of equivalent Stark spectral line widths under condition of LTE (Sakha-Boltzman) in pellet cloud plasmas. It is shown that a domain of blackbody radiation could exist in hydrogen pellet clouds resulting in ''pellet disappearance'' effect which is absent in a case of impurity pellet clouds. Reasons for this difference are discussed. (author)

Fabrication of chamfered uranium-plutonium mixed carbide pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, Yasuo; Iwai, Takashi; Shiozawa, Kenichi; Handa, Muneo

1985-10-01

Chamfered uranium-plutonium mixed carbide pellets for high burnup irradiation test in JMTR were fabricated in glove boxes with purified argon gas. The size of die and punch in a press was decided from pellet densities and dimensions including the angle of chamfered parts. No chip or crack caused by adopting chamfered pellets was found in both pressing and sintering stages. In addition to mixed carbide pellets, uranium carbide pellets used as insulators were also successfully fabricated. (author)

Lab and Bench-Scale Pelletization of Torrefied Wood Chips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shang, Lei; Nielsen, Niels Peter K.; Stelte, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

Combined torrefaction and pelletization is used to increase the fuel value of biomass by increasing its energy density and improving its handling and combustion properties. In the present study, a single-pellet press tool was used to screen for the effects of pellet die temperature, moisture cont...... of the torrefied pellets was higher and the particle size distribution after grinding the pellets was more uniform compared to conventional wood pellets....

Manufacture of Regularly Shaped Sol-Gel Pellets

Science.gov (United States)

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

2006-01-01

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

Fuel pellets from lodge pole pine first thinnings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoegqvist, Olof; Larsson, Sylvia H.; Samuelsson, Robert; Lestander, Torbjoern A. [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Unit of Biomass Technology and Chemistry, Umeaa (Sweden)], e-mail: sylvia.larsson@slu.se

2012-11-01

Stemwood and whole trees of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia L.) were evaluated as raw materials for fuel pellets in a pilot scale pelletizing study. Pellet and pelletizing properties were measured and modeled in an experimental design where raw material moisture content (%), die channel length (mm), and storage time (days) were varied. Additionally, ash contents (%), extractive contents (%), and ash melting temperatures (deg C) were analyzed. For both assortments, raw material moisture content was positively correlated to pellet bulk density and durability (range 9-13%, wet base). Both assortments had ash contents below 0.7%, and thus, fulfilled the demands for class A1 pellets.

Electron-beam rocket acceleration of hydrogen pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, C.C.; Foster, C.A.; Milora, S.L.; Schechter, D.E.; Whealton, J.H.

1992-01-01

A proof-of-principle device for characterizing electron-beam rocket pellet acceleration has been developed and operated during the last few years. Experimental data have been collected for thousands of accelerated hydrogen pellets under a variety of beam conditions. One intact hydrogen pellet was accelerated to a speed of 578 m/s by an electron beam of 10 kV, 0.8 A, and I ms. The collected data reveal the significant finding that the measured bum velocity of bare hydrogen pellets increases with the square of the beam voltage in a way that is qualitatively consistent with the theoretical prediction based on the neutral gas shielding (NGS) model. The measured bum velocity increases with the beam current or power and then saturates at values two to three times greater than that predicted by the NGS model. The discrepancy may result from low pellet strength and large beam-pellet interaction areas. Moreover, this feature may be the cause of the low measured exhaust velocity, which often exceeds the sonic velocity of the ablated gas. Consistent with the NGS model, the measured exhaust velocity increases in direct proportion to the beam current and in inverse proportion to the beam voltage. To alleviate the pellet strength problem, experiments have been performed with the hydrogen ice contained in a lightweight rocket casing or shell. Pellets in such sabots have the potential to withstand higher beam powers and achieve higher thrust-coupling efficiency. Some experimental results are reported and ways of accelerating pellets to higher velocity are discussed

Influences on particle shape in underwater pelletizing processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kast, O., E-mail: oliver.kast@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: matthias.musialek@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: kalman.geiger@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: christian.bonten@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de; Musialek, M., E-mail: oliver.kast@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: matthias.musialek@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: kalman.geiger@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: christian.bonten@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de; Geiger, K., E-mail: oliver.kast@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: matthias.musialek@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: kalman.geiger@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: christian.bonten@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de; Bonten, C., E-mail: oliver.kast@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: matthias.musialek@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: kalman.geiger@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: christian.bonten@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de [Institut für Kunststofftechnik, University of Stuttgart (Germany)

2014-05-15

Underwater pelletizing has gained high importance within the last years among the different pelletizing technologies, due to its advantages in terms of throughput, automation, pellet quality and applicability to a large variety of thermoplastics. The resulting shape and quality of pellets, however, differ widely, depending on material characteristics and effects not fully understood yet. In an experimental set-up, pellets of different volumes and shapes were produced and the medium pellet mass, the pellet surface and the bulk density were analyzed in order to identify the influence of material properties and process parameters. Additionally, the shaping kinetics at the die opening were watched with a specially developed camera system. It was found that rheological material properties correlate with process parameters and resulting particle form in a complex way. Higher cutting speeds were shown to have a deforming influence on the pellets, leading to less spherical s and lower bulk densities. More viscous materials, however, showed a better resistance against this. Generally, the viscous properties of polypropylene proofed to be dominant over the elastic ones in regard to their influence on pellet shape. It was also shown that the shapes filmed at the die opening and the actual form of the pellets after a cooling track do not always correlate, indicating a significant influence of thermodynamic properties during the cooling.

Trophic Cascading of Medusae on the Relationships between Copepods and Diatoms in a Subtropical Coastal Ecosystem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia-Lu Chung

2009-01-01

Full Text Available To investigate the spatial and temporal variation of phytoplankton and copepods, eight seasonal cruises (January 2005 ~ Oc to ber 2006 were conducted in a subtropical coast site that encom passed 19 sampling stations. The results in dicated that the temperature (18.4 - 29.7°C varied more than 10°C seasonally, while nutrient concentrations (ni trate: 0.4 - 6.3 mM, phosphate: 0.1 - 0.8 mM, and silicate 2.1 - 12.1 mM were in versely corre lated with temperature. Diatoms (2792 - 1602437 cells m-3 constituted > 90% of the phytoplankton as semblages and dinoflagellates (226 - 10029 cells m-3 represented only ~10% of the algaebiomass. Copepod abun dance (8 - 1031 ind. m-3 varied positively with that of diatom and tempeature. Therelative abundance of Temora spp. (1 - 712 ind. m-3 varied from 69% in summer; that of Paracalanus spp. (0.1 - 176 ind. m-3 were > 25% in spring and au tumn and Calanus spp. (0.5 - 24 ind. m-3 dom i nated in win ter and spring, but ac counted for only ~10% of the to tal copepods. Both di a tom den sity and copepod abun dance were positively correlated with temperature, indicating these two plank tongroups were left bot tom-up control. The copepod abun dance positively co-aried with diatoms in 2005, but not in 2006. Fur ther sea son-to-sea son analysis showed that the diatomvs. copepodratios changed positively only when the medusa abun dance changed greatly (> 40-fold between consecutive sea sons. During periods when the medusa abundance varied less than 10-fold between seasons, there is no relationship between the ratios and the medusa abun dance. This study suggests that the stability of the medusa abundance from season to season could be important in regulating the ecological linkage between diatoms and their predators ¡V copepods.

Crypthecodinium cohnii: a promising prey toward large-scale intensive rearing of the live feed copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, H. H.; Thoisen, C.; Hansen, B. W.

2018-01-01

. The trade-off of switching to the heterotrophic dinoflagellate diet is that the copepod performance is about 40% lower. Still, we propose that eliminating light in the rearing of copepod feed makes C. cohnii an interesting alternative and an economical feasible feed worth pursuing in large-scale rearing...

Composition of Sinking Particulates Collected under Fast Ice near Syowa Station, East Antarctica, in Early Spring and Early Summer, 1994

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryoko Saito

1998-11-01

Full Text Available Sinking particles collected in several sediment trap experiments near Syowa Station in austral spring-summer in 1994 have been microscopically analyzed. From the features of the shape and morphology, collected particles were identified, enumerated and measured, and the flux of each identified species was estimated. The majority of the particles were composed of diatom cells and "fecal pellet"-like aggregates were recognized in the samples. In spring, the particle fluxes were rather low and higher fluxes were detected in summer. In particular, diatom cell flux increased by two order of magnitude. The composition of the sinking particles varied seasonally; a centric diatom, Corethron criophilum, and round-shape fecal pellets accounted for dominant diatom cell and fecal pellet fluxes in the spring. But pennate diatoms and collumn-shape pellets dominated in summer. The vertical flux varied, too. In spite of the significant difference of total bio-volume flux between spring and summer (>30 times higher in summer, the bio-volume ratio, such as total identified diatoms and fecal pellets, stayed rather constant.

Customized bentonite pellets. Manufacturing, performance and gap filling properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marjavaara, P.; Holt, E.; Sjoeblom, V. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland)

2013-12-15

The goal of this work was to provide knowledge about how to manufacture customized bentonite pellets and how customized bentonite pellets perform in practice during the nuclear repository construction process. The project was mainly focused on laboratory experimental tests to optimize the pellet filling by customizing the raw materials and pellet manufacturing. Bentonite pellets were made using both extrusion and roller compaction methods. The pellets were intended for use in gaps between compacted bentonite and the rock walls in both buffer deposition holes and tunnel backfilling. Performance of different types of custom-made pellets were evaluated with regard to their ease of manufacturing, density, crush strength, abrasion resistance, water holding capacity, free swelling and also their thermal conductivity. These evaluations were done in both Finland (by VTT) and Canada (by AECL). Over 50 different varieties of pellets were roller-compaction manufactured at AECL in Canada and 20 types of extrusion pellets at VTT in Finland. The parameters that were varied during manufacturing included: bentonite raw material type, water content, pellet sizes, bentonite compaction machine parameters, use of recycled pellets, and addition of two different types of filler (illite or granitic sand) at varying addition percentages. By examining the pellets produced with these methods and materials the performance and behaviour of the bentonite pellets were evaluated in laboratory with selected tests. The work done using extrusion pellets showed that it was possible to manufacture pellets with higher water contents, up to 21 % from MX-80. This water content value was higher than what was typically possible using roller-compaction method in this study. Higher water content values allow closer compatibility with the designed bentonite buffer water content. The extrusion tests also showed that the required production simulation runs could be made successfully with reference type of MX

Method of manufacturing nuclear fuel pellet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oguma, Masaomi; Masuda, Hiroshi.

1988-01-01

Purpose: To prevent pellet destruction due to thermal stresses and reduce the swelling or issue of corrosive gaseous fission products. Method: Raw material powder for nuclear fuel pellets constitute so-called secondary particles in which a plurality of primary particles are coagulated. The degree of coagulation of the secondary particles can be determined as the bulk density of the powder. In view of the above, when pellets are sintered by using a powder mixture comprising a powder having the same constitution and different bulk density from the main raw powder as the sub-raw material powder incorporated to the main raw material powder, the pellet tissue provides such a fine porous structure that fine gaps are present a the periphery of high density secondary particles, since there is a difference in the shrinkage factor (sintering-shrinkage degree) between powders of different secondary particle densities in the course of the sintering. Thus, pellets can be prevented from thermal impact destruction and cause no destructive cracks. (Takahashi, M.)

Temperature Affects the Use of Storage Fatty Acids as Energy Source in a Benthic Copepod (Platychelipus littoralis, Harpacticoida).

Science.gov (United States)

Werbrouck, Eva; Van Gansbeke, Dirk; Vanreusel, Ann; De Troch, Marleen

2016-01-01

The utilization of storage lipids and their associated fatty acids (FA) is an important means for organisms to cope with periods of food shortage, however, little is known about the dynamics and FA mobilization in benthic copepods (order Harpacticoida). Furthermore, lipid depletion and FA mobilization may depend on the ambient temperature. Therefore, we subjected the temperate copepod Platychelipus littoralis to several intervals (3, 6 and 14 days) of food deprivation, under two temperatures in the range of the normal habitat temperature (4, 15 °C) and under an elevated temperature (24 °C), and studied the changes in FA composition of storage and membrane lipids. Although bulk depletion of storage FA occurred after a few days of food deprivation under 4 °C and 15 °C, copepod survival remained high during the experiment, suggesting the catabolization of other energy sources. Ambient temperature affected both the degree of FA depletion and the FA mobilization. In particular, storage FA were more exhausted and FA mobilization was more selective under 15 °C compared with 4 °C. In contrast, depletion of storage FA was limited under an elevated temperature, potentially due to a switch to partial anaerobiosis. Food deprivation induced selective DHA retention in the copepod's membrane, under all temperatures. However, prolonged exposure to heat and nutritional stress eventually depleted DHA in the membranes, and potentially induced high copepod mortality. Storage lipids clearly played an important role in the short-term response of the copepod P. littoralis to food deprivation. However, under elevated temperature, the use of storage FA as an energy source is compromised.

Behavioral responses of the estuarine calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis to sub-lethal concentrations of waterborne pollutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michalec, François-Gaël; Holzner, Markus; Menu, Dominique; Hwang, Jiang-Shiou; Souissi, Sami

2013-01-01

Highlights: •We studied the effects of sub-lethal exposure to pollutants on Eurytemora affinis swimming behavior. •Nonylphenol, cadmium and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons caused hyperactivity. •Effects were observable within 30 min of exposure and persisted during a depuration period. •The response resembles an escape reaction allowing copepods to evade stressful conditions. -- Abstract: Estuarine waters contain a variety of chemicals which affect to various extents the behavior of aquatic organisms. Little is known, however, on the behavioral response of copepods. The present study shows the results of laboratory experiments investigating the immediate effects of sub-lethal concentrations of three commonly found contaminants on the three-dimensional swimming behavior of the estuarine calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis. Nonylphenol at 2 μg L −1 , cadmium at 45 ng L −1 and a mixture of low to medium molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at 40 ng L −1 all affected the swimming behavior of E. affinis adults, increasing both swimming speed and activity. In most cases, effects were observable within 30 min of exposure and persisted or faded during a period of depuration in uncontaminated water of similar duration. In ovigerous females exposed to Cd and PAHs, effects appeared to be more pronounced during the depuration period, suggesting that carrying ovisacs may impair recovery. We quantified differences in the distribution of swimming speed values by considering the relative frequencies of periods of break, slow and fast swimming and we observed a trend toward faster movements in the presence of pollutants. The degree of trajectory complexity, estimated through their fractal dimension, was unaffected by pollutants. Since both narcotic and non-narcotic pollutants induced hyperactivity, our results suggest that changes in behavior after a short-term exposure may be independent of the general mode of action of the chemicals. The increase in

Behavioral responses of the estuarine calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis to sub-lethal concentrations of waterborne pollutants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michalec, François-Gaël [Université Lille Nord de France, F-59000 Lille (France); USTL, LOG, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-62930 Wimereux (France); CNRS, UMR 8187, F-62930 Wimereux (France); National Taiwan Ocean University, Institute of Marine Biology, Keelung, Taiwan, ROC (China); Holzner, Markus [Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich (Switzerland); Menu, Dominique [Université Lille Nord de France, F-59000 Lille (France); USTL, LOG, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-62930 Wimereux (France); CNRS, UMR 8187, F-62930 Wimereux (France); Hwang, Jiang-Shiou [National Taiwan Ocean University, Institute of Marine Biology, Keelung, Taiwan, ROC (China); Souissi, Sami, E-mail: sami.souissi@univ-lille1.fr [Université Lille Nord de France, F-59000 Lille (France); USTL, LOG, Station Marine de Wimereux, F-62930 Wimereux (France); CNRS, UMR 8187, F-62930 Wimereux (France)

2013-08-15

Highlights: •We studied the effects of sub-lethal exposure to pollutants on Eurytemora affinis swimming behavior. •Nonylphenol, cadmium and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons caused hyperactivity. •Effects were observable within 30 min of exposure and persisted during a depuration period. •The response resembles an escape reaction allowing copepods to evade stressful conditions. -- Abstract: Estuarine waters contain a variety of chemicals which affect to various extents the behavior of aquatic organisms. Little is known, however, on the behavioral response of copepods. The present study shows the results of laboratory experiments investigating the immediate effects of sub-lethal concentrations of three commonly found contaminants on the three-dimensional swimming behavior of the estuarine calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis. Nonylphenol at 2 μg L{sup −1}, cadmium at 45 ng L{sup −1} and a mixture of low to medium molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at 40 ng L{sup −1} all affected the swimming behavior of E. affinis adults, increasing both swimming speed and activity. In most cases, effects were observable within 30 min of exposure and persisted or faded during a period of depuration in uncontaminated water of similar duration. In ovigerous females exposed to Cd and PAHs, effects appeared to be more pronounced during the depuration period, suggesting that carrying ovisacs may impair recovery. We quantified differences in the distribution of swimming speed values by considering the relative frequencies of periods of break, slow and fast swimming and we observed a trend toward faster movements in the presence of pollutants. The degree of trajectory complexity, estimated through their fractal dimension, was unaffected by pollutants. Since both narcotic and non-narcotic pollutants induced hyperactivity, our results suggest that changes in behavior after a short-term exposure may be independent of the general mode of action of the chemicals. The

Assessment of pelletized biofuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samson, R.; Duxbury, P.; Drisdelle, M.; Lapointe, C.

2000-04-01

There has been an increased interest in the development of economical and convenient renewable energy fuels, resulting from concerns about climate change and rising oil prices. An opportunity to use agricultural land as a means of producing renewable fuels in large quantities, relying on wood and agricultural residues only has come up with recent advances in biomass feedstock development and conversion technologies. Increasing carbon storage in the landscape and displacing fossil fuels in combustion applications can be accomplished by using switchgrass and short rotation willow which abate greenhouse gas emissions. The potential of switchgrass and short rotation willow, as well as other biomass residues as new feedstocks for the pellet industry is studied in this document. Higher throughput rates are facilitated by using switchgrass, which shows potential as a pelleting feedstock. In addition, crop drying requires less energy than wood. By taking into consideration energy for switchgrass production, transportation to the conversion facility, preprocessing, pelleting, and marketing, the overall energy balance of switchgrass is 14.5:1. Research on alfalfa pelleting can be applied to switchgrass, as both exhibit a similar behaviour. The length of chop, the application of high temperature steam and the use of a die with a suitable length/diameter ratio are all factors that contribute to the successful pelleting of switchgrass. Switchgrass has a similar combustion efficiency (82 to 84 per cent) to wood (84 to 86 per cent), as determined by combustion trials conducted by the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET) in the Dell-Point close coupled gasifier. The energy content is 96 per cent of the energy of wood pellets on a per tonne basis. Clinker formation was observed, which necessitated some adjustments of the cleaner grate settings. While stimulating rural development and export market opportunities, the high yielding closed loop biofuels show

Effects of copepod size on fish growth: A model based on data for North Sea sandeel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deurs, Mikael van; Jørgensen, C.; Fiksen, Ø.

2015-01-01

In productive marine off-shore ecosystems, the flow of energy from zooplankton to large predators is channeled through a few species of short-lived, highly abundant schooling planktivorous fish. There are indications that these species respond to qualitative and phenological changes...... in the zooplankton. If so, the climate-induced alterations of the local copepod communities that we see in temperate and arctic regions may influence the energy flux in marine food chains. In order to investigate how different processes contribute to the relationship between copepod size and fish growth, we merged 2...... was the most important factor, followed by handling time limitation and prey energy content. These limitations became stronger with increasing fish length, showing that copepod size and energy content have a strong effect on the specific growth potential of these fish...

Design of in situ dispersible and calcium cross-linked alginate pellets as intestinal-specific drug carrier by melt pelletization technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Nurulaini, Harjoh; Wong, Tin Wui

2011-06-01

Conventional alginate pellets underwent rapid drug dissolution and loss of multiparticulate characteristics such as aggregation in acidic medium, thereby promoting oral dose dumping. This study aimed to design sustained-release dispersible alginate pellets through rapid in situ matrix dispersion and cross-linking by calcium salts during dissolution. Pellets made of alginate and calcium salts were prepared using a solvent-free melt pelletization technique that prevented reaction between processing materials during agglomeration and allowed such a reaction to occur only in dissolution phase. Drug release was remarkably retarded in acidic medium when pellets were formulated with water-soluble calcium acetate instead of acid-soluble calcium carbonate. Different from calcium salt-free and calcium carbonate-loaded matrices that aggregated or underwent gradual erosion, rapid in situ solvation of calcium acetate in pellets during dissolution resulted in burst of gas bubbles, fast pellet breakup, and dispersion. The dispersed fragments, though exhibiting a larger specific surface area for drug dissolution than intact matrix, were rapidly cross-linked by Ca(2+) from calcium acetate and had drug release retarded till a change in medium pH from 1.2 to 6.8. Being dispersible and pH-dependent in drug dissolution, these pellets are useful as multiparticulate intestinal-specific drug carrier without exhibiting dose dumping tendency of a "single-unit-like" system via pellet aggregation. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

First report of ciliate (Protozoa) epibionts on deep-sea harpacticoid copepods

Science.gov (United States)

Sedlacek, Linda; Thistle, David; Fernandez-Leborans, Gregorio; Carman, Kevin R.; Barry, James P.

2013-08-01

We report the first observations of ciliate epibionts on deep-sea, benthic harpacticoid copepods. One ciliate epibiont species belonged to class Karyorelictea, one to subclass Suctoria, and one to subclass Peritrichia. Our samples came from the continental rise off central California (36.709°N, 123.523°W, 3607 m depth). We found that adult harpacticoids carried ciliate epibionts significantly more frequently than did subadult copepodids. The reason for the pattern is unknown, but it may involve differences between adults and subadult copepodids in size or in time spent swimming. We also found that the ciliate epibiont species occurred unusually frequently on the adults of two species of harpacticoid copepod; a third harpacticoid species just failed the significance test. When we ranked the 57 harpacticoid species in our samples in order of abundance, three species identified were, as a group, significantly more abundant than expected by chance if one assumes that the abundance of the group and the presence of ciliate epibionts on them were uncorrelated. High abundance may be among the reasons a harpacticoid species carries a ciliate epibiont species disproportionately frequently. For the combinations of harpacticoid species and ciliate epibiont species identified, we found one in which males and females differed significantly in the proportion that carried epibionts. Such a sex bias has also been reported for shallow-water, calanoid copepods.

Intraspecific differences in lipid content of calanoid copepods across fine-scale depth ranges within the photic layer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margarita Zarubin

Full Text Available Copepods are among the most abundant and diverse groups of mesozooplankton in the world's oceans. Each species has a certain depth range within which different individuals (of the same life stage and sex are found. Lipids are accumulated in many calanoid copepods for energy storage and reproduction. Lipid content in some species increases with depth, however studies so far focused mostly on temperate and high-latitude seasonal vertically migrating copepods and compared lipid contents among individuals either from coarse layers or between diapausing, deep-dwelling copepods and individuals found in the photic, near-surface layer. Here we examined whether lipid contents of individual calanoid copepods of the same species, life stage/sex differ between finer depth layers within the upper water column of subtropical and Arctic seas. A total of 6 calanoid species were collected from samples taken at precise depths within the photic layer in both cold eutrophic and warm oligotrophic environments using SCUBA diving, MOCNESS and Multinet. Measurements of lipid content were obtained from digitized photographs of the collected individuals. The results revealed significant differences in lipid content across depth differences as small as 12-15 meters for Mecynocera clausi C5 and Ctenocalanus vanus C5 (Red Sea, Clausocalanus furcatus males and two clausocalanid C5s (Mediterranean Sea, and Calanus glacialis C5 (Arctic. We suggest two possible explanations for the differences in lipid content with depth on such a fine scale: predator avoidance and buoyancy.

Operation of the lithium pellet injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khlopenkov, K.V.; Sudo, S.; Sergeev, V.Yu.

1996-05-01

A lithium pellet injection requires an accurate handling with lithium and special technique of loading the pellets. Thus, the technology for this has been developed based on the following conditions: 1) Because of chemical activity of lithium it is necessary to operate in a glove-box with the noble gas atmosphere (He, Ar, etc.). 2) A special procedure of replacing the glove-box atmosphere allows to achieve high purity of the noble gas. 3) When making the pellets it is better to keep the clean lithium in the liquid hexane so as to maintain lithium purity. 4) The pressure of the accelerating gas for Li pellets should be not less than 30 atm. (author)

Wood pellets : is it a reliable, sustainable, green energy option?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swaan, J.

2006-01-01

The Wood Pellet Association of Canada was formerly called the BC Pellet Fuel Manufacturers Association, and was renamed and re-organized in January 2006. The association serves as an advocate for the wood pellet industry in addition to conducting research projects. This power point presentation presented an overview of the wood pellet industry in North America and Europe. Canada's 23 pellet plants currently produce just over 1,000,000 tons of wood pellets annually. Pellet producers in the United States produce approximately 800,000 tons annually for the residential bagged market. There are currently 240 pellet plants in Europe, and district heating is the largest growth market for wood pellets in Europe. British Columbia (BC) pellet producers will ship 450,000 tons to European power plants in 2005. Wood pellet specifications were presented, with details of calorific values, moisture and ash contents. An outline of wood pellet production processes was provided. New pellet plants currently under construction were reviewed. Domestic, North American and overseas exports were discussed, along with production estimates for BC for the next 5 years. A chart of world production and consumption of wood pellets between 2000 to 2010 was presented. North American wood pellet technologies were described. The impact of the pine beetle infestation in BC on the wood pellet industry was evaluated, and a worldwide wood pellet production growth forecast was presented. Issues concerning off-gassing, emissions, and torrifracation were also discussed. tabs., figs

Production of zinc pellets

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, J.F.

1996-11-26

Uniform zinc pellets are formed for use in batteries having a stationary or moving slurry zinc particle electrode. The process involves the cathodic deposition of zinc in a finely divided morphology from battery reaction product onto a non-adhering electrode substrate. The mossy zinc is removed from the electrode substrate by the action of gravity, entrainment in a flowing electrolyte, or by mechanical action. The finely divided zinc particles are collected and pressed into pellets by a mechanical device such as an extruder, a roller and chopper, or a punch and die. The pure zinc pellets are returned to the zinc battery in a pumped slurry and have uniform size, density and reactivity. Applications include zinc-air fuel batteries, zinc-ferricyanide storage batteries, and zinc-nickel-oxide secondary batteries. 6 figs.

Repetitive fueling pellet injection in large helical device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, H.; Sakamoto, R.; Viniar, I.; Oda, Y.; Kikuchi, K.; Lukin, A.; Skoblikov, S.; Umov, A.; Takaura, K.; Onozuka, M.; Kato, S.; Sudo, S.

2003-01-01

A repetitive pellet injector has been developed for investigation of fueling issues towards the steady-state operation in Large Helical Device (LHD). The goal of this approach is achievement of the plasma operation for longer than 1000 s. A principal technical element of the pellet injector is solidification of hydrogen and extrusion of a solid hydrogen rod through a cryogenic screw extruder cooled by Giffard-McMahon (GM) cryo-coolers. Continuous operation of more than 10000 pellet launches at 10 Hz has been demonstrated. The reliability of pellet launch exceeds 99%. The pellet mass and velocity, the consumption of propellant gas and quality of pellets have been successfully tested to fit the experimental requirement in LHD

Repetitive fueling pellet injection in large helical device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamada, H. E-mail: hyamada@lhd.nifs.ac.jp; Sakamoto, R.; Viniar, I.; Oda, Y.; Kikuchi, K.; Lukin, A.; Skoblikov, S.; Umov, A.; Takaura, K.; Onozuka, M.; Kato, S.; Sudo, S

2003-09-01

A repetitive pellet injector has been developed for investigation of fueling issues towards the steady-state operation in Large Helical Device (LHD). The goal of this approach is achievement of the plasma operation for longer than 1000 s. A principal technical element of the pellet injector is solidification of hydrogen and extrusion of a solid hydrogen rod through a cryogenic screw extruder cooled by Giffard-McMahon (GM) cryo-coolers. Continuous operation of more than 10000 pellet launches at 10 Hz has been demonstrated. The reliability of pellet launch exceeds 99%. The pellet mass and velocity, the consumption of propellant gas and quality of pellets have been successfully tested to fit the experimental requirement in LHD.

Pelletized waste form demonstration program, October 1980-March 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, E.L.; Herbert, R.F. Jr.

1981-01-01

During the last six months, performance testing of waste/cement pellets was continued. These evaluations included leachability tests and compressive strength tests of cold soil/cement pellets of various compositions. Fractional leach rates (g/cm 2 /day) after 21 months of testing were, in all cases -5 g/cm 2 /day (Mound Acceptance Value). Based upon these recent data, the pressed waste/cement pellets appeared to be a suitable matrix for the immobilization of low-level transuranic wastes. The installation of the Carver custom pellet press was completed. Plutonium-238 contaminated (< 100 nCi/g) ash/cement pellets were produced at a rate of 360 pellets/hr. Pellets of two different compositions were produced, 50% ash/50% cement and 65% ash/35% cement. The compressive strength of sample pellets was slightly lower than expected. Static MCC-1 leachability testing as well as long-term radiolysis testing of sample pellets are scheduled

Pelletizing properties of torrefied spruce

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stelte, Wolfgang; Clemons, Craig; Holm, Jens K.

2011-01-01

analysis revealed a cohesive failure mechanism due to strong inter-particle bonding in spruce pellets as a resulting from a plastic flow of the amorphous wood polymers, forming solid polymer bridges between adjacent particles. Fracture surfaces of pellets made from torrefied spruce possessed gaps and voids...

Diel feeding rhythm of copepod size-fractions from Coliumo Bay, Central Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Calliari

2001-12-01

Full Text Available The feeding behaviour of the size fractionated copepod assemblage was studied over a diel cycle in Coliumo Bay. In this shallow environment the photic layer reached the bottom and salinity, temperature, and food availability were fairly homogeneous throughout the water column. All four size-fractions (250-500 ?m, 500-1000 ?m, 1000-2000 ?m, >2000 ?m showed a period of high feeding activity during the night and low feeding activity during the day. The persistence of nocturnal feeding in the presence of high food concentration over the 24-h cycle is interpreted as a predator avoidance strategy: empty guts by day make copepods less conspicuous to their visual daytime predators.

Performance characterization of pneumatic single pellet injection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuresko, D.D.; Milora, S.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Foster, C.A.; Combs, S.K.

1982-01-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory single-shot pellet injector, which has been used in plasma fueling experiments on ISX and PDX, has been upgraded and extensively instrumented in order to study the gas dynamics of pneumatic pellet injection. An improved pellet transport line was developed which utilizes a 0.3-cm-diam by 100-cm-long guide tube. Pellet gun performance was characterized by measurements of breech and muzzle dynamic pressures and by pellet velocity and mass determinations. Velocities up to 1.4 km/s were achieved for intact hydrogen pellets using hydrogen propellant at 5-MPa breech pressure. These data have been compared with new pellet acceleration calculations which include the effects of propellant friction, heat transfer, time-dependent boundary conditions, and finite gun geometry. These results provide a basis for the extrapolation of present-day pneumatic injection system performance to velocities in excess of 2 km/s

Performance characterization of pneumatic single pellet injection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuresko, D.D.; Milora, S.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Foster, C.A.; Combs, S.K.

1983-01-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory single-shot pellet injector, which has been used in plasma fueling experiments on ISX and PDX, has been upgraded and extensively instrumented in order to study the gas dyamics of pneumatic pellet injection. An improved pellet transport line was developed which utilizes a 0.3-cm-diam by 100-cm-long guide tube. Pellet gun performance was characterized by measurements of breech and muzzle dynamic pressures and by pellet velocity and mass determinations. Velocities of up to 1.4 km/s were achieved for intact hydrogen pellets using hydrogen propellant at 5-MPa breech pressure. These data have been compared with new pellet acceleration calculations which include the effects of propellant friction, heat transfer, time-dependent boundary conditions, and finite gun geometry. These results provide a basis for the extrapolation of present-day pneumatic injection system performance to velocities in excess of 2 km/s

Pellet fueling development at ORNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combs, S.K.; Milora, S.L.; Foster, C.A.; Schuresko, D.D.; Foust, C.R.; Simmons, D.W.; Beard, D.S.

1986-09-01

Advanced plasma fueling systems for magnetic confinement devices are being developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The general approach is that of producing and accelerating frozen hydrogenic pellets at speeds in the range of 1-2 km/s and higher. Two specific concepts are under development: (1) high-speed pneumatic acceleration; and (2) mechanical (centrifugal) acceleration. Both approaches are being pursued to meet the projected pellet size and delivery rates for major near-term plasma confinement devices, such as the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR), Tore Supra, the Joint European Torus (JET), JT-60, and Doublet III-D (DIII-D), as well as future applications. In addition to these confinement physics related activities, ORNL is pursuing advanced technologies to achieve pellet velocities significantly in excess of the 2-km/s range already attained with pneumatic injectors and has embarked on a development program designed to explore the feasibility of fabricating and accelerating tritium pellets. This paper describes these ongoing activities

Fecal indicator bacteria at Havana Bay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez Perez, Lisse; Gomez D'Angelo, Yamiris; Beltran Gonzalez, Jesus; Alvarez Valiente, Reinaldo

2013-01-01

Aims: Fecal indicator bacteria concentrations were evaluated in Havana Bay. Methods: Concentrations of traditional fecal indicator bacteria were calculated between April 2010 and February 2011, by MPN methods. Concentrations of thermo tolerant coliform (CTT), Escherichia coli, fecal streptococci (EF), intestinal enterococci (ENT) in seawater, and Clostridium perfringens in sediment surface, were determined. Results: CTT and E. coli levels were far above Cuban water quality standard for indirect contact with water, showing the negative influence of sewage and rivers on the bay. The EF and ENT were measured during sewage spills at the discharge site and they were suitable indicators of fecal contamination, but these indicators didn't show the same behavior in other selected sites. This result comes from its well-known inactivation by solar light in tropical zones and the presumable presence of humid acids in the waters of the bay. Conclusion: Fecal indicator bacteria and its statistical relationships reflect recent and chronic fecal contamination at the bay and near shores.

Population dynamics of calanoid copepods and the implications of their predation by clupeid fish in the Central Baltic Sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Möllmann, C.; Köster, Fritz

2002-01-01

. Additionally this study investigated the effect of predation by the major planktivorous fish species herring (Clupea harengus) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) for the period 1977-1996 in the Gotland Basin (Central Baltic Sea). Examination of consumption by these fish species in relation to copepod production...... by sprat on CV/CVI of both copepod species in spring resulted in higher copepod mortality rates. In consequence, based on these results we suggest that the increase in the sprat stock since the late 1980s contributed to a decline of P. elongatus, and additionally prevented an even more pronounced...

Current generation by phased injection of pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisch, N.J.

1983-08-01

By phasing the injection of frozen pellets into a tokamak plasma, it is possible to generate current. The current occurs when the electron flux to individual members of an array of pellets is asymmetric with respect to the magnetic field. The utility of this method for tokamak reactors, however, is unclear; the current, even though free in a pellet-fueled reactor, may not be large enough to be worth the trouble. Uncertainty as to the utility of this method is, in part, due to uncertainty as to proper modeling of the one-pellet problem

Modelling the role of pellet crack motion in the (r-θ) plane upon pellet-clad interaction in advanced gas reactor fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haynes, T.A. [Centre for Nuclear Engineering & Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Rd., London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Ball, J.A. [EDF Energy, Barnett Way, Gloucester GL4 3RS (United Kingdom); Wenman, M.R., E-mail: m.wenman@imperial.ac.uk [Centre for Nuclear Engineering & Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Rd., London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

2017-04-01

Highlights: • Finite element modelling of pellet relocation in the (r-θ) plane of nuclear fuel. • ‘Soft’ and ‘hard’ PCI have been predicted in a cracked nuclear fuel pellet. • Stress concentration in the cladding ahead of radial pellet cracks is predicted. • The model is very sensitive to the coefficient of friction and power ramp duration. • The model is less sensitive to the number of cracks assumed. - Abstract: A finite element model of pellet fragment relocation in the r-θ plane of advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) fuel is presented under conditions of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ pellet-clad interaction. The model was able to predict the additional radial displacement of fuel fragments towards the cladding as well as the stress concentration on the inner surface resulting from the azimuthal motion of pellet fragments. The model was subjected to a severe ramp in power from both full power and after a period of reduced power operation; in the former, the maximum hoop stress in the cladding was found to be increased by a factor of 1.6 as a result of modelling the pellet fragment motion. The pellet-clad interaction was found to be relatively insensitive to the number of radial pellet crack. However, it was very sensitive to both the coefficient of friction used between the clad and pellet fragments and power ramp duration.

Tritium recovery from lithium oxide pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertone, P.C.; Jassby, D.L.

1984-01-01

The TFTR Lithium Blanket Module is an assembly containing 650 kg of lithium oxide that will be used to test the ability of neutronics codes to model the tritium breeding characteristics of limited-coverage breeding zones in a tokamak. It is required that tritium concentrations as low as 0.1 nCi/g bred in both metallic lithium samples and lithium oxide pellets be measured with an uncertainty not exceeding +- 6%. A tritium assay technique for the metallic samples which meets this criterion has been developed. Two assay techniques for the lithium oxide pellets are being investigated. In one, the pellets are heated in a flowing stream of hydrogen, while in the other, the pellets are dissolved in 12 M hydrochloric acid

Suprathermal fusion reactions in laser-imploded D-T pellets. Applicability to pellet diagnosis and necessity of nuclear data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabaru, Y.; Nakao, Y.; Kudo, K.; Nakashima, H.

1995-01-01

The suprathermal fusion reaction is examined on the basis of coupled transport/hydrodynamic calculation. We also calculate the energy spectrum of neutrons bursting from DT pellet. Because of suprathermal fusion and rapid pellet expansion, these neutrons contain fast components whose maximum energy reachs about 40 MeV. The pellet ρR diagnosis by the detection of suprathermal fusion neutrons is discussed. (author)

Influence of pellet diameter and length on the quality of pellets and performance, nutrient utilisation and digestive tract development of broilers fed on wheat-based diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdollahi, M R; Ravindran, V; Wester, T J; Ravindran, G; Thomas, D V

2013-06-01

1. The influence of pellet diameter and length on the quality of pellets and performance, nutrient utilisation and digestive tract development of broilers given wheat-based diets was examined from 10 to 42 d of age. The experimental design was a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments evaluating two pellet diameters (3 and 4.76 mm) and two pellet lengths (3 and 6 mm). From 0 to 9 d of age, all birds were offered a common starter diet pelleted with a 3-mm diameter die and 3-mm length. Broiler grower (d 10 to 21) and finisher (d 22 to 42) diets, based on wheat, were formulated and then subjected to the 4 different treatments. 2. In grower diets, increasing pellet diameter and pellet length reduced the gelatinised starch (GS) content of the diets. In finisher diets, GS content of 3-mm diameter pellets did not change with increasing pellet length but decreased in 4.76-mm diameter pellets. 3. In grower and finisher diets, increments in intact pellet weight, pellet durability index and pellet hardness with increasing pellet length were greater in 3-mm diameter pellets than those with 4.76-mm diameter. 4. Increasing pellet length from 3 to 6 mm increased apparent metabolisable energy values. Neither the interaction nor main effects were significant for the ileal digestibility of nitrogen and starch. 5. During the grower period (d 10 to 21), birds given pellets of 6-mm length had greater body-weight gain than those given 3-mm length pellets. Feeding 6-mm length pellets decreased feed per body-weight gain compared to 3-mm length pellets. During the finisher (d 22 to 42) and whole grow-out (d 10 to 42) periods, while different pellet lengths had no effect on feed per body-weight gain values at 3-mm pellet diameter, increasing the pellet length decreased feed per body-weight gain at 4.76-mm pellet diameter. 6. Increasing pellet diameter and pellet length reduced the relative length of duodenum. Birds given 3-mm diameter pellets had heavier proventriculus compared to

A cost-effectiveness analysis of live feeds in juvenile turbot Scophthalmus maximus (Linnaeus, 1758) farming: copepods versus Artemiapepods versus Artemiacopepods versus Artemiacopepods versus Artemia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gedefaw Abate, Tenaw; Nielsen, Rasmus; Nielsen, Max

2016-01-01

The biological benefits of copepods as live feed for marine finfish larvae have already been well established in the literature. Copepods have better biochemical compositions that improve growth, reduce malpigmentations and allow successful farming of ‘new’ marine finfish species. However...... items (copepods and Artemia) in juvenile turbot farming. Unit cost of production and profit are compared between the two feeding regimes using a unique data set from an existing turbot fry production facility in Denmark. The result reveals that copepods are not only biochemically superior...... but they are also economically a cost-effective alternative. Thus, a commercial use of copepods will significantly reduce the production costs for turbot. Furthermore, the unexploited economic potential can be utilized for the successful farming of other high-valued marine finfish species such as tuna, flounders...

Development of the centrifugal pellet injector for JT-60U

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kizu, Kaname; Hiratsuka, Hajime; Ichige, Hisashi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka, Ibaraki (Japan). Naka Fusion Research Establishment] [and others

2001-03-01

For core fueling of JT-60U plasmas, a repetitive pellet injector which centrifugally accelerates D{sub 2} cubic pellets using a straight rod has been developed. This centrifugal pellet injector can eject trains of up to 40 cubic pellets at frequencies of 1-10 Hz and velocities of 0.3-1.0 km/s. The average pellet mass is 3.6x10{sup 20} atoms/pellet below 0.7 m/s. Key techniques for the development were a mesh structured acceleration component for removing gas sublimated from the pellet and a funnel with an appropriate angle connected just behind the acceleration chamber for introducing the pellet to plasma without destruction. Using the mesh structured components, the horizontal angular distribution of pellets ejected became narrow, because irregular pellet motion caused by sublimated gas was reduced. To investigate the performance of the injector, pellet injection experiments from the low magnetic field side (LFS) were conducted using ohmic heating plasmas. Central fueling and enhanced fueling rate have been observed. D{alpha} intensity around the divertor region was reduced in a pellet injection plasma compared to gas puffing, indicating low recycling rate was maintained with the pellet injection. (author)

Development of the centrifugal pellet injector for JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kizu, Kaname; Hiratsuka, Hajime; Ichige, Hisashi

2001-03-01

For core fueling of JT-60U plasmas, a repetitive pellet injector which centrifugally accelerates D 2 cubic pellets using a straight rod has been developed. This centrifugal pellet injector can eject trains of up to 40 cubic pellets at frequencies of 1-10 Hz and velocities of 0.3-1.0 km/s. The average pellet mass is 3.6x10 20 atoms/pellet below 0.7 m/s. Key techniques for the development were a mesh structured acceleration component for removing gas sublimated from the pellet and a funnel with an appropriate angle connected just behind the acceleration chamber for introducing the pellet to plasma without destruction. Using the mesh structured components, the horizontal angular distribution of pellets ejected became narrow, because irregular pellet motion caused by sublimated gas was reduced. To investigate the performance of the injector, pellet injection experiments from the low magnetic field side (LFS) were conducted using ohmic heating plasmas. Central fueling and enhanced fueling rate have been observed. Dα intensity around the divertor region was reduced in a pellet injection plasma compared to gas puffing, indicating low recycling rate was maintained with the pellet injection. (author)

Modeling drying of iron ore pellets

OpenAIRE

Ljung, Anna-Lena

2010-01-01

Iron ore pellets are a highly refined product supplied to the steel making industry for use in blast furnaces or direct reduction processes. The use of pellets offers many advantages such as customer adopted products, transportability and mechanical strength yet the production is time and energy consuming. Being such, there is a natural driving force to enhance the pelletization in order to optimize production and improve quality. The aim with this thesis is to develop numerical models with w...

Sintering of wax for controlling release from pellets.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Reena; Poddar, S S; Chivate, Amit

2007-09-14

The purpose of the present study was to investigate incorporation of hydrophobic (ie, waxy) material into pellets using a thermal sintering technique and to evaluate the pellets in vitro for controlled release. Pellets prepared by extrusion-spheronization technology were formulated with a water-soluble drug, microcrystalline cellulose, and carnauba wax. Powdered carnauba wax (4%-20%) prepared by grinding or by emulsification was studied with an attempt to retard the drug release. The inclusion of ground or emulsified carnauba wax did not sustain the release of theophylline for more than 3 hours. Matrix pellets of theophylline prepared with various concentrations of carnauba wax were sintered thermally at various times and temperatures. In vitro drug release profiles indicated an increase in drug release retardation with increasing carnauba wax concentration. Pellets prepared with ground wax showed a higher standard deviation than did those prepared with emulsified wax. There was incomplete release at the end of 12 hours for pellets prepared with 20% ground or emulsified wax. The sintering temperature and duration were optimized to allow for a sustained release lasting at least 12 hours. The optimized temperature and duration were found to be 100 degrees C and 140 seconds, respectively. The sintered pellets had a higher hydrophobicity than did the unsintered pellets. Scanning electron micrographs indicated that the carnauba wax moved internally, thereby increasing the surface area of wax within the pellets.

Lithium Pellet Injector Development for NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gettelfinger, G.; Dong, J.; Gernhardt, R.; Kugel, H.; Sichta, P.; Timberlake, J.

2003-01-01

A pellet injector suitable for the injection of lithium and other low-Z pellets of varying mass into plasmas at precise velocities from 5 to 500 m/s is being developed for use on NSTX (National Spherical Torus Experiment). The ability to inject low-Z impurities will significantly expand NSTX experimental capability for a broad range of diagnostic and operational applications. The architecture employs a pellet-carrying cartridge propelled through a guide tube by deuterium gas. Abrupt deceleration of the cartridge at the end of the guide tube results in the pellet continuing along its intended path, thereby giving controlled reproducible velocities for a variety of pellets materials and a reduced gas load to the torus. The planned injector assembly has four hundred guide tubes contained in a rotating magazine with eight tubes provided for injection into plasmas. A PC-based control system is being developed as well and will be described elsewhere in these Proceedings. The development path and mechanical performance of the injector will be described

Hydrogen Pellet-Rotating Plasma Interaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, L. W.; Sillesen, Alfred Hegaard; Øster, Flemming

1977-01-01

Spectroscopic measurements on the interaction between solid hydrogen pellets and rotating plasmas are reported. It was found that the light emitted is specific to the pellet material, and that the velocity of the ablated H-atoms is of the order of l0^4 m/s. The investigation was carried out...

Evaluating pyrene toxicity on Arctic key copepod species Calanus hyperboreus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørregaard, Rasmus Dyrmose; Nielsen, Torkel Gissel; Friis Møller, Eva

2014-01-01

was unaffected. The hatching success was also unaffected, although the total reproductive output was reduced with increased pyrene concentrations. Accumulation of pyrene in the copepods was higher in feeding than starving females and only trace amounts of the phase I metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene, were found...

Effects of high CO2 seawater on the copepod (Acartia tsuensis) through all life stages and subsequent generations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurihara, Haruko; Ishimatsu, Atsushi

2008-01-01

We studied the effects of exposure to seawater equilibrated with CO 2 -enriched air (CO 2 2380 ppm) from eggs to maturity and over two subsequent generations on the copepod Acartia tsuensis. Compared to the control (CO 2 380 ppm), high CO 2 exposure through all life stages of the 1st generation copepods did not significantly affect survival, body size or developmental speed. Egg production and hatching rates were also not significantly different between the initial generation of females exposed to high CO 2 and the 1st and 2nd generation females developed from eggs to maturity in high CO 2 . Thus, the copepods appear more tolerant to increased CO 2 than other marine organisms previously investigated for CO 2 tolerance (i.e., sea urchins and bivalves). However, the crucial importance of copepods in marine ecosystems requires thorough evaluation of the overall impacts of marine environmental changes predicted to occur with increased CO 2 concentrations, i.e., increased temperature, enhanced UV irradiation, and changes in the community structure and nutritional value of phytoplankton

Tritium proof-of-principle pellet injector results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, P.W.; Fehling, D.T.; Gouge, M.J.; Milora, S.L.

1989-01-01

The tritium proof-of-principle (TPOP) experiment was built by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to demonstrate the feasibility of forming solid tritium pellets and accelerating them to high velocities for fueling future fusion reactors. TPOP used a pneumatic pipe-gun with a 4-mm-i.d. by 1-m-long barrel. Nearly 1500 pellets were fired by the gun during the course of the experiment; about a third of these were tritium or mixtures of deuterium and tritium. The system also contained a cryogenic 3 He separator that reduced the 3 He level to <0.005%. Pure tritium pellets were accelerated to 1400 m/s. Experiments evaluated the effect of cryostat temperature and fill pressure on pellet size, the production of pellets from mixtures of tritium and deuterium, and the effect of aging on pellet integrity. The tritium phase of these experiments was performed at the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. About 100 kCi of tritium was processed through the apparatus without incident. 8 refs., 7 figs

Pellet-plasma interaction: Local disturbances caused by pellet ablation in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lengyel, L.L.

1989-01-01

The local disturbance amplitudes caused by ablating pellets in tokamaks are computed in the framework of a magnetohydrodynamic model supplemented by the neutral gas plasma shielding ablation model. The model computes, for a given number of pellet particles locally deposited, the time histories of the ablatant cloud parameters, such as cloud radius, cloud length, electron density, temperature and cloud beta, at a succession of magnetic flux surfaces. The cloud radius thus determined may be fed back into the ablation model, thus adjusting the effect of the shielding cloud on the ablation rate. The model is applied to typical plasma parameter ranges of existing and planned tokamaks. The results show that the ablating pellets may cause massive local disturbances in tokamaks, depending upon the number of particles locally deposited. The peaks of these disturbances are of a spike nature, lasting only a few microseconds (Alfven time-scale). The characteristic decay time of the 'quasi-steady' disturbance values that characterize the after-spike period is of the order of several milliseconds (hydrodynamic time-scale). The peak electron density values may be as high as 10 23 to 10 25 m -3 , with the associated beta peaks exceeding unity. The 'quasi-steady' values of the electron density and the ablatant beta may be of the order of 10 22 to 10 24 m -3 and unity, respectively. Furthermore, the results show the strong dependence of the ablation rate on the dynamic characteristics of the ablatant cloud surrounding the pellet. (author). 25 refs, 6 figs, 2 tabs

Simulation of peeling-ballooning modes with pellet injection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, S. Y. [College of Physical Science and Technology, Sichuan University, 610064 Chengdu (China); Key Laboratory of High Energy Density Physics and Technology of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Southwestern Institute of Physics, Chengdu 610041 (China); Huang, J.; Sun, T. T.; Tang, C. J. [College of Physical Science and Technology, Sichuan University, 610064 Chengdu (China); Key Laboratory of High Energy Density Physics and Technology of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Wang, Z. H. [Southwestern Institute of Physics, Chengdu 610041 (China)

2014-11-15

The influence of pellet ablation on the evolution of peeling-ballooning (P-B) modes is studied with BOUT++ code. The atoms coming from pellet ablation can significantly reshape the plasma pressure profile, so the behaviors of P-B modes and edge localized mode (ELM) are modified dramatically. This paper shows that the energy loss associated with an ELM increases substantially over that without the pellet, if the pellet is deposited at the top of the pedestal. On the contrary, for pellet deposition in the middle of the pedestal region the ELM energy loss can be less.

Numerical investigations of the WASA pellet target operation and proposal of a new technique for the PANDA pellet target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varentsov, Victor L.

2011-01-01

The conventional nozzle vibration technique of the hydrogen micro-droplet generation that is supposed to be used for internal pellet target production for the future PANDA experiment at the international FAIR facility in Darmstadtfor is described. The operation of this technique has been investigated by means of detailed computer simulations. Results of calculations for the geometry and operation conditions of the WASA pellet generator are presented and discussed. We have found that for every given pellet size, there is a set of operation parameters where the efficiency of the WASA hydrogen pellet target operation is considerably increased. Moreover, the results of presented computer simulations clearly show that the future PANDA pellet target setup can be realized with the use of much smaller (and cheaper) vacuum pumps than those used at present in the WASA hydrogen pellet target. To qualitatively improve the PANDA hydrogen pellet target performance we have proposed the use of a novel flow focusing method of Ganan-Calvo and Barreto (1997,1999) combined with the use of conventional vacuum injection capillary. Possibilities of this approach for the PANDA pellet target production have been also explored by means of computer simulations. The results of these simulations show that the use of this new approach looks very promising and in particular, there is no need here to use of expensive ultra-pure hydrogen to prevent nozzle clogging or freezing up due to impurities and it will allow simple, fast, smooth and a wide range of change of pellet sizes in accordance with requirements of different experiments at the PANDA detector. In this article we also propose and describe the idea of a new technique to break up a liquid microjet into microdroplets using a process of liquid jet evaporation under pulsed laser beam irradiation. This technique should be experimentally checked before it may be used in the design of the future PANDA pellet target setup.

Numerical investigations of the WASA pellet target operation and proposal of a new technique for the PANDA pellet target

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varentsov, Victor L., E-mail: v.varentsov@gsi.de [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, B. Cheremushkinskaya 25, 117218 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2011-08-01

The conventional nozzle vibration technique of the hydrogen micro-droplet generation that is supposed to be used for internal pellet target production for the future PANDA experiment at the international FAIR facility in Darmstadtfor is described. The operation of this technique has been investigated by means of detailed computer simulations. Results of calculations for the geometry and operation conditions of the WASA pellet generator are presented and discussed. We have found that for every given pellet size, there is a set of operation parameters where the efficiency of the WASA hydrogen pellet target operation is considerably increased. Moreover, the results of presented computer simulations clearly show that the future PANDA pellet target setup can be realized with the use of much smaller (and cheaper) vacuum pumps than those used at present in the WASA hydrogen pellet target. To qualitatively improve the PANDA hydrogen pellet target performance we have proposed the use of a novel flow focusing method of Ganan-Calvo and Barreto (1997,1999) combined with the use of conventional vacuum injection capillary. Possibilities of this approach for the PANDA pellet target production have been also explored by means of computer simulations. The results of these simulations show that the use of this new approach looks very promising and in particular, there is no need here to use of expensive ultra-pure hydrogen to prevent nozzle clogging or freezing up due to impurities and it will allow simple, fast, smooth and a wide range of change of pellet sizes in accordance with requirements of different experiments at the PANDA detector. In this article we also propose and describe the idea of a new technique to break up a liquid microjet into microdroplets using a process of liquid jet evaporation under pulsed laser beam irradiation. This technique should be experimentally checked before it may be used in the design of the future PANDA pellet target setup.

Pellet injectors for the tokamak fusion test reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combs, S.K.

1986-01-01

The repeating pneumatic injector is a device from the ORNL development program. A new eight-shot deuterium pellet injector has been designed and constructed specifically for the TFTR application and is scheduled to replace the repeating injector this year. The new device combines a cryogenic extruder and a cold wheel rotary mechanism to form and chamber eight pellets in a batch operation; the eight pellets can then be delivered in any time sequence. Another unique feature of the device is the variable pellet size with three pellets each of 3.0 and 3.5 mm diam and two each of 4.0 mm diam. The experience and technology that have been developed on previous injectors at ORNL have been utilized in the design of this latest pellet injection system

Optimization of backfill pellet properties AASKAR DP2 - Laboratory tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Linus; Sanden, Torbjoern [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)

2012-12-15

Bentonite pellets are planned to be used as a part of the backfill in the Swedish spent nuclear fuel deep repository concept KBS-3. This report describes testing and evaluation of different backfill pellet candidates. The work completed included testing of both pellet material and pellet type. The materials tested were sourced from India (ASHA), Greece (IBECO, 2 products) and Wyoming USA (MX-80 clay). The majority of the tests were completed on the ASHA clay as well as the IBECO-RWC-BF products, with only limited testing of the others. The pellets tested were manufactured using both extrusion and roller compaction techniques and had different sizes and geometries. The following tests have been performed and are presented in this report: 1. General tests. Water content, bulk density and dry density have been determined for both the pellet filling and the individual pellets. The compressibility of the pellet filling was tested with CRS-tests and the strength of the individual pellets was tested with a special compression test. The water content varied from 11.3% to 18.7% and was highest for the extruded pellets. The dry density was somewhat higher for the roller-compacted pellets and their compressibility was lower. The strength of the individual pellets was generally higher for the extruded pellets. 2. Erosion. The pellet filling will be exposed to groundwater inflow when installed in the tunnel. This flow could possibly cause significant erosion on the pellet filling. Erosion tests have been performed with comparisons in erosion resistance made on the various material- and pellet-types. The influence of variations in water salinity and flow rates was also tested. The IBECO extruded 6- and 10- mm diameter rods and the compacted Posiva spec.-A pellet filling seem to have the lowest tendency to erode. It is also the IBECO extruded pellet filling that withstands variations in water salinity and flow rates best. 3. Water storing capacity. The pellet filling

Development of advanced LWR fuel pellet technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Kun Woo; Kang, K.W.; Kim, K. S.; Yang, J. H.; Kim, Y. M.; Kim, J. H.; Bang, J. B.; Kim, D. H.; Bae, S. O.; Jung, Y. H.; Lee, Y. S.; Kim, B. G.; Kim, S. H.

2000-03-01

A UO 2 pellet was designed to have a grain size of larger than 12 μm, and a new duplex design that UO 2 -Gd 2 O 3 is in the core and UO 2 -Er 2 O 3 in the periphery was proposed. A master mixing method was developed to make a uniform mixture of UO 2 and additives. The open porosity of UO 2 pellet was reduced by only mixing AUC-UO 2 powder with ADU-UO 2 or milled powder. Duplex compaction tools (die and punch) were designed and fabricated, and duplex compacting procedures were developed to fabricate the duplex BA pellet. In UO 2 sintering, the relations between sintering variables (additive, sintering gas, sintering temperature) and pellet properties (density, grain size, pore size) were experimentally found. The UO 2 -U 3 O 8 powder which is inherently not sinterable to high density could be sintered well with the aid of additives. U 3 O 8 single crystals were added to UO 2 powder, and homogeneous powder mixture was pressed and sintered in a reducing atmosphere. This technology leads to a large-grained pellet of 12-20 μm. In UO 2 -Gd 2 O 3 sintering, the relations between sintering variables (additives, sintering gas) and pellet properties (density, grain size) were experimentally found. The developed technology of fabricating a large-grained UO 2 pellet has been optimized in a lab scale. Pellet properties were investigated in the fields of (1) creep properties, (2) thermal properties, (3) O/M ratios and (4) unit cell lattice. (author)

A four-pellet pneumatic injection system in the JT-60

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiratsuka, Hajime; Kawasaki, Kouzo; Miyo, Yasuhiko; Yoshioka, Yuji; Ohta, Kazuya; Shimizu, Masatsugu; Kondo, Ikuo; Onozuka, Masanori; Shimomura, Tomoyoshi; Iwamoto, Syuichi; Hashiri, Noboru

1991-01-01

A four-pellet pneumatic injection system has been developed for plasma fueling of the JT-60. The JT-60 pellet injector is capable of accelerating separately four cylindrical pellets 3.0 mm in diameter x 3.0 mm long for two pellets and 4.0 mm in diameter x 4.0 mm long for the remaining two. The JT-60 pellet injector was installed on the JT-60 tokamak machine at the end of 1988. Obtained pellet velocity was higher than 2300 m/s by propellant gases of up to 100 bar and the pellet fueling efficiency achieved was around 70% for both dimensions of pellets. This paper describes the design, injection operation and performance test results of the JT-60 pellet injector. (orig.)

A four-pellet pneumatic injection system in the JT-60

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiratsuka, Hajime; Kawasaki, Kouzo; Miyo, Yasuhiko; Yoshioka, Yuji; Ohta, Kazuya; Shimizu, Masatsugu; Kondo, Ikuo (Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka, Ibaraki (Japan)); Onozuka, Masanori; Shimomura, Tomoyoshi; Iwamoto, Syuichi; Hashiri, Noboru (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Kobe (Japan))

1991-05-01

A four-pellet pneumatic injection system has been developed for plasma fueling of the JT-60. The JT-60 pellet injector is capable of accelerating separately four cylindrical pellets 3.0 mm in diameter x 3.0 mm long for two pellets and 4.0 mm in diameter x 4.0 mm long for the remaining two. The JT-60 pellet injector was installed on the JT-60 tokamak machine at the end of 1988. Obtained pellet velocity was higher than 2300 m/s by propellant gases of up to 100 bar and the pellet fueling efficiency achieved was around 70% for both dimensions of pellets. This paper describes the design, injection operation and performance test results of the JT-60 pellet injector. (orig.).

Fuel pellet fracture and relocation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, L.A.; Husser, D.L.

1983-01-01

The model used to describe fuel pellet fracture and relocation is an important feature of a fuel performance computer code. This model becomes especially important if the computer code is principally to be used for the evaluation of pellet clad interaction. The fracture and relocation model being developed for the B and W fuel performance code FUMAC was derived from an extensive data base. Cross sections of irradiated fuel rods were photographically magnified and measured to determine the configuration of the fragments of the fractured fuel pellets. Data, representing a wide range of LWR fuel designs and as-manufactured mechanical configurations, were catalogued and systematically reduced and then correlated as a function of the likely independent variables. These correlations define the key phenomenological behavior patterns which the relocation model must duplicate and indicate which mechanistic approaches are viable explanations of this behavior. The data base covers the burnup range from approximately one to 35 GWd/mtU and linear heat rates from less than 100 to nearly 700 W/Cm. This paper presents the correlated data base and the methods used to derive and interpret it. It was determined from this data base that pellet cracking is initially both power level and burnup dependent but tends to saturate eventually with continued steady irradiation. Fuel pellet relocation was found to be much more extensive than would be deduced from thermal considerations alone. Even at very low burnups fuel fragments were found to move outward until restrained by the cladding. The results also suggest that changes in internal resistance to heat flow within the pellets due to the opening of cracks may be as important as peripheral gap changes to the thermal modeler. The transient response and thermal implications of this model are recommended as primary areas for future investigation

Particle density determination of pellets and briquettes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rabier, Fabienne; Temmerman, Michaeel [Centre wallon de Recherches agronomiques, Departement de Genie rural, CRA-W, Chaussee de Namur, 146, B 5030 Gembloux (Belgium); Boehm, Thorsten; Hartmann, Hans [Technologie und Foerderzentrum fuer Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, TFZ, Schulgasse 18, D 94315 Straubing (Germany); Daugbjerg Jensen, Peter [Forest and Landscape, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Rolighedsvej 23, DK 1958 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Rathbauer, Josef [Bundesanstalt fuer Landtechnik, BLT, Rottenhauer Strasse,1 A 3250 Wieselburg (Austria); Carrasco, Juan; Fernandez, Miguel [Centro de investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas, CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense, 22 E 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2006-11-15

Several methods and procedures for the determination of particle density of pellets and briquettes were tested and evaluated. Round robin trials were organized involving five European laboratories, which measured the particle densities of 15 pellet and five briquette types. The test included stereometric methods, methods based on liquid displacement (hydrostatic and buoyancy) applying different procedures and one method based on solid displacement. From the results for both pellets and briquettes, it became clear that the application of a method based on either liquid or solid displacement (only tested on pellet samples) leads to an improved reproducibility compared to a stereometric method. For both, pellets and briquettes, the variability of measurements strongly depends on the fuel type itself. For briquettes, the three methods tested based on liquid displacement lead to similar results. A coating of the samples with paraffin did not improve the repeatability and the reproducibility. Determinations with pellets proved to be most reliable when the buoyancy method was applied using a wetting agent to reduce surface tensions without sample coating. This method gave the best values for repeatability and reproducibility, thus less replications are required to reach a given accuracy level. For wood pellets, the method based on solid displacement gave better values of repeatability, however, this instrument was tested at only one laboratory. (author)

Pellet injector research at ORNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combs, S.K.; Foster, C.A.; Milora, S.L.

1988-01-01

Advanced plasma fueling systems for magnetic confinement devices are under development a the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The general approach is that of producing and accelerating frozen hydrogen isotope pellets at speeds in the range 1-2 km/s and higher. Recently, ORNL provided pneumataic-based pellet fueling systems for two of the world's largest tokamak experiments, the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) and the Joint European Torus (JET). A new versatile centrifuge type injector is being readied at ORNL for use on the Tore Supra tokamak. Also, a new simplified eight-shot injector design has been developed for use on the Princeton Beta Experiment (PBX) and the Advanced Toroidal Facility (ATF). In addition to these confinement physics related activities, ORNL is pursuing advanced technologies to achieve pellet velocities significantly in excess of 2 km/s and is carrying out a Tritium Proof-of-Principle (TPOP) experiment in which the fabrication and acceleration of tritium pellets have already been demonstrated. This paper describes these ongoing activities. 25 refs., 9 figs

Fuel Pellets from Biomass. Processing, Bonding, Raw Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stelte, Wolfgang

in an increasing interest in biomass densification technologies, such as pelletization and briquetting. The global pellet market has developed quickly, and strong growth is to be expected for the coming years. Due to an increasing demand for biomass, the traditionally used wood residues from sawmills and pulp...... influence of the different processing parameters on the pressure built up in the press channel of a pellet mill. It showed that the major factor was the press channel length as well as temperature, moisture content, particle size and extractive content. Furthermore, extractive migration to the pellet...... surface at an elevated temperature played an important role. The second study presented a method of how key processing parameters can be estimated, based on a pellet model and a small number of fast and simple laboratory trials using a single pellet press. The third study investigated the bonding...

The mitochondrial genomes of Amphiascoides atopus and Schizopera knabeni (Harpacticoida: Miraciidae) reveal similarities between the copepod orders Harpacticoida and Poecilostomatoida.

Science.gov (United States)

Easton, Erin E; Darrow, Emily M; Spears, Trisha; Thistle, David

2014-03-15

Members of subclass Copepoda are abundant, diverse, and-as a result of their variety of ecological roles in marine and freshwater environments-important, but their phylogenetic interrelationships are unclear. Recent studies of arthropods have used gene arrangements in the mitochondrial (mt) genome to infer phylogenies, but for copepods, only seven complete mt genomes have been published. These data revealed several within-order and few among-order similarities. To increase the data available for comparisons, we sequenced the complete mt genome (13,831base pairs) of Amphiascoides atopus and 10,649base pairs of the mt genome of Schizopera knabeni (both in the family Miraciidae of the order Harpacticoida). Comparison of our data to those for Tigriopus japonicus (family Harpacticidae, order Harpacticoida) revealed similarities in gene arrangement among these three species that were consistent with those found within and among families of other copepod orders. Comparison of the mt genomes of our species with those known from other copepod orders revealed the arrangement of mt genes of our Harpacticoida species to be more similar to that of Sinergasilus polycolpus (order Poecilostomatoida) than to that of T. japonicus. The similarities between S. polycolpus and our species are the first to be noted across the boundaries of copepod orders and support the possibility that mt-gene arrangement might be used to infer copepod phylogenies. We also found that our two species had extremely truncated transfer RNAs and that gene overlaps occurred much more frequently than has been reported for other copepod mt genomes. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Development of railgun pellet injector for nuclear fusion fueling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azuma, Kingo; Oda, Yasushi; Onozuka, Masanori.

1996-01-01

Recent fusion plasmas have become larger as fusion research progresses. This requires high-velocity solid-hydrogen pellet injection that is the most efficient fueling method. The application of the electro-magnetic railgun system for pellet injection is one of the most feasible technologies for accelerating a pellet to a high speed. The system consists of a pneumatic pre-accelerator for the first acceleration stage and a railgun for the second stage. The railgun is operated by a low voltage discharged from a pulse-forming-network power supply to accelerate a plasma armature between the rail electrodes. The plasma is induced by high-power laser beam irradiation. The highest velocity of a solid-hydrogen pellet obtained using the railgun was 2.6 km/s. This velocity is higher than the maximum pellet velocity of 2.3 km/s achieved by MHI's pneumatic pellet injector. It was also found that the pellet velocity could be controlled easily using railgun pellet injection. (author)

Development of railgun pellet injector for nuclear fusion fueling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azuma, Kingo [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Takasago, Hyogo Takasago Research and Development Center (Japan); Oda, Yasushi; Onozuka, Masanori

1996-03-01

Recent fusion plasmas have become larger as fusion research progresses. This requires high-velocity solid-hydrogen pellet injection that is the most efficient fueling method. The application of the electro-magnetic railgun system for pellet injection is one of the most feasible technologies for accelerating a pellet to a high speed. The system consists of a pneumatic pre-accelerator for the first acceleration stage and a railgun for the second stage. The railgun is operated by a low voltage discharged from a pulse-forming-network power supply to accelerate a plasma armature between the rail electrodes. The plasma is induced by high-power laser beam irradiation. The highest velocity of a solid-hydrogen pellet obtained using the railgun was 2.6 km/s. This velocity is higher than the maximum pellet velocity of 2.3 km/s achieved by MHI`s pneumatic pellet injector. It was also found that the pellet velocity could be controlled easily using railgun pellet injection. (author).

Planktivorous feeding in calm and turbulent environments, with emphasis on copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas; Saiz, E.

1995-01-01

Turbulence may enhance contact rates between planktonic predators and their prey. We formulate simple and general models of prey encounter rates, taking into account the behaviours and motility patterns of both prey and predator as well as turbulent fluid motion. Using these models we determine...... the levels of turbulence (as dissipation rate) at which ambient fluid motion is important in enhancing prey encounter rates for various types of predators (e.g, ambush and cruise predators, suspension feeders). Generally, turbulence has the largest effect on prey encounters for predators with low motility...... and long reaction distances. Also, turbulence is most important for meso-sized (mm to cm) predators and insignificant for smaller and larger predators. The effect of turbulence on copepods is specifically examined. For copepods that establish feeding currents, turbulence is of minor importance; for ambush...

Influence of swimming behavior of copepod nauplii on feeding of larval turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruno, Eleonora; Højgaard, Jacob Kring; Hansen, Benni Winding

2018-01-01

Feeding in larval fish is influenced by a range of factors and among these are the morphological and behavioral characteristics of their prey. We investigated the influence of the swimming behavior of two species of calanoid copepods, Acartia tonsa and Temora longicornis, on larval turbot feeding....... The nauplii of these species represent two contrasting swimming behaviors: A. tonsa is a jump-sink type swimmer, while T. longicornis is a cruise swimming type. Three replicates of ten larvae aged 7 and 9 days post hatch (DPH) were observed feeding on one of the two copepod species using a 2-dimensional video...

Acceleration of solid pellets using a plasma gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buller, T.L.; Turnbull, R.J.; Kim, K.

1979-01-01

The use of solid pellets of hydrogen isotopes to refuel thermonuclear fusion reactors based on the tokamak configuration will require that the pellets be accelerated to high velocities. One possible method of acceleration is to interact a fast plasma from a plasma gun with the pellets. In this paper preliminary results are given on the acceleration of solid pellets with a plasma gun. The plasma-gun requirements for successful acceleration to high velocities are discussed

Algal Toxins Alter Copepod Feeding Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jiarong; Talapatra, Siddharth; Katz, Joseph; Tester, Patricia A.; Waggett, Rebecca J.; Place, Allen R.

2012-01-01

Using digital holographic cinematography, we quantify and compare the feeding behavior of free-swimming copepods, Acartia tonsa, on nutritional prey (Storeatula major) to that occurring during exposure to toxic and non-toxic strains of Karenia brevis and Karlodinium veneficum. These two harmful algal species produce polyketide toxins with different modes of action and potency. We distinguish between two different beating modes of the copepod’s feeding appendages–a “sampling beating” that has short durations (<100 ms) and involves little fluid entrainment and a longer duration “grazing beating” that persists up to 1200 ms and generates feeding currents. The durations of both beating modes have log-normal distributions. Without prey, A. tonsa only samples the environment at low frequency. Upon introduction of non-toxic food, it increases its sampling time moderately and the grazing period substantially. On mono algal diets for either of the toxic dinoflagellates, sampling time fraction is high but the grazing is very limited. A. tonsa demonstrates aversion to both toxic algal species. In mixtures of S. major and the neurotoxin producing K. brevis, sampling and grazing diminish rapidly, presumably due to neurological effects of consuming brevetoxins while trying to feed on S. major. In contrast, on mixtures of cytotoxin producing K. veneficum, both behavioral modes persist, indicating that intake of karlotoxins does not immediately inhibit the copepod’s grazing behavior. These findings add critical insight into how these algal toxins may influence the copepod’s feeding behavior, and suggest how some harmful algal species may alter top-down control exerted by grazers like copepods. PMID:22629336

Marine and Freshwater Fecal Indicators and Source Identification

Science.gov (United States)

Fecal indicators are organisms or chemical constituents found in fecal material or wastewater that can be measured to demonstrate the presence of fecal pollution. Fecal waste from humans and other animals can contaminant surface waters and pose a serious threat to the environmen...

Distribution of copepods from the polluted and unpolluted regions off Bombay

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gajbhiye, S.N.; JiyalalRam, M.J.; Desai, B.N.

Distribution and abundance of copepods in the nearshore waters off Bombay were studied at 4 fixed sampling sites during October 1977 to December 1978.The stations Mahim and Thana received domestic and industrial waste while the stations of Versova...

Backfilling of deposition tunnels: Use of bentonite pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, David; Sanden, Torbjoern; Jonsson, Esther; Hansen, Johanna

2011-02-01

The state of knowledge related to use of bentonite pellets as part of backfill or other gap filling components in repository applications is reviewed. How the pellets interact with adjacent sealing materials and the surrounding rock mass is a critical aspect in determining backfill behaviour. The key features and processes that determine how the pellet component of the KBS-3V deposition tunnel backfill will behave are discussed and recommendations related to what additional information needs to be developed are provided. Experiences related to pellet material composition, size, shape, placement options and more importantly, the density to which they can be placed all indicate that there are significant limitations to the achievable as-placed density of bentonite pellet fill. Low as-placed density of the pellet fill component of the backfill is potentially problematic as the outermost regions of tunnel backfill will be the first region of the backfill to be contacted by water entering the tunnels. It is also through this region that initial water movement along the length of the deposition tunnels will occur. This will greatly influence the operations in a tunnel, especially with respect to situations where water is exiting the downstream face of still open deposition tunnels. Pellet-filled regions are also sensitive to groundwater salinity, susceptible to development of piping features and subsequent mechanical erosion by through flowing water, particularly in the period preceding deposition tunnel closure. A review of the experiences of various organisations considering use of bentonite-pellet materials as part of buffer or backfill barriers is provided in this document. From this information, potential options and limitations to use of pellets or pellet-granule mixtures in backfill are identified. Of particular importance is identification of the apparent upper-limits of dry density to which such materials can to be placed in the field. These bounds will

Backfilling of deposition tunnels: Use of bentonite pellets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dixon, David (Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (Canada)); Sanden, Torbjoern (Clay Technology AB (Sweden)); Jonsson, Esther (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Mangaement Co. (Sweden)); Hansen, Johanna (Posiva Oy (Finland))

2011-02-15

The state of knowledge related to use of bentonite pellets as part of backfill or other gap filling components in repository applications is reviewed. How the pellets interact with adjacent sealing materials and the surrounding rock mass is a critical aspect in determining backfill behaviour. The key features and processes that determine how the pellet component of the KBS-3V deposition tunnel backfill will behave are discussed and recommendations related to what additional information needs to be developed are provided. Experiences related to pellet material composition, size, shape, placement options and more importantly, the density to which they can be placed all indicate that there are significant limitations to the achievable as-placed density of bentonite pellet fill. Low as-placed density of the pellet fill component of the backfill is potentially problematic as the outermost regions of tunnel backfill will be the first region of the backfill to be contacted by water entering the tunnels. It is also through this region that initial water movement along the length of the deposition tunnels will occur. This will greatly influence the operations in a tunnel, especially with respect to situations where water is exiting the downstream face of still open deposition tunnels. Pellet-filled regions are also sensitive to groundwater salinity, susceptible to development of piping features and subsequent mechanical erosion by through flowing water, particularly in the period preceding deposition tunnel closure. A review of the experiences of various organisations considering use of bentonite-pellet materials as part of buffer or backfill barriers is provided in this document. From this information, potential options and limitations to use of pellets or pellet-granule mixtures in backfill are identified. Of particular importance is identification of the apparent upper-limits of dry density to which such materials can to be placed in the field. These bounds will

The detection of Giardia muris and Giardia lamblia cysts by immunofluorescence in animal tissues and fecal samples subjected to cycles of freezing and thawing.

Science.gov (United States)

Erlandsen, S L; Sherlock, L A; Bemrick, W J

1990-04-01

The effects of freezing and thawing on the detection of selected Giardia spp. cysts were investigated using immunofluorescence, bright field microscopy, and low voltage scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Giardia muris cysts were obtained from either animal carcasses, fecal pellets, or isolated cyst preparations, whereas Giardia lamblia cysts were isolated from fecal samples. These samples were stained using an immunofluorescence technique after 1-3 freezing (-16 C) and thawing (20 C) cycles. Cysts were detected successfully by immunofluorescence in all samples. However, in those samples subjected to freeze-thawing, the cyst walls often became distorted and then were not detectable by bright field microscopy. Low voltage SEM demonstrated that the filaments in the distorted cyst wall underwent rearrangements of interfilament spacing. Quantitation of cyst recovery after freezing and thawing demonstrated that a substantial loss occurred after 1 cycle of alternating temperature when low concentrations of cysts were used, but not with high concentrations of cysts. Cyst recovery, after 3 freezing and thawing cycles, was dramatically lowered irrespective of the initial cyst concentration. These results demonstrated that immunofluorescence was an effective technique for the detection of Giardia spp. cysts in frozen samples and would suggest that freezing and thawing of fecal samples could prevent the detection of cysts when only bright field microscopy was employed.

Role of small-sized copepods in the lipid-driven Arctic marine food web

Science.gov (United States)

Daase, M.; Boissonnot, L.; Graeve, M.; Søreide, J.; Niehoff, B.

2016-02-01

Despite of the low individual biomass of small-sized copepods such as the calanoid Pseudocalanus minutus and the cyclopoid Oithona similis, they are extremely numerous which make them an important trophic component in Arctic marine ecosystems. Due to the strong seasonality in light and thus primary production and food availability, the accumulation of lipid reserves is a key feature in Arctic marine ecosystems. However, very few studies exist on the lipid biochemistry of small copepods such as P. minutus and O. similis. In order to investigate the importance of these species in terms of transfer of lipids from primary production to higher trophic levels, feeding experiments were conducted, based on animals from Billefjorden, a high-Arctic fjord in Svalbard, Norway. A mixture of 13C labeled flagellates and diatoms was fed to the animals and the transfer and assimilation of lipid carbon, fatty acids and fatty alcohols was analyzed with gas chromatography-IRMS technique (CSIA). The results revealed that both species were incorporating dietary lipids in high quantities. The highest accumulation occurred in P. minutus in which 54.4% of the lipids were exchanged after 21 days, whereas 9.4% were assimilated in O. similis. Hence, at least this amount of carbon was used for metabolism and replaced by feeding. The lipid composition of the copepods did not reflect exactly the algal lipids, and differed between P. minutus and O. similis. Our results suggested intrinsic preferences in the accumulation of particular fatty acids, probably related to species-specific body requirements. This emphasizes the importance of also food quality in Arctic marine systems. Due to the relatively high lipid turnover rates in particularly in P. minutus, also small copepods are important drivers of the lipid-driven Arctic marine food web.

On the Drag Effect of a Refuelling Pellet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chang, Tinghong; Michelsen, Poul

1981-01-01

A refueling pellet is subjected mainly to two kinds of drags: (1) inertial drag caused by the motion of the pellet relative to the surrounding plasma, and (2) ablation drag caused by an uneven ablation rate of the front and the rear surface of the pellet in an inhomogeneous plasma. Computational ...... results showed that for reasonable combinations of pellet size and injection speed, the drag effect is hardly detectable for plasma conditions prevailing in current large tokamaks....

Spin-polarized fuel in ICF pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakuta, Yoshihisa; Emoto, Nobuya; Nakao, Yasuyuki; Honda, Takuro; Honda, Yoshinori; Nakashima, Hideki.

1990-01-01

The use of parallel spin-polarized DT or D 3 He fuel increases the fusion cross-section by 50%. By implosion-burn simulation for inertially confined fusion (ICF) pellets of the spin-polarized fuels, we found that the input energy requirement could be reduced by nearly a fact of two. These pellets taken up here include large-high-aspect-ratio DT target proposed in ILE Osaka University and DT ignitor/D 3 He fuel pellet proposed by our group. We also found that the polarized state could survive during the implosion-burn phase. (author)

Repeating pneumatic pellet injector in JAERI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasai, Satoshi; Hasegawa, Kouichi; Suzuki, Sadaaki; Miura, Yukitoshi (Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka, Ibaraki (Japan). Naka Fusion Research Establishment); Oda, Yasushi; Onozuka, Masanori; Tsujimura, Seiichi.

1992-09-01

A repeating pneumatic pellet injector has been developed and constructed at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This injector can provide repetitive pellet injection to fuel tokamak plasmas for an extended period of time, aiming at the improvement of plasma performance. The pellets with nearly identical speed and mass can be repeatedly injected with a repetition rate of 2-3.3 Hz and a speed of up to 1.7 km/s by controlling the temperature of the cryogenic system, the piston speed and the pressure of the propellant gas. (author).

Repeating pneumatic pellet injector in JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasai, Satoshi; Hasegawa, Kouichi; Suzuki, Sadaaki; Miura, Yukitoshi; Oda, Yasushi; Onozuka, Masanori; Tsujimura, Seiichi.

1992-09-01

A repeating pneumatic pellet injector has been developed and constructed at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This injector can provide repetitive pellet injection to fuel tokamak plasmas for an extended period of time, aiming at the improvement of plasma performance. The pellets with nearly identical speed and mass can be repeatedly injected with a repetition rate of 2-3.3 Hz and a speed of up to 1.7 km/s by controlling the temperature of the cryogenic system, the piston speed and the pressure of the propellant gas. (author)

Mox pellet reference material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perolat, J.P.

1991-01-01

A first batch of MOX pellets certified in plutonium and uranium has been prepared and characterised in France to meet the needs of laboratories which are engaged upon destructive analysis for safeguards purposes especially in fuel fabrication plants. The pellets sintering has been obtained in a special fabrication to achieve an homogeneity better than 0.1%. The plutonium and uranium characterisation by chemical analysis has been carried out by two laboratories using at least two different methods. 1 fig., 5 refs

Vertical distribution and structure of copepod (Arthropoda: Copepoda assemblages in two different seasons down to 1,200 m in the tropical Southwestern Atlantic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina de Oliveira Dias

2018-05-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The vertical distribution of copepod assemblages, ascertained from the surface down to 1,200 m, was investigated during two sampling periods (rainy and dry seasons, at four depths, in the oligotrophic waters of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Total density, diversity, and richness differed among sampling depths. Copepod density decreased with depth in the two sampling periods, with a maximum at 1 m and a slight decrease at 800 m. Higher diversities were observed at 250 m and 1,200 m during the rainy season and at 1 m and 1,200 m during the dry season. The maximum number of species was found at 1,200 m during the rainy season and at 1 m during the dry season. Various copepod assemblages were delimited in the water column in the two sampling periods. The deeper copepod assemblages occupied a wider range of depths. Salinity and temperature influenced the structure of copepod assemblages and reflected the hydrographic characteristics of the water masses in the region. Candacia pachydactyla (Dana, 1849, Scolecithrix danae (Lubbock, 1856, and Agetus limbatus (Brady, 1883 were the indicator species found at 1 m. The effects of different environmental factors on the copepod assemblages suggest that these consortia occupy distinct niches in the ocean.

Pellet injectors for steady state plasma fuelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinyar, I.; Geraud, A.; Yamada, H.; Lukin, A.; Sakamoto, R.; Skoblikov, S.; Umov, A.; Oda, Y.; Gros, G.; Krasilnikov, I.; Reznichenko, P.; Panchenko, V.

2005-01-01

Successful steady state operation of a fusion reactor should be supported by repetitive pellet injection of solidified hydrogen isotopes in order to produce high performance plasmas. This paper presents pneumatic pellet injectors and its implementation for long discharge on the LHD and TORE SUPRA, and a new centrifuge pellet injector test results. All injectors are fitted with screw extruders well suited for steady state operation

Ontogenetic development of attack behaviour by turbot larvae when exposed to copepod prey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højgaard, Jacob K.; Bruno, Eleonora; Støttrup, Josianne Gatt

2018-01-01

offered small nauplii (129–202 μm), large nauplii (222–278 μm) and copepodites (342–542 μm), of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa. At 8 DPH, turbot larvae had the highest capture success (67%) when offered small nauplii, with a lower capture success of large nauplii (27%) but totally lacked...... by the larva on the copepod was examined, and the approach pattern of the larva was identified as a controlling mechanism for their strike distance, with the initial approach speed of larva at DPH 10 being significantly less than at DPH 8. In all successful attacks, the strike distance was less than 1.17 mm...

Differential gene expression profile of the calanoid copepod, Pseudodiaptomus annandalei, in response to nickel exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jie-Lan; Wang, Gui-Zhong; Mao, Ming-Guang; Wang, Ke-Jian; Li, Shao-Jing; Zeng, Chao-Shu

2013-03-01

To better understand the underlying mechanisms of reactions of copepods exposed to elevated level of nickel, the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to elucidate the response of the copepod Pseudodiaptomus annandalei to nickel exposure at the gene level. P. annandale is one of a few copepod species that can be cultured relatively easy under laboratory condition, and it is considered to be a potential model species for toxicity study. In the present study, P. annandalei were exposed to nickel at a concentration of 8.86 mgL(-1) for 24h, after which the RNA was prepared for SSH using unexposed P. annandalei as drivers. A total of 474 clones on the middle scale in the SSH library were sequenced. Among these genes, 129 potential functional genes were recognized based on the BLAST searches in NCBI and Uniprot databases. These genes were then categorized into nine groups in association with different biological processes using AmiGO against the Gene Ontology database. Of the 129 genes, 127 translatable DNA sequences were predicted to be proteins, and the putative amino acid sequences were searched for conserved domains (CD) and proteins using the CD-Search service and BLASTp. Among 129 genes, 119 (92.2%) were annotated to be involved in different biological processes, while 10 genes (7.8%) were classified as an unknown-function gene group. To further confirm the up-regulation of differentially expressed genes, the quantitative real time PCR were performed to test eight randomly selected genes, in which five of them, i.e. α-tubulin, ribosomal protein L13, ferritin, separase and Myohemerythrin-1, exhibited clear up-regulation after nickel exposure. In addition, MnSOD was further studied for the differential expression pattern after nickel exposure and the results showed that MnSOD had a time- and dose-dependent expression pattern in the copepod after nickel exposure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate the toxicity

Copepod grazing and their impact on phytoplankton standing stock and production in a tropical coastal water during the different seasons.

Science.gov (United States)

Jagadeesan, L; Jyothibabu, R; Arunpandi, N; Parthasarathi, S

2017-03-01

The grazing rate of copepods on the total and size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass in a coastal environment (off Kochi, southwest coast of India) were measured during pre-monsoon (PRM), peak southwest monsoon (PKSWM), late southwest monsoon (LSWM) and post-southwest monsoon (PSWM). The phytoplankton standing stock (chlorophyll a-Chl. a) and growth rate (GR) were less during the PRM (Chl. a 0.58 mg m -3 ; GR 0.23 ± 0.02) and PSWM (Chl. a 0.89 mg m -3 ; GR 0.30 ± 0.05) compared to PKSWM (Chl. a 6.67 mg m -3 ; GR 0.43 ± 0.02) and LSWM (Chl. a 4.09 mg m -3 ; GR 0.40 ± 0.04). The microplankton contribution to the total Chl. a was significant during the PKSWM (41.83%) and LSWM (45.72%). Copepod density was lesser during the PRM (1354 No m -3 ) and PSWM (1606 No m -3 ) than during PKSWM and LSWM (4571 and 3432 No m -3 , respectively). Seasonal changes in phytoplankton biomass, phytoplankton size structure, and copepod community were closely related to the hydrographical transformations in the study domain. Dominant calanoid copepods in the study region ingested 8.4 to 14.2% of their daily ration from phytoplankton during the PRM and PSWM, which increased to >50% during the PKSWM and LSWM. The cyclopoid Oithona similis was abundant during the PKSWM, ingesting only 21% of their daily ration from phytoplankton. Temporal variation in the phytoplankton biomass and copepod species composition caused differences in community level top-down control. The copepod community ingestion on phytoplankton was high during the LSWM (18,583 μg C m -3 d -1 ), followed by PKSWM (9050 μg C m -3 d -1 ), PSWM (1813 μg C m -3 d -1 ), and PRM (946 μg C m -3 d -1 ). During the low Chl. a period (PRM and PSWM), dominant calanoid copepods showed a positive selectivity for the micro- and nano-phytoplankton size fractions, whereas during the high Chl. a period (PKSWM and LSWM), they showed a positive selection for nano-phytoplankton fractions. Irrespective

Experimental study of curved guide tubes for pellet injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combs, S.K.; Baylor, L.R.; Foust, C.R.; Gouge, M.J.; Jernigan, T.C.; Milora, S.L.

1997-01-01

The use of curved guide tubes for transporting frozen hydrogen pellets offers great flexibility for pellet injection into plasma devices. While this technique has been previously employed, an increased interest in its applicability has been generated with the recent ASDEX Upgrade experimental data for magnetic high-field side (HFS) pellet injection. In these innovative experiments, the pellet penetration appeared to be significantly deeper than for the standard magnetic low-field side injection scheme, along with corresponding greater fueling efficiencies. Thus, some of the major experimental fusion devices are planning experiments with HFS pellet injection. Because of the complex geometries of experimental fusion devices, installations with multiple curved guide tube sections will be required for HFS pellet injection. To more thoroughly understand and document the capability of curved guide tubes, an experimental study is under way at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In particular, configurations and pellet parameters applicable for the DIII-D tokamak and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) were simulated in laboratory experiments. Initial test results with nominal 2.7- and 10-mm-diam deuterium pellets are presented and discussed

Consolidated waste forms: glass marbles and ceramic pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Treat, R.L.; Rusin, J.M.

1982-05-01

Glass marbles and ceramic pellets have been developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory as part of the multibarrier concept for immobilizing high-level radioactive waste. These consolidated waste forms served as substrates for the application of various inert coatings and as ideal-sized particles for encapsulation in protective matrices. Marble and pellet formulations were based on existing defense wastes at Savannah River Plant and proposed commercial wastes. To produce marbles, glass is poured from a melter in a continuous stream into a marble-making device. Marbles were produced at PNL on a vibratory marble machine at rates as high as 60 kg/h. Other marble-making concepts were also investigated. The marble process, including a lead-encapsulation step, was judged as one of the more feasible processes for immobilizing high-level wastes. To produce ceramic pellets, a series of processing steps are required, which include: spray calcining - to dry liquid wastes to a powder; disc pelletizing - to convert waste powders to spherical pellets; sintering - to densify pellets and cause desired crystal formation. These processing steps are quite complex, and thereby render the ceramic pellet process as one of the least feasible processes for immobilizing high-level wastes

Apparatus for loading fuel pellets in fuel rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tedesco, R.J.

1976-01-01

An apparatus is disclosed for loading fuel pellets into fuel rods for a nuclear reactor including a base supporting a table having grooves therein for holding a multiplicity of pellets. Multiple fuel rods are placed in alignment with grooves in the pellet table and a guide member channels pellets from the table into the corresponding fuel rods. To effect movement of pellets inside the fuel rods without jamming, a number of electromechanical devices mounted on the base have arms connected to the lower surface of the fuel rod table which cyclically imparts a reciprocating arc motion to the table for moving the fuel pellets longitudinally of and inside the fuel rods. These electromechanical devices include a solenoid having a plunger therein connected to a leaf type spring, the arrangement being such that upon energization of the solenoid coil, the leaf spring moves the fuel rod table rearwardly and downwardly, and upon deenergization of the coil, the spring imparts an upward-forward movement to the table which results in physical displacement of fuel pellets in the fuel rods clamped to the table surface. 8 claims, 6 drawing figures

Geometric dimensioning of UO2 pellets for PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teixeira e Silva, A.

1988-01-01

The finite element structural program SAP-IV is used to calculate UO 2 pellet strains developed under thermal gradients in pressurized water reactors. The applied procedure allows to analyse the influence of various aspects of pellet geometry on cladding strains and can be utilized for the dimensioning of UO 2 pellets. Pellets purchased with flat ends, with dishes pressed into both ends, shouders, and a 45-deg edge chamfer are analysed. The analyse results are compared with experimental data.(autor) [pt

Prey detection and prey capture in copepod nauplii.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleonora Bruno

Full Text Available Copepod nauplii are either ambush feeders that feed on motile prey or they produce a feeding current that entrains prey cells. It is unclear how ambush and feeding-current feeding nauplii perceive and capture prey. Attack jumps in ambush feeding nauplii should not be feasible at low Reynolds numbers due to the thick viscous boundary layer surrounding the attacking nauplius. We use high-speed video to describe the detection and capture of phytoplankton prey by the nauplii of two ambush feeding species (Acartia tonsa and Oithona davisae and by the nauplii of one feeding-current feeding species (Temora longicornis. We demonstrate that the ambush feeders both detect motile prey remotely. Prey detection elicits an attack jump, but the jump is not directly towards the prey, such as has been described for adult copepods. Rather, the nauplius jumps past the prey and sets up an intermittent feeding current that pulls in the prey from behind towards the mouth. The feeding-current feeding nauplius detects prey arriving in the feeding current but only when the prey is intercepted by the setae on the feeding appendages. This elicits an altered motion pattern of the feeding appendages that draws in the prey.

Measurement of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in plastic resin pellets from remote islands : Toward establishment of baseline level for International Pellet Watch