Basin sidewall effects during comparable boom testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeVitis, D.S.; Hannon, L.

1995-01-01

A quantitative investigation of the effects of boom sidewall clearance during first and gross oil loss speed tests was discussed. A second measure of sidewall was quantified in terms of flow characteristics at specific location in the boom apex. The test boom was rigged in 5 different configurations. First oil loss and gross oil loss tow speeds, and relative horizontal flow velocities within the boom apex were obtained for each configuration. Flow velocities of 0.5 to 1.5 knots in 0.25 knot increments were measured. Flow velocities illustrated similar flow characteristics within the apex regardless of side wall clearance. The results of the study illustrated that boom to basin sidewall clearance may be an independent test parameter without a significant bias. 5 tabs., 8 figs.,

Migrant labor supply in a booming non-renewable resource economy: Cure and transmission mechanism for de-industrialization?

Science.gov (United States)

Nulle, Grant Mark

This paper challenges the determinism that booming resource economies suffer from de-industrialization, the "Dutch Disease". For several decades, economists have attempted to explain how a sudden surge in mineral and energy extraction affects an economy's output and employment from an aggregate and sectoral perspective. Economic theory shows that a "boom" in mineral and energy production is welfare enhancing to the economy experiencing it. However, the phenomenon also induces inter-sectoral adjustments among non-renewable resource (NRR), traditional traded, and non-traded industries that tend to crowd out traditional export sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. In turn, this paper asks two fundamental questions: 1) Can the inter-sectoral adjustments wrought by a boom in NRR production be mitigated in the resource-abundant economy experiencing it; 2) Can the inter-sectoral adjustments be exported to a neighboring non-resource economy by movements in migrant labor supply? The theoretical model and empirical estimation approach presented in this paper introduces an endogenous migrant labor supply response to booms in NRR output to test the extent traditional tradable sectors shrink in the NRR-abundant economy during the boom and if such effects are exported to a neighboring jurisdiction. Using data at the U.S. county level, the empirical results show that booming economies experience positive and statistically significant rates of real income and traded sector job growth during the boom, attributable to the influx of migrant labor. By contrast, little evidence is found that non-booming counties adjacent to the booming counties experience declines in income or job growth because of labor supply outflows. Instead, the results suggest the larger the number of potential "donor" counties that can supply labor to the booming economies, the more likely the transmission of booming economy effects, namely evidence of de-industrialization, is diffused across all of the

Energy developments and the transportation infrastructure in Texas : impacts and strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-01

In recent years, Texas has experienced a boom in energy-related activities, particularly in wind power : generation and extraction of oil and natural gas. While energy developments contribute to enhance the : states ability to produce energy relia...

Governing the transition to renewable energy: A review of impacts and policy issues in the small hydropower boom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly-Richards, Sarah; Silber-Coats, Noah; Crootof, Arica; Tecklin, David; Bauer, Carl

2017-01-01

The transition to renewable energy technologies raises new and important governance questions. With small hydropower (SHP) expanding as part of renewable energy and climate mitigation strategies, this review assesses its impacts and identifies escalating policy issues. To provide a comprehensive literature review of small hydropower, we evaluated over 3600 articles and policy documents. This review identified four major concerns: (1) confusion in small hydropower definitions is convoluting scholarship and policy-making; (2) there is a lack of knowledge and acknowledgement of small hydropower’s social, environmental, and cumulative impacts; (3) small hydropower’s promotion as a climate mitigation strategy can negatively affect local communities, posing contradictions for climate change policy; and (4) institutional analysis is needed to facilitate renewable energy integration with existing environmental laws to ensure sustainable energy development. For readers interested in small hydropower, we clarify areas of confusion in definition and explain the corresponding impacts for distinct system designs. For a broader readership, we situate small hydropower implementation within international trends of renewable energy development – the contradictory impacts of climate change policy, emerging dynamics in energy finance, and reliance on market mechanisms. Our paper provides a timely contribution to scholarship on small hydropower and the transition to renewable energy. - Highlights: • Confusion in small hydropower definitions is convoluting small hydropower debates. • Small hydropower’s negative impacts are largely overlooked in policy discussions. • Small hydropower exemplifies paradoxical problems with climate change policy. • Policies needed to integrate renewable energy development with national environmental institutions.

Swarm Deployable Boom Assembly (DBA) Development of a Deployable Magnetometer Boom for the Swarm Spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, Paul; Jung, Hans-Juergen; Edwards, Jeff

2013-09-01

The Swarm programme consists of 3 magnetically clean satellites flying in close formation designed to measure the Earth's magnetic field using 2 Magnetometers mounted on a 4.3m long deployable boom.Deployment is initiated by releasing 3 HDRMs, once released the boom oscillates back and forth on a pair of pivots, similar to a restaurant kitchen door hinge, for around 120 seconds before coming to rest on 3 kinematic mounts which are used to provide an accurate reference location in the deployed position. Motion of the boom is damped through a combination of friction, spring hysteresis and flexing of the 120+ cables crossing the hinge. Considerable development work and accurate numerical modelling of the hinge motion was required to predict performance across a wide temperature range and ensure that during the 1st overshoot the boom did not damage itself, the harness or the spacecraft.Due to the magnetic cleanliness requirements of the spacecraft no magnetic materials could be used in the design of the hardware.

A natural ice boom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hopper, H.R. [Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg, MB (Canada)

1998-10-01

Planning for ice jams and ice movements are critical on the Nelson River in northern Manitoba in designing cofferdams. Experience on the St. Lawrence River demonstrated the possibility of exercising some control over ice action by judicious placement of log booms or ice control structures. The success of experiments with man-made controls led to field tests in which an ice sheet of sufficient magnitude and competence was introduced into the open water stream of the Nelson River. The ice sheet was subsequently jammed in a narrow channel, thereby creating a natural ice bridge or boom upstream of a proposed hydro development. Under favourable conditions, this boom would initiate the progression of the ice cover from its location upstream, cutting off the downstream reach from the ice producing potential of the upstream reach. Although ice would still be generated downstream, the length of the reach between the ice boom and the development site would be short enough that ice jamming at the development site would never occur. Although problems in blasting prevented the introduction of a competent ice sheet into the main stream of the river at the location chosen, sufficient confidence in the theory was gained to warrant further consideration. 4 refs., 1 tab., 10 figs.

Domestic Crop Booms, Livelihood Pathways and Nested Transitions: Charting the Implications of Bangladesh’s Pangasius Boom

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Belton, B.; Asseldonk, van I.J.M.; Bush, S.R.

2017-01-01

Rapidly transforming Asian food systems are oriented largely towards domestic markets, yet literature on Asian crop booms deals almost exclusively with commodities produced for export. With reference to pangasius aquaculture in Bangladesh, we argue that ‘domestic crop booms’ - agricultural booms

Testing fire resistant boom in waves and flames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCourt, J.; Buist, I.; Pratte, B.; Jamieson, W.; Mullin, J.

1997-01-01

A near full-scale screening test to evaluate the durability and ability of refractory-fabric fire resistant booms to contain oil during an in-situ burn without the environmental problems of burning crude oil or the cost of testing offshore, was developed. The boom was first flexed under tension for two hours, then deployed in a U-configuration in an outdoor wave tank. Propane gas was burned in the pocket of the boom to simulate the collection and burning phases of an in-situ burn. Finally, the boom was returned to the indoor wave flume for another two hours of wave action and then inspected for damage. Results indicated damage of the same type as suffered in previously conducted sea trials, although the extent of damage was less severe. These results led to recommendations for improvement of the test protocol which included: (1) increasing the heat flux to the boom, (2) improving the heat flux measurement, (3) increasing the tension in the fire boom during flame testing, and (4) improving the characterization of the waves near the fire boom. 16 refs., 6 figs

Waveforms and Sonic Boom Perception and Response (WSPR): Low-Boom Community Response Program Pilot Test Design, Execution, and Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Page, Juliet A.; Hodgdon, Kathleen K.; Krecker, Peg; Cowart, Robbie; Hobbs, Chris; Wilmer, Clif; Koening, Carrie; Holmes, Theresa; Gaugler, Trent; Shumway, Durland L.;

Prisons as Panacea or Pariah? The Countervailing Consequences of the Prison Boom on the Political Economy of Rural Towns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John M. Eason

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The nascent literature on prison proliferation in the United States typically reveals negative impacts for communities of color. Given that Southern rural communities were the most likely to build during the prison boom (1970–2010, however, a more nuanced understanding of prison impact is warranted. Using a dataset matching and geocoding all 1663 U.S. prisons with their Census-appointed place, this study explores the countervailing consequences of the prison boom on rural towns across multiple periods. For example, locales that adopted prisons at earlier stages of the prison boom era received a short-term boom compared to those that did not, but these effects were not lasting. Furthermore, later in the boom, prison-building protected towns against additional economic decline. Thus, neither entirely pariah nor panacea, the prison functions as a state-sponsored public works program for disadvantaged rural communities but also supports perverse economic incentives for prison proliferation. Methodological, substantive, theoretical, and policy implications regarding the intersection of race and punishment are explored.

Measuring and explaining the baby boom in the developed world in the mid-twentieth century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús J. Sánchez-Barricarte

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The early research on the baby boom tried to account for it as a logical recovery following the end of the Second World War (WWII. But it cannot be understood merely as a post-war phenomenon because its origins go back to the 1930s and early 1940s. Objective: I shall describe the methodology used to measure the total and marital baby boom and provide a detailed description of it. I shall attempt to explain the possible reasons that led to the sharp increase in the marital fertility rates and its subsequent decline. Methods: I will use various fertility indices that track the historical development of fertility (total and marital; period and cohort. Results: I show that there are major differences in the measurement of the baby boom depending on the index used. I found that the baby boom is highly heterogeneous in the 25 countries that form part of my study. It represented the logical response that families made to one period of prolonged political, economic, and military crisis (the crash of 1929 and WWII. Conclusions: Researchers who use only the total fertility indices are really analysing only the nuptiality boom, which took place during those years, rather than changes in reproductive behaviour. Contribution: I measure total and marital baby boom for 25 developed countries and perform the calculations to measure the impact of marital fertility and nuptiality on the total baby boom (TBB. I present a new explanation of the origins of the baby boom.

Del Boom y otras onomatopeyas literarias

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Iván Parra Londoño

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Este artículo trata de examinar los alcances literarios del llamado Boom latinoamericano, a medio siglo de su estallido, las cuatro obras más representativas y sus respectivos autores, además de proponer un quinto autor, según la invitación que hiciera en su momento el crítico Ángel Rama. Por otro lado, evalua la respuesta literaria por parte del Post Boom, analizando sus características y su vigencia y, de manera concomitante, los movimientos anejos o posteriores a dicho movimiento, como el Crack y la Generación Granta. A manera de propuesta, se pondrán a consideración treinta autores como integrantes del Post Boom y una novela de Carlos Fuentes como el “crash” del Boom. Por último, presenta un breve vistazo a la narrativa española paralela a los mencionados movimientos.

Reflections on a boom: Perceptions of energy development impacts in the Bakken oil patch inform environmental science & policy priorities.

Science.gov (United States)

McGranahan, Devan Allen; Fernando, Felix N; Kirkwood, Meghan L E

2017-12-01

Ecosystems worldwide have been subject to new or intensified energy development facilitated by technologies such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, activity that has generated concern for air, water, biotic, and social resources. Application of these technologies in the development of the Bakken oil patch has made it one of the most productive petroleum plays in North America, causing unprecedented landscape industrialization of otherwise rural, agricultural counties in western North Dakota. The region is isolated, and development impacts have not been well-studied. To identify concerns of citizens of the Bakken and determine how research and policy might support them, we conducted a two-part study: First, we held focus groups with resource management and community leaders in three major oil-producing counties. Second, we used an outline of the major concerns expressed by focus group members as a survey for landowners and farm/ranch operators. We found little relationship between survey respondents' reported categorization of energy impacts and actual land area impacted, suggesting factors such as attitude towards development, degree of compensation, and level of disturbance are relevant. Landowners agreed with focus groups on the nature of relationships between energy companies and locals and development impacts on infrastructure and communities; those reporting greater impacts tended to agree more strongly. But many specific problems described in focus groups were not widely reported in the survey, suggesting energy-community relationships can be improved through state-level public policy and respect from energy companies for locals and their way of life. Consideration of these concerns in future energy policy-both in the Bakken and worldwide-could reduce social tension, lessen environmental impact, and increase overall social, economic, and environmental efficiency in energy development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Essays in the Economics of Energy Development and Disamenities

Science.gov (United States)

Rakitan, Timothy J.

This dissertation consists of three essays broadly themed around evaluating the impact of energy infrastructure on local consumers and industries. Taken together, they characterize ways in which the presence of energy activity is reflected in local land and labor market conditions, with a particular focus on the deployment of wind energy generation and shale resource extraction. The first chapter examines the relationship between the placement of wind energy infrastructure and house values and incomes in Iowa. The results suggest that income growth offsets some of the negative house-value effects commonly observed in the evaluation literature, but also that income gains reported in the literature are geographically distributed away from wind farm locations. I conclude that proximity to wind turbines does not increase the real incomes of local residents. The second chapter applies a regional model to county-level wage, house value, employment and energy production data to characterize the economic impact of the U.S. shale boom of the mid-2000s. While the boom has been responsible for wage and employment gains in counties located within the bounds of U.S. shale oil and gas plays, the net effect on house values has been negative. Within the set of energy-producing counties, however, house value declines are mitigated during the boom period as willingness-to-pay for residential space can overcome some of the negative impacts of energy industry activity. I conclude that shale energy extraction is a disamenity at the local level. The third chapter extends the analysis of the impact of the shale boom by examining possible spillovers in agriculture. Using parcel-level data from North Dakota, I analyze rental rates to assess the extent to which oil industry activity affects the returns to agricultural land. While "on-shale" parcels lease at lower rates than parcels located outside the oil fields, I cannot reject the hypothesis that proximity to an oil well has no impact on

Real estate boom and export performance bust in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Tkalec

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The goal of this research is to estimate the effect of resource reallocation from the manufacturing to the real estate economic sector on exporting activity in Croatia, a small open post-transition country that experienced a real estate boom during the previous decade. This paper follows the work by Égert and Kierzenkowski (2014 as we test the hypothesis that the real estate boom had an adverse impact on country’s export performance. For that purpose we use quarterly data ranging from 1Q1998 to 3Q2013, and estimate export equations using maximum likelihood and dynamic ordinary least squares estimators of cointegration. Our results indicate that the distortion of relative prices in favor of non-tradable sectors (construction and real estate, which is a direct by-product of the real estate boom, has had stifling effects on export performance. Our results also suggest that ailing cost competitiveness and governments’ inability to implement policies promoting private sector economic development adversely influenced export performance during the period analyzed. The basic conclusion of our research is that the expansion of a non-tradable sector in a country with limited supply of production factors can have a detrimental effect on the ability of the tradable sector to increase its output and compete in international markets.

Higher Education and the Minerals Boom: A View from the Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Philip

2014-01-01

This paper examines the impact of the minerals boom to date on the demand for higher education in Central Queensland, and the sustainability of higher education providers in high economic growth environments. Several datasets were used to examine changes in the demand for higher education among specific student groups within the region, the…

Full-Carpet Design of a Low-Boom Demonstrator Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Ordaz, Irian; Wintzer, Mathias; Rallabhandi, Sriram K.

2015-01-01

The Cart3D adjoint-based design framework is used to mitigate the undesirable o -track sonic boom properties of a demonstrator concept designed for low-boom directly under the flight path. First, the requirements of a Cart3D design mesh are determined using a high-fidelity mesh adapted to minimize the discretization error of the CFD analysis. Low-boom equivalent area targets are then generated at the under-track and one off-track azimuthal position for the baseline configuration. The under-track target is generated using a trim- feasible low-boom target generation process, ensuring that the final design is not only low-boom, but also trimmed at the specified flight condition. The o -track equivalent area target is generated by minimizing the A-weighted loudness using an efficient adjoint-based approach. The configuration outer mold line is then parameterized and optimized to match the off-body pressure distributions prescribed by the low-boom targets. The numerical optimizer uses design gradients which are calculated using the Cart3D adjoint- based design capability. Optimization constraints are placed on the geometry to satisfy structural feasibility. The low-boom properties of the final design are verified using the adaptive meshing approach. This analysis quantifies the error associated with the CFD mesh that is used for design. Finally, an alternate mesh construction and target positioning approach offering greater computational efficiency is demonstrated and verified.

Energy revolution: Fracking. In booming speed back to petroleum and natural gas; Energierevolution: Fracking. Im Boomtempo zurueck zu Oel und Gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mardo, Dietrich

2013-06-06

Fracking is the extraction of petroleum and shale gas from deep layers of earth. This technology is not new, as it was already used in the year 1940 and is comparable to geothermal drilling. In the United State of America as well as in the People's Republic of China fracking experiences an economic boom. The deposits are large. However, fracking can be a deathblow for the German energy policy turnaround. In this regard, the contribution under consideration reports on the developments.

Spray boom for selectively spraying a herbicidal composition onto dicots

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2012-01-01

There is provided a method and spray boom for discriminating cereal crop (monocot) and weeds (dicots). The spray boom includes means for digitally recording an image of a selected area to be treated by a nozzle on the spray boom, whereby a plant material is identified based on a segmentation proc...

Development in helicopter tail boom strake applications in the US

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, John C.; Kelley, Henry L.; Donahue, Cynthia C.; Yenni, Kenneth R.

1988-01-01

The use of a strake or spoiler on a helicopter tail boom to beneficially change helicopter tail boom air loads was suggested in the United States in 1975. The anticipated benefits were a change of tail boom loads to reduce required tail rotor thrust and power and improve directional control. High tail boom air loads experienced by the YAH-64 and described in 1978 led to a wind tunnel investigation of the usefullness of strakes in altering such loads on the AH-64, UH-60, and UH-1 helicopters. The wind tunnel tests of 2-D cross sections of the tail boom of each demonstrated that a strake or strakes would be effective. Several limited test programs with the U.S. Army's OH-58A, AH-64, and UH-60A were conducted which showed the effects of strakes were modest for those helicopters. The most recent flight test program, with a Bell 204B, disclosed that for the 204B the tail boom strake or strakes would provide more than a modest improvement in directional control and reduction in tail rotor power.

Method of Obtaining High Resolution Intrinsic Wire Boom Damping Parameters for Multi-Body Dynamics Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Yew, Alvin G.; Chai, Dean J.; Olney, David J.

2010-01-01

The goal of NASA's Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) mission is to understand magnetic reconnection with sensor measurements from four spinning satellites flown in a tight tetrahedron formation. Four of the six electric field sensors on each satellite are located at the end of 60- meter wire booms to increase measurement sensitivity in the spin plane and to minimize motion coupling from perturbations on the main body. A propulsion burn however, might induce boom oscillations that could impact science measurements if oscillations do not damp to values on the order of 0.1 degree in a timely fashion. Large damping time constants could also adversely affect flight dynamics and attitude control performance. In this paper, we will discuss the implementation of a high resolution method for calculating the boom's intrinsic damping, which was used in multi-body dynamics simulations. In summary, experimental data was obtained with a scaled-down boom, which was suspended as a pendulum in vacuum. Optical techniques were designed to accurately measure the natural decay of angular position and subsequently, data processing algorithms resulted in excellent spatial and temporal resolutions. This method was repeated in a parametric study for various lengths, root tensions and vacuum levels. For all data sets, regression models for damping were applied, including: nonlinear viscous, frequency-independent hysteretic, coulomb and some combination of them. Our data analysis and dynamics models have shown that the intrinsic damping for the baseline boom is insufficient, thereby forcing project management to explore mitigation strategies.

NOFI oil Vee-Sweep and extension boom test at OHMSETT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bitting, K.R.; Vicedomine, J.

1993-01-01

The NOFI Vee-Sweep is an inflatable oil collection boom held in a V configuration by cross netting attached to the skirt of the boom. The NOFI 600S is an inflatable oil boom used to divert oil into the Vee-Sweep. The lower section of the 600S skirt consists of a feather net and a ballast chain. The booms are designed for open-ocean skimming where a skimmer is placed in the Vee-Sweep apex to remove the collected oil. During testing, the booms were preloaded with oil and towed in the OHMSETT tank at various speeds and wave conditions. Each boom was tested for its first and gross (continuous) oil loss speeds. The Vee-Sweep was also evaluated for wave performance, oil thickness vs tow speed, oil loss rate, and critical tow speed. Finally, a DESMI-250 oil skimmer was placed in the Vee-Sweep apex and oil loss tests were run while the skimmer was operating. During the critical tow speed testing, failures occurred due to apex submergence at ca 3.5 knots in calm water and short-crested waves, and 2.4 knots in harbor chop. The oil loss tests showed that the Vee-Sweep retains oil at speeds significantly higher than conventional booms. First oil loss speeds ranged from 1.3 knots in calm water to 1.0 knot in regular waves. The Vee-Sweep's high buoyancy/weight ratio gave it good wave performance in all conditions tested. The 600S oil loss speeds were higher than those of most conventional booms, and performance was better when the feather net was attached. 1 ref., 4 figs., 4 tabs

Environmental Pollution: Noise Pollution - Sonic Boom

Science.gov (United States)

1977-06-01

UNCLASSIFIED AD-A041 400 DDC/BIB-77/06 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION NOISE POLLUTION SONIC BOOM A DDC BIBLIOGRAPHY DDC-TAS Cameron Station Alexandria, Va...rn7Sttio 658S-A041 400 4 TITLE xand r.VuhtlVlia) 2 TA i b- 1iblog ra ph y ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION : --. Apr-l IM59-Jul, 7NOISE POLLUTION -SONIC BOOM. 1,976...BIBLIOGRAPHY SEARCH CONTROL NO. /2OM09 AD- 769 970 20/1 1/3 DEFENSE UOCUMENTATION CENTER ALEXANDRIA VA ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION : NOISE POLLUTION

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Boom Coast to

Science.gov (United States)

Coast Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Boom Coast to Coast to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Boom Coast to Coast on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Boom Coast to Coast on Twitter Bookmark Alternative

Evaluating a protocol for testing fire-resistant oil-spill containment boom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, W.D.; Twilley, W.H.; Hiltabrand, R.R.; Mullin, J.V.

1998-01-01

A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate a protocol for testing the ability of fire-resistant booms to withstand both fire and waves. Most response plans for in situ burning of oil at sea require the use of a fire-resistant boom to contain the oil during a burn. For this study, a wave tank was designed and constructed to assess the capabilities of a 15 m section of a boom subjected to a 5 m diameter fire with 0.15 m high waves. Five typical fire-resistant oil-spill containment booms were tested. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the test procedure, therefore the overall performance of the boom was not evaluated on a pass-fail criterion. The two most important aspects of the test method were repeatability and reproducibility. Some of the parameters tested included the effect of wind, waves, fire size, and fire duration. Methods to constrain the booms were also tested. 7 refs., 6 tabs., 7 figs

State of the art of sonic boom modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Plotkin, Kenneth J.

2002-01-01

Based on fundamental theory developed through the 1950s and 1960s, sonic boom modeling has evolved into practical tools. Over the past decade, there have been requirements for design tools for an advanced supersonic transport, and for tools for environmental assessment of various military and aerospace activities. This has resulted in a number of advances in the understanding of the physics of sonic booms, including shock wave rise times, propagation through turbulence, and blending sonic boom theory with modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) aerodynamic design methods. This article reviews the early fundamental theory, recent advances in theory, and the application of these advances to practical models.

Methodology for the Regulation of Boom Sprayers Operating in Circular Trajectories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfredo Serreta

2011-04-01

Full Text Available A methodology for the regulation of boom sprayers working in circular trajectories has been developed. In this type of trajectory, the areas of the plots of land treated by the outer nozzles of the boom are treated at reduced rates, and those treated by the inner nozzles are treated in excess. The goal of this study was to establish the methodology to determine the flow of the individual nozzles on the boom to guarantee that the dose of the product applied per surface unit is similar across the plot. This flow is a function of the position of the equipment (circular trajectory radius and of the displacement velocity such that the treatment applied per surface unit is uniform. GPS technology was proposed as a basis to establish the position and displacement velocity of the tractor. The viability of this methodology was simulated considering two circular plots with radii of 160 m and 310 m, using three sets of equipment with boom widths of 14.5, 24.5 and 29.5 m. Data showed as increasing boom widths produce bigger errors in the surface dose applied (L/m2. Error also increases with decreasing plot surface. As an example, considering the three boom widths of 14.5, 24.5 and 29.5 m working on a circular plot with a radius of 160 m, the percentage of surface with errors in the applied surface dose greater than 5% was 30%, 58% and 65% respectively. Considering a circular plot with radius of 310 m the same errors were 8%, 22% and 31%. To obtain a uniform superficial dose two sprayer regulation alternatives have been simulated considering a 14.5 m boom: the regulation of the pressure of each nozzle and the regulation of the pressure of each boom section. The viability of implementing the proposed methodology on commercial boom sprayers using GPS antennas to establish the position and displacement velocity of the tractor was justified with a field trial in which a self-guiding commercial GPS system was used along with three precision GPS systems located in

Stress Analysis of Boom of Special Mobile Crane for Plain Region in Transmission Line

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Jian; Shao, Tao; Chen, Jun; Wan, Jiancheng; Li, Zhonghuan; Jiang, Ming

2017-10-01

Basis of the boom force analysis of special mobile crane for plain region in transmission line, the load type of boom design is confirmed. According to the different combinations of boom sections, the composite pattern of the different boom length is obtained to suit the actual conditions of boom overlapping. The large deformation model is employed with FEM to simulate the stress distribution of boom, and the calculation results are checked. The performance curves of rated load with different arm length and different working range are obtained, which ensures the lifting capacity of special mobile crane meeting the requirement of tower erection of transmission line. The proposed FEM of boom of mobile crane would provide certain guiding and reference to the boom design.

Design of the De-Orbit Sail Boom Deployment Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Sebastian; Hillebrandt, Martin; Straubel, Marco; Huhne, Christian

2014-06-01

The design of the De-Orbit Sail boom deployment unit is strongly driven by volume constraints, which are given by the cubesat container. Four CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) booms [4] with a cross-sectional shape of a double-omega and a length of 3.6 m are reeled on one spool in the center of the unit. The deployment of the four booms are controlled by an electric motor, which acts on the boom spool. Due to the volume limitation caused by the dimensions of the cubesat deployer the deployment unit has little room for the mechanisms components. With the aim to achieve a robust design, the deployment concept of the unit has greatly changed during the development process. The history of the design as well as the mechanisms are described. Additionally the results of the flight model testing are presented.

Status and future perspectives of energy consumption and its ecological impacts in the Qinghai-Tibet region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ping, Xiaoge [Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101 (China); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Jiang, Zhigang; Li, Chunwang [Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101 (China)

2011-01-15

Qinghai-Tibet region is a unique geographic zone due to its average altitude of over 4000 m, sparse human population and prevalent pastoral system. However, little is known about the energy consumption in the region. We reviewed current situation of energy consumption and its ecological impacts, outlined future energy prospects in the region. Per capita household energy consumption was about two and three times of the national average in Qinghai and Tibet. Per urban household consumed more energy than rural household in the region. Moreover, the urban households and rural households used different energy resources, natural gas and electricity accounted for 57.57% and 42.29%, respectively in household energy consumption in urban areas while biomass accounted for 79.13% and 94.19% in household energy consumption in rural areas in Qinghai and Tibet in 2007. This region was abundant in renewable energy resources and was among the richest in hydro-power and solar energy resources in China. Hydro-power accounted for 67.88% and 92.04% in total electricity in Qinghai and Tibet in 2007. Population density was rather low in this region (4.35 versus 137.63 persons per 100 hm{sup 2} in Qinghai-Tibet region and China in 2007), thus small photovoltaic power stations and hydro-power plants were more cost-effective than the electricity grid. The overuse of biotic energy resources in rural areas caused decline in soil fertility and desertification. Whereas the low utilization of fossil energy in this region released less waste gas which was beneficial to the local, national and global carbon budgets. Accelerating economic growth and booming tourism have increased energy demand and posed a challenge to the unique ecosystem in the Qinghai-Tibet region. It was estimated that energy consumption of tourism accounted for 6.06% and 14.18% of the total energy consumption in Qinghai and Tibet in 2007. Thus, exploitation of renewable energy resources like solar energy, wind energy and

Status and future perspectives of energy consumption and its ecological impacts in the Qinghai-Tibet region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ping, Xiaoge; Jiang, Zhigang; Li, Chunwang

2011-01-01

Qinghai-Tibet region is a unique geographic zone due to its average altitude of over 4000 m, sparse human population and prevalent pastoral system. However, little is known about the energy consumption in the region. We reviewed current situation of energy consumption and its ecological impacts, outlined future energy prospects in the region. Per capita household energy consumption was about two and three times of the national average in Qinghai and Tibet. Per urban household consumed more energy than rural household in the region. Moreover, the urban households and rural households used different energy resources, natural gas and electricity accounted for 57.57% and 42.29%, respectively in household energy consumption in urban areas while biomass accounted for 79.13% and 94.19% in household energy consumption in rural areas in Qinghai and Tibet in 2007. This region was abundant in renewable energy resources and was among the richest in hydro-power and solar energy resources in China. Hydro-power accounted for 67.88% and 92.04% in total electricity in Qinghai and Tibet in 2007. Population density was rather low in this region (4.35 versus 137.63 persons per 100 hm 2 in Qinghai-Tibet region and China in 2007), thus small photovoltaic power stations and hydro-power plants were more cost-effective than the electricity grid. The overuse of biotic energy resources in rural areas caused decline in soil fertility and desertification. Whereas the low utilization of fossil energy in this region released less waste gas which was beneficial to the local, national and global carbon budgets. Accelerating economic growth and booming tourism have increased energy demand and posed a challenge to the unique ecosystem in the Qinghai-Tibet region. It was estimated that energy consumption of tourism accounted for 6.06% and 14.18% of the total energy consumption in Qinghai and Tibet in 2007. Thus, exploitation of renewable energy resources like solar energy, wind energy and biomass

Effects of temperature and thermally-induced microstructure change on hydraulic conductivity of Boom Clay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W.Z. Chen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Boom Clay is one of the potential host rocks for deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste in Belgium. In order to investigate the mechanism of hydraulic conductivity variation under complex thermo-mechanical coupling conditions and to better understand the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM coupling behaviour of Boom Clay, a series of permeability tests using temperature-controlled triaxial cell has been carried out on the Boom Clay samples taken from Belgian underground research laboratory (URL HADES. Due to its sedimentary nature, Boom Clay presents across-anisotropy with respect to its sub-horizontal bedding plane. Direct measurements of the vertical (Kv and horizontal (Kh hydraulic conductivities show that the hydraulic conductivity at 80 °C is about 2.4 times larger than that at room temperature (23 °C, and the hydraulic conductivity variation with temperature is basically reversible during heating–cooling cycle. The anisotropic property of Boom Clay is studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM tests, which highlight the transversely isotropic characteristics of intact Boom Clay. It is shown that the sub-horizontal bedding feature accounts for the horizontal permeability higher than the vertical one. The measured increment in hydraulic conductivity with temperature is lower than the calculated one when merely considering the changes in water kinematic viscosity and density with temperature. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR tests have also been carried out to investigate the impact of microstructure variation on the THM properties of clay. The results show that heating under unconstrained boundary condition will produce larger size of pores and weaken the microstructure. The discrepancy between the hydraulic conductivity experimentally measured and predicted (considering water viscosity and density changes with temperature can be attributed to the microstructural weakening effect on the thermal volume change

Prime Borrowers and Financial Innovation in the Housing Boom and Bust

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bäckman, Claes; Lutz, Chandler

for better consumption smoothing, even absent any shift in credit supply. In support of the model, we find that the introduction of interest-only mortgages was followed by a large increase in the number of buyers, even as credit quality remained constant. On the aggregate level the results indicate...... that interest-only mortgages amplified the boom-bust pattern in housing: house prices increased an additional 35 percent during the boom due to IO loans, and subsequently reverse during the bust. These effects, which cannot be explained by changes in lending standards or shifts in credit supply, are magnified...... in local housing markets with higher ex-ante house price expectations. Together, the findings document the consequences of introducing IO loans on the micro- and macro level, and illustrates how new mortgage products can have large impacts even in the absence of a shift in credit supply...

Applications of flow visualization to the development of an innovative boom system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, K.F.V.; Wolek, A.

1996-01-01

A new oil retention boom system design was developed using a flow visualization technique. Hydrogen bubbles were generated on a fine wire cathode and placed in a stream of moving water with a strong light source to visualize the flow. Observations were made of the flow patterns around some basic shapes and booms modelled as cylinders with and without a skirt. The most effective system design had two booms with skirts in parallel with a submerged airfoil designed to cause the oil to separate and recirculate. Oil was allowed to flow above the airfoil into the recirculation region between the two floating booms. The new system is expected to outperform the conventional boom system only when flow velocity is high. Its most successful application would be in situations where flow is perpendicular to the length of the boom. 1 ref., 6 figs

Design of an Indoor Sonic Boom Simulator at NASA Langley Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Klos, Jacob; Sullivan, Brenda M.; Shepherd, Kevin P.

2008-01-01

Construction of a simulator to recreate the soundscape inside residential buildings exposed to sonic booms is scheduled to start during the summer of 2008 at NASA Langley Research Center. The new facility should be complete by the end of the year. The design of the simulator allows independent control of several factors that create the indoor soundscape. Variables that will be isolated include such factors as boom duration, overpressure, rise time, spectral shape, level of rattle, level of squeak, source of rattle and squeak, level of vibration and source of vibration. Test subjects inside the simulator will be asked to judge the simulated soundscape, which will represent realistic indoor boom exposure. Ultimately, this simulator will be used to develop a functional relationship between human response and the sound characteristics creating the indoor soundscape. A conceptual design has been developed by NASA personnel, and is currently being vetted through small-scale risk reduction tests that are being performed in-house. The purpose of this document is to introduce the conceptual design, identify how the indoor response will be simulated, briefly outline some of the risk reduction tests that have been completed to vet the design, and discuss the impact of these tests on the simulator design.

The Quality of Community Governance and the Impact of Energy Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Copp, James H.

Communities with a flexible, open leadership structure may weather energy booms better than communities with old-guard leadership cliques, according to a study of community governance in two small Texas towns. Although similar in location, ethnic composition, population, access to transportation, economic base, and importance in the county,…

High-Speed Research: 1994 Sonic Boom Workshop. Configuration, Design, Analysis and Testing

Science.gov (United States)

McCurdy, David A. (Editor)

1999-01-01

The third High-Speed Research Sonic Boom Workshop was held at NASA Langley Research Center on June 1-3, 1994. The purpose of this workshop was to provide a forum for Government, industry, and university participants to present and discuss progress in their research. The workshop was organized into sessions dealing with atmospheric propagation; acceptability studies; and configuration design, and testing. Attendance at the workshop was by invitation only. The workshop proceedings include papers on design, analysis, and testing of low-boom high-speed civil transport configurations and experimental techniques for measuring sonic booms. Significant progress is noted in these areas in the time since the previous workshop a year earlier. The papers include preliminary results of sonic boom wind tunnel tests conducted during 1993 and 1994 on several low-boom designs. Results of a mission performance analysis of all low-boom designs are also included. Two experimental methods for measuring near-field signatures of airplanes in flight are reported.

Laboratory hydro-mechanical characterisation of Boom Clay at Essen and Mol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Y. F.; Tang, A. M.; Cui, Y. J.; Nguyen, X. P.; Li, X. L.; Wouters, L.

2011-01-01

Boom Clay has been selected as a potential host rock formation for the geological disposal of radioactive waste in Belgium. In the present work, the hydro-mechanical behaviour of Boom Clay samples from the borehole Essen-1 at a depth of 220-260 m and from HADES that is the underground rock laboratory at Mol in Belgium, at 223-m depth was investigated in the laboratory by performing low pressure odometer tests (vertical effective stress ranging from 0.05 to 3.2 MPa), high pressure odometer tests (vertical effective stress ranging from 0.125 to 32 MPa), isotropic consolidation tests (confining effective stress ranging from the in situ stress to 20 MPa) and triaxial shear tests. It has been observed that the mineralogy, geotechnical properties and hydro-mechanical behaviour of Boom Clay from Essen at 227-m, 240-m and 248-m depths are similar to that of Boom Clay from Mol. As in the case of Boom Clay at Mol, the failure envelope of Boom Clay at Essen in the p'- q plane is not linear. The slope of the portion beyond the pre-consolidation stress of Boom Clay from Essen is almost the same as that from Mol, suggesting a similar internal friction angle of about 13 deg. The compression curves (void index I v versus logarithm of vertical stress) beyond the pre-consolidation stress are the same for both samples from Mol and Essen, and situated between the intrinsic compression line (ICL) and the sedimentation compression line (SCL). The yield stress determined from odometer tests seems to be stress-path dependent and lower than the pre-consolidation stress. Thus determining the over-consolidation ratio (OCR) using the yield stress value would lead to an incorrect estimate. From a practical point view, the laboratory test results from Essen and their comparison with those from Mol provide important information regarding the transferability of knowledge on Boom Clay at different sites, taking into account the fact that most investigations have been carried out on Boom Clay at

Facts and features of radionuclide migration in Boom Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Regge, P.; Henrion, P.; Monsecour, M.; Put, M.

1988-01-01

The evolution which took place during ten years of research on the behaviour of radionuclides in Boom Clay is described. Initially, the Boom Clay was regarded as a chemically inert exchanger and the radiochemical research aimed at determining the distribution of cations between the clay and some liquid phases. The observation that Boom Clay deteriorates in contact with air and loses important intrinsic properties formed a major breakthrough in the research and led to a careful examination of the real in-situ conditions. Efforts devoted to the understanding of the chemical factors pertaining to the pH, the redox potential, the extent of the buffering capacity of FeS 2 and CaCO 3 in equilibrium with the interstitial aqueous phase are reviewed. Also emerging from the overall picture was the role of the organic material present in the Boom Clay. In contrast to the water percolating fractured formations which may not be in equilibrium with the rock, the interstitial aqueous phase is completely in equilibrium with Boom Clay mainly because of its low permeability and the large excesses of buffering components. As the retention mechanisms are better understood, a more coherent picture is obtained from distribution and diffusion experiments and the effects of consolidation are being investigated in detail. 23 refs.; 4 figs.; 3 tabs

Boom Booom Net Radio

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grimshaw, Mark Nicholas; Yong, Louisa; Dobie, Ian

1999-01-01

of an existing Internet radio station; Boom Booom Net Radio. Whilst necessity dictates some use of technology-related terminology, wherever possible we have endeavoured to keep such jargon to a minimum and to either explain it in the text or to provide further explanation in the appended glossary....

Managing Credit Booms and Busts : A Pigouvian Taxation Approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jeanne, O.; Korinek, A.

2010-01-01

We study a dynamic model in which the interaction between debt ac- cumulation and asset prices magni es credit booms and busts. We find that borrowers do not internalize these feedback e¤ects and therefore suf- fer from excessively large booms and busts in both credit flows and asset prices. We show

Water-cooled, fire boom blanket, test and evaluation for system prototype development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stahovec, J. G.; Urban, R. W.

1999-01-01

Initial development of actively cooled fire booms indicated that water-cooled barriers could withstand direct oil fire for several hours with little damage if cooling water were continuously supplied. Despite these early promising developments, it was realized that to build reliable full-scale system for Navy host salvage booms would require several development tests and lengthy evaluations. In this experiment several types of water-cooled fire blankets were tested at the Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Test Tank (OHMSETT). After the burn test the blankets were inspected for damage and additional tests were conducted to determine handling characteristics for deployment, recovery, cleaning and maintenance. Test results showed that water-cooled fire boom blankets can be used on conventional offshore oil containment booms to extend their use for controlling large floating-oil marine fires. Results also demonstrated the importance of using thermoset rubber coated fabrics in the host boom to maintain sufficient reserve seam strength at elevated temperatures. The suitability of passively cooled covers should be investigated to protect equipment and boom from indirect fire exposure. 1 ref., 2 tabs., 8 figs

Inlet Trade Study for a Low-Boom Aircraft Demonstrator

Science.gov (United States)

Heath, Christopher M.; Slater, John W.; Rallabhandi, Sriram K.

2016-01-01

Propulsion integration for low-boom supersonic aircraft requires careful inlet selection, placement, and tailoring to achieve acceptable propulsive and aerodynamic performance, without compromising vehicle sonic boom loudness levels. In this investigation, an inward-turning streamline-traced and axisymmetric spike inlet are designed and independently installed on a conceptual low-boom supersonic demonstrator aircraft. The airframe was pre-shaped to achieve a target ground under-track loudness of 76.4 PLdB at cruise using an adjoint-based design optimization process. Aircraft and inlet performance characteristics were obtained by solution of the steady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. Isolated cruise inlet performance including total pressure recovery and distortion were computed and compared against installed inlet performance metrics. Evaluation of vehicle near-field pressure signatures, along with under- and off-track propagated loudness levels is also reported. Results indicate the integrated axisymmetric spike design offers higher inlet pressure recovery, lower fan distortion, and reduced sonic boom. The vehicle with streamline-traced inlet exhibits lower external wave drag, which translates to a higher lift-to-drag ratio and increased range capability.

Baby boom generation at the retirement onset

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stojilković Jelena

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Sudden increase in the number of live births after the Second World War due to an increase in fertility rates has led to the formation of cohorts with specific characteristics or baby boom generation. This generation is unique in the history of the demographic phenomenon that has affected and affects the functioning of many segments of society. The aim of this paper is to assess structure of baby boomers who are few years away from retirement, using demographic data. Impact of baby boomer age structure of current and future retirees is described with a graphical display of current and projected age pyramid of baby boomers. Demographic pattern that women live longer than men is evident in the projected pyramid. In addition, the number of baby boomers will lead to a "younger" old population. The imbalance in the number of men and women pensioners, as well as older cohorts of women and female baby boomers was analyzed. As a result, an increasing trend of women's age pensioners who are members of the baby boom generation was clearly observed, which is opposite to the older cohort of women who often were family pensioners. Different circumstances and conditions in which female boomers lived and worked will form a new "pension model" because they will gain their benefits as well as men, for the first time in significant number, unlike their mothers, which gained the right to retire after they become widows. Number of women age pensioners is getting greater comparing to men, as the result of changes in the economic activities of women in the last half of the 20th century. When baby boomers retire and exit the working population, this will create a vacuum, because the numerically smaller generations will enter working population, while the sudden and very shortly, the number of population older than 60 or 65 will increase, most of them will likely to acquire the right to a pension. It is undeniable that baby boomers had impact on demographic structure

Bust without boom.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldzieher, J W

2000-01-01

Just like injectables, oral contraceptives (OCs), including progestin-only ¿minipill¿ and ¿morning-after¿ pill regimens, have experienced a bust without a boom. Fear of political and religious backlash over emergency contraceptives containing estrogen and progestin prompted large companies not to market these regimens. Another major factor in the bust phase of OC use and acceptance has been a small coterie of English and American epidemiologists focused on the adverse effects of Ocs, including risks of thrombotic events, heart attacks, and strokes. The media played a crucial role in the bust phase of these OCs. In the UK, the alleged increase of cancer risk with pill use, which leaked before publication in London newspapers, resulted in 50,000 additional unintended pregnancies. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that boom-and-bust cycles will continue simply because many of the actors in this drama have too great a vested interest to desist. Groups involved in this field must recognize the hazards that come with the territory and be proactive, anticipatory, and well armed with facts--and get good with media access. Drug companies should think on a long-term basis the potential effects of leaving the field, as they have done, or shooting down competitive innovations.

Analysis of Nozzle Jet Plume Effects on Sonic Boom Signature

Science.gov (United States)

Bui, Trong

2010-01-01

An axisymmetric full Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study was conducted to examine nozzle exhaust jet plume effects on the sonic boom signature of a supersonic aircraft. A simplified axisymmetric nozzle geometry, representative of the nozzle on the NASA Dryden NF-15B Lift and Nozzle Change Effects on Tail Shock (LaNCETS) research airplane, was considered. The highly underexpanded nozzle flow is found to provide significantly more reduction in the tail shock strength in the sonic boom N-wave pressure signature than perfectly expanded and overexpanded nozzle flows. A tail shock train in the sonic boom signature, similar to what was observed in the LaNCETS flight data, is observed for the highly underexpanded nozzle flow. The CFD results provide a detailed description of the nozzle flow physics involved in the LaNCETS nozzle at different nozzle expansion conditions and help in interpreting LaNCETS flight data as well as in the eventual CFD analysis of a full LaNCETS aircraft. The current study also provided important information on proper modeling of the LaNCETS aircraft nozzle. The primary objective of the current CFD research effort was to support the LaNCETS flight research data analysis effort by studying the detailed nozzle exhaust jet plume s imperfect expansion effects on the sonic boom signature of a supersonic aircraft. Figure 1 illustrates the primary flow physics present in the interaction between the exhaust jet plume shock and the sonic boom coming off of an axisymmetric body in supersonic flight. The steeper tail shock from highly expanded jet plume reduces the dip of the sonic boom N-wave signature. A structured finite-volume compressible full Navier-Stokes CFD code was used in the current study. This approach is not limited by the simplifying assumptions inherent in previous sonic boom analysis efforts. Also, this study was the first known jet plume sonic boom CFD study in which the full viscous nozzle flow field was modeled, without

Raw material boom in an industrial country. Rohstoffboom in einem Industrieland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enders, K S

1984-01-01

First of all, a theoretical investigation is carried out to discover under which conditions a raw material boom displaces traditional sectors of industry, and which groups win and lose in the process. Subsequently, the peculiarities of the adaption process induced by the boom are analysed. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of transition (short-term) unemployment (Dutch disease). In conclusion, Norway's experiences in the oil and gas boom in the North Sea ar described and then compared with theoretical statements.

Flow distortion on boom mounted cup anemometers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindelöw, Per Jonas Petter; Friis Pedersen, Troels; Gottschall, Julia

In this report we investigate on wind direction dependent errors in the measurement of the horizontal wind speed by boom mounted cup anemometers. The boom mounting on the studied lattice tower is performed according to IEC standard design rules, yet, larger deviations than predicted by flow models...... are observed. The errors on the measurements are likely caused by an underestimation of the flow distortions around the tower. In this paper an experimental method for deriving a correction formula and an in-field calibration is suggested. The method is based on measurements with two cup anemometers mounted...

Modelling of radionuclide migration and heat transport from an High-Level-Radioactive-Waste-repository (HLW) in Boom clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Put, M.; Henrion, P.

1992-01-01

For the modelling of the migration of radionuclides in the Boom clay formation, the analytical code MICOF has been updated with a 3-dimensional analytical solution for discrete sources. the MICOF program is used for the calculation of the release of α and β emitters from the HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES (HLW). A coherent conceptual model is developed which describes all the major physico-chemical phenomena influencing the migration of radionuclides in the Boom clay. The concept of the diffusion accessible porosity is introduced and included in the MICOF code. Different types of migration experiments are described with their advantages and disadvantages. The thermal impact of the HLW disposal in the stratified Boom clay formation has been evaluated by a finite element simulation of the coupled heat and mass transport equation. The results of the simulations show that under certain conditions thermal convection cells may form, but the convective heat transfer in the clay formation is negligible. 6 refs., 19 figs., 2 tabs., 5 appendices

Baby Booming Inequality? Demographic Change and Inequality in Norway, 1967{2004.

OpenAIRE

Almås, Ingvild; Havnes, Tarjei; Mogstad, Magne

2011-01-01

We demonstrate how age-adjusted inequality measures can be used to evaluate whether changes in inequality over time are because of changes in the age structure. In particular, we explore the hypothesis that the substantial rise in earnings inequality since the early 1980s is driven by the large baby boom cohorts approaching the peak of the age-earnings profile. Using administrative data on earnings for every Norwegian male over the period 1967-2004, we find that the impact of age ...

The Use of Structural-Acoustic Techniques to Assess Potential Structural Damage From Sonic Booms

Science.gov (United States)

Garrelick, Joel; Martini, Kyle

1996-01-01

The potential impact of supersonic operations includes structural damage from the sonic boom overpressure. This paper describes a study of how structural-acoustic modeling and testing techniques may be used to assess the potential for such damage in the absence of actual flyovers. Procedures are described whereby transfer functions relating structural response to sonic boom signature may be obtained with a stationary acoustic source and appropriate data processing. Further, by invoking structural-acoustic reciprocity, these transfer functions may also be acquired by measuring the radiated sound from the structure under a mechanical drive. The approach is based on the fundamental assumption of linearity, both with regard to the (acoustic) propagation of the boom in the vicinity of the structure and to the structure's response. Practical issues revolve around acoustic far field and source directivity requirements. The technique was implemented on a specially fabricated test structure at Edwards AFB, CA with the support of Wyle Laboratories, Inc. Blank shots from a cannon served as our acoustic source and taps from an instrumented hammer generated the mechanical drive. Simulated response functions were constructed. Results of comparisons with corresponding measurements recorded during dedicated supersonic flyovers with F-15 aircraft are presented for a number of sensor placements.

In situ burning via towed boom of oil spilled at sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrier, G.; Fendell, F.; Mitchell, J.

1992-01-01

In this paper, operational guidance for the efficient use of combustion in the cleanup of a surface oil film, formed as a result of a spill at sea, is sought by approximate analysis. In remediation by burning, the spilled oil itself provides the energy for its cleanup. Attention is focused on situations holding relatively far from the source of the spill and/or relatively long after the spill: the oil is taken to have so dispersed that the thickness of the film is on the order of a few millimeters. Under such conditions, the oil film is unlikely to burn without the use of multiple towed booms, each boom spreading its already-ignited, localized fire to continuously collected, previously unignited portions of the oil film. A simple, quasisteady, two-dimensional analysis suggests efficient values for the tow speed and the tow--line length as functions of such parameters as the oil density, oil-film thickness, oil burn/evaporation rate, etc. The analysis leads to specific suggestions for apparently unreported laboratory experiments that may be informative prior to at-sea operation

The design and testing of a memory metal actuated boom release mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Powley, D. G.; Brook, G. B.

1979-01-01

A boom latch and release mechanism was designed, manufactured and tested, based on a specification for the ISEE-B satellite mechanism. From experimental results obtained, it is possible to calculate the energy available and the operating torques which can be achieved from a torsional shape memory element in terms of the reversible strain induced by prior working. Some guidelines to be followed when designing mechanisms actuated by shape memory elements are included.

Dynamic simulation of a planar flexible boom for tokamak in-vessel operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambrosino, G.; Celentano, G.; Garofalo, F.; Maisonnier, D.

1991-01-01

In this paper we present a dynamic model for the analysis of the vibrations of a planar articulated flexible boom to be used for tokamak in-vessel maintenance operations. The peculiarity of the mechanical structure of the boom enables us to consider separately the oscillations in the horizontal and vertical planes so that two separate models can be constructed for describing these phenomena. The results of simulations based on booms like that proposed for NET in-vessel operations are presented. (orig.)

In situ chemical osmosis experiment in the Boom Clay at the Mol underground research laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Garavito, A. M.; De Cannière, P.; Kooi, H.

-permeability plastic formation such as the Boom Clay. The osmotic efficiency of Boom Clay is high under undisturbed chemical conditions ( σ = 0.41 at 0.014 M NaHCO 3), but rapidly decreases when the dissolved salts concentration increases ( σ = 0.07 at 0.14 M NaHCO 3). A semi-permeable membrane behaviour of the Boom Clay (high efficiencies) may be expected for the disposal of nitrate-bearing radioactive waste. However, the presently observed osmotically induced pressure is too low to have a significant mechanical impact on the host rock. Finally, the short duration of the osmosis test performed suggests that the shut-in test method used is effective for osmosis testing.

The NET articulated boom: Preliminary investigations and justification for a full scale prototype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suppan, A.

1990-12-01

The articulated boom system is the favourite in-vessel handling system for NET which will be used to maintain or replace in-vessel components during short term interventions. The testbed EDITH is the prototype of this system and is the logical step between the proof of principle of the system, which is already performed by the JET articulated boom, and the operational equipment for NET. EDITH is required to demonstrate that maintenance of plasma facing components can be carried out with the anticipated reliability and time. To achieve this aim EDITH is based on the experience of the JET boom and will be constructed in full scale, supplemented by a full scale mock-up. A further goal of EDITH is to allow the testing of boom components and subassemblies. The results of preliminary investigations for the boom are summarized, the need of the testbed EDITH and a full scale mock-up is discussed and both EDITH and the mock-up are described. (orig.) [de

Booming markets for Moroccan argan oil appear to benefit some rural households while threatening the endemic argan forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Lybbert, Travis J; Aboudrare, Abdellah; Chaloud, Deborah; Magnan, Nicholas; Nash, Maliha

2011-08-23

Morocco's argan oil is now the most expensive edible oil in the world. High-value argan markets have sparked a bonanza of argan activity. Nongovernmental organizations, international and domestic development agencies, and argan oil cooperatives aggressively promote the win-win aim of simultaneously benefiting local people and the health of the argan forest. This paper tests some of these win-win claims. Analysis of a panel of detailed household data suggests that the boom has enabled some rural households to increase consumption, increase their goat herds (which bodes poorly for the argan forest), and send their girls to secondary school. The boom has predictably made households vigilant guardians of fruit on the tree, but it has not incited investments in longer term tree and forest health. We evaluate landscape-level impacts of these changes using commune-level data on educational enrollment and normalized difference vegetation index data over the period from 1981 to 2009. The results of the mesoanalysis of enrollment are consistent with the microanalysis: the argan boom seems to have improved educational outcomes, especially for girls. Our normalized difference vegetation index analysis, however, suggests that booming argan prices have not improved the forest and may have even induced degradation. We conclude by exploring the dynamic interactions between argan markets, local institutions, rural household welfare, and forest conservation and sustainability.

MODEL CORRELATION STUDY OF A RETRACTABLE BOOM FOR A SOLAR SAIL SPACECRAFT

Science.gov (United States)

Adetona, O.; Keel, L. H.; Oakley, J. D.; Kappus, K.; Whorton, M. S.; Kim, Y. K.; Rakpczy, J. M.

2005-01-01

To realize design concepts, predict dynamic behavior and develop appropriate control strategies for high performance operation of a solar-sail spacecraft, we developed a simple analytical model that represents dynamic behavior of spacecraft with various sizes. Since motion of the vehicle is dominated by retractable booms that support the structure, our study concentrates on developing and validating a dynamic model of a long retractable boom. Extensive tests with various configurations were conducted for the 30 Meter, light-weight, retractable, lattice boom at NASA MSFC that is structurally and dynamically similar to those of a solar-sail spacecraft currently under construction. Experimental data were then compared with the corresponding response of the analytical model. Though mixed results were obtained, the analytical model emulates several key characteristics of the boom. The paper concludes with a detailed discussion of issues observed during the study.

Packaging, deployment, and panel design concepts for a truss-stiffened 7-panel precision deployable reflector with feed boom

Science.gov (United States)

Heard, Walter L., Jr.; Collins, Timothy J.; Dyess, James W.; Kenner, Scott; Bush, Harold G.

1993-01-01

A concept is presented for achieving a remotely deployable truss-stiffened reflector consisting of seven integrated sandwich panels that form the reflective surface, and an integrated feed boom. The concept has potential for meeting aperture size and surface precision requirements for some high-frequency microwave remote sensing applications. The packaged reflector/feed boom configuration is a self-contained unit that can be conveniently attached to a spacecraft bus. The package has a cylindrical envelope compatible with typical launch vehicle shrouds. Dynamic behavior of a deployed configuration having a 216-inch focal length and consisting of 80-inch-diameter, two-inch-thick panels is examined through finite-element analysis. Results show that the feed boom and spacecraft bus can have a large impact on the fundamental frequency of the deployed configuration. Two candidate rib-stiffened sandwich panel configurations for this application are described, and analytical results for panel mass and stiffness are presented. Results show that the addition of only a few rib stiffeners, if sufficiently deep, can efficiently improve sandwich panel stiffness.

Icelandic boom and bust - Immigration and the housing market

OpenAIRE

Lúðvík Elíasson

2014-01-01

Possible explanations for the rapid increase in house prices and housing investment in Iceland between 2004 and 2007 and the subsequent market crash are studied. The boom was driven in part by banking liberalisation, international financial conditions, and domestic policies. A simple demand and supply model, based on the study by Elíasson and Pétursson (2009), is fitted to data through the recent boom-bust period. The model is remarkably robust through the cycle despite its unprecedented ampl...

Presence and evolution of natural organic matter in the boom clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Geet, M.; Deniau, I.; Largeau, C.; Bruggeman, C.; Maes, A.; Dierckx, A.

2004-01-01

Because of its very low hydraulic conductivity, reducing conditions, slightly alkaline pH, high specific surface, high cation exchange capacity and high plasticity, the Boom Clay is studied as a reference host formation for the deep disposal of high-level long-lived radioactive waste (NIRAS/ONDRAF, 1989). However, Boom Clay also contains up to 5% wt. of organic matter (OM). As radionuclides can form complexes with this organic matter, a detailed characterisation and knowledge of the evolution of the organic matter is necessary. An overview of the characteristics of the organic matter present in Boom Clay is given by Van Geet et al., (2003). The solid phase OM can be up to 5%. The dissolved OM fraction is around 200 mg C per liter of Boom Clay pore water. Both kinds of OM will be discussed. Concerning the solid phase OM the focus will be on the past evolution and its possible future evolution due to a thermal stress. For the dissolved OM, the focus will be on its origin. (author)

Modeling and simulation of the agricultural sprayer boom leveling system

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jian

2011-01-01

According to the agricultural precision requirements, the distance from sprayer nozzles to the corps should be kept between 50 cm to 70 cm. The sprayer boom also needs to be kept parallel to the field during the application process. Thus we can guarantee the quality of the chemical droplets distribution on the crops. In this paper we design a sprayer boom leveling system for agricultural sprayer vehicles combined with a four-rod linkage self-leveling suspension and electro-hydraulic auto-leveling system. The dynamic analysis shows that the suspension can realize an excellent self-leveling in a comparative small inclination range. In addition we build compensation controller for the electro-hydraulic system based on the mathematical model. With simulations we can optimize the performance of this controller to make sure a fast leveling response to the inclined sprayer boom. © 2011 IEEE.

A summary of the lateral cutoff analysis and results from NASA's Farfield Investigation of No-boom Thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

Cliatt, Larry J.; Hill, Michael A.; Haering, Edward A.; Arnac, Sarah R.

2015-10-01

In support of the ongoing effort by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to bring supersonic commercial travel to the public, NASA, in partnership with other industry organizations, conducted a flight research experiment to analyze acoustic propagation at the lateral edge of the sonic boom carpet. The name of the effort was the Farfield Investigation of No-boom Thresholds (FaINT). The research from FaINT determined an appropriate metric for sonic boom waveforms in the transition and shadow zones called Perceived Sound Exposure Level, established a value of 65 dB as a limit for the acoustic lateral extent of a sonic boom's noise region, analyzed change in sonic boom levels near lateral cutoff, and compared between real sonic boom measurements and numerical predictions.

Sobre o Boom e outras onomatopeias literárias

OpenAIRE

Londoño, Jorge Iván Parra

2016-01-01

Este artículo trata de examinar los alcances literarios del llamado Boom latinoamericano, a medio siglo de su estallido, las cuatro obras más representativas y sus respectivos autores, además de proponer un quinto autor, según la invitación que hiciera en su momento el crítico Ángel Rama. Por otro lado, evalua la respuesta literaria por parte del Post Boom, analizando sus características y su vigencia y, de manera concomitante, los movimientos anejos o posteriores a dicho movimiento, como el ...

Design methodology for a community response questionnaire on sonic boom exposure

Science.gov (United States)

Farbry, John E., Jr.; Fields, James M.; Molino, John A.; Demiranda, Gwendolyn A.

1991-01-01

A preliminary draft questionnaire concerning community response to sonic booms was developed. Interviews were conducted in two communities that had experienced supersonic overflights of the SR-71 airplane for several years. Even though the overflights had ceased about 6 months prior to the interviews, people clearly remembered hearing sonic booms. A total of 22 people living in central Utah and 23 people living along Idaho/Washington state border took part in these interviews. The draft questionnaire was constantly modified during the study in order to evaluate different versions. Questions were developed which related to annoyance, startle, sleep disturbance, building vibration, and building damage. Based on the data collected, a proposed community response survey response instrument was developed for application in a full-scale sonic boom study.

Numerical Predictions of Sonic Boom Signatures for a Straight Line Segmented Leading Edge Model

Science.gov (United States)

Elmiligui, Alaa A.; Wilcox, Floyd J.; Cliff, Susan; Thomas, Scott

2012-01-01

A sonic boom wind tunnel test was conducted on a straight-line segmented leading edge (SLSLE) model in the NASA Langley 4- by 4- Foot Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT). The purpose of the test was to determine whether accurate sonic boom measurements could be obtained while continuously moving the SLSLE model past a conical pressure probe. Sonic boom signatures were also obtained using the conventional move-pause data acquisition method for comparison. The continuous data acquisition approach allows for accurate signatures approximately 15 times faster than a move-pause technique. These successful results provide an incentive for future testing with greatly increased efficiency using the continuous model translation technique with the single probe to measure sonic boom signatures. Two widely used NASA codes, USM3D (Navier-Stokes) and CART3D-AERO (Euler, adjoint-based adaptive mesh), were used to compute off-body sonic boom pressure signatures of the SLSLE model at several different altitudes below the model at Mach 2.0. The computed pressure signatures compared well with wind tunnel data. The effect of the different altitude for signature extraction was evaluated by extrapolating the near field signatures to the ground and comparing pressure signatures and sonic boom loudness levels.

A Flight Research Overview of WSPR, a Pilot Project for Sonic Boom Community Response

Science.gov (United States)

Cliatt, Larry James; Haering, Ed; Jones, Thomas P.; Waggoner, Erin R.; Flattery, Ashley K.; Wiley, Scott L.

2014-01-01

In support of NASAs ongoing effort to bring supersonic commercial travel to the public, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and NASA Langley Research Center, in cooperation with other industry organizations, conducted a flight research experiment to identify the methods, tools, and best practices for a large-scale quiet (or low) sonic boom community human response test. The name of the effort was Waveforms and Sonic boom Perception and Response. Such tests will go towards building a dataset that governing agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration and International Civil Aviation Organization will use to establish regulations for acceptable sound levels of overland sonic booms. Until WSPR, there had never been an effort that studied the response of people in their own homes and performing daily activities to non-traditional, low sonic booms.WSPR was a NASA collaborative effort with several industry partners, in response to a NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Research Opportunities in Aeronautics. The primary contractor was Wyle. Other partners included Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Pennsylvania State University, Tetra Tech, and Fidell Associates, Inc.A major objective of the effort included exposing a community with the sonic boom magnitudes and occurrences expected in high-air traffic regions with a network of supersonic commercial aircraft in place. Low-level sonic booms designed to simulate those produced by the next generation of commercial supersonic aircraft were generated over a small residential community. The sonic boom footprint was recorded with an autonomous wireless microphone array that spanned the entire community. Human response data was collected using multiple survey methods. The research focused on essential elements of community response testing including subject recruitment, survey methods, instrumentation systems, flight planning and operations, and data analysis methods.This paper focuses on NASAs role in the efforts

Economic booms and risky sexual behavior: evidence from Zambian copper mining cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Nicholas

2012-12-01

Existing studies suggest that individual and household level economic shocks affect the demand for and supply of risky sex. However, little evidence exists on the effects of an aggregate shock on equilibrium risky sexual behavior. This paper examines the effects of the early twenty-first century copper boom on risky sexual behavior in Zambian copper mining cities. The results suggest that the copper boom substantially reduced rates of transactional sex and multiple partnerships in copper mining cities. These effects were partly concentrated among young adults and copper boom induced in-migration to mining cities appears to have contributed to these reductions. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Impact of Air Oxidation on Dissolved Organic Matter from Boom Clay: Comparison Between Natural and Artificial Oxidation Series and In Situ Piezometers Water From Hades Galleries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchart, Pascale; Faure, Pierre; Michels, Raymond; Bruggeman, Christophe; De Craen, Mieke; Parant, Stephane

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The Boom Clay is considered by the Belgian radioactive waste management agency Ondraf/Niras as a possible host rock for the geological disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste. The drilling of galleries and corings in the Boom Clay (Mol, Belgium) leads to perturbations of the initial physical and chemical conditions. In piezometers, the DOC may show considerable and irregular variations through time, with values ranging from 80 to 425 mg/L. The origin and bio-physico-chemical controls of such variations are yet unknown but oxidation and biodegradation were considered as most likely. Three categories of samples were collected with the aim of determining and quantifying different molecular markers representative for the oxidation process: - Fresh as well as air-oxidized Boom Clay samples were collected in the Underground Research Facility HADES of EURIDICE (Mol, Belgium): they represent a natural series of oxidation; - A fresh Boom Clay sample was submitted to laboratory air oxidation (artificial series). In these experiments, powdered clay was heated at 80 deg. C under air flow during 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 months; - Four water samples were collected during January 2010 from different horizons in the Boom Clay by means of piezometers located in the Underground Research Facility. The DOM (dissolved organic matter) of Boom Clay samples (artificial and natural series) was isolated by Soxhlet using pure water as well as by leaching experiments. The quantitative analysis shows an increasing in DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) content with oxidation. Qualitative characterizations including spectroscopic (3D-fluorescence) as well as molecular analyses (flash pyrolysis - gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (PyGC-MS) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC-HPLC)) show an evolution of the DOM chemistry with oxidation: - An enrichment in oxygen bearing molecules (acidic poly functional groups); - A decrease in

1995 NASA High-Speed Research Program Sonic Boom Workshop. Volume 2; Configuration Design, Analysis, and Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Baize, Daniel G. (Editor)

1999-01-01

The High-Speed Research Program and NASA Langley Research Center sponsored the NASA High-Speed Research Program Sonic Boom Workshop on September 12-13, 1995. The workshop was designed to bring together NASAs scientists and engineers and their counterparts in industry, other Government agencies, and academia working together in the sonic boom element of NASAs High-Speed Research Program. Specific objectives of this workshop were to: (1) report the progress and status of research in sonic boom propagation, acceptability, and design; (2) promote and disseminate this technology within the appropriate technical communities; (3) help promote synergy among the scientists working in the Program; and (4) identify technology pacing, the development C, of viable reduced-boom High-Speed Civil Transport concepts. The Workshop was organized in four sessions: Sessions 1 Sonic Boom Propagation (Theoretical); Session 2 Sonic Boom Propagation (Experimental); Session 3 Acceptability Studies-Human and Animal; and Session 4 - Configuration Design, Analysis, and Testing.

Influence of Chair Vibrations on Indoor Sonic Boom Annoyance

Science.gov (United States)

Rathsam, Jonathan; Klos, Jacob; Loubeau, Alexandra

2015-01-01

One goal of NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Technology Project is to identify candidate noise metrics suitable for regulating quiet sonic boom aircraft. A suitable metric must consider the short duration and pronounced low frequency content of sonic booms. For indoor listeners, rattle and creaking sounds and floor and chair vibrations may also be important. The current study examined the effect of such vibrations on the annoyance of test subjects seated indoors. The study involved two chairs exposed to nearly identical acoustic levels: one placed directly on the floor, and the other isolated from floor vibrations by pneumatic elastomeric mounts. All subjects experienced both chairs, sitting in one chair for the first half of the experiment and the other chair for the remaining half. Each half of the experiment consisted of 80 impulsive noises played at the exterior of the sonic boom simulator. When all annoyance ratings were analyzed together there appeared to be no difference in mean annoyance with isolation condition. When the apparent effect of transfer bias was removed, a subtle but measurable effect of vibration on annoyance was identified.

The baby boom, the baby bust, and the housing market.

Science.gov (United States)

Mankiw, N G; Weil, D N

1989-05-01

This paper explores the impact of demographic changes on the housing market in the US, 1st by reviewing the facts about the Baby Boom, 2nd by linking age and housing demand using census data for 1970 and 1980, 3rd by computing the effect of demand on price of housing and on the quantity of residential capital, and last by constructing a theoretical model to plot the predictability of the jump in demand caused by the Baby Boom. The Baby Boom in the U.S. lasted from 1946-1964, with a peak in 1957 when 4.3 million babies were born. In 1980 19.7% of the population were aged 20-30, compared to 13.3% in 1960. Demand for housing was modeled for a given household from census data, resulting in the finding that demand rises sharply at age 20-30, then declines after age 40 by 1% per year. Thus between 1970 and 1980 the real value of housing for an adult at any given age jumped 50%, while the real disposable personal income per capita rose 22%. The structure of demand is such that the swelling in the rate of growth in housing demand peaked in 1980, with a rate of 1.66% per year. Housing demand and real price of housing were highly correlated and inelastic. If this relationship holds in the future, the real price of housing should fall about 3% per year, or 47% by 2007. The theoretical model, a variation of the Poterba model, ignoring inflation and taxation, suggests that fluctuations in prices caused by changes in demand are not foreseen by the market, even though they are predictable in principle 20 years in advance. As the effects of falling housing prices become apparent, there may be a potential for economic instability, but people may be induced to save more because their homes will no longer provide the funds for retirement.

76 FR 20532 - Safety Zone; Boom Days, Niagara River, Niagara Falls, NY

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-13

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Boom Days, Niagara River, Niagara Falls, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Niagara River... Marina and a portion of the Niagara River, Niagara Falls, NY during the Boom Days Fireworks on April 16...

Study of a 30-M Boom For Solar Sail-Craft: Model Extendibility and Control Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Keel, Leehyun

2005-01-01

extendibility question of the analytical models. In operation, rapid temperature changes can be induced in solar sails as they transition from day to night and vice versa. This generates time dependent thermally induced forces, which may in turn create oscillation in structural members such as booms. Such oscillations have an adverse effect on system operations, precise pointing of instruments and antennas and can lead to self excited vibrations of increasing amplitude. The latter phenomenon is known as thermal flutter and can lead to the catastrophic failure of structural systems. To remedy this problem, an active vibration suppression system has been developed. It was shown that piezoelectric actuators used in conjunction with a Proportional Feedback Control (PFC) law (or Velocity Feedback Control (VFC) law) can induce moments that can suppress structural vibrations and prevent flutter instability in spacecraft booms. In this study, we will investigate control strategies using piezoelectric transducers in active, passive, and/or hybrid control configurations. Advantages and disadvantages of each configuration will be studied and experiments to determine their capabilities and limitations will be planned. In particular, special attention will be given to the hybrid control, also known as energy recycling, configuration due to its unique characteristics.

Simulation and controller design for an agricultural sprayer boom leveling system

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jian

2011-01-01

According to the agricultural precision requirements, the distance from sprayer nozzles to the corps should be kept between 50 cm to 70 cm. The sprayer boom also needs to be kept parallel to the field during the operation process. Thus we can guarantee the quality of the chemical droplets distribution on the crops. In this paper we introduced a sprayer boom leveling system for agricultural sprayer vehicles with electro-hydraulic auto-leveling system. The suitable hydraulic actuating cylinder and valve were selected according to the specific systemic specifications. Furthermore, a compensation controller for the electro-hydraulic system was designed based on the mathematical model. With simulations we can optimize the performance of this controller to make sure a fast leveling response to the inclined sprayer boom. © 2011 IEEE.

Babies Bottom Out--A 'Maybe Boom'

Science.gov (United States)

Science News, 1977

1977-01-01

Data for the period September 1976 through April 1977 indicate a rise in the United States birth rate; however, the rate is still below the replacement level. It is speculated that the increase is an "echo" effect to the post-World War II baby boom which peaked in 1957. (SL)

Thermal shock induced dynamics of a spacecraft with a flexible deploying boom

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Zhenxing; Li, Huijian; Liu, Xiaoning; Hu, Gengkai

2017-12-01

The dynamics in the process of deployment of a flexible extendible boom as a deployable structure on the spacecraft is studied. For determining the thermally induced vibrations of the boom subjected to an incident solar heat flux, an axially moving thermal-dynamic beam element based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation which is able to precisely describe the large displacement, rotation and deformation of flexible body is presented. For the elastic forces formulation of variable-length beam element, the enhanced continuum mechanics approach is adopted, which can eliminate the Poisson locking effect, and take into account the tension-bending-torsion coupling deformations. The main body of the spacecraft, modeled as a rigid body, is described using the natural coordinates method. In the derived nonlinear thermal-dynamic equations of rigid-flexible multibody system, the mass matrix is time-variant, and a pseudo damping matrix which is without actual energy dissipation, and a heat conduction matrix which is relative to the moving speed and the number of beam element are arisen. Numerical results give the dynamic and thermal responses of the nonrotating and spinning spacecraft, respectively, and show that thermal shock has a significant influence on the dynamics of spacecraft.

A Flight Research Overview of WSPR, a Pilot Project for Sonic Boom Community Response

Science.gov (United States)

Cliatt, Larry J., II; Haering, Edward A., Jr.; Jones, Thomas P.; Waggoner, Erin R.; Flattery, Ashley K.; Wiley, Scott L.

2014-01-01

In support of the ongoing effort by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to bring supersonic commercial travel to the public, the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center and the NASA Langley Research Center, in cooperation with other industry organizations, conducted a flight research experiment to identify the methods, tools, and best practices for a large-scale quiet (or low) sonic boom community human response test. The name of the effort was Waveforms and Sonic boom Perception and Response (WSPR). Such tests will be applied to building a dataset that governing agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization will use to establish regulations for acceptable sound levels of overland sonic booms. The WSPR test was the first such effort that studied responses to non-traditional low sonic booms while the subject persons were in their own homes and performing daily activities.The WSPR test was a NASA collaborative effort with several industry partners, in response to a NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Research Opportunities in Aeronautics. The primary contractor was Wyle (El Segundo, California). Other partners included Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Savannah, Georgia); Pennsylvania State University (University Park, Pennsylvania); Tetra Tech, Inc. (Pasadena, California); and Fidell Associates, Inc. (Woodland Hills, California).A major objective of the effort included exposing a community to the sonic boom magnitudes and occurrences that would be expected to occur in high-air traffic regions having a network of supersonic commercial aircraft in place. Low-level sonic booms designed to simulate those produced by the next generation of commercial supersonic aircraft were generated over a small residential community. The sonic boom footprint was recorded with an autonomous wireless microphone array that spanned the entire community. Human response data were collected using multiple

Hyped up. Energy policy in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sapper, Manfred; Weichsel, Volker

2013-01-01

The volume covers the following issues: Russia's promotion to an energy super power - history of a European interlocking; the large uncertainty - The US shale gas boom, EU and Russia; natural gas in central Asia and the Caspian area; natural gas - price and modernization, price policy and energy efficiency in Russia; the partners Winterhall - Gazprom; the regulation of the petroleum boom in the post -Soviet region; nuclear energy in Eastern and Western Europe, reactions following Chernobyl and Fukushima; renewable energies in Russia; Hiroshima from the Soviet view; debate: cooperation is required, German policy concerning Russia.

Global impact of Danish drama series

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Pia Majbritt

2016-01-01

In recent years Danish TV series have experienced a global export boom. This article maps the regional and global export patterns over the last fifteen years in order to assess the international impact of Danish TV drama.......In recent years Danish TV series have experienced a global export boom. This article maps the regional and global export patterns over the last fifteen years in order to assess the international impact of Danish TV drama....

Spill-Overs of a Resource Boom: Evidence from Zambian Copper Mines

OpenAIRE

Alexander Lippert

2014-01-01

Do local populations benefit from resource booms? How strong are market linkages between the mining sector and the regional economy? This paper exploits exogenous variation in mine-level production volumes generated by the recent copper boom in Zambia to shed light on these questions. Using a novel dataset, I find robust evidence that an increase in local copper production improves living standards in the surroundings of the mines even for households not directy employed in the mining sector:...

Vibration characteristics of a deployable controllable-geometry truss boom

Science.gov (United States)

Dorsey, J. T.

1983-01-01

An analytical study was made to evaluate changes in the fundamental frequency of a two dimensional cantilevered truss boom at various stages of deployment. The truss could be axially deployed or retracted and undergo a variety of controlled geometry changes by shortening or lengthening the telescoping diagonal members in each bay. Both untapered and tapered versions of the truss boom were modeled and analyzed by using the finite element method. Large reductions in fundamental frequency occurred for both the untapered and tapered trusses when they were uniformly retracted or maneuvered laterally from their fully deployed position. These frequency reductions can be minimized, however, if truss geometries are selected which maintain cantilever root stiffness during truss maneuvers.

Stakes and impact of non conventional gases on the market energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-04-01

This article presents the content of a market study which aimed at describing the boom of the market of non conventional gases in the USA (definition, reasons for quick development, competitiveness, growth perspectives), at understanding how and why theses gases are the new playground of oil and gas companies (actors in presence, positions held by independent operators, ambitions of major companies, question of the development of a European sector of non conventional gases), and at anticipating the changes of the energy production market (the emergence of this market in the USA is an acceleration and imbalance factor of the world market of natural gas, and non conventional gases may change the deal on energy markets)

ATLAS IV in situ heating test in Boom Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Guangjing; Li, Xiangling; Verstricht, Jan; Sillen, Xavier

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The small scale in-situ ATLAS (Admissible Thermal Loading for Argillaceous Storage) tests are performed to assess the hydro-mechanical effects of a thermal transient on the host Boom clay at the HADES underground research facility in Mol, Belgium. The initial test set-up, consisting of a heater borehole and two observation boreholes, was installed in 1991-1992. The first test (later named 'ATLAS I') was then performed from July 1993 to June 1996; during this time, the heater dissipated a constant power of 900 W. During the second phase ('ATLAS II'), the heating power was doubled (1800 W) and maintained constant from June 1996 to May 1997. This was followed by shutdown and natural cooling starting from June 1997 on. To broaden the THM characterization of the Boom clay at a larger scale and at different temperature levels, the test set-up was extended in 2006 by drilling two additional instrumented boreholes (AT97E and AT98E). The heater was switched on again from April 2007 to April 2008 with a stepwise power increase, followed by an instantaneous shutdown. This phase is called 'ATLAS III'. The above tests have provided a large set of good quality and well documented data on temperature, pore water pressure and total stress; these data allowed to make several interesting observations regarding the thermal anisotropy and THM coupling in the Boom clay. The straightforward geometry and well defined boundary conditions of the tests facilitate the comparison between measurement and numerical modeling studies. Based on the three dimensional coupled THM modeling of the ATLAS III test, the good agreement between measurement and numerical modeling of temperature and pore water pressure yields a set of THM parameters and confirms the thermo-mechanical anisotropy of the Boom clay. To get a better insight in the anisotropic THM behavior of the Boom clay, a new upward instrumented borehole was drilled above the ATLAS heater at

Elastic Deployable Composite Tubular Roll-Out Boom, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Deployable Space Systems (DSS) has developed an affordable and ultra-lightweight elastically self-deployable Roll-Out Boom technology that provides affordability and...

A second hydrocarbon boom threatens the Peruvian Amazon: trends, projections, and policy implications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finer, Matt [Save America' s Forests, 4 Library Court NW, Washington, DC 20003 (United States); Orta-Martinez, Marti, E-mail: matt@saveamericasforests.or, E-mail: martiorta@gmail.co [Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambiental, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) (Spain)

2010-01-15

The Peruvian Amazon is home to extraordinary biological and cultural diversity, and vast swaths of this mega-diverse region remain largely intact. Recent analysis indicates, however, that the rapid proliferation of oil and gas exploration zones now threatens the region's biodiversity, indigenous peoples, and wilderness areas. To better elucidate this dynamic situation, we analyzed official Peruvian government hydrocarbon information and generated a quantitative analysis of the past, present, and future of oil and gas activities in the Peruvian Amazon. We document an extensive hydrocarbon history for the region-over 104 000 km of seismic lines and 679 exploratory and production wells-highlighted by a major exploration boom in the early 1970s. We show that an unprecedented 48.6% of the Peruvian Amazon has been recently covered by oil and gas concessions, up from just 7.1% in 2003. These oil and gas concessions overlap 17.1% of the Peruvian Amazon protected area system and over half of all titled indigenous lands. Moreover, we found that up to 72% of the Peruvian Amazon has been zoned for hydrocarbon activities (concessions plus technical evaluation agreements and proposed concessions) in the past two years, and over 84% at some point during the past 40 years. We project that the recent rapid proliferation of hydrocarbon zones will lead to a second exploration boom, characterized by over 20 000 km of new seismic testing and construction of over 180 new exploratory wells in remote, intact, and sensitive forest areas. As the Peruvian Amazon oil frontier rapidly expands, we conclude that a rigorous policy debate is urgently needed in order to avoid the major environmental impacts associated with the first exploration boom of the 1970s and to minimize the social conflict that recently led to deadly encounters between indigenous protesters and government forces.

A second hydrocarbon boom threatens the Peruvian Amazon: trends, projections, and policy implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finer, Matt; Orta-Martinez, Marti

2010-01-01

The Peruvian Amazon is home to extraordinary biological and cultural diversity, and vast swaths of this mega-diverse region remain largely intact. Recent analysis indicates, however, that the rapid proliferation of oil and gas exploration zones now threatens the region's biodiversity, indigenous peoples, and wilderness areas. To better elucidate this dynamic situation, we analyzed official Peruvian government hydrocarbon information and generated a quantitative analysis of the past, present, and future of oil and gas activities in the Peruvian Amazon. We document an extensive hydrocarbon history for the region-over 104 000 km of seismic lines and 679 exploratory and production wells-highlighted by a major exploration boom in the early 1970s. We show that an unprecedented 48.6% of the Peruvian Amazon has been recently covered by oil and gas concessions, up from just 7.1% in 2003. These oil and gas concessions overlap 17.1% of the Peruvian Amazon protected area system and over half of all titled indigenous lands. Moreover, we found that up to 72% of the Peruvian Amazon has been zoned for hydrocarbon activities (concessions plus technical evaluation agreements and proposed concessions) in the past two years, and over 84% at some point during the past 40 years. We project that the recent rapid proliferation of hydrocarbon zones will lead to a second exploration boom, characterized by over 20 000 km of new seismic testing and construction of over 180 new exploratory wells in remote, intact, and sensitive forest areas. As the Peruvian Amazon oil frontier rapidly expands, we conclude that a rigorous policy debate is urgently needed in order to avoid the major environmental impacts associated with the first exploration boom of the 1970s and to minimize the social conflict that recently led to deadly encounters between indigenous protesters and government forces.

The marriage boom and marriage bust in the United States: An age-period-cohort analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schellekens, Jona

2017-03-01

In the 1950s and 1960s there was an unprecedented marriage boom in the United States. This was followed in the 1970s by a marriage bust. Some argue that both phenomena are cohort effects, while others argue that they are period effects. The study reported here tested the major period and cohort theories of the marriage boom and bust, by estimating an age-period-cohort model of first marriage for the years 1925-79 using census microdata. The results of the analysis indicate that the marriage boom was mostly a period effect, although there were also cohort influences. More specifically, the hypothesis that the marriage boom was mostly a response to rising wages is shown to be consistent with the data. However, much of the marriage bust can be accounted for by unidentified cohort influences, at least until 1980.

30 CFR 77.807-2 - Booms and masts; minimum distance from high-voltage lines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...-voltage lines. 77.807-2 Section 77.807-2 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... WORK AREAS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Surface High-Voltage Distribution § 77.807-2 Booms and masts; minimum distance from high-voltage lines. The booms and masts of equipment operated on the surface of any...

Characterization of groundwater flow in the environment of the Boom Clay (Campine, Belgium)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gedeon, M.; Labat, S.; Wemaere, I.; Wouters, L.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In Belgium, the Boom Clay formation is considered as reference host rock for the geological disposal of radioactive waste. Aquifers surrounding the Boom Clay play a passive role in the context of the disposal safety whereby the radionuclides are diluted by groundwater flow. The groundwater flow in these aquifers has been studied since decades. This research involves observations of groundwater levels in the regional and local piezo-metric networks, several site investigations including geophysics and core-drilled boreholes and groundwater modelling. In this context, groundwater modelling represents the integration of the site characterization efforts and provides a comprehensive tool for constraining the models used in the safety assessment of the geological disposal. Since 1985, groundwater levels are observed monthly in the regional piezo-metric network. It consists of 142 filters monitoring the groundwater levels at 45 sites. Along with the observed groundwater levels from the local piezo-metric network (concentrated around the Mol-Dessel site for surface disposal), these data provide an excellent insight into the evolution of the groundwater levels. Moreover, they represent a calibration (validation) dataset for groundwater flow modelling. The groundwater system forming the environment of the Boom Clay host rock was characterized during several site investigation campaigns, within which seven core-drilled boreholes were realized, whereby hydraulic parameters and hydro-stratigraphy of the groundwater system could be collected. The dataset obtained from the above mentioned campaigns was complemented by archived data on hydraulic testing in the aquifers in order to build a comprehensive groundwater model integrating these data into a single numerical representation of the groundwater system. Three regional groundwater models have been developed integrating the site characterization data collected in the north

An evaluation of propane as a fuel for testing fire-resistant oil spill containment booms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, W. D.; Twilley, W. H.

1997-01-01

A series of experiments have been conducted to measure and compare the thermal exposure to a fire-resistant boom from liquid hydrocarbon fuel and propane fires. The objective was to test the potential of propane fueled fires as a fire source for testing fire-resistant oil spill containment booms.Thermal exposure from propane fires have been measured with and without waves. Results indicated that although propane diffusion flames on water look like liquid hydrocarbon fuel flames and produce very little smoke, the heat flux at the boom location from propane fires is about 60 per cent of that from liquid hydrocarbon fuel fires. Despite the attractive features in terms of ease of application, control and smoke emissions, it was concluded that the low heat flux would preclude the application of propane as a fuel for evaluating fire resistant containment booms. 2 refs., 7 figs

Economic Booms and Risky Sexual Behavior: Evidence from Zambian Copper Mining Cities

OpenAIRE

Nicholas Wilson

2010-01-01

Existing studies suggest that individual and household level economic shocks affect the demand for and supply of risky sex. However, little evidence exists on the effects of an aggregate shock on equilibrium risky sexual behavior. This paper examines the effects of the early twenty-first century copper boom on risky sexual behavior in Zambian copper mining cities. The results indicate that the copper boom substantially reduced rates of transactional sex and multiple partnerships in copper min...

Impacts of nuclear power plant developments on community service capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krannich, R.S.

1978-03-01

With the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969 a legislative mandate was established to assess ''socioeconomic'' as well as environmental consequences of large-scale development projects. However, the developing literature base in the area of socioeconomics has exhibited a pronounced tendency to stress social and economic pathologies associated with the so-called ''boom town'' syndrome. While boom growth and associated problems do appear to provide relevant conceptualizations of the socioeconomic impacts of energy resource development projects in geographically isolated sectors of the western United States, the argument is presented that such a perspective is generally inappropriate when assessing the consequences of nuclear power plant developments. Survey data on 21 nuclear generating facilities are analyzed in order to provide a comparative perspective on socioeconomic consequences and factors which may influence their relative importance

Popular Demobilization, Agribusiness Mobilization, and the Agrarian Boom in Post-Neoliberal Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Lapegna

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Based on ethnographic research, archival data, and a catalog of protest events, this article analyzes the relationship between popular social movements, business mobilization, and institutional politics in Argentina during the post-neoliberal phase, which arguably began circa 2003. How did waves of popular mobilization in the 1990s shape business mobilization in the 2000s? How did contentious politics influence institutional politics in the post-neoliberal period? What are the changes and continuities of the agrarian boom that cut across the neoliberal and post-neoliberal periods? While I zoom in on Argentina, the article goes beyond this case by contributing to three discussions. First, rather than limiting the analysis to the customary focus on the mobilization of subordinated actors, it examines the demobilization of popular social movements, the mobilization of business sectors, and the connections between the two. Second, it shows the ways in which the state can simultaneously challenge neoliberal principles while also favoring the global corporations that dominate the contemporary neoliberal food regime. Finally, the case of Argentina sheds light on the political economy of the "Left turn" in Latin America, particularly the negative socio-environmental impacts of commodity booms. The article concludes that researchers need to pay closer attention to the connections between contentious and institutional politics, and to the protean possibilities of neoliberalism to inspire collective actions.

Environmental Pollution: Noise Pollution - Sonic Boom. Volume I.

Science.gov (United States)

Defense Documentation Center, Alexandria, VA.

The unclassified, annotated bibliography is Volume I of a two-volume set on Noise Pollution - Sonic Boom in a series of scheduled bibliographies on Environmental Pollution. Volume II is Confidential. Corporate author-monitoring agency, subject, title, contract, and report number indexes are included. (Author/JR)

The geochemical behaviour of selenium in the Boom Clay system - a XANES and EXAFS study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" data-affiliation=" (Center for surface Chemistry and Catalysis - M2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" >Breynaert, Eric; 2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" data-affiliation=" (Center for surface Chemistry and Catalysis - M2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" >Dom, Dirk; 2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" data-affiliation=" (Center for surface Chemistry and Catalysis - M2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" >Vancluysen, Jacqueline; 2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" data-affiliation=" (Center for surface Chemistry and Catalysis - M2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" >Kirschhock, Christine E.A.; 2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" data-affiliation=" (Center for surface Chemistry and Catalysis - M2S, KULeuven, B-3001Leuven (Belgium))" >Maes, Andre; Scheinost, Andreas C.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In Belgium, the Boom Clay formation is studied as a reference host formation for the geological disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste for more than 30 years. This formation mainly consists of mixed clay minerals (illite, inter-stratified illite-smectite), pyrite and immobile and dissolved natural organic matter. Since it provides good sorption capacities, very low permeability, and chemically reducing conditions due to the presence of pyrite (FeS 2 ), the Boom clay formation itself is considered to be the main barrier preventing radionuclide migration from the geological repository. Within this concept for geological storage Se 79 has been identified as one of the critical elements contributing to the final dose to man. Although the sorption and migration behaviour of Se in the Boom Clay system has been thoroughly studied, the speciation of Se in the Boom Clay system has never been identified spectroscopically. In all previous studies, the interpretation of the behaviour of Se in Boom Clay conditions has always been based on circumstantial evidence such as solubility measurements or comparison with the spectroscopically identified speciation of Se in model systems. Based on the XANES analysis, selenite is transformed into Se 0 confirming the previously proposed reduction of selenite in the Boom Clay system. Combination of the mass-balance for Se with the results from linear combination analysis of the XANES spectra provided new evidence for the sorption-reduction mechanism proposed to explain the interaction between Se(IV) and the BC solid phase. In addition, evidence was found that that the fate of Se(IV) in the BC system is completely dominated by its interaction with pyrite present in the Boom Clay. The combined EXAFS analysis of Se in Se 0 reference phases (hexagonal, monoclinic, Se-loaded pyrite) allowed to elucidate further details on the short-range structure of the reaction products formed

Effectiveness of elastic damping in the pivot joints of cargo boom of crane-manipulating installations at large gaps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lagerev I.A.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The article was the analysis of dynamic processes in the cylindrical hinges with large gaps in the cargo boom crane-manipulating installations of mobile machines in operation. Consider the design of damping device for articulated joints, which creates a braking force of elastic resistance to the displacement of the hinge pin within the large gap. The mechanism of action of the damping devices was considered. Analysis of the effectiveness of damping device for re-ducing the dynamic stress state in the elements of cargo boom metal structures depending on the gap size and the stiff-ness of the damping device was performed. Damping device with an elastic shock absorbing elements substantially reduces the additional impact load at the time of selection of the gap in the joint, slow the growth of clearance in the pivot joint, limit the size of the gap specified value, which must not be exceeded during the entire service life of swivel independently from the intensity of his load.

Boom in boarfish abundance: insight from otolith analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coad, Julie Olivia; Hüssy, Karin

2012-01-01

The boarfish Capros aper is a pelagic shoaling species widely distributed along the Northeast Atlantic continental shelf. In recent years, this species has experienced a dramatic boom in abundance in the Bay of Biscay and Celtic Sea. This study aims at resolving the mechanisms responsible for thi...

New nuclear projects in the world. Sustainable Nuclear Energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leon, P. T.

2011-01-01

Nuclear power has experienced a major boom in the last few years, primarily because it is a non-CO 2 emitting energy source, it can be produced at competitive costs and it can boost a country's security of supply. there are still two issues to be addressed in relation to the currently used technologies: the degree to which the energy content of nuclear fuel is used, and wastes. A solution to both these aspects would ut nuclear power in the category of sustainable energy. The article provides details on current nuclear plans in the wold, the impact of the Fukushima accident on different countries nuclear plans and the European initiatives for sustainable nuclear energy development. (Author)

A Boom in Boomerangs

Science.gov (United States)

1992-01-01

Ted Bailey, a highly-ranked international boomerang designer and thrower, used information from a variety of NASA technical reports on aerodynamics and low-speed airfoils to design more competitive boomerangs. Because the boomerang is essentially an airfoil like an airplane wing, the technology transferred effectively and even contributed to the 1981 American victory over Australian throwers. In 1985, using four NASA reports, Bailey designed a new MTA (maximum time aloft) boomerang that broke the one-minute barrier, enabled throwers to throw and catch in less than three minutes and allowed competitors to complete the difficult "Super Catch" - five throw/catch sequences after launching the original boom while it is still aloft. Bailey is now considering other boomerang applications.

On the thermal behaviour of Boom clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delage, P.; Cui Yu Jun; Sultan, N.

2004-01-01

When temperature is increased, the various phenomena that occur in a saturated natural potential host clay for nuclear waste disposal (Boom clay from SCK-CEN in Mol, Belgium) were experimentally investigated in a temperature controlled high stress triaxial cell. Firstly, the pore pressure build-up due to the difference in thermal dilation of both water and minerals was investigated through thermal consolidation tests. Interesting information was obtained about the dissipation of thermally induced pore pressure in Boom clay, based on the standard Terzaghi consolidation theory. Secondly, the volume change behaviour in drained conditions (i.e. under a very slow temperature increase) confirmed that the clay overconsolidation ratio (OCR) controlled the nature of the volume changes. Whereas overconsolidated soils use to dilate as any material when temperature is elevated, normally consolidated soils present a decrease in volume, which is less common. The principles of a coupled thermo-elasto-plastic model that was specifically developed to model this particular behaviour are finally presented. Obviously, it appears necessary to account in detail for these thermal phenomena in order to properly understand the response of the geological barrier in the near field once nuclear waste has been stored. (orig.)

Analysis of Offshore Knuckle Boom Crane - Part Two: Motion Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morten K. Bak

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper design of electro-hydraulic motion control systems for offshore knuckle boom cranes is discussed. The influence of the control valve bandwidth along with the ramp time for the control signal are investigated both analytically with simplified system models and numerically with an experimentally verified crane model. The results of both types of investigations are related to general design rules for selection of control valves and ramp times and the relevance of these design rules is discussed. Generally, they are useful but may be too conservative for offshore knuckle boom cranes. However, as demonstrated in the paper, the only proper way to determine this is to evaluate the motion control system design by means of simulation.

Pilot Test of a Novel Method for Assessing Community Response to Low-Amplitude Sonic Booms

Science.gov (United States)

Fidell, Sanford; Horonjeff, Richard D.; Harris, Michael

2012-01-01

A pilot test of a novel method for assessing residents annoyance to sonic booms was performed. During a two-week period, residents of the base housing area at Edwards Air Force Base provided data on their reactions to sonic booms using Smartphone-based interviews. Noise measurements were conducted at the same time. The report presents information about data collection methods and about test participants reactions to low-amplitude sonic booms. The latter information should not be viewed as definitive for several reasons. It may not be reliably generalized to the wider U.S. residential population (because it was not derived from a representative random sample) and the sample itself was not large.

Simplified High-Performance Roll Out Composite Magnetometer Boom, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In response to NASA's need for compact, low-cost deployable magnetometer booms for CubeSats, Roccor proposes to develop a Simple High-performance Roll-Out Composite...

The boom of clean energies in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seaman, J.

2009-01-01

The author outlines the strong current development of wind and solar energy in China, with an increasing and already rather high wind energy production, and a solar panel production which is, until now, mostly exported. He observes that the development of these industries is based on economic, political and security issues: China is now strongly dependent on energy imports (even coal imports), looks to reduce the social cost of pollution and environment degradation, and wants to be a major actor of the renewable energy sector. The development of this sector is mainly financed by public investments, but the clean sector is weakened by the slow development of distribution networks, and by a too fragmented production market. The author discusses the new approach adopted by the Chinese government to overcome these drawbacks, and the consequences of this approach for the international context

A study of sonic boom overpressure trends with respect to weight, altitude, Mach number, and vehicle shaping

Science.gov (United States)

Needleman, Kathy E.; Mack, Robert J.

1990-01-01

This paper presents and discusses trends in nose shock overpressure generated by two conceptual Mach 2.0 configurations. One configuration was designed for high aerodynamic efficiency, while the other was designed to produce a low boom, shaped-overpressure signature. Aerodynamic lift, sonic boom minimization, and Mach-sliced/area-rule codes were used to analyze and compute the sonic boom characteristics of both configurations with respect to cruise Mach number, weight, and altitude. The influence of these parameters on the overpressure and the overpressure trends are discussed and conclusions are given.

Economic Impacts of Increased U.S. Exports of Natural Gas: An Energy System Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kemal Sarıca

2016-05-01

Full Text Available With the recent shale gas boom, the U.S. is expected to have very large natural gas resources. In this respect, the key question is would it be better to rely completely on free market resource allocations which would lead to large exports of natural gas or to limit natural gas exports so that more could be used in the U.S.. After accounting for the cost of liquefying the natural gas and shipping it to foreign markets, the current price difference leaves room for considerable profit to producers from exports. In addition, there is a large domestic demand for natural gas from various sectors such as electricity generation, industrial applications, and the transportation sector etc. A hybrid modeling approach has been carried out using our version of the well-known MARket ALlocation (MARKAL-Macro model to keep bottom-up model richness with macro effects to incorporate price and gross domestic product (GDP feedbacks. One of the conclusion of this study is that permitting higher natural gas export levels leads to a small reduction in GDP (0.04%–0.17%. Higher exports also increases U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG emissions and electricity prices (1.1%–7.2%. We also evaluate the impacts of natural gas exports in the presence of a Clean Energy Standard (CES for electricity. In this case, the GDP impacts are similar, but the electricity and transport sector impacts are different.

The Control of Welding Deformation of the Three-Section Arm of Placing Boom of HB48B Pump Truck

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhi-ling

2018-02-01

The concrete pump truck is the construction equipment of conveying concrete with self contained base plate and distributing boom. It integrates the pump transport mechanism of the concrete pump, and the hydraulic roll-folding type distributing boom used to distribute materials, and the supporting mechanism into the automobile chassis, and it is the concrete conveying equipment with high efficient and the functions of driving, pumping, and distributing materials. The placing boom of the concrete pump truck is the main force member in the pump parts with bearing great pressure, and its stress condition is complex. Taking the HB48B placing boom as an example, this paper analyzes and studies the deformation produced by placing boom of pump truck, and then obtains some main factors affecting the welding deformation. Through the riveter “joint” size, we controlled the process parameters, post-welding processing, and other aspects. These measures had some practical significance to prevent, control, and reduce the deformation of welding.

Radionuclide solubilities in boom clay. Final report, part 2 : a report produced for ONDRAF/NIRAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, S.; Baston, G.M.N.; Boult, K.A.

2000-01-01

The release of radionuclides from a High Level Radioactive Waste repository situated in the Boom Clay at Mol would depend, in part, on their retardation within the Boom Clay. A number of parameters are required to assess such retardation; these include the solubilities of key radionuclides and their sorption behaviour. ONDRAF/NIRAS has identified neptunium, technetium, selenium, uranium and plutonium as elements for study. AEA Technology plc was requested to undertake a joint experimental and modelling study to determine the solubilities of these five elements under conditions representative of those in the Boom Clay (the in situ chemical conditions are pH∼8, Eh ∼ -230 mV). The work programme was carried out over three years, and for completeness this final report includes all the results

Leading the next boom? competitive Eastern limb platinum supply

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

McGill, JE

2010-07-01

Full Text Available in USD/troy oz (Data source: Johnson Matthey) Figure 4. Variation in nominal PGEs spot price from July 1992 till July 2010 in USD/troy oz (Data source: Johnson Matthey) PLATINUM IN TRANSITION ?BOOM OR BUST?4 each. In 1996 and 2003 merger attempts...

Drilling Down: An Examination of the Boom-Crime Relationship in Resource Based Boom Counties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rick Ruddell

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Objective to examine the boomcrime relationship in resourcebased boom counties and to propose socioeconomic and legal measures to reduce the boomtown effect. Methods dialectical approach to cognition of social phenomena allowing to analyze them in historical development and functioning in the context of the totality of objective and subjective factors that determined the choice of the following research methods formallogical comparativelegal survey interview focus groups generalized least squares method. Results The expansion in natural resource development in rural communities has led to a number of social problems in these places. The media community stakeholders as well as law enforcement and human service personnel have reported that the rapid growth in these communities leads to increased crime and other social ills. In order to better understand the boomcrime relationship index crimes in oil and natural gas producing counties in Montana and North Dakota were examined. Comparison of 2012 crime rates in a matched sample of counties revealed that crime rates were higher in oilimpacted counties. A prepost analysis found that violent crime in boom counties increased 18.5 between 2006 and 2012 while decreasing 25.6 in a matched sample of counties that had no oil or gas production. Inconsistent with the media portrayal of these communities as a new quotwild westquot we did not find a significant association between oil or natural gas production and property or violent crime in a series of OLS regression models. Scientific novelty for the first time the article uses index crimes in oil and natural gas producing counties in Montana and North Dakota to reveal the association between the rapid growth of towns and the crime rates. Practical significance the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in research and educational activity as well as for predicting the socialeconomic development of boomtowns.

The Iron Law of Financial Markets: Self-fulfilling Prophecies and Speculative Booms and Busts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ognjen Radonjić

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the factors which, in the absence of strong financial regulation, sustain the Iron Law of the Financial Markets asserting that speculative booms and busts occur more or less regularly from 17 century to the present. The first factor is that financial markets are self-fulfilling system. The second is that human nature does not change and is based on egoism, materialism, loss aversion, exaggerated hopes and fears, emulation, propensity to gamble, herd behavior and so on. Lastly, there is the extreme brevity of the financial memory. In order to enable economic authorities and/or individuals to detect timely that the unsustainable boom is under the way, we have identified the common features of historically recorded speculative episodes. Stages through which the system passes on its way from unsustainable rise to inevitable fall are: displacement, boom, overtrading, financial distress and discredit or revulsion.

The Canadian unemployment rate – with and without Alberta’s Boom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald D. Kneebone

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Over the past two decades there has occurred a shift in economic power from central Canada to other parts of the country. Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador have both claimed a noticeably larger share of Canada’s GDP since 1995 but easily the largest shift of economic output has been to Alberta. This adjustment in the Canadian economy is most easily observed in the large migration between provinces of Canadians seeking employment. Data from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that over the period 1995-2014 Alberta has maintained an average annual rate of growth in employment of 2.50 per cent. This is well above the 1.44 percentage rate of employment growth in second-place Ontario and double the average rate of growth in neighbouring British Columbia. This begs the question: What would Canada’s unemployment rate be today if Alberta’s job creation boom hadn’t happened? Since the national jobless rate is a weighted average of the provincial figures, getting an answer is straightforward. Assume Alberta’s employment growth was no higher than Ontario’s over the same period and the impact on Canada’s unemployment rate is startling. By August 2014, Canada’s unemployment would have been 9.39 per cent — 2.23 percentage points higher than the real figure of 7.16 per cent — and the Alberta economy would have created 411,000 fewer jobs; jobs which typically pay $200 to $300 per week more than jobs in Ontario and Quebec. This gloomy scenario means that Canada’s present unemployment rate would be 2.5 percentage points higher than it was in mid-2000, and 411,000 Canadians, along with their dependents, would be clearly much worse off were it not for the boom in Alberta. Obviously this simple experiment can’t capture the situation’s full economic complexity. Would some of those jobs have cropped up in other provinces? Stubbornly lacklustre growth could very well have forced governments and the Bank of Canada to adopt

Radionuclide solubilities in boom clay. Final report, part 2 : a report produced for ONDRAF/NIRAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baker, S.; Baston, G.M.N.; Boult, K.A. [and others

2000-07-01

The release of radionuclides from a High Level Radioactive Waste repository situated in the Boom Clay at Mol would depend, in part, on their retardation within the Boom Clay. A number of parameters are required to assess such retardation; these include the solubilities of key radionuclides and their sorption behaviour. ONDRAF/NIRAS has identified neptunium, technetium, selenium, uranium and plutonium as elements for study. AEA Technology plc was requested to undertake a joint experimental and modelling study to determine the solubilities of these five elements under conditions representative of those in the Boom Clay (the in situ chemical conditions are pH{approx}8, Eh {approx} -230 mV). The work programme was carried out over three years, and for completeness this final report includes all the results.

Physical model of a floating trash boom to control aquatic weeds at the TVA Widows Creek Fossil Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopping, P.N.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Widows Creek Fossil plant seasonally encounters adverse accumulations of aquatic weeds at the intakes of the condenser cooling water pumps. To reduce the accumulations, a floating trash boom has been proposed for the intakes. To evaluate the hydraulic feasibility of a boom, a physical model of the intakes has been built at the TVA Engineering Laboratory. The model was used to determine the boom alignment and depth of skimming needed to successfully deflect weeds away from the intakes and provide self-cleaning

Business cycle and economic-wide energy intensity: The implications for energy conservation policy in Algeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adom, Philip Kofi

2015-01-01

Despite the prevalence of voluntary and involuntary energy conservation policies, developing countries in Africa continue to struggle to achieve energy efficiency targets. Consequently, energy intensity levels have risen threatening the security of the energy system. This raises the important question: is there an economic state that induces agents to be energy conscious? In this study, we study the case of Algeria's energy intensity from 1971 to 2010. First, the paper argues that there is a certain economic state that economic agents find investing in energy conservation a viable option. Any state different from that would mean not investing in energy conservation. Second, the paper argues that the economy can do better even with an infinitesimal reduction in fuel subsidy, and that the gains in revenue from the policy can compensate for the negative socio-economic and equity impacts associated with such a policy. Third, the paper argues that, so long as, industrial expansion in the country move parallel with investment in technological innovation, long-term sustainable growth and energy conservation targets are jointly feasible. Fourth, the paper shows that income elasticity evolves with the business cycle, and the absorptive capability of the host country affects how FDI (foreign direct inflows) impact energy intensity. - Highlights: • Low income states inhibit fuel substitution and investment in energy conservation. • Income elasticity evolves as we pass through boom and recessionary periods. • The goals of sustainable growth and energy conservation are not mutually exclusive. • Absorptive capability affects the impact of FDI on energy intensity

Energy Education Incentives: Evaluating the Impact of Consumer Energy Kits

Science.gov (United States)

Kirby, Sarah D.; Guin, Autumn; Langham, Laura

2015-01-01

Measuring the energy and environmental impact of residential energy education efforts is difficult. The E-Conservation residential energy management program uses consumer energy kits to document the impact of energy-efficient improvements. The consumer energy kit provides an incentive for individuals attending energy education workshop, helps…

Investigating the pore-water chemistry effects on the volume change behaviour of Boom clay

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Y. F.; Cui, Y. J.; Tang, A. M.; Nguyen, X. P.; Li, X. L.; Van Geet, M.

The Essen site has been chosen as an alternative site for nuclear waste disposal in Belgium. The soil formation involved at this site is the same as at Mol site: Boom clay. However, owing to its geographical situation closer to the sea, Boom clay at Essen presents a pore water salinity 4-5 times higher than Boom clay at Mol. This study aims at studying the effects of pore water salinity on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of Boom clay. Specific oedometer cells were used allowing “flushing” the pore water in soil specimen by synthetic pore water or distilled water. The synthetic pore water used was prepared with the chemistry as that for the site water: 5.037 g/L for core Ess83 and 5.578 g/L for core Ess96. Mechanical loading was then carried out on the soil specimen after flushing. The results show that water salinity effect on the liquid limit is negligible. The saturation or pore water replacement under the in situ effective stress of 2.4 MPa does not induce significant volume change. For Ess83, hydro-mechanical behaviour was found to be slightly influenced by the water salinity; on the contrary, no obvious effect was identified on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of Ess96. This can be attributed to the higher smectite content in Ess83 than in Ess96.

Seagrass Control Project: Containment Boom Evaluation. A Method to Protect Seawater Intakes from Seagrass Accumulation.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-10-01

containment booms at other mooring sites with significantly different physical and environ- mental conditions is recommended before full-scale application...deployment pattern for the different ship types. Modified procedures may also be needed to deploy the boom under a different set of physical and environmental... STPM Press Publ. New York, 353pp. 1980. Pulich, W., S. Barnes and P. Parker. Trace metal cycles in seagrass communities. pp 493-506 in M. Wiley, ed

Modeling and simulation of the agricultural sprayer boom leveling system

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jian; Miao, Yubin

2011-01-01

According to the agricultural precision requirements, the distance from sprayer nozzles to the corps should be kept between 50 cm to 70 cm. The sprayer boom also needs to be kept parallel to the field during the application process. Thus we can

Experimental Investigation of a Large-Scale Low-Boom Inlet Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Hirt, Stefanie M.; Chima, Rodrick V.; Vyas, Manan A.; Wayman, Thomas R.; Conners, Timothy R.; Reger, Robert W.

2011-01-01

A large-scale low-boom inlet concept was tested in the NASA Glenn Research Center 8- x 6- foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The purpose of this test was to assess inlet performance, stability and operability at various Mach numbers and angles of attack. During this effort, two models were tested: a dual stream inlet designed to mimic potential aircraft flight hardware integrating a high-flow bypass stream; and a single stream inlet designed to study a configuration with a zero-degree external cowl angle and to permit surface visualization of the vortex generator flow on the internal centerbody surface. During the course of the test, the low-boom inlet concept was demonstrated to have high recovery, excellent buzz margin, and high operability. This paper will provide an overview of the setup, show a brief comparison of the dual stream and single stream inlet results, and examine the dual stream inlet characteristics.

Thermomechanical behaviour of boom clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sultan, N.; Delage, P.; Cui, Y.J.

2000-01-01

Special attention has been recently paid on temperature effects on the behaviour of deep saturated clays, in relation with nuclear deep waste storage. However, few experimental data are presently available, and existing constitutive models need to be completed. This note is aimed at completing, both experimentally and theoretically, the understanding of the effects of the over-consolidation ration on the thermal volume changes of Boom clay (Belgium). The experimental data obtained here are in a good agreement with existing data. As a complement to existing data, they are used to develop a new elastoplastic model. The adoption of a second coupled plastic mechanism provides good simulations on a complex thermo-mechanical path. (authors)

Financing the UK's renewable energy boom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindley, D.

1996-01-01

The opportunity to invest in and operate renewable energy power projects in the United Kingdom is the result of the financial measures established by the Electricity Act 1989, which created the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation. In the three different orders specified so far, approximately 1400 MW (declared net capacity) of contracts have been awarded to schemes generating electricity from wind, hydro, landfill gas, sewage gas, waste combustion and other combustion (using forestry wastes and biomass) schemes. The majority of projects that have become operational so far have been financed either on 'balance sheet' or by a combination of non-recourse or limited recourse project loans and investor equity. In order to fulfil the government's goal to have 1500 MW (declared net capacity) of electricity from renewables by 2000 and a total investment of in excess of 1.5 billion pounds will be required. This paper reviews the terms of the Non Fossil Fuel Obligation, gives details of contracts awarded so far, reviews the financing methods used, summarises the project risk and the means of mitigation and provides case histories of several different renewable energy projects financed in the UK. (author) 11 tabs., 10 refs

Credit Booms and Busts in Emerging Markets: The Role of Bank Governance and Risk Management

OpenAIRE

Brown, Martin; Andries, Alin Marius

2014-01-01

This paper investigates to what extent risk management and corporate governance mitigate the involvement of banks in credit boom and bust cycles. Using a unique, hand-collected dataset on 156 banks from Central and Eastern Europe during 2005-2012, we assess whether banks with stronger risk management and corporate governance display more moderate credit growth in the pre-crisis credit boom as well as a smaller credit contraction and fewer credit losses in the crisis period. With respect to ba...

Low-Boom and Low-Drag Optimization of the Twin Engine Version of Silent Supersonic Business Jet

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Koma; Kumano, Takayasu; Yonezawa, Masahito; Yamashita, Hiroshi; Jeong, Shinkyu; Obayashi, Shigeru

Multi-Objective Optimization has been applied to a design problem of the twin engine concept for Silent Supersonic Business Jet (SSBJ). This problem aims to find main wing, body, tail wing and engine nacelle configurations, which can minimize both sonic boom and drag in a supersonic cruising flight. The multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) coupled with the Kriging model has been used to globally and effectively search for optimal design candidates in the multi-objective problem. The drag and the sonic boom have been evaluated by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation and the waveform parameter method. As a result, the present optimization has successfully obtained low-boom and low-drag design candidates, which are better than the baseline design by more than 40% regarding each performance. Moreover, the structure of design space has been visualized by the self-organizing map (SOM).

Pembuatan Alur Pelayaran dalam Rencana Pelabuhan Marina Pantai Boom, Banyuwangi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Didi Darmawan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Pantai Boom merupakan pantai yang ada di Kabupaten Banyuwangi. Pantai ini terletak di Kelurahan Kampung Mandar, Kecamatan Banyuwangi, Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur. Pantai tersebut rencananya akan dibangun pelabuhan marina. Pelabuhan harus dilengkapi dengan beberapa fasilitas untuk mendukung rencana tersebut seperti salah satunya adalah alur pelayaran. Untuk membuat alur pelayaran diperlukan penelitian mengenai pasang surut, topografi dasar laut, serta jenis kapal yang melintas untuk memastikan kapal yang berlayar aman dari kemungkinan kecelakaan. Penelitian ini menggunakan data hasil pemeruman, data pasang surut yang diperoleh dari pengamatan langsung, serta berbagai jenis kapal yacht. Hasil dari penelitian ini didapatkan bahwa rencana dermaga sebaiknya dibangun 60 meter menjorok ke arah laut dengan panjang dermaga 25 meter. Dalam keadaan air rendah terendah (LLWL, ketiga jenis kapal yang ditentukan dapat merapat ke rencana Dermaga Pelabuhan Marina Pantai Boom, Banyuwangi. Daerah yang tidak bisa dilewati pada saat LLWL, pada saat MSL daerah tersebut sudah dapat dilewati oleh ketiga jenis kapal tersebut. Pada keadaan muka air tinggi tertinggi (HHWL, Kapal Yacht Class 8 dan 6 dapat melewati sebagian perairan sungai Pantai Boom.         Waktu yang tidak tepat untuk melakukan pelayaran pada saat LLWL dari alur pelayaran yang telah dibuat yaitu antara pukul 04:00 – 06:00 WIB pada saat bulan November 2015-Februari 2016 dan pukul 16:00-18:00 pada saat bulan Juni-Agustus 2016. Sedangkan Waktu yang tepat untuk melakukan pelayaran pada saat HHWL yaitu antara pukul 20:00–23:00 WIB pada saat bulan Desember 2015- Maret 2016 dan pukul 8:00-11:00 pada saat bulan Juni-September 2016.

Environmental impacts of renewable energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbasi, S.A.; Abbasi, N.

1997-01-01

The global attention has always been focused on the adverse environmental impacts of conventional energy sources. In contrast nonconventional energy sources, particularly the renewable ones, have enjoyed a clean image vis a vis environmental impacts. The only major exception to this general trend has been large hydropower projects; experience has taught that they can be disastrous for the environment. The belief now is that mini hydro and microhydro projects are harmless alternatives. But are renewable energy sources really as benign as is widely believed? The present essay addresses this question in the background of Lovin's classical paradigm which had postulated the hard (malignant) and soft (benign) energy concepts in the first place. It then critically evaluates the environmental impacts of major renewable energy sources. It then comes up with the broad conclusion that renewable energy sources are not the panacea they are popularly perceived to be; indeed in some cases their adverse environmental impacts can be as strongly negative as the impacts of conventional energy sources. The paper also dwells on the steps needed to utilize renewable energy sources without facing environmental backlashes of the type experienced from hydropower projects

Regional profile, energy-impacted communities: Region VIII

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1979-03-01

This report has data on population, administration, finance, housing, health and safety, human services, education, and water and sewage for 325 energy-impacted communities. A review of current and potential energy developments in the region shows over 900 energy resource impacts listed for the 325 impacted communities. Coal development represents over one-third of the developments listed. Communities reporting coal development are distributed as follows: Colorado (36), Montana (42), North Dakota (61), South Dakota (13), Utah (73), and Wyoming (35). Energy-conversion initiatives represent another high incidence of energy-resource impact, with uranium development following closely with 83 communities reporting uranium development impact in the region. These projections indicate continued development of regional energy resources to serve national energy requirements. The 325 impacted communities as reported: Colorado (46), Montana (73), North Dakota (62), South Dakota (21), Utah (80), and Wyoming (43) follow a distribution pattern similar to that of future projects which illustrates that no area of the region will escape the impacts of energy development. (ERA citation 04:041706)

Current-driven plasmonic boom instability in three-dimensional gated periodic ballistic nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Aizin, G. R.; Mikalopas, J.; Shur, M.

2016-05-01

An alternative approach of using a distributed transmission line analogy for solving transport equations for ballistic nanostructures is applied for solving the three-dimensional problem of electron transport in gated ballistic nanostructures with periodically changing width. The structures with varying width allow for modulation of the electron drift velocity while keeping the plasma velocity constant. We predict that in such structures biased by a constant current, a periodic modulation of the electron drift velocity due to the varying width results in the instability of the plasma waves if the electron drift velocity to plasma wave velocity ratio changes from below to above unity. The physics of such instability is similar to that of the sonic boom, but, in the periodically modulated structures, this analog of the sonic boom is repeated many times leading to a larger increment of the instability. The constant plasma velocity in the sections of different width leads to resonant excitation of the unstable plasma modes with varying bias current. This effect (that we refer to as the superplasmonic boom condition) results in a strong enhancement of the instability. The predicted instability involves the oscillating dipole charge carried by the plasma waves. The plasmons can be efficiently coupled to the terahertz electromagnetic radiation due to the periodic geometry of the gated structure. Our estimates show that the analyzed instability should enable powerful tunable terahertz electronic sources.

Boom clay pore water, home of a diverse microbial community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wouters, Katinka; Moors, Hugo; Leys, Natalie

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Boom Clay pore water (BCPW) has been studied in the framework of geological disposal of nuclear waste for over two decades, thereby mainly addressing its geochemical properties. A reference composition for synthetic clay water has been derived earlier by modelling and spatial calibration efforts, mainly based on interstitial water sampled from different layers within the Boom clay. However, since microbial activity is found in a range of extreme circumstances, the possibility of microbes interacting with future radioactive waste in a host formation like Boom Clay, cannot be ignored. In this respect, BCPW was sampled from different Boom Clay layers using the Morpheus piezometer and subsequently analysed by a complementary set of microbiological and molecular techniques, in search for overall shared and abundant microorganisms. Similar to the previous characterization of the 'average' BCPW chemical composition, the primary aim of this microbiological study is to determine a representative BCPW microbial community which can be used in laboratory studies. Secondly, the in situ activity and the metabolic properties of members of this community were addressed, aiming to assess their survival and proliferation chances in repository conditions. In a first approach, total microbial DNA of the community was extracted from the BCPW samples. This molecular approach allows a broad insight in the total microbial ecology of the BCPW samples. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the highly conserved 16S rRNA genes in this DNA pool and subsequent sequencing and bio-informatics analysis, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) could be assigned to the microbial community. The bacterial community was found to be quite diverse, with OTUs belonging to 8 different phyla (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, Spirochetes, Chloroflexi and Deinococcus-Thermus). These results provide an overall view of the

Boom clay pore water, home of a diverse microbial community

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wouters, Katinka; Moors, Hugo; Leys, Natalie [SCK.CEN, Environment, Health and Safety Institute, B-2400 Mol (Belgium)

2012-10-15

Document available in extended abstract form only. Boom Clay pore water (BCPW) has been studied in the framework of geological disposal of nuclear waste for over two decades, thereby mainly addressing its geochemical properties. A reference composition for synthetic clay water has been derived earlier by modelling and spatial calibration efforts, mainly based on interstitial water sampled from different layers within the Boom clay. However, since microbial activity is found in a range of extreme circumstances, the possibility of microbes interacting with future radioactive waste in a host formation like Boom Clay, cannot be ignored. In this respect, BCPW was sampled from different Boom Clay layers using the Morpheus piezometer and subsequently analysed by a complementary set of microbiological and molecular techniques, in search for overall shared and abundant microorganisms. Similar to the previous characterization of the 'average' BCPW chemical composition, the primary aim of this microbiological study is to determine a representative BCPW microbial community which can be used in laboratory studies. Secondly, the in situ activity and the metabolic properties of members of this community were addressed, aiming to assess their survival and proliferation chances in repository conditions. In a first approach, total microbial DNA of the community was extracted from the BCPW samples. This molecular approach allows a broad insight in the total microbial ecology of the BCPW samples. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the highly conserved 16S rRNA genes in this DNA pool and subsequent sequencing and bio-informatics analysis, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) could be assigned to the microbial community. The bacterial community was found to be quite diverse, with OTUs belonging to 8 different phyla (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, Spirochetes, Chloroflexi and Deinococcus-Thermus). These results provide an overall view of the

Energy researchers - 1. Energy efficiency: Energy efficiency is driving innovation; No economic crisis for energy efficiency; How can we change our energy habits?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minster, Jean-Francois; Appert, Olivier; Moisan, Francois; Salha, Bernard; Tardieu, Bernard; Ghidaglia, Jean-Michel; Viterbo, Jerome

2011-01-01

A first article comments how the race to achieve energy efficiency is driving the emergence of new technologies in transportation and construction (hybrid cars, phase change material, digital mock-ups, and so on). The example of the AGV is evoked, a new version of the TGV developed by Alstom which will run faster and consume less energy. A second article outlines that, due to the support from public authorities and to an increased awareness of energy costs and environmental challenges, the energy savings market is booming. Then, in an interview, a sociologist of the ADEME comments the difficulty of changing habits in terms of energy savings

Simulation and controller design for an agricultural sprayer boom leveling system

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jian; Miao, Yubin

2011-01-01

According to the agricultural precision requirements, the distance from sprayer nozzles to the corps should be kept between 50 cm to 70 cm. The sprayer boom also needs to be kept parallel to the field during the operation process. Thus we can

Mobility of the dissolved organic matter through intact boom clay cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Put, M.J.; Dierckx, A.; Aertsens, M.; Canniere, P. de

1998-01-01

Performance assessment studies are expected to predict the enhancement of the migration of trivalent lanthanides and actinides due to their complexation with organic matter, which play a role as a transport agent [1]. Therefore, the mobility of the dissolved organic matter in the interstitial boom clay water is studied. For the first time, the mobile fraction present in the clay water is concentrated and labelled with a radioisotope to study the mobility of the organic matter in clay and the interaction of the mobile with the non-mobile. The isotopes tested as label are 125 I and 14 C. The 125 I label proved to be unstable and hence discarded. The labelled organic matter is then diluted for migration experiments on boom clay cores under anaerobic conditions. The influence of the molecular size on its mobility is studied by the separation of the labelled organic matter in different size fractions. (orig.)

Changing Fortunes: How China’s Boom Caused the Financial Crisis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H. Mees (Heleen)

2012-01-01

textabstractThis dissertation includes five academic papers that – one way or the other – all relate to China. The first paper delivers proof for the central thesis of this thesis, which is that China’s boom caused the 2008 financial crisis and ensuing recession. As much as I hoped from the outset

Impacts of Model Building Energy Codes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Athalye, Rahul A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sivaraman, Deepak [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Elliott, Douglas B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Liu, Bing [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Bartlett, Rosemarie [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-10-31

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program (BECP) periodically evaluates national and state-level impacts associated with energy codes in residential and commercial buildings. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), funded by DOE, conducted an assessment of the prospective impacts of national model building energy codes from 2010 through 2040. A previous PNNL study evaluated the impact of the Building Energy Codes Program; this study looked more broadly at overall code impacts. This report describes the methodology used for the assessment and presents the impacts in terms of energy savings, consumer cost savings, and reduced CO₂ emissions at the state level and at aggregated levels. This analysis does not represent all potential savings from energy codes in the U.S. because it excludes several states which have codes which are fundamentally different from the national model energy codes or which do not have state-wide codes. Energy codes follow a three-phase cycle that starts with the development of a new model code, proceeds with the adoption of the new code by states and local jurisdictions, and finishes when buildings comply with the code. The development of new model code editions creates the potential for increased energy savings. After a new model code is adopted, potential savings are realized in the field when new buildings (or additions and alterations) are constructed to comply with the new code. Delayed adoption of a model code and incomplete compliance with the code’s requirements erode potential savings. The contributions of all three phases are crucial to the overall impact of codes, and are considered in this assessment.

Financial services in England in the late XVII century and first equity market boom (1691–1693

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.Z. Moshenskyi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article shows the formation of the British financial services industry in the 1690's and the reasons of the first joint-stock companies’ boom of 1691–1693's. The author describes the course of events of this boom, and data on the volume of transactions in shares. The reasons of the joint-stock boom end are associated with very low capitalization of most of the new companies. The consequence of rapid economic growth in England in the late XVII century was the appearance and rapid development of financial services. Financial intermediaries appeared first and their services, in particular the services of insurance companies, were in demand. The rapid increase in the number of insurance companies has become prerequisite for becoming financial capitalism that led to the emergence of other intermediaries which provided financial services. Among them there were the so-called "notaries" that offered a full range of services related to land transactions and "bankers, jewelers," that woke the first private bankers. Thus, in the early 1690's London had a favorable environment for the rapid growth of the financial market, which was the main precondition for expanding market shares and led to the joint-stock boom.

Developments in modelling of thermohydro-geomechanical behaviour of Boom clay and clay-based buffer materials (volume 2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldi, G.; Hueckel, T.; Peano, A.; Pellegrini, R.

1991-01-01

This study is composed of two parts: The first part (Volume 1) lays the foundations of a comprehensive theoretical treatment of the interaction between water and soil skeleton during thermal dilatation. The second part (volume 2) is devoted to the development and the application of advance constitutive modelling of mechanical behaviour of clays taking into account the extensive tests of Boom clay reported in the first volume. The development concentrated on the improvement of prediction of the volumetric response of clay skeleton: (a) improving the dilatancy prediction at low to high overconsolidation ratios (Section 2). An elasto-plastic constitutive model has been developed to account for this effect (Section 3.2.); (b) modelling of swelling effects (Section 2.5). A preliminary interpretative model for swelling prediction has been developed (Section 2.5). The application part consisted in interpreting the experimental results obtained for Boom clay to calibrate a set of constants (Section 3) for performing numerical analyses (Section 4) for the thermomechanical model already calibrated for Boom clay (Appendix). Interpretation of the tests required an assessment of influence of the strong anisotropy effects revealed by Boom clay on the basis of an interpretative model characterized by a kinematic hardening plasticity and coupled elasticity (section 3)

Being young in a boom town

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Connor, Christopher

2011-08-15

Fort McMurray is a booming town, having grown from small town to big city in a short time. A study was conducted to determine how this change affected young people. Results show they felt the changing environment required them to adapt all the time, which was a challenge but also a source of opportunities. Fort McMurray, with a labour shortage, afforded young people a lot of well-paid, flexible part time jobs during high school. These jobs were important to fund their post-secondary education. Although most of the young people saw themselves living elsewhere in 10 years, they could possibly stay if local challenges in the city were addressed.

The Speed of Light and the Hubble parameter: The Mass-Boom Effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfonso-Faus, Antonio

2008-01-01

We prove here that Newton's universal gravitation and momentum conservation laws together reproduce Weinberg's relation. It is shown that the Hubble parameter H must be built in this relation, or equivalently the age of the Universe t. Using a wave-to-particle interaction technique we then prove that the speed of light c decreases with cosmological time, and that c is proportional to the Hubble parameter H. We see the expansion of the Universe as a local effect due to the LAB value of the speed of light co taken as constant. We present a generalized red shift law and find a predicted acceleration for photons that agrees well with the result from Pioneer 10/11 anomalous acceleration. We finally present a cosmological model coherent with the above results that we call the Mass-Boom. It has a linear increase of mass m with time as a result of the speed of light c linear decrease with time, and the conservation of momentum mc. We obtain the baryonic mass parameter equal to the curvature parameter, Ω m Ω k , so that the model is of the type of the Einstein static, closed, finite, spherical, unlimited, with zero cosmological constant. This model is the cosmological view as seen by photons, neutrinos, tachyons etc. in contrast with the local view, the LAB reference. Neither dark matter nor dark energy is required by this model. With an initial constant speed of light during a short time we get inflation (an exponential expansion). This converts, during the inflation time, the Planck's fluctuation length of 10 -33 cm to the present size of the Universe (about 10 28 cm, constant from then on). Thereafter the Mass-Boom takes care to bring the initial values of the Universe (about 10 15 gr) to the value at the present time of about 10 55 gr

In situ and laboratory migration experiments through boom clay at Mol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preter, P. de; Put, M.; Canniere, P. de

1993-01-01

Physico-chemical characterization and migration studies in the Boom clay, envisaged as a potential host sediment for high level waste disposal in Belgium, were started some 15 years ago. A synthesis study of this experimental work has recently been conducted to compile all available data. From a comparison of the available migration data and the data requirements as derived from the performance assessment studies PAGIS (1988) and PACOMA (1991) the new migration programme (1991-1995) was defined. The critical radionuclides, both with relation to dose rates to man and to missing or unreliable migration data, turned out to be 14 C, 99 Tc. 135 Cs and 237 Np. A second group of radionuclides was found to be possibly critical: 79 Se, 93 Zr, 107 Pd, U - , Am - , Cm - , and Pu-isotopes. This report concentrates on the experimental results as obtained from the migration experiments started in the previous migration programme. Some of the reported radionuclides e.g. 90 Sr) have lost their critical character and will not be further studied within the new programme. New experimental data from laboratory tests have become available for Np, Cs, Sr and C (as HC0 3 - ) and the first results on the migration of organic molecules dissolved in the interstitial Boom clay water are reported. The hydraulic parameters (the hydraulic conductivity K and the storage coefficient S o ) were calculated from both laboratory percolation experiments and in situ piezometric measurements. Conclusions concerning Boom clay anisotropy are drawn. Finally, a short description of the ongoing in situ HTO injection experiment is given and the experimental data are analyzed and discussed. 10 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Innovative thermal energy harvesting for future autonomous applications

Science.gov (United States)

Monfray, Stephane

2013-12-01

As communicating autonomous systems market is booming, the role of energy harvesting will be a key enabler. As example, heat is one of the most abundant energy sources that can be converted into electricity in order to power circuits. Harvesting systems that use wasted heat open new ways to power autonomous sensors when the energy consumption is low, or to create systems of power generators when the conversion efficiency is high. The combination of different technologies (low power μ-processors, μ-batteries, radio, sensors...) with new energy harvesters compatible with large varieties of use-cases with allow to address this booming market. Thanks to the conjunction of ultra-low power electronic development, 3D technologies & Systems in Package approaches, the integration of autonomous sensors and electronics with ambient energy harvesting will be achievable. The applications are very wide, from environment and industrial sensors to medical portable applications, and the Internet of things may also represent in the future a several billions units market.

Innovative thermal energy harvesting for future autonomous applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monfray, Stephane

2013-01-01

As communicating autonomous systems market is booming, the role of energy harvesting will be a key enabler. As example, heat is one of the most abundant energy sources that can be converted into electricity in order to power circuits. Harvesting systems that use wasted heat open new ways to power autonomous sensors when the energy consumption is low, or to create systems of power generators when the conversion efficiency is high. The combination of different technologies (low power μ-processors, μ-batteries, radio, sensors...) with new energy harvesters compatible with large varieties of use-cases with allow to address this booming market. Thanks to the conjunction of ultra-low power electronic development, 3D technologies and Systems in Package approaches, the integration of autonomous sensors and electronics with ambient energy harvesting will be achievable. The applications are very wide, from environment and industrial sensors to medical portable applications, and the Internet of things may also represent in the future a several billions units market

New nuclear projects in the world. Sustainable Nuclear Energy; Nuevos proyectos nucleares en el mundo. energia nuclear sostenible

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leon, P. T.

2011-07-01

Nuclear power has experienced a major boom in the last few years, primarily because it is a non-CO{sub 2} emitting energy source, it can be produced at competitive costs and it can boost a country's security of supply. there are still two issues to be addressed in relation to the currently used technologies: the degree to which the energy content of nuclear fuel is used, and wastes. A solution to both these aspects would ut nuclear power in the category of sustainable energy. The article provides details on current nuclear plans in the wold, the impact of the Fukushima accident on different countries nuclear plans and the European initiatives for sustainable nuclear energy development. (Author)

Did the Aid Boom Pacify Sub-Saharan Africa?

OpenAIRE

Azam, Jean-Paul; Thelen, Véronique

2017-01-01

The incidence of civil war in Sub-Saharan Africa since the turn of the century is less than half of what it was on average in the last quarter of the 20th century. This paper shows that the aid boom triggered by 9/11 played a key role in achieving purposefully this result using panel data for 46 African countries over four decades. It applies a nearidentification approach to test the aid-conflict tradeoff, taking due account of asymmetric information between the donors and the econometrician....

NASA's Advanced Solar Sail Propulsion System for Low-Cost Deep Space Exploration and Science Missions that Use High Performance Rollable Composite Booms

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Juan M.; Rose, Geoffrey K.; Younger, Casey J.; Dean, Gregory D.; Warren, Jerry E.; Stohlman, Olive R.; Wilkie, W. Keats

2017-01-01

Several low-cost solar sail technology demonstrator missions are under development in the United States. However, the mass saving derived benefits that composites can offer to such a mass critical spacecraft architecture have not been realized yet. This is due to the lack of suitable composite booms that can fit inside CubeSat platforms and ultimately be readily scalable to much larger sizes, where they can fully optimize their use. With this aim, a new effort focused at developing scalable rollable composite booms for solar sails and other deployable structures has begun. Seven meter booms used to deploy a 90 m2 class solar sail that can fit inside a 6U CubeSat have already been developed. The NASA road map to low-cost solar sail capability demonstration envisioned, consists of increasing the size of these composite booms to enable sailcrafts with a reflective area of up to 2000 m2 housed aboard small satellite platforms. This paper presents a solar sail system initially conceived to serve as a risk reduction alternative to Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout's baseline design but that has recently been slightly redesigned and proposed for follow-on missions. The features of the booms and various deployment mechanisms for the booms and sail, as well as ground support equipment used during testing, are introduced. The results of structural analyses predict the performance of the system under microgravity conditions. Finally, the results of the functional and environmental testing campaign carried out are shown.

Background Pressure Profiles for Sonic Boom Vehicle Testing in the NASA Glenn 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

Science.gov (United States)

Castner, Raymond; Shaw, Stephen; Adamson, Eric; Simerly, Stephanie

2013-01-01

In an effort to identify test facilities that offer sonic boom measurement capabilities, an exploratory test program was initiated using wind tunnels at NASA research centers. The subject of this report is the sonic boom pressure rail data collected in the Glenn Research Center 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The purpose is to summarize the lessons learned based on the test activity, specifically relating to collecting sonic boom data which has a large amount of spatial pressure variation. The wind tunnel background pressure profiles are presented as well as data which demonstrated how both wind tunnel Mach number and model support-strut position affected the wind tunnel background pressure profile. Techniques were developed to mitigate these effects and are presented.

Analysis of material and energy consumption of mobile phones in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Jinglei; Williams, Eric; Ju Meiting

2010-01-01

Owing to booming mobile phone ownership and a short product innovation cycle, waste mobile phones are flooding China. In 2008, about 560 million mobile phones were produced and 634 million users subscribed to a mobile phone plan in China. These large numbers mean that the charging and disposal of mobile phones has the potential to have significant impacts on the environment. Thus the evaluation of material and energy consumption of mobile phones is an important task in the end-of-life management of electronic products. This paper uses material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) methods to estimate the life cycle impacts of mobile phones in China from manufacturing energy, use phase and generation of waste mobile phones. Results indicate over the mobile phone life cycle, manufacturing accounts for 50% of the total energy consumption, whereas the use phase accounts for only 20%. Mobile phones and supporting infrastructures account for a rapidly increasing 0.17% of Chinese energy use. In 2008, around 77 million units of waste mobile phones were generated in China. To manage this energy use and recover valuable materials recommendations are made to increase lifespan, improve energy efficiency during use and ensure recycling.

Nondestructive Online Detection of Welding Defects in Track Crane Boom Using Acoustic Emission Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Tao

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Nondestructive detection of structural component of track crane is a difficult and costly problem. In the present study, acoustic emission (AE was used to detect two kinds of typical welding defects, that is, welding porosity and incomplete penetration, in the truck crane boom. Firstly, a subsidiary test specimen with special preset welding defect was designed and added on the boom surface with the aid of steel plates to get the synchronous deformation of the main boom. Then, the AE feature information of the welding defect could be got without influencing normal operation of equipment. As a result, the rudimentary location analysis can be attained using the linear location method and the two kinds of welding defects can be distinguished clearly using AE characteristic parameters such as amplitude and centroid frequency. Also, through the comparison of two loading processes, we concluded that the signal produced during the first loading process was mainly caused by plastic deformation damage and during the second loading process the stress release and structure friction between sections in welding area are the main acoustic emission sources. Thus, the AE is an available tool for nondestructive online detection of latent welding defects of structural component of track crane.

Effects of Sonic Booms on Marine Mammals: Problem Review and Recommended Research

Science.gov (United States)

Bowles, Ann E.

1996-01-01

By flying the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) exclusively over uninhabited areas and mo over water, human annoyance will be reduced to acceptable levels. However, this strategy will for HSCT proponents to contend with the potential effects of sonic booms on animals, particularly ma mammals. What follows is a summary of the environmental regulations that must be addressed, the scientific community's concerns about the potential effects of the HSCT, and recommendations fox research to address the most important concerns. The recommendations included herein are based both on existing scientific evidence and regulatory needs. One cannot over-emphasize the importance of obtaining the appropriate information prior to substantial public exposure. Recent controversies over other human-made acoustic sources in the ocean suggest that the HSCT will receive intense scrutiny. It seems certain that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) or its equivalent will be necessary.

Radionuclide transport in the Neogene aquifer system located in the environment of the Boom clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gedeon, M.; Marivoet, J.; Vandersteen, K.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In the framework the Belgian research program on the long term management of high-level and/or long-lived radioactive waste coordinated by ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Boom Clay is considered as a reference host rock for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in NE-Belgium (Campine area). In the frame of the performance assessments of a disposal system located in the Boom Clay Formation, the transport of radionuclides diffusing through the clay barrier into the aquifers located above is modelled. The transport model for the Neogene aquifer is based on a series of groundwater flow models simulating the aquifer systems in the surroundings of the Boom Clay. This series of groundwater models include the regional north-eastern Belgium model simulating flow both above and below the Boom Clay, the recently updated deep-aquifer pumping model, simulating transient flow in the over-exploited aquifers below the Boom Clay and finally the catchment-scale Neogene aquifer model, simulating flow in the aquifer system above the Boom Clay. The Neogene aquifer system consists of two main aquifers. The Pliocene aquifer is located at the top, separated from the underlying Miocene aquifer by the Kasterlee Clay aquitard. The Miocene aquifer consists of three hydrostratigraphic units: the Diest, Berchem and Voort Formations; with the last two having a lower hydraulic conductivity than the Diest unit. The transport model for the Neogene aquifer represents a fraction of the catchment-scale Neogene aquifer model. It stretches from the local divide between the Grote and Kleine Nete Rivers up to the Kleine Nete River, representing the main model sink. The boundary conditions and the sources/sinks in the Pliocene aquifer are defined mostly by the surface water features, such as the rivers, brooks, lakes and canals. In the partially confined Miocene aquifer, the effect of the surface water features is dampened and the heads at the model

Labor and energy impacts of energy-conservation measures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

Three papers are presented discussing the labor and energy impacts of energy-conservation measures, namely: Generation of the Industry/Occupation Wage Matrix and Related Matters, by Carole Green; Job Shifts from Energy Conservation (Salary Distribution Effects), by Robert A. Herendeen; and Energy and Labor Implication of Improving Thermal Integrity of New Houses, by John Joseph Nangle. A separate abstract was prepared for each paper.

Accelerator boom hones China's engineering expertise

Science.gov (United States)

Normile, Dennis

2018-02-01

In raising the curtain on the China Spallation Neutron Source, China has joined just four other nations in having mastered the technology of accelerating and controlling beams of protons. The $277 million facility, set to open to users this spring in Dongguan, is expected to yield big dividends in materials science, chemistry, and biology. More world class machines are on the way, as China this year starts construction on four other major accelerator facilities. The building boom is prompting a scramble to find enough engineers and technicians to finish the projects. But if they all come off as planned, the facilities would position China to tackle the next global megaproject: a giant accelerator that would pick up where Europe's Large Hadron Collider leaves off.

The secret of neuroscience boom: Are there secret human experiments in Latin América?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Salinas Flores

2016-01-01

Full Text Available About 6 years ago there sparked a phenomenon in science called the neuroscientific boom. Neurologists underpin this phenomenon to cost reduction techniques such as electroencephalograms and to improved noninvasive technology such as functional MRI. But the human brain, the most complex organ in the universe, has not yet been fully investigated with the existing noninvasive technologies. Thus, there is a suspicion that the real reason for this boom is a secret, forced, and illicit human experimentation in Latin America. Physicians should investigate, be alert, and report these potential unethical human experiments to prevent any further damage to the public health of the citizens of Latin societies.

Air oxidation and biodegradation of the organic matter from the Boom Claycomparison between artificial and natural altered series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchart, Pascale; Faure, Pierre; Michels, Raymond; Bruggeman, Christophe; De Craen, Mieke

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The Boom Clay formation (Belgium) is studied as the reference host rock for methodological studies on the geological disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste. The drilling of galleries in the Boom Clay at Mol lead to the perturbation of the initial physical and chemical conditions. Since organic matter is present in this argillaceous formation, it is important to know its response to these new conditions. The Boom Clay is of Tertiary age (Rupelian) and has a TOC content up to 5%. Its pore water (20% in mass of rock) contains significant quantities of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) with a mean concentration of 115+/-15 mg/L, determined on the basis of piezometer water as well as squeezing and leaching experiments. Yet, in piezometers, the DOC may show considerable and irregular variations through time, with values ranging between 80 and 425 mg/L. The origin and bio-physico-chemical controls of such variations are yet unknown. Perturbation of the in-situ conditions of the clay is a possible reason for such observation. More likely the introduction of air as well as micro-organisms may have an impact that needs to be estimated. Well-preserved, freshly-drilled Boom Clay samples, as well as samples of different degrees of alteration (air exposed clay from the older galleries) were collected with the aim of determining and quantifying different molecular markers representative for the alteration degree. Additionally, increasing artificial air oxidation experiments were carried out on fresh Praclay samples (sampled during the PRACLAY gallery excavation) in order to obtain an altered reference series. Moreover PRACLAY samples previously extracted with an organic solvent (dichloromethane) were also prepared in order to identify the influence of the kerogen during oxidation. In these experiments, powdered clay was heated at 80 deg. C under air flow during 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 months. Organic matter composition

Thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of Boom clay; Comportement thermo-hydro-mecanique de l'argile de Boom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le, T.T

2008-01-15

This thesis studied the thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of Boom clay, which was chosen to be the host material for the radioactive waste disposal in Mol, Belgium. Firstly, the research was concentrated on the soil water retention properties and the hydro-mechanical coupling by carrying out axial compression tests with suction monitoring. The results obtained permitted elaborating a rational experimental procedure for triaxial tests. Secondly, the systems for high pressure triaxial test at controlled temperature were developed to carry out compression, heating, and shearing tests at different temperatures. The obtained results showed clear visco-elasto-plastic behaviour of the soil. This behaviour was modelled by extending the thermo-elasto-plastic model of Cui et al. (2000) to creep effect. (author)

China’s Internet Finance Boom and Tyrannies of Inclusion

OpenAIRE

Loubere, Nicholas

2018-01-01

One of the main drivers of China’s e-commerce boom is the dramatic expansion of the country’s Internet finance industry, which has grown and diversified at a staggering rate over the past decade. The emergence of Chinese Internet finance has been discussed in largely positive terms as facilitating commercial activity. It has also been linked to the wider developmental goal of promoting financial inclusion through the provision of financial services to previously excluded populations. Emerging...

Operational comparison of two types of tractor sprayers (microner and boom-type against wheat crop weeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Hamid

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nowadays, the tractor mounted boom sprayer is used in many agricultural fields. These sprayers have many advantages compared to other sprayers, but in Iran, their field efficiency is much lower than that of the developed countries, because the tank volume and consumption of pesticides per hectare is often so highthat spraying per hectare takesa long time for handling the solutions and transporting the sprayers. Also spray droplet size is ordinarily high and its distribution is unknot uniform. So, often spraying and dropping top parts of plants on the earth is inevitable. According to studies carried out in the country during the years 2005-2008 in the agricultural research centers in several provinces such as Khuzestan, four types of sprayers including tractor mounted sprayer, atomizer, microner, and electrostatic atomizer were studied and some of the results obtained include the following. From the point of view of percentage of crash crop, tractor mounted sprayer has the highest percentage, but microner sprayer had the lowest. From the point of view of the solution of consumption amount and spraying cost per hectare, the operation of the tractor mounted sprayer and electrostatic sprayer had the highest and the lowest ranks, respectively. Atomizer sprayer had the highest effect on the percentage amount of weed control, but it requires a high amount of water consumption, high drift and low operation (Safari and Lovaimi, 2010. Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried out during 2012-2013 in the field of agricultural research located in the Mollasani city located 20 km near Ahvaz. In this study, tractor mounted spinning disk sprayer (mounted microner sprayer was evaluated in comparison with conventional boom sprayer on weeds control. The treatments included medium (3500 rpm and low (2000 rpm speed rotation disk sprayer and two types of nozzle in conventional boom sprayer. One of them was an Italian tee jet nozzle and the

Green energy in Europe: selling green energy with green certificates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouillet, L.

2002-01-01

Sales of green power products are booming in Europe: 50,000 customers in the United Kingdom, 775,000 in the Netherlands and 300,000 in Germany. Laws of physics are however formal: the way in which electricity flows within the grid does not allow suppliers to assure customers that they are directly receiving electricity produced exclusively from renewable energy sources. What are marketers selling their customers then? Laetitia Ouillet, Greenprices, takes a closer look and focuses on the potential of selling green energy in the forms of renewable energy certificates. (Author)

Transport Energy Impact Analysis; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonder, J.

2015-05-13

Presented at the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways Spring 2015 Symposium on May 13, 2015, this presentation by Jeff Gonder of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provides information about NREL's transportation energy impact analysis of connected and automated vehicles.

The economic impact of renewable energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-02-01

This report summarises the findings of a project investigating the economic impact of renewable energy. The background to the study is traced, and potential sources of public finance for renewable projects, sensitivity analysis of the employment estimates , estimates of demand met by renewable energy technologies, the expenditures involved in investment in renewable energy; and sectoral linkages are examined. Wealth creation through investment in renewable energy, and the economic and employment impacts are explored. Plant retirement and replacement analysis, and input-output models are considered in appendices

The economic impact of renewable energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-02-01

This report summarises the findings of a project investigating the economic impact of renewable energy. The background to the study is traced, and potential sources of public finance for renewable projects, sensitivity analysis of the employment estimates , estimates of demand met by renewable energy technologies, the expenditures involved in investment in renewable energy; and sectoral linkages are examined. Wealth creation through investment in renewable energy, and the economic and employment impacts are explored. Plant retirement and replacement analysis, and input-output models are considered in appendices.

Fracturing and Self-Healing in the Boom Clay: Evidences and Further Studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernier, Frederic

2001-01-01

The Boom Clay is considered as a potential host-rock for the disposal of Belgian radioactive waste. During the sinking of a new shaft to extend the underground facility HADES, an important fracturing has been evidenced around the excavation. Fracturing was already observed previously but to a lesser extent. The low support pressure imposed by the primary shaft lining, combined with the large time over which this support condition held, has favoured the decompression of the clay massif through delayed effects, and therefore the development of fracturing. In the frame of the overall performance of a radioactive waste repository, it is of prime importance to understand the fracturing process induced by excavation in Boom Clay, as well as the self-healing process. Some self-healing evidences have been observed around the HADES underground laboratory but need further investigation to be confirmed. This will be done in the SELFRAC EC project (Fractures and Self-healing within the Excavation Disturbed Zone in clays)

75 FR 49843 - Regulated Navigation Area; Boom Deployment Strategy Testing, Great Bay, NH

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-16

... will be marked with 32-inch floating balls to make the ends of each boom segment more visible to... east, a line drawn between the easternmost end of the Scammel Bridge (Route 4) in position 43[deg]07'41...

Regional modelling of the confined aquifers below the Boom clay in NE-Belgium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandersteen, K.; Gedeon, M.; Marivoet, J.; Wouters, L.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In the framework of the Belgian research program on the long term management of high-level and/or long-lived radioactive waste coordinated by ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Boom Clay is considered as a reference host rock for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in NE-Belgium (Campine area). The hydrogeological program at SCK.CEN supports the long-term performance assessments of the geological disposal of radioactive waste by performing a phenomenological research of the aquifer systems surrounding the studied disposal system. One of the important components of this programme is the regional hydrogeological modelling. The regional hydrogeology is studied using two main models - the steady state Neogene aquifer model (NAM) and the transient deep aquifer pumping model (DAP), developed to characterize and quantify the regional groundwater flow in, respectively, the aquifers lying above the Boom Clay in the Nete catchment area (NAM), and the aquifers lying below the Boom Clay in the Campine area (DAP). This paper describes the most recent update of the DAP model. The DAP model represents the confined part of the groundwater system located stratigraphically below the Boom Clay. This includes the parts of the Oligocene aquifer, the Bartoon aquitard system and the Ledo-Paniselian-Brusselian aquifer buried under the Boom Clay. Due to the considerable pumping from these aquifers in combination with a limited recharge, a gradual decrease in groundwater levels has been observed in more than 30-year piezometric records. In the DAP model, the shallow aquifer system overlying the Boom Clay is replaced by fixed head boundaries: this aquifer system is dominated by close-to-surface hydrological processes and the heads fluctuate seasonally without any apparent long-term trend. In the horizontal direction, the model extends to the south as far as the outcrops of the major aquitards: the Maldegem Formation confining the Ledo

Normalization of Impact Energy by Laminate Thickness for Compression After Impact Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Nettles, A. T.; Hromisin, S. M.

2013-01-01

The amount of impact energy used to damage a composite laminate is a critical parameter when assessing residual strength properties. The compression after impact (CAI) strength of impacted laminates is dependent upon how thick the laminate is and this has traditionally been accounted for by normalizing (dividing) the impact energy by the laminate's thickness. However, when comparing CAI strength values for a given lay-up sequence and fiber/resin system, dividing the impact energy by the specimen thickness has been noted by the author to give higher CAI strength values for thicker laminates. A study was thus undertaken to assess the comparability of CAI strength data by normalizing the impact energy by the specimen thickness raised to a power to account for the higher strength of thicker laminates. One set of data from the literature and two generated in this study were analyzed by dividing the impact energy by the specimen thickness to the 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 powers. Results show that as laminate thickness and damage severity decreased, the value which the laminate thickness needs to be raised to in order to yield more comparable CAI data increases.

In Brief: Impacts of wind energy assessed

Science.gov (United States)

Zielinski, Sarah

2007-05-01

By 2020, greater use of wind energy could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by the U.S. energy sector by about 4.5%. However, greater effort is needed to address potentially negative impacts of this growing energy source, according to a new report from a committee of the U.S. National Research Council. Potential impacts of wind energy projects include deaths of birds and bats, reduced value of property located near a turbine, and habitat loss and fragmentation. However, because these are generally local projects, there is little information available to determine the cumulative effects of wind turbines over a whole region. The report makes several recommendations on how to improve regulation at the local, state, and federal levels. The report also sets out a guide for evaluating wind-energy projects, which includes questions about potential environmental, economic, cultural, and aesthetic impacts. The report, ``Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy Projects,'' is available at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11935

Environmental impact of non-conventional energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbasi, S.A.; Abbasi, Naseema; Nipaney, P.C.; Ramasamy, E.V.

1995-01-01

Whereas the global attention has always been focused on the adverse environmental impacts of conventional energy sources, only a few studies have been conducted on the clean environment image of the non-conventional energy sources, particularly the renewable ones. The question whether the non-conventional sources are really as benign as they are made out to be is addressed in the present paper in the background of a classical paradigm developed by Lovin which had postulated the hard (malignant) and soft (benign) energy concepts in the first place. It then assesses the likely environmental impacts of several major non-conventional energy sources and comes up with the note of caution that in many cases the adverse impacts may not be insubstantial; indeed in some cases they can be as strongly negative as the impacts of the conventional energy sources. (author). 31 refs

Politics and Nigerian agriculture in the first decade of the "Oil boom ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Politics and Nigerian agriculture in the first decade of the "Oil boom", 1970-1980: a preliminary assessment. A Olorunfemi, OC Adesina. Abstract. No Abstract. The Nigerian Journal of Economic History VoL. 1, 1998: 57-69. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT.

Asia-Pacific focus of coming LNG trade boom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that the Asia-Pacific region remains the centerpiece of a booming world trade in liquefied natural gas. Biggest growth in LNG demand is expected from some of the region's strongest economies such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, Key LNG exporters such as Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia are scrambling to implement projects to meet that expected demand growth. Uncertainties cloud the outlook for Far East LNG trade, Australia, for one, is more cautious in pressing expansion of its LNG export capacity as more competing LNG expansions spring up around the world, notably in the Middle East and Africa

Chinese Energy Diplomacy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreft, Heinrich

2006-01-01

The growing appetite of the People's Republic of China for energy is the product of the country's 25-year-long economic boom (characterized by external trade expansion, rising incomes, population growth and increasing urbanization). The country possesses huge reserves of coal, oil, and gas, but is increasingly dependent on imports of energy (particularly oil). In order to secure its exclusive access to energy resources, Beijing does not shy away from conflict with neighboring countries and close cooperation with pariah States rich in resources. With this background, it is necessary to integrate China more closely into the international energy cooperation, particularly into the structures of the International Energy Agency (IEA)

Impact of public policy uncertainty on renewable energy investment: Wind power and the production tax credit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barradale, Merrill Jones

2010-01-01

It is generally understood that the pattern of repeated expiration and short-term renewal of the federal production tax credit (PTC) causes a boom-bust cycle in wind power plant investment in the US. This on-off pattern is detrimental to the wind industry, since ramp-up and ramp-down costs are high, and players are deterred from making long-term investments. It is often assumed that the severe downturn in investment during 'off' years implies that wind power is unviable without the PTC. This assumption turns out to be unsubstantiated: this paper demonstrates that it is not the absence of the PTC that causes the investment downturn during 'off' years, but rather the uncertainty over its return. Specifically, it is the dynamic of power purchase agreement (PPA) negotiations in the face of PTC renewal uncertainty that drives investment volatility. With contract negotiations prevalent in the renewable energy industry, this finding suggests that reducing uncertainty is a crucial component of effective renewable energy policy. The PTC as currently structured is not the only means, existing or potential, for encouraging wind power investment. Using data from a survey of energy professionals, various policy instruments are compared in terms of their perceived stability for supporting long-term investment. - Research highlights: →The case of wind energy investment in the face of PTC uncertainty provides an important study in how industry structure, and in particular the process of contract negotiations, can amplify the impact of public policy uncertainty on corporate investment. →The finding that contract negotiations in the face of uncertainty are sufficient in themselves to hinder investment implies that the assumption that investment downturns reflect unfavorable economics is unfounded. This assumption falsely discourages interest and investment in wind energy. →Policy stability should be added to the list of criteria explicitly considered in designing policy

The impact of predicted demand on energy production

Science.gov (United States)

El kafazi, I.; Bannari, R.; Aboutafail, My. O.

2018-05-01

Energy is crucial for human life, a secure and accessible supply of power is essential for the sustainability of societies. Economic development and demographic progression increase energy demand, prompting countries to conduct research and studies on energy demand and production. Although, increasing in energy demand in the future requires a correct determination of the amount of energy supplied. Our article studies the impact of demand on energy production to find the relationship between the two latter and managing properly the production between the different energy sources. Historical data of demand and energy production since 2000 are used. The data are processed by the regression model to study the impact of demand on production. The obtained results indicate that demand has a positive and significant impact on production (high impact). Production is also increasing but at a slower pace. In this work, Morocco is considered as a case study.

Modelling of natural organic matter-linked radionuclide transport in Boom clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Govaerts, J.; Maes, N.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In the framework of the Belgian research program on long term management of high-level and/or long-lived radioactive wastes coordinated by ONDRAF/NIRAS, Boom Clay is investigated for its potential to host a deep geological disposal repository. In order to demonstrate the suitability of the Boom Clay as a host rock, the mobility of critical radionuclides in this clay layer has been the subject of research during many years. As actinides, lanthanides and transition metals are known to form strong complexes with organic substances, the influence of the Natural Organic Matter (NOM) present in Boom Clay on the mobility of these critical radionuclides is of crucial importance. Interaction of radionuclides with OM present in Boom Clay could on the one hand retard the migration due to complexation/colloid interaction with the immobile OM, and on the other hand the mobility and solubility of the radionuclide can be enhanced by the formation of complexes/colloids with the mobile OM. The conceptual understanding (and its numerical modelling) of the kinetic stability and transport of these complexes/colloids is therefore regarded as highly important for the the long-term safety assesment of the geological disposal. This can be broken down into two subproblems: 1. Describing the transport behaviour of mobile OM in Boom Clay; 2. Describing the interaction of RN with mobile OM and the transport behaviour of the resulting complexes in Boom Clay. The first part of this paper revolves around the first subproblem, where a robust model for the description of the migration behaviour of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) is derived based on data from column migration experiments using 14 C-labelled NOM Tracer solution, obtained in the framework of the EC TRANCOM-II project. Clay plugs of different lengths and different Darcy velocities were used. Inverse modelling with the MATLAB and COMSOL numerical code was done in order to identify the

Finding the money : is China's renewable energy boom real, and if so, how will it be financed?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobelli, J.

2006-01-01

China is now seeking to increase the contribution of renewable energy sources to help satisfy its fast-growing energy demand and reduce the environmental impacts of fossil fuels. Its ambitions for increasing wind power alone are formidable: it aims to increase the present generating capacity of about 1200 MW to 30 GW by 2020, but to do so would require an investment of some US$21-28 billion. Since other energy sources will also call for massive financial investments, the question of where the investment will come from arises. In the past 18 months, China has published two 'Energy Law' documents relating to the development of renewable energy. Four key articles highlighted in the Renewable Energy Law document are (a) transparency; (b) grid connection and purchase guarantee; (c) pass through; and (d) financing. Commercial reasons for China wanting to develop renewable forms of energy are discussed. The various options for raising capital for these new developments are discussed and it is concluded that the only limits on this growth will be the political will and the technology. (author)

Impacts of FDI Renewable Energy Technology Spillover on China’s Energy Industry Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiwei Liu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Environmental friendly renewable energy plays an indispensable role in energy industry development. Foreign direct investment (FDI in advanced renewable energy technology spillover is promising to improve technological capability and promote China’s energy industry performance growth. In this paper, the impacts of FDI renewable energy technology spillover on China’s energy industry performance are analyzed based on theoretical and empirical studies. Firstly, three hypotheses are proposed to illustrate the relationships between FDI renewable energy technology spillover and three energy industry performances including economic, environmental, and innovative performances. To verify the hypotheses, techniques including factor analysis and data envelopment analysis (DEA are employed to quantify the FDI renewable energy technology spillover and the energy industry performance of China, respectively. Furthermore, a panel data regression model is proposed to measure the impacts of FDI renewable energy technology spillover on China’s energy industry performance. Finally, energy industries of 30 different provinces in China based on the yearbook data from 2005 to 2011 are comparatively analyzed for evaluating the impacts through the empirical research. The results demonstrate that FDI renewable energy technology spillover has positive impacts on China’s energy industry performance. It can also be found that the technology spillover effects are more obvious in economic and technological developed regions. Finally, four suggestions are provided to enhance energy industry performance and promote renewable energy technology spillover in China.

Sonic Boom Pressure Signature Uncertainty Calculation and Propagation to Ground Noise

Science.gov (United States)

West, Thomas K., IV; Bretl, Katherine N.; Walker, Eric L.; Pinier, Jeremy T.

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to outline an approach for the quantification of uncertainty in sonic boom measurements and to investigate the effect of various near-field uncertainty representation approaches on ground noise predictions. These approaches included a symmetric versus asymmetric uncertainty band representation and a dispersion technique based on a partial sum Fourier series that allows for the inclusion of random error sources in the uncertainty. The near-field uncertainty was propagated to the ground level, along with additional uncertainty in the propagation modeling. Estimates of perceived loudness were obtained for the various types of uncertainty representation in the near-field. Analyses were performed on three configurations of interest to the sonic boom community: the SEEB-ALR, the 69o DeltaWing, and the LM 1021-01. Results showed that representation of the near-field uncertainty plays a key role in ground noise predictions. Using a Fourier series based dispersion approach can double the amount of uncertainty in the ground noise compared to a pure bias representation. Compared to previous computational fluid dynamics results, uncertainty in ground noise predictions were greater when considering the near-field experimental uncertainty.

The effect of high pH alkaline solutions on the mineral stability of the Boom Clay - Batch experiments at 60 deg. C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honty, M.; De Craen, M.; Wang, L.; Madejova, J.; Czimerova, A.; Pentrak, M.; Stricek, I.; Van Geet, M.

2010-01-01

Boom Clay is currently viewed as a reference host formation for studies on deep geological disposal of radioactive waste in Belgium. The interactions between bulk rock Boom Clay and 0.1 M KOH, 0.1 M NaOH, 0.1 M Ca(OH) 2 , young cement water and evolved cement water solutions, ranging in pH from 12.5 to 13.2, were examined as static batch experiments at 60 deg. C to simulate alkaline plume perturbations, which are expected to occur in the repository due to the presence of concrete. Both liquids and solids were investigated at specific times between 90 and 510 days in order to control the elemental budget and to search for potential mineralogical alterations. Also, the clay fraction was separated from the whole-rock Boom Clay at the end of each run and characterized for its mineralogical composition. Thereby, the importance of the mineral matrix to buffer the alkaline attack and the role of organic matter to protect clay minerals were also addressed. The results indicate that the degree of geochemical perturbation in Boom Clay is dependent on the initial pH of the applied solution together with the nature of the major cation in the reactant fluids. The higher the initial pH of the media, the stronger its interaction with Boom Clay. No major non-clay mineralogical alteration of the Boom Clay was detected, but dissolution of kaolinite, smectite and illite occurred within the studied experimental conditions. The dissolution of clays is accompanied by the decrease in the layer charge, followed by a decrease in the cation-exchange capacity. The highest TOC values coincide with the highest total elemental concentrations in the leachates, and correspondingly, the highest dissolution degree. However, no quantitative link could be established between the degree of organic matter decomposition and clay dissolution.

Adaptive Aft Signature Shaping of a Low-Boom Supersonic Aircraft Using Off-Body Pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Ordaz, Irian; Li, Wu

2012-01-01

The design and optimization of a low-boom supersonic aircraft using the state-of-the- art o -body aerodynamics and sonic boom analysis has long been a challenging problem. The focus of this paper is to demonstrate an e ective geometry parameterization scheme and a numerical optimization approach for the aft shaping of a low-boom supersonic aircraft using o -body pressure calculations. A gradient-based numerical optimization algorithm that models the objective and constraints as response surface equations is used to drive the aft ground signature toward a ramp shape. The design objective is the minimization of the variation between the ground signature and the target signature subject to several geometric and signature constraints. The target signature is computed by using a least-squares regression of the aft portion of the ground signature. The parameterization and the deformation of the geometry is performed with a NASA in- house shaping tool. The optimization algorithm uses the shaping tool to drive the geometric deformation of a horizontal tail with a parameterization scheme that consists of seven camber design variables and an additional design variable that describes the spanwise location of the midspan section. The demonstration cases show that numerical optimization using the state-of-the-art o -body aerodynamic calculations is not only feasible and repeatable but also allows the exploration of complex design spaces for which a knowledge-based design method becomes less effective.

Analysis of energy flow during playground surface impacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, Peter L; Wilson, Suzanne J; Chalmers, David J; Wilson, Barry D; Eager, David; McIntosh, Andrew S

2013-10-01

The amount of energy dissipated away from or returned to a child falling onto a surface will influence fracture risk but is not considered in current standards for playground impact-attenuating surfaces. A two-mass rheological computer simulation was used to model energy flow within the wrist and surface during hand impact with playground surfaces, and the potential of this approach to provide insights into such impacts and predict injury risk examined. Acceleration data collected on-site from typical playground surfaces and previously obtained data from children performing an exercise involving freefalling with a fully extended arm provided input. The model identified differences in energy flow properties between playground surfaces and two potentially harmful surface characteristics: more energy was absorbed by (work done on) the wrist during both impact and rebound on rubber surfaces than on bark, and rubber surfaces started to rebound (return energy to the wrist) while the upper limb was still moving downward. Energy flow analysis thus provides information on playground surface characteristics and the impact process, and has the potential to identify fracture risks, inform the development of safer impact-attenuating surfaces, and contribute to development of new energy-based arm fracture injury criteria and tests for use in conjunction with current methods.

The impact of climate change on the European energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dowling, Paul

2013-01-01

Climate change can affect the economy via many different channels in many different sectors. The POLES global energy model has been modified to widen the coverage of climate change impacts on the European energy system. The impacts considered are changes in heating and cooling demand in the residential and services sector, changes in the efficiency of thermal power plants, and changes in hydro, wind (both on- and off-shore) and solar PV electricity output. Results of the impacts of six scenarios on the European energy system are presented, and the implications for European energy security and energy imports are presented. Main findings include: demand side impacts (heating and cooling in the residential and services sector) are larger than supply side impacts; power generation from fossil-fuel and nuclear sources decreases and renewable energy increases; and impacts are larger in Southern Europe than in Northern Europe. There remain many more climate change impacts on the energy sector that cannot currently be captured due to a variety of issues including: lack of climate data, difficulties translating climate data into energy-system-relevant data, lack of detail in energy system models where climate impacts act. This paper does not attempt to provide an exhaustive analysis of climate change impacts in the energy sector, it is rather another step towards an increasing coverage of possible impacts. - Highlights: • Expanded coverage of climate change impacts on European energy system. • Demand side impacts are larger than supply side impacts. • Power from fossil and nuclear sources decreases, renewable energy increases. • Impacts are larger in Southern Europe than in Northern Europe. • Synergies exist between climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation

The environmental and community impacts of wind energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rand, M.; Clarke, A.

1991-01-01

Wind energy has now reached the stage where it is being included in the long-term energy policies of many countries. Both the degree of environmental impact and public acceptability will be limiting factors to its development. This paper reviews, in detail, the physical and community impacts of the technology. It proposes certain guidelines and procedures to minimize the physical impacts, such as noise and visual impact, as well as illustrating mechanisms to reduce the level of opposition to future wind energy developments

Energy analysis of vehicle-to-cable barrier impacts.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

An accident reconstruction technique was developed for estimating the energy absorbed during an impact with a cable barrier system as well as the initial impact velocity. The kinetic energy absorbed during a cable barrier system impact is comprised o...

Literatura y arte latinoamericanos hoy: ¿Boom o Burbuja?

OpenAIRE

Sánchez, Yvette

2016-01-01

Resumen El presente artículo intenta caracterizar el reemplazamiento de las letras latinoamericanas por las artes visuales, en lo referido a su proyección internacional, en el último medio siglo. Mientras que el Boom latinoamericano de la literatura de los años 60 se extinguía paulatina y casi imperceptiblemente, hay críticos que afirman que la difusión, la demanda en el mercado y el explotado valor monetario de las artes visuales amenazan con desaparecer repentinamente. Este fenómeno suele e...

Pendulation control system and method for rotary boom cranes

Science.gov (United States)

Robinett, III, Rush D.; Groom, Kenneth N.; Feddema, John T.; Parker, Gordon G.

2002-01-01

A command shaping control system and method for rotary boom cranes provides a way to reduce payload pendulation caused by real-time input signals, from either operator command or automated crane maneuvers. The method can take input commands and can apply a command shaping filter to reduce contributors to payload pendulation due to rotation, elevation, and hoisting movements in order to control crane response and reduce tangential and radial payload pendulation. A filter can be applied to a pendulation excitation frequency to reduce residual radial pendulation and tangential pendulation amplitudes.

Rail Impact Testing. Test Operations Procedure (TOP)

Science.gov (United States)

2008-09-15

impact test. The rail impact test is used to verify structural integrity of the test item and the adequacy of the tie-down system and tie-down...strength of provisions, connection and supporting structural frame, paragraph 5.2.3 ** Superscript...parts, to include outriggers and booms) without advanced approval by SDDCTEA. Torque nuts on wire rope clips to their correct value. Torque cable

Use of Natural Light vs. Cold LED Lighting in Installations for the Recovery of Victims of Gender Violence: Impact on Energy Consumption and Victims’ Recovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Amorim

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The efficiency of lighting installations is a major challenge concerning Governments, productive sectors and individuals. However, the importance of accurate lighting in some areas, especially those related to Health and Wellbeing is so critical that the constraints of energy efficiency and sustainability are not always a priority. This situation has become more critical with the current boom in the application of non-visual effects of light to these areas. In this study, the effects oftwo different kinds of lighting on femalevictims of gender violence are compared and analyzed in terms of positive results and impact on energy consumption and sustainability. The lighting technologies used are integrated in facilities where these women carry out different activities aimed at their integration into daily life after their traumatic experiences. The results are expected to become a tool for professionals working with these collectives and for installation designers. In spite of the well-known effects of cold light, especially for tasks involving arousal, sleepiness and other critical variables, it is demonstrated that daylight, which is obviously cheaper from productive and environmental perspectives, is better for this application.

The world energy demand in 2007: How high oil prices impact the global energy demand? June 9, 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

How high oil prices impact the global energy demand? The growth of energy demand continued to accelerate in 2007 despite soaring prices, to reach 2,8 % (+ 0,3 point compared to 2006). This evolution results from two diverging trends: a shrink in energy consumption in most of OECD countries, except North America, and a strong increase in emerging countries. Within the OECD, two contrasting trends can be reported, that compensate each other partially: the reduction of energy consumption in Japan (-0.8%) and in Europe (-1.2%), particularly significant in the EU-15 (-1.9%); the increase of energy consumption in North America (+2%). Globally, the OECD overall consumption continued to increase slightly (+0.5%), while electricity increased faster (2,1%) and fuels remained stable. Elsewhere, the strong energy demand growth remained very dynamic (+5% for the total demand, 8% for electricity only), driven by China (+7.3%). The world oil demand increased by 1% only, but the demand has focused even more on captive end usages, transports and petrochemistry. The world gasoline and diesel demand increased by around 5,7% in 2007, and represents 53% of the total oil products demand in 2007 (51% in 2006). If gasoline and diesel consumption remained quasi-stable within OECD countries, the growth has been extremely strong in the emerging countries, despite booming oil prices. There are mainly two factors explaining this evolution where both oil demand and oil prices increased: Weak elasticity-prices to the demand in transport and petrochemistry sectors Disconnection of domestic fuel prices in major emerging countries (China, India, Latin America) compared to world oil market prices Another striking point is that world crude oil and condensate production remained almost stable in 2007, hence the entire demand growth was supported by destocking. During the same period, the OPEC production decreased by 1%, mainly due to the production decrease in Saudi Arabia, that is probably more

Overview of renewable energy sources development in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lengyel, J.; Lepy, S.; Roudergues, J.M.

2009-01-01

Generation from Renewable Energy Sources is booming. As for any conventional generation technology, RES specific technical features can be accommodated by the electric system with no tremendous difficulty, provided the grid can be aptly adapted and developed. (authors)

The impacts of energy prices on energy intensity: Evidence from China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hang, Leiming; Tu, Meizeng

2007-01-01

In this paper, we present a review of the deregulation of energy prices in China between 1985 and 2004 and assess the impacts of changes in energy prices on aggregate energy intensity and coal/oil/electricity intensity. We used time series data to provide estimates of energy price elasticities. Empirical results showed that: (1) The own-price elasticities of coal, oil, and aggregate energy were negative in periods both before and after 1995, implying that higher relative prices of different energy types lead to the decrease in coal, oil, and aggregate energy intensities. However, the positive own-price elasticity of electricity after 1995 probably indicates that the price effect was weaker than other factors such as income effect and population effect. (2) The impacts of energy prices were asymmetric over time. (3) Sectoral adjustment also drove the decrease in aggregate energy intensity. Although raising energy prices to boost efficiency of energy use seems to be an effective policy tool, other policy implications concerned with energy prices, such as energy supply security and fuel poverty, must also be considered

Dual-chamber inflatable oil boom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blair, R.M.; Tedeschi, E.T.

1993-01-01

An elongated floating material containment boom section is described having a normally vertical ballasted skirt depending from flotation means, and convertible from a flattened collapsed condition to a deployable condition wherein buoyancy chamber means extending along the upper edge of said skirt are inflated to expanded buoyant configuration, including: a gas-impervious sleeve extending along the upper edge of said normally vertical skirt forming a first outer collapsible and inflatable flotation chamber, a first inflation valve connecting the interior of said sleeve with the ambient atmosphere, through which gas under pressure may be introduced into said sleeve to inflate said first buoyant outer flotation chamber, elongated gas-impervious tube means positioned inside said outer flotation chamber and forming second collapsible and inflatable internal flotation bladder chamber means, second inflation valve means connecting the interior of said bladder means through said outer flotation chamber to the ambient atmosphere through which gas under pressure may be introduced into said bladder means to inflate it forming said second flotation chamber means inside said outer flotation chamber

The Funding of the Irish Domestic Banking System During the Boom?

OpenAIRE

Lane, Philip R.

2015-01-01

(read before the Society, 15th January 2015) This paper analyses the funding of the Irish domestic banking system during the boom period. We highlight: the shifting roles of deposit and bond funding; the prominence of foreign banks as funding counterparties; the role of interoffice funding; and the scale of US dollar and Sterling funding. From August 2007, the deterioration in funding conditions is clearly evident across a range of indicators.

Technetium migration in Boom Clay - Assessing the role of colloid-facilitated transport in a deep clay formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruggeman, C.; Martens, E.; Maes, N.; Jacops, E.; Van Gompel, M.; Van Ravestyn, L.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The role of colloids - mainly dissolved natural organic matter (NOM, 50-150 mg/l) - in the transport of radionuclides in the Boom Clay formation (Mol, Belgium), has long since been a matter of (heavy) debate. For more than 20 years, batch experiments with Boom Clay suspensions showed a pronounced influence of the dissolved organic carbon concentration on the aqueous concentrations of different radionuclides like Tc, Np, Am and U. Moreover, small fractions of these radionuclides were also observed to elute almost un-retarded out of confined clay cores in percolation experiments. In the past years, a new conceptual model for the speciation of the long-lived fission product Technetium- 99 ( 99 Tc) under Boom Clay conditions has been drafted. In brief, the stable oxidation state of 99 Tc in these conditions is +IV, and, therefore, Tc solution concentrations are limited by the solubility of TcO 2 .nH 2 O(s). However, during reduction of TcVII (in the TcO 4 - form) to TcIV, precursor TcO 2 .nH 2 O colloids are formed, which are stabilised by the dissolved organic matter present in Boom Clay interstitial pore water, and in supernatants of Boom Clay batch suspensions. Moreover, this stabilisation process occurs in such a systematic way, that (conditional) interaction constants could be established, and the behaviour was described as a 'hydrophobic sorption', or, more accurately, a 'colloid-colloid' interaction. This conceptual model was implemented into PHREEQC geochemical and Hydrus transport code to come to a reactive transport model that was used to simulate both the outflow and the tracer profile in several long-term running percolation experiments (both in lab and under in situ conditions). To account for slow dissociation kinetics of Tc from the NOM colloid, a first-order kinetic rate equation was also added to the model. In order to describe the migration of colloidal particles (NOM), an

Environmental impacts of wind-energy projects

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Committee on Environmental Impacts of Wind Energy Projects; National Research Council; Division on Earth and Life Studies; National Research Council

2007-01-01

.... Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy Projects offers an analysis of the environmental benefits and drawbacks of wind energy, along with an evaluation guide to aid decision-making about projects...

Decline in the risk of hepatitis A virus infection in China, a country with booming economy and changing lifestyles.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhi-Yu; Wang, Xuan-Yi; Liu, Chang-Qing; Li, Yang-Ting; Zhuang, Fang-Chen

2008-10-01

The objective of the study was to identify the protective factors for the rapid decline in the risk of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in China between 1990 and 2006. Results of serological follow-up and data on annual hepatitis A incidence were analysed and correlated with economic growth and HAV vaccine output during the same period. In conclusion, both HAV vaccination and changing lifestyles associated with the booming economy contributed to the rapid risk decline. Changing lifestyles played a major role in the decline especially in the areas with booming economy.

Studying the migration behaviour of radionuclides in boom clay by electromigration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norbert Maes, H.; Moors, H.; Dierckx, A.; Aertsens, M.; Wang, L.; Canniere, P. de; Put, M. [SCK-CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Waste and Disposal - R and D Geological Disposal Mol (Belgium)

2001-07-01

Migration studies are an important part in the assessment of the performance of the Boom Clay Formation as a candidate for geological disposal of High-Level radwaste in Belgium. However, classical diffusion experiments take a long time because of the excellent retention characteristics of the Boom Clay. Electrical fields can be used to move ionic species. Especially for low permeability soils/sediments (such as clays), this driving force is far more efficient than a hydraulic gradient. As a consequence, the experimental time can be reduced drastically. This paper gives an overview on the quantitative and qualitative use of electromigration as a powerful technique to study radionuclides migration in clays. The enormous time gain in the determination of migration parameters for strongly retarded radionuclides as {sup 137}Cs{sup +} and {sup 226}Ra{sup 2+} is first demonstrated. Secondly, we want to demonstrate that electromigration has some useful features to study the behaviour of radionuclides with a more complex chemistry like the redox sensitive element uranium and Am-Organic Matter (OM) complexes. In the case of uranium, electromigration provides information on the speciation of the migrating species while for the Am-organic Matter complexes the role of OM as a possible carrier of actinides is investigated. (orig.)

Studying the migration behaviour of radionuclides in boom clay by electromigration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norbert Maes, H.; Moors, H.; Dierckx, A.; Aertsens, M.; Wang, L.; Canniere, P. de; Put, M.

2001-01-01

Migration studies are an important part in the assessment of the performance of the Boom Clay Formation as a candidate for geological disposal of High-Level radwaste in Belgium. However, classical diffusion experiments take a long time because of the excellent retention characteristics of the Boom Clay. Electrical fields can be used to move ionic species. Especially for low permeability soils/sediments (such as clays), this driving force is far more efficient than a hydraulic gradient. As a consequence, the experimental time can be reduced drastically. This paper gives an overview on the quantitative and qualitative use of electromigration as a powerful technique to study radionuclides migration in clays. The enormous time gain in the determination of migration parameters for strongly retarded radionuclides as 137 Cs + and 226 Ra 2+ is first demonstrated. Secondly, we want to demonstrate that electromigration has some useful features to study the behaviour of radionuclides with a more complex chemistry like the redox sensitive element uranium and Am-Organic Matter (OM) complexes. In the case of uranium, electromigration provides information on the speciation of the migrating species while for the Am-organic Matter complexes the role of OM as a possible carrier of actinides is investigated. (orig.)

Homogeneity vs. Heterogeneity of Porosity in Boom Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hemes, Susanne; Desbois, Guillaume; Urai, Janos L.; De Craen, Mieke; Honty, Miroslav

2013-01-01

Microstructural investigations on Boom Clay at nano- to micrometer scale, using BIB-SEM methods, result in porosity characterization for different mineral phases from direct observations on high resolution SE2-images of representative elementary areas (REAs). High quality, polished surfaces of cross-sections of ∼ 1 mm 2 size were produced on three different samples from the Mol-Dessel research site (Belgium). More than 33,000 pores were detected, manually segmented and analyzed with regard to their size, shape and orientation. Two main pore classes were defined: Small pores (< 500 nm (ED)) within the clay matrices of samples and =big' pores (> 500 nm (ED)) at the interfaces between clay and non-clay mineral (NCM) grains. Samples investigated show similar porosities regarding the first pore-class, but differences occur at the interfaces between clay matrix and NCM grains. These differences were interpreted to be due to differences in quantitative mineralogy (amount of non-clay mineral grains) and grain-size distributions between samples investigated. Visible porosities were measured as 15 to 17 % for samples investigated. Pore-size distributions of pores in clay are similar for all samples, showing log-normal distributions with peaks around 60 nm (ED) and more than 95 % of the pores being smaller than 500 nm (ED). Fitting pore-size distributions using power-laws with exponents between 1.56 and 1.7, assuming self-similarity of the pore space, thus pores smaller than the pore detection resolution following the same power-laws and using these power-laws for extrapolation of pore-size distributions below the limit of pore detection resolution, results in total estimated porosities between 20 and 30 %. These results are in good agreement with data known from Mercury Porosimetry investigations (35-40 % porosity) and water content porosity measurements (∼ 36 %) performed on Boom Clay. (authors)

Environmental impacts of utility-scale solar energy

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, R.R.; Easter, S.B.; Murphy-Mariscal, M. L.; Maestre, F.T.; Tavassoli, M.; Allen, E.B.; Barrows, C.W.; Belnap, J.; Ochoa-Hueso, R.; Ravi, S.; Allen, M.F.

2014-01-01

Renewable energy is a promising alternative to fossil fuel-based energy, but its development can require a complex set of environmental tradeoffs. A recent increase in solar energy systems, especially large, centralized installations, underscores the urgency of understanding their environmental interactions. Synthesizing literature across numerous disciplines, we review direct and indirect environmental impacts – both beneficial and adverse – of utility-scale solar energy (USSE) development, including impacts on biodiversity, land-use and land-cover change, soils, water resources, and human health. Additionally, we review feedbacks between USSE infrastructure and land-atmosphere interactions and the potential for USSE systems to mitigate climate change. Several characteristics and development strategies of USSE systems have low environmental impacts relative to other energy systems, including other renewables. We show opportunities to increase USSE environmental co-benefits, the permitting and regulatory constraints and opportunities of USSE, and highlight future research directions to better understand the nexus between USSE and the environment. Increasing the environmental compatibility of USSE systems will maximize the efficacy of this key renewable energy source in mitigating climatic and global environmental change.

U.S. energy outlook and future energy impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Hamburger, Randolph John

2011-12-01

Energy markets were not immune to the 2007 financial crisis. Growth in the Indian and Chinese economies is placing strains on global energy supplies that could force a repeat of the 2008 price spike of $145/bbl for crude oil. Emerging market growth coupled with inefficiencies, frictions, and speculation in the energy markets has the potential to create drastic economic shocks throughout the world. The 2007 economic crisis has pushed back investment in energy projects where a low-growth scenario in world GDP could create drastic price increases in world energy prices. Without a long-term energy supply plan, the U.S. is destined to see growth reduced and its trade imbalances continue to deteriorate with increasing energy costs. Analysis of the U.S. natural gas futures markets and the impact of financial speculation on natural gas market pricing determined that financial speculation adds to price movements in the energy markets, which could cause violent swings in energy prices.

Analysis of the Effects of Streamwise Lift Distribution on Sonic Boom Signature

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Paul

2013-01-01

Investigation of sonic boom has been one of the major areas of study in aeronautics due to the benefits a low-boom aircraft has in both civilian and military applications. This work conducts a numerical analysis of the effects of streamwise lift distribution on the shock coalescence characteristics. A simple wing-canard-stabilator body model is used in the numerical simulation. The streamwise lift distribution is varied by fixing the canard at a deflection angle while trimming the aircraft with the wing and the stabilator at the desired lift coefficient. The lift and the pitching moment coefficients are computed using the Missile DATCOM v. 707. The flow field around the wing-canard- stabilator body model is resolved using the OVERFLOW-2 flow solver. Overset/ chimera grid topology is used to simplify the grid generation of various configurations representing different streamwise lift distributions. The numerical simulations are performed without viscosity unless it is required for numerical stability. All configurations are simulated at Mach 1.4, angle-of-attack of 1.50, lift coefficient of 0.05, and pitching moment coefficient of approximately 0. Four streamwise lift distribution configurations were tested.

Design study for a macropermeability test in an argillaceous formation (Boom clay)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bronders, J.

1992-01-01

In the present report a test design has been developed for determining the in-situ permeability of the Boom clay on a large scale at the Mol site (Belgium). Since in the Boom clay at the Mol site an Underground Repository Facility (URF) is operational the test has been designed to be run in or from this facility. The proposal is an in-situ macropermeability test with a set-up comprising a central borehole (metric scale in length) designed to allow various types of control of the water-level, surrounded by a lattice of piezometers installed in the clay mass for the monitoring of the interstitial water pressure changes in function of the various water-level controls. In one part the report describes the potential set-ups and a theoretical background as far as it can be done on the basis of existing literature and experiments. In a second part the method (technical and practical data of a test set-up) is described and documented. The method proposed is largely based on the several years of expertise gained within the field of in-situ migration and hydrogeologic investigations in the Hades-URF. 14 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs

NASA's Pursuit of Low-Noise Propulsion for Low-Boom Commercial Supersonic Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Bridges, James; Brown, Clifford A.; Seidel, Jonathan A.

2018-01-01

Since 2006, when the Fundamental Aeronautics Program was instituted within NASA's Aeronautics Mission Directorate, there has been a Project looking at the technical barriers to commercial supersonic flight. Among the barriers is the noise produced by aircraft during landing and takeoff. Over the years that followed, research was carried out at NASA aeronautics research centers, often in collaboration with academia and industry, addressing the problem. In 2013, a high-level milestone was established, described as a Technical Challenge, with the objective of demonstrating the feasibility of a low-boom supersonic airliner that could meet current airport noise regulations. The Technical Challenge was formally called "Low Noise Propulsion for Low Boom Aircraft", and was completed in late 2016. This paper reports the technical findings from this Technical Challenge, reaching back almost 10 years to review the technologies and tools that were developed along the way. It also discusses the final aircraft configuration and propulsion systems required for a supersonic civilian aircraft to meet noise regulations using the technologies available today. Finally, the paper documents the model-scale tests that validated the acoustic performance of the study aircraft.

Energy system impacts of desalination in Jordan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Poul Alberg; Lund, Henrik; Mathiesen, Brian Vad

2014-01-01

and Multi Stage Flash (MSF) desalination driven by Cogeneration of Heat and Power (CHP). The two systems impact the energy systems in different ways due to the technologies’ particular characteristics. The systems are analyses in the energy systems analysis model EnergyPLAN to determine the impacts......Climate change mitigation calls for energy systems minimising end-use demands, optimising the fuel efficiency of conversion systems, increasing the use of renewable energy sources and exploiting synergies wherever possible. In parallel, global fresh water resources are strained due to amongst...... others population and wealth increase and competitive water uses from agriculture and industry is causing many nations to turn to desalination technologies. This article investigates a Jordanian energy scenario with two different desalination technologies; reverse osmosis (RO) driven by electricity...

Energy generation x environmental impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Thalles Rodrigues

2011-01-01

This work aims: to analyze the various sources of energy giving a general idea of the good and bad points for each power generation model, and its impact in the environment, with the purpose of considering the best available options; research on alternative sources of energy production as well as Brazil's resources in a particular source of energy and point out their strengths and weaknesses; report the best options to take advantage of the available resources for energy production in Triangulo Mineiro, a region within Minas Gerais state

Big boom ahead for New Brunswick

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reid, Wes

2011-10-15

The technological advances in shale gas extraction make it now feasible to exploit this hydrocarbon resource. Shale gas activity has been booming recently in New Brunswick and the province possibly holds more than 80 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. A new pipeline system has already been put in place. New Brunswick is a socially, politically and economically stable region. In addition, the royalty system in New Brunswick is competitive. For example, right now Corridor Resources Inc. is working on three major projects and some existing production from the McCully field in New Brunswick. Corridor also has prospects at Anticosti Island, Prince Edward Island and Old Harry. Although the government can benefit from royalty revenues generated by the hydrocarbon industry, environmental issues are of concern to citizens' groups, environmentalists and political opposition parties. A moratorium has been called for to make sure the proper protections are in place and the industry is adequately monitored.

Hollow Cylinder Tests on Boom Clay: Modelling of Strain Localization in the Anisotropic Excavation Damaged Zone

Science.gov (United States)

François, Bertrand; Labiouse, Vincent; Dizier, Arnaud; Marinelli, Ferdinando; Charlier, Robert; Collin, Frédéric

2014-01-01

Boom Clay is extensively studied as a potential candidate to host underground nuclear waste disposal in Belgium. To guarantee the safety of such a disposal, the mechanical behaviour of the clay during gallery excavation must be properly predicted. In that purpose, a hollow cylinder experiment on Boom Clay has been designed to reproduce, in a small-scale test, the Excavation Damaged Zone (EDZ) as experienced during the excavation of a disposal gallery in the underground. In this article, the focus is made on the hydro-mechanical constitutive interpretation of the displacement (experimentally obtained by medium resolution X-ray tomography scanning). The coupled hydro-mechanical response of Boom Clay in this experiment is addressed through finite element computations with a constitutive model including strain hardening/softening, elastic and plastic cross-anisotropy and a regularization method for the modelling of strain localization processes. The obtained results evidence the directional dependency of the mechanical response of the clay. The softening behaviour induces transient strain localization processes, addressed through a hydro-mechanical second grade model. The shape of the obtained damaged zone is clearly affected by the anisotropy of the materials, evidencing an eye-shaped EDZ. The modelling results agree with experiments not only qualitatively (in terms of the shape of the induced damaged zone), but also quantitatively (for the obtained displacement in three particular radial directions).

Natural Resources Management: The Effect of the Commodity Boom on Indonesia’s Industrial Development and Welfare

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Monica Wihardja

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The end of the commodity boom in 2012 once again exposed Indonesia to the vulnerability of the commodity price shocks. This article reviews how Indonesia managed its natural resources in 2001–12 and when the commodity boom ends. What are the lessons learned? Indonesia’s experience is similar to that of other countries rich in natural resources, including the crowding-out of non-commodity sectors, protectionist trade regimes, fiscal inefficiency, slow skill accumulation, rising inequality and environmental damages. In the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008–09, the early trade -policy response at the end of the commodity boom is inward-looking and protective of domestic markets and industries and aims to increase the added value of commodities by downstreaming. This trend is clearly reflected in the 2014 Trade Law, the 2014 Industry Law and the mineral export ban, which was introduced in 2009 through the 2009 Law on Mining of Coal and Minerals and took effect in 2014. Indonesia should learn from other countries in managing its resource revenues, such as through a commodity fund designed to fit its domestic specificity. Reindustrializing, increasing agricultural productivity beyond palm oil and tapping the country’s potential in the services sector including tourism and creative industries are also necessary to promote diversification in production and trade. Resource management policy should also include stronger environmental regulations.

Iowa's renewable energy and infrastructure impacts

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

Objectives : Estimate traffic growth and pavement deterioration due to Iowas growing renewable energy industries in a multi-county area. : Develop a traffic and fiscal impact model to help assess the impact of additional biofuels plants on...

Macro policy responses to oil booms and busts in the United Arab Emirates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Mutawa, A.K.

1991-01-01

The effects of oil shocks and macro policy changes in the United Arab Emirates are analyzed. A theoretical model is developed within the framework of the Dutch Disease literature. It contains four unique features that are applicable to the United Arab Emirates' economy. There are: (1) the presence of a large foreign labor force; (2) OPEC's oil export quotas; (3) the division of oil profits; and (4) the important role of government expenditures. The model is then used to examine the welfare effects of the above-mentioned shocks. An econometric model is then specified that conforms to the analytical model. In the econometric model the method of 'principal components' is applied owing to the undersized sample data. The principal components methodology is used in both the identification testing and the estimation of the structural equations. The oil and macro policy shocks are then simulated. The simulation results show that an oil-quantity boom leads to a higher welfare gain than an oil-price boom. Under certain circumstances, this finding is also confirmed by the comparative statistics that follow from the analytical model

Energy Resources of Iran and Their Environmental Impacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. P. Bubnov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents an analysis of main sources of energy resource production and their sale  in the domestic and export markets. The authors have analyzed type of domestic energy consumers and estimated their environmental impacts. The paper shows that the shift to alternative energy sources will reduce an ecological impact on the environment.

Anticipating PHEV Energy Impacts in California

OpenAIRE

Axsen, John; Kurani, Kenneth S.

2009-01-01

To explore the potential energy impacts of widespread PHEV use, an innovative, three-part survey instrument collected data from 877 new vehicle buyers in California. This analysis combines all the available information from each respondent—driving, recharge potential, and PHEV design priorities—to estimate the energy impacts of the respondents’ existing travel and understandings of PHEVs under a variety of recharging scenarios. Results suggest that the use of PHEV vehicles could halve g...

Energy security impacts of a severe drought on the future Finnish energy system.

Science.gov (United States)

Jääskeläinen, Jaakko; Veijalainen, Noora; Syri, Sanna; Marttunen, Mika; Zakeri, Behnam

2018-07-01

Finland updated its Energy and Climate Strategy in late 2016 with the aim of increasing the share of renewable energy sources, increasing energy self-sufficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Concurrently, the issue of generation adequacy has grown more topical, especially since the record-high demand peak in Finland in January 2016. This paper analyses the Finnish energy system in years 2020 and 2030 by using the EnergyPLAN simulation tool to model whether different energy policy scenarios result in a plausible generation inadequacy. Moreover, as the Nordic energy system is so heavily dependent on hydropower production, we model and analyse the impacts of a severe drought on the Finnish energy system. We simulate hydropower availability according to the weather of the worst drought of the last century (in 1939-1942) with Finnish Environment Institute's Watershed Simulation and Forecasting System and we analyse the indirect impacts via reduced availability of electricity imports based on recent realised dry periods. Moreover, we analyse the environmental impacts of hydropower production during the drought and peak demand period and the impacts of climate change on generation adequacy in Finland. The results show that the scenarios of the new Energy and Climate Strategy result in an improved generation adequacy comparing to the current situation. However, a severe drought similar to that experienced in 1940s could cause a serious energy security threat. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The costs of the diesel boom; Die Kosten des Dieselbooms. Eine Uebersicht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helmers, E. [Fachhochschule Trier, Umweltcampus Birkenfeld (Germany)

2006-02-15

Background. In many European states the number of cars equipped with diesel engines has dramatically increased since around ten years. This situation is quantified for Germany. Driven by the political motivation to reduce CO{sub 2}-emissions, increase of diesel cars has been stimulated by governmental measures of European as well as state bodies in co-operation with the industry. Results. Reduction of CO{sub 2}-emissions with the help of diesel cars remained relatively small. On contrast, diesel cars are emitting much more of nitric oxides and fine particles compared with gasoline driven cars. Excess emissions by the 'diesel boom' are quantified. Health costs and impact on agricultural crops as well as on forestry are estimated with respect to the order of magnitude. Health costs caused by the inhalation of diesel combustion particles emitted by only the excess diesel cars in Germany are in the order of 200 Mio Euro per year. Knowledge gaps of the impact of ultra fine particles as well as of the action of particle traps are demonstrated. Conclusion and Recommendation. In the public, particle numbers need to be discussed instead of particle emission loads (g km{sup -1}) which have an insufficient correlation to health effects. Much more data are needed as to the toxicologically relevant particle size of <20 nm. Effectiveness and substainability of a CO{sub 2}-reduction strategy by diesel cars are generally questioned. (orig.)

The likely adverse environmental impacts of renewable energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbasi, S.A.; Abbasi, Naseema

2000-01-01

The global attention has always been focused on the adverse environmental impacts of conventional energy sources. In contrast nonconventional energy sources, particularly the renewable ones, have enjoyed a 'clean' image vis a vis environmental impacts. The only major exception to this general trend has been large hydropower projects; experience has taught us that they can be disastrous for the environment. The belief now is that minihydel and microhydel projects are harmless alternatives. But are renewable energy sources really as benign as is widely believed? The present essay addresses this question in the background of Lovin's classical paradigm, which had postulated the hard (malignant) and soft (benign) energy concepts in the first place. It critically evaluates the environmental impacts of major renewable energy sources. It then comes up with the broad conclusion that renewable energy sources are not the panacea they are popularly perceived to be; indeed in some cases their adverse environmental impacts can be as strongly negative as the impacts of conventional energy sources. The paper also dwells on the steps we need to take so that we can utilise renewable energy sources without facing environmental backlashes of the type we got from hydropower projects. (Author)

Amsterdam Book Design: Irma Boom, Hansje van Halem, Lesley Moore = Amsterdamskij knižnyj dizajn

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lommen, M.

2012-01-01

Published on the occasion of the exhibition 'Amsterdam Book Design : Irma Boom, Hansje van Halem, Lesley Moore', from May 26th until June 17th 2012 in the creative platform Taiga Space, Saint Petersburg. In cooperation with Netherlands Institute Saint-Petersburg.

A study on the secondary consolidation of Boom Clay at Essen site under loading and unloading compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Y.F.; Cui, Y.J.; Tang, A.M.; Li, X.L.; Sillen, X.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Boom clay formation, a thick deposit of over-consolidated marine clay has been selected as a possible host material of nuclear waste disposal in Belgium. For this purpose, its deformation behaviour, especially its long-term deformation behaviour (secondary consolidation) is essential for the safety of the whole storage system and therefore needs to be investigated deeply. In the present work, odometer consolidation tests were performed on Boom clay taken from the Essen site. The loading and unloading were run in steps and the secondary consolidation coefficient C α (C α = de/dlogt) was determined for each step. This allows the secondary consolidation behaviour to be analysed. Four soil cores of Boom clay were taken from the site of Essen, Belgium, at the depths of 220-248 m. The geotechnical identification characteristics of these cores are similar: specific gravity, γ s = 2.64-2.68; liquid limit, w L = 68-78%; plastic limit, w P = 29-33%; and plastic index, I P 36-45. The soil water content (w) is between 26.5 and 29.7% and the void ratio (e) between 0.700 and 0.785. The blue methylene values (VBS) are equally similar, VBS = 6.20-6.67 (g/100 g). The clay fraction (< 2 μm) is relatively high (more than 50%). An example of the results obtained is presented (void ratio versus vertical stress and secondary consolidation coefficient versus vertical stress, determined in the e/log t plot) for the core taken at 227 m depth. After the installation of specimen in the odometer cell, an initial loading to the in-situ stress gave rise to a decrease of the void ratio from 0.730 to 0.651. The drainage system was then saturated for the subsequent loading/unloading paths in steps. The results show that the void ratio decreased to 0.270 when the vertical stress reached σ v = 32 MPa. A compression index Cc of about 0.31 can be estimated and the swelling index is estimated at 0.14. C α > 0 during loading and C α < 0 during

Energy properties of deuterium cluster impacts on TiD targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamura, Yasunori

1992-01-01

In order to know the energy properties of deuterium atoms in the cluster impact region, the deuterium cluster impact phenomena have been simulated by using the time-evolution Monte Carlo simulation code DYACAT, where the (D) n (n being 100 to 500 ) with energy 500eV/atom are bombarded on TiD targets. For comparison, the energy properties of 500 eV/atom (Al) 500 cluster impacts on amorphous Au targets have also been simulated. In the case of the deuterium cluster impacts on TiD targets, the high energy tail of the energy distribution of deuterium atoms drops so fast. The temperature of the deuterium cluster impact region is less than 100 ev, and it decreases slightly as the cluster size increases due to the enhanced energy removal with reflected deuterium atoms and sputtered deuterium atoms. While in the case of 500 eV/atom (Al) 500 cluster impacts on Au the high-energy tail of the energy distribution of Al atoms due to the big cluster impact can be well described in terms of the Maxwell-Boltzmann function whose temperature is 270 ev. (author)

The Canon is el Boom, et. al., or the Hispanic Difference

OpenAIRE

Bell-Villada, Gene H.

2002-01-01

In his article, Gene H. Bell-Villada's "The Canon is el Boom, et. al., or the Hispanic Difference," argues that the rich, globally acclaimed, foundational yet contestatory prose literature produced in Latin America allows teachers and scholars of Spanish to teach what is essentially the "canon" via work that is still fresh, yet historically provocative. Bell-Villada argues that in a time of reconsidering the importance of literature in literature programs, programs of Spanish language and cul...

Boom, Bust and Beyond: Arts and Sustainability in Calumet, Michigan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richelle Winkler

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Cycles of boom and bust plague mining communities around the globe, and decades after the bust the skeletons of shrunken cities remain. This article evaluates strategies for how former mining communities cope and strive for sustainability in the decades well beyond the bust, using a case study of Calumet, Michigan. In 1910, Calumet was at the center of the mining industry in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but in the century since its peak, mining employment steadily declined until the last mine closed in 1968, and the population declined by over 80%. This paper explores challenges, opportunities, and progress toward sustainability associated with arts-related development in this context. Methods are mixed, including observation, interviews, document review, a survey, and secondary data analysis. We follow Flora and Flora’s Community Capitals Framework to analyze progress toward sustainability. Despite key challenges associated with the shrunken city context (degraded tax base, overbuilt and aging infrastructure, diminished human capital, and a rather limited set of volunteers and political actors, we find the shrunken city also offers advantages for arts development, including low rents, less risk of gentrification, access to space, and political incentive. In Calumet, we see evidence of a spiraling up pattern toward social sustainability resulting from arts development; however impacts on environmental and economic sustainability are limited.

Vision for a low-impact renewable energy future for Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-11-01

The Clean Air Renewable Energy Coalition promotes the development of the renewable energy industry in Canada. The Coalition's vision for low-impact renewable energy focuses on green forms of electricity to provide not only light, heat and power, but to produce hydrogen fuel that could be used in fuel cell technologies. Low-impact renewable energy is a non-depleting resource with minimal environmental impacts. It includes wind energy, hydro energy, geothermal energy, biomass, tidal energy, and solar energy. The Coalition's goal is to have low-impact renewable energy account for at least 7 per cent of Canada's electricity production by 2010, and 15 per cent by 2020. It is currently at 1 per cent. This goal can be achieved by: defining a comprehensive renewable energy vision for Canada; setting long term targets for renewable energy in Canada; committing to a package of long term incentives; developing partnerships between all levels of government to increase financial investments in renewable energy projects; and, recognizing the potential for renewable energy in a carbon-constrained economy. refs., tabs

Impact behaviour of Napier/polyester composites under different energy levels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fahmi, I., E-mail: fahmi-unimap@yahoo.com; Majid, M. S. Abdul, E-mail: shukry@unimap.edu.my; Afendi, M., E-mail: afendirojan@unimap.edu.my; Haameem, J. M.A., E-mail: mhaameem@gmail.com [School of Mechatronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Arau (Malaysia); Haslan, M., E-mail: haslan@sirim.my; Helmi, E. A., E-mail: hilmi@sirim.my [Advanced Material Research Centre (AMREC), SIRIM Berhad, Kulim (Malaysia)

2016-07-19

The effects of different energy levels on the impact behaviour of Napier fibre/polyester reinforced composites were investigated. Napier fibre was extracted using traditional water retting process to be utilized as reinforcing materials in polyester composite laminates. 25% fibre loading composite laminates were prepared and impacted at three different energy levels; 2.5,5 and 7.5 J using an instrumented drop weight impact testing machine (IMATEK IM10). The outcomes show that peak force and contact time increase with increased impact load. The energy absorption was then calculated from the force displacement curve. The results indicated that the energy absorption decreases with increasing energy levels of the impact. Impacted specimens were observed visually for fragmentation fracture using an optical camera to identify the failure mechanisms. Fracture fragmentation pattern from permanent dent to perforation with radial and circumferential was observed.

Renewable energy: an answer to our energy crisis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

Contrary to popular belief, renewables primarily biomass and hydropower currently supply about 20% of the world's energy. Biomass alone meets 35% of developing countries total energy needs, though often not in a manner that is renewable or sustainable in the long term. Steady advances have been made since the mid-seventies in an array of new energy technologies that will be needed if the world is to greatly increase its reliance on renewable resources. Indeed many of the machines and processes that could provide energy in a renewable energy based economy are now almost economically competitive with fossil fuels. Further cost reductions are expected in the next decade, as these technologies continue to improve through R and D efforts. After a period of neglected in the eighties, many governments are now supporting new energy technologies more effectively, which may signal the beginning of a renewable energy boom in the years ahead. (author). 8 refs

The health cost of energy. The health impacts of the different energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masse, Roland

2017-01-01

This publication proposes an assessment of impacts of the different energy sources on public health. After a discussion of general aspects regarding this issue, the author addresses the identification and assessment of risks. While referring to different statistical data, he discusses the impacts of accidents in terms of dead, injured or evacuated people. He also addresses health impacts during a normal operation of power plants, i.e. in the case of nuclear plants (issue of exposure to various levels of radiation at the different steps of fuel cycle), of carbon-based plants (health risks and impacts during coal extraction, due to CO 2 emissions and to other toxic emissions, due to atmospheric pollution, identified risks, modelling attempts, assessment of a loss in life expectancy), and of other energies. While acknowledging that there are still many unknowns to assess these health impacts, the author compares these assessments. A summarized version of this article is proposed, in which the author briefly comments data regarding severe accidents related to energy production, discusses health consequences of electric power production and use, and makes a distinction between the most and less hazardous energies as far as public health is concerned

Wind energy impact of turbulence

CERN Document Server

Hölling, Michae; Ivanell, Stefan

2014-01-01

This book presents the results of the seminar ""Wind Energy and the Impact of Turbulence on the Conversion Process"" which was supported from three societies, namely the EUROMech, EAWE and ERCOFATC and took place in Oldenburg, Germany in spring 2012.The seminar was one of the first scientific meetings devoted to the common topic of wind energy and basic turbulence. The established community of researchers working on the challenging puzzle of turbulence for decades met the quite young community of researchers, who face the upcoming challenges in the fast growing field of wind energy application

Climatic impact of alternative energy sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, J

1979-01-01

Detailed evaluations have suggested that the order of magnitude of energy demand 50 yr from the present will be 25-40 TW compared with about 8 TW at the present day. Environmental impacts are discussed of three energy-supply sources that could be developed on a large-enough scale to satisfy a demand of this magnitude: solar and nuclear energy and fossil fuels. 14 refs.

Geotechnical characterization of boom clay in relation to the disposal of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horseman, S.T.; Winter, M.G.; Enwistle, D.C.

1987-01-01

This report describes the results of a laboratory study on the geotechnical properties of the Tertiary Boom clay. Tests were performed on 'undisturbed' samples of clay taken from a location 247 m below surface at the SCK/CEN experimental site at Mol in Belgium. In geotechnical terms, the Boom clay (at depth) may be described as a hard, high-plasticity, overconsolidated clay. Test methods have included (a) the one-dimensional consolidation test with consolidation stresses up to 32 MPa, (b) the one dimensional swelling pressure test, (c) the isotropically-consolidated, undrained (CIU) triaxial test with pore pressure measurement, and (d) the unconsolidated undrained (UU) triaxial test. All triaxial tests were load-controlled. Limited test results are presented on pore pressure responses during heating under undrained conditions and on the effect of elevated temperature (80 O C) on deformability and strength. It is found that significantly large excess pore pressures (circa 1 MPa under in situ stress conditions) may be developed during heating from ambient laboratory temperature to 80 O C. The effect is due, at least in part, to the expansion of the pore fluid

Reactive transport modelling of a heating and radiation experiment in the Boom clay (Belgium)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montenegro, L.; Samper, J.; Delgado, J.

2003-01-01

Most countries around the world consider Deep Geological Repositories (DGR) as the most safe option for the final disposal of high level radioactive waste (HLW). DGR is based on adopting a system of multiple barriers between the HLW and the biosphere. Underground laboratories provide information about the behaviour of these barriers at real conditions. Here we present a reactive transport model for the CERBERUS experiment performed at the HADES underground laboratory at Mol (Belgium) in order to characterize the thermal (T), hydrodynamic (H) and geochemical (G) behaviour of the Boon clay. This experiment is unique because it addresses the combined effect of heat and radiation produced by the storage of HLW in a DGR. Reactive transport models which are solved with CORE, are used to perform quantitative predictions of Boom clay thermo-hydro-geochemical (THG) behaviour. Numerical results indicate that heat and radiation cause a slight oxidation near of the radioactive source, pyrite dissolution, a pH decrease and slight changes in the pore water chemical composition of the Boom clay. (Author) 33 refs

Impact of alternative energy forms on public utilities

Science.gov (United States)

Keith, F. W., Jr.

1977-01-01

The investigation of alternative energy sources by the electric utility industry is discussed. Research projects are reviewed in each of the following areas; solar energy, wind energy conversion, photosynthesis of biomass, ocean thermal energy conversion, geothermal energy, fusion, and the environmental impact of alternative energy sources.

Energy turnaround and nuclear phaseout. Chance or meander; Energiewende und Atomausstieg. Chance oder Irrweg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marth, Willy

2015-07-01

The booklet on the energy turnaround covers the following topics: ascent of the German electricity companies, early scenarios of the nuclear phase-out, the moderate energy turnaround, the controversial climatic change, Fukushima, the abrupt nuclear phase-out in Germany (2011), energy-economical problems of the abrupt energy turnaround, boom and crash of then renewable energy companies, the come-down of the German electricity companies, summary and evaluation.

Prediction of sonic boom from experimental near-field overpressure data. Volume 2: Data base construction

Science.gov (United States)

Glatt, C. R.; Reiners, S. J.; Hague, D. S.

1975-01-01

A computerized method for storing, updating and augmenting experimentally determined overpressure signatures has been developed. A data base of pressure signatures for a shuttle type vehicle has been stored. The data base has been used for the prediction of sonic boom with the program described in Volume I.

The impact of high energy prices in Central American households

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cuesta, Ana; Manzano, Osmel

2010-09-15

Central American countries have one the highest energy costs in Latin America. We look at the potential social impact of higher energy prices using household data. Depending on a portfolio of characteristics, higher energy prices could have significant impact on the poor purchasing power. In countries like Guatemala, the poorest could see a higher impact than the richest. In Mexico and Panama, the impact is higher for the 'lower middle class'. We measure indirect effects of lack of energy sources, we conclude that children that live in households that cook with fossil fuels are subject to attend less to school.

The impact of high energy prices in Central American households

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cuesta, Ana; Manzano, Osmel

2010-09-15

Central American countries have one the highest energy costs in Latin America. We look at the potential social impact of higher energy prices using household data. Depending on a portfolio of characteristics, higher energy prices could have significant impact on the poor purchasing power. In countries like Guatemala, the poorest could see a higher impact than the richest. In Mexico and Panama, the impact is higher for the 'lower middle class'. We measure indirect effects of lack of energy sources, we conclude that children that live in households that cook with fossil fuels are subject to attend less to school.

Sleipner mishap jolts booming Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on Norway's buoyant offshore industry that was stunned when the concrete substructure for Sleipner natural gas field's main production platform sank in the Grandsfjord off Stavanger late last month. The accident, a blow to Norway's gas sales program in Europe, came with offshore activity in the Norwegian North Sea moving into a new boom period. Currently, 10 oil and gas fields are under development, and several projects are on the drawing board. Aker Oil and Gas, a leading offshore firm, says the country's construction industry will be working at capacity for the next 4 years. Norwegian oil production has been hovering just below 2 million b/d since the beginning of this year, making Norway the North Sea's largest producer, a position formerly held by the U.K. Gas production averages about 3 bcfd. With European gas demand sharply increasing, Norway is under pressure to increase output from new fields in the mid to late 1990s. The Sleipner setback forces state owned Den norske stats oljeselskap AS (Statoil) to cast around for supplies. Sleipner was to have begun deliveries to a consortium of continental gas companies in October 1993. Statoil believes it can fill the gap from existing fields in Norwegian waters

A piezoelectric device for impact energy harvesting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacquelin, E; Adhikari, S; Friswell, M I

2011-01-01

This paper studies a piezoelectric impact energy harvesting device consisting of two piezoelectric beams and a seismic mass. The aim of this work is to find the influence of several mechanical design parameters on the output power of such a harvester so as to optimize its performance; the electrical design parameters were not studied. To account for the dynamics of the beams, a model including the mechanical and piezoelectric properties of the system is proposed. The impacts involved in the energy harvesting process are described through a Hertzian contact law that requires a time domain simulation to solve the nonlinear equations. A transient regime and a steady-state regime have been identified and the performance of the device is characterized by the steady-state mean electrical power and the transient electrical power. The time simulations have been used to study the influence of various mechanical design parameters (seismic mass, beam length, gap, gliding length, impact location) on the performance of the system. It has been shown that the impact location is an important parameter and may be optimized only through simulation. The models and the simulation technique used in this work are general and may be used to assess any other impact energy harvesting device

Energy use and environmental impact of new residential buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adalberth, Karin

2000-01-01

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the energy use and environmental impact of residential buildings. Seven authentic buildings built in the 1990s in Sweden are investigated. They are analysed according to energy use and environmental impact during their life cycle: manufacture of building materials, transport of building materials and components to the building site, erection to a building, occupancy, maintenance and renovation, and finally demolition and removal of debris. Results show that approx. 85 % of the total estimated energy use during the life cycle is used during the occupation phase. The energy used to manufacture building and installation materials constitutes approx. 15 % of the total energy use. 70-90 % of the total environmental impact arises during the occupation phase, while the manufacture of construction and installation materials constitutes 10-20 %. In conclusion, the energy use and environmental impact during the occupation phase make up a majority of the total. At the end of the thesis, a tool is presented which helps designers and clients predict the energy use during the occupation phase for a future multi-family building before any constructional or installation drawings are made. In this way, different thermal properties may be elaborated in order to receive an energy-efficient and environmentally adapted dwelling.

Axial focusing of energy from a hypervelocity impact on earth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boslough, M.B.; Chael, E.P.; Trucano, T.G.; Crawford, D.A.

1994-01-01

We have performed computational simulations to determine how energy from a large hypervelocity impact on the Earth's surface would couple to its interior. Because of the first-order axial symmetry of both the impact energy source and the stress-wave velocity structure of the Earth, a disproportionate amount of energy is dissipated along the axis defined by the impact point and its antipode (point opposite the impact). For a symmetric and homogeneous Earth model, all the impact energy that is radiated as seismic waves into the Earth at a given takeoff angle (ray parameter), independent of azimuthal direction, is refocused (minus attenuation) on the axis of symmetry, regardless of the number of reflections and refractions it has experienced. Material on or near the axis of symmetry experiences more strain cycles with much greater amplitude than elsewhere, and therefore experiences more irreversible heating. The focusing is most intense in the upper mantle, within the asthenosphere, where seismic energy is most effectively converted to heat. For a sufficiently energetic impact, this mechanism might generate enough local heating to create an isostatic instability leading to uplift, possibly resulting in rifting, volcanism, or other rearrangement of the interior dynamics of the planet. These simulations demonstrate how hypervelocity impact energy can be transported to the Earth's interior, supporting the possibility of a causal link between large impacts on Earth and major internally-driven geophysical processes

A see-saw of pre-Columbian boom regions in southern Peru, determined by large-scale circulation changes

Science.gov (United States)

Mächtle, B.; Schittek, K.; Forbriger, M.; Schäbitz, F.; Eitel, B.

2012-04-01

Environmental changes and cultural transitions during several periods of Peruvian history show a strong coincidence between humid and dry climatic oscillations and the rise and decline of cultures. It is noteworthy, that alternating periods of geo-ecological fragility and stability occurred in time and space between the coastal Nasca region (14.5° S) and the high Andean northern Titicaca basin, just a few hundred kilometers to the east. Based on a multi-proxy palynological and sedimentological approach to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental changes, we found that the Nasca region received a maximum of precipitation during the archaeological boom times of the Early Horizon and the Early Intermediate Period (800 BC - 650 AD, Paracas and Nasca cultures) as well as during the late intermediate period (1150-1450 AD), whereas, in contrast, the Titicaca region further to the south-east experienced drought and cultural depression during that times. During the Middle Horizon (650 - 1150 AD), the Tiwanaku agronomy and culture boomed in the Titicaca region and expanded to the west, contemporaneous with a raised lake level and more humid conditions. In the Nasca region, runoff for irrigation purposes was reduced and less reliable due to drought. Considering a coincidence between environmental and cultural changes, we state that success and decline of civilizations were controlled by hydrological oscillations, triggering fertility as well as a critical loss of natural resources. In response to spatial changing resources, cultural foci were shifted. Therefore, the success of pre-Columbian civilizations was closely coupled to areas of geo-ecological favorability, which were directly controlled by distinct regional impacts of large-scale circulation mechanisms, including El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Changes in the position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the Bolivian anticyclone determined meridional shifts in moisture transport across the Andes, which

On the role of anisotropy in the perturbation of Boom Clay by a deep disposal repository for high-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sillen, X.; Li, X.L.; Van Marcke, P.; Chen, G.; Bastiaens, W.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. All along the characterisation programme of the Boom Clay, a potential host rock for geological disposal of long-lived, heat-emitting radioactive waste, evidences of anisotropy of key thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) properties have been collected through direct observations and laboratory measurements. In parallel, evidences of anisotropic THM behaviour of the clay massif were obtained during excavations and in-situ experiments in the underground research laboratory HADES at Mol. Careful analysis of the observations and simple modelling reveal the key role of the anisotropy of the material properties and, to a lesser extent, the in situ stresses in the development of a damaged zone around the galleries and the hydro-mechanical perturbation in the clay massif. As a consequence of the sedimentary deposition process, clay formations often exhibit visible bedding. This is the case for Boom Clay. Like other deep clays, Boom Clay also exhibits pronounced strain anisotropy under certain hydro-mechanical loading. Isotropic compression tests performed in the early nineties have shown that, for Boom Clay at a depth of about 225 m, the increments of deformation perpendicular to the bedding planes, i.e. vertical, are about two times larger than increments of deformation parallel to the bedding planes, i.e. horizontal. Moreover, it was observed that this mechanical anisotropy decreases progressively as the isotropic stress is increased. Drained heating tests under constant isotropic loading also evidenced anisotropic behaviour during thermo-consolidation. Like the mechanical properties, hydraulic and thermal properties of the Boom Clay also show anisotropy: lab and in situ measurements suggest that the horizontal hydraulic conductivity is about twice the vertical one while the ratio between horizontal and vertical thermal conductivities is about 1.4. The anisotropic THM behaviour of the Boom Clay was evidenced during excavations

Low-Speed Control of Heavy-Load Transfer Robot with Long Telescopic Boom Based on Stribeck Friction Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo You

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The severe low-speed creep phenomenon occurs in the telescopic boom system of a heavy-load transfer robot with a long telescopic boom as a result of nonlinear friction. In order to improve control precision and operation performance at low speeds, we built a three-loop control nonlinear model of an AC servo motor with Stribeck friction disturbance. Traditional proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID and fuzzy PID controls were, respectively, adopted in the position loop, and the control performance was simulated. The results showed that a system with fuzzy PID control eliminates “flat top” position tracking and “dead zone” speed tracking, which are generated by traditional PID, and thereby decreases the effect of friction on the performance of the servo system. This elimination also improved the tracking accuracy and robustness of the system.

A new and improved methodology for qualitative and quantitative mineralogical analysis of Boom Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeelmaekers, E.; Vandenberghe, N.; Honty, M.; De Craen, M.; Derkowski, A.; Van Geet, M.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. A good knowledge of the mineralogy of any host formation studied for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, is a prerequisite for understanding the geochemical environment which will determine the migration and retention behaviour of radionuclides. In this respect, the Boom Clay mineralogical composition has been extensively studied last decades as reference host formation (e.g. ARCHIMEDEARGILE project, OECD-NEA clay catalogue report) with the aim to provide reliable data for a safety assessment. However, a comparison of the available literature data clearly showed a serious discrepancy among studies, not only in the quantitative, but also in the qualitative mineralogical composition of the Boom Clay (SAFIR II). The reason for such a huge disagreement could be related, among others, to variable grain size distributions of the studied samples (sample heterogeneity) and differences in the methodological approaches. In particular, the unambiguous characterisation of clay minerals and the quantification of mixed-layer phases appeared as an everlasting problem. This study is aimed at achieving a consensus on the qualitative and quantitative mineralogical data of the Boom Clay using the most advanced techniques currently available in the clay science. A new sampling campaign was performed in such a way that samples are (20 in total) more or less regularly distributed over Boom Clay Formation, ensuring that variations in the grain size distributions due to silty clay-clayey silt layers alternations are accounted for. The novel concept based on an analysis at two levels was applied: (1) bulk rock and (2) clay fraction analysis. (1) A bulk rock analysis consists of conventional XRD analysis with the identification of the principal mineral phases. As a next step, the bulk rock was mixed with a ZnO internal standard and experimental diffraction patterns of randomly oriented powders were analyzed using &apos

Energy system impacts of desalination in Jordan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poul Alberg Østergaard

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Climate change mitigation calls for energy systems minimising end-use demands, optimising the fuel efficiency of conversion systems, increasing the use of renewable energy sources and exploiting synergies wherever possible. In parallel, global fresh water resources are strained due to amongst others population and wealth increase and competitive water uses from agriculture and industry is causing many nations to turn to desalination technologies. This article investigates a Jordanian energy scenario with two different desalination technologies; reverse osmosis (RO driven by electricity and Multi Stage Flash (MSF desalination driven by Cogeneration of Heat and Power (CHP. The two systems impact the energy systems in different ways due to the technologies’ particular characteristics. The systems are analyses in the energy systems analysis model EnergyPLAN to determine the impacts on energy system performance. Results indicate that RO and MSF are similar in fuel use. While there is no use of waste heat from condensing mode plants, efficiencies for CHP and MSF are not sufficiently good to results in lower fuel usage than RO. The Jordanian energy system is somewhat inflexible giving cause to Critical Excess Electricity Production (CEEP even at relatively modest wind power penetrations. Here RO assists the energy system in decreasing CEEP – and even more if water storage is applied.

Impact of wind farms with energy storage on transient stability

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Douglas Allen

Today's energy infrastructure will need to rapidly expand in terms of reliability and flexibility due to aging infrastructure, changing energy market conditions, projected load increases, and system reliability requirements. Over the few decades, several states in the U.S. are now requiring an increase in wind penetration. These requirements will have impacts on grid reliability given the inherent intermittency of wind generation and much research has been completed on the impact of wind on grid reliability. Energy storage has been proposed as a tool to provide greater levels of reliability; however, little research has occurred in the area of wind with storage and its impact on stability given different possible scenarios. This thesis addresses the impact of wind farm penetration on transient stability when energy storage is added. The results show that battery energy storage located at the wind energy site can improve the stability response of the system.

ImSET: Impact of Sector Energy Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roop, Joseph M.; Scott, Michael J.; Schultz, Robert W.

2005-07-19

This version of the Impact of Sector Energy Technologies (ImSET) model represents the ''next generation'' of the previously developed Visual Basic model (ImBUILD 2.0) that was developed in 2003 to estimate the macroeconomic impacts of energy-efficient technology in buildings. More specifically, a special-purpose version of the 1997 benchmark national Input-Output (I-O) model was designed specifically to estimate the national employment and income effects of the deployment of Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) -developed energy-saving technologies. In comparison with the previous versions of the model, this version allows for more complete and automated analysis of the essential features of energy efficiency investments in buildings, industry, transportation, and the electric power sectors. This version also incorporates improvements in the treatment of operations and maintenance costs, and improves the treatment of financing of investment options. ImSET is also easier to use than extant macroeconomic simulation models and incorporates information developed by each of the EERE offices as part of the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act.

Axial focusing of energy from a hypervelocity impact on earth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boslough, M.B.; Chael, E.P.; Trucano, T.G.; Crawford, D.A.

1994-12-01

We have performed computational simulations to determine how energy from a large hypervelocity impact on the Earth`s surface would couple to its interior. Because of the first-order axial symmetry of both the impact energy source and the stress-wave velocity structure of the Earth, a disproportionate amount of energy is dissipated along the axis defined by the impact point and its antipode (point opposite the impact). For a symmetric and homogeneous Earth model, all the impact energy that is radiated as seismic waves into the Earth at a given takeoff angle (ray parameter), independent of azimuthal direction, is refocused (minus attenuation) on the axis of symmetry, regardless of the number of reflections and refractions it has experienced. Material on or near the axis of symmetry experiences more strain cycles with much greater amplitude than elsewhere, and therefore experiences more irreversible heating. The focusing is most intense in the upper mantle, within the asthenosphere, where seismic energy is most effectively converted to heat. For a sufficiently energetic impact, this mechanism might generate enough local heating to create an isostatic instability leading to uplift, possibly resulting in rifting, volcanism, or other rearrangement of the interior dynamics of the planet. These simulations demonstrate how hypervelocity impact energy can be transported to the Earth`s interior, supporting the possibility of a causal link between large impacts on Earth and major internally-driven geophysical processes.

The geopolitical impact of the shale revolution: Exploring consequences on energy prices and rentier states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auping, Willem L.; Pruyt, Erik; Jong, Sijbren de; Kwakkel, Jan H.

2016-01-01

While the shale revolution was largely a US’ affair, it affects the global energy system. In this paper, we look at the effects of this spectacular increase in natural gas, and oil, extraction capacity can have on the mix of primary energy sources, on energy prices, and through that on internal political stability of rentier states. We use two exploratory simulation models to investigate the consequences of the combination of both complexity and uncertainty in relation to the global energy system and state stability. Our simulations show that shale developments could be seen as part of a long term hog-cycle, with a short term drop in oil prices if unconventional supply substitutes demand for oil. These lower oil prices may lead to instability in rentier states neighbouring the EU, especially when dependence on oil and gas income is high, youth bulges are present, or buffers like sovereign wealth funds are too limited to bridge the negative economic effects of temporary low oil prices. - Highlights: • We quantitatively explore geopolitical consequences of the shale gas revolution. • We use a multi-model approach to generate and use energy price scenarios. • Simulations show that current low oil prices could be part of a hog cycle. • The shale gas boom was an early warning for the drop in oil prices. • Low prices due to shale gas can reduce internal stability in rentier states.

Energy Impact Illinois - Final Technical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olson, Daniel [Senior Energy Efficiency Planner; Plagman, Emily [Senior Energy Planner; Silberhorn, Joey-Lin [Energy Efficiency Program Assistant

2014-02-18

Energy Impact Illinois (EI2) is an alliance of government organizations, nonprofits, and regional utility companies led by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) that is dedicated to helping communities in the Chicago metropolitan area become more energy efficient. Originally organized as the Chicago Region Retrofit Ramp-Up (CR3), EI2 became part of the nationwide Better Buildings Neighborhood Program (BBNP) in May 2010 after receiving a $25 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) authorized through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The program’s primary goal was to fund initiatives that mitigate barriers to energy efficiency retrofitting activities across residential, multifamily, and commercial building sectors in the seven-county CMAP region and to help to build a sustainable energy efficiency marketplace. The EI2 Final Technical Report provides a detailed review of the strategies, implementation methods, challenges, lessons learned, and final results of the EI2 program during the initial grant period from 2010-2013. During the program period, EI2 successfully increased direct retrofit activity in the region and was able to make a broader impact on the energy efficiency market in the Chicago region. As the period of performance for the initial grant comes to an end, EI2’s legacy raises the bar for the region in terms of helping homeowners and building owners to take action on the continually complex issue of energy efficiency.

Environmental impact of wind energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mann, Jakob; Teilmann, Jonas

2013-01-01

One purpose of wind turbines is to provide pollution-free electric power at a reasonable price in an environmentally sound way. In this focus issue the latest research on the environmental impact of wind farms is presented. Offshore wind farms affect the marine fauna in both positive and negative...... ways. For example, some farms are safe havens for porpoises while other farms show fewer harbor porpoises even after ten years. Atmospheric computer experiments are carried out to investigate the possible impact and resource of future massive installations of wind turbines. The following questions...... are treated. What is the global capacity for energy production by the wind? Will the added turbulence and reduced wind speeds generated by massive wind farms cool or heat the surface? Can wind farms affect precipitation? It is also shown through life-cycle analysis how wind energy can reduce the atmospheric...

A boom in energy technology innovation despite decades of stagnant investment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bettencourt, Luis M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Trancik, Jessika A [SANTA FE INSTITUTE; Kaur, Jasleen [INDIANA UNIV

2009-01-01

Rates of patenting in energy technologies in the United States stagnated during a period of low federal investment in the sector from the mid-1980's through 2000. To analyze the current state of the field, we built a new comprehensive database of energy patents in the USA and worldwide aggregated by nation and technology. We show that innovation in energy technologies, as measured by numbers of new patents, has grown dramatically over the last decade both for renewable and fossil fuel-based technologies, but that traditional investment -government and private support for research and development (R&D) -has not risen commensurately. We also show that while venture capital investment in the sector has increased significantly in the last few years it lags the observed uptick in patenting. We find increasing patenting rates in nations worldwide but also differences in regional priorities, as well as a marked divergence in innovation rates across technologies. Renewable energy technologies - especially solar and wind - currently show the fastest rates of innovation, while patenting levels in nuclear fission have remained low despite relatively high levels of sustained investment. While this sharp increase of innovative activity bodes well for change in the energy sector, the future of emerging technologies may hinge on sustained investment in R&D and favorable incentives for market entry.

Insight conference reports : proceedings of the water and land use in Alberta forum : sustainable resource management in a boom economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Alberta's booming oil and gas industry has led to concerns over land and water use in the province. This forum provided a venue for the discussion of issues related to water and land use in Alberta. Various strategies for land use planning were evaluated. Regulatory frameworks for water and land pollution abatement were considered along with strategies for reducing the environmental impacts of oil and gas resource development in the province. The Wildlife, Habitat, and Species at Risk Act was discussed, as well as issues related to Canada's new endangered species laws. Issues concerning water scarcity and stakeholder relations were discussed. Various water management strategies were evaluated. One of the 14 presentations featured at this conference has been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

State and possibilities for development of renewable energy in Bulgaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varbanov, Marian; Temelkova, Maria

2011-01-01

After EU accession, Bulgaria adopted the following indicative goal: 16% of gross domestic energy consumption in 2020 to be produced from renewables. This has created favorable conditions and strong interest of Bulgarian and foreign business to invest in renewables. This interest is materialized in a boom in design and construction of the renewable energy installations. The paper examines the current state and opportunities for development of this sector in Bulgaria. Keywords: renewable energy, hydro power, wind power, solar power

Environmental impact directory system: preliminary implementation for geothermal energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hess, F.D.; Hall, R.T.; Fullenwider, E.D.

1976-07-01

An Environmental Impact Directory System (EIDS) was proposed as a method for a computerized search of the widely distributed data files and models pertaining to energy-related environmental effects. To define the scope and content of the system, an example was prepared for the case of geothermal energy. The resulting sub-directory is known as GEIDs (Geothermal Environmental Impact Directory System). In preparing or reviewing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the user may employ GEIDS as an extensive checklist to make sure he has taken into account all predictable impacts at any level of severity.

ImBuild: Impact of building energy efficiency programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, M.J.; Hostick, D.J.; Belzer, D.B.

1998-04-01

As part of measuring the impact of government programs on improving the energy efficiency of the Nation`s building stock, the Department of Energy Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS) is interested in assessing the economic impacts of its portfolio of programs, specifically the potential impact on national employment and income. The special-purpose version of the IMPLAN model used in this study is called ImBuild. In comparison with simple economic multiplier approaches, such as Department of Commerce RIMS 2 system, ImBuild allows for more complete and automated analysis of the economic impacts of energy efficiency investments in buildings. ImBuild is also easier to use than existing macroeconomic simulation models. The authors conducted an analysis of three sample BTS energy programs: the residential generator-absorber heat exchange gas heat pump (GAX heat pump), the low power sulfur lamp (LPSL) in residential and commercial applications, and the Building America program. The GAX heat pump would address the market for the high-efficiency residential combined heating and cooling systems. The LPSL would replace some highly efficient fluorescent commercial lighting. Building America seeks to improve the energy efficiency of new factory-built, modular, manufactured, and small-volume, site-built homes through use of systems engineering concepts and early incorporation of new products and processes, and by increasing the demand for more energy-efficient homes. The authors analyze a scenario for market penetration of each of these technologies devised for BTS programs reported in the BTS GPRA Metrics Estimates, FY99 Budget Request, December 19, 1997. 46 figs., 4 tabs.

The employment impacts of economy-wide investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett-Peltier, Heidi

This dissertation examines the employment impacts of investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the U.S. A broad expansion of the use of renewable energy in place of carbon-based energy, in addition to investments in energy efficiency, comprise a prominent strategy to slow or reverse the effects of anthropogenic climate change. This study first explores the literature on the employment impacts of these investments. This literature to date consists mainly of input-output (I-O) studies or case studies of renewable energy and energy efficiency (REEE). Researchers are constrained, however, by their ability to use the I-O model to study REEE, since currently industrial codes do not recognize this industry as such. I develop and present two methods to use the I-O framework to overcome this constraint: the synthetic and integrated approaches. In the former, I proxy the REEE industry by creating a vector of final demand based on the industrial spending patterns of REEE firms as found in the secondary literature. In the integrated approach, I collect primary data through a nationwide survey of REEE firms and integrate these data into the existing I-O tables to explicitly identify the REEE industry and estimate the employment impacts resulting from both upstream and downstream linkages with other industries. The size of the REEE employment multiplier is sensitive to the choice of method, and is higher using the synthetic approach than using the integrated approach. I find that using both methods, the employment level per $1 million demand is approximately three times greater for the REEE industry than for fossil fuel (FF) industries. This implies that a shift to clean energy will result in positive net employment impacts. The positive effects stem mainly from the higher labor intensity of REEE in relation to FF, as well as from higher domestic content and lower average wages. The findings suggest that as we transition away from a carbon-based energy system to

Evaluating the landscape impact of renewable energy plants

Science.gov (United States)

Ioannidis, Romanos; Koutsoyiannis, Demetris

2017-04-01

Different types of renewable energy have been on an ongoing competition with each other. There has been a lot of research comparing the most common types of renewable energy plants in relation with their efficiency, cost and environmental impact. However, few papers so far have attempted to analyse their impact on landscape and there has never been in depth research on which type of renewable energy causes the least impact on the natural, cultural and aesthetic characteristics of a landscape. This seems to be a significant omission given the vast areas of land already covered with renewable energy plants and the worldwide plans for many more renewable energy projects in the future. Meanwhile, the low aesthetic quality of renewable energy plants has already been an obstacle to their further development, with several relevant examples from countries such as Spain and the Netherlands. There have even been cases where aesthetic degradation is the primary or even the single argument of the opposition to proposed plants. In any case, the aesthetic design and the integration of renewable energy plants into the landscape should really be important design parameters if we plan those projects to truly be sustainable and to be considered complete works of engineering. To initiate dialogue over those aspects of renewable energy, we provide a first comparison on hydro, solar and wind energy. To materialize this comparison, we use data from existing dams, photovoltaic and wind farms. Initially, the average area per MW covered by each type of energy plant is calculated and then evaluated qualitatively from a landscape-impact perspective. Although the area affected is comparable in these three cases, the analysis of the data suggests that dams offer a considerable amount of advantages compared to the other two types of plants. This conclusion arises from the fact that dams, whose basic impact to the landscape is the creation of an artificial lake, contribute much less to the

The Brazilian energy matrix: Evolution analysis and its impact on farming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamas, Wendell de Queiroz; Giacaglia, Giorgio Eugenio Oscare

2013-01-01

This work proposes a technical and economic analysis of the Brazilian matrix energy evaluation, aiming at the evaluation of impacts inherent to technological innovation involved on energy matrix and the sectoral development. Particular attention is given to biomass energy, natural gas, and conventional fuels, considering their impacts on agricultural activity, identifying the highest potential for investment in this sector. As a result, a clear view of the importance of agricultural sector participation in the context of the Brazilian energy is obtained, not only as a consumer, but mainly through self-production energy policy of waste reuse as biomass and of biofuels. - Highlights: • We analyze the impact of Brazilian energy matrix on farming. • We highlight the socio-political-economic impact on the agricultural sector. • We highlight the biofuels potential

Environmental and social impacts of wind energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borch, Kristian; Clausen, Niels-Erik; Ellis, Geraint

2014-01-01

The most common reasons for non- technical delays to wind energy projects are local resistance and poor strategic spatial planning. This chapter looks at the environmental and social impacts of wind energy and discusses how the public can gain trust in the public planning and private project...

Clean Energy Policy Analysis: Impact Analysis of Potential Clean Energy Policy Options for the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Busche, S.; Doris, E.; Braccio, R.; Lippert, D.; Finch, P.; O' Toole, D.; Fetter, J.

2010-04-01

This report provides detailed analyses of 21 clean energy policy options considered by the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative working groups for recommendation to the 2010 Hawaii State Legislature. The report considers the impact each policy may have on ratepayers, businesses, and the state in terms of energy saved, clean energy generated, and the financial costs and benefits. The analyses provide insight into the possible impacts, both qualitative and quantitative, that these policies may have in Hawaii based on the experience with these policies elsewhere. As much as possible, the analyses incorporate Hawaii-specific context to reflect the many unique aspects of energy use in the State of Hawaii.

Impact of neighborhood design on energy performance and GHG emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hachem, Caroline

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Energy use and GHG emissions of different neighborhood designs are investigated. • Improving buildings energy performance reduces energy use and GHG emissions by 75%. • Density as isolated factor has limited effect on transport on per capita basis. • Distance to central business district impacts transport GHG emission significantly. - Abstract: This paper presents an innovative and holistic approach to the analysis of the impact of selected design parameters of a new solar community on its environmental performance, in terms of energy efficiency and carbon footprint (green-house gas (GHG) emissions). The design parameters include energy performance level of buildings, density, type of the neighborhood (mixed-use vs residential), location of the commercial center relative to residential areas and the design of the streets. Energy performance is measured as the balance between overall energy consumption for building operations (assuming an all-electric neighborhood) and electricity generation potential through integration of PV panels on available roof surfaces. Greenhouse gas emissions are those associated with building operations and transport. Results of simulations carried out on prototype neighborhoods located in the vicinity of Calgary, Alberta, Canada indicate that, while adopting high-energy efficiency measures can reduce the buildings’ impact by up to 75% in terms of energy consumption and GHG emissions, transport still has a large environmental impact. The parameters of highest impact on transport and its associated GHG emissions are the design of the neighborhood and the distance to the business center. Density, as isolated parameter, has a modest effect on the selected mode of transportation, in terms of using private or public transportation. While this study relates to a specific location and a range of design assumptions, the methodology employed can serve as a template for evaluating design alternatives of new sustainable

Energy sprawl or energy efficiency: climate policy impacts on natural habitat for the United States of America.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert I McDonald

Full Text Available Concern over climate change has led the U.S. to consider a cap-and-trade system to regulate emissions. Here we illustrate the land-use impact to U.S. habitat types of new energy development resulting from different U.S. energy policies. We estimated the total new land area needed by 2030 to produce energy, under current law and under various cap-and-trade policies, and then partitioned the area impacted among habitat types with geospatial data on the feasibility of production. The land-use intensity of different energy production techniques varies over three orders of magnitude, from 1.9-2.8 km(2/TW hr/yr for nuclear power to 788-1000 km(2/TW hr/yr for biodiesel from soy. In all scenarios, temperate deciduous forests and temperate grasslands will be most impacted by future energy development, although the magnitude of impact by wind, biomass, and coal to different habitat types is policy-specific. Regardless of the existence or structure of a cap-and-trade bill, at least 206,000 km(2 will be impacted without substantial increases in energy efficiency, which saves at least 7.6 km(2 per TW hr of electricity conserved annually and 27.5 km(2 per TW hr of liquid fuels conserved annually. Climate policy that reduces carbon dioxide emissions may increase the areal impact of energy, although the magnitude of this potential side effect may be substantially mitigated by increases in energy efficiency. The possibility of widespread energy sprawl increases the need for energy conservation, appropriate siting, sustainable production practices, and compensatory mitigation offsets.

Evaluating the environmental impacts of the energy system: The ENPEP [ENergy and Power Evaluation Program] approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, B.P.; Sapinski, P.F.; Cirillo, R.R.; Buehring, W.A.

1990-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has developed the ENergy and Power Evaluation Program (ENPEP), a PC-based energy planning package intended for energy/environmental analysis in developing countries. The IMPACTS module of ENPEP examines environmental implications of overall energy and electricity supply strategies that can be developed with other ENPEP modules, including ELECTRIC, the International Atomic Energy Agency's Wien Automatic System Planning Package (WASP-III). The paper presents the status and characteristics of a new IMPACTS module that is now under development at ANL. 3 figs

Environmental impact and benefit from hydro-energy: Bulgarian case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vesselinov, V.; Iotova, A.

1996-01-01

The present hydro energy system in Bulgaria has been constructed mainly in the period 1950-1965. The currently utilized hydro-power potential, only 33% of the estimated technical potential, includes 87 HPP operating in 1991. A complex assessment of the environmental impact of the hydro energy objects as well as a comparative analysis of all energy sources in Bulgaria is made in the framework of Bulgarian Case Study of the DECADES Inter-Agency Project. The main types of environmental impact related to HPP operation are presented in 7 specific categories: land requirements, changes in the landscape, hydrological changes, micro-climatic changes, geodynamic changes, risk from man-made activities; generation of new ecosystems. A technique of expertise in ball is proposed as a suitable quantitative approach for more precise assessment of impact on climate factors from different energy sources. 2 tabs., 5 refs

Mindfulness as a booming, diverse and (non) religious phenomenon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borup, Jørn

2016-01-01

Mindfulness has become a phenomenon with widespread appeal in many Western countries. Like yoga, it has an Eastern religious origin, but through a long history it has been transformed and adapted to new cultural and social contexts. While the majority of research on mindfulness has been conducted...... within the health sciences, the aim of this article is to investigate the distribution, meaning and function of this practice through quantitative mapping and qualitative interviews with 16 mindfulness providers in the city of Aarhus in Denmark. The analysis reveals not just a booming phenomenon......, but also a field characterized by diversity in terms of authority claims, motivations and uses. The discussion focuses on whether mindfulness can be seen as a religious practice or as a typical expression of an individualized and secularized technique....

Economic and environmental impacts of community-based residential building energy efficiency investment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jun-Ki; Morrison, Drew; Hallinan, Kevin P.; Brecha, Robert J.

2014-01-01

A systematic framework for evaluating the local economic and environmental impacts of investment in building energy efficiency is developed. Historical residential building energy data, community-wide economic input–output data, and emission intensity data are utilized. The aim of this study is to show the comprehensive insights and connection among achieving variable target reductions for a residential building energy use, economic and environmental impacts. Central to this approach for the building energy reduction goal is the creation of individual energy models for each building based upon historical energy data and available building data. From these models, savings estimates and cost implications can be estimated for various conservation measures. A ‘worst to first’ (WF) energy efficient investment strategy is adopted to optimize the level of various direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts on the local community. This evaluation helps to illumine opportunities to establish specific energy reduction targets having greatest economic impact in the community. From an environmental perspective, short term economy-wide CO 2 emissions increase because of the increased community-wide economic activities spurred by the production and installation of energy efficiency measures, however the resulting energy savings provide continuous CO 2 reduction for various target savings. - Highlights: • WF energy efficient strategy helps to optimize various level of economic impacts. • Greatest community benefits are achieved from specific energy reduction targets. • Community-wide economic impacts vary for different energy conservation measures

Brazilian energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Shaughnessy, H.

1997-04-01

Brazilian Energy provides all the information necessary for energy companies to invest and operate in Brazil, including: a review of Brazil's natural resources; an assessment of privatisation strategies at the federal, state and regional level; an analysis of the electricity industry and the future for Electrobras; an analysis of the oil industry and, in particular, Petrobras; a discussion of the fuel alcohol industry; the discovery of local natural gas, its prospects and the involvement of the auto industry; an assessment of the problems facing the coal industry and its future; a discussion of the regulatory framework for the newly privatised companies; the importance of intra-regional energy links and the booming membership of Mercosur; the difficulties experienced by foreign investors doing business in Brazil; brief profiles of the key energy companies; profiles of key people influencing the privatisation process in Brazil. Brazilian energy is essential reading for those wishing to advise and assist Brazil in this period of change and development, as well as those who wish to invest or become key players in the Brazilian energy sector. (author)

Minimization of local impact of energy systems through exergy analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cassetti, Gabriele; Colombo, Emanuela

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The model proposed aims at minimizing local impact of energy systems. • The model is meant to minimize the impact starting from system thermodynamics. • The formulation combines exergy analysis and quantitative risk analysis. • The approach of the model is dual to Thermoeconomics. - Abstract: For the acceptability of energy systems, environmental impacts are becoming more and more important. One primary way for reducing impacts related to processes is by improving efficiency of plants. A key instrument currently used to verify such improvements is exergy analysis, extended to include also the environmental externalities generated by systems. Through exergy-based analyses, it is possible indeed to evaluate the overall amount of resources consumed along all the phases of the life cycle of a system, from construction to dismantling. However, resource consumption is a dimension of the impact of a system at global level, while it may not be considered a measure of its local impact. In the paper a complementary approach named Combined Risk and Exergy Analysis (CRExA) to assess impacts from major accidents in energy systems is proposed, based on the combination of classical exergy analysis and quantitative risk analysis (QRA). Impacts considered are focused on effects on human health. The approach leads to the identification of solutions to minimize damages of major accidents by acting on the energy system design

Untamed Jianghu or Emerging Profession: Diagnosing the Psycho-Boom amid China's Mental Health Legislation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hsuan-Ying

2017-09-25

This article focuses on the psychotherapy debate in China that was triggered by the country's mental health legislation. Seeing the release of the draft Mental Health Law in 2011 as a "diagnostic event" (Moore in Am Ethnol 14(4):727-736, 1987), I examine the debate in order to unravel the underlying logic and ongoing dynamics of the psycho-boom that has become a conspicuous trend in urban China since the early 2000s. Drawing on my fieldwork in Beijing and Shanghai, I use the two keywords of the debate-"jianghu" (literally "rivers and lakes"), an indigenous term that evokes an untamed realm, and "profession," a foreign concept whose translation requires re-translation-to organize my delineation of its contours. I describe how anticipation of state regulation prompted fears and discontents as well as critical reflections and actions that aimed to transform the field into a profession. The efforts to mark out a professional core against the backdrop of unruly jianghu further faced the challenge of an alternative vision that saw popularization as an equally noble cause. The Mental Health Law came into effect in 2013; ultimately, however, it did not introduce substantive regulation. Finally, I discuss the implications of this debate and the prospects of the psycho-boom.

Employment impacts of solar energy in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cetin, Muejgan; Egrican, Niluefer

2011-01-01

Solar energy is considered a key source for the future, not only for Turkey, also for all of the world. Therefore the development and usage of solar energy technologies are increasingly becoming vital for sustainable economic development. The main objective of this study is investigating the employment effects of solar energy industry in Turkey. Some independent reports and studies, which analyze the economic and employment impacts of solar energy industry in the world have been reviewed. A wide range of methods have been used in those studies in order to calculate and to predict the employment effects. Using the capacity targets of the photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants in the solar Roadmap of Turkey, the prediction of the direct and indirect employment impacts to Turkey's economy is possible. As a result, solar energy in Turkey would be the primary source of energy demand and would have a big employment effects on the economics. That can only be achieved with the support of governmental feed-in tariff policies of solar energy and by increasing research-development funds. - Highlights: → The objective of the study, is investigating employment effects of solar energy. → Using the capacity targets of the PV and CSP plants in solar roadmap of Turkey. → Direct employment has been calculated by constructing of the solar power plant. → If multiplier effect is accepted as 2, total employment will be doubled. → Validity of the figures depends on the government's policies.

Venture Capital and Cleantech: The wrong model for energy innovation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaddy, Benjamin E.; Sivaram, Varun; Jones, Timothy B.; Wayman, Libby

2017-01-01

Venture capital (VC) firms spent over $25 billion funding clean energy technology (cleantech) start-ups from 2006 to 2011. Less than half of that capital was returned; as a result, funding has dried up in the cleantech sector. But as the International Energy Agency warns, without new energy technologies, the world cannot cost-effectively confront climate change. In this article, we present the most comprehensive account to date of the cleantech VC boom and bust. Our results aggregate hundreds of investments to calculate the risk and return profile of cleantech, and we compare the outcomes with those of medical and software technology investments. Cleantech posed high risks and yielded low returns to VCs. We conclude that among cleantech investments, “deep technology” investments—in companies developing new hardware, materials, chemistries, or manufacturing processes—consumed the most capital and yielded the lowest returns. We propose that broader support from policymakers, corporations, and investors is needed to underpin new innovation pathways for cleantech. - Highlights: • A venture capital boom in clean energy technology went bust in 2008. • Cleantech offered high risk and low returns to investors. • Poor performance due to long development time for materials and chemicals. • Breakthrough energy innovations are often not a match for venture capital. • More research on alternative financing and support for cleantech is needed.

An Overview on Impact Behaviour and Energy Absorption of Collapsible Metallic and Non-Metallic Energy Absorbers used in Automotive Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Shinde, R. B.; Mali, K. D.

2018-04-01

Collapsible impact energy absorbers play an important role of protecting automotive components from damage during collision. Collision of the two objects results into the damage to one or both of them. Damage may be in the form of crack, fracture and scratch. Designers must know about how the material and object behave under impact event. Owing to above reasons different types of collapsible impact energy absorbers are developed. In the past different studies were undertaken to improve such collapsible impact energy absorbers. This article highlights such studies on common shapes of collapsible impact energy absorber and their impact behaviour under the axial compression. The literature based on studies and analyses of effects of different geometrical parameters on the crushing behaviour of impact energy absorbers is presented in detail. The energy absorber can be of different shape such as circular tube, square tube, and frustums of cone and pyramids. The crushing behaviour of energy absorbers includes studies on crushing mechanics, modes of deformation, energy absorbing capacity, effect on peak and mean crushing load. In this work efforts are made to cover major outcomes from past studies on such behavioural parameters. Even though the major literature reviewed is related to metallic energy absorbers, emphasis is also laid on covering literature on use of composite tube, fiber metal lamination (FML) member, honeycomb plate and functionally graded thickness (FGT) tube as a collapsible impact energy absorber.

China expands refining sector to handle booming oil demand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

China's refining sector is in the midst of a major expansion and reorganization in response to booming domestic demand for petroleum products. Plans call for hiking crude processing capacity to 3.9 million b/d in 1995 from the current 3.085 million b/d. Much of that 26% increase will come where the products demand growth is the strongest: China's coastal provinces, notably those in the southeast. Despite the demand surge, China's refineries operated at only 74% of capacity in 1991, and projections for 1992 weren't much better. Domestic crude supply is limited because of Beijing's insistence on maintaining crude export levels, a major source of hard currency foreign exchange. The paper discusses the superheated demand; exports and imports; the refining infrastructure; the Shenzhen refinery; Hong Kong demand; southeast coast demand; 1993 plans; and foreign investment

Technetium behaviour in Boom Clay - a laboratory and field study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baston, G.M.N.; Ilett, D.J.; Cowper, M.M.; Pilkington, N.J.; Tweed, C.J.; Williams, S.J.; Canniere, P.R. de; Wang, L.

2002-01-01

This paper describes a study of technetium solubility and migration under chemical conditions representative of those prevailing in a Boom Clay environment. Laboratory and in situ measurements yielded similar aqueous concentrations of technetium, of about 1 x 10 -8 mol dm -3 , close to the concentrations measured for hydrated technetium(IV) oxide TcO 2 .1.6H 2 O in the solubility studies. From fitting the curves of the Tc concentrations as function of time, distribution coefficient (K d ) values were estimated to lie between 0.8 cm 3 g -1 and 1.8 cm 3 g -1 . Exposure of the system at 80 C and to γ-radiation dose rates of several hundred Gy h -1 resulted in only minor differences in behaviour. (orig.)

Renewable energy investment: Policy and market impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, Wolf Heinrich; Szolgayová, Jana; Fuss, Sabine; Obersteiner, Michael

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Feedback of decisions to the market: large companies can have an impact on prices in the market. ► Multiple uncertainties: analysis of uncertainties emanating from both markets and environment. ► Policy analysis: impact of uncertainty about the durability of feed-in tariffs. -- Abstract: The liberalization of electricity markets in recent years has enhanced competition among power-generating firms facing uncertain decisions of competitors and thus uncertain prices. At the same time, promoting renewable energy has been a key ingredient in energy policy seeking to de-carbonize the energy mix. Public incentives for companies to invest in renewable technologies range from feed-in tariffs, to investment subsidies, tax credits, portfolio requirements and certificate systems. We use a real options model in discrete time with lumpy multiple investments to analyze the decisions of an electricity producer to invest into new power generating capacity, to select the type of technology and to optimize its operation under price uncertainty and with market effects. We account for both the specific characteristics of renewables and the market effects of investment decisions. The prices are determined endogenously by the supply of electricity in the market and by exogenous electricity price uncertainty. The framework is used to analyze energy policy, as well as the reaction of producers to uncertainty in the political and regulatory framework. In this way, we are able to compare different policies to foster investment into renewables and analyze their impacts on the market.

Energy Frontier Research Centers: Impact Report, January 2017

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2017-01-31

Since its inception in 2009, the U. S. Department of Energy’s Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) program has become an important research modality in the Department’s portfolio, enabling high impact research that addresses key scientific challenges for energy technologies. Funded by the Office of Science’s Basic Energy Sciences program, the EFRCs are located across the United States and are led by universities, national laboratories, and private research institutions. These multi-investigator, multidisciplinary centers bring together world-class teams of researchers, often from multiple institutions, to tackle the toughest scientific challenges preventing advances in energy technologies. The EFRCs’ fundamental scientific advances are having a significant impact that is being translated to industry. In 2009 five-year awards were made to 46 EFRCs, including 16 that were fully funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). An open recompetition of the program in 2014 resulted in fouryear awards to 32 centers, 22 of which are renewals of existing EFRCs and 10 of which are new EFRCs. In 2016, DOE added four new centers to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs needed to support the Department’s environmental management and nuclear cleanup mission, bringing the total number of active EFRCs to 36. The impact reports in this document describe some of the many scientific accomplishments and greater impacts of the class of 2009 – 2018 EFRCs and early outcomes from a few of the class of 2014 – 2018 EFRCs.

Energy analysis and environmental impacts of microalgal biodiesel in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao Yanfen; Huang Zehao; Ma Xiaoqian

2012-01-01

The entire life cycle of biodiesel produced by microalgal biomasses was evaluated using the method of life cycle assessment (LCA) to identify and quantify the fossil energy requirements and environmental impact loading of the system. The life cycle considers microalgae cultivation, harvesting, drying, oil extraction, anaerobic digestion, oil transportation, esterification, biodiesel transportation and biodiesel combustion. The investigation results show that the fossil energy requirement for the biodiesel production is 0.74 MJ/MJ biodiesel, indicating that 1 MJ of biodiesel requires an input of 0.74 MJ of fossil energy. Accordingly, biodiesel production is feasible as an energy producing process. The environmental impact loading of microalgal biodiesel is 3.69 PET 2010 (Person Equivalents, Targeted, in 2010) and the GWP is 0.16 kg CO 2-eq /MJ biodiesel. The effects of photochemical ozone formation were greatest among all calculated categorization impacts. The fossil energy requirement and GWP in this operation were found to be particularly sensitive to oil content, drying rate and esterification rate. Overall, the results presented herein indicate that the cultivation of microalgae has the potential to produce an environmentally sustainable feedstock for the production of biodiesel. - Highlights: ► Do energy analysis and environmental impacts of algal biodiesel in China. ► GWP and energy consumption are sensitive to lipid content and drying rate. ► Fossil energy consumption for algal biodiesel is 0.74 MJ/MJ. ► Microalgae are an environmentally sustainable feedstock for biodiesel production.

Modeling In-stream Tidal Energy Extraction and Its Potential Environmental Impacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Zhaoqing; Wang, Taiping; Copping, Andrea; Geerlofs, Simon H.

2014-09-30

In recent years, there has been growing interest in harnessing in-stream tidal energy in response to concerns of increasing energy demand and to mitigate climate change impacts. While many studies have been conducted to assess and map tidal energy resources, efforts for quantifying the associated potential environmental impacts have been limited. This paper presents the development of a tidal turbine module within a three-dimensional unstructured-grid coastal ocean model and its application for assessing the potential environmental impacts associated with tidal energy extraction. The model is used to investigate in-stream tidal energy extraction and associated impacts on estuarine hydrodynamic and biological processes in a tidally dominant estuary. A series of numerical experiments with varying numbers and configurations of turbines installed in an idealized estuary were carried out to assess the changes in the hydrodynamics and biological processes due to tidal energy extraction. Model results indicated that a large number of turbines are required to extract the maximum tidal energy and cause significant reduction of the volume flux. Preliminary model results also indicate that extraction of tidal energy increases vertical mixing and decreases flushing rate in a stratified estuary. The tidal turbine model was applied to simulate tidal energy extraction in Puget Sound, a large fjord-like estuary in the Pacific Northwest coast.

Asymmetric impacts of international energy shocks on macroeconomic activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeh, Fang-Yu; Hu, Jin-Li; Lin, Cheng-Hsun

2012-01-01

While limited by its scarcity of natural resources, the impacts of energy price changes on Taiwan's economic activities have been an important issue for social public and government authorities. This study applies the multivariate threshold model to investigate the effects of various international energy price shocks on Taiwan's macroeconomic activity. By separating energy price changes into the so-called decrease and increase regimes, we can realize different impacts of energy price changes and their shocks on economic output. The results confirm that there is an asymmetric threshold effect for the energy-output nexus. The optimal threshold levels are exactly where the oil price change is at 2.48%, the natural gas price change is at 0.66%, and the coal price change is at 0.25%. The impulse response analysis suggests that oil price and natural gas shocks have a delayed negative impact on macroeconomic activities. - Highlights: ► This study applies multivariate threshold model to investigate the effects of various international energy price shocks on Taiwan's macroeconomic activity. ► The results confirm that there is an asymmetric threshold effect for energy-output nexus. ► The optimal threshold levels are exactly found where oil price change is at 2.48%, natural gas price change is at 0.66%, and coal price change is at 0.25%.

Systems-design and energy-balance considerations for impact fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krakowski, R.A.; Miller, R.L.

1979-01-01

Areas of concern and potential problems for impact fusion are qualitatively considered within an overall systems context. A parametric and qualitative description of the general energy balance and systems considerations for an Impact Fusion Reactor (IFR) design is discussed. Reactor systems design considerations for an IFR are presented. An attempt to assess the IFR viability is made based on highly simplified but limiting projectile-target energy balances and thermonuclear burn models

Targeted Energy Transfer Phenomena in Vibro-Impact Oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young S.; McFarland, D. Michael; Bergman, Lawrence A.; Nucera, Francesco; Vakakis, Alexander F.

2008-01-01

We study targeted energy transfer (TET) in a coupled oscillator, consisting of a single-degree-of-freedom primary linear oscillator coupled to a vibro-impact nonlinear energy sink (VI NES). For this purpose, we first compute the VI periodic orbits of the underlying hamiltonian VI system, and construct the corresponding frequency-energy plot (FEP). Then, considering inelastic impacts and viscous dissipation, we examine VI damped transitions on the FEP to identify a TET phenomenon by exciting a VI impulsive orbit, which is the most efficient mechanism for TET. Not only can the VI TET involve passive absorption and local dissipation of significant portions of the energy from the primary systems, but it occurs at sufficiently fast time scales. This renders VI NESs suitable for applications, like seismic mitigation, where shock elimination in the early, highly energetic regime of the motion is a critical requirement

Finding of no significant impact for the State Energy Conservation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA), DOE/EA 1068, to assess the environmental impacts associated with the State Energy Conservation Program (SECP). DOE previously funded SECP projects under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA). The State Energy Efficiency Programs Improvements Act of 1990 (SEEPIA) and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT) amended EPCA to broaden the range of state initiatives qualifying for Federal assistance under the SECP. The PEA presents a general analysis of the potential environmental effects associated with broad types of projects that can be funded under the SECP. It does not analyze specific environmental effects or alternatives associated with individual energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy projects. Individual actions are to be evaluated in detail on a project-by-project basis to determine whether their impacts fall within the bounding analysis of the impacts analyzed in the SECP PEA

Environmental impacts from the solar energy technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsoutsos, Theocharis; Frantzeskaki, Niki; Gekas, Vassilis

2005-01-01

Solar energy systems (photovoltaics, solar thermal, solar power) provide significant environmental benefits in comparison to the conventional energy sources, thus contributing, to the sustainable development of human activities. Sometimes however, their wide scale deployment has to face potential negative environmental implications. These potential problems seem to be a strong barrier for a further dissemination of these systems in some consumers. To cope with these problems this paper presents an overview of an Environmental Impact Assessment. We assess the potential environmental intrusions in order to ameliorate them with new technological innovations and good practices in the future power systems. The analysis provides the potential burdens to the environment, which include - during the construction, the installation and the demolition phases, as well as especially in the case of the central solar technologies - noise and visual intrusion, greenhouse gas emissions, water and soil pollution, energy consumption, labour accidents, impact on archaeological sites or on sensitive ecosystems, negative and positive socio-economic effects

Proposed Training Plan to Improve Building Energy Efficiency in Vietnam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Sha; Evans, Meredydd

2013-01-01

Vietnam has experienced fast growth in energy consumption in the past decade, with annual growth rate of over 12 percent. This is accompanied by the fast increase in commercial energy use, driven by rapid industrialization, expansion of motorized transport, and increasing energy use in residential and commercial buildings. Meanwhile, Vietnam is experiencing rapid urbanization at a rate of 3.4 percent per year; and the majority of the growth centered in and near major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This has resulted in a construction boom in Vietnam.

Renewable biomass energy: Understanding regional scale environmental impacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graham, R.L.; Downing, M.

1993-12-31

If biomass energy is to become a significant component of the US energy sector, millions of acres of farmland must be converted to energy crops. The environmental implications of this change in land use must be quantitatively evaluated. The land use changes will be largely driven by economic considerations. Farmers will grow energy crops when it is profitable to do so. Thus, models which purport to predict environmental changes induced by energy crop production must take into account those economic features which will influence land use change. In this paper, we present an approach for projecting the probable environmental impacts of growing energy crops at the regional scale. The approach takes into account both economic and environmental factors. We demonstrate the approach by analyzing, at a county-level the probable impact of switchgrass production on erosion, evapotranspiration, nitrate in runoff, and phosphorous fertilizer use in multi-county subregions within the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region. Our results show that the adoption of switchgrass production will have different impacts in each subregion as a result of differences in the initial land use and soil conditions in the subregions. Erosion, evapotranspiration, and nitrate in runoff are projected to decrease in both subregions as switchgrass displaces the current crops. Phosphorous fertilizer applications are likely to increase in one subregion and decrease in the other due to initial differences in the types of conventional crops grown in each subregion. Overall these changes portend an improvement in water quality in the subregions with the increasing adoption of switchgrass.

Renewable biomass energy: Understanding regional scale environmental impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, R.L.; Downing, M.

1993-01-01

If biomass energy is to become a significant component of the US energy sector, millions of acres of farmland must be converted to energy crops. The environmental implications of this change in land use must be quantitatively evaluated. The land use changes will be largely driven by economic considerations. Farmers will grow energy crops when it is profitable to do so. Thus, models which purport to predict environmental changes induced by energy crop production must take into account those economic features which will influence land use change. In this paper, we present an approach for projecting the probable environmental impacts of growing energy crops at the regional scale. The approach takes into account both economic and environmental factors. We demonstrate the approach by analyzing, at a county-level, the probable impact of switchgrass production on erosion, evapotranspiration, nitrate in runoff, and phosphorous fertilizer use in two multi-county subregions within the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region. Our results show that the adoption of switchgrass production will have different impacts in each subregion as a result of differences in the initial land use and soil conditions in the subregions. Erosion, evapotranspiration, and nitrate in runoff are projected to decrease in both subregions as switchgrass displaces the current crops. Phosphorous fertilizer applications are likely to increase in one subregion and decrease in the other due to initial differences in the types of conventional crops grown in each subregion. Overall these changes portend an improvement in water quality in the subregions with the increasing adoption of switchgrass

Energy subsidies: lessons learned in assessing their impact and designing policy reforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moltke, A. von; McKee, C.; Morgan, T.

2004-02-01

This book, which is based on the work carried out by the International Energy Agency and UNEP, explores the potential impacts of energy subsidies and provides guidelines for policy makers on how to implement reform of energy subsides. The background on energy subsidies is traced and an analytical framework is presented covering defining and measuring energy subsidies, the size of the subsidies, and analysis of the impact of subsidies and their reform. Energy subsidies in OECD countries, Czech and Slovak Republics, Russia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Iran and Senegal are examined along with the impact of removing energy subsidies in Chile, the findings of country case studies, and the design and implementation of energy subsidies reforms. Methodological approaches to analysing the economic, environmental and social effects of energy subsidy reform are considered in the Annex

Climate policy impacts on the competitiveness of energy-intensive manufacturing sectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bassi, Andrea M. [Millennium Institute, 2111 Wilson Blvd, Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201 (United States); University of Bergen, Postboks 7800, 5020 Bergen (Norway); Yudken, Joel S. [High Road Strategies, LLC, 104 N. Columbus Street, Arlington, VA 22203 (United States); Ruth, Matthias [University of Maryland, 3139 Van Munching Hall, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

2009-08-15

This study examines the impacts of energy price changes resulting from different carbon-pricing policies on the competitiveness of selected US energy-intensive industries. It further examines possible industry responses, and identifies and provides a preliminary evaluation of potential opportunities to mitigate these impacts. The industry sectors investigated - steel, aluminum, chemicals and paper - are among the largest industrial users of fossil fuels in the US economy. The results of this examination show that climate policies that put a price on carbon could have substantial impacts on the competitiveness of US energy-intensive manufacturing sectors over the next two decades, if climate regulations are applied only in the United States, and no action is taken to invest in advanced low- and no-carbon technologies. The extent of these impacts will vary across industries, depending on their energy intensities, the mix of energy sources they rely on and how energy is used in production activities (heat and power, feedstock). Of relevance is also the speed and rigor with which industries adopt new technologies and retire (or replace) old ones. Other factors affecting these impacts include an industry's vulnerability to foreign imports and its ability to pass through cost increases to its customers in the face of international market competition. (author)

Climate policy impacts on the competitiveness of energy-intensive manufacturing sectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bassi, Andrea M.; Yudken, Joel S.; Ruth, Matthias

2009-01-01

This study examines the impacts of energy price changes resulting from different carbon-pricing policies on the competitiveness of selected US energy-intensive industries. It further examines possible industry responses, and identifies and provides a preliminary evaluation of potential opportunities to mitigate these impacts. The industry sectors investigated - steel, aluminum, chemicals and paper - are among the largest industrial users of fossil fuels in the US economy. The results of this examination show that climate policies that put a price on carbon could have substantial impacts on the competitiveness of US energy-intensive manufacturing sectors over the next two decades, if climate regulations are applied only in the United States, and no action is taken to invest in advanced low- and no-carbon technologies. The extent of these impacts will vary across industries, depending on their energy intensities, the mix of energy sources they rely on and how energy is used in production activities (heat and power, feedstock). Of relevance is also the speed and rigor with which industries adopt new technologies and retire (or replace) old ones. Other factors affecting these impacts include an industry's vulnerability to foreign imports and its ability to pass through cost increases to its customers in the face of international market competition.

Supply of the numerical simulation for the evaluation of the sonic boom of meteorites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henneton, Martin

2013-01-01

Within the framework of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, infra-sound is one survey technique monitoring nuclear explosions. These ones have to be distinguished from natural sources of infra-sound like atmospheric meteorite entries. With a view to investigate meteorites as an infra-sound source, finite volume simulations of the hypersonic flow are performed at sufficiently far distances to reach the acoustic regime. They are then matched to a nonlinear ray tracing method to propagate the signal within the atmosphere down to the ground. For perfect gases, this approach allows us to validate the theoretical model based on simplifying assumptions. More realistic simulations in real gases at thermochemical equilibrium, show a major modification of the pressure field in the near field but a moderate influence for infra-sound at the ground level. Numerical results are compared to infra-sound and seismic measurements in the case of the well-documented meteorite of Carancas (Peru, 2007). This confrontation highlights a good agreement for the spectrum of the waveform but a large overestimation of the overpressure at receptors located near the impact crater. This study also allowed us to propose a new entry trajectory for the meteorite, and to identify one of the recorded signals as a sonic boom. (author) [fr

Evaluation the potential economic impacts of Taiwanese biomass energy production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Chi-Chung; McCarl, Bruce; Chang, Ching-Cheng; Tso, Chunto

2011-01-01

The Taiwanese rice paddy land set-aside program diverts a substantial land area. Given today's high energy prices and interests in energy security, that set-aside area could be converted to produce bioenergy feedstocks. This study evaluates the economic and environmental impacts of such a policy change using a Taiwanese agricultural sector model. The results show that such a strategy provides increased farm revenue, increased rural employment, increased energy sufficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions but also increased government expenditures. These outcomes indicate that the agricultural sector could play a positive role by producing renewable energy. -- Highlights: → This paper evaluates the economic and environmental impacts of converting set-aside area to produce bioenergy feedstocks. → Taiwanese agricultural sector model is built and applied to evaluate such impacts. → The empirical results show that producing bioenergy using set-aside area could provide increased farm revenue, increased rural employment, increased energy sufficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions but also increased government expenditures. → Agricultural sector in Taiwan could play a positive role by producing renewable energy.

Impact Energy Absorbing Capability of Metal/Polymer Hybrid Sheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kong, Kyungil; Kwon, O Bum; Park, Hyung Wook [Ulsan Nat’l Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-15

Recently, the reduction of vehicle weight has been increasingly studied, in order to enhance the fuel efficiency of passenger cars. In particular, the seat frame is being studied actively, owing to considerations of driver safety from external impact damage. Therefore, this study focuses on high strength steel sheet (SPFC980)/polymer heterojunction hybrid materials, and their performance in regards to impact energy absorption. The ratio of impact energy absorption was observed to be relatively higher in the SPFC980/polymer hybrid materials under the impact load. This was found by calculating the equivalent flexural rigidity, which is the bending effect, according to the Castigliano theorem. An efficient wire-web structure was investigated through the simulation of different wire-web designs such as triangular, rectangular, octagonal, and hexagonal structures. The hexagonal wire-web structure was shown to have the least impact damage, according to the simulations. This study can be utilized for seat frame design for passengers’ safety, owing to efficient impact absorption.

3.4 Environmental impacts: energy industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The subchapter 3.4 'Environmental impact of the energy industry' of the 7th state of the environment report analyzes the current situation in Austria and briefly describes the following aspects: environmental policy targets, uniform taxation of energy, use of renewable energy sources, efficient use of energy, energy input, electricity supply and input, energy input into space heating and air conditioning systems, and renewable energy. In 2002, the input of final energy was risen by about 5 % in comparison to 1998. During this period, the largest increments in final energy inputs were recorded in the mobility sector with + 9.4 %, and in the private households sector with + 8.3 % . The goods production sector showed a slight decrease of about 1.3 % between 1998 and 2002. The 'goods production', 'mobility' and 'private households' sectors combined require about 87 % of the total final energy input. The final energy input for space heating and hot water in 2001 was 5.7 % above the input in 1998. Energy supply from renewable energy sources rose by about 13.8 % in 2002 compared to 1998. Domestic electricity consumption (excluding consumption for pumped-storage systems) in 2002 was about 10.5 % above consumption in 1998. Physical imports and physical exports in 2002 increased about 32 % and 8.6 % correspondingly compared to 1999. (nevyjel)

Climate impacts on extreme energy consumption of different types of buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mingcai; Shi, Jun; Guo, Jun; Cao, Jingfu; Niu, Jide; Xiong, Mingming

2015-01-01

Exploring changes of building energy consumption and its relationships with climate can provide basis for energy-saving and carbon emission reduction. Heating and cooling energy consumption of different types of buildings during 1981-2010 in Tianjin city, was simulated by using TRNSYS software. Daily or hourly extreme energy consumption was determined by percentile methods, and the climate impact on extreme energy consumption was analyzed. The results showed that days of extreme heating consumption showed apparent decrease during the recent 30 years for residential and large venue buildings, whereas days of extreme cooling consumption increased in large venue building. No significant variations were found for the days of extreme energy consumption for commercial building, although a decreasing trend in extreme heating energy consumption. Daily extreme energy consumption for large venue building had no relationship with climate parameters, whereas extreme energy consumption for commercial and residential buildings was related to various climate parameters. Further multiple regression analysis suggested heating energy consumption for commercial building was affected by maximum temperature, dry bulb temperature, solar radiation and minimum temperature, which together can explain 71.5 % of the variation of the daily extreme heating energy consumption. The daily extreme cooling energy consumption for commercial building was only related to the wet bulb temperature (R2= 0.382). The daily extreme heating energy consumption for residential building was affected by 4 climate parameters, but the dry bulb temperature had the main impact. The impacts of climate on hourly extreme heating energy consumption has a 1-3 hour delay in all three types of buildings, but no delay was found in the impacts of climate on hourly extreme cooling energy consumption for the selected buildings.

Comparing the health impacts of different energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, L.D.

1982-01-01

Assessing health impacts of different energy sources requires synthesis of research results from many different disciplines into a rational framework. Information is often scanty; qualitatively different risks, or energy systems with substantially different end uses, must be put on a common footing. Historically institutional constraints have inhibited agencies from making incisive intercomparisons necessary for formulating energy policy; this has exacerbated public controversy over appropriate energy sources. Risk assessment methods reviewed include examples drawn from work of the Biomedical and Environmental Assessment Division at Brookhaven National Laboratory and elsewhere. Uncertainty over the mechanism and size of air pollution health damage is addressed through a probabilistic health-damage function, using sulphate-particle exposure as an indicator. This facilitates intercomparison through analysis of each step in the whole fuel cycle between a typical coal and nuclear power plant. Occupational health impacts, a significant fraction of overall damage, are illustrated by accident trends in coal-mining. In broadening comparisons to include new technologies, one must include the impact of manufacturing the energy-producing device as part of an expanded fuel cycle, via input/output methods. Throughout the analysis, uncertainties must be made explicit in the results, including uncertainty of data and uncertainty in choice of appropriate models and methods. No single method of comparative risk assessment is fully satisfactory; each has its limitations. Several methods must be compared if decision-making is to be realistic. (author)

Energy and environmental quality: case histories of impact management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-06-01

A discussion of energy source devlopments and environmental protection dealing with impacts, and legal aspects of pollution controls and resource management, and case history studies of major energy projects is presented

The role of natural organic matter in the migration behaviour of americium in the Boom clay - Part II: analysis of migration experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicks, T.; Bennett, D.; Maes, N.; Wang, L.; Warwick, P.; Hall, T.; Walker, G.; Dierckx, A.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: In demonstrating the suitability of Boom Clay as a potential site for the disposal of radioactive waste in Belgium, the role of the relatively high amount of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) present in the Boom Clay on the mobility of critical radionuclides needs investigation. Trivalent actinides and lanthanides form strong complexes with humic substances. Complexation of these trivalent radionuclides with NOM present in the Boom Clay may have opposing effects. If complexed by the aqueous phase (mobile) NOM, radionuclide transport will be governed by the mobility of these dissolved radionuclide-NOM species. If complexed by the solid phase (immobile) NOM, migration will be retarded. One of the aims of the EC projects TRANCOM-Clay and TRANCOM-II was to investigate the role of mobile NOM as radionuclide carrier with the objective of deriving conceptual models that can be implemented in repository performance assessment (PA) models. A separate paper describes the results of column migration experiments involving the transport of 241 Am- 14 C-NOM complexes through Boom Clay cores. This paper describes the transport model, POPCORN, that was developed to describe and evaluate the influence of NOM on radionuclide transport in clay, taking into account attachment/detachment rates of NOM to clay surfaces and the kinetics of RN complexation to, and destabilization from, NOM. The POPCORN model was used to evaluate diffusion experiments involving injection of 14 C-labelled NOM in Boom Clay cores. Model fits were obtained by varying the rates of filtration of NOM by attachment to the surface of the clay matrix. POPCORN was then used to analyse the 241 Am- 14 C-NOM migration experiments. The stability properties of the 241 Am-NOM were characterised by kinetic constants, and good matches to the migration data were achieved for the experiments. The findings suggest that a small sub-population of the original 241 Am-OM is the most stable, and that this

Evaluating the impacts of energy supply technology options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peachey, B.R.

2009-01-01

The newly formed Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC)/Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) Energy Subject Division is working to develop a methodology for assessing and communicating to governments, regulators and the public the relative merits of different technologies for meeting energy demand requirements or reducing energy consumption. The focus is on developing a process that considers a broader range of issues than basic economics, or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The 12 assessment criteria proposed would address five major areas of concerns including: a) how well assumptions have been tested against the scientific method over the life cycle of an energy development, b) impacts on the availability of the basic requirements for life, c) maintaining the quality of human life, d) maintaining the quality of the local environment (air, land and water), in the area where a specific technology is used, and e) considers the potential global impacts of GHG emissions. (author)

Testing the Deployment Repeatability of a Precision Deployable Boom Prototype for the Proposed SWOT Karin Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Agnes, Gregory S.; Waldman, Jeff; Hughes, Richard; Peterson, Lee D.

2015-01-01

NASA's proposed Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, scheduled to launch in 2020, would provide critical information about Earth's oceans, ocean circulation, fresh water storage, and river discharge. The mission concept calls for a dual-antenna Ka-band radar interferometer instrument, known as KaRIn, that would map the height of water globally along two 50 km wide swaths. The KaRIn antennas, which would be separated by 10 meters on either side of the spacecraft, would need to be precisely deployable in order to meet demanding pointing requirements. Consequently, an effort was undertaken to design build and prototype a precision deployable Mast for the KaRIn instrument. Each mast was 4.5-m long with a required dilitation stability of 2.5 microns over 3 minutes. It required a minimum first mode of 7 Hz. Deployment repeatability was less than +/- 7 arcsec in all three rotation directions. Overall mass could not exceed 41.5 Kg including any actuators and thermal blanketing. This set of requirements meant the boom had to be three times lighter and two orders of magnitude more precise than the existing state of the art for deployable booms.

Layout of the manipulator-arm (boom) for the TFTR fusion reactor (Princeton, USA) under UHV-conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klaubert, J.

1987-01-01

This presentation shows the main criteria for the layout of the manipulator - arm and the antechamber - vessel of the TFTR - FUSION - REACTOR at Princeton University, PLASMA PHYSICS LABORATORY (USA). The main problem during layout of a manipulator system like the TFTR - Boom has been the limitation of the vertical deflections due to deadweight of the construction. The design problem is rather a deformation problem and a problem of stability than a stress problem. The way of optimizing the ratio between stiffness and deadweight is the most important part during the complete design - process. Additional earthquake requirements need further investigations for a satisfying layout (horizontal forces, weak-axis of moment of inertia). The details of the construction (welding, connections etc.) have to be designed in respect to UHV - requirements --> no holes and no fillet welds (outgasing - rate.) are allowed. All weldings have to be designed as bevel-welds. This manipulator system is designed for working in a plane system (two degrees of freedom). A manipulator system with the same operating capabilities in a three degree of freedom system needs larger cross sections for the different beam-elements than those of the discussed TFTR - BOOM

Impact of Clean Energy R&D on the U.S. Power Sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donohoo-Vallett, Paul [Dept. of Energy (DOE), Washington DC (United States); Mai, Trieu [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Strategic Energy Analysis Center. Energy Forecasting and Modeling Group; Mowers, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Strategic Energy Analysis Center. Energy Forecasting and Modeling Group; Porro, Gian [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Strategic Energy Analysis Center. Energy Forecasting and Modeling Group

2017-01-01

The U.S. government, along with other governments, private corporations and organizations, invests significantly in research, development, demonstration and deployment (RDD&D) activities in clean energy technologies, in part to achieve the goal of a clean, secure, and reliable energy system. While specific outcomes and breakthroughs resulting from RDD&D investment are unpredictable, it can be instructive to explore the potential impacts of clean energy RDD&D activities in the power sector and to place those impacts in the context of current and anticipated market trends. This analysis builds on and leverages analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) titled “Energy CO₂ Emissions Impacts of Clean Energy Technology Innovation and Policy” (DOE 2017). Similar to DOE (2017), we explore how additional improvements in cost and performance of clean energy technologies could impact the future U.S. energy system; however, unlike the economy-wide modeling used in DOE (2017) our analysis is focused solely on the electricity sector and applies a different and more highly spatially-resolved electric sector model. More specifically, we apply a scenario analysis approach to explore how assumed further advancements in clean electricity technologies would impact power sector generation mix, electricity system costs, and power sector carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

Cross-impacts analysis development and energy policy analysis applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roop, J.M.; Scheer, R.M.; Stacey, G.S.

1986-12-01

Purpose of this report is to describe the cross-impact analysis process and microcomputer software developed for the Office of Policy, Planning, and Analysis (PPA) of DOE. First introduced in 1968, cross-impact analysis is a technique that produces scenarios of future conditions and possibilities. Cross-impact analysis has several unique attributes that make it a tool worth examining, especially in the current climate when the outlook for the economy and several of the key energy markets is uncertain. Cross-impact analysis complements the econometric, engineering, systems dynamics, or trend approaches already in use at DOE. Cross-impact analysis produces self-consistent scenarios in the broadest sense and can include interaction between the economy, technology, society and the environment. Energy policy analyses that couple broad scenarios of the future with detailed forecasting can produce more powerful results than scenario analysis or forecasts can produce alone.

The Perceived Work Ethic of K-12 Teachers by Generational Status: Generation X vs. Baby Boom Generation

Science.gov (United States)

Petty, Gregory C.

2013-01-01

This was an investigation of the work ethic of K-12 educators from Generation X and Baby Boomer generations. Teachers of the baby boom generation were born between 1946 and 1964, and many are beginning to retire. There is an impending teacher shortage due to the large numbers of this group retiring or leaving the profession. School administrators…

The impact of energy audits on energy efficiency investment of public owners. Evidence from Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbetta, Gian Paolo; Canino, Paolo; Cima, Stefano

2015-01-01

Buildings are a promising area of energy savings, but a difference exists between actual and optimal investment in this field. The so called ‘information gap’ about the costs and benefits of energy-saving activities could explain the difference. Audit programs have been undertaken to overcome the ‘information gap’ but, surprisingly, most papers analyzing the impact of audits on the adoption of energy-saving measures use faulty methods that could provide biased results. In this paper we fill this gap of the energy literature. First, we introduce robust counterfactual methods to analyze the impact of energy-saving policies; second, we apply these methods to investigate the impact of the free-funding of audits on the energy-saving investments of local public administrations, a neglected area of investigation. As opposite to most of the literature, we cannot identify any statistically significant effect of the audits either on the number of energy-saving interventions or on the resources devoted to these activities by local public administrations. We believe that, in the field of public non-residential buildings, information is not sufficient to fostering public investments aimed at increasing energy efficiency. As a policy consequence, public resources should consider different tools, including those aimed at reducing the cost of investments. - Highlights: • Authors examining energy audits find positive effects, but use faulty methods. • We examine audits using un-biased methods of counterfactual analysis. • We use a unique set of data of audits in public non-residential facilities. • We cannot identify any effect of audits on energy-saving activities and investments. • In the field of public buildings, information is not enough to raising investments.

Geo-scientific characterisation of the Boom Clay in the Netherlands in light of permanent confinement of radio-active waste

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Griffioen, J.J.; Simmelink, E.; Westerhoff, W.; Koenen, M.; Tambach, T.; Behrends, T.

2012-01-01

Recently, the OPERA research program has been initiated in the Netherlands. Its central objective is to develop initial, conditional safety cases for repositories in the Boom Clay and Zechstein rocksalt formations. TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands has been granted two projects that deal with

The Energy Burden and Environmental Impact of Health Services

Science.gov (United States)

Buettner, Petra G.; Canyon, Deon V.

2012-01-01

Objectives. We reviewed the English-language literature on the energy burden and environmental impact of health services. Methods. We searched all years of the PubMed, CINAHL, and ScienceDirect databases for publications reporting energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, or the environmental impact of health-related activities. We extracted and tabulated data to enable cross-comparisons among different activities and services; where possible, we calculated per patient or per event emissions. Results. We identified 38 relevant publications. Per patient or per event, health-related energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are quite modest; in the aggregate, however, they are considerable. In England and the United States, health-related emissions account for 3% and 8% of total national emissions, respectively. Conclusions. Although reducing health-related energy consumption and emissions alone will not resolve all of the problems of energy scarcity and climate change, it could make a meaningful contribution. PMID:23078475

Climate impacts on extreme energy consumption of different types of buildings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingcai Li

Full Text Available Exploring changes of building energy consumption and its relationships with climate can provide basis for energy-saving and carbon emission reduction. Heating and cooling energy consumption of different types of buildings during 1981-2010 in Tianjin city, was simulated by using TRNSYS software. Daily or hourly extreme energy consumption was determined by percentile methods, and the climate impact on extreme energy consumption was analyzed. The results showed that days of extreme heating consumption showed apparent decrease during the recent 30 years for residential and large venue buildings, whereas days of extreme cooling consumption increased in large venue building. No significant variations were found for the days of extreme energy consumption for commercial building, although a decreasing trend in extreme heating energy consumption. Daily extreme energy consumption for large venue building had no relationship with climate parameters, whereas extreme energy consumption for commercial and residential buildings was related to various climate parameters. Further multiple regression analysis suggested heating energy consumption for commercial building was affected by maximum temperature, dry bulb temperature, solar radiation and minimum temperature, which together can explain 71.5 % of the variation of the daily extreme heating energy consumption. The daily extreme cooling energy consumption for commercial building was only related to the wet bulb temperature (R2= 0.382. The daily extreme heating energy consumption for residential building was affected by 4 climate parameters, but the dry bulb temperature had the main impact. The impacts of climate on hourly extreme heating energy consumption has a 1-3 hour delay in all three types of buildings, but no delay was found in the impacts of climate on hourly extreme cooling energy consumption for the selected buildings.

Environmental impacts of high penetration renewable energy scenarios for Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berrill, Peter; Arvesen, Anders; Hertwich, Edgar G; Scholz, Yvonne; Gils, Hans Christian

2016-01-01

The prospect of irreversible environmental alterations and an increasingly volatile climate pressurises societies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thereby mitigating climate change impacts. As global electricity demand continues to grow, particularly if considering a future with increased electrification of heat and transport sectors, the imperative to decarbonise our electricity supply becomes more urgent. This letter implements outputs of a detailed power system optimisation model into a prospective life cycle analysis framework in order to present a life cycle analysis of 44 electricity scenarios for Europe in 2050, including analyses of systems based largely on low-carbon fossil energy options (natural gas, and coal with carbon capture and storage (CCS)) as well as systems with high shares of variable renewable energy (VRE) (wind and solar). VRE curtailments and impacts caused by extra energy storage and transmission capabilities necessary in systems based on VRE are taken into account. The results show that systems based largely on VRE perform much better regarding climate change and other impact categories than the investigated systems based on fossil fuels. The climate change impacts from Europe for the year 2050 in a scenario using primarily natural gas are 1400 Tg CO 2 -eq while in a scenario using mostly coal with CCS the impacts are 480 Tg CO 2 -eq. Systems based on renewables with an even mix of wind and solar capacity generate impacts of 120–140 Tg CO 2 -eq. Impacts arising as a result of wind and solar variability do not significantly compromise the climate benefits of utilising these energy resources. VRE systems require more infrastructure leading to much larger mineral resource depletion impacts than fossil fuel systems, and greater land occupation impacts than systems based on natural gas. Emissions and resource requirements from wind power are smaller than from solar power. (letter)

Environmental impacts of high penetration renewable energy scenarios for Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Berrill, Peter; Arvesen, Anders; Scholz, Yvonne; Gils, Hans Christian; Hertwich, Edgar G.

2016-01-01

The prospect of irreversible environmental alterations and an increasingly volatile climate pressurises societies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thereby mitigating climate change impacts. As global electricity demand continues to grow, particularly if considering a future with increased electrification of heat and transport sectors, the imperative to decarbonise our electricity supply becomes more urgent. This letter implements outputs of a detailed power system optimisation model into a prospective life cycle analysis framework in order to present a life cycle analysis of 44 electricity scenarios for Europe in 2050, including analyses of systems based largely on low-carbon fossil energy options (natural gas, and coal with carbon capture and storage (CCS)) as well as systems with high shares of variable renewable energy (VRE) (wind and solar). VRE curtailments and impacts caused by extra energy storage and transmission capabilities necessary in systems based on VRE are taken into account. The results show that systems based largely on VRE perform much better regarding climate change and other impact categories than the investigated systems based on fossil fuels. The climate change impacts from Europe for the year 2050 in a scenario using primarily natural gas are 1400 Tg CO2-eq while in a scenario using mostly coal with CCS the impacts are 480 Tg CO2-eq. Systems based on renewables with an even mix of wind and solar capacity generate impacts of 120-140 Tg CO2-eq. Impacts arising as a result of wind and solar variability do not significantly compromise the climate benefits of utilising these energy resources. VRE systems require more infrastructure leading to much larger mineral resource depletion impacts than fossil fuel systems, and greater land occupation impacts than systems based on natural gas. Emissions and resource requirements from wind power are smaller than from solar power.

Financing investments in renewable energy: the impacts of policy design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiser, Ryan H.; Pickle, Steven J.

1998-01-01

The costs of electric power projects utilising renewable energy technologies (RETs) are highly sensitive to financing terms. Consequently, as the electricity industry is restructured and new renewables policies are created, it is important for policymakers to consider the impacts of renewables policy design on RET financing. This paper reviews the power plant financing process for renewable energy projects, estimates the impact of financing terms on levelised energy costs, and provides insights to policymakers on the important nexus between renewables policy design and financing. We review five case studies of renewable energy policies, and find that one of the key reasons that RET policies are not more effective is that project development and financing processes are frequently ignored or misunderstood when designing and implementing renewable energy policies. The case studies specifically show that policies that do no provide long-term stability or that have negative secondary impacts on investment decisions will increase financing costs, sometimes dramatically reducing the effectiveness of the program. Within U.S. electricity restructuring proceedings, new renewable energy policies are being created, and restructuring itself is changing the way RETs are financed. As these new policies are created and implemented, it is essential that policymakers acknowledge the financing difficulties faced by renewables developer and pay special attention to the impacts of renewables policy design on financing. As shown in this paper, a renewables policy that is carefully designed can reduce renewable energy costs dramatically by providing revenue certainty that will, in turn, reduce financing risk premiums. (Author)

Regional energy rebound effect: The impact of economy-wide and sector level energy efficiency improvement in Georgia, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Xuewei; Moreno-Cruz, Juan; Crittenden, John C.

2015-01-01

Rebound effect is defined as the lost part of ceteris paribus energy savings from improvements on energy efficiency. In this paper, we investigate economy-wide energy rebound effects by developing a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model for Georgia, USA. The model adopts a highly disaggregated sector profile and highlights the substitution possibilities between different energy sources in the production structure. These two features allow us to better characterize the change in energy use in face of an efficiency shock, and to explore in detail how a sector-level shock propagates throughout the economic structure to generate aggregate impacts. We find that with economy-wide energy efficiency improvement on the production side, economy-wide rebound is moderate. Energy price levels fall very slightly, yet sectors respond to these changing prices quite differently in terms of local production and demand. Energy efficiency improvements in particular sectors (epicenters) induce quite different economy-wide impacts. In general, we expect large rebound if the epicenter sector is an energy production sector, a direct upstream/downstream sector of energy production sectors, a transportation sector or a sector with high production elasticity. Our analysis offers valuable insights for policy makers aiming to achieve energy conservation through increasing energy efficiency. - Highlights: • We developed a CGE model to investigate economy-wide energy rebound in Georgia, USA. • The CGE model has detailed treatment for different energy inputs for production. • The model has a highly disaggregated sector profile helpful for policy making. • We compared the economy-wide impact shocks in different epicenter sectors. • We analyzed why epicenters generate dramatically different economy-wide impacts.

Renewable energy rebound effect?: Estimating the impact of state renewable energy financial incentives on residential electricity consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Stephenson, Beth A.

Climate change is a well-documented phenomenon. If left unchecked greenhouse gas emissions will continue global surface warming, likely leading to severe and irreversible impacts. Generating renewable energy has become an increasingly salient topic in energy policy as it may mitigate the impact of climate change. State renewable energy financial incentives have been in place since the mid-1970s in some states and over 40 states have adopted one or more incentives at some point since then. Using multivariate linear and fixed effects regression for the years 2002 through 2012, I estimate the relationship between state renewable energy financial incentives and residential electricity consumption, along with the associated policy implications. My hypothesis is that a renewable energy rebound effect is present; therefore, states with renewable energy financial incentives have a higher rate of residential electricity consumption. I find a renewable energy rebound effect is present in varying degrees for each model, but the results do not definitively indicate how particular incentives influence consumer behavior. States should use caution when adopting and keeping renewable energy financial incentives as this may increase consumption in the short-term. The long-term impact is unclear, making it worthwhile for policymakers to continue studying the potential for renewable energy financial incentives to alter consumer behavior.

Energy Sources Management and Future Automotive Technologies: Environmental Impact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florin Mariasiu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the environmental impact created through the introduction of introducing new technologies in transportation domain. New electric vehicles are considered zero-emission vehicles (ZEV. However, electricity produced in power plants is still predominantly based on fossil fuel usage (required for recharge electric vehicle batteries and thus directly affects the quantity of pollutant emissions and greenhouse gases (CO2, NOx and SOx. Given the structure of EU-wide energy sources used for electricity generation, the potential pollutant emissions stemming from these energy sources, related to energy consumption of an electric vehicle, was determined under the projected environmental impact of specific market penetration of electric vehicles. In addition to the overall impact at the EU level, were identified the countries for which the use of electric vehicles is (or not feasible in terms of reaching the lower values ​​of future emissions compared to the present and future European standards.

An alternative method for identifying booms and busts in the euro area housing market

OpenAIRE

Gerdesmeier, Dieter; Roffia, Barbara; Lenarcic, Andreja

2012-01-01

The main aim of this paper is to apply a method based on fundamentals ─ which has already been applied in the stock market analysis ─ to detect boom/bust in the housing market, with a focus on the euro area. In this context, an underlying model is developed and tested. It turns out that the user cost rate, a demographic variable, the unemployment rate, disposable income (or disposable income per capita), the debt-to-income ratio and, finally, the housing stock are fundamental variables which ...

The Impact of Social Media on the Academic Development of School Students

OpenAIRE

Tarek A. El-Badawy; Yasmin Hashem

2015-01-01

Today, it is crucial to determine the impact of social media on the academic performance of students. Technology is booming rapidly from year to year, and the younger generations are the ones caught in this rapid change. Questionnaires were distributed through Facebook and E-mails, to find out whether students academic performance is impacted by social media or not. The findings demonstrate that there is no relationship between social media and academic performance; this is clearly projected ...

Impact of energy efficiency gains on output and energy use with Cobb-Douglas production function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Taoyuan

2007-01-01

A special issue of Energy Policy-28 (2000)-was devoted to a collection of papers, edited by Dr. Lee Schipper. The collection included a paper entitled 'A view from the macro side: rebound, backfire, and Khazzoom-Brookes' in which it was argued that the impact of fuel efficiency gains on output (roughly, GDP) is likely to be relatively small by Cobb-Douglas production function. However, an error in the analysis leads to under-estimation of the long-term impact. This paper first provides a partial equilibrium analysis by an alternative method for the same case and then proceeds to an analysis on the issue in a two-sector general equilibrium system. In the latter analysis, energy price is internalized. Both energy use efficiency and energy production efficiency are involved

World Energy Scenarios 2050: Impact of the Energy Governance Models to the Future of the European Energy Sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kisel, E.

2014-01-01

World Energy Council has explored the impact of two extreme governance models of energy sector to the global economic and climate developments. Scenario 'Jazz' describes the world, where investments in the energy markets are made by the companies on the purely economic basis. Scenario 'Symphony' describes the world, where decisions about the energy investments are made by the governments. It appears that in case of Scenario 'Jazz' we would reach lower energy prices, but it would also bring along higher and wider consumption of energy, and much higher environmental impact. In case of Scenario 'Symphony' energy prices would be somewhat higher, but environmental and energy efficiency would deliver better results, and there will be more energy-poor people around the world. It can also be observed, that resulting energy mixes of these two scenarios are very different. When Scenario 'Jazz' would leave the share of fossil fuels nearly to the current levels, then Scenario 'Symphony' supports strongly development of Solar and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Sequestration Technologies. The modelling was also made separately for different regions of the world, the results for Europe can be observed from the report as well. This provides a fruit for thought about the role of the governments in the implementation of the EU 2030 Energy and Climate Strategy. The presentation would describe shortly the methodology of the study, clarifies the assumptions of the scenarios and highlights the main outcomes of the study in for the world and for European energy sector. (author).

Quantification of environmental impacts of various energy technologies. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selfors, A [ed.

1994-10-01

This report discusses problems related to economic assessment of the environmental impacts and abatement measures in connection with energy projects. Attention is called to the necessity of assessing environmental impacts both in the form of reduced economic welfare and in the form of costs of abatement measures to reduce the impact. In recent years, several methods for valuing environmental impacts have been developed, but the project shows that few empirical studies have been carried out. The final report indicates that some important factors are very difficult to evaluate. In addition environmental impacts of energy development in Norway vary considerably from project to project. This makes it difficult to obtain a good basis for comparing environmental impacts caused by different technologies, for instance hydroelectric power versus gas power or wind versus hydroelectric power. It might be feasible however to carry out more detailed economic assessments of environmental impacts of specific projects. 33 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs.

Institutional dynamics and barriers in wind energy development. A case study of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jagadeesh, Anumakonda

1999-09-01

In India, there was a boom in 1995-96 when 282 MW windfarms were set up in Tamil Nadu and the capacity in Andhra Pradesh increased by 39 MW. Then there was a steady decline in the windfarm development in both states. The case study described in this report attempts to trace the reasons for the boom and the factors that have contributed to the slump in windfarm development in these two states. The role of institutions in determining the effectiveness of national and regional public sector initiatives to promote and disseminate wind energy in the two states is discussed. The study also examines the financial, technical, transaction and institutional barriers, which inhibit the diffusion of wind energy in the states. It is suggested that important measures must be taken if wind energy is to develop rapidly in the two states. The result of the case study may be used to improve public policy intervention in disseminating wind energy in India. It may also be relevant to multilateral and bilateral aid agencies in their projects and/or programmes to promote cost-effective wind energy technology dissemination in developing countries. 25 refs., 6 tabs.

Impact parameter representation without high-energy, small-angle limitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, M.M.

Using Watson-Sommerfeld transform the impact parameter representation of the scattering amplitude is shown to be valid for all physical energies and scattering angles. It is also shown how the direct channel Regge poles enter in the impact parameter amplitude [fr

Technetium behaviour in Boom Clay - a laboratory and field study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baston, G.M.N.; Ilett, D.J.; Cowper, M.M.; Pilkington, N.J.; Tweed, C.J.; Williams, S.J. [AEA Technology plc, Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom); Canniere, P.R. de; Wang, L. [SCK.CEN, Waste and Disposal Project, Boeretang, Mol (Belgium)

2002-07-01

This paper describes a study of technetium solubility and migration under chemical conditions representative of those prevailing in a Boom Clay environment. Laboratory and in situ measurements yielded similar aqueous concentrations of technetium, of about 1 x 10{sup -8} mol dm{sup -3}, close to the concentrations measured for hydrated technetium(IV) oxide TcO{sub 2}.1.6H{sub 2}O in the solubility studies. From fitting the curves of the Tc concentrations as function of time, distribution coefficient (K{sub d}) values were estimated to lie between 0.8 cm{sup 3} g{sup -1} and 1.8 cm{sup 3} g{sup -1}. Exposure of the system at 80 C and to {gamma}-radiation dose rates of several hundred Gy h{sup -1} resulted in only minor differences in behaviour. (orig.)

Health and safety impacts of renewable, geothermal, and rusion energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holdren, J.P.; Anderson, K.B.; Deibler, P.M.; Gleick, P.H.; Mintzer, I.M.; Morris, G.P.

1983-01-01

The public may view many renewable energy sources as having no direct public impacts because they produce no pollutants during normal operation. However, these energy technologies produce health impacts during their fabricatin and construction, and also through the materials-supply sectors required to support them. This survey of the health risks associated with renewable energy technologies concludes that some of the renewable options have particular promise for reducing health and environmental costs per unit of energy delivered to well below levels associated with the use of oil and coal; Holdren and his co-authors feel that few, if any, pose the indirect threats of fossil fuels and nuclear fission. 46 references, 7 tables

The economic, energy, and environmental impacts of the Energy-Related Inventions Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, M.A.; Wilson, C.R.; Franchuk, C.A.; Cohn, S.M.; Jones, D.

1994-07-01

This report provides information on the economic, energy, and environmental impacts of inventions supported by the Energy-Related Inventions Program (ERIP) -- a program jointly operated by the US Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It describes the results of the latest in a series of ERIP evaluation projects that have been completed since 1980. The period of interest is 1980 through 1992. The evaluation is based on data collected in 1993 through mail and telephone surveys of 253 program participants, and historical data collected during previous evaluations for an additional 189 participants

The economic, energy, and environmental impacts of the Energy-Related Inventions Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, M.A.; Wilson, C.R.; Franchuk, C.A.; Cohn, S.M.; Jones, D.

1994-07-01

This report provides information on the economic, energy, and environmental impacts of inventions supported by the Energy-Related Inventions Program (ERIP) -- a program jointly operated by the US Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It describes the results of the latest in a series of ERIP evaluation projects that have been completed since 1980. The period of interest is 1980 through 1992. The evaluation is based on data collected in 1993 through mail and telephone surveys of 253 program participants, and historical data collected during previous evaluations for an additional 189 participants.

Use of bore logging for the determination of lithological characteristics of the Boom clay formation and interest for correlations in clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neerdael, B.; Bonne, A.; Manfroy, P.; Vandenberghe, N.; Fierens, E.; Laga, P.

1981-01-01

It is first recalled that the purpose of the HADES project of the CEN/SCK at Mol (Belgium) is to study the possibility of geological disposal for radioactive wastes in the Boom clay formation at a depth between +-160 and 270 m. The different steps and aspects of the site investigation are exposed, and for each of them, the specific techniques used are reviewed. One of these steps is elaborated more in detail. It covers namely the lateral extrapolation of the lithological variations as established from a very detailed analysis of the initial cored boring. Among the usefull methods, the most practical and refined results were obtained from the resistivity logs in the reconnaissance holes. Finally, examples are shown of very detailed correlation on site scale, scale of the hydrogeological entity and regional scale (occurrence of Boom clay on the belgian territory)

Assessing and optimizing the economic and environmental impacts of cogeneration/district energy systems using an energy equilibrium model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Y.J.; Rosen, M.A.

1999-01-01

Energy equilibrium models can be valuable aids in energy planning and decision-making. In such models, supply is represented by a cost-minimizing linear submodel and demand by a smooth vector-valued function of prices. In this paper, we use the energy equilibrium model to study conventional systems and cogeneration-based district energy (DE) systems for providing heating, cooling and electrical services, not only to assess the potential economic and environmental benefits of cogeneration-based DE systems, but also to develop optimal configurations while accounting for such factors as economics and environmental impact. The energy equilibrium model is formulated and solved with software called WATEMS, which uses sequential non-linear programming to calculate the intertemporal equilibrium of energy supplies and demands. The methods of analysis and evaluation for the economic and environmental impacts are carefully explored. An illustrative energy equilibrium model of conventional and cogeneration-based DE systems is developed within WATEMS to compare quantitatively the economic and environmental impacts of those systems for various scenarios. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Environmental impact assessment for energy pathways: an integrated methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sommereux-Blanc, Isabelle

2010-01-01

This document presents the synthesis of my research work contributing to the development of an integrated methodology of environmental impact assessment for energy pathways. In the context of world globalization, environmental impact assessments issues are highly linked with the following questioning: Which environmental impacts? for which demand? at which location? at which temporal scale? My work is built upon the definition of a conceptual framework able to handle these issues and upon its progressive implementation. The integration of the spatial and temporal issues within the methodology are key elements. Fundamental cornerstones of this framework are presented along the DPSIR concept (Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses). They cover a comprehensive analysis of the limits and the relevance of life cycle analysis and the development of a geo-spatialized environmental performance approach for an electrical production pathway. Perspectives linked with the development of this integrated methodology are detailed for energy pathways. (author)

Modeling the impact of large-scale energy conversion systems on global climate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.

There are three energy options which could satisfy a projected energy requirement of about 30 TW and these are the solar, nuclear and (to a lesser extent) coal options. Climate models can be used to assess the impact of large scale deployment of these options. The impact of waste heat has been assessed using energy balance models and general circulation models (GCMs). Results suggest that the impacts are significant when the heat imput is very high and studies of more realistic scenarios are required. Energy balance models, radiative-convective models and a GCM have been used to study the impact of doubling the atmospheric CO 2 concentration. State-of-the-art models estimate a surface temperature increase of 1.5-3.0 0 C with large amplification near the poles, but much uncertainty remains. Very few model studies have been made of the impact of particles on global climate, more information on the characteristics of particle input are required. The impact of large-scale deployment of solar energy conversion systems has received little attention but model studies suggest that large scale changes in surface characteristics associated with such systems (surface heat balance, roughness and hydrological characteristics and ocean surface temperature) could have significant global climatic effects. (Auth.)

Impact of energy policy instruments on the estimated level of underlying energy efficiency in the EU residential sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filippini, Massimo; Hunt, Lester C.; Zorić, Jelena

2014-01-01

The promotion of energy efficiency is seen as one of the top priorities of EU energy policy (EC, 2010). In order to design and implement effective energy policy instruments, it is necessary to have information on energy demand price and income elasticities in addition to sound indicators of energy efficiency. This research combines the approaches taken in energy demand modelling and frontier analysis in order to econometrically estimate the level of energy efficiency for the residential sector in the EU-27 member states for the period 1996 to 2009. The estimates for the energy efficiency confirm that the EU residential sector indeed holds a relatively high potential for energy savings from reduced inefficiency. Therefore, despite the common objective to decrease ‘wasteful’ energy consumption, considerable variation in energy efficiency between the EU member states is established. Furthermore, an attempt is made to evaluate the impact of energy-efficiency measures undertaken in the EU residential sector by introducing an additional set of variables into the model and the results suggest that financial incentives and energy performance standards play an important role in promoting energy efficiency improvements, whereas informative measures do not have a significant impact. - Highlights: • The level of energy efficiency of the EU residential sector is estimated. • Considerable potential for energy savings from reduced inefficiency is established. • The impact of introduced energy-efficiency policy measures is also evaluated. • Financial incentives are found to promote energy efficiency improvements. • Energy performance standards also play an important role

Energy efficiency and load curve impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feilberg, Nicolai

2002-01-01

One of SINTEF Energy Research's European RTD projects is the two-year EFFLOCOM (Energy EFFiciency and LOad curve impacts of COMmercial development in competitive markets). This project will determine the end-user response of different market-related services offered in deregulated power markets. The project will investigate the possibility of influencing load curves by using different price signals and two-way communications via Internet. The partners are from Denmark. Finland, England, France and Norway. SINTEF Energy Research is in charge of the project management. During the project, the changes in load curves will he studied in the in the participating countries before and after deregulation. Specific issues are the use of ICT, time- and situation-dependent tariffs and smart-house technology. The project will consist of 5 work packages that will give recommendations about new methods, guidelines and tools to promote effective use of energy in the partner countries. The total budget is EUR 692 000. (author)

Technical support document: Energy conservation standards for consumer products: Dishwashers, clothes washers, and clothes dryers including: Environmental impacts; regulatory impact analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-12-01

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act as amended (P.L. 94-163), establishes energy conservation standards for 12 of the 13 types of consumer products specifically covered by the Act. The legislation requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to consider new or amended standards for these and other types of products at specified times. This Technical Support Document presents the methodology, data and results from the analysis of the energy and economic impacts of standards on dishwashers, clothes washers, and clothes dryers. The economic impact analysis is performed in five major areas: An Engineering Analysis, which establishes technical feasibility and product attributes including costs of design options to improve appliance efficiency. A Consumer Analysis at two levels: national aggregate impacts, and impacts on individuals. The national aggregate impacts include forecasts of appliance sales, efficiencies, energy use, and consumer expenditures. The individual impacts are analyzed by Life-Cycle Cost (LCC), Payback Periods, and Cost of Conserved Energy (CCE), which evaluate the savings in operating expenses relative to increases in purchase price; A Manufacturer Analysis, which provides an estimate of manufacturers' response to the proposed standards. Their response is quantified by changes in several measures of financial performance for a firm. An Industry Impact Analysis shows financial and competitive impacts on the appliance industry. A Utility Analysis that measures the impacts of the altered energy-consumption patterns on electric utilities. A Environmental Effects analysis, which estimates changes in emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides, due to reduced energy consumption in the home and at the power plant. A Regulatory Impact Analysis collects the results of all the analyses into the net benefits and costs from a national perspective. 47 figs., 171 tabs. (JF)

Environmental impact of energy use in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Thailand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, J.W.; Kuntsi, E. [Turku School of Economics (Finland). Finland Futures Research Center

2004-07-01

The environmental impact of energy use in this study is evaluated from two aspects: the level of the utilization of natural sources as measured by energy intensity; the level of environmental stress as measured by CO{sub 2} emission intensity. This study analyzes the environmental impact of energy use in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Thailand from 1973 to 2000 based on the International Energy Agency's 2002 database. The findings differ from some previous conclusions, because they conclude that the above four countries are in a process of dematerialization with regard to energy use and are thus heading toward decreasing environmental stress. (author)

After the boom : Evaluation of Dutch ates-systems for energy efficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bloemendal, J.M.; Hartog, N

2016-01-01

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) is a technology to sustainably provide space heating and cooling. Particularly in The Netherlands the number of ATES systems has grown rapidly in the past decade, often with the (re)development of urban areas. To meet objectives for greenhouse gas emission

An Economic Rationale for the West African Scramble? The Commercial Transition and the Commodity Price Boom of 1835-1885

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frankema, Ewout; Williamson, Jeffrey; Woltjer, Pieter

2018-01-01

We use a new trade dataset showing that nineteenth century Sub-Saharan Africa experienced a terms of trade boom comparable to other parts of the ‘global periphery’. A sharp rise in export prices in the five decades before the scramble (1835-1885) was followed by an equally impressive decline during

Pore-water chemistry effects on the compressibility behaviour of Boom Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Y.F.; Cui, Y.J.; Tang, A.M.; Nguyen, X.P.; Li, X.L.; Maarten, V.G.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Boom clay is a thick deposit of over-consolidated marine clay, and belongs to the Oligocene series. Its hydraulic conductivity has been investigated since many years in Belgium within the site characterization program related to the performance assessment of potential geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in this formation. Recently, the work of Wemaere et al. (2008) shows a significant variability of the hydraulic conductivity of the Boom clay. Indeed, they performed measurements on soil cores taken from four distant boreholes at various depths. The vertical hydraulic conductivity was found to vary from 3 x 10 -12 to 10 x 10 -12 m/s. It is suspected that this variability would be partly related to the water chemistry effects. Indeed, De Craen et al. (2006) shows that the pore-water chemical composition of soil cores taken from the Essen site is significantly different from that at the Mol site. If the pore water chemistry has strong effect on the hydraulic conductivity, its effect on the mechanical behaviour needs to be investigated too. The aim of this paper is to verify whether there are significant effects of pore-water chemistry on the soil compressibility. This study would be helpful to transpose the knowledge obtained from the Mol site to other sites of Boom clay formation where the geochemical components are different from the former site, as the hydro-mechanical characteristics of Boom clay at the Mol site has been widely investigated since the last decades. Two soil cores were taken from the Essen site at a depth of 227 m (Ess83) and 240 m (Ess96). Based on the geochemical analysis presented by De Craen et al. (2006), synthetic water having similar chemical composition of the in-situ pore-water was prepared. The identification geotechnical characteristics of these cores are shown in Table 2. It can be observed that the clay content (particle size < 2 μm) is relatively high (more than 50

Health impacts of different energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

Energy is needed to sustain the economy, health and welfare of nations. As a consequence of this, energy consumption figures are frequently used as an index of a nation's advancement. As a result of the global energy crisis, almost every nation has had to develop all its available energy resources and plan its future use of energy. The planners of national and international energy policies are however often faced with a problem of 'public acceptance' arising from the potential health and environmental impacts of developing energy resources. The public's desire to preserve the quality of man's health and his environment frequently results in opposition to many industrial innovations, including the generation and use of energy. Reliable, quantitative data and information are needed on the risks to health and the environment of different contemporary energy systems, to improve public understanding, and to serve as the basis from which national planners can choose between different energy supply options. With the exception of nuclear energy, even in technologically advanced countries little systematic research and development has been done on the quantitative assessment of the effects on health and the environment of the conventional energy sources. The need for this information has only been realized over the past decade as the climate and environment in many regions of the world has deteriorated with the unabated release of pollutants from factories and energy generating plants in particular. A number of countries have started national environmental health research programmes to monitor and regulate toxic emissions from industry and energy plants. Energy-related environmental health research has been supported and co-ordinated by various international organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). WHO has supported expert reviews on the potential health risks posed

Estimating the energy consumption impact of casual carpooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minett, P. [Trip Convergence Ltd, Epsom, Auckland (New Zealand); Pearce, J. [Trip Convergence Ltd, Remuera, Auckland (New Zealand)

2011-07-01

Some of the transportation energy consumed during peak commuter periods is wasted through slow running in congested traffic. Strategies to increase average vehicle occupancy (and reduce vehicle counts and congestion) could be expected to be at the forefront of energy conservation policies. Casual carpooling (also called 'slugging') is a system of carpooling without trip-by-trip pre-arrangement. It operates in three US cities, and has been suggested in New Zealand as a strategy for managing transportation challenges when oil prices rise. The objective of the paper is to find out if casual carpooling reduces energy consumption, and if so, how much. Energy consumption by single occupant vehicles; casual carpool vehicles; and a mix of buses and single occupant vehicles; are estimated and compared, and the impact on the rest of the traffic is calculated. The paper estimates that casual carpooling in San Francisco is conserving in the order of 1.7 to 3.5 million liters of gasoline per year, or 200-400 liters for each participant, much of which comes from the impact on the rest of the traffic. The paper concludes by calling for applied research to discover how to catalyze casual carpooling in other cities as a means of reducing transportation energy consumption. (authors)

Estimating the Energy Consumption Impact of Casual Carpooling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Minett

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Some of the transportation energy consumed during peak commuter periods is wasted through slow running in congested traffic. Strategies to increase average vehicle occupancy (and reduce vehicle counts and congestion could be expected to be at the forefront of energy conservation policies. Casual carpooling (also called “slugging” is a system of carpooling without trip-by-trip pre-arrangement. It operates in three US cities, and has been suggested in New Zealand as a strategy for managing transportation challenges when oil prices rise. The objective of the paper is to find out if casual carpooling reduces energy consumption, and if so, how much. Energy consumption by single occupant vehicles; casual carpool vehicles; and a mix of buses and single occupant vehicles; are estimated and compared, and the impact on the rest of the traffic is calculated. The paper estimates that casual carpooling in San Francisco is conserving in the order of 1.7 to 3.5 million liters of gasoline per year, or 200-400 liters for each participant, much of which comes from the impact on the rest of the traffic. The paper concludes by calling for applied research to discover how to catalyze casual carpooling in other cities as a means of reducing transportation energy consumption.

The socioeconomic impact of energy saving renovation measures in urban buildings

OpenAIRE

Mikulić, Davor; Rašić Bakarić, Ivana; Slijepčević, Sunčana

2016-01-01

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the role of measures oriented to energy savings in residential buildings in the economic development at the regional level. The aim of the paper is to estimate overall socio-economic impact of energy saving renovation measures in the Croatian urban areas. Impact assessment is based on input–output methodology which is able to quantify direct and indirect effects of investment in the energy saving projects on the economic activity and employment...

European energy exchanges: Too many casino's and too little time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zewald, H.

2001-01-01

The European energy market has the potential of developing into a booming business, and not just for Europeans. Now that liberalization is seriously taking shape and internet trade has overcome its teething troubles, the Europeans are setting up one exchange after another and the Americans are crossing the Atlantic with a lot of dollar signs in front of their eyes to play poker or roulette. 1 ref

On justification of efficient Energy-Force parameters of Hydraulic-excavator main mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Komissarov, Anatoliy; Lagunova, Yuliya; Shestakov, Viktor; Lukashuk, Olga

2018-03-01

The article formulates requirements for energy-efficient designs of the operational equipment of a hydraulic excavator (its boom, stick and bucket) and defines, for a mechanism of that equipment, a new term “performance characteristic”. The drives of main rotation mechanisms of the equipment are realized by hydraulic actuators (hydraulic cylinders) and transmission (leverage) mechanisms, with the actuators (the cylinders themselves, their pistons and piston rods) also acting as links of the leverage. Those drives are characterized by the complexity of translating mechanical-energy parameters of the actuators into energy parameters of the driven links (a boom, a stick and a bucket). Relations between those parameters depend as much on the types of mechanical characteristics of the hydraulic actuators as on the types of structural schematics of the transmission mechanisms. To assess how energy-force parameters of the driven links change when a typical operation is performed, it was proposed to calculate performance characteristics of the main mechanisms as represented by a set of values of transfer functions, i.e. by functional dependences between driven links and driving links (actuators). Another term “ideal performance characteristic” of a mechanism was introduced. Based on operation-emulating models for the main mechanisms of hydraulic excavators, analytical expressions were derived to calculate kinematic and force transfer functions of the main mechanisms.

A long-term, integrated impact assessment of alternative building energy code scenarios in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Sha; Eom, Jiyong; Evans, Meredydd; Clarke, Leon

2014-01-01

China is the second largest building energy user in the world, ranking first and third in residential and commercial energy consumption. Beginning in the early 1980s, the Chinese government has developed a variety of building energy codes to improve building energy efficiency and reduce total energy demand. This paper studies the impact of building energy codes on energy use and CO 2 emissions by using a detailed building energy model that represents four distinct climate zones each with three building types, nested in a long-term integrated assessment framework GCAM. An advanced building stock module, coupled with the building energy model, is developed to reflect the characteristics of future building stock and its interaction with the development of building energy codes in China. This paper also evaluates the impacts of building codes on building energy demand in the presence of economy-wide carbon policy. We find that building energy codes would reduce Chinese building energy use by 13–22% depending on building code scenarios, with a similar effect preserved even under the carbon policy. The impact of building energy codes shows regional and sectoral variation due to regionally differentiated responses of heating and cooling services to shell efficiency improvement. - Highlights: • We assessed long-term impacts of building codes and climate policy using GCAM. • Building energy codes would reduce Chinese building energy use by 13–22%. • The impacts of codes on building energy use vary by climate region and sub-sector

Muscle tension increases impact force but decreases energy absorption and pain during visco-elastic impacts to human thighs.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsui, Felix; Pain, Matthew T G

2018-01-23

Despite uncertainty of its exact role, muscle tension has shown an ability to alter human biomechanical response and may have the ability to reduce impact injury severity. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of muscle tension on human impact response in terms of force and energy absorbed and the subjects' perceptions of pain. Seven male martial artists had a 3.9 kg medicine ball dropped vertically from seven different heights, 1.0-1.6 m in equal increments, onto their right thigh. Subjects were instructed to either relax or tense the quadriceps via knee extension (≥60% MVC) prior to each impact. F-scan pressure insoles sampling at 500 Hz recorded impact force and video was recorded at 1000 Hz to determine energy loss from the medicine ball during impact. Across all impacts force was 11% higher, energy absorption was 15% lower and time to peak force was 11% lower whilst perceived impact intensity was significantly lower when tensed. Whether muscle is tensed or not had a significant and meaningful effect on perceived discomfort. However, it did not relate to impact force between conditions and so tensing may alter localised injury risk during human on human type impacts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Boom or bust : developing countries' rough ride on the commodity price rollercoaster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, O.; Gibson, J.

2006-10-01

Current high commodity prices are driven by strong demand from the emerging economies of China and India in addition to high consumption in the United States. Many developing countries are experiencing massive windfall revenues from high commodity prices. However, commodity prices are highly volatile in the short term, and can vary as much as 50 per cent in a single year. While developed country producers are supported by subsidies and social safety nets, developing countries and smallholder producers feel the extent of commodity price volatility more directly. Many developing countries are becoming locked into the production and export of primary commodities whose volatile prices are declining over the long term, and over which they have very little control. Price volatility makes sound fiscal planning difficult for both countries and producers. Price booms and busts also drive social inequalities, livelihood inequalities, and corruption. Price swings can cause conflict over valuable land and resources, and does not create incentives for sound environmental stewardship. This paper described the impacts of commodity price volatility in developing countries with the aim of promoting discussion about what can be done to help stabilize revenues for countries as well as producers. Price trends and their importance were reviewed, and the theoretical benefits of liberalized commodity markets were examined. Previous attempts to stabilize commodity prices were reviewed. It was concluded that the best long-term solution to the commodity price problem is economic diversification. Recommendations for promoting economic diversification were provided. 43 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs

Modeling the macroeconomic impact of oil: Mexico, 1970-1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith Villavicencio, W.J.

1991-01-01

A saddle-point stable-demand-determined model is theoretically developed to understand the impact of changes in oil revenues with emphasis on the financial aspects. The model includes explicitly a balance of payments and a government budget constraint and features credit as the main transmission mechanism between the financial and the real sector. It is shown that some of the consequences usually proposed by the so-called Dutch Disease literature are dependent on conditions of full employment and that they may not hold when this assumption is dropped. It is found that fiscal policy can be effective in ameliorating the disruptive effects of an oil boom on exchange rate expectations and the foreign-exchange market, but that it can also be destabilizing. It is also shown that an oil boom and an oil bust are not necessarily symmetric and they may share similar effects like an initial depreciation of the exchange rate

World energy needs and their impact on nuclear reactor development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foell, W.K.

1977-01-01

This presentation will place primary emphasis upon energy demand. The presentation will cover the following areas: energy reserves and resources; energy demand: past and future (mid-and long-term); industrialized regions of the world; developing countries: Mexico and Iran as examples; and potential impact on nuclear development

Three essays in energy and environmental economics

Science.gov (United States)

Redlinger, Michael

This thesis exploits the boom in U.S. oil and gas production to explore several empirical questions in environmental and energy economics. In the first essay, statistical techniques are employed to evaluate learning-by-doing in the Bakken Shale Play. Furthermore, the essay demonstrates organizational forgetting and knowledge spillovers among firms. The results show rates of learning in an important sector the U.S. economy and may have broader lessons for productivity gains and losses. The second essay investigates interfirm learning economies in oil well drilling in terms of productivity improvements and increases in environmental safety. The empirical results improve our understanding of how interfirm relationships influence productivity as well as the drivers of environmental incidents. Lastly, the third essay analyzes the impacts of stricter environmental regulations on oil production and well drilling in North Dakota. The results have particular relevance for policymakers seeking to understand the trade-offs between resource development and environmental quality. These three essays ultimately expand our knowledge of how learning economies occur and the effects of environmental regulations on economic activity.

GLOBAL IMPACT OF SOLAR ENERGY, CASE STUDY - GERMANY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gheorghe Caralicea Marculescu

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Renewable energy is a socially and politically defined category of energy sources. Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are continually replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat. About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewable resources, with 10% of all energy from traditional biomass, mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from hydroelectricity. New renewables (small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels accounted for another 3% and are growing rapidly. This paper seeks is aimed at presenting the impact solar energy could have on a world level given the finitude, reachability and ever increasing prices of fossil fuels. As a case study we will present the solar energy industry in Germany emphasizing the advantages and disadvantages this form of energy has in this country and worldwide.

System impact of energy efficient building refurbishment within a district heated region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidberg, T.; Olofsson, T.; Trygg, L.

2016-01-01

The energy efficiency of the European building stock needs to be increased in order to fulfill the climate goals of the European Union. To be able to evaluate the impact of energy efficient refurbishment in matters of greenhouse gas emissions, it is necessary to apply a system perspective where not only the building but also the surrounding energy system is taken into consideration. This study examines the impact that energy efficient refurbishment of multi-family buildings has on the district heating and the electricity production. It also investigates the impact on electricity utilization and emissions of greenhouse gases. The results from the simulation of four energy efficiency building refurbishment packages were used to evaluate the impact on the district heating system. The packages were chosen to show the difference between refurbishment actions that increase the use of electricity when lowering the heat demand, and actions that lower the heat demand without increasing the electricity use. The energy system cost optimization modeling tool MODEST (Model for Optimization of Dynamic Energy Systems with Time-Dependent Components and Boundary Conditions) was used. When comparing two refurbishment packages with the same annual district heating use, this study shows that a package including changes in the building envelope decreases the greenhouse gas emissions more than a package including ventilation measures. - Highlights: • Choice of building refurbishment measures leads to differences in system impact. • Building refurbishment in district heating systems reduces co-produced electricity. • Valuing biomass as a limited resource is crucial when assessing global GHG impact. • Building envelope measures decrease GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions more than ventilation measures.

Savings impact of a corporate energy manager

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sikorski, B.D.; O'Donnell, B.A.

1999-01-01

This paper discusses the cost savings impact of employing an energy manager with a 16,000-employee corporation. The corporation, Canada's second largest airline, is currently operating nearly 3,000,000 ft 2 of mixed-use facilities spread across the country, with an annual energy budget for ground facilities of over Cdn $4,000,000. This paper outlines the methodology used by the energy manager to deploy an energy management program over a two-year period between April 1995 and May 1997. The paper examines the successes and the lessons learned during the period and summarizes the costs and benefits of the program. The energy manager position was responsible for developing an energy history database with more than 100 active accounts and for monitoring and verifying energy savings. The energy manager implemented many relatively low-cost energy conservation measures, as well as some capital projects, during the first two years of the program. In total, these measures provided energy cost savings of $210,000 per year, or 5% of the total budget. In each case, technologies installed as part of the energy retrofit projects provided not only cost savings but also better control, reduced maintenance, and improved working conditions for employees

Environmental impacts of biomass energy resource production and utilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Easterly, J L; Dunn, S M [DynCorp, Alexandria, VA (United States)

1995-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide a broad overview of the environmental impacts associated with the production, conversion and utilization of biomass energy resources and compare them with the impacts of conventional fuels. The use of sustainable biomass resources can play an important role in helping developing nations meet their rapidly growing energy needs, while providing significant environmental advantages over the use of fossil fuels. Two of the most important environmental benefits biomass energy offers are reduced net emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly CO{sub 2}, and reduced emissions of SO{sub 2}, the primary contributor to acid rain. The paper also addresses the environmental impacts of supplying a range of specific biomass resources, including forest-based resources, numerous types of biomass residues and energy crops. Some of the benefits offered by the various biomass supplies include support for improved forest management, improved waste management, reduced air emissions (by eliminating the need for open-field burning of residues) and reduced soil erosion (for example, where perennial energy crops are planted on degraded or deforested land). The environmental impacts of a range of biomass conversion technologies are also addressed, including those from the thermochemical processing of biomass (including direct combustion in residential wood stoves and industrial-scale boilers, gasification and pyrolysis); biochemical processing (anaerobic digestion and fermentation); and chemical processing (extraction of organic oils). In addition to reducing CO{sub 2} and SO{sub 2}, other environmental benefits of biomass conversion technologies include the distinctly lower toxicity of the ash compared to coal ash, reduced odours and pathogens from manure, reduced vehicle emissions of CO{sub 2}, with the use of ethanol fuel blends, and reduced particulate and hydrocarbon emissions where biodiesel is used as a substitute for diesel fuel. In general

Environmental impacts of biomass energy resource production and utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Easterly, J.L.; Dunn, S.M.

1995-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide a broad overview of the environmental impacts associated with the production, conversion and utilization of biomass energy resources and compare them with the impacts of conventional fuels. The use of sustainable biomass resources can play an important role in helping developing nations meet their rapidly growing energy needs, while providing significant environmental advantages over the use of fossil fuels. Two of the most important environmental benefits biomass energy offers are reduced net emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly CO 2 , and reduced emissions of SO 2 , the primary contributor to acid rain. The paper also addresses the environmental impacts of supplying a range of specific biomass resources, including forest-based resources, numerous types of biomass residues and energy crops. Some of the benefits offered by the various biomass supplies include support for improved forest management, improved waste management, reduced air emissions (by eliminating the need for open-field burning of residues) and reduced soil erosion (for example, where perennial energy crops are planted on degraded or deforested land). The environmental impacts of a range of biomass conversion technologies are also addressed, including those from the thermochemical processing of biomass (including direct combustion in residential wood stoves and industrial-scale boilers, gasification and pyrolysis); biochemical processing (anaerobic digestion and fermentation); and chemical processing (extraction of organic oils). In addition to reducing CO 2 and SO 2 , other environmental benefits of biomass conversion technologies include the distinctly lower toxicity of the ash compared to coal ash, reduced odours and pathogens from manure, reduced vehicle emissions of CO 2 , with the use of ethanol fuel blends, and reduced particulate and hydrocarbon emissions where biodiesel is used as a substitute for diesel fuel. In general, the key elements for

Decrease of oil prices: economic boom, ecologic challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saussay, Aurelien; Guillou, Antoine; Boissel, Charles

2015-01-01

After having outlined how oil price collapse changes the economic deal, the authors analyse the determining factors of this collapse: slowing demand, exceeding supply, financialization of oil markets, no decision of reduction of production by the OPEC, decision by major companies to postpone investments rather than to re-balance short-term supply, production adjustment related to shale oil production. The second part analyses and discusses the economic consequences of oil price collapse: immediate impact on the French economy (reduction of the energy bill, different effects on the different economic actors, main related risks), economic scenarios on a medium term (contribution of models of macro-economic balance, possible economic growth of 0.4 due to oil price reduction, uncertain behaviour of economic actors, risk of deflation). In the third part, the authors make some proposals aimed at adapting the economy in order to take advantage of oil price reduction: to support energy transition with a required reform of energy taxing (for example for automotive fuels), to invest associated savings in energy transition and in transport infrastructure, to help households and companies in their energy transition

Economic impact of the energy price increase in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uri, N.D.; Boyd, R.

1997-01-01

One unknown with regard to the price increases for gasoline and electricity is what will be the expected impact as the Mexican economy struggles to rebound. This is of more than spurious concern since many Mexican industries rely both intensively and extensively on gasoline and electricity to produce their goods and services. For example, the petrochemical and steel manufacturing industries are major consumers in Mexico's industrial sector which accounts for 55% of total energy consumption. Mexico's steel industry is one of the most electricity intensive in the world, with heavy reliance on electric arc furnace technology. Mexico's transportation sector accounts for about 30% of total energy consumption. Higher energy prices are expected to affect significantly the price and quantity of the goods and services produced. The nature and extent of this effect is the subject of this article. Also the modelling approach to be used in assessing the impact of higher energy prices will be discussed. 2 tabs., 20 refs

The impact of fiscal transfer on energy efficiency in Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Syaifudin, N.; Sutrisno, A.; Setiawan, A.D.

2015-01-01

Conference and Exhibition Indonesia - New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (The 3rd Indo-EBTKE ConEx 2014) IRSA-Indonesia 5, a bottom-up CGE model, was employed to analyze the impacts of fiscal support to the sub-national region to implement energy efficiency policy. By implementing several

Impacts of Large Scale Wind Penetration on Energy Supply Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Kabouris

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Large penetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES impacts Energy Supply Industry (ESI in many aspects leading to a fundamental change in electric power systems. It raises a number of technical challenges to the Transmission System Operators (TSOs, Distribution System Operators (DSOs and Wind Turbine Generators (WTG constructors. This paper aims to present in a thorough and coherent way the redrawn picture for Energy Systems under these conditions. Topics related to emergent technical challenges, technical solutions required and finally the impact on ESI due to large wind power penetration, are analyzed. Finally, general conclusions are extracted about the ESI current and future state and general directions are recommended.

Impact of external conditions on energy consumption in industrial halls

Science.gov (United States)

Żabnieńśka-Góra, Alina

2017-11-01

The energy demand for heating the halls buildings is high. The impact on this may have the technology of production, building construction and technology requirements (HVAC systems). The isolation of the external partitions, the location of the object in relation to the surrounding buildings and the degree of the interior insolation (windows and skylights) are important in the context of energy consumption. The article discusses the impact of external conditions, wind and sunlight on energy demand in the industrial hall. The building model was prepared in IDA ICE 4.0 simulation software. Model validation was done based on measurements taken in the analyzed building.

Water as a source of renewable energy. Environmental impacts of six energy techniques; Water als bron van duurzame energie. Omgevingseffecten van zes energietechnologieen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van den Berg, M.; De Bie, Y.; Geurts, F.; Van Iersel, S.; Ritzen, A.; Stolk, N.

2010-03-15

This report describes the environmental impact of six energy technologies using water: thermal energy storage, tidal current, tidal energy with height of fall, wave energy, aquatic biomass and osmosis energy (blue energy) [Dutch] In dit rapport zijn de omgevingseffecten van zes energietechnologieen met water beschreven: warmte koude opslag, getijdenstroming, getijdenenergie op verval, golfenergie, aquatische biomassa en osmose-energie (blue energy)

Energie-Nederland. Financial and economic impact of a changing energy market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-03-15

A detailed study of the Dutch power market has been carried out, including an assessment of the financial implications for conventional power plants. This study is to provide insight into the potential implications of the 16% RES (renewable energy sources) target without prescribing a particular scenario or outcome, or suggesting possible solutions. The study focuses on the potential financial and economic impact of meeting the RES target under different market scenarios. Also, the potential impact on security of supply and the need for flexible back-up capacity in the period 2013-2020 are assessed. Furthermore, an analysis is performed of potential market prices that are required for the economic feasibility of flexible back-up generation capacity with a very limited load factor. For the assessment of the financial impact of a changing energy market, the Dutch power market is modelled under various scenarios. Use has been made of a detailed model of Northwest Europe, in which all power stations, interconnections, and constraints (i.e. RES potential) are accounted for. In all scenarios, the 16% RES target is a binding constraint in that model. This means the model determines the least-cost option to meet this target, including wind onshore and offshore (up to the limit estimated by ECN), dedicated biomass and co-firing of biomass, and other sources such as solar.

Life cycle assessment of energy products: environmental impact assessment of biofuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zah, R.; Boeni, H.; Gauch, M.; Hischier, R.; Lehmann, M.; Waeger, P.

2007-05-15

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) deals with the results of a study that evaluated the environmental impact of the entire production chain of fuels made from biomass and used in Switzerland. Firstly, the study supplies an analysis of the possible environmental impacts of biofuels that can be used as a basis for political decisions. Secondly, an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of various biofuels is presented. In addition, the impacts of fuel use are compared with other uses for bioenergy such as the generation of electricity and heat. The methods used in the LCA are discussed, including the Swiss method of ecological scarcity (Environmental Impact Points, UBP 06), and the European Eco-indicator 99 method. The results of the study are discussed, including the finding that not all biofuels can reduce environmental impacts as compared to fossil fuels. The role to be played by biofuels produced in an environmentally-friendly way together with other forms of renewable energy in our future energy supply is discussed.

Luminescence model with quantum impact parameter for low energy ions

CERN Document Server

Cruz-Galindo, H S; Martínez-Davalos, A; Belmont-Moreno, E; Galindo, S

2002-01-01

We have modified an analytical model of induced light production by energetic ions interacting in scintillating materials. The original model is based on the distribution of energy deposited by secondary electrons produced along the ion's track. The range of scattered electrons, and thus the energy distribution, depends on a classical impact parameter between the electron and the ion's track. The only adjustable parameter of the model is the quenching density rho sub q. The modification here presented, consists in proposing a quantum impact parameter that leads to a better fit of the model to the experimental data at low incident ion energies. The light output response of CsI(Tl) detectors to low energy ions (<3 MeV/A) is fitted with the modified model and comparison is made to the original model.

El boom, Barral y Barcelona : gestación editorial de un movimiento transoceánico

OpenAIRE

Ruiz Ortega, José Luis

2014-01-01

En los años sesenta la pequeña editorial barcelonesa de Carlos Barral brindó al peruano Vargas Llosa la posibilidad de publicar su primera novela. Desde entonces, el editor Barral se convierte en el promotor principal del surgimiento y desarrollo del boom latinoamericano y, por consiguiente, en pieza clave para el fortalecimiento de las relaciones editoriales y literarias entre América Latina y España. In the 1960s Carlos Barral's small publishing house in Barcelona affords the Peruvian Va...

The impact of renewable energies on EEX day-ahead electricity prices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paraschiv, Florentina; Erni, David; Pietsch, Ralf

2014-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the impact of renewable energies, wind and photovoltaic, on the formation of day-ahead electricity prices at EEX. We give an overview of the policy decisions concerning the promotion of renewable energy sources in Germany and discuss their consequences on day-ahead prices. An analysis of electricity spot prices reveals that the introduction of renewable energies enhances extreme price changes. In the frame of a dynamic fundamental model, we show that there has been a continuous electricity price adaption process to market fundamentals. Furthermore, the fundamental drivers of prices differ among hours with different load profiles. Our results imply that renewable energies decrease market spot prices and have implications on the traditional fuel mix for electricity production. However, the prices for the final consumers increased overall because they must pay in addition the feed-in tariffs for the promotion of renewable energy. - Highlights: • We analyze the impact of renewable energies on the day-ahead electricity prices at EEX. • We discuss the impact of renewables on day-ahead prices. • We show a continuous electricity price adaption process to market fundamentals. • Renewable energies decrease market spot prices and shift the merit order curve. • The prices for the final consumers however increased because of feed-in tariffs

Environmental impact of energy systems in Lithuania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jancauscas, V.; Mishkins, V.

1994-04-01

Environmental impact of energy systems and an improvement of environmental situation in Lithuania are discussed. The number of polluting plants exceeds 40 thousand, the most harmful are power plants and boilers. The non-homogenous distribution of power and industrial plants cause very different contamination in Lithuania. fig

JEDI: Jobs and Economic Development Impact Model; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2015-08-01

The Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) models are user-friendly tools that estimate the economic impacts of constructing and operating power generation and biofuel plants at the local (usually state) level. First developed by NREL’s researchers to model wind energy jobs and impacts, JEDI has been expanded to also estimate the economic impacts of biofuels, coal, conventional hydro, concentrating solar power, geothermal, marine and hydrokinetic power, natural gas, photovoltaics, and transmission lines. This fact sheet focuses on JEDI for wind energy projects.

Renewable energy systems - the environmental impact approach. Paper no. IGEC-1-008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koroneos, C.

2005-01-01

High energy consumption and the world population increase will lead to a shrinking use of fossil fuels. The combustion of Fossil fuel leads to the increase of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere which leads to the probable increase of global warming. Therefore, concerns about carbon dioxide emissions may discourage widespread dependence on fossil fuels and encourage the development and use of renewable energy systems employing a variety of technologies Renewable energy systems have themselves an environmental impact. Land use and material employed are two areas that may have an adverse impact to the positive environmental picture of the renewable energy systems. The objective of this paper is to analyze these impacts with the use of a very powerful tool, the Life Cycle Assessment. (author)

Impact of information and communications technologies on residental customer energy services

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldman, C.; Kempton, W.; Eide, A.; Iyer, M. [and others

1996-10-01

This study analyzes the potential impact of information and communications technologies on utility delivery of residential customer energy services. Many utilities are conducting trials which test energy-related and non-energy services using advanced communications systems.

Social impact assessment in energy projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koivujaervi, S.; Kantola, I.; Maekinen, P.

1998-01-01

The research report is based on literature and interviews on the social impact assessment (SIA) in energy projects in Finland, both before and after the EIA Act has been in force in Finland. The concept and content of SIA, the requirements set by the legislation, its relation with other environmental impacts, the assessment process and the used methods have been studied on the basis of the literature analysis. A total of 26 persons representing the coordination authorities, persons issuing statements, researchers, civil servants, consultants and project developers were interviewed for the research. The interviews were made by the University of Turku in the form of theme interviews, investigating the present status, practices and expectations of the SIA. The unestablished status was seen to be the problem in the SIA, which was reflected in the interviewers' varying views about the content of the SIA. Among the operators, the general character of the SIA criticism in the statements concerning the assessment programmes or reports was seen as a problem as well; the assessment of social impact has been considered to be insufficient, however, without any identification of the effects or how the effects should have been assessed. For the time preceding the EIA Act, the assessment of the social impact of hydraulic work, power plant and transmission line projects and the project of the fifth nuclear power plant have been studied. As to the power plant and transmission line projects after the validity of the EIA Act, all the 20 projects were gone through which had progressed during the spring 1998 at least to the assessment report stage. Of these projects, the assessment of the social impact of one transmission line and one power plant project was studied in detail. The report also studies the assessment of the social impact of the repository for nuclear waste on the basis of the experience gained in Finland and in other countries. On the basis of the literature study

Economic effect of fusion in energy market. Economic impact of fusion deployment in energy market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konishi, Satoshi

2002-01-01

Energy model analysis estimates the significant contribution of fusion in the latter half of the century under the global environment constraints if it will be successfully developed and introduced into the market. The total possible economical impact of fusion is investigated from the aspect of energy cost savings, sales, and its effects on Gross Domestic Products. Considerable economical possibility will be found in the markets for fusion related devices, of currently developing countries, and for synthesized fuel. The value of fusion development could be evaluated from these possible economic impact in comparison with its necessary investment. (author)

The Impact of Energy Price Decline on China's Energy-Economy-Environment System Variables Using a CGE Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guo, Zhengquan; Wang, Daojuan; Chen, Chong

In recent years, prices of coal and crude oil have fallen significantly. These declines have had a large impact on China’s energy-economy-environment system variables. This paper establishes a computable general equilibrium model to systematically analyse the impact of coal price changes alone...... or the decline of both coal and oil prices on the variables of China's energy-economy-environment system. The results of the analysis show that the decline of the coal price alone or of coal and crude oil prices together will lead to a significant increase in demand for either coal and total energy or coal...

Optical MEMS: boom, bust and beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Ramani, Chandra Mouli

2005-10-01

Optical Telecommunications bandwidth, spurred by the growth of the internet, experienced unprecedented growth in the late 1990's. The creation of new enterprises was vast and the expansion of established component, system and services companies was also breathtaking. This period of speculative growth was followed in 2001-2004 by one of the most significant market crashes in history. While $20B of venture capital was invested in optical telecom in the last 10 years, the vast majority of that has been written off in the last four. Countless start-ups inaugurated with great fanfare at the end of the 20th century were unceremoniously shut down at the start of the 21st. (1) As in all speculative bubbles, innovative technologies were born and buried. Nonetheless, new capabilities emerge from the chaos and disruption; one such example is the advent of Optical MEMS (MOEMS). Its development was vigorously pursued in both academic and corporate laboratories during the boom and, in the author's view; MOEMS constitutes a powerful and versatile tool set that is an invaluable residual of the last few years. In Telecommunications, MOEMS has proven to be the technology of choice for many optical switching and wavelength management applications. (2) Variable Optical Attenuators (VOA), Wavelength Blockers (WB), Dynamic Gain Equalizers (DGE), and most recently Wavelength Selective Switches (WSS) are being used in the numerous recent network deployments. Moreover, agile networks of the future will have MOEMS at every node. This presentation will provide an overview of the history of MOEMS in Telecommunications, discuss its byproducts and project the future of the technology.

Energy technology impacts on agriculture with a bibliography of models for impact assessment on crop ecosystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rupp, E.M.; Luxmoore, R.J.; Parzyck, D.C.

1979-09-01

Possible impacts of energy technologies on agriculture are evaluated, and some of the available simulation models that can be used for predictive purposes are identified. An overview of energy technologies and impacts on the environment is presented to provide a framework for the commentary on the models. Coal combustion is shown to have major impacts on the environment and these will continue into the next century according to current Department of Energy projections. Air pollution effects will thus remain as the major impacts on crop ecosystems. Two hundred reports were evaluated, representing a wide range of models increasing in complexity from mathematical functions (fitted to data) through parametric models (which represent phenomena without describing the mechanisms) to mechanistic models (based on physical, chemical, and physiological principles). Many models were viewed as suitable for adaptation to technology assessment through the incorporation of representative dose-response relationships. It is clear that in many cases available models cannot be taken and directly applied in technology assessment. Very few models of air pollutant-crop interactions were identified, even though there is a considerable data base of pollutant effects on crops.

Modeling an impact of road geometric design on vehicle energy consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Luin, Blaž; Petelin, Stojan; Al-Mansour, Fouad

2017-11-01

Some roads connect traffic origins and destinations directly, some use winding, indirect routes. Indirect connections result in longer distances driven and increased fuel consumption. A similar effect is observed on congested roads and mountain roads with many changes in altitude. Therefore a framework to assess road networks based on energy consumption is proposed. It has been shown that road geometry has significant impact on overall traffic energy consumption and emissions. The methodology presented in the paper analyzes impact of traffic volume, shares of vehicle classes, road network configuration on the energy used by the vehicles. It can be used to optimize energy consumption with efficient traffic management and to choose optimum new road in the design phase. This is especially important as the energy consumed by the vehicles shortly after construction supersedes the energy spent for the road construction.

Developments in modelling of thermohydro-geomechanical behaviour of Boom clay and clay-based buffer materials (Volume 1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldi, G.; Hueckel, T.; Peano, A.; Pellegrini, R.

1991-01-01

The results of two years of research on thermomechanics of clays performed within CEC contract Fl1W/0150 are described herein. Previous studies (research contracts with CEC/WAS/380.83.7 l) performed by ISMES have evidenced the need for an improved modelling of the volumetric response of natural clays. In a coupled approach, this leads to an improved prediction of pore-pressure development and dissipation. This is crucial for assessing conditions of a possible local thermal failure as verified in laboratory tests done at ISMES. The first part of the study lays the foundations of a comprehensive theoretical treatment of the interaction between water and soil skeleton. It consists in: (a) developing a framework for inclusion of water/soil particle thermally induced interaction into a thermodynamically consistent mixture theory approach (Section 2); (b) studying possible modelling approaches of considering the effective thermal expansion coefficient of pore water dependency on pore water status (Section 2); (c) testing artificial clays to assess pore water thermal expansion dependence on temperature in the presence of different amounts of active clay minerals and also Boom clay (Section 3); (d) performing a laboratory test campaign on Boom clay with special attention to the response in the overconsolidated domain (Section 4). 89 figs., 18 tabs., 102 refs

Impact of energy taxation on economy, environmental and public health quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Baoqing; Liu, Bowei; Niu, Honghong; Liu, Jianfeng; Yao, Shu

2018-01-15

This paper argues computable general equilibrium model and assess impact of energy taxation on economy, environmental and public health quality in Tianjin. In order to investigate different energy taxation based on medical cost and labor loss, the computable general equilibrium model integrating with input-output table and social accounting matrix (SAM) was constructed. The medical expense caused by air pollution of Tianjin in 2007 is 396 million yuan and death for 18104 people, which accounted for the total GDP and population 0.754‰ and 1.6‰, respectively. The results show that the enery taxes levy can improve the GDP, but it is only slightly. The energy taxes have adverse impact on energy sector because that the energy cost is increased. The scale of production is reduced, and the capital and labor resources are transferred to low energy consumption low emissions sector. The energy tax levy can reduce air pollutants concentration and improve air environmental quality. The PM 10 , SO 2 and NO 2 concentration in the energy taxes 5%-30% was reduced by 0.24%-0.24%, 0.09-0.52% and 0.29%-0.52% respectively. The medical expense has little impact on GDP, but labor loss has a certain effect on GDP. For higher energy taxes rate, the health effects on GDP can reach 0.06%-0.16%. This simultaneous economic and environmental improvement and health effect would thus have positive implications regarding energy taxes of the country. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating the environmental impact of home energy visits and extent of behaviour change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revell, Kristy

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the environmental impact of a home energy visit programme, known as RE:NEW, that was delivered in London, in the United Kingdom. These home energy visits intended to encourage reductions in household carbon emissions and water consumption through the installation of small energy saving measures (such as radiator panels, in-home energy displays and low-flow shower heads), further significant energy saving measures (loft and cavity wall insulation) and behaviour change advice. The environmental impact of the programme was estimated in terms of carbon emissions abated and on average, for each household in the study, a visit led to an average carbon abatement of 146 kgCO 2 . The majority of this was achieved through the installation of small energy saving measures. The impact of the visits on the installation of significant measures was negligible, as was the impact on behaviour change. Therefore, these visits did not overcome the barriers required to generate behaviour change or the barriers to the installation of more significant energy saving measures. Given this, a number of recommendations are proposed in this paper, which could increase the efficacy of these home energy visits. - Highlights: • The environmental impact of the RE:NEW home energy visit programme is estimated. • Visits do not generate significant pro-environmental behaviour change. • Visits do not overcome the barriers to the installation loft and wall insulation. • Small energy saving measures yield carbon savings of 145 kgCO 2 /year. • The average carbon abatement per household was estimated to be 146 kgCO 2 /year

The economic impacts of energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jean, R.

1990-01-01

Energy efficiency programs add to the costs incurred by electricity users in the short term and generate significant economic benefits in the medium and long term. Using the example of programs in development at Hydro-Quebec, it is shown that the net economic benefits surpass, in present value terms, the sums invested by the electric utility and the customer, corresponding to yields of over 100%. This benefit is the principal impact of energy conservation programs which also provide employment, for every dollar invested, of the same order as that provided by hydroelectric production (i.e. costs associated with construction of generating plants, transmission lines, and distribution facilities). This evaluation takes account of the structure of purchases of goods and services brought about by energy efficiency programs and their large import component. This result may be surprising since the hydroelectric industry is strongly integrated into the Quebec economy, but it is understandable when one takes into account the importance of distribution costs to small-scale users, which causes significant local activity even when imported products are involved, and the very intensive labor requirement for certain energy efficiency measures. In addition, the employment generated by energy efficiency investments is very diversified in terms of the range of skills used and its geographic dispersion. 2 figs., 4 tabs

Evaluation of cooking energy cost, efficiency, impact on air pollution and policy in Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anozie, A.N.; Bakare, A.R.; Sonibare, J.A.; Oyebisi, T.O.

2007-01-01

This study evaluated the cooking energy costs and efficiencies, the air pollution impacts of cooking energy consumption and the impact of the energy policy in the cooking energy sector in Nigeria. Water boiling and cooking experiments using the common cooking energy sources (fuel wood, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity) and common food items (water, yam and beans) were carried out. Energy surveys were carried out to determine the cooking energy use patterns in the urban and rural areas. It was found that fuel wood is the least expensive cooking energy source and LPG is the most expensive. Energy use efficiencies for boiling water were estimated at 25%, 46%, 73%, 79%, 66% and 90% for fuel wood, kerosene, gas, electric immersion coil, electric heating coil and electric hot plate, respectively. Energy intensity was found to be a comparative measure of energy efficiency. The impacts of air pollution from household cooking suggested a possibility of significant air pollutants contribution to the ambient environment using any of the energy carriers considered except electricity. The cooking energy use patterns showed that fuel wood is the predominant energy source for cooking in the rural areas while kerosene is the predominant energy source in the urban areas, revealing that the energy policy in the country had made no impact in the cooking energy sector. Recommendations for improving the energy supply situation were given and for removing the barriers that prevent the implementation of the recommendations

Dinámicas espaciales generadas a partir de las agroexportaciones: el boom de los espárragos en Ica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brenda Toledo Asenjo

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Spatial Dynamics Generated by Agroexports: The Asparragus Boom at IcaDifferent economic and subsistence activities respond to changes or dynamics that are formed in each context. At present, globalization appears as one of the main factors that influence on the economic activities. That is, it is undeniable that all economic activities transform their processes induced by that phenomenon as well as the distinct regions have required to get integrated to that process. In that sense, the states, procuring to get integrated to the global context have contributed to the configuration of the new commercial scenery. This implies that many societies with distinct living patterns have had to adequate to a new commercial dynamics, where exports are the principal connection to the global market. The main objective of this paper is to identify and analyze the spatial dynamics originated as result of agro exports such as the case of the asparagus’ «boom» at the Ica Valley. Moreover, there is a revision of some environmental dynamics or impacts that the process has given way in order to have a correct vision of the topic. To do this, there was a spatial review of the study area based on satellite images in identified dates, from which it was possible to see gross evidence of a spatial transformation and the appearance of new land use formsLas distintas actividades económicas y de subsistencia responden a los cambios o dinámicas que se forman en cada contexto. Actualmente, la globalización aparece como uno de los factores principales de influencia sobre las actividades económicas. Es decir, es innegable que todas las actividades económicas transforman sus procesos inducidas por ese fenómeno, en la medida que las distintas regiones han requerido integrarse al proceso. En ese sentido, los Estados, al procurar sumarse al contexto global han contribuido a la configuración del nuevo escenario comercial. Esto implica que muchas sociedades con costumbres

Energy policy and energy market performance: The Argentinean case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Recalde, Marina

2011-01-01

In the early 1990s Argentina liberalized and privatized the energy system, trending to a total market oriented system and abandoning the use of energy policy. Since 2004, as a result of a boom in energy demand and constrains in energy supply, Argentina has gone through an energy problem mainly related to natural gas and electricity, which derived in energy shutdowns. In this frame, this study explores the role of energy policy and institutions in Argentina, with the aim of discussing whether it has been properly used to contrast the observed lack of coordination between fossil energy reserves management and the demand of fuels in power generation. The results of the analysis enhance the relevance of regulatory and control authorities, as well as the active use of long run energy policy for the energy system performance in order to avoid coordination failures between subsectors of the system. The relevance of energy consumption for the development process, and the particular characteristics of energy systems require a wide planning perspective. - Highlights: → This paper examines some aspects of the performance of the Argentinean energy system and energy policy. → There is a lack of coordination between fossil energy reserves management and electricity demand. → It is required an improvement of the regulatory framework, and an active role of the regulatory authorities. → A better planning for electricity supply and strengthening aspects related to the linking with other energy chains. → Promoting a systematic exploitation of NG and oil reserves' and increasing the share of RETs in the energy mix.

Differential cross sections for electron-impact vibrational-excitation of tetrahydrofuran at intermediate impact energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Do, T. P. T. [School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001 (Australia); School of Education, Can Tho University, Campus II, 3/2 Street, Xuan Khanh, Ninh Kieu, Can Tho City (Viet Nam); Duque, H. V. [School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001 (Australia); Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Lopes, M. C. A. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Konovalov, D. A.; White, R. D. [College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville (Australia); Brunger, M. J., E-mail: michael.brunger@flinders.edu.au, E-mail: darryl.jones@flinders.edu.au [School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001 (Australia); Institute of Mathematical Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Jones, D. B., E-mail: michael.brunger@flinders.edu.au, E-mail: darryl.jones@flinders.edu.au [School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001 (Australia)

2015-03-28

We report differential cross sections (DCSs) for electron-impact vibrational-excitation of tetrahydrofuran, at intermediate incident electron energies (15-50 eV) and over the 10°-90° scattered electron angular range. These measurements extend the available DCS data for vibrational excitation for this species, which have previously been obtained at lower incident electron energies (≤20 eV). Where possible, our data are compared to the earlier measurements in the overlapping energy ranges. Here, quite good agreement was generally observed where the measurements overlapped.

Impact of keV-energy argon clusters on diamond and graphite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Popok, Vladimir; Samela, Juha; Nordlund, Kai

2012-01-01

Impact of keV-energy size-selected Arn (n = 16, 27, 41) cluster ions on diamond and graphite is studied both experimentally and by molecular dynamics simulations. For the case of diamond, relatively high cluster kinetic energies (above certain threshold) are required to produce severe radiation...... the graphene planes, significant radiation damage is already introduced by impact of clusters with low kinetic energies (a few tens of eV/atom). However, collisions of the argon clusters cause very elastic response of the graphene planes that leads to efficient closure of the craters which could be formed...

Influence of Geographic Factors on the Life Cycle Climate Change Impacts of Renewable Energy Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Fortier, M. O. P.

2017-12-01

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a valuable tool to measure the cradle-to-grave climate change impacts of the sustainable energy systems that are planned to replace conventional fossil energy-based systems. The recent inclusion of geographic specificity in bioenergy LCAs has shown that the relative sustainability of these energy sources is often dependent on geographic factors, such as the climate change impact of changing the land cover and local resource availability. However, this development has not yet been implemented to most LCAs of energy systems that do not have biological feedstocks, such as wind, water, and solar-based energy systems. For example, the tidal velocity where tidal rotors are installed can significantly alter the life cycle climate change impacts of electricity generated using the same technology in different locations. For LCAs of solar updraft towers, the albedo change impacts arising from changing the reflectivity of the land that would be converted can be of the same magnitude as other life cycle process climate change impacts. Improvements to determining the life cycle climate change impacts of renewable energy technologies can be made by utilizing GIS and satellite data and by conducting site-specific analyses. This practice can enhance our understanding of the life cycle environmental impacts of technologies that are aimed to reduce the impacts of our current energy systems, and it can improve the siting of new systems to optimize a reduction in climate change impacts.

Impact of Weather and Occupancy on Energy Flexibility Potential of a Low-energy Building

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zilio, Emanuele; Foteinaki, Kyriaki; Gianniou, Panagiota

The introduction of renewable energy sources in the energy market leads to instability of the energy system itself; therefore, new solutions to increase its flexibility will become more common in the coming years. In this context the implementation of energy flexibility in buildings is evaluated...... solar radiation and the outdoor temperature appeared to have the larger impact on the thermal flexibility of the building. Specifically, the energy flexibility potential of the examined apartment can ensure its thermal autonomy up to 200 h in a typical sunny winter day......., using heat storage in the building mass. This study focuses on the influence of weather conditions and internal gains on the energy flexibility potential of a nearly-zero-energy building in Denmark. A specific six hours heating program is used to reach the scope. The main findings showed that the direct...

Economic Development Impact of 1,000 MW of Wind Energy in Texas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reategui, S.; Hendrickson, S.

2011-08-01

Texas has approximately 9,727 MW of wind energy capacity installed, making it a global leader in installed wind energy. As a result of the significant investment the wind industry has brought to Texas, it is important to better understand the economic development impacts of wind energy in Texas. This report analyzes the jobs and economic impacts of 1,000 MW of wind power generation in the state. The impacts highlighted in this report can be used in policy and planning decisions and can be scaled to get a sense of the economic development opportunities associated with other wind scenarios. This report can also inform stakeholders in other states about the potential economic impacts associated with the development of 1,000 MW of new wind power generation and the relationships of different elements in the state economy.

The potential impact of hydrogen energy use on the atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

van Ruijven, B. J.; Lamarque, J. F.; van Vuuren, D. P.; Kram, T.; Eerens, H.

2009-04-01

Energy models show very different trajectories for future energy systems (partly as function of future climate policy). One possible option is a transition towards a hydrogen-based energy system. The potential impact of such hydrogen economy on atmospheric emissions is highly uncertain. On the one hand, application of hydrogen in clean fuel cells reduces emissions of local air pollutants, like SOx and NOx. On the other hand, emissions of hydrogen from system leakages are expected to change the atmospheric concentrations and behaviour (see also Price et al., 2007; Sanderson et al., 2003; Schultz et al., 2003; Tromp et al., 2003). The uncertainty arises from several sources: the expected use of hydrogen, the intensity of leakages and emissions, and the atmospheric chemical behaviour of hydrogen. Existing studies to the potential impacts of a hydrogen economy on the atmosphere mostly use hydrogen emission scenarios that are based on simple assumptions. This research combines two different modelling efforts to explore the range of impacts of hydrogen on atmospheric chemistry. First, the potential role of hydrogen in the global energy system and the related emissions of hydrogen and other air pollutants are derived from the global energy system simulation model TIMER (van Vuuren, 2007). A set of dedicated scenarios on hydrogen technology development explores the most pessimistic and optimistic cases for hydrogen deployment (van Ruijven et al., 2008; van Ruijven et al., 2007). These scenarios are combined with different assumptions on hydrogen emission factors. Second, the emissions from the TIMER model are linked to the NCAR atmospheric model (Lamarque et al., 2005; Lamarque et al., 2008), in order to determine the impacts on atmospheric chemistry. By combining an energy system model and an atmospheric model, we are able to consistently explore the boundaries of both hydrogen use, emissions and impacts on atmospheric chemistry. References: Lamarque, J.-F., Kiehl, J. T

Environmental impact tool to assess national energy scenarios

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Taviv, R

2009-04-01

Full Text Available ) in terms of environmental impacts. The system quantifies the national energy demand for the domestic, commercial, transport, industry and agriculture sectors, the supply of electricity and liquid fuels, and the resulting emissions. The South African...

Impact of surface energy on the shock properties of granular explosives

Science.gov (United States)

Bidault, X.; Pineau, N.

2018-01-01

This paper presents the first part of a two-fold molecular dynamics study of the impact of the granularity on the shock properties of high explosives. Recent experimental studies show that the granularity can have a substantial impact on the properties of detonation products {i.e., variations in the size distributions of detonation nanodiamonds [V. Pichot et al., Sci. Rep. 3, 2159 (2013)]}. These variations can have two origins: the surface energy, which is a priori enhanced from micro- to nano-scale, and the porosity induced by the granular structure. In this first report, we study the impact of the surface-energy contribution on the inert shock compression of TATB, TNT, α-RDX, and β-HMX nano-grains (triaminotrinitrobenzene, trinitrotoluene, hexogen and octogen, respectively). We compute the radius-dependent surface energy and combine it with an ab initio-based equation of state in order to obtain the resulting shock properties through the Rankine-Hugoniot relations. We find that the enhancement of the surface energy results in a moderate overheating under shock compression. This contribution is minor with respect to porosity, when compared to a simple macroscopic model. This result motivates further atomistic studies on the impact of nanoporosity networks on the shock properties.

On the oxidation of the dissolved organic matter in Boom clay by NaNO3 and NaNO2 from disposed Eurobitum bituminized waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasile, M.; Bleyen, N.; Valcke, E.; Bruggeman, C.; Marien, A.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In Belgium, Boom Clay is studied as a potential host clay formation for the final disposal of EUROBITUM bituminized waste, which consists of 60 wt% hard bitumen (Mexphalt R85/40) and 40 wt% waste. The main salts that are present in the bituminized waste are NaNO 3 , 20-30 wt%, and CaSO 4 , 4-6 wt%. After disposal of the waste in the clay, an uptake of pore water by the embedded, dehydrated and hygroscopic salts will lead to a swelling of the waste and to a release of the salts into the Boom Clay. A possible consequence of the salt release is the oxidation of the clay by nitrate and, possibly, nitrite, resulting in a lower reducing capacity of the clay towards redox sensitive radionuclides, which in turn could have an impact on the migration behaviour of these radionuclides. The extent of oxidation of authigenic Boom Clay redox sensitive components, like organic matter and pyrite is studied at the SCK.CEN. As a first step in the study of the influence of nitrate and nitrite on the redoxactive Boom Clay components, we performed batch tests with dissolved organic matter (DOM). DOM was exposed to different concentrations of nitrate and nitrite for more than one year in both biotic and abiotic conditions. This paper will discuss the results obtained by exposing DOM to nitrate and nitrite and comparing two methods for the determination of its redox capacity. NaNO 3 or NaNO 2 , previously stored under inert atmosphere to remove all oxygen gas, was added to Boom Clay water collected from a piezometer to obtain final salt concentrations of 0.1 and 0.005 M NaNO 3 , or 0.05 and 0.005 M NaNO 2 . Sodium azide, also stored under inert atmosphere, was added (0.2 wt. %) to inhibit the microbial activity in the tests, creating abiotic conditions. All solutions were prepared in an anaerobic glove box. The nitrate and nitrite reduction by DOM was followed by analysing the concentrations of nitrate, nitrite and ammonium in the

Tomorrow's Energy Prices: An Analysis of System, Actors and Shaping Factors. Crude price drop and its consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevalier, Jean-Marie; Chauvin, Dominique

2017-01-01

If one sector in recent decades has been a byword for how difficult it is to anticipate future developments at the global level, it has been the energy sector. We have seen fears over the dangers of a hydrocarbon shortage, the announcement of 'peak oil' and a boom in shale gas and oil. Forecasts based on major trends within the field have been revised as non-conventional sources with a substantial impact on price levels have emerged. Added to this is the need to confront climate change and hence to revamp our modes of energy production to give an enhanced role to renewables. In such a context, as Jean-Marie Chevalier stresses here, it is quite tricky to say how energy prices will develop or how energy production systems will change. This is why, in addition to the overview of possible developments in the prices of oil, natural gas and coal which this article provides, it particularly stresses the many elements of uncertainty that still prevail. Chevalier demonstrates the multiplicity of factors - and actor - involved in the way energy systems and prices develop and highlights the key elements that will play a role in enhancing or curbing those developments in the medium-to-long term. (author)

Lifecycle effects of a recession on health behaviors: Boom, bust, and recovery in Iceland.

Science.gov (United States)

Ásgeirsdóttir, Tinna Laufey; Corman, Hope; Noonan, Kelly; Reichman, Nancy E

2016-03-01

This study uses individual-level longitudinal data from Iceland, a country that experienced a severe economic crisis in 2008 and substantial recovery by 2012, to investigate the extent to which the effects of a recession on health behaviors are lingering or short-lived and to explore trajectories in health behaviors from pre-crisis boom, to crisis, to recovery. Health-compromising behaviors (smoking, heavy drinking, sugared soft drinks, sweets, fast food, and tanning) declined during the crisis, and all but sweets continued to decline during the recovery. Health-promoting behaviors (consumption of fruit, fish oil, and vitamins/minerals and getting recommended sleep) followed more idiosyncratic paths. Overall, most behaviors reverted back to their pre-crisis levels or trends during the recovery, and these short-term deviations in trajectories were probably too short-lived in this recession to have major impacts on health or mortality. A notable exception is for binge drinking, which declined by 10% during the 2 crisis years, continued to fall (at a slower rate of 8%) during the 3 recovery years, and did not revert back to the upward pre-crisis trend during our observation period. These lingering effects, which directionally run counter to the pre-crisis upward trend in consumption and do not reflect price increases during the recovery period, suggest that alcohol is a potential pathway by which recessions improve health and/or reduce mortality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential impacts of nanotechnology on energy transmission applications and needs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elcock, D.; Environmental Science Division

2007-11-30

The application of nanotechnologies to energy transmission has the potential to significantly impact both the deployed transmission technologies and the need for additional development. This could be a factor in assessing environmental impacts of right-of-way (ROW) development and use. For example, some nanotechnology applications may produce materials (e.g., cables) that are much stronger per unit volume than existing materials, enabling reduced footprints for construction and maintenance of electricity transmission lines. Other applications, such as more efficient lighting, lighter-weight materials for vehicle construction, and smaller batteries having greater storage capacities may reduce the need for long-distance transport of energy, and possibly reduce the need for extensive future ROW development and many attendant environmental impacts. This report introduces the field of nanotechnology, describes some of the ways in which processes and products developed with or incorporating nanomaterials differ from traditional processes and products, and identifies some examples of how nanotechnology may be used to reduce potential ROW impacts. Potential environmental, safety, and health impacts are also discussed.

Climate change impacts on chosen activities from the energy sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonte Hernandez, Aramis; Rivero Vega, Roger

2006-01-01

The present work, results of a study carried out about the possible impact of climate change on the energy sector in the province Camaguey are shown. First of all, the main activities in companies, utilities, and farms related to the most significant energy consumption were chosen in order to model corresponding equivalent fuel consumption. Impacts were determined taking into account differences between present and future consumptions for each kind of energy. In developed countries, this kind of work is done using well-known empirical-statistical models, which usually require a lot of data at a nation-wide scale, but to attempt it in an undeveloped country demands the use of specific methodology, which in this case was non-existent and required us to create it. This resulted in a carefully posed question since we had to take into consideration that the spatial scale is only that of a province, and so it was necessary, above all, to study specific characteristics of provincial fuel consumption. We used the Magic-Scengen system and SRES scenarios, and outputs of general circulation models like HadCM2 to obtain values of chosen climatic variables for use in energy consumption regression models, previously developed for each kind of activity in the corresponding companies, firm, and facilities included in the present research. It made possible to estimate energy consumption in each activity at the selected time periods centered at 2020, 2050, and 2080. The study shows that impact could rise the consumption by 2,5% of the present energy level in this territory

chemo-Hydro-mechanical modelling of in-situ disposal of a bituminized radioactive waste in boom clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mokni, N.; Olivella, S.; Valcke, E.; Marien, A.; Smets, S.; Li, X.; Sillen, X.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The current reference solution of the Belgian Agency for the Management of Radioactive Waste and Fissile Materials (ONDRAF/NIRAS) envisages underground disposal of Eurobitum Bituminized radioactive Waste (BW) in a geologically stable clay formation. In Belgium, the Boom Clay, which is a 30 to 35 million years old and ∼100 m thick marine sediment is being studied as a potential host formation because of its favorable properties to limit and delay the migration of the leached radionuclides to the biosphere over extended periods of time. The current disposal concept foresees that several drums (220 litres) of Eurobitum would be grouped in thick-walled cement-based secondary containers, which in turn would be placed in concrete-lined disposal galleries that are excavated at mid-depth in the clay layer. Only 80-90 % of the total volume of the drum is filled with Eurobitum.The remaining voids between the containers would be backfilled with a cement-based material. The interaction between the BW and the host clay formation is a very complicated chemo-hydro-mechanical process and depends not only on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of the Boom Clay itself, but also on that of the BW. In fact, the osmosis-induced uptake of water by the dehydrated hygroscopic salts embedded in the waste induces a geo-mechanical perturbation of the host formation, caused by the swelling and the increase of the pressure in and around the waste. The objectives of the Chemo-Hydro-Chemical (CHM) analysis presented in this work are (i) to get insights on the kinetics of water uptake by BW, dissolution of the embedded NaNO 3 crystals, solute leaching, and maximum generated pressure under disposal conditions and (ii) to study the stress redistribution due to the recompression of the clay around a gallery caused by the swelling pressure of the bitumen and the admissible swelling pressure for Boom clay. Firstly, a CHM formulation of chemically and

Social impacts of community renewable energy projects: findings from a woodfuel case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, Jennifer C.; Simmons, Eunice A.; Convery, Ian; Weatherall, Andrew

2012-01-01

There is much current interest in the potential of community-based renewable energy projects to contribute to transition towards low carbon energy systems. As well as displacing fossil fuel consumption by increasing renewable energy generation, projects are expected to have a range of social impacts which may result in additional positive sustainability outcomes. These include potential to increase: acceptance of renewable energy developments; awareness of renewable and sustainable energy technologies and issues; uptake of low carbon technologies; and sustainable/pro-environmental behaviours. To date however, there has been little investigation of whether and how these impacts occur. This paper presents results from qualitative research investigating the social impacts of a community woodfuel project as experienced by project participants and other local stakeholders. Findings show projects can raise awareness of renewable energy technologies and increase uptake of renewables. Overall the case study project successfully changed the local social context for development of woodfuel heating, reducing risk for all involved in the future development of this sector, particularly in the immediate locality. There was some evidence of increased engagement with wider sustainability issues but this was limited to direct participants, suggesting local projects need to be supported by wider systemic change to maximise impacts. - Highlights: ► We assessed the social impacts of a community woodfuel project. ► The project increased awareness and uptake of woodfuel heating. ► Impacts were achieved as a result of the locally-specific approach. ► Local projects can seed cultural change promoting transition to a low carbon society.

The economic impact of energy saving retrofits of residential and public buildings in Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikulić, Davor; Bakarić, Ivana Rašić; Slijepčević, Sunčana

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to estimunate the impact of energy saving investment in residential and public buildings in Croatia for the period 2015–2020. The aim is to assess the overall socio-economic impact of energy saving renovation measures defined in Croatian strategic documents in terms of the direct, indirect and induced growth of gross value added, employment and government revenues. An estimate of the avoided costs of air pollution is also included. The overall economic impact assessment is based on an input-output methodology. From the point of view of individual investors, the benefits in terms of reduced future expenses related to energy products are usually below energy efficient renovation investment costs, making an investment financially viable only if government support is provided. If the benefits for society as a whole are included, energy efficient renovation could be assessed as viable even in the short-run. Energy saving retrofits of residential and public buildings positively contribute to economic growth, employment and protection of the environment. Because of economic growth, the tax revenues induced by these investments could compensate for government expenditures, and the overall impact on the public deficit is expected to be neutral even in the short-run. - Highlights: •Estimate of the overall socioeconomic impact of energy saving renovation measures on national economy. •Energy efficient renovation if not subsidised is not financially viable from the owner perspective. •Total social benefits are higher than social costs due to positive externalities. •Impact of subsidies on public deficit is neutral even in the short run.

Vibration and Energy Dissipation of Nanocomposite Laminates for Below Ballistic Impact Loading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Balaganesan

Full Text Available Abstract Composite laminates are made of glass woven roving mats of 610gsm, epoxy resin and nano clay which are subjected to projectile impact. Nano clay dispersion is varied from 1% to 5%. Impact tests are conducted in a gas gun setup with a spherical nose cylindrical projectile of diameter 9.5 mm of mass 7.6 g. The energy absorbed by the laminates when subjected to impact loading is studied, the velocity range is below ballistic limit. The effect of nano clay on energy absorption in vibration, delamination and matrix crack is studied for different weight % of nano clay and for different thickness values of the laminates. The natural frequencies and damping factors are obtained for the laminates during impact and the effect of nano clay is studied. The results show considerable improvement in energy absorption due to the presence of nano clay

Analysis of Offshore Knuckle Boom Crane - Part One: Modeling and Parameter Identification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morten K. Bak

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an extensive model of a knuckle boom crane used for pipe handling on offshore drilling rigs. The mechanical system is modeled as a multi-body system and includes the structural flexibility and damping. The motion control system model includes the main components of the crane's electro-hydraulic actuation system. For this a novel black-box model for counterbalance valves is presented, which uses two different pressure ratios to compute the flow through the valve. Experimental data and parameter identification, based on both numerical optimization and manual tuning, are used to verify the crane model. The demonstrated modeling and parameter identification techniques target the system engineer and takes into account the limited access to component data normally encountered by engineers working with design of hydraulic systems.

Market-oriented Energy Revolution in China and Impacts

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wang Zhen; Xue Qing

2015-01-01

China has been undergoing a new round ofambitious reform in its energy sectors after presidentXi's call for“energy revolution”in June 2014. Thistop-down strategy paves a way to market-oriented transition for Chinese energy govern system on both industrial level and corporation level. This paper analyzes the newtrends of China's energy policy and its impacts on crude oil market as well as on Chinese state-owned petroleum enterprises. Thisrevolutionwill reshapethe managementsystemof Chinese energyindustryto cope with rising energy demand, supply restraints, huge environmental costs and backward technologies.With the deepening reform of oil and gas pricing mechanism and the opening-up of petroleum industry, Chinese domestic energy market will be upgraded towards a more rationalized and competitive system. Mixed ownerships will be introduced to stimulate the vitality, creativity and brandinfluence of state-owned petroleum corporations, pushing Chinese national oil majors to collaboratejointly withvarious foreign oil and gas companies and the emerging domestic private companies with great entrepreneurship.

Study of the Boom clay layer as a geochemical barrier for long-lived radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baetsle, L.H.; Henrion, P.; Put, M.; Cremers, A.

1985-01-01

The Boom clay layer below the nuclear site of Mol, Belgium has been thoroughly investigated on its geohydrologic and physicochemical characteristics as well as by laboratory experiments and in situ tests in the underground laboratory. Hydraulic permeabilities have been measured in situ; the chemical composition of the interstitial clay water is related to the mineralogical composition. Radionuclide sorption data and sorption mechanisms are given for Cs, Sr, Eu, Tc, Am, Pu and Np; experimental diffusion coefficients were determined by clay plug migration tests in representative conditions. Results of model calculations for the migration of radionuclides in dense porous media are given for Cs, Sr, Pu and Np

Impact Vibration Attenuation for a Flexible Robotic Manipulator through Transfer and Dissipation of Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yushu Bian

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the presence of system flexibility, impact can excite severe large amplitude vibration responses of the flexible robotic manipulator. This impact vibration exhibits characteristics of remarkable nonlinearity and strong energy. The main goal of this study is to put forward an energy-based control method to absorb and attenuate large amplitude impact vibration of the flexible robotic manipulator. The method takes advantage of internal resonance and is implemented through a vibration absorber based on the transfer and dissipation of energy. The addition of the vibration absorber to the flexible arm generates a coupling effect between vibration modes of the system. By means of analysis on 2:1 internal resonance, the exchange of energy is proven to be existent. The impact vibrational energy can be transferred from the arm to the absorber and dissipated through the damping of the absorber. The results of numerical simulations are promising and preliminarily verify that the method is feasible and can be used to combat large amplitude impact vibration of the flexible manipulator undergoing rigid motion.

Coping with the energy crisis: Impact assessment and potentials of non-traditional renewable energy in rural Kyrgyzstan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Melisande F.M.; Pistorius, Till

2012-01-01

The Kyrgyz energy sector is characterised by a dramatic energy crisis that has deprived a substantial part of the population from access to energy. Non-traditional renewable energy sources have emerged as a promising alternative in providing basic energy services to the rural poor. Based on qualitative interview data from local households and project planners, this study sets out to assess impacts, limitations and barriers of non-traditional renewable energy projects in rural areas in Kyrgyzstan. This study argues that recent renewable energy efforts from multilateral international agencies, the private sector, and nongovernmental organisations exhibit great potential in creating tangible benefits and improving basic energy services, but have so far been inefficient in establishing and replicating sustainable and long-term energy solutions. Existing practices need to be improved by attaching greater importance to the capacities and real needs of the rural poor. The guidance of integrated programmes and policies along with alternative financing schemes and awareness-raising are urgently needed to leverage local success stories and to facilitate a sustainable energy development in rural Kyrgyzstan. - Highlights: ► We examine 11 rural households and 5 project planners in rural Kyrgyzstan. ► We assess impacts of non-traditional renewable energies compared with conventional fuels. ► Renewable energies exhibit a range of tangible benefits for rural users. ► Limitations concern performance, durability, repair, acceptance, finance and policy. ► Renewable energy is a promising alternative for rural households in Kyrgyzstan.

Financial impacts of UK's energy and climate change policies on commercial and industrial businesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ang, Chye Peng; Toper, Bruce; Gambhir, Ajay

2016-01-01

This study provides a detailed case study assessment of two business sites in the UK, to understand the policy drivers of increases to their energy costs and energy bills, considering all current UK energy and climate change policies. We compare our findings to more generalised, theoretical calculations of the policy cost impact on energy costs and bills – we have found no other studies as comprehensive as ours in terms of policy coverage. We find that for one site the government has over-estimated the likely energy savings due to energy efficiency options. Such differences in estimates should be taken into account when considering the efficacy of climate change policies on future energy savings. The overall impact of energy and climate change policies on costs will be of the order 0.4% of total business costs by 2020. This provides an important metric for the near-term cost of mitigation to meet longer-term climate change goals. - Highlights: •Cumulative impacts of policies on energy prices and bills were studied. •Projected bills for one site are higher than those projected by the UK government. •Results of existing theoretical studies may not be fully representative. •Impact of policies is not considered significant with respect to competitiveness.

Preferential treatment and exemption policy impacts energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doelle, R.R.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on the preferential treatment and exemption policy of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for State and State Agencies which creates an anticompetitive and restraint of trade attitude in California against the development of alternative energy resources by the private sector when such development competes directly with state owned power generation under the State Water and Central Valley Water Projects, particularly in the area of water and power supply. The existing state water policy fails to address the effects of global warming and the adverse potential of the greenhouse effect in California, i.e. rising tides can seriously impact sea water intrusion problems of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Area by not only flooding agricultural lands in the Delta and Central Valley, but impacting the supply of water to large population areas in Southern and Northern California, especially when coupled with drought conditions. The California investigative research results herein reported demonstrates the fallacy of a preferential treatment and exemption policy in a free market economy, especially when such policy creates the potential for excessive state budget burdens upon the public in the face of questionable subsidies to special interest, i.e., allowing the resulting windfall profits to be passed onto major utilities and commingled at the expense of public interest so as to undermine the financial means for development of alternative energy resources. The cited Congressional and State Legislative Laws which provide the ways and means to resolve any energy or water resource problems are only as good as the enforcement and the commitment by the executive branch of government and the lawmakers to up-hold existing laws

The regional economic impact of oil and gas extraction in Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jim

2015-01-01

This paper empirically investigates the regional economic impact of oil and gas extraction in Texas during the recent shale oil boom. Regressions with county-level data over the period 2009–2014 support smaller multiplier effects on local employment and income than corresponding estimates drawn from popular input–output-based studies. Economic impacts were larger for extraction from gas wells than oil wells, while the drilling phase generated comparable impacts. Estimates of economic impacts are greater in a dynamic spatial panel model that allows for spillover effects across local economies as well as over time. - Highlights: • Economic impacts and multiplier effects differ between oil and gas wells in Texas. • Interactions among local economies raise employment and income effects. • Impacts persist over time, raising the long-run multipliers. • Greater economic impacts from newly drilled wells than legacy wells.

A study on the Charpy-V impact energy and impact properties of stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Gill Young

1988-01-01

It has been thought that by analyzing and considering the shock strength and fracture of impact load. We can accurtely determine strength and thus it will be helpful in optimum design. In this experimental study the following results were obtained by using the instrumented impact test for SUS 316 1) The total charpy impact energy is progressively decreased by increasing the shock pressure. 2) The dynamic yield strength is increased by increasing the shock pressure for all test temperatures. 3) The ratio of dynamic yield to static yield strength was found to decrease with increasing shock pressure. (Author)

Organic matter linked radionuclide transport in Boom clay - Phenomenological understanding and abstraction to PA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maes, N.; Bruggeman, C.; Liu, D.J.; Salah, S.; Van Laer, L.; Wang, L.; Weetjens, E.; Govaerts, J.; Marivoet, J.; Brassinnes, S.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In the frame of the Belgian research program on long term management of high-level and/or long-lived radioactive wastes coordinated by ONDRAF/NIRAS, plastic clays (i.e., Boom Clay and Ypresian clays) are investigated for their potential to host a deep geological disposal repository for radioactive waste because of, among others, their ability to significantly retard radionuclide releases to the biosphere. The Boom Clay is characterised by the presence of a relatively high amount of dissolved organic matter (DOM, humic substances) which show a strong interaction with a suite of radionuclides (RN) like lanthanides, actinides and transition metals. This interaction with DOM leads in general to an increased mobility of the radionuclide as the OM can act as a colloidal carrier for the radionuclide. Therefore, the quantification and the understanding of the underlying processes are needed for the demonstration of confidence in the host formation to act as a suitable barrier. However, this is not an easy task, given the multitude of processes involved: complexation/colloid formation, sorption, kinetics, filtration, -. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the research work that leads to a straightforward reactive transport model capturing fairly well the experimental observations. The model can be considered as an intermediate model providing a good basis for further safety abstraction on the one hand and the way to a more detailed phenomenological understanding on the other hand. The research is focussed on the underlying processes that govern speciation, sorption and transport. These underlying processes are investigated in a bottom-up approach, from simple systems to more complex systems. Interpretation is done using thermodynamic based models. Whereas the contribution of Bruggeman et al. focusses mainly on (batch) sorption studies (of trivalent RN), this presentation will provide more details on the

The impact of the crisis on the energy demand and energy intensity in Central and Eastern European countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Attila HUGYECZ

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of our paper is to analyze the impact of the recent crisis on the oil and electricity demand and the energy intensity of different Central and Eastern European countries, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Furthermore, we would like to reveal whether there is a lag in the adjustment of energy consumption. In analyzing energy intensity, we use motor gasoline, diesel oil and electricity consumption data and ignore coal and natural gas data. By so doing, we avoid failures arising from changing coal/gas consumption due to changing weather conditions. Our results show that the crisis did impact energy consumption and reveal that the improvement of energy intensity halted in 2009, implying that the economic players did not immediately adjust their energy consumption according to their economic activity. The gasoline and diesel intensity, however, deteriorated (increased only in the Czech Republic and in Hungary. In Slovakia and Poland there were no significant changes.

Missile impacts as sources of seismic energy on the moon

Science.gov (United States)

Latham, G.V.; McDonald, W.G.; Moore, H.J.

1970-01-01

Seismic signals recorded from impacts of missiles at the White Sands Missile Range are radically different from the signal recorded from the Apollo 12 lunar module impact. This implies that lunar structure to depths of at least 10 to 20 kilometers is quite different from the typical structure of the earth's crust. Results obtained from this study can be used to predict seismic wave amplitudes from future man-made lunar impacts. Seismic energy and crater dimensions from impacts are compared with measurements from chemical explosions.

The impacts of wind technology advancement on future global energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)