High beam quality and high energy short-pulse laser with MOPA

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Quanwei; Pang, Yu; Jiang, JianFeng; Tan, Liang; Cui, Lingling; Wei, Bin; Sun, Yinhong; Tang, Chun

2018-03-01

A high energy, high beam quality short-pulse diode-pumped Nd:YAG master oscillator power-amplifier (MOPA) laser with two amplifier stages is demonstrated. The two-rod birefringence compensation was used as beam quality controlling methods, which presents a short-pulse energy of 40 mJ with a beam quality value of M2 = 1.2 at a repetition rate of 400Hz. The MOPA system delivers a short-pulse energy of 712.5 mJ with a pulse width of 12.4 ns.The method of spherical aberration compensation is improved the beam quality, a M2 factor of 2.3 and an optical-to-optical efficiency of 27.7% is obtained at the maximum laser out power.The laser obtained 1.4J out energy with polarization integration.

Eastern States Harness Clean Energy to Promote Air Quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-10-01

States on the East Coast are including renewable energy and energy efficiency projects into their air quality plans that they submit to the EPA to address nonattainment for nitrogen oxides and other pollutants.

New techniques for analyzing relationships between energy and water quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, E.; Thode, H.C. Jr.

1980-01-01

Water quality data for 65 variables were obtained for the period 1955 to 1977 and aggregated on a county basis. Measurements were taken primarily in New England and the Middle Atlantic States. When a subset of 138 counties with complete data was used, it was found that county aggregation statistical procedures resulted in data still able to describe the chemical characteristics of natural waters. Energy and socioeconomic data were merged with water quality data for these 138 counties. The path analytic methodology used by geneticists was adapted for use with these combined data to investigate for potential interactions between energy-related activities and water quality. A path diagram was proposed to provide insight into the possible causal nature of these interrelations. Direct and indirect pathways from energy production and use were traced to three factors describing functional attributes of water: conductivity, hardness, and dissolved metallic ions. This analysis explained 25 to 40% of the variance in three water quality factors and indicated the applicability of this technique to regional assessments of water quality impacts due to many human activities

Integrated energy, air quality and greenhouse gas management plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-03-01

This report outlines the measures that the Resort Municipality of Whistler has taken to become a sustainable community. In 2000, the Municipality adopted the Natural Step, a tool developed by international scientists to integrate ecological principles into the practices of communities, organizations and individuals. In 2001, the Municipality adopted a comprehensive sustainability plan. This report describes the efforts to manage energy, air quality, and greenhouse gases (GHG). More than 90 per cent of the common air contaminants that contribute to air quality problems in Whistler come from the combustion of fossil fuels. The community can reduce emissions of carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulphur, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter by managing energy and GHG emissions. This report is divided into several sections dealing with corporate and community energy use. It presents a community profile for Whistler, its energy and emissions inventory from 2000, and an integrated energy plan. An energy and emissions forecast for 2000 to 2020 was also included along with an implementation strategy for a sustainable energy future for Whistler. refs., tabs., figs

Effects of energy development on ground water quality: an overview and preliminary assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parker, W.M. III; Yin, S.C.L.; Davis, M.J.; Kutz, W.J.

1981-07-01

A preliminary national overview of the various effects on ground water quality likely to result from energy development. Based on estimates of present and projected energy-development activities, those regions of the country are identified where ground water quality has the potential for being adversely affected. The general causes of change in ground water quality are reviewed. Specific effects on ground water quality of selected energy technologies are discussed, and some case-history material is provided. A brief overview of pertinent legislation relating to the protection and management of ground water quality is presented. Six methodologies that have some value for assessing the potential effects on ground water quality of energy development activities are reviewed. A method of identifying regions in the 48 contiguous states where there is a potential for ground water quality problems is described and then applied

Review of power quality applications of energy storage systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swaminathan, S.; Sen, R.K. [Sentech, Inc., Bethesda, MD (United States)

1997-05-01

Under the sponsorship of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Utility Technologies, the Energy Storage Systems Analysis and Development Department at Sandia National Laboratories contracted Sentech, Inc., to assess the impact of power quality problems on the electricity supply system. This report contains the results of several studies that have identified the cost of power quality events for electricity users and providers. The large annual cost of poor power quality represents a national inefficiency and is reflected in the cost of goods sold, reducing US competitiveness. The Energy Storage Systems (ESS) Program takes the position that mitigation merits the attention of not only the DOE but affected industries as well as businesses capable of assisting in developing solutions to these problems. This study represents the preliminary stages of an overall strategy by the ESS Program to understand the magnitude of these problems so as to begin the process of engaging industry partners in developing solutions.

Do Energy Efficiency Standards Improve Quality? Evidence from a Revealed Preference Approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Houde, Sebastien [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Spurlock, C. Anna [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-06-01

Minimum energy efficiency standards have occupied a central role in U.S. energy policy for more than three decades, but little is known about their welfare effects. In this paper, we employ a revealed preference approach to quantify the impact of past revisions in energy efficiency standards on product quality. The micro-foundation of our approach is a discrete choice model that allows us to compute a price-adjusted index of vertical quality. Focusing on the appliance market, we show that several standard revisions during the period 2001-2011 have led to an increase in quality. We also show that these standards have had a modest effect on prices, and in some cases they even led to decreases in prices. For revision events where overall quality increases and prices decrease, the consumer welfare effect of tightening the standards is unambiguously positive. Finally, we show that after controlling for the effect of improvement in energy efficiency, standards have induced an expansion of quality in the non-energy dimension. We discuss how imperfect competition can rationalize these results.

Wind energy systems solutions for power quality and stabilization

CERN Document Server

Ali, Mohd Hasan

2012-01-01

Unlike conventional power plants, wind plants emit no air pollutants or greenhouse gases--and wind energy is a free, renewable resource. However, the induction machines commonly used as wind generators have stability problems similar to the transient stability of synchronous machines. To minimize power, frequency, and voltage fluctuations caused by network faults or random wind speed variations, control mechanisms are necessary. Wind Energy Systems: Solutions for Power Quality and Stabilization clearly explains how to solve stability and power quality issues of wind generator systems. Covering

Effects of Consuming Preloads with Different Energy Density and Taste Quality on Energy Intake and Postprandial Blood Glucose.

Science.gov (United States)

Tey, Siew Ling; Salleh, Nurhazwani; Henry, Christiani Jeyakumar; Forde, Ciaran G

2018-01-31

Consumption of reduced energy dense foods and drink has the potential to reduce energy intake and postprandial blood glucose concentrations. In addition, the taste quality of a meal (e.g., sweet or savoury) may play a role in satiation and food intake. The objective of this randomised crossover study was to examine whether energy density and taste quality has an impact on energy intake and postprandial blood glucose response. Using a preload design, participants were asked to consume a sweet ("Cheng Teng") or a savoury (broth) preload soup in high energy density (HED; around 0.50 kcal/g; 250 kcal) or low energy density (LED; around 0.12 kcal/g; 50 kcal) in mid-morning and an ad libitum lunch was provided an hour after the preload. Participants recorded their food intake for the rest of the day after they left the study site. Energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response were measured in 32 healthy lean males (mean age = 28.9 years, mean BMI = 22.1 kg/m²). There was a significant difference in ad libitum lunch intake between treatments ( p = 0.012), with higher intake in sweet LED and savoury LED compared to sweet HED and savoury HED. Energy intake at subsequent meals and total daily energy intake did not differ between the four treatments (both p ≥ 0.214). Consumption of HED preloads resulted in a larger spike in postprandial blood glucose response compared with LED preloads, irrespective of taste quality ( p < 0.001). Energy density rather than taste quality plays an important role in energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response. This suggests that regular consumption of low energy-dense foods has the potential to reduce overall energy intake and to improve glycemic control.

Effects of Consuming Preloads with Different Energy Density and Taste Quality on Energy Intake and Postprandial Blood Glucose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siew Ling Tey

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Consumption of reduced energy dense foods and drink has the potential to reduce energy intake and postprandial blood glucose concentrations. In addition, the taste quality of a meal (e.g., sweet or savoury may play a role in satiation and food intake. The objective of this randomised crossover study was to examine whether energy density and taste quality has an impact on energy intake and postprandial blood glucose response. Using a preload design, participants were asked to consume a sweet (“Cheng Teng” or a savoury (broth preload soup in high energy density (HED; around 0.50 kcal/g; 250 kcal or low energy density (LED; around 0.12 kcal/g; 50 kcal in mid-morning and an ad libitum lunch was provided an hour after the preload. Participants recorded their food intake for the rest of the day after they left the study site. Energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response were measured in 32 healthy lean males (mean age = 28.9 years, mean BMI = 22.1 kg/m2. There was a significant difference in ad libitum lunch intake between treatments (p = 0.012, with higher intake in sweet LED and savoury LED compared to sweet HED and savoury HED. Energy intake at subsequent meals and total daily energy intake did not differ between the four treatments (both p ≥ 0.214. Consumption of HED preloads resulted in a larger spike in postprandial blood glucose response compared with LED preloads, irrespective of taste quality (p < 0.001. Energy density rather than taste quality plays an important role in energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response. This suggests that regular consumption of low energy-dense foods has the potential to reduce overall energy intake and to improve glycemic control.

Energy, Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change, Health Nexus: Sustainable Energy is Good for Our Health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larry E. Erickson

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has the potential to improve air quality and human health by encouraging the electrification of transportation and a transition from coal to sustainable energy. There will be human health benefits from reducing combustion emissions in all parts of the world. Solar powered charging infrastructure for electric vehicles adds renewable energy to generate electricity, shaded parking, and a needed charging infrastructure for electric vehicles that will reduce range anxiety. The costs of wind power, solar panels, and batteries are falling because of technological progress, magnitude of commercial activity, production experience, and competition associated with new trillion dollar markets. These energy and transportation transitions can have a very positive impact on health. The energy, transportation, air quality, climate change, health nexus may benefit from additional progress in developing solar powered charging infrastructure.

Energy, Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change, Health Nexus: Sustainable Energy is Good for Our Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Larry E; Jennings, Merrisa

2017-01-01

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has the potential to improve air quality and human health by encouraging the electrification of transportation and a transition from coal to sustainable energy. There will be human health benefits from reducing combustion emissions in all parts of the world. Solar powered charging infrastructure for electric vehicles adds renewable energy to generate electricity, shaded parking, and a needed charging infrastructure for electric vehicles that will reduce range anxiety. The costs of wind power, solar panels, and batteries are falling because of technological progress, magnitude of commercial activity, production experience, and competition associated with new trillion dollar markets. These energy and transportation transitions can have a very positive impact on health. The energy, transportation, air quality, climate change, health nexus may benefit from additional progress in developing solar powered charging infrastructure.

Indoor air quality in a multifamily apartment building before and after energy renovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bekö, Gabriel; Földváry, Veronika; Langer, Sarka

2016-01-01

Buildings are responsible for a substantial portion of global energy consumption. Most of the multifamily residential buildings in central Europe built in the 20th century do not satisfy the current requirements on energy efficiency. Nationwide remedial measures are taken to improve the energy ef...... exchange rates and acceptable and healthy IAQ. Without these considerations, energy reconstruction can adversely affect the quality of the indoor environment....... efficiency of these buildings and reduce their energy consumption. Since the impact of these measures on the indoor air quality is rarely considered, they often compromise indoor air quality due to decreased ventilation and infiltration rate. We compared the indoor air quality in a multifamily apartment...... building in Slovakia before and after energy renovation, during two subsequent winters. Measurements of temperature, relative humidity, concentrations of CO2, formaldehyde, NO2, and volatile organic compounds were performed during one week in January 2015 in 20 apartments in one multifamily building...

Facing a Problem of Electrical Energy Quality in Ship Networks-measurements, Estimation, Control

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Tomasz Tarasiuk; Janusz Mindykowski; Xiaoyan Xu

2003-01-01

In this paper, electrical energy quality and its indices in ship electric networks are introduced, especially the meaning of electrical energy quality terms in voltage and active and reactive power distribution indices. Then methods of measurement of marine electrical energy indices are introduced in details and a microprocessor measurement-diagnosis system with the function of measurement and control is designed. Afterwards, estimation and control of electrical power quality of marine electrical power networks are introduced. And finally, according to the existing method of measurement and control of electrical power quality in ship power networks, the improvement of relative method is proposed.

The quality of high-energy X-ray beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LaRiviere, P.D.

1989-01-01

Supplement 17 of the British Journal of Radiology is a survey of central-axis depth doses for radiotherapy machines, patterned largely on BJR Supplement 11 (1972). Inspection of high-energy X-ray depth doses for a 10 x 10 cm field at an SSD of 100 cm disclosed large differences between the two sets of data, especially for qualities above 8 MV, e.g. a depth dose of 80% at 10 cm is rated at about 19 MV according to BJR Supplement 11, and 23 MV according to BJR Supplement 17. It was found that Supplement 17 depth-dose data above 8 MV were erratic, but Supplement 11 data could be represented by an analytical expression, providing a unique means of assigning MV quality. It was also found that dose-weighted average energy of the filtered beam plotted smoothly against depth dose. For dosimetric purposes, it is suggested that this parameter be used as a true measure of beam quality, removing discrepancies introduced by the use of nominal MV for this purpose. (author)

Review of Comprehensive Evaluation Methods for Power Quality and Its Trend in New Generation Energy System

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ruihua; Wang, Rong; Liu, Qunying; Yang, Li; Xi, Chuan; Wang, Wei; Li, Lingzhou; Zhao, Zhoufang; Zhou, Ying

2018-02-01

With China’s new energy generation grid connected capacity being in the forefront of the world and the uncertainty of new energy sources, such as wind energy and solar energy, it is be of great significance to study scientific and comprehensive assessment of power quality. On the foundation of analysizing the current power quality index systematically and objectively, the new energy grid power quality analysis method and comprehensive evaluation method, this paper tentatively explored the trend of the new generation of energy system power quality comprehensive evaluation.

Review of FACTS technologies and applications for power quality in smart grids with renewable energy systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gandoman, Foad H.; Ahmadi, Abdollah; Sharaf, Adel M.

2018-01-01

In the last two decades, emerging use of renewable and distributed energy sources in electricity grid has created new challenges for the utility regarding the power quality, voltage stabilization and efficient energy utilization. Power electronic converters are extensively utilized to interface...... the power quality. Also, distributed FACTSs play an important role in improving the power factor, energy utilization, enhancing the power quality, and ensuring efficient energy utilization and energy management in smart grids with renewable energy sources. This paper presents a literature survey of FACTS...... technology tools and applications for power quality and efficient renewable energy system utilization....

On the Trade-off between Energy Consumption and Food Quality Loss in Supermarket Refrigeration Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cai, Junping; Jensen, Jørgen Bauck; Skogestad, Sigurd

2008-01-01

This paper studies the trade-off between energy consumption and food quality loss, at varying ambient conditions, in supermarket refrigeration systems. Compared with the traditional operation with pressure control, a large potential for energy savings without extra loss of food quality is demonst......This paper studies the trade-off between energy consumption and food quality loss, at varying ambient conditions, in supermarket refrigeration systems. Compared with the traditional operation with pressure control, a large potential for energy savings without extra loss of food quality...

Energy Auditor and Quality Control Inspector Competency Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Head, Heather R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kurnik, Charles W [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schroeder, Derek [U.S. Department of Energy; Cutchin, Kelly [Simonson Management Services

2018-05-02

The Energy Auditor (EA) and Quality Control Inspector (QCI) Competency model was developed to identify the soft skills, foundational competencies and define the levels of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required to successfully perform the tasks defined in the EA and QCI Job Task Analysis (JTAs), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) used the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Competency Model Clearinghouse resources to develop a QCI and EA Competency Model. To keep the QCI and EA competency model consistent with other construction and energy management competency models, DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory used the existing 'Residential Construction Competency Model' and the 'Advanced Commercial Building Competency Model' where appropriate.

Cross-layer Energy Optimization Under Image Quality Constraints for Wireless Image Transmissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Na; Demirkol, Ilker; Heinzelman, Wendi

2012-01-01

Wireless image transmission is critical in many applications, such as surveillance and environment monitoring. In order to make the best use of the limited energy of the battery-operated cameras, while satisfying the application-level image quality constraints, cross-layer design is critical. In this paper, we develop an image transmission model that allows the application layer (e.g., the user) to specify an image quality constraint, and optimizes the lower layer parameters of transmit power and packet length, to minimize the energy dissipation in image transmission over a given distance. The effectiveness of this approach is evaluated by applying the proposed energy optimization to a reference ZigBee system and a WiFi system, and also by comparing to an energy optimization study that does not consider any image quality constraint. Evaluations show that our scheme outperforms the default settings of the investigated commercial devices and saves a significant amount of energy at middle-to-large transmission distances.

[Problems of the effective energy used as a quality expression of diagnostic X-ray].

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Hideki; Hayashi, Naoki; Suzuki, Shoichi; Ando, Sho; Miyamoto, Mami; Wakasugi, Nao; Suzuki, Shizuma

2011-01-01

The effective energy has been generally used as a method of handily expressing an X-ray quality by one numerical value. The effective energy is a concept derived from "Half Value Layer (HVL)" that is the expressing parameter of beam quality based on the attenuation of the primary X-ray by a material. When beam quality is expressed by using HVL and / or the effective energy, it is necessary to describe the tube potential, the rectification method, and the homogeneity coefficient, etc. in parallel. However, recently feelings are that the effective energy should be handled like an absolute numerical value to physical characteristics of X-rays. In this paper, it was theoretically clarified that the effective energy had a different value depending on the absorber material used for the HVL measurement. In addition, the errors when physical characteristics of the X-rays were evaluated using the effective energy was also examined. Physical characteristics, such as interactions to the material of mono-energetic X-ray, are not equal to that of X-rays with a wide energy spectrum. It is not an easy comparison to express the quality of the diagnostic X-rays, and to calculate physical characteristics of the X-rays by using the effective energy. It is necessary to design a new method of expressing the quality of X-rays that takes the place of the "effective energy."

Cow's milk quality and energy value during different lactation stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Salamończyk, Ewa

2013-01-01

The quality of dairy products, raw milk in particular, depends on many factors. Low bacterial and somatic cell counts are basic determinants of the appropriate raw milk quality. The objective of the work was to assess the effect of selected factors, that is, the age of cows and their daily milk performance, on cytological quality (somatic cell count) and energy value of milk produced at individual stages of lactation. Somatic cell count and energy value of cow's milk were assessed. A total of 229 792 milk samples were examined. Data for analysis were taken from milk records of 350 dairy herds. It was demonstrated that, of all the lactations studied, the fi rst lactation (from calving to the 100th day of lactation) was characterised by the highest daily milk performance (25.1 kg) and the lowest somatic cell count (356 thous./1 ml), fat, protein and dry matter contents (4.06, 2.96 and 12.41%, respectively) and milk calorific value (732 kcal/kg). The highest energy value was recorded in cow's milk produced towards the end of lactation, that is from day 300 till the end of lactation (842 kcal/kg). High milk calorific value in late lactation and high fat and protein contents were accompanied by low raw milk quality.

Power quality enhancement of renewable energy source power network using SMES system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, H.R.; Kim, A.R.; Park, M.; Yu, I.K.

2011-01-01

Power quality enhancement of a renewable energy source power network is performed by a real-toroidal-type SMES coil. SMES unit charges and discharges the HTS coil to mitigate the fluctuation of PV system output power. The grid connected PV and SMES system has been modeled and simulated using power-hard-in-the-loop simulation. The PHILS results demonstrated the effectiveness of the SMES system for enhancing power quality. This paper deals with power quality enhancement of renewable energy source power network using SMES system and describes the operation characteristics of HTS SMES system using real-toroidal-type SMES coil for smoothening the fluctuation of large-scale renewable energy source such as photovoltaic (PV) power generation system. It generates maximum power of PV array under various weather conditions. SMES unit charges and discharges the HTS coil to mitigate the fluctuation of PV system output power. The SMES unit is controlled according to the PV array output and the utility power quality conditions. The grid connected PV and SMES system has been modeled and simulated using power-hard-in-the-loop simulation (PHILS). The PHILS results demonstrated the effectiveness of the SMES system for enhancing power quality in power network including large-scale renewable energy source, especially PV power generation system.

Drying characteristics of osmotically pretreated cranberries : Energy and quality aspects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabowski, S.; Marcotte, M. [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, St. Hyacinthe, PQ (Canada). Food Research and Development Centre; Poirier, M.; Kudra, T. [Natural Resources Canada, Varennes, PQ (Canada). CANMET Energy Technology Centre

2002-06-01

This paper presents the results of a study in which osmotically pretreated cranberries were dried. The osmotic treatment included dehydration and sugar infusion. The process involved pretreating halved cranberries in a standard osmotic solution followed by freeze-drying, vacuum-drying and air-drying in various dryers, such as cabinet-air-through, fluid bed, pulsed fluid bed, and vibrated fluid bed dryers. The intent was to identify the best drying technology. The comparison criteria selected were energy consumption and product quality. Product quality for freeze-dried berries was quantified based on anthocyanins content, rehydration ratio, color, and taste. Unit heat consumption could be used for selecting the drying method, as all other drying methods yielded similar but slightly lower quality products. The highest energy efficiency was obtained with the vibrated fluid bed and the pulsed fluid bed. It was noted that drying rates were reduced during the second drying period when sugar was infused into the cranberries during osmotic pretreatment, but the total energy consumption was reduced by osmotic dehydration. 22 refs., 1 tab., 5 figs.

Control of Refrigeration Systems for Trade-off between Energy Consumption and Food Quality Loss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cai, Junping

In supermarkets, control strategies determine both the energy consumption of refrigeration systems and the quality loss of refrigerated foodstuffs. The question is, what can be done to optimize the balance between quality loss and energy consumption? This thesis tries to answer this question...... by applying two main optimization strategies to traditional refrigeration systems. The first strategy is a new defrost-on-demand scheme, which based on an objective function between quality loss and energy consumption, continuously seeks an optimal time interval for defrosting in dynamic situation. The second...... strategy is through utilization of the thermal mass of the refrigerated foodstuffs, the day-night temperature variation and the capacity control of the compressor, to realize a trade-off between system energy consumption and food quality loss....

Wave energy level and geographic setting correlate with Florida beach water quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Zhixuan; Reniers, Ad; Haus, Brian K; Solo-Gabriele, Helena M; Kelly, Elizabeth A

2016-03-15

Many recreational beaches suffer from elevated levels of microorganisms, resulting in beach advisories and closures due to lack of compliance with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. We conducted the first statewide beach water quality assessment by analyzing decadal records of fecal indicator bacteria (enterococci and fecal coliform) levels at 262 Florida beaches. The objectives were to depict synoptic patterns of beach water quality exceedance along the entire Florida shoreline and to evaluate their relationships with wave condition and geographic location. Percent exceedances based on enterococci and fecal coliform were negatively correlated with both long-term mean wave energy and beach slope. Also, Gulf of Mexico beaches exceeded the thresholds significantly more than Atlantic Ocean ones, perhaps partially due to the lower wave energy. A possible linkage between wave energy level and water quality is beach sand, a pervasive nonpoint source that tends to harbor more bacteria in the low-wave-energy environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy consumption and quality of man's life. Chapter 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

In Chapter 1 a dependence of public life quality showings from energy consumption value is proved. Priority of fuel-energetic complex development is grounded as well. Specific features of Kazakhstan power engineering during its integration into world economics are given. Problems of liberalization of power engineering economy are illustrated. Dependences between assessments of human potential and energy consumption level in the world and Kazakhstan are given in tabular form. In Kazakhstan under relatively stable education level index an energy consumption reduction was resulted to gross national product decrease on via capita

Enhancement of Energy Efficiency and Food Product Quality Using Adsorption Dryer with Zeolite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moh Djaeni

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Drying is a basic operation in wood, food, pharmaceutical and chemical industry. Currently, several drying methods are often not efficient in terms of energy consumption (energy efficiency of 20-60% and have an impact on product quality degradation due to the introduction of operational temperature upper 80oC. This work discusses the development of adsorption drying with zeolite to improve the energy efficiency as well as product quality. In this process, air as drying medium is dehumidified by zeolite. As a result humidity of air can be reduced up to 0.1 ppm. So, for heat sensitive products, the drying process can be performed in low or medium temperature with high driving force. The study has been conducted in three steps: designing the dryer, performing laboratory scale equipment (tray, spray, and fluidised bed dryers with zeolite, and evaluating the dryer performance based on energy efficiency and product quality. Results showed that the energy efficiency of drying process is 15-20% higher than that of conventional dryer. In additon, the dryer can speed up drying time as well as retaining product quality.

Energy Impacts of Energy and Indoor Environmental Quality Retrofits of Apartments in California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisk, William J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Norris, Federico [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Singer, Brett C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-11-01

Monthly gas and electricity use data from a set of 13 study apartments and 20 control apartments from three apartment buildings (B1 B3) in California were analyzed. The study apartments were retrofit with simultaneous energy savings and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) improvements as the goal. The control apartments were not retrofit. Pre-retrofit modeling indicated annual energy savings of 21percent, 17percent, and 27percent for the study apartments in B1-B3, respectively. Based on a comparison of changes in energy use of study apartments to energy use changes of control apartments, total measured savings of gas energy plus site electrical energy were 28percent in B1, 5percent in B2, and 3percent in B3. Given the small number of study apartments and the substantial changes in energy use within control apartments, the project yielded no conclusive evidence of energy savings. Apartment energy use increased with number of occupants and with floor area; however, the association with occupancy was most evident. Climate differences did not appear to be the major driver for the variability in energy use among apartments. Changes in occupant behaviors affecting energy use may have overwhelmed and obscured the energy savings in this small number of buildings. Much larger prior studies employing similar retrofits indicate that the retrofits usually do save energy.

Energy Drinks and Binge Drinking Predict College Students' Sleep Quantity, Quality, and Tiredness.

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Megan E; Griffin, Jamie; Huntley, Edward D; Maggs, Jennifer L

2018-01-01

This study examines whether energy drink use and binge drinking predict sleep quantity, sleep quality, and next-day tiredness among college students. Web-based daily data on substance use and sleep were collected across four semesters in 2009 and 2010 from 667 individuals for up to 56 days each, yielding information on 25,616 person-days. Controlling for average levels of energy drink use and binge drinking (i.e., 4+ drinks for women, 5+ drinks for men), on days when students consumed energy drinks, they reported lower sleep quantity and quality that night, and greater next-day tiredness, compared to days they did not use energy drinks. Similarly, on days when students binge drank, they reported lower sleep quantity and quality that night, and greater next-day tiredness, compared to days they did not binge drink. There was no significant interaction effect between binge drinking and energy drink use on the outcomes.

Meals and snacking, diet quality and energy balance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellisle, France

2014-07-01

The present obesity "epidemic" has been attributed to a growing trend for snacking. Snacking may contribute to excess energy intake and weight gain through different ways, for example: context/environment of eating, frequency of consumption and quality of food choices. The present article reviews data and hypotheses about the role of snacks in diet quality and body weight control. One obvious difficulty in this field is the diversity of definitions and approaches used in cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies. A brief paragraph reviews the prevalence of snacking in various countries and its recent evolution. The literature addressing the contribution of snacks to daily energy and nutrient intake presents two contrasting pictures. In many reports, snacking appears to facilitate the adjustment of energy intake to needs, and to contribute carbohydrates, rather than fats, to the diet, in addition to valuable micronutrients. Such results are usually reported in healthy, normal-weight children and adults. By contrast, snacking often appears to contribute much energy but little nutrition in the diet of other consumers, particularly obese children and adults. In addition to selecting energy-dense foods, eating in the absence of hunger in response to external non-physiological cues, in an irregular fashion, in contexts (e.g. while watching television) that do not favor attention to the act of eating, might be crucial factors determining the nutritional effects of snacking. While efforts should be continued to harmonize definitions and minimize the influence of under-reporting, interventions aimed at decreasing detrimental snacking should address both food-related aspects and behavioral components. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energy and indoor environmental quality in relocatable classrooms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apte, Michael; Hodgson, Alfred; Shendell, Derek; Dibartolomeo, Dennis; Hochi, Toshifumi; Kumar, Satish; Lee, Seung-Min; Liff, Shawna; Rainer, Leo; Schmidt, Richard; Sullivan, Douglas; Diamond, Richard; Fisk, William

2002-01-01

Relocatable classrooms (RCs) are commonly utilized by school districts with changing demographics and enrollment sizes. Four energy-efficient RCs were designed and constructed for this study to demonstrate technologies that simultaneously attempt to improve energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Two were installed at each of two school districts, and energy use and IEQ parameters were monitored during occupancy. Two (one per school) were finished with materials selected for reduced emissions of toxic and odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Each RC had two HVAC systems, alternated weekly, consisting of a standard heat-pump system and an indirect-direct evaporative cooling (IDEC) system with gas-fired hydronic heating. The hypothesized advantages of the IDEC include continuous outside air ventilation at(ge)7.5 L s(sup -1) per person,(approx)70% less cooling energy and efficient particle filtration. Measurements include: carbon dioxide, particles, VOCs, temperature, humidity, thermal comfort, noise, meteorology, and energy use. Preliminary IEQ monitoring results are reported

Wood energy and air quality. Synthetic report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-07-01

This report presents and comments some reference data about the current and prospective (2010, 2020) pollutant emissions through wood combustion as a source of energy. It indicates and compares greenhouse gas emissions by the different sources for household, collective and industrial heating (fuel, gas, electricity, pellets, logs, grinds, wood wastes), gives an overview of atmospheric emissions due to biomass combustion. It compares emissions due to wood combustion with respect to the activity sectors and to combustion equipment. It highlights the challenges of the development of the household sector in terms of improvement and renewal of the quality of the burning equipment. It comments the implemented policies which notably aim at reducing the emission of particles, and at defining quality labels

Survey of occupant behaviour, energy use and indoor air quality in Greenlandic dwellings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kotol, Martin

, they provide their occupants with poor indoor air quality. A questionnaire survey was performed in the town of Sisimiut-Greenland, which with its location and population represents Greenlandic conditions quite well. The aim of the survey was to investigate the energy consumption and indoor air quality...... in arctic dwellings and to study the influence of occupant behaviour of people living in arctic climates on energy consumption and indoor air quality. The results have shown that the average electricity consumption is 20% higher than in DK, ventilation systems are insufficient and that the inhabitants often......In cold arctic regions people usually spend over 70% of their time indoors. The effect of poor indoor air quality on occupants’ health and comfort is therefore considerable. Dwellings in Greenland consume very large amounts of energy (in average over 370 kWh/year per m2) and in addition...

Weekly patterns, diet quality and energy balance.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Sinéad

2014-07-01

Human behaviour is made up of many repeated patterns and habitual behaviours. Our day to day lives are punctuated by work, education, domestic chores, sleep and food. Changes in daily patterns such as not working in paid employment or attending school on the weekend contribute significantly to changes in dietary patterns of food consumption, patterns of physical activity and ultimately energy balance. The aim of this paper is to adopt a life-course perspective and explore the changes in dietary quality and physical activity patterns across the week from young children to elderly adults with a focus on Western cultures. Research literature indicates that the dietary quality is somewhat poorer on the weekends, characterised by higher fat intakes, higher alcohol intakes and consequently higher energy intakes. This increase in energy intake is not necessarily offset by an increase in activity, rather an increase in sedentary behaviours. Some research has observed an increase of more than 100 cal per day over the weekend in American adults. Over the course of one year, this can result in a significant increase in body mass. Some of the interventions in tackling obesity and diet related behaviours must focus on the changes in the weekend behaviour of consumers in terms of both food and activity. These efforts should also focus on increasing consumer awareness of the long term consequences of the short lived weekend excess as well as putting in place practical measures and interventions that are evidence based and targeted to consumer needs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimizing the Energy and Throughput of a Water-Quality Monitoring System.

Science.gov (United States)

Olatinwo, Segun O; Joubert, Trudi-H

2018-04-13

This work presents a new approach to the maximization of energy and throughput in a wireless sensor network (WSN), with the intention of applying the approach to water-quality monitoring. Water-quality monitoring using WSN technology has become an interesting research area. Energy scarcity is a critical issue that plagues the widespread deployment of WSN systems. Different power supplies, harvesting energy from sustainable sources, have been explored. However, when energy-efficient models are not put in place, energy harvesting based WSN systems may experience an unstable energy supply, resulting in an interruption in communication, and low system throughput. To alleviate these problems, this paper presents the joint maximization of the energy harvested by sensor nodes and their information-transmission rate using a sum-throughput technique. A wireless information and power transfer (WIPT) method is considered by harvesting energy from dedicated radio frequency sources. Due to the doubly near-far condition that confronts WIPT systems, a new WIPT system is proposed to improve the fairness of resource utilization in the network. Numerical simulation results are presented to validate the mathematical formulations for the optimization problem, which maximize the energy harvested and the overall throughput rate. Defining the performance metrics of achievable throughput and fairness in resource sharing, the proposed WIPT system outperforms an existing state-of-the-art WIPT system, with the comparison based on numerical simulations of both systems. The improved energy efficiency of the proposed WIPT system contributes to addressing the problem of energy scarcity.

Image quality optimization and evaluation of linearly mixed images in dual-source, dual-energy CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Lifeng; Primak, Andrew N.; Liu Xin; McCollough, Cynthia H.

2009-01-01

In dual-source dual-energy CT, the images reconstructed from the low- and high-energy scans (typically at 80 and 140 kV, respectively) can be mixed together to provide a single set of non-material-specific images for the purpose of routine diagnostic interpretation. Different from the material-specific information that may be obtained from the dual-energy scan data, the mixed images are created with the purpose of providing the interpreting physician a single set of images that have an appearance similar to that in single-energy images acquired at the same total radiation dose. In this work, the authors used a phantom study to evaluate the image quality of linearly mixed images in comparison to single-energy CT images, assuming the same total radiation dose and taking into account the effect of patient size and the dose partitioning between the low-and high-energy scans. The authors first developed a method to optimize the quality of the linearly mixed images such that the single-energy image quality was compared to the best-case image quality of the dual-energy mixed images. Compared to 80 kV single-energy images for the same radiation dose, the iodine CNR in dual-energy mixed images was worse for smaller phantom sizes. However, similar noise and similar or improved iodine CNR relative to 120 kV images could be achieved for dual-energy mixed images using the same total radiation dose over a wide range of patient sizes (up to 45 cm lateral thorax dimension). Thus, for adult CT practices, which primarily use 120 kV scanning, the use of dual-energy CT for the purpose of material-specific imaging can also produce a set of non-material-specific images for routine diagnostic interpretation that are of similar or improved quality relative to single-energy 120 kV scans.

Effect of microwave energy on grain quality of four Spanish rice varieties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osca, J.M.; Marzal, A.; Castell, V.; Martínez, J.; Benedito, C.; Balbastre, J.V.; Sánchez-Hernández, D.

2005-01-01

A microwave system can be used as an alternative method to methyl bromide to control rice storage pests. Four rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.) grown in Spain (‘Bomba’, ‘Senia’, ‘Puntal’ and ‘Thainato’) were irradiated with three levels of microwave energy (0, 70 and 100 J g –1 ). Rice quality attributes were analysed to establish hypothetical quality changes in order to use microwave energy as an alternative method to control pests. Results of the factorial analysis showed that the analysed attributes differed more within varieties than among microwave treatments of the varieties, except for ‘Thainato’ which, after applying microwave energy of 100 J g –1 , presented a different adhesiveness from the other two treatments determined by factor 1 and ‘Puntal’ treated with microwaves presented a different water uptake and loss of solids in cooking water determined by factor 3 than the control. The increase in hardness and decrease in adhesiveness as a consequence of the microwave treatment could possibly damage rice quality. This aspect must be taken into account with this method. In conclusion, microwave energy can be used as an alternative method of insect control because it does not seriously affect rice quality. Microwave treatments did not leave undesirable residues and could be as effective at controlling insect infestation as any procedure currently available. (author) [es

An energy performance assessment for indoor environmental quality (IEQ) acceptance in air-conditioned offices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, L.T.; Mui, K.W.

2009-01-01

Maintaining an acceptable indoor environmental quality (IEQ) for air-conditioned office buildings consumes a considerable amount of thermal energy. This study correlates thermal energy consumption with the overall occupant acceptance of IEQ in some air-conditioned offices. An empirical expression of an IEQ index associated with thermal comfort, indoor air quality, aural and visual comfort is used to benchmark the offices. Employing input parameters obtained from the building stocks of Hong Kong, the office portfolios regarding the thermal energy consumption and the IEQ index are determined by Monte Carlo simulations. In particular, an energy-to-acceptance ratio and an energy-to-IEQ improvement ratio are proposed to measure the performance of energy consumption for the IEQ in the air-conditioned offices. The ratios give the thermal energy consumption corresponding to a desirable percentage of IEQ acceptances and to an IEQ upgrade, respectively. The results showed a non-linear increasing trend of annual thermal energy consumption for IEQ improvement at the offices of higher IEQ benchmarks. The thermal energy consumption for visual comfort and indoor air quality would also be significant in these offices. This study provides useful information that incorporates the IEQ in air-conditioned offices into the development of performance evaluation measures for thermal energy consumption.

The Benefits of Internalizing Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Externalities in the US Energy System

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Kristen E.

The emission of pollutants from energy use has effects on both local air quality and the global climate, but the price of energy does not reflect these externalities. This study aims to analyze the effect that internalizing these externalities in the cost of energy would have on the US energy system, emissions, and human health. In this study, we model different policy scenarios in which fees are added to emissions related to generation and use of energy. The fees are based on values of damages estimated in the literature and are applied to upstream and combustion emissions related to electricity generation, industrial energy use, transportation energy use, residential energy use, and commercial energy use. The energy sources and emissions are modeled through 2055 in five-year time steps. The emissions in 2045 are incorporated into a continental-scale atmospheric chemistry and transport model, CMAQ, to determine the change in air quality due to different emissions reduction scenarios. A benefit analysis tool, BenMAP, is used with the air quality results to determine the monetary benefit of emissions reductions related to the improved air quality. We apply fees to emissions associated with health impacts, climate change, and a combination of both. We find that the fees we consider lead to reductions in targeted emissions as well as co-reducing non-targeted emissions. For fees on the electric sector alone, health impacting pollutant (HIP) emissions reductions are achieved mainly through control devices while Greenhouse Gas (GHG) fees are addressed through changes in generation technologies. When sector specific fees are added, reductions come mainly from the industrial and electricity generation sectors, and are achieved through a mix of energy efficiency, increased use of renewables, and control devices. Air quality is improved in almost all areas of the country with fees, including when only GHG fees are applied. Air quality tends to improve more in regions with

Energy quality management for building clusters and districts (BCDs) through multi-objective optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Hai; Alanne, Kari; Martinac, Ivo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Energy quality management is applied from individual building to district. • A novel time-effective multi-objective design optimization scheme is proposed. • The scheme searches for exergy efficient and environmental solution for districts. • System reliability is considered and addressed in this paper. - Abstract: Renewable energy systems entail a significant potential to meet the energy requirements of building clusters and districts (BCDs) provided that local energy sources are exploited efficiently. Besides improving the energy efficiency by reducing energy consumption and improving the match between energy supply and demand, energy quality issues have become a key topic of interest. Energy quality management is a technique that aims at optimally utilizing the exergy content of various renewable energy sources. In addition to minimizing life-cycle CO 2 emissions related to exergy losses of an energy system, issues such as system reliability should be addressed. The present work contributes to the research by proposing a novel multi-objective design optimization scheme that minimizes the global warming potential during the life-cycle and maximizes the exergy performance, while the maximum allowable level of the loss of power supply probability (LPSP) is predefined by the user as a constraint. The optimization makes use of Genetic Algorithm (GA). Finally, a case study is presented, where the above methodology has been applied to an office BCD located in Norway. The proposed optimization scheme is proven to be efficient in finding the optimal design and can be easily enlarged to encompass more relevant objective functions

Indoor Environmental Quality in Mechanically Ventilated, Energy-Efficient Buildings vs. Conventional Buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallner, Peter; Munoz, Ute; Tappler, Peter; Wanka, Anna; Kundi, Michael; Shelton, Janie F; Hutter, Hans-Peter

2015-11-06

Energy-efficient buildings need mechanical ventilation. However, there are concerns that inadequate mechanical ventilation may lead to impaired indoor air quality. Using a semi-experimental field study, we investigated if exposure of occupants of two types of buildings (mechanical vs. natural ventilation) differs with regard to indoor air pollutants and climate factors. We investigated living and bedrooms in 123 buildings (62 highly energy-efficient and 61 conventional buildings) built in the years 2010 to 2012 in Austria (mainly Vienna and Lower Austria). Measurements of indoor parameters (climate, chemical pollutants and biological contaminants) were conducted twice. In total, more than 3000 measurements were performed. Almost all indoor air quality and room climate parameters showed significantly better results in mechanically ventilated homes compared to those relying on ventilation from open windows and/or doors. This study does not support the hypothesis that occupants in mechanically ventilated low energy houses are exposed to lower indoor air quality.

Optimizing the Energy and Throughput of a Water-Quality Monitoring System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Segun O. Olatinwo

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This work presents a new approach to the maximization of energy and throughput in a wireless sensor network (WSN, with the intention of applying the approach to water-quality monitoring. Water-quality monitoring using WSN technology has become an interesting research area. Energy scarcity is a critical issue that plagues the widespread deployment of WSN systems. Different power supplies, harvesting energy from sustainable sources, have been explored. However, when energy-efficient models are not put in place, energy harvesting based WSN systems may experience an unstable energy supply, resulting in an interruption in communication, and low system throughput. To alleviate these problems, this paper presents the joint maximization of the energy harvested by sensor nodes and their information-transmission rate using a sum-throughput technique. A wireless information and power transfer (WIPT method is considered by harvesting energy from dedicated radio frequency sources. Due to the doubly near–far condition that confronts WIPT systems, a new WIPT system is proposed to improve the fairness of resource utilization in the network. Numerical simulation results are presented to validate the mathematical formulations for the optimization problem, which maximize the energy harvested and the overall throughput rate. Defining the performance metrics of achievable throughput and fairness in resource sharing, the proposed WIPT system outperforms an existing state-of-the-art WIPT system, with the comparison based on numerical simulations of both systems. The improved energy efficiency of the proposed WIPT system contributes to addressing the problem of energy scarcity.

Department of Energy hazardous waste remedial actions program: Quality assurance program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horne, T.E.

1988-01-01

This paper describes the Quality Assurance Program developed for the Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program Support Contractor Office (HAZWRAP SCO). Key topics discussed include an overview of the HAZWRAP SCO mission and organization, the basic quality assurance program requirements and the requirements for the control of quality for the Department of Energy and Work for Others hazardous waste management programs, and the role of ensuring quality through the project team concept for the management of remedial response actions. The paper focuses on planning for quality assurance for this remedial waste management process from preliminary assessments of remedial sites to feasibility studies. Some observations concerning the control of quality during the implementation of remedial actions are presented. (2 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.

Towards sustainability in cold chains: Development of a quality, energy and environmental assessment tool (QEEAT)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gwanpua, S.G.; Verboven, P.; Brown, T.; Leducq, D.; Verlinden, B.E.; Evans, J.; Van Der Sluis, S.; Wissink, E.B.; Taoukis, P.; Gogou, E.; Stahl, V.; El Jabri, M.; Thuault, D.; Claussen, I.; Indergård, E.; M. Nicolai, B.; Alvarez, G.; Geeraerd, A.H.

2014-01-01

Quantification of the impact of refrigeration technologies in terms of the quality of refrigerated food, energy usage, and environmental impact is essential to assess cold chain sustainability. In this paper, we present a software tool QEEAT (Quality, Energy and Environmental Assessment Tool) for

Quality factor for charged particle recoils as a function of neutron energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borak, T.B.; Stinchcomb, T.G.

1980-01-01

A method has been developed for computing the quality factor for any neutron spectrum with a maximum energy of 4 MeV. Calculated values for 41 adjacent neutron energy intervals from thermal to 4 MeV are tabulated. The table includes the fraction of absorbed dose and neutron dose equivalent produced by hydrogen recoils in soft tissue with the remaining fraction due to heavier particles. The production rate of 2.2 MeV photons from hydrogen capture in tissue is also given. The quality factor for a neutron spectrum of interest can be obtained from a weighted integration over the values listed. The total dose equivalent must include the contributions of absorbed dose from photons having a quality factor of unity. (author)

Indoor climate quality after renovation for improved energy efficiency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gunnarsen, Lars Bo; Løck, Sebastian; Kolarik, Barbara

2016-01-01

The building sector is responsible for approximately 40 % of the Danish energy consumption. As every year less than 1 % of the building stock is rebuild after demolition of old buildings, improved energy efficiency of existing buildings are in focus. In the late seventies to mid-eighties unwise...... performance. The indoor quality classifications show minor improvements. By using design tools beyond the simple legal requirements, the rental dwelling marked is a far step ahead of most retrofitting of owner-occupied dwellings and houses. The fear of indoor climate degradation from retrofitted energy saving...... measures may be countered by the use of modern design tools and attention to inner moisture membranes and needs for renovation of ventilation systems....

Energy drinks: psychological effects and impact on well-being and quality of life-a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishak, Waguih William; Ugochukwu, Chio; Bagot, Kara; Khalili, David; Zaky, Christine

2012-01-01

The market and degree of consumption of energy drinks have exponentially expanded while studies that assess their psychological effects and impact on quality of life remain in the early stages, albeit on the rise. This review aims to examine the literature for evidence of the psychological effects of energy drinks and their impact on the sense of well-being and quality of life. Studies were identified through Pubmed, Medline, and PsycINFO searches from the dates of 1990 to 2011, published in English, using the keywords energy or tonic drinks, psychological effects, caffeine and cognitive functions, mood, sleep, quality of life, well-being, and mental illness. Three authors agreed independently on including 41 studies that met specific selection criteria. The literature reveals that people most commonly consume energy drinks to promote wakefulness, to increase energy, and to enhance the experience of alcohol intoxication. A number of studies reveal that individuals who consume energy drinks with alcohol were more inclined to be involved in risk-taking behaviors. There was also excessive daytime sleepiness the day following energy drink consumption. Contrary to expectations, the impact of energy drinks on quality of life and well-being was equivocal. Energy drinks have mixed psychological and well-being effects. There is a need to investigate the different contexts in which energy drinks are consumed and the impact on mental health, especially in the psychiatrically ill.

Energy Code Enforcement Training Manual : Covering the Washington State Energy Code and the Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality Code.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Washington State Energy Code Program

1992-05-01

This manual is designed to provide building department personnel with specific inspection and plan review skills and information on provisions of the 1991 edition of the Washington State Energy Code (WSEC). It also provides information on provisions of the new stand-alone Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality (VIAQ) Code.The intent of the WSEC is to reduce the amount of energy used by requiring energy-efficient construction. Such conservation reduces energy requirements, and, as a result, reduces the use of finite resources, such as gas or oil. Lowering energy demand helps everyone by keeping electricity costs down. (It is less expensive to use existing electrical capacity efficiently than it is to develop new and additional capacity needed to heat or cool inefficient buildings.) The new VIAQ Code (effective July, 1991) is a natural companion to the energy code. Whether energy-efficient or not, an homes have potential indoor air quality problems. Studies have shown that indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air. The VIAQ Code provides a means of exchanging stale air for fresh, without compromising energy savings, by setting standards for a controlled ventilation system. It also offers requirements meant to prevent indoor air pollution from building products or radon.

Dual-energy contrast-enhanced breast tomosynthesis: optimization of beam quality for dose and image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samei, Ehsan; Saunders, Robert S Jr

2011-01-01

Dual-energy contrast-enhanced breast tomosynthesis is a promising technique to obtain three-dimensional functional information from the breast with high resolution and speed. To optimize this new method, this study searched for the beam quality that maximized image quality in terms of mass detection performance. A digital tomosynthesis system was modeled using a fast ray-tracing algorithm, which created simulated projection images by tracking photons through a voxelized anatomical breast phantom containing iodinated lesions. The single-energy images were combined into dual-energy images through a weighted log subtraction process. The weighting factor was optimized to minimize anatomical noise, while the dose distribution was chosen to minimize quantum noise. The dual-energy images were analyzed for the signal difference to noise ratio (SdNR) of iodinated masses. The fast ray-tracing explored 523 776 dual-energy combinations to identify which yields optimum mass SdNR. The ray-tracing results were verified using a Monte Carlo model for a breast tomosynthesis system with a selenium-based flat-panel detector. The projection images from our voxelized breast phantom were obtained at a constant total glandular dose. The projections were combined using weighted log subtraction and reconstructed using commercial reconstruction software. The lesion SdNR was measured in the central reconstructed slice. The SdNR performance varied markedly across the kVp and filtration space. Ray-tracing results indicated that the mass SdNR was maximized with a high-energy tungsten beam at 49 kVp with 92.5 μm of copper filtration and a low-energy tungsten beam at 49 kVp with 95 μm of tin filtration. This result was consistent with Monte Carlo findings. This mammographic technique led to a mass SdNR of 0.92 ± 0.03 in the projections and 3.68 ± 0.19 in the reconstructed slices. These values were markedly higher than those for non-optimized techniques. Our findings indicate that dual-energy

Energy and water quality management systems for water utility's operations: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cherchi, Carla; Badruzzaman, Mohammad; Oppenheimer, Joan; Bros, Christopher M; Jacangelo, Joseph G

2015-04-15

Holistic management of water and energy resources is critical for water utilities facing increasing energy prices, water supply shortage and stringent regulatory requirements. In the early 1990s, the concept of an integrated Energy and Water Quality Management System (EWQMS) was developed as an operational optimization framework for solving water quality, water supply and energy management problems simultaneously. Approximately twenty water utilities have implemented an EWQMS by interfacing commercial or in-house software optimization programs with existing control systems. For utilities with an installed EWQMS, operating cost savings of 8-15% have been reported due to higher use of cheaper tariff periods and better operating efficiencies, resulting in the reduction in energy consumption of ∼6-9%. This review provides the current state-of-knowledge on EWQMS typical structural features and operational strategies and benefits and drawbacks are analyzed. The review also highlights the challenges encountered during installation and implementation of EWQMS and identifies the knowledge gaps that should motivate new research efforts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving energy performance of school buildings while ensuring indoor air quality ventilation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, Rachel; Goldberger, Itamar [Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Israel). Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Structural Engineering and Construction Management; Paciuk, Monica [National Building Research Institute, Technion, Haifa (Israel)

2007-09-15

Energy conscious design of school buildings, as well as deemed-to-satisfy provisions in a Performance Based Energy Code, should address the problem known as the energy efficiency - thermal comfort - indoor air quality dilemma (EE-TC-IAQ Dilemma). In warm and moderate climates, the large internal heat sources usually found in school buildings prevent achieving thermal comfort without active cooling in summer, but are not sufficient to eliminate the need for heating in winter. Commonly used air-conditioners do not improve air quality, while natural ventilation induces uncontrolled energy losses. In this study, a step by step process was used for the development of deemed-to-satisfy design solutions, which cope with the EE-TC-IAQ Dilemma, for a performance based code. A distinction is made between improving building design variables and improving ventilation schemes. Results indicate that implementation of improved ventilation schemes in an otherwise well designed energy-conscious building result in savings of 28-30% and 17-18% for northern and southern classroom orientations, respectively. (author)

Dual energy CT intracranial angiography: image quality, radiation dose and initial application results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chai Xue; Zhang Longjiang; Lu Guangming; Zhou Changsheng

2009-01-01

Objective: To assess the clinical value of dual-energy intracranial CT angiography (CTA). Methods: Forty-one patients suspected of intracranial vascular diseases underwent dual-energy intracranial CT angiography, and 41 patients who underwent conventional subtraction CT were enrolled as the control group. Image quality of intracranial and skull base vessels and radiation dose between dual-energy CTA and conventional subtraction CTA were compared using two independent sample nonparametric test and independent-samples t test, respectively. Prevalence and size of lesions detected by dual-energy CTA and digital subtraction CTA were compared using paired-samples t test and Spearman correlative analysis. Results: The percentage of image quality scored 5 was 70.7% (29/41) for dual-energy CTA and 75.6% (31/41) for conventional subtraction CTA. There was no significant difference between the two groups (Z= -0.455, P=0.650). Image quality of vessels at the skull base in conventional subtraction CTA was superior to that in dual-energy CTA, especially for the petrosal and syphon segment (Z=-4.087, P=0.000). Radiation exposure of dual energy CTA and conventional CTA were (396.54±17.43) and (1090.95±114.29) mGy·cm respectively. Radiation exposure was decreased by 64% (t=-38.52, P=0.000) by dual energy CTA compared with conventional subtraction CTA. Out of the 41 patients, 19 patients were diagnosed as intracranial aneurysm, 2 patients as arteriovenous malformation (AVM), 3 patients with Moya-moya's disease, and the remaining 17 patients with negative results. Nine patients with intracranial aneurysm, 2 patients with AVM, 3 patients with Moya-moya's disease, and 2 patients with negative findings underwent DSA or operation, with concordant findings from both techniques. Diameter of aneurysm neck, long axis and minor axis by dual-energy CTA was (2.90±1.61), (5.23±1.68) and (3.83±1.69) mm, respectively; Diameter of aneurysm neck, long axis and minor axis by DSA was (2.95±1

Quantifying Co-benefits of Renewable Energy through Integrated Electricity and Air Quality Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Abel, D.

2016-12-01

This work focuses on the coordination of electricity sector changes with air quality and health improvement strategies through the integration of electricity and air quality models. Two energy models are used to calculate emission perturbations associated with changes in generation technology (20% generation from solar photovoltaics) and demand (future electricity use under a warmer climate). Impacts from increased solar PV penetration are simulated with the electricity model GridView, in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Generation results are used to scale power plant emissions from an inventory developed by the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium (LADCO). Perturbed emissions and are used to calculate secondary particulate matter with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. We find that electricity NOx and SO2 emissions decrease at a rate similar to the total fraction of electricity supplied by solar. Across the Eastern U.S. region, average PM2.5 is reduced 5% over the summer, with highest reduction in regions and on days of greater PM2.5. A similar approach evaluates the air quality impacts of elevated electricity demand under a warmer climate. Meteorology is selected from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) and input to a building energy model, eQUEST, to assess electricity demand as a function of ambient temperature. The associated generation and emissions are calculated on a plant-by-plant basis by the MyPower power sector model. These emissions are referenced to the 2011 National Emissions Inventory to be modeled in CMAQ for the Eastern U.S. and extended to health impact evaluation with the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program (BenMAP). All results focus on the air quality and health consequences of energy system changes, considering grid-level changes to meet climate and air quality goals.

Air quality and energy impacts of NYSDOT highway ROW management.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-01

Mowing the highway right-of-way is important for the safety of roadway users and maintaining the highway infrastructure. However, little quantitative data are available on the energy use and air quality impacts of highway mowing activities. In this r...

Availability and quality of water related to western energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, H.H.

1981-01-01

Much of the nation's energy resources is contained in seven states of the western United States. Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota contain 40% of the nation's coal and 90% of its uranium and shale oil. Although rich in energy resources, these states are chronically deficient in water. Coal mining and subsequent land reclamation require relatively small amounts of water. Plans that require large quantities of water to transport and convert the coal to energy include the operation of coal-slurry pipelines, thermal-electric power generation, and coal gasification. Production of oil from shale by conventional mining techniques may require about three or four unit volumes of water for each unit volume of shale oil produced. Nearly half of this water would be needed to reestablish vegetation on waste material. In-situ extraction of oil would require substantially less water. Extracting and processing uranium require relatively small amounts of water. There may be problems of the quality of local groundwater where solution mining is practiced and where uranium ore is removed from water-saturated rocks that are then exposed to oxidation. Estimates of amounts of water required to support the development of western energy resources are highly variable and depend on the conversion technology, the level of anticipated development, and the quality of the water required by any given use or process. Conservative estimates exceed 2000 cu hm/year by the year 2000. Although water supplies in the amounts anticipated as being needed for energy development are available within the seven states, their availability locally may depend on satisfying environmental objections, modifying legal and institutional arrangements that presently control water distribution and use, and constructing additional reservoirs and distribution systems

Grenelle Environnement: passing the energy transition with success; 50 measures for developing renewable energies with a high environmental quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

One of the objectives of the Grenelle Environnement Forum conclusions is to double the contribution of renewable energies in France by 2020, and reach the level of 20 percent of the final energy consumption. 50 measures have been decided by the French government in order to meet this objective while ensuring a high environmental quality. The 50 measures are detailed: heat production (biomass, geothermal and solar energy, wastes, biogas) and electric power generation (hydroelectricity, terrestrial and marine wind turbines, biomass, photovoltaic solar energy, geothermal and marine energies) are concerned

No-reference stereoscopic image quality measurement based on generalized local ternary patterns of binocular energy response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Wujie; Yu, Lu

2015-01-01

Perceptual no-reference (NR) quality measurement of stereoscopic images has become a challenging issue in three-dimensional (3D) imaging fields. In this article, we propose an efficient binocular quality-aware features extraction scheme, namely generalized local ternary patterns (GLTP) of binocular energy response, for general-purpose NR stereoscopic image quality measurement (SIQM). More specifically, we first construct the binocular energy response of a distorted stereoscopic image with different stimuli of amplitude and phase shifts. Then, the binocular quality-aware features are generated from the GLTP of the binocular energy response. Finally, these features are mapped to the subjective quality score of the distorted stereoscopic image by using support vector regression. Experiments on two publicly available 3D databases confirm the effectiveness of the proposed metric compared with the state-of-the-art full reference and NR metrics. (paper)

A quantitative method to analyze the quality of EIA information in wind energy development and avian/bat assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Tony; Nielsen, Erik; Auberle, William; Solop, Frederic I.

2013-01-01

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been a tool for decision makers since the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Since that time, few analyses have been performed to verify the quality of information and content within EIAs. High quality information within assessments is vital in order for decision makers, stake holders, and the public to understand the potential impact of proposed actions on the ecosystem and wildlife species. Low quality information has been a major cause for litigation and economic loss. Since 1999, wind energy development has seen an exponential growth with unknown levels of impact on wildlife species, in particular bird and bat species. The purpose of this article is to: (1) develop, validate, and apply a quantitative index to review avian/bat assessment quality for wind energy EIAs; and (2) assess the trends and status of avian/bat assessment quality in a sample of wind energy EIAs. This research presents the development and testing of the Avian and Bat Assessment Quality Index (ABAQI), a new approach to quantify information quality of ecological assessments within wind energy development EIAs in relation to avian and bat species based on review areas and factors derived from 23 state wind/wildlife siting guidance documents. The ABAQI was tested through a review of 49 publicly available EIA documents and validated by identifying high variation in avian and bat assessments quality for wind energy developments. Of all the reviewed EIAs, 66% failed to provide high levels of preconstruction avian and bat survey information, compared to recommended factors from state guidelines. This suggests the need for greater consistency from recommended guidelines by state, and mandatory compliance by EIA preparers to avoid possible habitat and species loss, wind energy development shut down, and future lawsuits. - Highlights: ► We developed, validated, and applied a quantitative index to review avian/bat assessment quality

A quantitative method to analyze the quality of EIA information in wind energy development and avian/bat assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Tony, E-mail: tc282@nau.edu [Environmental Science and Policy Program, School of Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, 602 S Humphreys P.O. Box 5694, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011 (United States); Nielsen, Erik, E-mail: erik.nielsen@nau.edu [Environmental Science and Policy Program, School of Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, 602 S Humphreys P.O. Box 5694, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011 (United States); Auberle, William, E-mail: william.auberle@nau.edu [Civil and Environmental Engineering Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northern Arizona University, 2112 S Huffer Ln P.O. Box 15600, Flagstaff, AZ, 860011 (United States); Solop, Frederic I., E-mail: fred.solop@nau.edu [Political Science Program, Department of Politics and International Affairs, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 15036, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States)

2013-01-15

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been a tool for decision makers since the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Since that time, few analyses have been performed to verify the quality of information and content within EIAs. High quality information within assessments is vital in order for decision makers, stake holders, and the public to understand the potential impact of proposed actions on the ecosystem and wildlife species. Low quality information has been a major cause for litigation and economic loss. Since 1999, wind energy development has seen an exponential growth with unknown levels of impact on wildlife species, in particular bird and bat species. The purpose of this article is to: (1) develop, validate, and apply a quantitative index to review avian/bat assessment quality for wind energy EIAs; and (2) assess the trends and status of avian/bat assessment quality in a sample of wind energy EIAs. This research presents the development and testing of the Avian and Bat Assessment Quality Index (ABAQI), a new approach to quantify information quality of ecological assessments within wind energy development EIAs in relation to avian and bat species based on review areas and factors derived from 23 state wind/wildlife siting guidance documents. The ABAQI was tested through a review of 49 publicly available EIA documents and validated by identifying high variation in avian and bat assessments quality for wind energy developments. Of all the reviewed EIAs, 66% failed to provide high levels of preconstruction avian and bat survey information, compared to recommended factors from state guidelines. This suggests the need for greater consistency from recommended guidelines by state, and mandatory compliance by EIA preparers to avoid possible habitat and species loss, wind energy development shut down, and future lawsuits. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We developed, validated, and applied a quantitative index to review

Energy use, air infiltration, and indoor air quality in well-insulated residences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koontz, M.D.; Nagda, N.L.

1989-01-01

This paper reports two unoccupied bilevel houses of identical design and construction studied to determine the relationships among air exchange, energy consumption, and indoor air quality. The experimental house was retrofitted to increase building tightness and was equipped with an air-to-air heat exchanger; the control house was kept in its initial state of construction. Infiltration, energy, indoor air quality, and environmental parameters were monitored in both houses before and after the retrofit. It was found that the retrofit decreased air infiltration rates by nearly 25 percent, heating energy savings of 12 to 20 percent were achieved through the retrofit, and among the pollutants monitored, only radon and radon progeny increased in proportion to the reduced infiltration. Similarly, when the heat exchanger was operated, radon and radon progeny were the only pollutants reduced in proportion to the added air exchange

Indoor air quality handbook: for designers, builders, and users of energy efficient residences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-09-01

The purpose of this handbook is to assist designers, builders, and users of energy efficient residences to achieve the goals of energy efficiency and maintenance of high indoor air quality simultaneously. The handbook helps in identifying and controlling potential problems of indoor air quality. It identifies sources and discusses effective ways to decrease concentrations of air contaminants. It focuses on indoor air quality in both single and multifamily energy-efficient residences. Information about commercial structures such as hospitals and office buildings is presented when it also applies to residences. Basic concepts of contaminants and their concentrations, sources and removal mechanisms, contaminant distribution, heat transfer, and air exchange are discussed. The effects of the building system on indoor air quality are examined. The effects of the external environment, building envelope, environmental control systems, interior design, furnishings, and inhabitants on the emission, dispersion, and removal of indoor air contaminants as well as direct and indirect effects of energy-efficient features are discussed. The health effects of specific air contaminants and the health standards developed for them are examined. Available methods for predicting and measuring contaminants and for evaluating human responses are discussed. Methods and equipment available for the control of indoor air pollution once the contaminants have been identified are also evaluated. The potential legal aspects, including regulatory intervention and civil lawsuits, of failure to evaluate and control indoor air pollution are discussed. A list of references, a glossary, and an index are also included

The demand for environmental quality in driving transitions to low-polluting energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fouquet, Roger

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to understand the long run demand for energy-related environmental quality, its influence on legislation and on transitions to low polluting energy sources. It presents a series of episodes in British history where a demand for improvements in energy-related environmental quality existed. These episodes helped to identify a few cases where markets partially drove transitions to low polluting energy sources, in specific economic conditions. More generally, they showed that, when pushed, governments will introduce environmental legislation, although it tends to be weak and poorly enforced. In the case of air pollution, strong and binding legislation occurred roughly one hundred years later than was socially optimal. Based on this evidence, for a transition to a low carbon economy, governments will probably need to introduce focussed and binding legislation, and this cannot be expected without strong and sustained demand for climate stability. This demand will need to be spearheaded by pressure groups to introduce legislation, to enforce it and to avoid it being over-turned by future governments. - Highlights: ► Reviews demand for improvements in environmental quality in British history. ► In special cases, demand may drive transitions through markets. ► Demand will probably have to drive transitions to low polluting energy through legislation. ► Need for strong and sustained demand spearheaded through pressure groups.

Ventilation, good indoor air quality and rational use of energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Geo; Fernandes, E. D. O.; DeGids, W.

2003-01-01

The aim of this report is to provide information and advice to policy and decission makers, researchers, architects, designers, and manufacturers on strategies for achieving a good balance between good indoor air quality (IAQ) and the rational use of Energy in buildings, available guidelines...

Quality on the energy use; Qualidade no uso da energia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pires, Plinio Barbosa [Secretaria de Energia, Recursos Hidricos e Saneamento do Estado de Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Coordenadoria de Energia]. E-mail: pliniopires@sp.gov.br

2006-07-01

This work seeks to show as the Government of the State of Sao Paulo is using, inside of a Program of Quality in the Use of the Energy, the conservation concepts and introduction of efficient systems, as a political and administrative instrument in its units linked for, later on, to enlarge its atmosphere of performance. The political subject will be shown inside in the incentive of such practices of the current positioning of the State where initially it is placed as example and reference of the application of those actions and measures. The administrative vision considers the importance of the reduction of the consumption and rationalization of the use of the energy as essential elements in the effort of modernization of the State, instituting these concepts in the organs of the direct public administration, autarchies, instituted foundations or maintained by the Public Power and of the companies in whose capital the State has majority participation, as well as of the other entities for him direct or indirectly controlled. The recognition of the Quality in the Use of the Energy as essential element for the modernization of the organs linked the Government of the State of Sao Paulo (about 4,0% of the consumption of electric energy of the State), it allowed to address the development of technical, managerial and behavioral actions related to the input electricity initially (86,0% of the consumption of energy in the public section). The adopted actions have as objectives: the viability of the State effective role as police agent of the society, a new understanding direction in the use of the energy in organs linked the Government, reduction of the wastes, improvements of the work conditions and attendance, introduction of concepts and efficient systems in the use of energy resources, adoption of a new posture (of great and good customer) front to the vendors and an effective reduction of the public expenses with the bill energy. (author)

EERE Quality Control Workshop Final Report: Proceedings from the EERE Quality Control Workshop, in support of the DOE Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative; Golden, Colorado, December 9-10, 2013

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2014-05-01

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) has recognized the cross-cutting, pre-competitive and enabling nature of quality control for a wide range of clean energy technologies. As such, the Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Solar Energy Technologies Office, Vehicle Technologies Office, Building Technologies Office, and Advanced Manufacturing Office decided to explore needs and potential cross-office synergies in this area by holding the EERE Quality Control Workshop, in support of the DOE Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative. This report summarizes the purpose and scope of the workshop; reviews the current status and state-of-the-art for in-line quality control; summarizes the results from three breakout sessions; and presents conclusions and recommendations.

Improvement of material decomposition and image quality in dual-energy radiography by reducing image noise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D.; Choi, S.; Kim, H.; Kim, H.-J.; Kim, Y.-S.; Choi, S.; Lee, H.; Jo, B.D.; Jeon, P.-H.; Kim, H.; Kim, D.

2016-01-01

Although digital radiography has been widely used for screening human anatomical structures in clinical situations, it has several limitations due to anatomical overlapping. To resolve this problem, dual-energy imaging techniques, which provide a method for decomposing overlying anatomical structures, have been suggested as alternative imaging techniques. Previous studies have reported several dual-energy techniques, each resulting in different image qualities. In this study, we compared three dual-energy techniques: simple log subtraction (SLS), simple smoothing of a high-energy image (SSH), and anti-correlated noise reduction (ACNR) with respect to material thickness quantification and image quality. To evaluate dual-energy radiography, we conducted Monte Carlo simulation and experimental phantom studies. The Geant 4 Application for Tomographic Emission (GATE) v 6.0 and tungsten anode spectral model using interpolation polynomials (TASMIP) codes were used for simulation studies and digital radiography, and human chest phantoms were used for experimental studies. The results of the simulation study showed improved image contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and coefficient of variation (COV) values and bone thickness estimation accuracy by applying the ACNR and SSH methods. Furthermore, the chest phantom images showed better image quality with the SSH and ACNR methods compared to the SLS method. In particular, the bone texture characteristics were well-described by applying the SSH and ACNR methods. In conclusion, the SSH and ACNR methods improved the accuracy of material quantification and image quality in dual-energy radiography compared to SLS. Our results can contribute to better diagnostic capabilities of dual-energy images and accurate material quantification in various clinical situations.

Urgent Improvement on the quality of energy service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Ki Ryun [Ajou University, Suwon (Korea)

1999-01-01

A bold self-innovation in the energy community has to be done to have a permanent development and to play its role as the national basic industry. First, the transparency of decision making process to the general public, i.e. consumer, should be secured. Second, the concern on the quality of direct service to the end-users should be expanded. Third, while deregulation should be processed continuously, the range of government regulation (interference) should be presented objectively and logically.

Indoor air quality in energy efficient buildings. A literature review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomsen, Judith; Berge, Magnar

2012-07-01

There is currently a major focus on measures to reduce global warming. Several international studies show that the energy efficiency of buildings is the easiest and most cost-effective climate action. Passive houses are characterized of that the buildings are more airtight, have more insulation and has balanced mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. This report discusses about this one-sided focus on energy conservation, and if {sup c}hange{sup }in building methods can have a negative impact on indoor air quality and people's health. (Author)

Energy efficient window opening for air quality control in classrooms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faria Da Silva, Nuno Alexandre

2012-01-01

of naturally and mechanically ventilated classrooms during normal school hours with and without CO2 sensors that provided a green/yellow/red visual indication. At the end of each week children reported their perceptions and symptoms using a questionnaire. The classroom temperature, humidity and CO2 levels were......The aim of the present work was to study how to maximize indoor environmental quality and energy performance in classrooms, when having different ventilation alternatives combined with a visual CO2 feedback. In this effort, in heating and cooling seasons, field experiments were carried out in pairs...... continuously measured together with the outdoor conditions. Magnetic sensors recorded opening of windows and classrooms energy usage was recorded by the meters installed on water-based radiators. An energy simulation model was created in IDA-ICE-4 to reproduce and compare energy demands...

An International Project on Indoor Air Quality Design and Control in Low Energy Residential Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten; Abadie, Marc; Qin, Menghao

2016-01-01

focal points to limiting energy consumption for thermally conditioning the indoor environment will be to possibly reducing the ventilation rate, or making it in a new way demand controlled. However, this must be done such that it does not have adverse effects on indoor air quality (IAQ). Annex 68......In order to achieve nearly net zero energy use, both new and energy refurbished existing buildings will in the future need to be still more efficient and optimized. Since such buildings can be expected to be already well insulated, airtight, and have heat recovery systems installed, one of the next......, Indoor Air Quality Design and Control in Low Energy Residential Buildings, is a project under IEA’s Energy Conservation in Buildings and Communities Program (EBC), which will endeavor to investigate how future residential buildings are able to have very high energy performance whilst providing...

Towards sustainability in cold chains : development of a quality, energy and environmental assessment tool (QEEAT)

OpenAIRE

Gwanpua , S.G.; Verboven , P.; Brown , T.; Leducq , D.; Verlinden , B.E.; Evans , J.; Van Der Sluis , S.; Wissink , E.B.; Taoukis , P.; Gogou , E.; Stahl , V.; El Jabri , M.; Thuault , D.; Claussen , I.; Indergard , E.

2014-01-01

International audience; Quantification of the impact of refrigeration technologies in terms of the quality of refrigerated food, energy usage, and environmental impact is essential to assess cold chain sustainability. In this paper, we present a software tool QEEAT (Quality, Energy and Environmental Assessment Tool) for evaluating refrigeration technologies. As a starting point, a reference product was chosen for the different main food categories in the European cold chain. Software code to ...

IEA Project on Indoor Air Quality Design and Control in Low Energy Residential Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten; Abadie, Marc; Qin, Menghao

2016-01-01

with heat recovery systems, one of the next focal points to limiting energy consumption for thermally conditioning the indoor environment will be to possibly reducing the ventilation rate, or to make it in a new way demand controlled. However, this must be done such that it has no have adverse effects...... on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Annex 68, Indoor Air Quality Design and Control in Low Energy Residential Buildings, is a project under IEA’s Energy Conservation in Buildings and Communities Program (EBC), which will endeavor to investigate how future residential buildings are able to have very high energy...... performance whilst providing comfortable and healthy indoor environments. New paradigms for demand control of ventilation will be investigated, which consider the pollution loads and occupancy in buildings. The thermal and moisture conditions of such will be considered because of interactions between...

Effectiveness of energy healing on Quality of Life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Christina Gundgaard; Johannessen, Helle; Hjelmborg, Jacob V B

2014-01-01

and alternative medicine (CAM), and faith/spirituality at baseline, 1 week, and 2 months post-intervention. They also indicated, at baseline, whether they considered QoL, depressive symptoms, mood, and sleep quality as important outcomes to them. Results: Multilevel linear models revealed no overall effect......Purpose: Our aim was to explore the effectiveness of energy healing, a commonly used complementary and alternative therapy, on well-being in cancer patients while assessing the possible influence on the results of participating in a randomized controlled trial. Methods: 247 patients treated...... of healing on QoL (p = 0.156), depressive symptoms (p = 0.063), mood (p = 0.079), or sleep quality (p = 0.346) in the intervention groups (RH, SH) compared with control (SC). Effects of healing on mood were only found for patients who had a positive attitude toward CAM and considered the outcome in question...

The impact of translucent fabric shades and control strategies on energy savings and visual quality

Science.gov (United States)

Wankanapon, Pimonmart

Translucent fabric shades provide opportunities for building occupants to control sunlight penetration for heat reduction, thermal comfort, and visual quality. Regulating shades affects building energy and can potentially reduce the size of mechanical cooling systems. Shades are not normally included in energy model studies during the design process, even though shades potential impact energy use. This is because the occupants normally leave shades closed a large fraction of the time, but models are generally performed with no shades. Automatic shade control is now available, so it is necessary to understand the impact of shades on visual quality and their energy saving potential in order to optimize their overall performance. There are very limited studies that have address shades and their integrated performance on energy consumption and visual quality. Most of these do not reflected modern shade types and their application. The goals of this study are: First, to determine the impact of shades on total, heating, cooling and lighting energy savings with different design and operation parameters. Second, to study and develop different automatic shade control strategies to promote and optimize energy savings and visual quality. A simulation-based approach using EnergyPlus in a parametric study provide better understanding energy savings under different shade conditions. The parametric runs addressed various building parameters such as geometry, orientation, site climate, glazing/shade properties, and shade control strategies with integrated lighting control. The impact of shades was determined for total building and space heating, cooling and lighting energy savings. The effect of shades on visual quality was studied using EnergyPlus, AGI32 and DAYSIM for several indices such as daylight glare index (DGI), work plane illuminance, luminance ratios and view. Different shade control strategies and integrated lighting control were considered with two translucent fabric

Using a biocultural approach to examine migration/globalization, diet quality, and energy balance.

Science.gov (United States)

Himmelgreen, David A; Cantor, Allison; Arias, Sara; Romero Daza, Nancy

2014-07-01

The aim of this paper is to examine the role and impact that globalization and migration (e.g., intra-/intercontinental, urban/rural, and circular) have had on diet patterns, diet quality, and energy balance as reported on in the literature during the last 20 years. Published literature from the fields of anthropology, public health, nutrition, and other disciplines (e.g., economics) was collected and reviewed. In addition, case studies from the authors' own research are presented in order to elaborate on key points and dietary trends identified in the literature. While this review is not intended to be comprehensive, the findings suggest that the effects of migration and globalization on diet quality and energy balance are neither lineal nor direct, and that the role of social and physical environments, culture, social organization, and technology must be taken into account to better understand this relationship. Moreover, concepts such as acculturation and the nutrition transition do not necessarily explain or adequately describe all of the global processes that shape diet quality and energy balance. Theories from nutritional anthropology and critical bio-cultural medical anthropology are used to tease out some of these complex interrelationships. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

New device architecture of a thermoelectric energy conversion for recovering low-quality heat

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hoon; Park, Sung-Geun; Jung, Buyoung; Hwang, Junphil; Kim, Woochul

2014-03-01

Low-quality heat is generally discarded for economic reasons; a low-cost energy conversion device considering price per watt, /W, is required to recover this waste heat. Thin-film based thermoelectric devices could be a superior alternative for this purpose, based on their low material consumption; however, power generated in conventional thermoelectric device architecture is negligible due to the small temperature drop across the thin film. To overcome this challenge, we propose new device architecture, and demonstrate approximately 60 Kelvin temperature differences using a thick polymer nanocomposite. The temperature differences were achieved by separating the thermal path from the electrical path; whereas in conventional device architecture, both electrical charges and thermal energy share same path. We also applied this device to harvest body heat and confirmed its usability as an energy conversion device for recovering low-quality heat.

Stored Energy and Quality Factor of Spherical Wave Functions–in Relation to Spherical Antennas With Material Cores

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Troels V.; Kim, Oleksiy S.; Breinbjerg, Olav

2012-01-01

wave, the excitation coefficients for the internal and external spherical waves, the radiated power, the internal and external stored electric and magnetic energies, the difference of total electric and total magnetic energy, the cavity and radiating resonance conditions, and the quality factor. We...... investigate the variation of the internal/external and electric/magnetic stored energies with the electrical size of the antenna to study their relative significance for the quality factor....

Energy performance and indoor air quality in modern buildings in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kotol, Martin; Rode, Carsten; Vahala, Jan

2015-01-01

A new dormitory for engineering students "Apisseq" was built in Sisimiut, Greenland in 2010. Its purpose is not only to provide accommodation for students, but thanks to its complex monitoring system, it enables researchers to evaluate the building's energy performance and indoor air quality. Some......, which have negative effects on the energy performance and indoor air quality. The heat demand in 2011 was 26.5% higher than expected. One of the main causes of the extra heat demand is the fact that the ventilation system was over-dimensioned, and although it is running on the lowest fan power...... of the installed technologies are not commonly used in the current Greenlandic building stock. Therefore, evaluation of their performance under local conditions is essential for further use and development. The first year of operation has disclosed some errors made during the design process and construction phase...

The effects of an energy efficiency retrofit on indoor air quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, S E; Destaillats, H; Cohn, S; Ahrentzen, S; Fraser, M P

2015-04-01

To investigate the impacts of an energy efficiency retrofit, indoor air quality and resident health were evaluated at a low-income senior housing apartment complex in Phoenix, Arizona, before and after a green energy building renovation. Indoor and outdoor air quality sampling was carried out simultaneously with a questionnaire to characterize personal habits and general health of residents. Measured indoor formaldehyde levels before the building retrofit routinely exceeded reference exposure limits, but in the long-term follow-up sampling, indoor formaldehyde decreased for the entire study population by a statistically significant margin. Indoor PM levels were dominated by fine particles and showed a statistically significant decrease in the long-term follow-up sampling within certain resident subpopulations (i.e. residents who report smoking and residents who had lived longer at the apartment complex). © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Energy, Externalities and Environmental Quality: Will Development Cure the Ills It Creates?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pearson, P.J.G. [Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London (United Kingdom)

1994-12-31

Environmental quality in the context of economic development was discussed. Factors that influence environmental quality were emphasized. Main empirical studies performed in this area, including studies that have produced the inverted U-shaped environmental ``Kuznet Curve``were reviewed. The `Kuznet curve` represents the hypothesized relationship between inequality of income distribution and economic development. This author attempted to incorporate environmental quality into this relationship, and to look for the policy implications of these estimates. Determinants of environmental quality such as the supply of environmental quality, waste receptors and energy resources, the demand for environmental quality, environmental quality outcomes, environmental and quality/development models were discussed, and an attempt was made to answer the question of whether or not these Kuznet curves really imply that development will automatically cure environmental ills. One of the main conclusions was that as income rises, the demand for environmental quality rises proportionately faster, while the supply of environmentally destructive activities decreases. Other conclusions called for the improvement of the data base on environmental quality, especially by developing countries. There was also a call for more studies to be done to understand the factors that affect environmental quality and policy in different developmental situations.

Energy, Externalities and Environmental Quality: Will Development Cure the Ills It Creates?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pearson, P.J.G.

1994-01-01

Environmental quality in the context of economic development was discussed. Factors that influence environmental quality were emphasized. Main empirical studies performed in this area, including studies that have produced the inverted U-shaped environmental ''Kuznet Curve''were reviewed. The 'Kuznet curve' represents the hypothesized relationship between inequality of income distribution and economic development. This author attempted to incorporate environmental quality into this relationship, and to look for the policy implications of these estimates. Determinants of environmental quality such as the supply of environmental quality, waste receptors and energy resources, the demand for environmental quality, environmental quality outcomes, environmental and quality/development models were discussed, and an attempt was made to answer the question of whether or not these Kuznet curves really imply that development will automatically cure environmental ills. One of the main conclusions was that as income rises, the demand for environmental quality rises proportionately faster, while the supply of environmentally destructive activities decreases. Other conclusions called for the improvement of the data base on environmental quality, especially by developing countries. There was also a call for more studies to be done to understand the factors that affect environmental quality and policy in different developmental situations

Low Calorie Beverage Consumption Is Associated with Energy and Nutrient Intakes and Diet Quality in British Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Sigrid A; Horgan, Graham W; Francis, Lucy E; Gibson, Amelia A; Stephen, Alison M

2016-01-02

It is unclear whether consumption of low-calorie beverages (LCB) leads to compensatory consumption of sweet foods, thus reducing benefits for weight control or diet quality. This analysis investigated associations between beverage consumption and energy intake and diet quality of adults in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) (2008-2011; n = 1590), classified into: (a) non-consumers of soft drinks (NC); (b) LCB consumers; (c) sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumers; or (d) consumers of both beverages (BB), based on 4-day dietary records. Within-person data on beverage consumption on different days assessed the impact on energy intake. LCB consumers and NC consumed less energy and non-milk extrinsic sugars than other groups. Micronutrient intakes and food choices suggested higher dietary quality in NC/LCB consumers compared with SSB/BB consumers. Within individuals on different days, consumption of SSB, milk, juice, and alcohol were all associated with increased energy intake, while LCB and tea, coffee or water were associated with no change; or reduced energy intake when substituted for caloric beverages. Results indicate that NC and LCB consumers tend to have higher quality diets compared with SSB or BB consumers and do not compensate for sugar or energy deficits by consuming more sugary foods.

Low Calorie Beverage Consumption Is Associated with Energy and Nutrient Intakes and Diet Quality in British Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Sigrid A.; Horgan, Graham W.; Francis, Lucy E.; Gibson, Amelia A.; Stephen, Alison M.

2016-01-01

It is unclear whether consumption of low-calorie beverages (LCB) leads to compensatory consumption of sweet foods, thus reducing benefits for weight control or diet quality. This analysis investigated associations between beverage consumption and energy intake and diet quality of adults in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) (2008–2011; n = 1590), classified into: (a) non-consumers of soft drinks (NC); (b) LCB consumers; (c) sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumers; or (d) consumers of both beverages (BB), based on 4-day dietary records. Within-person data on beverage consumption on different days assessed the impact on energy intake. LCB consumers and NC consumed less energy and non-milk extrinsic sugars than other groups. Micronutrient intakes and food choices suggested higher dietary quality in NC/LCB consumers compared with SSB/BB consumers. Within individuals on different days, consumption of SSB, milk, juice, and alcohol were all associated with increased energy intake, while LCB and tea, coffee or water were associated with no change; or reduced energy intake when substituted for caloric beverages. Results indicate that NC and LCB consumers tend to have higher quality diets compared with SSB or BB consumers and do not compensate for sugar or energy deficits by consuming more sugary foods. PMID:26729159

Energy drink consumption is associated with reduced sleep quality among college students: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Faris, Mo'ez Al-Islam E; Jahrami, Haitham; Al-Hilali, Marwa M; Chehyber, Noor J; Ali, Sara O; Shahda, Sara D; Obaid, Reyad S

2017-07-01

Intake of caffeinated energy drinks has significantly increased, specifically among young adults and adolescents. College students are prone to developing unhealthy eating habits and dependence on stimulants, which puts them at a greater risk of sleep problems. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of caffeinated energy drink consumption and its association with sleep quality in college students. A sample of 919 randomly selected adults (237 males and 682 females) from various colleges at the University of Sharjah/United Arab Emirates participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected using an online validated questionnaire. The current study revealed that 376 students (41%) were consuming energy drinks on a regular basis. Approximately half of the students had normal sleep patterns; the other half had sleep problems (anxiety and intermittent sleep). Results of the present study revealed a significant (r = -0.10, P consumption of energy drinks and sleep quality and patterns. Moderate consumption of energy drinks was reported among college students. Consumption of energy drinks was significantly associated with changes in sleep quality and patterns of students. © 2016 Dietitians Association of Australia.

Design of a dynamic model for nuclear energy management based on European Foundation for Quality Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fam, I. M.; Shekari, A.

2008-01-01

The Business excellence model has been developed to improve and promote business levels. In business excellence model such as European Foundation for Quality Management model, the important role of resource management is emphasizes. In this paper, we have tried with consideration to tendency progressive concepts of nuclear energy management; a dynamic model has been presented for energy management within the scope of European Foundation for Quality Management model. Population growth could cause increasing of the level of energy demands. No doubt, the confidence of this developed phenomenon with the limits of environment will create greater challenges for the world and its inhabitants. Considering the shortage of energy supply all over the world, nuclear energy management has been studied with a view to fourth and fifth criterions included in European Foundation for Quality Management model (Partnership and resource and Process criteria's). In addition to it, a dynamic model has been presented for nuclear energy management within the scope of European Foundation for Quality Management model. In this dynamic model, with differential equation definition for each of the presented communications of defined causal model, input variable impacts on output ones have been determined and considered. They can be reviewed, based on six scenario plans, the importance of nuclear energy management of a business has been properly shown, and similarly the rate of investment on systems as a factor affecting the level of attention paid to the future of business enterprises, has been specified. This paper conceives nuclear energy management as an instrument to contribute to the growth and fall of a business. It is therefore, imperative to attach more importance at nuclear energy demand management in the business and an attempt should be made to keep it under our control

Neutron quality parameters versus energy below 4 MeV from microdosimetric calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stinchcomb, T.G.; Borak, T.B.

1983-01-01

Charged-particle production by neutrons and the resulting energy-deposition spectra in micron-sized spheres of tissue of varying diameters were calculated from thermal energies to 4 MeV. These data were used to obtain dose-average values of several quality-indicating parameters as functions of neutron energy and of tissue sphere diameter. The contrast among the parameters is shown and discussed. Applications are made to two neutron spectra, one a fission spectrum in air and the other a moderated spectrum at the center of an irradiated cube of water

Free Energy Adjusted Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (FEA-PSNR) for Image Quality Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ning; Zhai, Guangtao

2017-12-01

Peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), the de facto universal image quality metric has been widely criticized as having poor correlation with human subjective quality ratings. In this paper, it will be illustrated that the low performance of PSNR as an image quality metric is partially due to its inability of differentiating image contents. And it is revealed that the deviation between subjective score and PSNR for each type of distortions can be systematically captured by perceptual complexity of the target image. The free energy modelling technique is then introduced to simulate the human cognitive process and measure perceptual complexity of an image. Then it is shown that performance of PSNR can be effectively improved using a linear score mapping process considering image free energy and distortion type. The proposed free energy adjusted peak signal to noise ratio (FEA-PSNR) does not change computational steps the of ordinary PSNR and therefore it inherits the merits of being simple, derivable and physically meaningful. So FEA-PSNR can be easily integrated into existing PSNR based image processing systems to achieve more visually plausible results. And the proposed analysis approach can be extended to other types of image quality metrics for enhanced performance.

Predictive control techniques for energy and indoor environmental quality management in buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolokotsa, D. [Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, 3, Romanou str., 73133, Hania, Crete (Greece); Pouliezos, A. [Technical University of Crete, Department of Production Engineering and Management, University Campus, Kounoupidiana, 73100 Hania (Greece); Stavrakakis, G.; Lazos, C. [Technical University of Crete, Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, University Campus, Kounoupidiana, 73100 Hania (Greece)

2009-09-15

The aim of the present paper is to present a model-based predictive controller, combined with a Building Energy Management System (BEMS). The overall system predicts the indoor environmental conditions of a specific building and selects the most appropriate actions so as to reach the set points and contribute to the indoor environmental quality by minimizing energy costs. The controller is tested using a BEMS installation in Hania, Crete, Greece. (author)

Quality, energy requirement and costs of drying tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hosseini, A.A.A.

2005-11-07

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) is a favorite herbal and medicinal plant. Drying is necessary to achieve longer shelf life with high quality, preserving the original flavor. Essential oil content and color are the most important parameters that define the quality of herbal and medicinal plants. Hot air batch drying is the most common drying method for these plants but affects the essential oil content and color. The drying conditions affect essential oil content and color as well as the energy consumption and costs. Process engineers and farmers need to know how they have to dry to obtain the best quality. The objective of this work is to investigate the conditions for optimal drying in terms of quality, energy consumption and costs. Adsorption and desorption experiments were done to find the equilibrium moisture content and water exchange between the material and surrounding air during drying and storage at temperatures of 25C to 70C and relative humidities of 5% to 90%. Drying of tarragon leaves and chopped plants was investigated separately and the best model was selected from the drying equations in literature. The effect of drying temperature and relative humidity on the essential oil content and color change was studied. Experiments were done at temperatures of 40C to 90C and the optimal conditions were. Long-term effects of the drying conditions were also investigated during the storage time. Material dried at 45, 60 and 90C was stored and the essential oil content and color of the material was measured after 15, 30, 60 and 120 days of storage. Drying at 45C was found as the best condition based on the changes of essential oil and color during drying and storage. Optimization of drying of tarragon was studied based on the results of the sorption isotherms, drying equations and the changes of essential oil content and color during drying and storage. Models were made for the drying process, energy consumption and cost calculation. The current conditions

A quality control method for detecting energy changes of medical accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGinley, P.H.

2000-01-01

A description is presented of a simple and sensitive method for detecting a change in the energy of the electrons bombarding the target of medical accelerators. This technique is useful for x-ray beams with end point energy in the range of 15.7 to 25 MeV. The method is based on the photoactivation of 16 O and 14 N in a small sample of ammonium nitrate. It was found that the ratio of the activity induced in the oxygen divided by that produced in the nitrogen can be used as a quality control technique to detect a change in the energy of the electrons that bombard the target of the accelerator. An electron energy change of the order of 0.2 MeV can be determined using this method. (author)

Complete characterization of voltage sags: an alternative to achieve energy quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuniga Medina, Edgar Andres; Vasco Garcia, Carlos Andres

1992-01-01

In this paper, the meaning of the power quality and its negative influence in the automation processes are presented. Voltage sags, the problems they cause and a methodology to characterize the phenomenon are also presented. Once the problems associated with the different sensible loads connected to a power system are identified, the cause of the bad quality of the electrical energy provided those loads is then established; voltage sags are one of the most common phenomenon that requires characterization in order to diminish their negative impact on the industrial processes

Impacts of Energy Sector Emissions on PM2.5 Air Quality in Northern India

Science.gov (United States)

Karambelas, A. N.; Kiesewetter, G.; Heyes, C.; Holloway, T.

2015-12-01

India experiences high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and several Indian cities currently rank among the world's most polluted cities. With ongoing urbanization and a growing economy, emissions from different energy sectors remain major contributors to air pollution in India. Emission sectors impact ambient air quality differently due to spatial distribution (typical urban vs. typical rural sources) as well as source height characteristics (low-level vs. high stack sources). This study aims to assess the impacts of emissions from three distinct energy sectors—transportation, domestic, and electricity—on ambient PM2.5­­ in northern India using an advanced air quality analysis framework based on the U.S. EPA Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. Present air quality conditions are simulated using 2010 emissions from the Greenhouse Gas-Air Pollution Interaction and Synergies (GAINS) model. Modeled PM2.5 concentrations are compared with satellite observations of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for 2010. Energy sector emissions impacts on future (2030) PM2.5 are evaluated with three sensitivity simulations, assuming maximum feasible reduction technologies for either transportation, domestic, or electricity sectors. These simulations are compared with a business as usual 2030 simulation to assess relative sectoral impacts spatially and temporally. CMAQ is modeled at 12km by 12km and include biogenic emissions from the Community Land Model coupled with the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols in Nature (CLM-MEGAN), biomass burning emissions from the Global Fires Emissions Database (GFED), and ERA-Interim meteorology generated with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for 2010 to quantify the impact of modified anthropogenic emissions on ambient PM2.5 concentrations. Energy sector emissions analysis supports decision-making to improve future air quality and public health in

Perceived Stress and Coffee and Energy Drink Consumption Predict Poor Sleep Quality in Podiatric Medical Students A Cross-sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawah, Mohomad Al; Ruffin, Naeemah; Rimawi, Mohammad; Concerto, Carmen; Aguglia, Eugenio; Chusid, Eileen; Infortuna, Carmenrita; Battaglia, Fortunato

2015-09-01

A cross-sectional survey administered to first- and second-year podiatric medical students aimed to investigate the effect of coffee intake, energy drink consumption, and perceived stress on sleep quality in medical students during their preclinical studies. Ninety-eight of 183 students contacted (53.6%) completed a questionnaire comprising standard instruments measuring sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness scale), and perceived stress (ten-item Perceived Stress Scale). Furthermore, we investigated coffee and energy drink consumption. Logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with poor sleep quality and the relation between sleep quality and academic performance (grade point average). High prevalences of poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, and perceived stress were reported. In addition, higher odds of developing poor sleep quality were associated with coffee and energy drink intake, perceived stress, and excessive daytime sleepiness. The total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was inversely correlated with grade point average. First- and second-year podiatric medical students have poor sleep quality. Further research is needed to identify effective strategies to reduce stress and decrease coffee and energy drink intake to minimize their negative effect on sleep quality and academic performance in podiatric medical students.

Modeling energy efficiency to improve air quality and health effects of China's cement industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, Shaohui; Worrell, Ernst|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/106856715; Crijns-Graus, Wina|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/308005015; Krol, Maarten|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/078760410; de Bruine, Marco|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/411965085; Geng, Guangpo; Wagner, Fabian; Cofala, Janusz

2016-01-01

Actions to reduce the combustion of fossil fuels often decrease GHG emissions as well as air pollutants and bring multiple benefits for improvement of energy efficiency, climate change, and air quality associated with human health benefits. The China's cement industry is the second largest energy

Multifunctional voltage source inverter for renewable energy integration and power quality conditioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, NingYi; Lam, Chi-Seng; Zhang, WenChen

2014-01-01

In order to utilize the energy from the renewable energy sources, power conversion system is necessary, in which the voltage source inverter (VSI) is usually the last stage for injecting power to the grid. It is an economical solution to add the function of power quality conditioning to the grid-connected VSI in the low-voltage distribution system. Two multifunctional VSIs are studied in this paper, that is, inductive-coupling VSI and capacitive-coupling VSI, which are named after the fundamental frequency impedance of their coupling branch. The operation voltages of the two VSIs are compared when they are used for renewable energy integration and power quality conditioning simultaneously. The operation voltage of the capacitive-coupling VSI can be set much lower than that of the inductive-coupling VSI when reactive power is for compensating inductive loads. Since a large portion of the loads in the distribution system are inductive, the capacitive-coupling VSI is further studied. The design and control method of the multifunctional capacitive-coupling VSI are proposed in this paper. Simulation and experimental results are provided to show its validity.

Experimental investigation of the quality characteristics of agricultural plastic wastes regarding their recycling and energy recovery potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briassoulis, D.; Hiskakis, M.; Babou, E.; Antiohos, S.K.; Papadi, C.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Definition of parameters characterising agricultural plastic waste (APW) quality. ► Analysis of samples to determine APW quality for recycling or energy recovery. ► Majority of APW samples from various countries have very good quality for recycling. ► Upper limit of 50% w/w soil contamination in APW acceptable for energy recovery. ► Chlorine and heavy metals content in APW below the lowest limit for energy recovery. - Abstract: A holistic environmentally sound waste management scheme that transforms agricultural plastic waste (APW) streams into labelled guaranteed quality commodities freely traded in open market has been developed by the European research project LabelAgriWaste. The APW quality is defined by the APW material requirements, translated to technical specifications, for recycling or energy recovery. The present work investigates the characteristics of the APW quality and the key factors affecting it from the introduction of the virgin product to the market to the APW stream reaching the disposer. Samples of APW from different countries were traced from their application to the field through their storage phase and transportation to the final destination. The test results showed that the majority of APW retained their mechanical properties after their use preserving a “very good quality” for recycling in terms of degradation. The degree of soil contamination concerning the APW recycling and energy recovery potential fluctuates depending on the agricultural plastic category and application. The chlorine and heavy metal content of the tested APW materials was much lower than the maximum acceptable limits for their potential use in cement industries.

House Owners’ Interests and Actions in Relation to Indoor Temperature, Air Quality and Energy Use

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose; Andersen, Rune Korsholm; Hansen, Anders Rhiger

2016-01-01

in saving energy for the sake of the environment and for their own economy, and quite a lot of households indicate that they know their own energy consumption, though only few follow it closely. Thus being concerned about energy is not necessarily related to an interest in detailed feedback on one’s own......In order to make better and more realistic predictions of energy consumption in dwellings, more knowledge is needed about how individuals and households control the indoor environment. A questionnaire survey was conducted with the objective of studying the interest and actions taken in relation...... to indoor temperature, air quality and energy consumption by Danish house owners living in single-family detached houses with district heating. The house owners state that they are interested in, and concerned about, the indoor temperature and air quality and that it is an important element in caring...

2017 Sustainable LA Environmental Report Card for Los Angeles County: Energy & Air Quality

OpenAIRE

Federico, Felicia; Rauser, Casandra; Gold, Mark

2017-01-01

The 2017 Sustainable LA Environmental Report Card (ERC) for Los Angeles County (LA County) on Energy and Air Quality offers an in-depth look at the region’s sustainability efforts focusing on the energy we use, greenhouse gas emissions, and the air we breathe. The LA County Environmental Report Card is the only comprehensive environmental report card for a megacity in the world. This ERC assesses 21 indicators that fall into five categories: Stationary Energy Use; Transportation; Renewable En...

A routing protocol based on energy and link quality for Internet of Things applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Kássio; Rosário, Denis; Cerqueira, Eduardo; Loureiro, Antonio A F; Neto, Augusto; Souza, José Neuman de

2013-02-04

The Internet of Things (IoT) is attracting considerable attention from the universities, industries, citizens and governments for applications, such as healthcare, environmental monitoring and smart buildings. IoT enables network connectivity between smart devices at all times, everywhere, and about everything. In this context, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) play an important role in increasing the ubiquity of networks with smart devices that are low-cost and easy to deploy. However, sensor nodes are restricted in terms of energy, processing and memory. Additionally, low-power radios are very sensitive to noise, interference and multipath distortions. In this context, this article proposes a routing protocol based on Routing by Energy and Link quality (REL) for IoT applications. To increase reliability and energy-efficiency, REL selects routes on the basis of a proposed end-to-end link quality estimator mechanism, residual energy and hop count. Furthermore, REL proposes an event-driven mechanism to provide load balancing and avoid the premature energy depletion of nodes/networks. Performance evaluations were carried out using simulation and testbed experiments to show the impact and benefits of REL in small and large-scale networks. The results show that REL increases the network lifetime and services availability, as well as the quality of service of IoT applications. It also provides an even distribution of scarce network resources and reduces the packet loss rate, compared with the performance of well-known protocols.

A Routing Protocol Based on Energy and Link Quality for Internet of Things Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio A. F. Loureiro

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The Internet of Things (IoT is attracting considerable attention from the universities, industries, citizens and governments for applications, such as healthcare, environmental monitoring and smart buildings. IoT enables network connectivity between smart devices at all times, everywhere, and about everything. In this context, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs play an important role in increasing the ubiquity of networks with smart devices that are low-cost and easy to deploy. However, sensor nodes are restricted in terms of energy, processing and memory. Additionally, low-power radios are very sensitive to noise, interference and multipath distortions. In this context, this article proposes a routing protocol based on Routing by Energy and Link quality (REL for IoT applications. To increase reliability and energy-efficiency, REL selects routes on the basis of a proposed end-to-end link quality estimator mechanism, residual energy and hop count. Furthermore, REL proposes an event-driven mechanism to provide load balancing and avoid the premature energy depletion of nodes/networks. Performance evaluations were carried out using simulation and testbed experiments to show the impact and benefits of REL in small and large-scale networks. The results show that REL increases the network lifetime and services availability, as well as the quality of service of IoT applications. It also provides an even distribution of scarce network resources and reduces the packet loss rate, compared with the performance of well-known protocols.

A Routing Protocol Based on Energy and Link Quality for Internet of Things Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Kassio; Rosário, Denis; Cerqueira, Eduardo; Loureiro, Antonio A. F.; Neto, Augusto; de Souza, José Neuman

2013-01-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) is attracting considerable attention from the universities, industries, citizens and governments for applications, such as healthcare,environmental monitoring and smart buildings. IoT enables network connectivity between smart devices at all times, everywhere, and about everything. In this context, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) play an important role in increasing the ubiquity of networks with smart devices that are low-cost and easy to deploy. However, sensor nodes are restricted in terms of energy, processing and memory. Additionally, low-power radios are very sensitive to noise, interference and multipath distortions. In this context, this article proposes a routing protocol based on Routing by Energy and Link quality (REL) for IoT applications. To increase reliability and energy-efficiency, REL selects routes on the basis of a proposed end-to-end link quality estimator mechanism, residual energy and hop count. Furthermore, REL proposes an event-driven mechanism to provide load balancing and avoid the premature energy depletion of nodes/networks. Performance evaluations were carried out using simulation and testbed experiments to show the impact and benefits of REL in small and large-scale networks. The results show that REL increases the network lifetime and services availability, as well as the quality of service of IoT applications. It also provides an even distribution of scarce network resources and reduces the packet loss rate, compared with the performance of well-known protocols. PMID:23385410

Energy performance and Indoor Air Quality in Modern Buildings in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kotol, Martin; Rode, Carsten

2012-01-01

A new dormitory for engineering students “Apisseq” was built in the town of Sisimiut, Greenland in 2010. Its purpose is not only to provide accommodation for students. Thanks to its complex monitoring system it enables researchers to evaluate the building’s energy performance and indoor air quality...

Special section on quality management in the energy distribution sector in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorborg, L.

1996-01-01

So far, energy distribution companies in the Netherlands have lagged behind regarding total quality management (TQM), but this is gradually changing. Is TQM a fad, or does permanent attention to the customers and their needs indeed make companies stronger. And do companies evidently earn more money as a result of TQM? In four brief articles various aspects of quality management are dealt with in this special section. Quality manuals and protocols prove to be less fearsome than expected. Companies involved in quality management appear to make higher profits. And it should be possible to obtain a good return on investment within a short period of time. 1 fig., 3 ills

A Robust Synchronization to Enhance the Power Quality of Renewable Energy Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hadjidemetriou, Lenos; Kyriakides, Elias; Blaabjerg, Frede

2015-01-01

The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) in the power grid requires high-quality power injection under various grid conditions. The synchronization method, usually a phase-locked loop (PLL) algorithm, is directly affecting the response of the grid-side converter of the RES....... This paper proposes a new PLL algorithm that uses an advanced decoupling network implemented in the stationary reference frame with limited requirements for processing time to enable a fast and accurate synchronization even under harmonic distorted voltage and low-voltage grid faults. The robust response...... of the proposed PLL is validated, and the effect of the proposed synchronization on the performance of the grid-connected renewable energy system is investigated. This investigation proves that the robust, accurate, and dynamic response of the new PLL can enhance the quality of the injected power from the RES...

Effect of microwave freeze drying on quality and energy supply in drying of barley grass.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaohuang; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Zhong, Qifeng; Wang, Zhushang

2018-03-01

Young barley grass leaves are well-known for containing the antioxidant substances flavonoid and chlorophyll. However, low product quality and energy efficiency exist with respect to the dehydration of barley grass leaves. To improve energy supply and the quality of barley grass, microwave heating instead of contact heat was applied for the freeze drying of barley grass at a pilot scale at 1, 1.5 and 2 W g -1 , respectively; After drying, energy supply and quality parameters of color, moisture content, chlorophyll, flavonoids, odors of dried barley grass were determined to evaluate the feasibility of the study. Microwave freeze drying (MFD) allowed a low energy supply and high contents of chlorophyll and flavonoids. A lightness value of 60.0, a green value of -11.5 and an energy supply of 0.61 kW h -1  g -1 were observed in 1.5 W g -1 MFD; whereas drying time (7 h) decreased by 42% compared to contact heating. Maximum content of flavonoid and chlorophyll was 11.7 and 12.8 g kg -1 barley grass. Microwave heating leads to an odor change larger than that for contact heating observed for the freeze drying of barley grass. MFD retains chlorophyll and flavonoids, as well as colors and odors of samples, and also decreases energy consumption in the freeze drying of barley grass. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Stability of electron-beam energy monitor for quality assurance of the electron-beam energy from radiotherapy accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chida, Koichi; Zuguchi, Masayuki; Saito, Haruo; Takai, Yoshihiro; Mitsuya, Masatoshi; Sakakida, Hideharu; Yamada, Shogo; Kohzuki, Masahiro

2002-01-01

Information on electron energy is important in planning radiation therapy using electrons. The Geske 3405 electron beam energy monitor (Geske monitor, PTW Nuclear Associates, Carle Place, NY, USA) is a device containing nine ionization chambers for checking the energy of the electron beams produced by radiotherapy accelerators. We wondered whether this might increase the likelihood of ionization chamber trouble. In spite of the importance of the stability of such a quality assurance (QA) device, there are no reports on the stability of values measured with a Geske monitor. The purpose of this paper was therefore to describe the stability of a Geske monitor. It was found that the largest coefficient of variation (CV) of the Geske monitor measurements was approximately 0.96% over a 21-week period. In conclusion, the stability of Geske monitor measurements of the energy of electron beams from a linear accelerator was excellent. (author)

Energy and Quality-Aware Multimedia Signal Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Emre, Yunus

Today's mobile devices have to support computation-intensive multimedia applications with a limited energy budget. In this dissertation, we present architecture level and algorithm-level techniques that reduce energy consumption of these devices with minimal impact on system quality. First, we present novel techniques to mitigate the effects of SRAM memory failures in JPEG2000 implementations operating in scaled voltages. We investigate error control coding schemes and propose an unequal error protection scheme tailored for JPEG2000 that reduces overhead without affecting the performance. Furthermore, we propose algorithm-specific techniques for error compensation that exploit the fact that in JPEG2000 the discrete wavelet transform outputs have larger values for low frequency subband coefficients and smaller values for high frequency subband coefficients. Next, we present use of voltage overscaling to reduce the data-path power consumption of JPEG codecs. We propose an algorithm-specific technique which exploits the characteristics of the quantized coefficients after zig-zag scan to mitigate errors introduced by aggressive voltage scaling. Third, we investigate the effect of reducing dynamic range for datapath energy reduction. We analyze the effect of truncation error and propose a scheme that estimates the mean value of the truncation error during the pre-computation stage and compensates for this error. Such a scheme is very effective for reducing the noise power in applications that are dominated by additions and multiplications such as FIR filter and transform computation. We also present a novel sum of absolute difference (SAD) scheme that is based on most significant bit truncation. The proposed scheme exploits the fact that most of the absolute difference (AD) calculations result in small values, and most of the large AD values do not contribute to the SAD values of the blocks that are selected. Such a scheme is highly effective in reducing the energy

Energy-saving quality road lighting with colloidal quantum dot nanophosphors

Science.gov (United States)

Erdem, Talha; Kelestemur, Yusuf; Soran-Erdem, Zeliha; Ji, Yun; Demir, Hilmi Volkan

2014-12-01

Here the first photometric study of road-lighting white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) integrated with semiconductor colloidal quantum dots (QDs) is reported enabling higher luminance than conventional light sources, specifically in mesopic vision regimes essential to street lighting. Investigating over 100 million designs uncovers that quality road-lighting QD-WLEDs, with a color quality scale and color rendering index ≥85, enables 13-35% higher mesopic luminance than the sources commonly used in street lighting. Furthermore, these QD-WLEDs were shown to be electrically more efficient than conventional sources with power conversion efficiencies ≥16-29%. Considering this fact, an experimental proof-of-concept QD-WLED was demonstrated, which is the first account of QD based color conversion custom designed for street lighting applications. The obtained white LED achieved the targeted mesopic luminance levels in accordance with the road lighting standards of the USA and the UK. These results indicate that road-lighting QD-WLEDs are strongly promising for energy-saving quality road lighting.

Comparison of the results for quality implementation of low energy X rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Affonseca, M; Ochoa, R; Almeida, C.E. de; Peixoto, J.G.

2001-01-01

It describes the comparison of the results for qualities implementation of low energy X rays, using a pan tak tube, HF 160, which has tungsten white, beryllium window, is water-cooled and it has a 160 K B generator [es

The importance of ingestion rates for estimating food quality and energy intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Schülke, Oliver; Chalise, Mukesh K; Koenig, Andreas

2006-10-01

Testing ecological or socioecological models in primatology often requires estimates of individual energy intake. It is a well established fact that the nutrient content (and hence the energy content) of primate food items is highly variable. The second variable in determining primate energy intake, i.e., the ingestion rate, has often been ignored, and few studies have attempted to estimate the relative importance of the two predictors. In the present study individual ingestion rates were measured in two ecologically very different populations of Hanuman langurs (Semnopithecus entellus) at Jodhpur, India, and Ramnagar, Nepal. Protein and soluble sugar concentrations in 50 and 100 food items. respectively, were measured using standardized methods. Variation in ingestion rates (gram of dry matter per minute) was markedly greater among food items than among langur individuals in both populations, but did not differ systematically among food item categories defined according to plant part and age. General linear models (GLMs) with ingestion rate, protein, and soluble sugar content explained 40-80% of the variation in energy intake rates (kJ/min). The relative importance of ingestion rates was either similar (Ramnagar) or much greater (Jodhpur) than the role of sugar and/or protein content in determining the energy intake rates of different items. These results may impact socioecological studies of variation in individual energy budgets, investigations of food choice in relation to chemical composition or sensory characteristics, and research into habitat preferences that measures habitat quality in terms of abundance of important food sources. We suggest a definition of food quality that includes not only the amount of valuable food contents (energy, vitamins, and minerals) and the digestibility of different foods, but also the rate at which the food can be harvested and processed. Such an extended definition seems necessary because time may constrain primates when

Indoor environmental quality and energy consumption relation in offices: case study of two offices in Iran

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ashrafian, Touraj; Moazzen Ferdos, Nazanin [Islamic Azad University Tabriz branch (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], email: t.ashrafian@gmail.com, email: moazzen_arch@yahoo.com; Haghlesan, Masoud [Islamic Azad University, Ilkhichi Branch (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], email: mhaghlesan@yahoo.com

2011-07-01

Nowadays, most people spend more than 90% of their time indoors, therefore the quality of the indoor environment has a significant impact on human health. However, improving indoor environment quality (IEQ) requires a higher energy consumption through increasing lighting, heating and cooling. The aim of this study is to determine an appropriate level of IEQ with the least energy consumption possible. The relation between energy consumption and IEQ in 2 offices in Iran has been studied through the use of questionnaires and simulations. It was found that IEQ has a great impact on workers' productivity and that diminishing the energy consumption does not necessarily translate into economic benefits. In addition it was found that lighting and heating are the main sources of energy consumption and that noise and light are what most influence worker productivity. This study highlighted the relation between energy consumption and IEQ and pointed out the most important factors.

Rancher and farmer quality of life in the midst of energy development in southwest Wyoming

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Leslie; Montag, Jessica; Lyon, Katie; Soileau, Suzanna; Schuster, Rudy

2014-01-01

Quality of life (QOL) is usually defined as a person’s general well-being, and may include individual perceptions of a variety of factors such family, work, finances, local community services, community relationships, surrounding environment, and other important aspects of their life, ultimately leading to life satisfaction. Energy development can have an effect on QOL components for rural residents. Southwest Wyoming is a rural area with a history of ranching and farming which continues today. This area has also seen a “boom” of increasing wind, solar, oil and gas energy developments over the past decade. Wyoming Department of Agriculture, as part of the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI), sponsored research to examine the effect of energy development on ranchers’ and farmers’ quality of life.

Analytical quality control services of the International Atomic Energy Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suschny, O.

1986-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency provides quality control services to analytical laboratories. These services which include the provision of reference materials and the organisation of intercomparisons are rendered for the purpose of assisting laboratories in determining the accuracy of their analytical work. The following classes of materials are presently available: nuclear materials, environmental materials, animal and plant materials, materials for biomedical studies and materials of marine origin. (orig.) [de

Quality label 'Geothermal energy source' (quality-assurance system)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eugster, W. J.

2005-01-01

The design of borehole heat exchanger (BHE) plants is covered only marginally through the existing quality labels. And only for small and simple systems. Especially the middle and large sized BHE plants are excluded from the labels. And exactly those plants may be very difficult to treat and to handle. Two concepts of quality control are proposed. On one hand a quality label, which is based on an object sheet, that is both, a planning help and a quality proof. There is no duty for the heating/ventilation/air-conditioning (HVAC) engineers to acquire such a quality label. The label is based on a self quality declaration of the engineers. Therefore a controlling system is needed which induces costs to the labelled engineers. A market penetration of around 20% is predicted for the first three years. The second concept is based on a clear definition of the actual state of the art in designing a BHE plant in a formal standard by the Swiss Engineers and Architects Society (SIA). This concept is proposed for realisation. Nearly 90% of the Swiss BHE drilling market is penetrated by the labelled drilling companies which have agreed to demand from their HVAC engineers (planners) to apply the future SIA standard, either by their general drilling and delivery conditions or by a special agreement. This fact guarantees a fast spreading and application of such a new SIA standard. A collateral information offensive for the HVAC engineers working in the design of BHE plants needs to be stated in any way. This method is not only very cheap but also guarantees a fast and a broad market penetration which must have nearly the same grade as the quality label for drilling companies. But of course, the new standard has to be elaborated first, what should be possible within approximately one year. (author)

Analysis of the impact of energy crops on water quality. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatfield, J.L.; Gale, W.J.

1993-01-01

This report consists of two separate papers. The first, ''The potential use of agricultural simulation models in predicting the fate of nitrogen and pesticides applied to switchgrass and poplars,'' describes three models (CREAMS, GLEAMS, and EPIC) for the evaluation of the relationships which determine water quality in the agroecosystem. Case studies are presented which demonstrate the utility of these models in evaluating the potential impact of alternative crop management practices. The second paper, ''Energy crops as part of a sustainable landscape,'' discusses concepts of landscape management and the linkage among agricultural practices and environmental quality

Energy-signal quality trade-offs in a WiMAX mobile station with a booster amplifier

Science.gov (United States)

Suherman; Mubarakah, N.; Wiranata, O.; Kasim, S. T.

2018-02-01

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a broadband wireless access technology that is able to provide high bit rate mobile internet services. Battery endurance remains a problem in current mobile communication. On the other hand, signal quality determines the successful run of the mobile applications. Energy consumption optimization cannot sacrifice the signal level required by the application to run smoothly. On the contrary, the application should consider battery life time. This paper examines the tradeoffs between energy and signal quality in WiMAX subscriber station by adjusting signal level using a booster amplifier. Simulation evaluations show that an increment of 0.00000104% energy consumption on using amplifier adaptively produces 16.411% signal to noise ratio (SNR) increment and 10.7% bit error rate (BER) decrement. By keeping the amplifier turned on, energy consumption increases up to 0.00000136%, causing the SNR rises to 17.2638% and BER drops to 11.13%. The evaluated application is video streaming, other application may behave differently.

Nuts Improve Diet Quality Compared to Other Energy-Dense Snacks While Maintaining Body Weight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siew Ling Tey

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have reported that regular nut consumption reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD risk and does not promote weight gain despite the fact that nuts are energy-dense. However, no studies have investigated the body composition of those regularly consuming nuts compared to similar intakes of other snacks of equal energy density. This parallel study (n = 118 examined the effects of providing daily portions (~1100 kJ/d of hazelnuts, chocolate, or potato crisps compared to a control group receiving no snacks for twelve weeks. Effects on body weight and composition, blood lipids and lipoproteins, resting metabolic rate (RMR, appetite indices, and dietary quality were compared. At week 12, there was no significant difference in any of the outcome measurements between the groups except for dietary quality, which improved significantly in the nut group. Nuts can be incorporated into the diet without adversely affecting body weight and can improve diet quality.

Air Quality Co-benefits of Energy Policy in China: Evidence from Iron & Steel and Cement Industries

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, M.; Weng, Y.; Selin, N. E.; Karplus, V. J.; Cao, J.

2017-12-01

Previous literature has calculated large air quality co-benefits from policies that reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy efficiency. These (often prospective) studies rely on assumptions about how air pollutant emissions respond to energy use changes. Using a unique firm-level data set from China, we examine how a real-world energy efficiency policy affected SO2 emissions, estimate its actual effects on atmospheric PM2.5, and compare to ex ante theoretical estimates. During the 11th Five-year plan (2006-2010), the Chinese government implemented policies directing large energy-consuming firms to reduce their energy consumption per unit of economic output. The Top 1000 Enterprises Program (T1000P) set binding energy intensity targets for China's 1000 highest energy-consuming firms. This program is widely considered a policy success, as 92% of firms met their energy intensity target. Focusing on the cement and iron and steel industry, we examine how T1000P (and related provincial policies) affected firms' SO2 emissions and coal consumption from 2005 to 2008. By comparing T1000P firms with similar firms not subject to the policy, we find that T1000P had a very limited incremental effect on energy use or on air quality co-benefits. Compared to firms not subject to the policy, T1000P firms had 14.7% (cement) and 24.0% (iron & steel) lower reductions in SO2 emission per unit energy use. We also observe large, heterogeneous changes in emission factors (defined as SO2 emissions per unit of coal consumption) among all firms during this period. In comparison to co-benefits estimates that assume constant emission factors, SO2 emissions from T1000P firms in the post-policy period are 23.2% (iron and steel) and 40.2% (cement) lower, but spatially heterogeneous, with some regions experiencing increases. Using the GEOS-Chem model, we estimate the air quality co-benefits of the T1000P policy with realized SO2 emissions changes and compare them with two theoretical estimations

The role of the U.S. Department of Energy in indoor air quality and building ventilation policy development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Traynor, G.W. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., Berkeley, CA (United States). Indoor Environment Program; Talbott, J.M. [U.S. Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Building Technologies; Moses, D.O. [U.S. Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Environmental Analysis

1993-12-31

Building ventilation consumes about 5.8 exajoules of energy each year in the U.S. The annual cost of this-energy, used for commercial building fans (1.6 exajoules/yr) and the heating and cooling of outside air (4.2 exajoules/yr), is about $US 33 billion per year. Energy conservation measures that reduce heating and cooling season ventilation rates 15 to 35 % in commercial and residential buildings can result in a national savings of about 0.6 to 15 exajoules (doll US 3-8 billion) per year assuming no reduction of commercial building fan energy use. The most significant adverse environmental impact of reduced ventilation and infiltration is the potential degradation of the building`s indoor air quality. Potential benefits to the U.S from the implementation of sound indoor air quality and building ventilation reduction policies include reduced building-sector energy consumption; reduced indoor, outdoor, and global pollution; reduced product costs; reduced worker absenteeism; reduced health care costs; reduced litigation; increased worker well-being and absenteeism; reduced health care costs; reduced litigation; increased productivity; and increased product quality and competitiveness. (author)

The relation between food price, energy density and diet quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margareta Bolarić

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Low energy density diet, high in fruits and vegetables, is related to lower obesity risk and to better health status, but is more expensive. High energy density diet, high in added sugar and fats, is more affordable, but is related to higher obesity and chronic diseases risk. The aim of this study was to report prices according to energy density (low vs. high of food items and to show how food affordability could affect food choice and consumers’ health. Data was collected for 137 raw and processed foods from three purchase sites in Zagreb (one representative for supermarket, one smaller shop and green market. Results showed that low energy density food is more expensive than high energy density food (for example, the price of 1000 kcal from green zucchini (15 kcal/100 g is 124.20 kn while the price of 1000 kcal from sour cream (138 kcal/100 g is 13.99 kn. Food energy price was significantly different (p<0.05 between food groups with highest price for vegetable products (159.04 ± 36.18 kn/1000 kcal and raw vegetables (97.90 ± 50.13 kn/1000 kcal and lowest for fats (8.49 ± 1.22 kn/1000 kcal and cereals and products (5.66 ± 0.76 kn/1000 kcal. Negative correlation (Spearman r=-0.72, p<0.0001 was observed for energy density (kcal/100 g and price of 1000 kcal. Therefore, it is advisable to develop strategies in order to reduce price of low energy density food and encourage its intake since it would improve diet quality, which could lead to better costumers’ health.

Dynamic linkages between road transport energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental quality: evidence from Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Danish; Baloch, Muhammad Awais

2018-03-01

The focus of the present research work is to investigate the dynamic relationship between economic growth, road transport energy consumption, and environmental quality. To this end, we rely on time series data for the period 1971 to 2014 in the context of Pakistan. To use sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emission from transport sector as a new proxy for measuring environmental quality, the present work employs time series technique ARDL which allows energy consumption from the transport sector, urbanization, and road infrastructure to be knotted by symmetric relationships with SO 2 emissions and economic growth. From the statistical results, we confirm that road infrastructure boosts economic growth. Simultaneously, road infrastructure and urbanization hampers environmental quality and causes to accelerate emission of SO 2 in the atmosphere. Furthermore, economic growth has a diminishing negative impact on total SO 2 emission. Moreover, we did not find any proof of the expected role of transport energy consumption in SO 2 emission. The acquired results directed that care should be taken in the expansion of road infrastructure and green city policies and planning are required in the country.

Influences of water quality and climate on the water-energy nexus: A spatial comparison of two water systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Stang, Shannon; Wang, Haiying; Gardner, Kevin H; Mo, Weiwei

2018-07-15

As drinking water supply systems plan for sustainable management practices, impacts from future water quality and climate changes are a major concern. This study aims to understand the intraannual changes of energy consumption for water treatment, investigate the relative importance of water quality and climate indicators on energy consumption for water treatment, and predict the effects of climate change on the embodied energy of treated, potable water at two municipal drinking water systems located in the northeast and southeast US. To achieve this goal, a life cycle assessment was first performed to quantify the monthly energy consumption in the two drinking water systems. Regression and relative importance analyses were then performed between climate indicators, raw water quality indicators, and chemical and energy usages in the treatment processes to determine their correlations. These relationships were then used to project changes in embodied energy associated with the plants' processes, and the results were compared between the two regions. The projections of the southeastern US water plant were for an increase in energy demand resulted from an increase of treatment chemical usages. The northeastern US plant was projected to decrease its energy demand due to a reduced demand for heating the plant's infrastructure. The findings indicate that geographic location and treatment process may determine the way climate change affects drinking water systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrated bi-level optimization model for air quality management of Beijing's energy system under uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, S W; Li, Y P; Nie, S

2018-05-15

In this study, an interval chance-constrained bi-level programming (ICBP) method is developed for air quality management of municipal energy system under uncertainty. ICBP can deal with uncertainties presented as interval values and probability distributions as well as examine the risk of violating constraints. Besides, a leader-follower decision strategy is incorporated into the optimization process where two decision makers with different goals and preferences are involved. To solve the proposed model, a bi-level interactive algorithm based on satisfactory degree is introduced into the decision-making processes. Then, an ICBP based energy and environmental systems (ICBP-EES) model is formulated for Beijing, in which air quality index (AQI) is used for evaluating the integrated air quality of multiple pollutants. Result analysis can help different stakeholders adjust their tolerances to achieve the overall satisfaction of EES planning for the study city. Results reveal that natural gas is the main source for electricity-generation and heating that could lead to a potentially increment of imported energy for Beijing in future. Results also disclose that PM 10 is the major contributor to AQI. These findings can help decision makers to identify desired alternatives for EES planning and provide useful information for regional air quality management under uncertainty. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SMES [Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage] systems applications to improve quality service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esteban, P.; Gutierrez-Iglesias, J.L. [ASINEL (Spain); Bautista, A. [IBERDROLA (Spain); Rodriguez, J.M.; Urretavizcaya, E. [Red Electrica de Espana (Spain)

1997-12-31

This article presents the contribution of SMES (Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage) systems to improvement quality of service, either as a mitigating element or as a power support for critical loads. It also describes these systems and its operation. Finally, a description is shown of the state of the art of this technology in Spain, as developed until now in the AMAS500 project. (Author)

Boise, Idaho: Improving Air Quality through Alternative Fuels & Reduced Vehicular Travel (City Energy: From Data to Decisions)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strategic Priorities and Impact Analysis Team, Office of Strategic Programs

2017-11-01

This fact sheet "Boise, Idaho: Improving Air Quality through Alternative Fuels & Reduced Vehicular Travel" explains how the City of Boise used data from the U.S. Department of Energy's Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP) and the State and Local Energy Data (SLED) programs to inform its city energy planning. It is one of ten fact sheets in the "City Energy: From Data to Decisions" series.

An automated procedure for the quality assurance of electron beam output and energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, M.K.; Videla, N.G.

2004-01-01

In this article, we report on the development of a simple and accurate method for quality assurance of electron beam output and energy. Aluminum disks of thicknesses d max or d 50 of the particular electron energy are positioned sequentially over a parallel-plate ion chamber and the ratio of the two signals is compared to the standard. The positioning of the aluminum disks is carried out remotely and automatically to eliminate the necessity of multiple setups. One method utilizes the remote control feature of the treatment couch and another employs a motor-driven carousel. The superior sensitivity over a commercially available energy monitor is illustrated

Protocol for maximizing energy savings and indoor environmental quality improvements when retrofitting apartments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noris, Federico [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Delp, William W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Vermeer, Kimberly [Urban Habitat Initiatives Inc., Boston, MA (United States); Adamkiewicz, Gary [Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (United States); Singer, Brett C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Fisk, William J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-06-01

The current focus on building energy retrofit provides an opportunity to simultaneously improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Toward this end, we developed a protocol for selecting packages of retrofits that both save energy and improve IEQ in apartments. The protocol specifies the methodology for selecting retrofits from a candidate list while addressing expected energy savings, IEQ impacts, and costs in an integrated manner. Interviews, inspections and measurements are specified to collect the needed input information. The protocol was applied to 17 apartments in three buildings in two different climates within California. Diagnostic measurements and surveys conducted before and after retrofit implementation indicate enhanced apartment performance.

Solar shading for low energy use and daylight quality in offices: Simulations, measurements and design tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dubois, M.C.

2001-11-01

This thesis investigates the impact of solar shading devices on energy use and daylight quality in office rooms. The impact on energy use is analysed through computer simulations with the dynamic energy simulation program Derob-LTH while the impact on daylight quality is investigated through measurements in full-scale experimental office rooms and simulations with the program Radiance. This thesis also includes a literature review of research on solar shading as well as design tools to incorporate shading devices at an early stage in the design of buildings. This thesis indicates that, in cold countries, shading devices may provide more annual energy savings than any solar-protective (reflective, tinted) glazing and that the optimum glazing transmittance is orientation- and climate-dependent. For example, high annual energy savings are obtained on the south facade with higher transmittance glazings (compared with the east and west facade) because the potential for passive solar gain utilisation in the winter is high in comparison with the annual cooling demand. Exterior shading devices like awnings and overhangs may reduce the cooling demand dramatically but they are not suitable as daylight (glare) control devices. Devices like screens and venetian blinds are preferable because they cover the entire window area, which prevents sunlight patches in the room and the direct view of the bright sky. Screens and venetian blinds also reduce daylight in the room to levels that are suitable for computer work. However, it is essential that the screen is of a diffusing type since screens with a strong (specular) transmittance component result in poor daylight quality. The study on daylight quality also indicated that a screen transmittance of around 15 % may be optimum for a standard (3.5 by 6.0 m{sup 2}) south-oriented office room with a window covering around 25 % of the facade area (12 % of the floor area)

Quality assurance of underground energy storage. The development of a quality mark by Kiwa and IF Technology; Kwaliteitsborging ondergrondse energieopslag. Kiwa en IF Technology ontwikkelen een kwaliteitskeur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bakema, G. [IF Technology, Arnhem (Netherlands); Veldhuizen, A.G. [KIWA Inspectie, Rijswijk (Netherlands)

2005-12-01

In the last few years the market for energy storage showed a strong development from an innovative technology to a demonstrated technology. In the coming years the number of energy storage systems will increase. Therefore, quality control and assurance will be necessary and the development of a quality mark is required. [Dutch] De markt voor energieopslag heeft de laatste jaren een sterke ontwikkeling doorgemaakt. De opslag van energie is doorgegroeid van een innovatieve technologie naar een bewezen techniek. De verwachting is dat het aantal systemen zich de komende jaren nog sterk zal gaan uitbreiden. Kwaliteitsborging is een logisch gevolg, en een kwaliteitskeur een eerste aanzet.

Feelings of energy are associated with physical activity and sleep quality, but not adiposity, in middle-aged postmenopausal women.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward-Ritacco, Christie L; Adrian, Amanda L; O'Connor, Patrick J; Binkowski, Jessica A; Rogers, Laura Q; Johnson, Mary Ann; Evans, Ellen M

2015-03-01

Feelings of fatigue and low energy are widespread among middle-aged women and have been shown to negatively affect quality of life. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations among adiposity, physical activity, and feelings of fatigue and energy in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women (N = 74; mean [SD] age, 58.9 [3.8] y) were assessed for adiposity (via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), steps per day, minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day (via an accelerometer), prior week intensity of psychological vigor (via the Profile of Mood States-Short Form), and prior month frequency of energy feelings (via the vitality scale of the 36-item Medical Outcomes Survey--Short Form). Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, depression was measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale. Adiposity was negatively related to steps per day (r = -0.55, P quality was also a significant predictor of vitality (both P < 0.05). Engaging in recommended amounts of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day is associated with higher monthly frequency of energy feelings, regardless of adiposity status, in middle-aged postmenopausal women.

Different Modeling Aspects and Energy Systems of Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC): An Overview

OpenAIRE

Deshpande, Payal; Shrivastava, Amit; Khare, Anula

2016-01-01

Abstract: This paper highlights the classification of Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) to enhance the electric power quality at distribution levels. It aims to present a broad overview on the different possible UPQC system configurations for single-phase (two-wire) and three-phase (three-wire and four-wire) networks, different modeling approaches and backup energy storages, and recent developments in the field. It is noticed that several researchers have used different names for the U...

Microgrids: An emerging paradigm for meeting building electricity and heat requirements efficiently and with appropriate energy quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marnay, Chris; Firestone, Ryan [Berkeley Lab MS 90R4000 (United States)

2007-07-01

The first major paradigm shift in electricity generation, delivery, and control is emerging in the developed world, notably Europe, North America, and Japan. This shift will move electricity supply away from the highly centralised universal service quality model with which we are familiar today towards a more dispersed system with heterogeneous qualities of service. One element of dispersed control is the clustering of sources and sinks into semi-autonomous {mu}grids (microgrids). Research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RD3) of {mu}grids are advancing rapidly on at least three continents, and significant demonstrations are currently in progress. This paradigm shift will result in more electricity generation close to end-uses, often involving combined heat and power application for building heating and cooling, increased local integration of renewables, and the possible provision of heterogeneous qualities of electrical service to match the requirements of various end-uses. In Europe, microgrid RD3 is entering its third major round under the 7th European Commission Framework Programme; in the U.S., one specific microgrid concept is undergoing rigorous laboratory testing, and in Japan, where the most activity exists, four major publicly sponsored and two privately sponsored demonstrations are in progress. This evolution poses new challenges to the way buildings are designed, built, and operated. Traditional building energy supply systems will become much more complex in at least three ways: 1. one cannot simply assume gas arrives at the gas meter, electricity at its meter, and the two systems are virtually independent of one another; rather, energy conversion, heat recovery and use, and renewable energy harvesting may all be taking place simultaneously within the building energy system; 2. the structure of energy flows in the building must accommodate multiple energy processes in a manner that permits high overall efficiency; and 3. multiple qualities

Errors in estimating neutron quality factor using lineal energy distributions measured in tissue-equivalent proportional counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borak, T.B.; Stinchcomb, T.G.

1982-01-01

Neutron dose equivalent is obtained from quality factors which are defined in terms of LET. It is possible to estimate the dose averaged quality factor, antiQ, directly from distributions in lineal energy, y, that are measured in tissue-equivalent proportional counters. This eliminates a mathematical transformation of the absorbed dose from D(y) to D(L). We evaluate the inherent error in computing Q from D(y) rather than D(L) for neutron spectra below 4 MeV. The effects of neutron energy and simulated tissue diameters within a gas cavity are examined in detail. (author)

Assessing thermal comfort and energy efficiency in buildings by statistical quality control for autocorrelated data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbeito, Inés; Zaragoza, Sonia; Tarrío-Saavedra, Javier; Naya, Salvador

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Intelligent web platform development for energy efficiency management in buildings. • Controlling and supervising thermal comfort and energy consumption in buildings. • Statistical quality control procedure to deal with autocorrelated data. • Open source alternative using R software. - Abstract: In this paper, a case study of performing a reliable statistical procedure to evaluate the quality of HVAC systems in buildings using data retrieved from an ad hoc big data web energy platform is presented. The proposed methodology based on statistical quality control (SQC) is used to analyze the real state of thermal comfort and energy efficiency of the offices of the company FRIDAMA (Spain) in a reliable way. Non-conformities or alarms, and the actual assignable causes of these out of control states are detected. The capability to meet specification requirements is also analyzed. Tools and packages implemented in the open-source R software are employed to apply the different procedures. First, this study proposes to fit ARIMA time series models to CTQ variables. Then, the application of Shewhart and EWMA control charts to the time series residuals is proposed to control and monitor thermal comfort and energy consumption in buildings. Once thermal comfort and consumption variability are estimated, the implementation of capability indexes for autocorrelated variables is proposed to calculate the degree to which standards specifications are met. According with case study results, the proposed methodology has detected real anomalies in HVAC installation, helping to detect assignable causes and to make appropriate decisions. One of the goals is to perform and describe step by step this statistical procedure in order to be replicated by practitioners in a better way.

Chapter 4: Assessing the Air Pollution, Greenhouse Gas, Air Quality, and Health Benefits of Clean Energy Initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Chapter 4 of Assessing the Multiple Benefits of Clean Energy helps state states understand the methods, models, opportunities, and issues associated with assessing the GHG, air pollution, air quality, and human health benefits of clean energy options.

Dual-Readout Calorimetry for High-Quality Energy Measurements. Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wigmans, Richard; Nural, Akchurin

2013-01-01

This document constitutes the final report on the project Dual-Readout Calorimetry for High-Quality Energy Measurements. The project was carried out by a consortium of US and Italian physicists, led by Dr. Richard Wigmans (Texas tech University). This consortium built several particle detectors and tested these at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. The idea arose to use scintillating crystals as dual-readout calorimeters. Such crystals were of course already known to provide excellent energy resolution for the detection of particles developing electromagnetic (em) showers. The efforts to separate the signals from scintillating crystals into scintillation and Cerenkov components led to four different methods by which this could be accomplished. These methods are based on a) the directionality, b) spectral differences, c) the time structure, and d) the polarization of the signals

Energy demand and life quality in America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spitalnik, J.

2004-01-01

Being considered an intermediate growth among projections of technological development expressive or of development restricted by ecological considerations, in the next 50 years, the demand of primary energy in the countries of the American continent arrived to value sufficiently high to allow to consent at levels of quality of life but next to those enjoyed at the moment in developed countries. There will be an expansion substantial of electric power demand that rots to require the installation, in countries of Latin America and Caribbean, of power plants with total capacity of the order of 400 GW until half-filled of century. The resource to the nuclear source was accentuated starting from the decade of 2020 and an enormous challenge for the governments of the region it will be the one of driving the construction of about 2.300 MW/year nuclear power plants between 2020 and 2050. (Author)

Quality Assessment of Roof Planes Extracted from Height Data for Solar Energy Systems by the EAGLE Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Schuffert

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Due to the increasing scarcity of fossil fuels and the upwards trend in energy costs over time, many countries—especially in Europe—have begun to modify their energy policies aiming to increase that percentage obtained from renewable energies. The EAGLE (FP7 program, European Commission has developed a web-based platform to promote renewable energy systems (RES in the public and private sectors, and to deliver a comprehensive information source for all interested users. In this paper, a comprehensive quality assessment of extracted roof planes suitable for solar energy installations (photovoltaic, solar thermal from height data derived automatically from both LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging and aerial images will be presented. A shadow analysis is performed regarding the daily path of the sun including the shading effects of nearby objects (chimneys, dormers, vegetation, buildings, topography, etc.. A quality assessment was carried out for both LiDAR and aerial images of the same test sites in UK and Germany concerning building outline accuracy, extraction rate of roof planes and the accuracy of their geometric parameters (inclination and aspect angle, size. The benefit is an optimized system to extract roof planes for RES with a high level of detail, accuracy and flexibility (concerning different commonly available data sources including an estimation of quality of the results which is important for individual house owners as well as for regional applications by governments or solar energy companies to judge their usefulness.

Assessing the quality of energy supplied by small renewable energy systems; Avaliacao da qualidade da energia fornecida por sistemas renovaveis isolados de pequeno porte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galhardo, Marcos Andre Barros; Pinho, Joao Tavares [Universidade Federal do Para (UFPA), Belem, PA (Brazil). Grupo de Estudos e Desenvolvimento de Alternativas Energeticas], e-mail: galhardo@ufpa.br, E-mail: jtpinho@ufpa.br

2004-07-01

This paper makes an analysis of the power quality supplied by small renewable energy systems with energy storage in a battery bank and its DC/AC conversion by an inverter. It is shown that the power quality supplied by stand-alone renewable systems depends on the used inverter, specially of its voltage waveform, the load supplied and the voltage level in the battery bank, which has a direct influence on the value of the rms output voltage of the inverter. For these analysis, measurements are presented for typical loads used in these systems as illumination, TV, refrigerator, etc., and combinations of these loads, supplied by different waveforms. (author)

Sleep Quality, Sleep Patterns and Consumption of Energy Drinks and Other Caffeinated Beverages among Peruvian College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Sixto E; Martinez, Claudia; Oriol, Raphaelle A; Yanez, David; Castañeda, Benjamín; Sanchez, Elena; Gelaye, Bizu; Williams, Michelle A

2013-08-01

To evaluate sleep quality in relation to lifestyle characteristics including consumption of energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages among Peruvian college students. A total of 2,458 college students were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire that collected information about a variety of behaviors including consumption of energy drinks, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. Logistic regression procedures were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for poor sleep quality in relation to lifestyle characteristics. A total of 965 males and 1,493 female students were enrolled in the study. 52.0% of males and 58.4% of females experienced poor sleep quality (p=0.002). Females (OR=1.28; 95% CI 1.08-1.51) and those who reported consuming ≥ 3 stimulant beverages per week (OR=1.88; 95% CI 1.42-2.50) had higher odds of poor sleep quality. Students who consumed 1-19 alcoholic beverages monthly (OR=1.90; 95% CI 1.46-2.49) had a higher odds of long sleep latency. Consumption of ≥ 3 stimulant beverages per week was associated with daytime dysfunction due to sleep loss (OR=1.45; 95% CI 1.10-1.90), short sleep duration (OR= 1.49; 95% CI 1.14-1.94), and use of sleep medication (OR= 2.10; 95% CI 1.35-3.28). Consumption of energy drinks, other caffeinated beverages and alcoholic beverages are risk factors of poor sleep quality. Increased awareness of these associations should promote interventions to improve students' lifestyle habits, including consumption of alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, and overall health.

Quality Circles and nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiesendanger, J.; Raveleau, G.

1983-01-01

A Circle of Quality is a small group of workers or employees made up of from five to ten volunteers from a given shop, office, or factory team, or sharing identical concerns. For every problem that is taken under advisement, these groups draft a solution, test its validity and propose its application, eventually monitoring its implementation and assessing the results achieved. The problems dealt with and the improvements introduced frequently concern details of the personnel's work routines, product quality, tool reliability. But these improvements become so numerous that, eventually, it is the efficiency of an entire office, shop, department or plant, and hence that of the company itself, that is enhanced thereby. Some of the features of a circle of quality are given. A Circle of quality is a contribution to the reliability of the individual, as also to innovation [fr

Morphological analysis of energy services: Paving the way to quality differentiation in the power sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salah, Florian; Flath, Christoph M.; Schuller, Alexander; Will, Christian; Weinhardt, Christof

2017-01-01

The activation of the still predominantly passive demand side is necessary to further guarantee a stable power system in the short term and ensure capacity adequacy in the long run. A system with a high share of generators with nearly no marginal costs requires new services that facilitate transmitting the right economic signals to the system stakeholders. To this end we refine the notion of energy services and propose a framework to systematically design quality differentiated energy services for consumers. This approach facilitates a value-based economic assessment of energy services that deviates from the marginal-cost-paradigm. We further illustrate pricing options for these new energy service products and outline infrastructural needs and additional use case-specific product properties. Moreover, we discuss how the morphological approach can be formalised using a mathematical programming formulation and introduce a complexity measure that facilitates assessing potential adoption obstacles for end consumers. Additionally, we illustrate the practical applicability of these findings by using a prototypical implementation of a decision support system. To foster differentiated energy services, we recommend a more lenient regulatory regime lowering the barriers for new market entrants. - Highlights: • Activating the demand side is necessary to further guarantee a stable power system. • We refine the notion of energy services helping to tackle this obstacle. • A morphological box to design quality differentiated energy services is proposed. • We extend this framework by implementing a prototypical decision support system. • A more lenient regulatory regime is needed to foster differentiated energy services.

Design of Energy Storage Control Strategy to Improve the PV System Power Quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lei, Mingyu; Yang, Zilong; Wang, Yibo

2016-01-01

Random fluctuation of PV power is becoming a more and more serious problem affecting the power quality and stability of grid as the PV penetration keeps increasing recent years. Aiming at this problem, this paper proposed a control strategy of energy storage system based on Model Predictive Contr...

Dosimetry quality audit of high energy photon beams in greek radiotherapy centers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hourdakis, Constantine J.; Boziari, A.

2008-01-01

Background and purpose: Dosimetry quality audits and intercomparisons in radiotherapy centers is a useful tool in order to enhance the confidence for an accurate therapy and to explore and dissolve discrepancies in dose delivery. This is the first national comprehensive study that has been carried out in Greece. During 2002 - 2006 the Greek Atomic Energy Commission performed a dosimetry quality audit of high energy external photon beams in all (23) Greek radiotherapy centers, where 31 linacs and 13 Co-60 teletherapy units were assessed in terms of their mechanical performance characteristics and relative and absolute dosimetry. Materials and Methods: The quality audit in dosimetry of external photon beams took place by means of on-site visits, where certain parameters of the photon beams were measured, calculated and assessed according to a specific protocol and the IAEA TRS 398 dosimetry code of practice. In each radiotherapy unit (Linac or Co-60), certain functional parameters were measured and the results were compared to tolerance values and limits. Doses in water under reference and non reference conditions were measured and compared to the stated values. Also, the treatment planning systems (TPS) were evaluated with respect to irradiation time calculations. Results: The results of the mechanical tests, dosimetry measurements and TPS evaluation have been presented in this work and discussed in detail. This study showed that Co-60 units had worse performance mechanical characteristics than linacs. 28% of all irradiation units (23% of linacs and 42% of Co-60 units) exceeded the acceptance limit at least in one mechanical parameter. Dosimetry accuracy was much worse in Co60 units than in linacs. 61% of the Co60 units exhibited deviations outside ±3% and 31% outside ±5%. The relevant percentages for the linacs were 24% and 7% respectively. The results were grouped for each hospital and the sources of errors (functional and human) have been investigated and

Dosimetry quality audit of high energy photon beams in greek radiotherapy centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hourdakis, Constantine J; Boziari, A

2008-04-01

Dosimetry quality audits and intercomparisons in radiotherapy centers is a useful tool in order to enhance the confidence for an accurate therapy and to explore and dissolve discrepancies in dose delivery. This is the first national comprehensive study that has been carried out in Greece. During 2002--2006 the Greek Atomic Energy Commission performed a dosimetry quality audit of high energy external photon beams in all (23) Greek radiotherapy centers, where 31 linacs and 13 Co-60 teletherapy units were assessed in terms of their mechanical performance characteristics and relative and absolute dosimetry. The quality audit in dosimetry of external photon beams took place by means of on-site visits, where certain parameters of the photon beams were measured, calculated and assessed according to a specific protocol and the IAEA TRS 398 dosimetry code of practice. In each radiotherapy unit (Linac or Co-60), certain functional parameters were measured and the results were compared to tolerance values and limits. Doses in water under reference and non reference conditions were measured and compared to the stated values. Also, the treatment planning systems (TPS) were evaluated with respect to irradiation time calculations. The results of the mechanical tests, dosimetry measurements and TPS evaluation have been presented in this work and discussed in detail. This study showed that Co-60 units had worse performance mechanical characteristics than linacs. 28% of all irradiation units (23% of linacs and 42% of Co-60 units) exceeded the acceptance limit at least in one mechanical parameter. Dosimetry accuracy was much worse in Co60 units than in linacs. 61% of the Co60 units exhibited deviations outside +/-3% and 31% outside +/-5%. The relevant percentages for the linacs were 24% and 7% respectively. The results were grouped for each hospital and the sources of errors (functional and human) have been investigated and discussed in details. This quality audit proved to be a

Split-bolus CT-urography using dual-energy CT: Feasibility, image quality and dose reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeuchi, Mitsuru, E-mail: m2rbimn@gmail.com [Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiology, 1 Kawasumi Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8601 (Japan); Kawai, Tatsuya; Ito, Masato; Ogawa, Masaki [Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiology, 1 Kawasumi Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8601 (Japan); Ohashi, Kazuya [Nagoya City University Hospital, Department of Radiology, 1 Kawasumi Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8601 (Japan); Hara, Masaki; Shibamoto, Yuta [Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiology, 1 Kawasumi Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8601 (Japan)

2012-11-15

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the feasibility of dual-energy (DE) split-bolus CT-urography (CTU) and the quality of virtual non-enhanced images (VNEI) and DE combined nephrographic-excretory phase images (CNEPI), and to estimate radiation dose reduction if true non-enhanced images (TNEI) could be omitted. Patients and methods: Between August and September 2011, 30 consecutive patients with confirmed or suspected urothelial cancer or with hematuria underwent DE CT. Single-energy TNEI and DE CNEPI were obtained. VNEI was reconstructed from CNEPI. Image quality of CNEPI and VNEI was evaluated using a 5-point scale. The attenuation of urine in the bladder on TNEI and VNEI was measured. The CT dose index volume (CTDI (vol)) of the two scans was recorded. Results: The mean image quality score of CNEPI and VNEI was 4.7 and 3.3, respectively. The mean differences in urine attenuation between VNEI and TNEI were 14 {+-} 15 [SD] and -16 {+-} 29 in the anterior and posterior parts of the bladder, respectively. The mean CTDI (vol) for TNEI and CNEPI was 11.8 and 10.9 mGy, respectively. Omission of TNEI could reduce the total radiation dose by 52%. Conclusion: DE split-bolus CTU is technically feasible and can reduce radiation exposure; however, an additional TNEI scan is necessary when the VNEI quality is poor or quantitative evaluation of urine attenuation is required.

On beam quality and stopping power ratios for high-energy x-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnsson, S.A.; Ceberg, C.P.; Knoeoes, T.; Nilsson, P.

2000-01-01

The aim of this work is to quantitatively compare two commonly used beam quality indices, TPR(20/10) and %dd(10) x , with respect to their ability to predict stopping power ratios (water to air), s w,air , for high-energy x-rays. In particular, effects due to a varied amount of filtration of the photon beam will be studied. A new method for characterizing beam quality is also presented, where the information we strive to obtain is the moments of the spectral distribution. We will show how the moments enter into a general description of the transmission curve and that it is possible to correlate the moments to s w,air with a unique and simple relationship. Comparisons with TPR(20/10) and %dd(10) x show that the moments are well suited for beam quality specification in terms of choosing the correct s w,air . (author)

Preoperative nutritional interventions in morbid obesity: impact on body weight, energy intake, and eating quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Melendez-Araújo, Mariana Silva; de Matos Arruda, Sérgio Lincoln; de Oliveira Kelly, Emily; de Carvalho, Kênia Mara Baiocchi

2012-12-01

Although the benefits of preoperative weight loss and adequacy of dietary patterns in bariatric surgery is well-recognized, the nutritional strategies in the preoperative period have been scarcely investigated. We aimed to evaluate the impact of intensive and standard nutritional interventions on body weight, energy intake, and eating quality. This is a retrospective study in which 32 patients undergoing intensive nutritional intervention, with low-calorie diet (10 kcal/kg) and biweekly visits, were pair-matched by age, sex, and body mass index with 32 patients under a standard nutritional intervention, based on a general dietary counseling. Twenty-four-hour food recall was used to assess energy intake and to derive healthy eating index (HEI). The follow-up preoperative period varied from 8 to 16 weeks. Weight loss was observed in 72% of the patients from the intensive intervention group and 75% of the patients from the standard intervention group. According to the mixed model analysis, time effect on weight loss in both groups was significant (P = 0.0002); however, no difference was found between the intervention groups (P = 0.71). The time effect was significant in both groups for energy intake reduction as well (P eating quality was expressed by the nutrient score of the HEI that increased significantly overtime (P = 0.02), also without distinction between the groups (P = 0.61). Both intensive and standard nutritional interventions promoted weight loss, energy intake reduction, and improvement of eating quality in morbidly obese patients during preoperative period.

Indoor air quality/air infiltration in selected low-energy houses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shohl Wagner, B.; Phillips, T.J.

1984-01-01

Indoor air quality and air infiltration were measured in 16 low-energy California houses. Eleven has gas stoves; all had average infiltration rates of 0.5 h -1 of less, recent construction dates, low natural ventilation, and no mechanical ventilation. HCHO levels in 12 houses and radon-222 and NO 2 levels in all houses were measured using passive monitors. Blower door measurements and local weather data were used to calculate average infiltration rates during the monitoring period. Correlation of pollutant concentrations with infiltration rates and building characteristics indicate that new houses with average heating season infiltration rates less than 0.5 h -1 do not necessarily experience poor indoor air quality, HCHO and radon-222 levels in new houses exceeded the lowest currently proposed standards or guidelines, and much higher levels probably exist elsewhere. Therefore, some strategy for identifying 'problem' houses is needed. We recommend an approach for future research in this area. (Author)

An energy security management model using quality function deployment and system dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Juneseuk; Shin, Wan-Seon; Lee, Changyong

2013-01-01

An energy security management model using quality function deployment (QFD) and system dynamics (SD) is suggested for application in public policymaking in developing economies. Through QFD, experts are guided toward identifying key energy security components, including indicators and policies, and in making these components consistent, focused, and customized for a particular country. Using these components as inputs, we construct an intermediate complex system dynamics model with a minimal number of crucial interactions. Key policies are simulated and evaluated in terms of the improvement of key indicators. Even with little data, our approach provides a coherent, useful, and customized energy security management model to help policymakers more effectively manage national energy security. To demonstrate its advantages, the model is applied to the Korean gas sector as an example. - Highlights: ► We suggest an energy security management model for developing economies. ► We identify a consistent set of key components, indicators and policies by using QFD. ► A coherent and practical system dynamics model based on QFD's output is constructed. ► The model is applied to the Korean gas sector as an example

Energy Quality Management for a Micro Energy Network Integrated with Renewables in a Tourist Area: A Chinese Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai Lu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available For a tourist area (TA, energy utilization is mostly concentrated in certain period of time. Therefore, the peak load is several times more than the average load. A Micro Energy Network Integrated with Renewables (MENR system is considered as a potential solution to mitigate this problem. To design an appropriate MENR system, a multi-objective energy quality management (EQM method based on the Genetic Algorithm is proposed. Here, EQM aims at reducing the primary energy consumption and optimizing the energy shares of various renewables in a MENR system. In addition to minimizing life-cycle costs and maximizing the exergy efficiency of a MENR system, the issue of system reliability is addressed. Then, a case study is presented, where the EQM method is applied to a TA located in Dali, China. Three possible reference MENR scenarios are analyzed. After confirming the reference scenarios, advanced MENR scenarios with improved system reliability are discussed. The rest of the work is dedicated to investigating the effects of various energy storage systems (ESSs parameters and the number of electric vehicles (EVs on MENR scenarios. The results suggest that there are significant differences between various MENR scenarios depending on the number of EVs and the investment reduction of ESSs.

Designing train-speed trajectory with energy efficiency and service quality

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Jiannan; Yang, Kai; Yang, Lixing; Gao, Yuan; Li, Shukai

2018-05-01

With the development of automatic train operations, optimal trajectory design is significant to the performance of train operations in railway transportation systems. Considering energy efficiency and service quality, this article formulates a bi-objective train-speed trajectory optimization model to minimize simultaneously the energy consumption and travel time in an inter-station section. This article is distinct from previous studies in that more sophisticated train driving strategies characterized by the acceleration/deceleration gear, the cruising speed, and the speed-shift site are specifically considered. For obtaining an optimal train-speed trajectory which has equal satisfactory degree on both objectives, a fuzzy linear programming approach is applied to reformulate the objectives. In addition, a genetic algorithm is developed to solve the proposed train-speed trajectory optimization problem. Finally, a series of numerical experiments based on a real-world instance of Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway are implemented to illustrate the practicability of the proposed model as well as the effectiveness of the solution methodology.

A silicon strip detector array for energy verification and quality assurance in heavy ion therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Debrot, Emily; Newall, Matthew; Guatelli, Susanna; Petasecca, Marco; Matsufuji, Naruhiro; Rosenfeld, Anatoly B

2018-02-01

The measurement of depth dose profiles for range and energy verification of heavy ion beams is an important aspect of quality assurance procedures for heavy ion therapy facilities. The steep dose gradients in the Bragg peak region of these profiles require the use of detectors with high spatial resolution. The aim of this work is to characterize a one dimensional monolithic silicon detector array called the "serial Dose Magnifying Glass" (sDMG) as an independent ion beam energy and range verification system used for quality assurance conducted for ion beams used in heavy ion therapy. The sDMG detector consists of two linear arrays of 128 silicon sensitive volumes each with an effective size of 2mm × 50μm × 100μm fabricated on a p-type substrate at a pitch of 200 μm along a single axis of detection. The detector was characterized for beam energy and range verification by measuring the response of the detector when irradiated with a 290 MeV/u 12 C ion broad beam incident along the single axis of the detector embedded in a PMMA phantom. The energy of the 12 C ion beam incident on the detector and the residual energy of an ion beam incident on the phantom was determined from the measured Bragg peak position in the sDMG. Ad hoc Monte Carlo simulations of the experimental setup were also performed to give further insight into the detector response. The relative response profiles along the single axis measured with the sDMG detector were found to have good agreement between experiment and simulation with the position of the Bragg peak determined to fall within 0.2 mm or 1.1% of the range in the detector for the two cases. The energy of the beam incident on the detector was found to vary less than 1% between experiment and simulation. The beam energy incident on the phantom was determined to be (280.9 ± 0.8) MeV/u from the experimental and (280.9 ± 0.2) MeV/u from the simulated profiles. These values coincide with the expected energy of 281 MeV/u. The sDMG detector

Provisioning Strategies for Transparent Optical Networks Considering Transmission Quality, Security, and Energy Efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jirattigalachote, Amornrat

2012-07-01

The continuous growth of traffic demand driven by the brisk increase in number of Internet users and emerging online services creates new challenges for communication networks. The latest advances in Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology make it possible to build Transparent Optical Networks (TONs) which are expected to be able to satisfy this rapidly growing capacity demand. The work in this thesis addresses three important aspects. In particular, this thesis focuses on routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) strategies specifically devised to target: (i) the lightpath transmission quality, (ii) the network security (i.e., in terms of vulnerability to physical-layer attacks), and (iii) the reduction of the network energy consumption. Our contributions are summarized below. A number of Impairment Constraint Based Routing (ICBR) algorithms have been proposed in the literature to consider physical-layer impairments during the connection provisioning phase. Their objective is to prevent the selection of optical connections (referred to as lightpaths) with poor signal quality. These ICBR approaches always assign each connection request the least impaired lightpath and support only a single threshold of transmission quality, used for all connection requests. However, next generation networks are expected to support a variety of services with disparate requirements for transmission quality. To address this issue, in this thesis we propose an ICBR algorithm supporting differentiation of services at the Bit Error Rate (BER) level, referred to as ICBR-Diff. Our approach takes into account the effect of physical-layer impairments during the connection provisioning phase where various BER thresholds are considered for accepting/blocking connection requests, depending on the signal quality requirements of the connection requests. We tested the proposed ICBR-Diff approach in different network scenarios, including also a fiber heterogeneity. It is shown that it can

Energy and rice quality aspects during drying of freshly harvested paddy with industrial inclined bed dryer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarker, M.S.H.; Ibrahim, M. Nordin; Ab. Aziz, N.; Mohd. Salleh, P.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We presented performance evaluation approach for industrial inclined bed paddy dryer. • Specific electrical energy consumption was 1.44–1.95 MJ/kg water evaporated. • Specific thermal energy consumption was 2.77–3.47 MJ/kg water evaporated. • Dryer yielded 1–4% higher head rice at drying temperature of 38–39 °C than 41–42 °C. • Dryers should be operated at 38–39 °C for 1–4% higher head rice at reasonable energy. - Abstract: The performance evaluation of any industrial dryer regarding energy consumption and product quality should be assessed to check its present status and to suggest for further efficient operation. An investigation was carried out to evaluate the impact of drying temperature and air flow on energy consumption and quality of rice during paddy drying with industrial inclined bed dryer (IBD) with average holding capacity of 15 ton in the selected complexes of Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS)-the national paddy custodian of Malaysia. In reducing paddy moisture content (mc) from 22% to 23% wet basis (wb) down to around 12.5% wb, the final mc, the specific electrical (in terms of primary energy) and the specific thermal energy consumption were found to be varied between 1.44 to 1.95 MJ/kg water evaporated and 2.77 to 3.47 MJ/kg water evaporated, respectively. Analysis revealed that the specific electrical energy consumption was around 20% lesser and the specific thermal energy consumption of IBDs was around 10% higher during drying with air temperature of 41–42 °C than drying with 38–39 °C in reducing paddy mc from 22% to 23% (wb) down to around 12.5% (wb). However, paddy being with almost same initial mc dried using drying temperature of 38–39 °C, IBDs yielded 1–4% higher head rice yield while milling recovery and whiteness were comparable at acceptable milling degree and transparency. The bed air flows between 0.27 and 0.29 m 3 m −2 s −1 resulted in higher head rice yield slightly while its

Hearing of the Swiss Solar Energy Society (SSES). The ombudsman for solar heating systems as a quality assurance element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brugger-Mariani, G.

1999-01-01

Following an invitation issued by the Swiss Solar Energy Society (SSES),14 solar energy specialists hold a hearing on quality assurance for solar heating systems. Anticipating the introduction of taxes in favour of renewable energy sources and the expected rapid solar market development, the delegates discussed about the creation of a neutral ombudsman office for unsatisfied clients of the solar industry. Clearly, the solar heating system market can only expand if system quality is in accordance with the clients' expectations. The needed know-how may be found since several years in well presented reference books. However, at the moment, not all industry people follow these instructions yet [de

Protein-energy nutritional status and kidney disease-specific quality of life in hemodialysis patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mazairac, A.H.A.; de Wit, G.A.; Penne, E.L.; van der Weerd, N.C.; Grooteman, M.P.C.; van den Dorpel, M.A.; Nube, M.J.; Buskens, E.; Levesque, R.; ter Wee, P.M.; Bots, M.L.; Blankestijn, P.J.

Objective: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important outcome in dialysis care. Previous research has related protein-energy nutritional status to generic HRQOL domains, but it is still not clear as to how it relates to HRQOL domains that are unique to hemodialysis patients. Therefore,

The Diet Quality of Competitive Adolescent Male Rugby Union Players with Energy Balance Estimated Using Different Physical Activity Coefficients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tracy Burrows

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The aims of the current study were to comprehensively assess the dietary intakes and diet quality of a sample of Australian competitive adolescent rugby union players and compare these intakes with National and Sports Dietitians Association (SDA Recommendations for adolescent athletes. A secondary aim investigated applying different physical activity level (PAL coefficients to determine total energy expenditure (TEE in order to more effectively evaluate the adequacy of energy intakes. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Anthropometrics and dietary intakes were assessed in 25 competitive adolescent male rugby union players (14 to 18 years old. Diet was assessed using the validated Australian Eating Survey (AES food frequency questionnaire and diet quality was assessed through the Australian Recommended Food Score. Results: The median dietary intakes of participants met national recommendations for percent energy (% E from carbohydrate, protein and total fat, but not carbohydrate intake when evaluated as g/day as proposed in SDA guidelines. Median intakes of fibre and micronutrients including calcium and iron also met national recommendations. Overall diet quality was classified as ‘good’ with a median diet quality score of 34 (out of a possible 73; however, there was a lack of variety within key food groups including carbohydrates and proteins. Non-core food consumption exceeded recommended levels at 38% of the daily total energy intake, with substantial contributions from takeaway foods and sweetened beverages. A PAL coefficient of 1.2–1.4 was found to best balance the energy intakes of these players in their pre-season. Conclusions: Adolescent rugby players met the percent energy recommendations for macronutrients and attained an overall ‘good’ diet quality score. However, it was identified that when compared to specific recommendations for athletes, carbohydrate intakes were below recommendations and these players in their

Managing Quality Assurance in Higher Education: The Case of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Anane, George Kwadwo; Addaney, Michael

2016-01-01

The paper discusses quality assurance in the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana. The University is a public funded institution established by an act of parliament; Act 830, 2011. As a newly established public funded University, quality assurance plays a central role in satisfying the requirements of stakeholders on the supply and…

Relationship of regional water quality to aquifer thermal energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, R.D.

1983-11-01

Ground-water quality and associated geologic characteristics may affect the feasibility of aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system development in any hydrologic region. This study sought to determine the relationship between ground-water quality parameters and the regional potential for ATES system development. Information was collected from available literature to identify chemical and physical mechanisms that could adversely affect an ATES system. Appropriate beneficiation techniques to counter these potential geochemical and lithologic problems were also identified through the literature search. Regional hydrology summaries and other sources were used in reviewing aquifers of 19 drainage regions in the US to determine generic geochemical characteristics for analysis. Numerical modeling techniques were used to perform geochemical analyses of water quality from 67 selected aquifers. Candidate water resources regions were then identified for exploration and development of ATES. This study identified six principal mechanisms by which ATES reservoir permeability may be impaired: (1) particulate plugging, (2) chemical precipitation, (3) liquid-solid reactions, (4) formation disaggregation, (5) oxidation reactions, and (6) biological activity. Specific proven countermeasures to reduce or eliminate these effects were found. Of the hydrologic regions reviewed, 10 were identified as having the characteristics necessary for ATES development: (1) Mid-Atlantic, (2) South-Atlantic Gulf, (3) Ohio, (4) Upper Mississippi, (5) Lower Mississippi, (6) Souris-Red-Rainy, (7) Missouri Basin, (8) Arkansas-White-Red, (9) Texas-Gulf, and (10) California.

Review of the indoor environmental quality and energy consumption studies for low income households in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolokotsa, D; Santamouris, M

2015-12-01

The term energy poverty is used to describe a situation of a household not able to satisfy socially and materially the required levels of its energy services. Energy and fuel poverty is an increasing problem in the European Union. Although the specific conditions vary from country to country the drivers defining fuel and energy poverty are similar in all Europe. This paper aims to present the state of the art regarding the energy demand and indoor environmental quality of low income households in Europe. The characteristics of this specific population group are presented including details on the specific energy consumption, the indoor comfort and finally the impact of the specific living conditions on the occupants' health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determine metrics and set targets for soil quality on agriculture residue and energy crop pathways

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ian Bonner; David Muth

2013-09-01

There are three objectives for this project: 1) support OBP in meeting MYPP stated performance goals for the Sustainability Platform, 2) develop integrated feedstock production system designs that increase total productivity of the land, decrease delivered feedstock cost to the conversion facilities, and increase environmental performance of the production system, and 3) deliver to the bioenergy community robust datasets and flexible analysis tools for establishing sustainable and viable use of agricultural residues and dedicated energy crops. The key project outcome to date has been the development and deployment of a sustainable agricultural residue removal decision support framework. The modeling framework has been used to produce a revised national assessment of sustainable residue removal potential. The national assessment datasets are being used to update national resource assessment supply curves using POLYSIS. The residue removal modeling framework has also been enhanced to support high fidelity sub-field scale sustainable removal analyses. The framework has been deployed through a web application and a mobile application. The mobile application is being used extensively in the field with industry, research, and USDA NRCS partners to support and validate sustainable residue removal decisions. The results detailed in this report have set targets for increasing soil sustainability by focusing on primary soil quality indicators (total organic carbon and erosion) in two agricultural residue management pathways and a dedicated energy crop pathway. The two residue pathway targets were set to, 1) increase residue removal by 50% while maintaining soil quality, and 2) increase soil quality by 5% as measured by Soil Management Assessment Framework indicators. The energy crop pathway was set to increase soil quality by 10% using these same indicators. To demonstrate the feasibility and impact of each of these targets, seven case studies spanning the US are presented

Indoor air quality in low-energy houses in the Netherlands: Does mechanical ventilation provide a healthy indoor environment?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balvers, J.R.; Boxem, G.; Wit, de M.H.; Strøm-Tejsen, P; Olesen, B.W.; Wargocki, P; Zukowska, D; Toftum, J

2008-01-01

Increasing environmental awareness has led to new, energy-efficient building standards such as the German Passivhaus-standard. This study was designed to investigate the indoor air quality (IAQ) of four different Dutch low-energy houses built according to this standard. Air flow, indoor air

An Energy-Efficient and High-Quality Video Transmission Architecture in Wireless Video-Based Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasaman Samei

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Technological progress in the fields of Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS and wireless communications and also the availability of CMOS cameras, microphones and small-scale array sensors, which may ubiquitously capture multimedia content from the field, have fostered the development of low-cost limited resources Wireless Video-based Sensor Networks (WVSN. With regards to the constraints of videobased sensor nodes and wireless sensor networks, a supporting video stream is not easy to implement with the present sensor network protocols. In this paper, a thorough architecture is presented for video transmission over WVSN called Energy-efficient and high-Quality Video transmission Architecture (EQV-Architecture. This architecture influences three layers of communication protocol stack and considers wireless video sensor nodes constraints like limited process and energy resources while video quality is preserved in the receiver side. Application, transport, and network layers are the layers in which the compression protocol, transport protocol, and routing protocol are proposed respectively, also a dropping scheme is presented in network layer. Simulation results over various environments with dissimilar conditions revealed the effectiveness of the architecture in improving the lifetime of the network as well as preserving the video quality.

An Energy-Efficient and High-Quality Video Transmission Architecture in Wireless Video-Based Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Aghdasi, Hadi S; Abbaspour, Maghsoud; Moghadam, Mohsen Ebrahimi; Samei, Yasaman

2008-08-04

Technological progress in the fields of Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and wireless communications and also the availability of CMOS cameras, microphones and small-scale array sensors, which may ubiquitously capture multimedia content from the field, have fostered the development of low-cost limited resources Wireless Video-based Sensor Networks (WVSN). With regards to the constraints of videobased sensor nodes and wireless sensor networks, a supporting video stream is not easy to implement with the present sensor network protocols. In this paper, a thorough architecture is presented for video transmission over WVSN called Energy-efficient and high-Quality Video transmission Architecture (EQV-Architecture). This architecture influences three layers of communication protocol stack and considers wireless video sensor nodes constraints like limited process and energy resources while video quality is preserved in the receiver side. Application, transport, and network layers are the layers in which the compression protocol, transport protocol, and routing protocol are proposed respectively, also a dropping scheme is presented in network layer. Simulation results over various environments with dissimilar conditions revealed the effectiveness of the architecture in improving the lifetime of the network as well as preserving the video quality.

Global Scenarios of Air Pollution until 2030: Combining Air Quality, Climate Change and Energy Access Policies

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, S.; Dentener, F. J.; Klimont, Z.; Riahi, K.

2011-12-01

Outdoor air pollution is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to global health outcomes. This has led to the implementation of a number of air quality policies worldwide, with total air pollution control costs in 2005 estimated at US$195 billion. More than 80% of the world's population is still found to be exposed to PM2.5 concentrations exceeding WHO air quality guidelines and health impacts resulting from these exposures estimated at around 2-5% of the global disease burden. Key questions to answer are 1) How will pollutant emissions evolve in the future given developments in the energy system and how will energy and environmental policies influence such emission trends. 2) What implications will this have for resulting exposures and related health outcomes. In order to answer these questions, varying levels of stringency of air quality legislation are analyzed in combination with policies on universal access to clean cooking fuels and limiting global temperature change to 2°C in 2100. Bottom-up methodologies using energy emissions modeling are used to derive sector-based pollutant emission trajectories until 2030. Emissions are spatially downscaled and used in combination with a global transport chemistry model to derive ambient concentrations of PM2.5. Health impacts of these exposures are further estimated consistent with WHO data and methodology. The results indicate that currently planned air quality legislation combined with rising energy demand will be insufficient in controlling future emissions growth in developing countries. In order to achieve significant reductions in pollutant emissions of the order of more than 50% from 2005 levels and reduce exposures to levels consistent with WHO standards, it will be necessary to increase the stringency of such legislations and combine them with policies on energy access and climate change. Combined policies also result in reductions in air pollution control costs as compared to those associated

Influence of User Behaviour on Indoor Environmental Quality and Heating Energy Consumptions in Danish Dwellings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fabi, Valentina; Andersen, Rune Korsholm; Corgnati, Stefano Paolo

Models of occupants’ interactions with heating controls based on measurements were implemented in a simulation program. Simulation results were given as probability distributions of energy consumption and indoor environmental quality depending on user behaviour. Heating set-point behaviour of 13...

ISO specifications and unclear energy quality certification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Tae Hun

2011-12-15

This book indicates necessity of quality management and change of company environment, basic conception of quality management and thinking way, role of each class for quality management, necessity and purpose of introduction of ISO9000 family, authentication process and construct method of ISO9000 family, authentication effect of ISO9000 family, present condition of ISO9000 family, standard of quality certification and quality management and explanation of 2001 requirement of KSA9000.

ISO specifications and unclear energy quality certification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Tae Hun

2011-12-01

This book indicates necessity of quality management and change of company environment, basic conception of quality management and thinking way, role of each class for quality management, necessity and purpose of introduction of ISO9000 family, authentication process and construct method of ISO9000 family, authentication effect of ISO9000 family, present condition of ISO9000 family, standard of quality certification and quality management and explanation of 2001 requirement of KSA9000.

Products cooked in preheated versus non-preheated ovens. Baking times, calculated energy consumption, and product quality compared.

Science.gov (United States)

Odland, D; Davis, C

1982-08-01

Plain muffins, yellow cake, baked custard, apple pie, tuna casserole, frozen tuna casserole, cheese soufflé, and meat loaf were baked in preheated and non-preheated standard gas, continuous-clean gas, standard electric, and self-cleaning electric ovens. Products generally required 5 min. or less extra baking time when cooked in non-preheated rather than in preheated ovens. The variability in baking times often was less between preheated and non-preheated ovens than among oven types. Calculated energy consumption values showed that usually less energy was required to bake products in non-preheated than in preheated ovens; savings averaged about 10 percent. Few significant differences were found in physical measurements or eating quality either between preheated and non-preheated ovens or among oven types. Overall, for the products tested, findings confirmed that preheating the oven is not essential for good product quality and, therefore, is an unnecessary use of energy.

Quality in the chemical analysis of biological matrices by fluorescence X-ray by energy dispersive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sousa, Evely E. de; Paiva, Jose Daniel S. de; Franca, Elvis J. de; Almeida, Macio E.S.; Cantinha, Rebeca S.; Hazin, Clovis A.

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to obtain multielement analytical curves of high analytical rigor to the analysis of biological matrices by the technique of fluorescence x-ray energy dispersive - EDXRF. Calibration curves were constructed from the reference materials IAEA 140, IAEA 155, IAEA V8, V10 to the International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA, and SRM1515, SRM 1547, SRM 1570a, SRM 1573a, SEM 1567a, to the National Institute of Standards and Technology - NIST. After energy calibration, all samples were subjected to vacuum to the analyzes by 100 seconds for each group of chemical elements. The voltages used were respectively 15 keV for chemical elements with less than atomic number 22 and 50 keV for the others. After the construction of the curves, the analytical quality was assessed by the analysis of a portion-test of the reference material SRM 2976, also produced by NIST. Based on the number of certified reference materials used for construction of calibration curves in this work, quality analytical protocol was originated with considerable reliability for quantification of chemical elements in biological samples by EDXR

Octennial History of the Development and Quality of High-Efficiency Filters for the US Atomic Energy Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilbert, H. [United States Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, DC (United States)

1968-12-15

Two facilities are operated for the US atomic energy commission in its program to ensure the uniform quality of commercially manufactured high-efficiency particulate filters. the filter-testing program was started in january 1960 after it was realized that the commercial fire-resistant product incorporated deficiencies of manufacture. the record of testing for quality assurance by the two facilities and an analysis of factors governing the quality of filters are presented. the analysis is complemented with a description of efforts, made in the course of the filter testing, to improve the design of the filter for efficiency and reliability. the fire-resistant (hepa) filter of 1959 was inadequate. the inadequacy of the filter, now judged by reflection, was brought about by the intensive accelerated efforts to replace and preclude, wherever possible in the US atomic energy program, use of filters made of combustible materials. this desire for fire resistance of filters has proliferated widely among other members of the international atomic energy family. the intensive AEC effort caused US industry to produce filters of fire-resistant design but without the opportunity for development of manufacturing technology adequate for ensuring reliability of the filter. the state of the fire-resistant filter today is in sharp contrast to the 1959 filter. the testing program, coupled with a program for continuing improvement of the filter, has resulted in the effective removal of radioactive aerosols at atomic energy installations on a consistent and dependable basis. (author)

Semi-annual report of the Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Quality Assessment Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greenlaw, P.D.; Minick, S.K.

1998-07-01

This Quality Assessment Program (QAP) is designed to test the quality of the environmental measurements being reported to the Department of Energy by its contractors. Since 1976, real or synthetic environmental samples that have been prepared and thoroughly analyzed at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) have been distributed at first quarterly and then semi-annually to these contractors. Their results, which are returned to EML within 90 days, are compiled with EML`s results and are reported back to the participating contractors 30 days later. This report presents the results from the analysis of the 48th set of environmental quality assessment samples (QAP XLVIII) that were received on or before June 1, 1998.

Semi-annual report of the Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Quality Assessment Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenlaw, P.D.; Minick, S.K.

1998-01-01

This Quality Assessment Program (QAP) is designed to test the quality of the environmental measurements being reported to the Department of Energy by its contractors. Since 1976, real or synthetic environmental samples that have been prepared and thoroughly analyzed at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) have been distributed at first quarterly and then semi-annually to these contractors. Their results, which are returned to EML within 90 days, are compiled with EML's results and are reported back to the participating contractors 30 days later. This report presents the results from the analysis of the 48th set of environmental quality assessment samples (QAP XLVIII) that were received on or before June 1, 1998

Report on HVAC option selections for a relocatable classroom energy and indoor environmental quality field study

OpenAIRE

Apte, Michael G.; Delp, Woody W.; Diamond, Richard C.; Hodgson, Alfred T.; Kumar, Satish; Rainer, Leo I.; Shendell, Derek G.; Sullivan, Doug P.; Fisk, William J.

2001-01-01

It is commonly assumed that efforts to simultaneously develop energy efficient building technologies and to improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ) are unfeasible. The primary reason for this is that IEQ improvements often require additional ventilation that is costly from an energy standpoint. It is currently thought that health and productivity in work and learning environments requires adequate, if not superior, IEQ. Despite common assumptions, opportunities do exist to design bui...

Quality of institution and the FEG (forest, energy intensity, and globalization) -environment relationships in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Amuakwa-Mensah, Franklin; Adom, Philip Kofi

2017-07-01

The current share of sub-Saharan Africa in global carbon dioxide emissions is negligible compared to major contributors like Asia, Americas, and Europe. This trend is, however, likely to change given that both economic growth and rate of urbanization in the region are projected to be robust in the future. The current study contributes to the literature by examining both the direct and the indirect impacts of quality of institution on the environment. Specifically, we investigate whether the institutional setting in the region provides some sort of a complementary role in the environment-FEG relationships. We use the panel two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) technique to deal with the simultaneity problem. Data consists of 43 sub-Saharan African countries. The result shows that energy inefficiency compromises environmental standards. However, the quality of the institutional setting helps moderate this negative consequences; countries with good institutions show greater prospects than countries with poor institutions. On the other hand, globalization of the region and increased forest size generate positive environmental outcomes in the region. Their impacts are, however, independent of the quality of institution. Afforestation programs, promotion of other clean energy types, and investment in energy efficiency, basic city infrastructure, and regulatory and institutional structures, are desirable policies to pursue to safeguard the environment.

Experimental investigation of the quality characteristics of agricultural plastic wastes regarding their recycling and energy recovery potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Briassoulis, D; Hiskakis, M; Babou, E; Antiohos, S K; Papadi, C

2012-06-01

A holistic environmentally sound waste management scheme that transforms agricultural plastic waste (APW) streams into labelled guaranteed quality commodities freely traded in open market has been developed by the European research project LabelAgriWaste. The APW quality is defined by the APW material requirements, translated to technical specifications, for recycling or energy recovery. The present work investigates the characteristics of the APW quality and the key factors affecting it from the introduction of the virgin product to the market to the APW stream reaching the disposer. Samples of APW from different countries were traced from their application to the field through their storage phase and transportation to the final destination. The test results showed that the majority of APW retained their mechanical properties after their use preserving a "very good quality" for recycling in terms of degradation. The degree of soil contamination concerning the APW recycling and energy recovery potential fluctuates depending on the agricultural plastic category and application. The chlorine and heavy metal content of the tested APW materials was much lower than the maximum acceptable limits for their potential use in cement industries. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy Balance and Diet Quality During the US Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command Individual Training Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Sepowitz, John J; Armstrong, Nicholes J; Pasiakos, Stefan M

This study characterized the total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), energy intake (EI), body weight, and diet quality (using the Healthy Eating Index-2010 [HEI]) of 20 male US Marines participating in the 9-month US Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command Individual Training Course (ITC). TDEE was highest (ρ energy balance. Education regarding the importance of maintaining healthy eating patterns while in garrison, consuming more carbohydrate and protein, and better matching EI with TDEE during strenuous training exercises may be warranted. 2017.

Using Smart Meters Data for Energy Management Operations and Power Quality Monitoring in a Microgrid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palacios-Garcia, Emilio J.; Diaz, Enrique Rodriguez; Anvari-Moghaddam, Amjad

2017-01-01

purposes, integrating HAN/BAN communications, alarms and power quality indicators in some cases. All those characteristics make this widely spread equipment a free, accurate and flexible source of information that can replace expensive and dedicated devices. Therefore, this paper presents the integration...... of a commercial advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in the context of a smart building with an energy management system (EMS). Furthermore, power quality monitoring based on this AMI is explained. All the details regarding the implementation in a laboratory scale application, as well as the obtained results...

Influence of the Integral Quality Monitor transmission detector on high energy photon beams: A multi-centre study.

Science.gov (United States)

Casar, Bozidar; Pasler, Marlies; Wegener, Sonja; Hoffman, David; Talamonti, Cinzia; Qian, Jianguo; Mendez, Ignasi; Brojan, Denis; Perrin, Bruce; Kusters, Martijn; Canters, Richard; Pallotta, Stefania; Peterlin, Primoz

2017-09-01

The influence of the Integral Quality Monitor (IQM) transmission detector on photon beam properties was evaluated in a preclinical phase, using data from nine participating centres: (i) the change of beam quality (beam hardening), (ii) the influence on surface dose, and (iii) the attenuation of the IQM detector. For 6 different nominal photon energies (4 standard, 2 FFF) and square field sizes from 1×1cm 2 to 20×20cm 2 , the effect of IQM on beam quality was assessed from the PDD 20,10 values obtained from the percentage dose depth (PDD) curves, measured with and without IQM in the beam path. The change in surface dose with/without IQM was assessed for all available energies and field sizes from 4×4cm 2 to 20×20cm 2 . The transmission factor was calculated by means of measured absorbed dose at 10cm depth for all available energies and field sizes. (i) A small (0.11-0.53%) yet statistically significant beam hardening effect was observed, depending on photon beam energy. (ii) The increase in surface dose correlated with field size (pphoton energies except for 18MV. The change in surface dose was smaller than 3.3% in all cases except for the 20×20cm 2 field and 10MV FFF beam, where it reached 8.1%. (iii) For standard beams, transmission of the IQM showed a weak dependence on the field size, and a pronounced dependence on the beam energy (0.9412 for 6MV to 0.9578 for 18MV and 0.9440 for 6MV FFF; 0.9533 for 10MV FFF). The effects of the IQM detector on photon beam properties were found to be small yet statistically significant. The magnitudes of changes which were found justify treating IQM either as tray factors within the treatment planning system (TPS) for a particular energy or alternatively as modified outputs for specific beam energy of linear accelerators, which eases the introduction of the IQM into clinical practice. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Influence of the Integral Quality Monitor transmission detector on high energy photon beams. A multi-centre study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casar, Bozidar [Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana (Slovenia). Dept. of Radiation Physics; Pasler, Marlies [Lake Constance Radiation Oncology Center, Singen and Friedrichshafen (Germany); Wegener, Sonja [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; and others

2017-10-01

The influence of the Integral Quality Monitor (IQM) transmission detector on photon beam properties was evaluated in a preclinical phase, using data from nine participating centres: (i) the change of beam quality (beam hardening), (ii) the influence on surface dose, and (iii) the attenuation of the IQM detector. For 6 different nominal photon energies (4 standard, 2 FFF) and square field sizes from 1 x 1 cm{sup 2} to 20 x 20 cm{sup 2}, the effect of IQM on beam quality was assessed from the PDD{sub 20,10} values obtained from the percentage dose depth (PDD) curves, measured with and without IQM in the beam path. The change in surface dose with/without IQM was assessed for all available energies and field sizes from 4 x 4 cm{sup 2} to 20 x 20 cm{sup 2}. The transmission factor was calculated by means of measured absorbed dose at 10 cm depth for all available energies and field sizes. (i) A small (0.11-0.53%) yet statistically significant beam hardening effect was observed, depending on photon beam energy. (ii) The increase in surface dose correlated with field size (p < 0.01) for all photon energies except for 18 MV. The change in surface dose was smaller than 3.3% in all cases except for the 20 x 20 cm{sup 2} field and 10 MV FFF beam, where it reached 8.1%. (iii) For standard beams, transmission of the IQM showed a weak dependence on the field size, and a pronounced dependence on the beam energy (0.9412 for 6 MV to 0.9578 for 18 MV and 0.9440 for 6 MV FFF; 0.9533 for 10 MV FFF). The effects of the IQM detector on photon beam properties were found to be small yet statistically significant. The magnitudes of changes which were found justify treating IQM either as tray factors within the treatment planning system (TPS) for a particular energy or alternatively as modified outputs for specific beam energy of linear accelerators, which eases the introduction of the IQM into clinical practice.

Quality of life assessment in patients treated with lower energy thermotherapy (Prostasoft 2.0): results of a randomized transurethral microwave thermotherapy versus sham study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Francisca, E. A.; D'Ancona, F. C.; Hendriks, J. C.; Kiemeney, L. A.; Debruyne, F. M.; de la Rosette, J. J.

1997-01-01

We evaluated the impact of lower energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy on quality of life and quality of sexual function in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A total of 50 patients with BPH were randomized to receive either lower energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy

Energy metabolism and methane production in llamas, sheep and goats fed high- and low-quality grass-based diets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mette O.; Kiani, Ali; Tejada, Einstein

2014-01-01

goats and six Shropshire sheep, were used in a crossover design study. The experiment lasted for two periods of three weeks. Half of the animals were fed either high-quality grass hay (HP) or low-quality grass seed straw (LP) during each period. Animals were placed in metabolic cages during the last 5 d......, and gaseous exchange was measured by open-circuit indirect calorimetry for 22 h. Metabolisable energy for maintenance (MEm) and fasting energy expenditure (FEExp) were estimated by regression approach. Dry matter (DM) intake per kg0.75 was substantially reduced in llamas and sheep, but not in goats, on the LP...

Relationship of regional water quality to aquifer thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, R.D.; Raymond, J.R.

1990-01-01

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) involves injection and withdrawal of temperature-conditioned water into and from a permeable water-bearing formation. The groundwater quality and associated geological characteristics were assessed as they may affect the feasibility of ATES system development in any hydrologic region. Seven physical and chemical mechanisms may decrease system efficiency: particulate plugging, chemical precipitation, clay mineral dispersion, piping corrosion, aquifer disaggregation, mineral oxidation, and the proliferation of biota. Factors affecting groundwater quality are pressure, temperature, pH, ion exchange, evaporation/transpiration, and commingling with diverse waters. Modeling with the MINTEQ code showed three potential reactions: precipitation of calcium carbonate at raised temperatures; solution of silica at raised temperature followed by precipitation at reduced temperatures; and oxidation/precipitation of iron compounds. Low concentrations of solutes are generally favorable for ATES. Near-surface waters in high precipitation regions are low in salinity. Groundwater recharged from fresh surface waters also has reduced salinity. Rocks least likely to react with groundwater are siliceous sandstones, regoliths, and metamorphic rocks. On the basis of known aquifer hydrology, ten US water resource regions are candidates for selected exploration and development, all characterized by extensive silica-rich aquifers

A quality control method by ultrasonic vibration energy and diagnosis system at trimming process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Chang Min; Song, Gil Ho; Pyoun, Young Shik

2007-01-01

In this paper, the characteristics in mechanical properties of ultrasonic cold forging treatment (UCFT) used for the trimming knife and the effects of ultrasonic vibration energy (UVE) into the trimming process on the state of the strip cutting face were studied. And a diagnosis system to quality control for trimming knife and strip cutting face was developed and installed in plant. By the plant application of UCFT, service life of knife was more increased over 100% than that of conventional knife and using the developed diagnosis system, the knife breakage and saw ear have been perfectly detected and quality control of trimming face is effectively obtained

Image quality comparison between single energy and dual energy CT protocols for hepatic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, Yuan; Pelc, Norbert J.; Ng, Joshua M.; Megibow, Alec J.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) enables volumetric scans in a single breath hold and is clinically useful for hepatic imaging. For simple tasks, conventional single energy (SE) computed tomography (CT) images acquired at the optimal tube potential are known to have better quality than dual energy (DE) blended images. However, liver imaging is complex and often requires imaging of both structures containing iodinated contrast media, where atomic number differences are the primary contrast mechanism, and other structures, where density differences are the primary contrast mechanism. Hence it is conceivable that the broad spectrum used in a dual energy acquisition may be an advantage. In this work we are interested in comparing these two imaging strategies at equal-dose and more complex settings. Methods: We developed numerical anthropomorphic phantoms to mimic realistic clinical CT scans for medium size and large size patients. MDCT images based on the defined phantoms were simulated using various SE and DE protocols at pre- and post-contrast stages. For SE CT, images from 60 kVp through 140 with 10 kVp steps were considered; for DE CT, both 80/140 and 100/140 kVp scans were simulated and linearly blended at the optimal weights. To make a fair comparison, the mAs of each scan was adjusted to match the reference radiation dose (120 kVp, 200 mAs for medium size patients and 140 kVp, 400 mAs for large size patients). Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of liver against other soft tissues was used to evaluate and compare the SE and DE protocols, and multiple pre- and post-contrasted liver-tissue pairs were used to define a composite CNR. To help validate the simulation results, we conducted a small clinical study. Eighty-five 120 kVp images and 81 blended 80/140 kVp images were collected and compared through both quantitative image quality analysis and an observer study. Results: In the simulation study, we found that the CNR of pre-contrast SE image mostly

Total quality management implementation guidelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-12-01

These Guidelines were designed by the Energy Quality Council to help managers and supervisors in the Department of Energy Complex bring Total Quality Management to their organizations. Because the Department is composed of a rich mixture of diverse organizations, each with its own distinctive culture and quality history, these Guidelines are intended to be adapted by users to meet the particular needs of their organizations. For example, for organizations that are well along on their quality journeys and may already have achieved quality results, these Guidelines will provide a consistent methodology and terminology reference to foster their alignment with the overall Energy quality initiative. For organizations that are just beginning their quality journeys, these Guidelines will serve as a startup manual on quality principles applied in the Energy context.

New statistical potential for quality assessment of protein models and a survey of energy functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rykunov Dmitry

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Scoring functions, such as molecular mechanic forcefields and statistical potentials are fundamentally important tools in protein structure modeling and quality assessment. Results The performances of a number of publicly available scoring functions are compared with a statistical rigor, with an emphasis on knowledge-based potentials. We explored the effect on accuracy of alternative choices for representing interaction center types and other features of scoring functions, such as using information on solvent accessibility, on torsion angles, accounting for secondary structure preferences and side chain orientation. Partially based on the observations made, we present a novel residue based statistical potential, which employs a shuffled reference state definition and takes into account the mutual orientation of residue side chains. Atom- and residue-level statistical potentials and Linux executables to calculate the energy of a given protein proposed in this work can be downloaded from http://www.fiserlab.org/potentials. Conclusions Among the most influential terms we observed a critical role of a proper reference state definition and the benefits of including information about the microenvironment of interaction centers. Molecular mechanical potentials were also tested and found to be over-sensitive to small local imperfections in a structure, requiring unfeasible long energy relaxation before energy scores started to correlate with model quality.

Generating a quality management system for application in the field of management of nuclear energy area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernández, L.; Arias, M.

2013-01-01

The actual work has as a main objective to present the development of a quality management system to be applicable to the Nuclear Energy Management confines at the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) in Argentina Republic. The GAEN Quality Management Section (SGC) has as main central tasks to streamline, collaborate and facilitate the development of activities and their applications on quality management systems in all the sections and projects belonging to GAEN. This achievement will tend to accredit, certificate and qualify them. Groups of work cooperating with each other integrate the GAEN. They are at present dealing with several tasks. Some outstanding ones are research activities, technology development, design, engineering, assembling, starting, services, and human resources development on Nuclear Reactors and Nuclear Supplies, particularly on powerful nuclear reactors. In 2012, at the annual CNEA Presidential meeting, it was presented one of the several projects from the SGC. It consists in the development of a quality management system available to every area belonging to the GAEN. To carry this project out, it was first begun with the elaboration of Guide Documents which were available for everybody. The documents establish the criteria and general requirements for obtaining guaranteed quality results about the performed activities. At the same time, several areas, sections and Management groups of work have been working united and well-disposed towards the application on their own Management System using the Guide Documents and considering, in addition, some own regards. In conclusion, this first step shows that the developed work facilitates the implementation of Management Systems around the GAEN. (author)

Masterplan Solar Energy; Masterplan Zonne-energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Amerongen, G. [vAConsult, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Verkaik, P. [BDA Dak- en Gevelopleidingen, Gorinchem (Netherlands); Derksen, A. [ISSO, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Gramsbergen, E. [Gramsbergen Solar, Veldhoven (Netherlands); Cromwijk, J. [DWA installatie- en energieadvies, Bodegraven (Netherlands)

2009-10-15

The demand for solar energy installations is increasing. The quality of the offered products and services must therefore be safeguarded. This master plan addresses that need and contributes to a structural improvement of the quality of installed solar energy systems. [Dutch] De vraag naar zonne-energie installaties groeit. De kwaliteit van de aangeboden producten en diensten moet dan ook goed gewaarborgd blijven. Dit masterplan voorziet daarin en draagt bij aan een structurele verbetering van de kwaliteit van geinstalleerde zonne-energiesystemen.

Energy intensity ratios as net energy measures of United States energy production and expenditures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, C W

2010-01-01

In this letter I compare two measures of energy quality, energy return on energy invested (EROI) and energy intensity ratio (EIR) for the fossil fuel consumption and production of the United States. All other characteristics being equal, a fuel or energy system with a higher EROI or EIR is of better quality because more energy is provided to society. I define and calculate the EIR for oil, natural gas, coal, and electricity as measures of the energy intensity (units of energy divided by money) of the energy resource relative to the energy intensity of the overall economy. EIR measures based upon various unit prices for energy (e.g. $/Btu of a barrel of oil) as well as total expenditures on energy supplies (e.g. total dollars spent on petroleum) indicate net energy at different points in the supply chain of the overall energy system. The results indicate that EIR is an easily calculated and effective proxy for EROI for US oil, gas, coal, and electricity. The EIR correlates well with previous EROI calculations, but adds additional information on energy resource quality within the supply chain. Furthermore, the EIR and EROI of oil and gas as well as coal were all in decline for two time periods within the last 40 years, and both time periods preceded economic recessions.

Modeling energy efficiency to improve air quality and health effects of China’s cement industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shaohui; Worrell, Ernst; Crijns-Graus, Wina; Krol, Maarten; Bruine, Marco de; Geng, Guangpo; Wagner, Fabian; Cofala, Janusz

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An integrated model was used to model the co-benefits for China’s cement industry. • PM_2_._5 would decrease by 2–4% by 2030 through improved energy efficiency. • 10,000 premature deaths would be avoided per year relative to the baseline scenario. • Total benefits are about two times higher than the energy efficiency costs. - Abstract: Actions to reduce the combustion of fossil fuels often decrease GHG emissions as well as air pollutants and bring multiple benefits for improvement of energy efficiency, climate change, and air quality associated with human health benefits. The China’s cement industry is the second largest energy consumer and key emitter of CO_2 and air pollutants, which accounts for 7% of China’s total energy consumption, 15% of CO_2, and 14% of PM_2_._5, respectively. In this study, a state-of-the art modeling framework is developed that comprises a number of different methods and tools within the same platform (i.e. provincial energy conservation supply curves, the Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies, ArcGIS, the global chemistry Transport Model, version 5, and Health Impact Assessment) to assess the potential for energy savings and emission mitigation of CO_2 and PM_2_._5, as well as the health impacts of pollution arising from China’s cement industry. The results show significant heterogeneity across provinces in terms of the potential for PM_2_._5 emission reduction and PM_2_._5 concentration, as well as health impacts caused by PM_2_._5. Implementation of selected energy efficiency measures would decrease total PM_2_._5 emissions by 2% (range: 1–4%) in 2020 and 4% (range: 2–8%) by 2030, compared to the baseline scenario. The reduction potential of provincial annual PM_2_._5 concentrations range from 0.03% to 2.21% by 2030 respectively, when compared to the baseline scenario. 10,000 premature deaths are avoided by 2020 and 2030 respectively relative to baseline scenario. The

Parametric analysis of energy quality management for district in China using multi-objective optimization approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Hai; Yu, Zitao; Alanne, Kari; Xu, Xu; Fan, Liwu; Yu, Han; Zhang, Liang; Martinac, Ivo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A time-effective multi-objective design optimization scheme is proposed. • The scheme aims at exploring suitable 3E energy system for the specific case. • A realistic case located in China is used for the analysis. • Parametric study is investigated to test the effects of different parameters. - Abstract: Due to the increasing energy demands and global warming, energy quality management (EQM) for districts has been getting importance over the last few decades. The evaluation of the optimum energy systems for specific districts is an essential part of EQM. This paper presents a deep analysis of the optimum energy systems for a district sited in China. A multi-objective optimization approach based on Genetic Algorithm (GA) is proposed for the analysis. The optimization process aims to search for the suitable 3E (minimum economic cost and environmental burden as well as maximum efficiency) energy systems. Here, life cycle CO 2 equivalent (LCCO 2 ), life cycle cost (LCC) and exergy efficiency (EE) are set as optimization objectives. Then, the optimum energy systems for the Chinese case are presented. The final work is to investigate the effects of different energy parameters. The results show the optimum energy systems might vary significantly depending on some parameters

The Importance of Seedlings Quality in Timber and Bio-energy Production on marginal lands

Science.gov (United States)

Fragkiskakis, Nikitas; Kiourtsis, Fotios; Keramitzis, Dimitrios; Papatheodorou, Ioannis; Georgiadou, Margarita; Repmann, Frank; Gerwin, Werner

2017-04-01

One of the main issues that the forest sector is facing is to achieve a balance between the demand for biomass &wood production and the need to preserve the sustainability and biodiversity of forest ecosystems. The purposes of the new approaches are to ensure more efficient management of ecosystems and implement intensive forestry that will increase biomass production & timber yields. To achieve this, we need to determine the macroeconomic potential of the various options available, including the use of biotechnology and genetics. The success of the forests plantations capacity may be solved through forest certification, based on: a) Stabilization of the forests and soils structure. b) Hierarchy of biomass production in the forest's management process. c) Οrganization and implementation of effective plantation on marginal lands. d) Maintenance or increase of forest productivity by introducing new items as and when they are required. It is important to evaluate of the influence of factors such as the quality of soils of plantation areas, the utilization of the genetic resources and the management of forest operations with the environmental economic criteria such as net present value of benefits (NPV) and the corresponding flow annuities (EACF).The existing evaluations studies showed that the quality of the plantation areas has the most influence and through validated quality seed production can generate an increase in the NPV up to 73%. The importance of seedlings quality in timber and bio-energy production on marginal lands based on the literature it is estimated according to the heredity of the characteristics of the wood structure (except shrinkage). This clearly indicate that seedlings with the appropriate morphological characteristics can significantly improve the growth performance and help to support the development of biomass plantations oriented in tailor-made timber and bio-energy production.

Application of Islanding Detection and Classification of Power Quality Disturbance in Hybrid Energy System

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, L. B.; Wu, Z. S.; Yang, K. K.

2018-04-01

Islanding and power quality (PQ) disturbances in hybrid energy system become more serious with the application of renewable energy sources. In this paper, a novel method based on wavelet transform (WT) and modified feed forward neural network (FNN) is proposed to detect islanding and classify PQ problems. First, the performance indices, i.e., the energy content and SD of the transformed signal are extracted from the negative sequence component of the voltage signal at PCC using WT. Afterward, WT indices are fed to train FNNs midfield by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) which is a novel heuristic optimization method. Then, the results of simulation based on WT-PSOFNN are discussed in MATLAB/SIMULINK. Simulations on the hybrid power system show that the accuracy can be significantly improved by the proposed method in detecting and classifying of different disturbances connected to multiple distributed generations.

Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Quality Profile

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-03-01

The Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) is a periodic national survey that provides timely information about energy consumption and expenditures of U.S. households and about energy-related characteristics of housing units. The survey was first conducted in 1978 as the National Interim Energy Consumption Survey (NIECS), and the 1979 survey was called the Household Screener Survey. From 1980 through 1982 RECS was conducted annually. The next RECS was fielded in 1984, and since then, the survey has been undertaken at 3-year intervals. The most recent RECS was conducted in 1993.

A status report on dual energy x-ray absorptiometry quality control in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung Su; Ro, Young Hoon; Lee, In Ju; Kim, Jung Min; Kim, Sung Su; Kim, Kyoung Ah

2016-01-01

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the most widely used technical instrument for evaluating bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) in patients of all ages. In 2016, DEXA devices operating is 5617 in Korea. In this study we investigated the quality of management practices survey for DEXA equipment and we analyzed it. We got a survey response rate of 12.6%. Accurate bone densitometry test is used data for estimation a patient's risk of fracture. However, improper bone densitometry will increase the possibility of causing a false positive. Therefore. it is essential to use the proper aids accurate bone densitomenty to be performed, and the quality control of the device to reduce the error factor of the tester through the training to reduce error for the device and the attitude

A status report on dual energy x-ray absorptiometry quality control in Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jung Su [Dept. of Radiogic Technology, Chungbuk Health and Science University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of); Ro, Young Hoon; Lee, In Ju; Kim, Jung Min [Dept. of Bio-convergence Engineering, Korea University Graduate School, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sung Su [Dept. of Healthcare Management, Cheongju University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyoung Ah [Dept. of Diagnostic Radiology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Sungnam (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the most widely used technical instrument for evaluating bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) in patients of all ages. In 2016, DEXA devices operating is 5617 in Korea. In this study we investigated the quality of management practices survey for DEXA equipment and we analyzed it. We got a survey response rate of 12.6%. Accurate bone densitometry test is used data for estimation a patient's risk of fracture. However, improper bone densitometry will increase the possibility of causing a false positive. Therefore. it is essential to use the proper aids accurate bone densitomenty to be performed, and the quality control of the device to reduce the error factor of the tester through the training to reduce error for the device and the attitude.

Energy and the quality of life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K.H.

1981-06-01

The supply of energy in the Republic of Korea is discussed. Because of historic and political factors, a 24-hour electrical supply became available in Korea in 1957, much later than many other countries. Nation-wide rural electrification was completed in 1978. As the Korean economy developed rapidly in the last two decades, energy requirements expanded apace. The country is not endowed with a great abundance of energy sources and this has forced Korea to depend on oil for more than half of its energy needs. The aggresssive nuclear power program (12 plants by 1991) is designed to reduce this high dependence on oil. Completion of this phase of the nuclear program will result in 13.8 percent of Korea's energy requirements being met by nuclear power in 1991

Power quality improvement by using STATCOM control scheme in wind energy generation interface to grid

Science.gov (United States)

Kirmani, Sheeraz; Kumar, Brijesh

2018-01-01

“Electric Power Quality (EPQ) is a term that refers to maintaining the near sinusoidal waveform of power distribution bus voltages and currents at rated magnitude and frequency”. Today customers are more aware of the seriousness that the power quality possesses, this prompt the utilities to assure good quality of power to their customer. The power quality is basically customer centric. Increased focus of utilities toward maintaining reliable power supply by employing power quality improvement tools has reduced the power outages and black out considerably. Good power quality is the characteristic of reliable power supply. Low power factor, harmonic pollution, load imbalance, fast voltage variations are some common parameters which are used to define the power quality. If the power quality issues are not checked i.e. the parameters that define power quality doesn't fall within the predefined standards than it will lead into high electricity bill, high running cost in industries, malfunctioning of equipments, challenges in connecting renewable. Capacitor banks, FACTS devices, harmonic filters, SVC’s (static voltage compensators), STATCOM (Static-Compensator) are the solutions to achieve the power quality. The performance of Wind turbine generators is affected by poor quality power, at the same time these wind power generating plant affects the power quality negatively. This paper presents the STATCOM-BESS (battery energy storage system) system and studies its impact on the power quality in a system which consists of wind turbine generator, non linear load, hysteresis controller for controlling the operation of STATCOM and grid. The model is simulated in the MATLAB/Simulink. This scheme mitigates the power quality issues, improves voltage profile and also reduces harmonic distortion of the waveforms. BESS level out the imbalances caused in real power due to intermittent nature of wind power available due to varying wind speeds.

Air quality dispersion models from energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazarevska, Ana

1996-01-01

Along with the continuing development of new air quality models that cover more complex problems, in the Clean Air Act, legislated by the US Congress, a consistency and standardization of air quality model applications were encouraged. As a result, the Guidelines on Air Quality Models were published, which are regularly reviewed by the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, EPA. These guidelines provide a basis for estimating the air quality concentrations used in accessing control strategies as well as defining emission limits. This paper presents a review and analysis of the recent versions of the models: Simple Terrain Stationary Source Model; Complex Terrain Dispersion Model; Ozone,Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Dioxide Models; Long Range Transport Model; Other phenomenon Models:Fugitive Dust/Fugitive Emissions, Particulate Matter, Lead, Air Pathway Analyses - Air Toxic as well as Hazardous Waste. 8 refs., 4 tabs., 2 ills

[Reduce Energy Costs While Maintaining Healthy IAQ.] "Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools" Update #17

Science.gov (United States)

US Environmental Protection Agency, 2009

2009-01-01

This issue of "Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools" Update ("IAQ TfS" Update) contains the following items: (1) News and Events; (2) Feature Article: Reduce Energy Costs while Maintaining Healthy IAQ; (3) Insight into Excellence: North East Independent School District ; (4) School Building Week 2009; and (5) Have Your Questions Answered!

Using research metrics to evaluate the International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines on quality assurance for R&D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bodnarczuk, M.

1994-06-01

The objective of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Guidelines on Quality Assurance for R&D is to provide guidance for developing quality assurance (QA) programs for R&D work on items, services, and processes important to safety, and to support the siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The standard approach to writing papers describing new quality guidelines documents is to present a descriptive overview of the contents of the document. I will depart from this approach. Instead, I will first discuss a conceptual framework of metrics for evaluating and improving basic and applied experimental science as well as the associated role that quality management should play in understanding and implementing these metrics. I will conclude by evaluating how well the IAEA document addresses the metrics from this conceptual framework and the broader principles of quality management.

Cities of tomorrow: low energy cities with a high quality of life for all

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magnin, Gerard

2010-11-01

Just as hard as describing the city of today, describing the city of tomorrow represents a real challenge. Energy Cities is active at both local and European levels, therefore we will only address the European-type cities in our reflection. Central to the vision of Energy Cities is of course the (sustainable and livable) energy issue. Therefore, our starting point is the consideration of energy issue as an essential component of urban and regional development as well as an excellent scanner of how the city and its periphery/region are organised. In 2050, cities will not look that much different than those of the beginning of the century. However, a lot of invisible radical changes will have occurred. These changes are already underway in an increasing number of cities, especially some which are committed with the Covenant of Mayors. These are 'weak signals' that pave the way for tomorrow. This paper aims at understanding these logics and at showing up paths of improvement in the domains of energy supply, urban form, buildings, mobility, public space, economy, consumption, governance, local authorities, multilevel governance and Territorial cohesion, quality of Life, peace and security

Indoor Environmental Quality Benefits of Apartment Energy Retrofits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noris, Federico [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Adamkiewicz, Gary [Harvard School of Public Health, Boston MA (United States); Delp, William W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hotchi, Toshifumi [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Russell, Marion [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Singer, Brett C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Spears, Michael [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Vermeer, Kimberly [Urban Habitate Initiatives Inc., Boston, MA (United States); Fisk, William J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-06-01

Sixteen apartments serving low-income populations in three buildings were retrofit with the goal of simultaneously reducing energy consumption and improving indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Retrofit measures varied among apartments and included, among others, envelope sealing, installation of continuous mechanical ventilation systems, upgrading bathroom fans and range hoods, attic insulation, replacement of heating and cooling systems, and adding wall-mounted particle air cleaners. IEQ parameters were measured, generally for two one-week periods before and after the retrofits. The measurements indicate an overall improvement in IEQ conditions after the retrofits. Comfort conditions, bathroom humidity, and concentrations of carbon dioxide, acetaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, and particles generally improved. Formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide levels decreased in the building with the highest concentrations, were unchanged in a second building, and increased in a third building. IEQ parameters other than particles improved more in apartments with continuous mechanical ventilation systems installed. In general, but not consistently, larger percent increases in air exchange rates were associated with larger percent decreases in indoor levels of the pollutants that primarily come from indoor sources.

Advances in energy and environment. Vol. 2: Air quality, water quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sharkawy, A.L.; Kummler, R.H.

1996-01-01

The 5th conference of energy and environment was held on 3-6 June 1996 in Cairo. The specialists discussed the effects of advances in energy and environment. The applications of solar energy, heat transfer, thermal application, storage and bio-conversion, fuels, energy and development. This second volume covers papers presented on the subjects air pollution, environmental protection, solid and hazardous wastes, water and wastewater treatment. tabs., figs

LD-pumped erbium and neodymium lasers with high energy and output beam quality

Science.gov (United States)

Kabanov, Vladimir V.; Bezyazychnaya, Tatiana V.; Bogdanovich, Maxim V.; Grigor'ev, Alexandr V.; Lebiadok, Yahor V.; Lepchenkov, Kirill V.; Ryabtsev, Andrew G.; Ryabtsev, Gennadii I.; Shchemelev, Maxim A.

2013-05-01

Physical and fabrication peculiarities which provide the high output energy and beam quality for the diode pumped erbium glass and Nd:YAG lasers are considered. Developed design approach allow to make passively Q-switched erbium glass eye-safe portable laser sources with output energy 8 - 12 mJ (output pulse duration is less than 25 ns, pulse repetition rate up to 5 Hz) and beam quality M2 less than 1.3. To reach these values the erbium laser pump unit parameters were optimized also. Namely, for the powerful laser diode arrays the optimal near-field fill-factor, output mirror reflectivity and heterostructure properties were determined. Construction of advanced diode and solid-state lasers as well as the optical properties of the active element and the pump unit make possible the lasing within a rather wide temperature interval (e.g. from minus forty till plus sixty Celsius degree) without application of water-based chillers. The transversally pumped Nd:YAG laser output beam uniformity was investigated depending on the active element (AE) pump conditions. In particular, to enhance the pump uniformity within AE volume, a special layer which practically doesn't absorb the pump radiation but effectively scatters the pump and lasing beams, was used. Application of such layer results in amplified spontaneous emission suppression and improvement of the laser output beam uniformity. The carried out investigations allow us to fabricate the solid-state Nd:YAG lasers (1064 nm) with the output energy up to 420 mJ at the pulse repetition rate up to 30 Hz and the output energy up to 100 mJ at the pulse repetition rate of of 100 Hz. Also the laser sources with following characteristics: 35 mJ, 30 Hz (266 nm); 60 mJ, 30 Hz (355 nm); 100 mJ, 30 Hz (532 nm) were manufactured on the base of the developed Nd:YAG quantrons.

An Energy Efficient Adaptive Sampling Algorithm in a Sensor Network for Automated Water Quality Monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Tongxin; Xia, Min; Chen, Jiahong; Silva, Clarence de

2017-11-05

Power management is crucial in the monitoring of a remote environment, especially when long-term monitoring is needed. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind may be harvested to sustain a monitoring system. However, without proper power management, equipment within the monitoring system may become nonfunctional and, as a consequence, the data or events captured during the monitoring process will become inaccurate as well. This paper develops and applies a novel adaptive sampling algorithm for power management in the automated monitoring of the quality of water in an extensive and remote aquatic environment. Based on the data collected on line using sensor nodes, a data-driven adaptive sampling algorithm (DDASA) is developed for improving the power efficiency while ensuring the accuracy of sampled data. The developed algorithm is evaluated using two distinct key parameters, which are dissolved oxygen (DO) and turbidity. It is found that by dynamically changing the sampling frequency, the battery lifetime can be effectively prolonged while maintaining a required level of sampling accuracy. According to the simulation results, compared to a fixed sampling rate, approximately 30.66% of the battery energy can be saved for three months of continuous water quality monitoring. Using the same dataset to compare with a traditional adaptive sampling algorithm (ASA), while achieving around the same Normalized Mean Error (NME), DDASA is superior in saving 5.31% more battery energy.

An Energy Efficient Adaptive Sampling Algorithm in a Sensor Network for Automated Water Quality Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tongxin Shu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Power management is crucial in the monitoring of a remote environment, especially when long-term monitoring is needed. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind may be harvested to sustain a monitoring system. However, without proper power management, equipment within the monitoring system may become nonfunctional and, as a consequence, the data or events captured during the monitoring process will become inaccurate as well. This paper develops and applies a novel adaptive sampling algorithm for power management in the automated monitoring of the quality of water in an extensive and remote aquatic environment. Based on the data collected on line using sensor nodes, a data-driven adaptive sampling algorithm (DDASA is developed for improving the power efficiency while ensuring the accuracy of sampled data. The developed algorithm is evaluated using two distinct key parameters, which are dissolved oxygen (DO and turbidity. It is found that by dynamically changing the sampling frequency, the battery lifetime can be effectively prolonged while maintaining a required level of sampling accuracy. According to the simulation results, compared to a fixed sampling rate, approximately 30.66% of the battery energy can be saved for three months of continuous water quality monitoring. Using the same dataset to compare with a traditional adaptive sampling algorithm (ASA, while achieving around the same Normalized Mean Error (NME, DDASA is superior in saving 5.31% more battery energy.

Sensory quality and energy use for scrambled eggs and beef patties heated in institutional microwave and convection ovens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cremer, M.L.

1982-05-01

Scrambled eggs (96 portions) and beef patties (96 portions) were heated in institutional microwave and convection ovens to determine energy use in heating and sensory quality of food. For both products, significantly (P < 0.01) more energy (BTU) was used for heating in the convection than in the microwave oven and respective amounts (BTU) were 28658.7 and 9385.7 for eggs; 31313.3 and 9365.0 for beef patties. All scores for sensory quality were significantly (P < 0.01) higher for eggs heated in the microwave than in the convection, but for beef patties, scores were higher for all characteristics and significantly (P < 0.01) higher for appearance, flavor, and general acceptability after heating in the convection rather than the microwave oven.

Semi-annual report of the Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Quality Assessment Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenlaw, P.D.

1998-01-01

This Quality Assessment Program (QAP) is designed to test the quality of the environmental measurements being reported to the Department of Energy by its contractors. Since 1976, real or synthetic environmental samples that have been prepared and thoroughly analyzed at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) have been distributed at first quarterly and then semi-annually to these contractors. Their results, which are returned to EML within 90 days, are compiled with EML's results and are reported back to the participating contractors 30 days later. A summary of the reported results is available to the participants 4 days after the reporting deadline via the Internet at www.eml.doe.gov. This report presents the results from the analysis of the 47th set of environmental quality assessment samples (QAP XLVII) that were received on or before December 1, 1997

Optimization of laser parameters to obtain high-energy, high-quality electron beams through laser-plasma acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samant, Sushil Arun; Sarkar, Deepangkar; Krishnagopal, Srinivas; Upadhyay, Ajay K.; Jha, Pallavi

2010-01-01

The propagation of an intense (a 0 =3), short-pulse (L∼λ p ) laser through a homogeneous plasma has been investigated. Using two-dimensional simulations for a 0 =3, the pulse-length and spot-size at three different plasma densities were optimized in order to get a better quality beam in laser wakefield accelerator. The study reveals that with increasing pulse-length the acceleration increases, but after a certain pulse-length (L>0.23λ p ) the emittance blows-up unacceptably. For spot-sizes less than that given by k p0 r s =2√(a 0 ), trapping is poor or nonexistent, and the optimal spot-size is larger. The deviation of the optimal spot-size from this formula increases as the density decreases. The efficacy of these two-dimensional simulations has been validated by running three-dimensional simulations at the highest density. It has been shown that good quality GeV-class beams can be obtained at plasma densities of ∼10 18 cm -3 . The quality of the beam can be substantially improved by selecting only the high-energy peak; in this fashion an energy-spread of better than 1% and a current in tens of kA can be achieved, which are important for applications such as free-electron lasers.

Quality assurance manual for the Department of Energy laboratory accreditation program for personnel dosimetry systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-02-01

The overall purpose of this document is to establish a uniform approach to quality assurance. This will ensure that uniform, high-quality personnel dosimetry practices are followed by the participating testing laboratories. The document presents guidelines for calibrating and maintaining measurement and test equipment (M and TE), calibrating radiation fields, and subsequently irradiating and handling personnel dosimeters in laboratories involved in the DOE dosimetry systems testing program. Radiation energies for which the test procedures apply are photons with approximately 15 keV to 2 MeV, beta particles above 0.3 MeV, neutrons with approximately 1 keV to 2 MeV. 12 refs., 4 tabs

Market turkey performance, air quality, and energy consumption affected by partial slotted flooring.

Science.gov (United States)

Noll, S L; Janni, K A; Halvorson, D A; Clanton, C J

1997-02-01

Two experiments were conducted with 600 male Large White turkeys to examine performance and health when reared from 5 to 18 wk of age on litter (L) partially slotted flooring (SF), and under two ventilation rates-control and reduced ventilation (80% control). In both experiments, body weights were improved significantly (P Ammonia levels were reduced with SF, whereas dust levels were increased. Ventilation rate did not affect turkey performance. Ammonia and carbon dioxide levels were increased with reduced ventilation in Experiment 1. Dust levels were not affected by ventilation rate. Supplemental energy use was decreased in the SF system or by reducing the ventilation rate. In comparison to the control ventilation/litter treatment, the greatest decrease in energy use was observed with SF at 80% ventilation rates. Results indicate that the use of SF in a cold climate can improve body weight and substantially reduce energy use when excessive litter moisture is a problem. However, a greater incidence of blisters will limit application of SF due to lowered carcass quality and value.

Assessing indoor air quality options: Final environmental impact statement on new energy-efficient home programs: Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-03-01

This report discusses the impact of energy conservation measures on indoor air quality in various size residential buildings. This volume includes appendices on ventilation rates, indoor pollutant levels, health effects, human risk assessment, radon, fiberglass hazards, tobacco smoke, mitigation

Impact of curved shaped energy dissipaters downstream of head structures on both water energy dissipation and irrigation water quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashour Mohamed A.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Using energy dissipaters on the soled aprons downstream of head structures is the main technique for accelerating hydraulic jump formation and dissipating a great amount of the residual harmful kinetic energy occurring downstream of head structures. In this paper, an experimental study was conducted to investigate some untested shapes of curved dissipaters with different angles of curvature and arrangements from two points of view. The first is to examine its efficiency in dissipating the kinetic water energy. The second is to examine the most effective shape and arrangement obtained from the aforementioned step in enriching the flow with dissolved oxygen for enhancement of the irrigation water quality. The study was held in the irrigation and hydraulic laboratory of the Civil Department, Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University, using a movable bed tilting channel 20 m long, 30 cm wide, and 50 cm high, using 21 types of curved dissipaters with different arrangements. A total of 660 runs were carried out. Results were analysed, tabulated and graphically presented, and new formulas were introduced to estimate the energy dissipation ratio, as well as the DO concentrations. Results in general showed that the dissipater performance is more tangible in dissipating the residual energy when the curvature is in the opposite direction to that of the flow. Also, the energy loss ratio increases with an increase in curvature angle (θ, until it reaches (θ = 120°, then it decreases again. The study also showed that using three rows of dissipaters give nearly the same effect as using four rows, concerning both the relative energy dissipation and dissolved oxygen content. So, it is recommended to use three rows of the curved dissipater with the angle of curvature (θ = 120° in the opposite direction to that of the flow to obtain the maximum percentage of water energy dissipation downstream of head structures, and maximum dissolved oxygen content too

The role of eating frequency on total energy intake and diet quality in a low-income, racially diverse sample of schoolchildren.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, E Whitney; Jacques, Paul F; Dallal, Gerard E; Sacheck, Jennifer; Must, Aviva

2015-02-01

The relationship of meal and snacking patterns with overall dietary intake and relative weight in children is unclear. The current study was done to examine how eating, snack and meal frequencies relate to total energy intake and diet quality. The cross-sectional associations of eating, meal and snack frequencies with total energy intake and diet quality, measured by the Healthy Eating Index 2005 (HEI-2005), were examined in separate multivariable mixed models. Differences were examined between elementary school-age participants (9-11 years) and adolescents (12-15 years). Two non-consecutive 24 h diet recalls were collected from children attending four schools in the greater Boston area, MA, USA. One hundred and seventy-six schoolchildren, aged 9-15 years. Overall, 82% of participants consumed three daily meals. Eating, meal and snack frequencies were statistically significantly and positively associated with total energy intake. Each additional reported meal and snack was associated with an 18·5% and a 9·4% increase in total energy intake, respectively (Pquality differed by age category. In elementary school-age participants, total eating occasions and snacks increased HEI-2005 score. In adolescents, each additional meal increased HEI-2005 score by 5·40 points (P=0·01), whereas each additional snack decreased HEI-2005 score by 2·73 points (P=0·006). Findings suggest that snacking increases energy intake in schoolchildren. Snacking is associated with better diet quality in elementary school-age children and lower diet quality in adolescents. Further research is needed to elucidate the role of snacking in excess weight gain in children and adolescents.

Interrelationships between man, energy, and water quality: a new methodology for integrative analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, E.; Thode, H.C. Jr.

1979-01-01

The STORET/MSP option was used to obtain county aggregated information on ambient water quality for sixty parameters during the period 1950 to 1978. Masks, extended EXTRACT specifications and bounds on allowable values limited inclusion of erroneous data. Remark codes were required to aggregate STORET parameters to obtain increased numbers of observations. Numerous statistical analyses led to the conclusions that medians were more useful than means, that trimming on number of observations was required to eliminate counties with extreme values, and that many parameters required logarithmic transformation to be useful in regional analyses. County aggregated data for nineteen water quality parameters were examined in terms of their ability to describe qualitative chemical characteristics of water. Anion--cation balances as well as expected relationships between conductivity and other parameters were correctly accounted for. Factor analysis indicated the existence of three principal components describing patterns between metal ions, non-metal ions, and alkalinity-bicarbonate, respectively. These factors were used in place of the original complete set of water quality parameters in a structural equation approach describing relationships between variables of mans activites. It was found that counties with high industrial electric consumption, farming and mineral shipments tended to have increased levels of most water quality parameters. It was also found that simpler path diagrams may be indicated to reduce the effects of redundancy in adequately describing energy--water relationships

Quality of energy consultancy services - Requirements, criteria for evaluation, and a case report; Energieberatungsqualitaet - Anforderungen, Messung und ein Fallbeispiel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hausser, K.

1999-07-01

The article initially pictures an optimized model of energy consultancy and continues with explaining an instrument available for quality assessment of services in general, (SERVQUAL), presenting approaches for modifying this tool so as to make it applicable to evaluating the quality of energy consultancy activities. Finally, the capabilities of the modified tool are discussed referring to a case study in an electric utility, the Neckarwerke Stuttgart. (orig./CB) [German] Energieberatung durch Energieversorgungsunternehmen wird in Deutschland fast flaechendeckend angeboten. Im Beitrag wird zuerst aufgezeigt, welche Anforderungen eine optimale Energieberatung erfuellen muss. Danach wird ein Instrument vorgestellt, das die Qualitaet von Dienstleistungen im allgemeinen misst und im Rahmen der o.g. Arbeit so weiterentwickelt wurde, dass es von nun an auch als Instrument zur Messung der Qualitaet von Energieberatung im Besonderen dienen kann: SERVQUAL (von SERVice QUALity). Zuletzt werden die Ergebnisse praesentiert, die in der o.g. Untersuchung unter Anwendung von SERVQUAL bei den Neckarwerken Stuttgart erzielt wurden. (orig./RHM)

Energy reallocation during and after periods of nutritional stress in Steller sea lions: low-quality diet reduces capacity for physiological adjustments.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeanniard du Dot, Tiphaine; Rosen, David A S; Trites, Andrew W

2009-01-01

Two groups of female Steller sea lions (groups H and P) were subjected to periods of energy restriction and subsequent refeeding during winter and summer to determine changes in energy partitioning among principal physiological functions and the potential consequences to their fitness. Both sea lion groups consumed high-quality fish (herring) before and after the energy restrictions. During restrictions, group H was fed a lower quantity of herring and group P a caloric equivalent of low-quality fish (pollock). Quantitative estimates of maintenance and production energies and qualitative estimates of thermoregulation, activity, and basal metabolic rate were measured. During summer, all animals compensated for the imposed energy deficit by releasing stored energy (production energy). Group H also optimized the energy allocation to seasonal conditions by increasing activity during summer, when fish are naturally abundant (foraging effort), and by decreasing thermoregulation capacity when waters are warmer. During winter, both groups decreased the energy allocated to overall maintenance functions (basal metabolic rate, thermoregulation, and activity together) in addition to releasing stored energy, but they preserved thermoregulatory capacity. Group H also decreased activity levels in winter, when foraging in the wild is less efficient, unlike group P. Overall, sea lions fed pollock did not change energy allocation to suit environmental conditions as readily as those fed herring. This implies that a low energy-density diet may further reduce fitness of animals in the wild during periods of nutritional stress.

Compromises Between Quality of Service Metrics and Energy Consumption of Hierarchical and Flat Routing Protocols for Wireless Sensors Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelbari BEN YAGOUTA

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Network (WSN is wireless network composed of spatially distributed and tiny autonomous nodes, which cooperatively monitor physical or environmental conditions. Among the concerns of these networks is prolonging the lifetime by saving nodes energy. There are several protocols specially designed for WSNs based on energy conservation. However, many WSNs applications require QoS (Quality of Service criteria, such as latency, reliability and throughput. In this paper, we will compare three routing protocols for wireless sensors network LEACH (Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy, AODV (Ad hoc on demand Distance Vector and LABILE (Link Quality-Based Lexical Routing using Castalia simulator in terms of energy consumption, throughput, reliability and latency time of packets received by sink under different conditions to determinate the best configurations that offers the most suitable compromises between energy conservation and all QoS metrics for each routing protocols. The results show that, the best configurations that offer the suitable compromises between energy conservation and all QoS metrics is a large number of deployed nodes with low packet rate for LEACH (300 nodes and 1 packet/s, a medium number of deployed nodes with low packet rate For AODV (100 nodes and 1 packet/s and a very low nodes density with low packet rate for LABILE (50 nodes and 1 packet/s.

An interval-possibilistic basic-flexible programming method for air quality management of municipal energy system through introducing electric vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, L; Li, Y P; Huang, G H; Shan, B G

2017-09-01

Contradictions of sustainable transportation development and environmental issues have been aggravated significantly and been one of the major concerns for energy systems planning and management. A heavy emphasis is placed on stimulation of electric vehicles (EVs) to handle these problems associated with various complexities and uncertainties in municipal energy system (MES). In this study, an interval-possibilistic basic-flexible programming (IPBFP) method is proposed for planning MES of Qingdao, where uncertainties expressed as interval-flexible variables and interval-possibilistic parameters can be effectively reflected. Support vector regression (SVR) is used for predicting electricity demand of the city under various scenarios. Solutions of EVs stimulation levels and satisfaction levels in association with flexible constraints and predetermined necessity degrees are analyzed, which can help identify the optimized energy-supply patterns that could plunk for improvement of air quality and hedge against violation of soft constraints. Results disclose that largely developing EVs can help facilitate the city's energy system with an environment-effective way. However, compared to the rapid growth of transportation, the EVs' contribution of improving the city's air quality is limited. It is desired that, to achieve an environmentally sustainable MES, more concerns should be focused on the integration of increasing renewable energy resources, stimulating EVs as well as improving energy transmission, transport and storage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact on air quality of energy saving measures in the major cities signatories of the Covenant of Mayors initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Monforti-Ferrario, Fabio; Kona, Albana; Peduzzi, Emanuela; Pernigotti, Denise; Pisoni, Enrico

2018-06-08

This study is a first attempt to evaluate how the major efforts made by several European cities in the frame of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) initiative can impact the air pollution levels in the participating cities. CoM is by no mean one of the major cities initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change, supporting local authorities in the implementation of their climate action plans. Energy savings measures reported in the CoM cities' action plans have been analysed from the air quality perspective in order to find quantitative relations in the way local authorities deal with mitigation and how these practices are expected to have consequences on the air quality at urban level and finally positively impacting the citizens' health. In the paper, the air quality 2713 energy saving measures proposed by 146 cities located in 23 countries in the frame of the CoM are selected and their co-benefits for air quality and public health estimated by means of SHERPA, a fast modelling tool that mimics the behaviour of a full physically-based Chemical Transport Model. Besides evaluating the overall benefits of this subset of mitigation measures for the air quality, the study also investigates the relevance of some factors such as the implementation sector, the city size and the pollution levels in achieving the highest possible co-benefits. The results presented refer to the special field covered by the study, i.e. energy saving measures and are not automatically referable to other types of measures. Nevertheless, they clearly show how climate mitigation and air quality policies are deeply interconnected at the urban level. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Warming impact on energy use of HVAC system in buildings of different thermal qualities and in different climates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharseh, Mohamad; Altorkmany, Lobna; Al-Khawaj, Mohammed; Hassani, Ferri

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Improving TQBE reduces heating load, while it might increase cooling load. • Warming impact on energy use of HVAC varies from one climate to another. • Warming impact on energy use of HVAC depends on building’s thermal quality. • In mild climate, warming does not have a significant impact on energy use of HVAC. - Abstract: In order to combat climate change, energy use in the building must be further reduced. Heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in residential buildings account for considerable fraction of global energy consumption. The potential contribution the domestic sector can make in reducing energy consumption is recognized worldwide. The driving energy of HVACs depends on the thermal quality of the building envelope (TQBE) and outside temperature. Definitely, building regulations are changing with the time toward reduce the thermal loads of buildings. However, most of the existing residential buildings were built to lower TQBE. For instant, 72% of residential dwellings in the 15-EU were built before 1972. To investigate the impact of warming on driving energy of HVACs of a residential building a computer model was developed. Three climate categories/cities were considered, i.e. Stockholm (cold), Istanbul (mild), and Doha (hot). In each city, two buildings were modeled: one was assumed to be built according to the current local buildings regulations (standard TQBE), while the anther was built to lower TQBE. The simulations were run for present and future (in 2050) outdoor designing conditions. The calculations show that the impact of the warming on annual driving energy of HVACs (reduction or increase) depends very much on the climate category and on the TQBE. Based on the climate and TQBE, the change in annual HVACs energy varies from −7.4% (in cold climate) to 12.7% (in hot climate). In mild climate, it was shown that the warming does not have significant impact on annual HVACs energy. Improving the TQBE can

Energy recovery during expansion of compressed gas using power plant low-quality heat sources

Science.gov (United States)

Ochs, Thomas L [Albany, OR; O'Connor, William K [Lebanon, OR

2006-03-07

A method of recovering energy from a cool compressed gas, compressed liquid, vapor, or supercritical fluid is disclosed which includes incrementally expanding the compressed gas, compressed liquid, vapor, or supercritical fluid through a plurality of expansion engines and heating the gas, vapor, compressed liquid, or supercritical fluid entering at least one of the expansion engines with a low quality heat source. Expansion engines such as turbines and multiple expansions with heating are disclosed.

Crowdsourcing quality control for Dark Energy Survey images

Science.gov (United States)

Melchior, P.; Sheldon, E.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Rykoff, E. S.; Abbott, T. M. C.; Abdalla, F. B.; Allam, S.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Brooks, D.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Carnero Rosell, A.; Carrasco Kind, M.; Carretero, J.; Crocce, M.; D'Andrea, C. B.; da Costa, L. N.; Desai, S.; Doel, P.; Evrard, A. E.; Finley, D. A.; Flaugher, B.; Frieman, J.; Gaztanaga, E.; Gerdes, D. W.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Honscheid, K.; James, D. J.; Jarvis, M.; Kuehn, K.; Li, T. S.; Maia, M. A. G.; March, M.; Marshall, J. L.; Nord, B.; Ogando, R.; Plazas, A. A.; Romer, A. K.; Sanchez, E.; Scarpine, V.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Smith, R. C.; Soares-Santos, M.; Suchyta, E.; Swanson, M. E. C.; Tarle, G.; Vikram, V.; Walker, A. R.; Wester, W.; Zhang, Y.

2016-07-01

We have developed a crowdsourcing web application for image quality control employed by the Dark Energy Survey. Dubbed the "DES exposure checker", it renders science-grade images directly to a web browser and allows users to mark problematic features from a set of predefined classes. Users can also generate custom labels and thus help identify previously unknown problem classes. User reports are fed back to hardware and software experts to help mitigate and eliminate recognized issues. We report on the implementation of the application and our experience with its over 100 users, the majority of which are professional or prospective astronomers but not data management experts. We discuss aspects of user training and engagement, and demonstrate how problem reports have been pivotal to rapidly correct artifacts which would likely have been too subtle or infrequent to be recognized otherwise. We conclude with a number of important lessons learned, suggest possible improvements, and recommend this collective exploratory approach for future astronomical surveys or other extensive data sets with a sufficiently large user base. We also release open-source code of the web application and host an online demo version at http://des-exp-checker.pmelchior.net.

Passive house progress report: Energy and indoor air quality. Measuring methods and verification of energy saving potentials and indoor air quality in passive houses at Nuremberg; Passivhaus-Projektbericht: Energie und Raumluftqualitaet. Messetchnische Evaluierung und Verifizierung der energetischen Einsparpotentiale und Raumluftqualitaet an Passivhaeusern in Nuernberg. Projekt: Passiv-Haus-Doppelhaeuser, Wachtelstrasse 12/Praelat-Nicol-Strasse 3-7, Nuernberg-Wetzendorf

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schulze Darup, B [ed.

2002-07-01

A model passive building was constructed at Nuremberg. Buildings of this type have an annual heat consumption of less than 15 kWh/m{sup 2}, so that quality assurance is of utmost importance with regard to energy consumption, primary energy balance, environmental impact and especially room air quality. The findings of the project will be published. [German] Im Rahmen der Lokalen Agenda 21 wurde in Nuernberg ein Passivhaus-Modellprojekt erstellt. Da energiesparende Wohngebaeude mit einem jaehrlichen Heizwaermebedarf unter 15 kWh/m{sup 2} zunehmend zum Stand der Technik werden, ist eine grundlegende Qualitaetssicherung hinsichtlich Energieverbrauch, Primaerenergiebilanz, Umweltvertraeglichkeit und insbesondere Raumluftqualitaet sowie die Veroeffentlichung der Erfahrungen von grosser Bedeutung. (orig.)

Improvement in beam quality of the JAEA AVF cyclotron for focusing heavy-ion beams with energies of hundreds of MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurashima, Satoshi; Miyawaki, Nobumasa; Okumura, Susumu; Oikawa, Masakazu; Yoshida, Ken-ichi; Kamiya, Tomihiro; Fukuda, Mitsuhiro; Satoh, Takahiro; Nara, Takayuki; Agematsu, Takashi; Ishibori, Ikuo; Yokota, Watalu; Nakamura, Yoshiteru

2007-01-01

In order to achieve a heavy-ion microbeam with an energy of hundreds of MeV applied to the research fields of biotechnology and materials science, the JAEA AVF cyclotron (K = 110) has been upgraded to provide a high quality beam with a smaller energy spread and a higher current stability. A flat-top (FT) acceleration system of the cyclotron, designed to produce ion beams with an energy spread of ΔE/E ≤ 0.02%, has been developed to reduce chromatic aberrations in the lenses of the focusing microbeam system. The FT acceleration system provides uniform energy gain of the beam by superimposing a fifth-harmonic voltage on the fundamental one. In addition, stabilization of the acceleration rf voltage and the phase were achieved to accelerate the high quality beam and to provide it stably to the microbeam system connected to a cyclotron beam line. In the latest experiment, we have succeeded to accelerate 260 MeV 20 Ne 7+ with an energy spread of 0.05% in FWHM using the FT acceleration system

Transforming Argonne's waste management organization - the road to energy quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, T.A.; Sodaro, M.A.; Thuot, J.R.

1996-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory's (ANL's) Waste Management Department began its journey to excellence in 1990. The department was organized to provide for waste cleanup, waste handling, decontamination, and other services. The staff was principally workers and foremen with few professional staff. The department has transitioned into a highly effective organization that has competed for the President's Energy Quality Award. The department is currently staffed by 58 people, including professional staff and waste mechanics. The department began by recognizing and addressing the problems that existed: There was no formal waste safety program or waste reduction culture. Formal procedures did not cover all aspects of waste operations, waste handling procedures and acceptance criteria were out of date, and the Waste Management Department did not have a customer-centered culture. The department began a step by step program to improve the waste management organization

Three laws of energy transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bashmakov, Igor

2007-01-01

The paper formulates and explores a hypothesis on three general energy transition laws: the law of stable long-term energy costs to income ratio; the law of improving energy quality; and the law of growing energy productivity. These laws are essential for shaping long-term projections and checking for their consistency. All three are rooted in amazingly stable in time and universal across countries energy costs to income ratios. Limited energy purchasing power sets up thresholds, which, if exceeded, bring asymmetry to energy demand to price elasticity. The author believes, that the theoretical postulate on the substantial substitution among production factors, which is used in the production functions theory, may be incorrect. In reality, innovations mainly lead to the substitution of a low-quality production factor with the same yet of a better-quality. Improving energy quality with stable costs to income ratio is accompanied by growing energy productivity. Energy costs to income thresholds are indicators allowing for better projections of oil prices

The quality of school wellness policies and energy-balance behaviors of adolescent mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Haire-Joshu, Debra; Yount, Byron W; Budd, Elizabeth L; Schwarz, Cynthia; Schermbeck, Rebecca; Green, Scoie; Elliott, Michael

2011-03-01

In this study, we 1) compared the quality of school wellness policies among schools participating in Moms for a Healthy Balance (BALANCE), a school- and home-based weight loss study conducted with postpartum adolescents in 27 states; and 2) assessed the relationship between policy quality with energy-balance behaviors and body mass index z scores of postpartum adolescents. As a part of BALANCE, we collected data on high-calorie food and beverage consumption, minutes spent walking, and height and weight for 647 participants. The School Wellness Policy Coding Tool was used to assess the strength and comprehensiveness of school district wellness policies from 251 schools attended by participating adolescent mothers. Schools averaged low scores for wellness policy comprehensiveness and strength. When compared with participants in schools with the lowest policy comprehensiveness scores, adolescent mothers in schools with the highest scores reported consuming significantly fewer daily calories from sweetened beverages while reporting higher consumption of water (P = .04 and P = .01, respectively). School wellness policy strength was associated with lower BMI z scores among adolescent mothers (P = .01). School wellness policies associated with BALANCE may be limited in their ability to promote a healthy school environment. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effect of the strength and comprehensiveness of policy language on energy balance in high-risk postpartum adolescents. Evidence from this work can provide additional guidance to federal or state government in mandating not only policy content, but also systematic evaluation.

Dual-energy CT and ceramic or titanium prostheses material reduce CT artifacts and provide superior image quality of total knee arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasparek, Maximilian F; Töpker, Michael; Lazar, Mathias; Weber, Michael; Kasparek, Michael; Mang, Thomas; Apfaltrer, Paul; Kubista, Bernd; Windhager, Reinhard; Ringl, Helmut

2018-06-07

To evaluate the influence of different scan parameters for single-energy CT and dual-energy CT, as well as the impact of different material used in a TKA prosthesis on image quality and the extent of metal artifacts. Eight pairs of TKA prostheses from different vendors were examined in a phantom set-up. Each pair consisted of a conventional CoCr prosthesis and the corresponding anti-allergic prosthesis (full titanium, ceramic, or ceramic-coated) from the same vendor. Nine different (seven dual-energy CT and two single-energy CT) scan protocols with different characteristics were used to determine the most suitable CT protocol for TKA imaging. Quantitative image analysis included assessment of blooming artifacts (metal implants appear thicker on CT than they are, given as virtual growth in mm in this paper) and streak artifacts (thick dark lines around metal). Qualitative image analysis was used to investigate the bone-prosthesis interface. The full titanium prosthesis and full ceramic knee showed significantly fewer blooming artifacts compared to the standard CoCr prosthesis (mean virtual growth 0.6-2.2 mm compared to 2.9-4.6 mm, p energy CT protocols showed less blooming (range 3.3-3.8 mm) compared to single-energy protocols (4.6-5.5 mm). The full titanium and full ceramic prostheses showed significantly fewer streak artifacts (mean standard deviation 77-86 Hounsfield unit (HU)) compared to the standard CoCr prosthesis (277-334 HU, p energy CT protocols had fewer metal streak artifacts (215-296 HU compared to single-energy CT protocols (392-497 HU)). Full titanium and ceramic prostheses were ranked superior with regard to the image quality at the bone/prosthesis interface compared to a standard CoCr prosthesis, and all dual-energy CT protocols were ranked better than single-energy protocols. Dual-energy CT and ceramic or titanium prostheses reduce CT artifacts and provide superior image quality of total knee arthroplasty at the bone/prosthesis interface

Using a Ventilation Controller to Optimize Residential Passive Ventilation For Energy and Indoor Air Quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turner, William [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Walker, Iain [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2014-08-01

One way to reduce the energy impact of providing residential ventilation is to use passive and hybrid systems. However, these passive and hybrid (sometimes called mixed-mode) systems must still meet chronic and acute health standards for ventilation. This study uses a computer simulation approach to examine the energy and indoor air quality (IAQ) implications of passive and hybrid ventilation systems, in 16 California climate zones. Both uncontrolled and flow controlled passive stacks are assessed. A new hybrid ventilation system is outlined that uses an intelligent ventilation controller to minimise energy use, while ensuring chronic and acute IAQ standards are met. ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2010 – the United States standard for residential ventilation - is used as the chronic standard, and exposure limits for PM_2.5, formaldehyde and NO₂ are used as the acute standards.The results show that controlled passive ventilation and hybrid ventilation can be used in homes to provide equivalent IAQ to continuous mechanical ventilation, for less use of energy.

A GPRS-Based Low Energy Consumption Remote Terminal Unit for Aquaculture Water Quality Monitoring

OpenAIRE

Xu , Dan; Li , Daoliang; Fei , Biaoqing; Wang , Yang; Peng , Fa

2013-01-01

International audience; The monitoring of water quality parameters such as DO, pH, salinity and temperature are necessary for the health of seafood such as sea cucumber. However, traditional monitoring system is based on cable data acquisition that has many disadvantages. Nowadays, GPRS is the most commonly accepted way for wireless transmission. Based on it, a type of low energy consumption RTU is developed and applied. In this paper, details of the design are introduced. In hardware design ...

10 CFR 71.37 - Quality assurance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality assurance. 71.37 Section 71.37 Energy NUCLEAR... Package Approval § 71.37 Quality assurance. (a) The applicant shall describe the quality assurance program... quality assurance program that are applicable to the particular package design under consideration...

Analysis of problems in the implementation of management systems of quality in the energy industry, oil and gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borhi, Juan Carlos

2010-09-15

The aim of this paper is to describe the problem in the development of systems of quality management based on ISO 9001:2008 to implement in energy companies involved in the extraction, distribution and processing of oil and gas.

The FRISBEE tool, a software for optimising the trade-off between food quality, energy use, and global warming impact of cold chains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gwanpua, S.G.; Verboven, P.; Leducq, D.; Brown, T.; Verlinden, B.E.; Bekele, E.; Aregawi, W. Evans, J.; Foster, A.; Duret, S.; Hoang, H.M.; Sluis, S. van der; Wissink, E.; Hendriksen, L.J.A.M.; Taoukis, P.; Gogou, E.; Stahl, V.; El Jabri, M.; Le Page, J.F.; Claussen, I.; Indergård, E.; Nicolai, B.M.; Alvarez, G.; Geeraerd, A.H.

2015-01-01

Food quality (including safety) along the cold chain, energy use and global warming impact of refrigeration systems are three key aspects in assessing cold chain sustainability. In this paper, we present the framework of a dedicated software, the FRISBEE tool, for optimising quality of refrigerated

Moisture management, energy density and fuel quality in forest fuel supply chains

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tahvanainen, T. [Joensuu Science Park Ltd., Joensuu (Finland); Sikanen, L. [Joensuu Univ. (Finland); Roser, D. [Finnish Forest Research Inst., Joensuu (Finland)

2009-07-01

This presentation provided tools for reducing the moisture content (MC) in wood chips, as moisture is one of the main quality factors for woody biomass, along with energy density and cleanness. The amount of water in solid wood fuels has a considerable effect on transportation efficiency, combustion efficiency and emissions. Under favourable storage conditions, MC can be decreased from typical fresh cut 50-55 per cent to 20-30 per cent in relatively short periods of storing by natural or artificial drying. Minor modifications can boost natural drying in fuel wood supply chains. This natural drying effect can have significant effects on the total energy efficiency and emissions of supply chains. The effect of improved packing density on transportation phase was discussed along with the need to control chip purity and size distribution. A procedure developed at the University of Joensuu and in the Finnish Forest Research Institute was used to estimate transportation costs and emissions according to transportation fleet and MC of the transported fuel. tabs., figs.

Preliminary study on the potential of improving pulp quality and energy efficiency in a South African TMP mills

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Johakimu, Jonas K

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The main focus of this work was to evaluate an opportunity for product quality and refining energy efficiency improvement through assessing the current mill practices in South African TMP mills. The fractionation trials were conducted at a CSIR...

An active defrost scheme with a balanced energy consumption and food quality loss in supermarket refrigeration systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cai, Junping; Stoustrup, Jakob; Rasmussen, Bjarne Dindler

2008-01-01

This paper introduces food quality as a new parameter, together with energy, to determine an optimal cooling time between defrost cycles. A new defrost-on-demand scheme is proposed. It uses a feedback loop consisting of on-line model updating and estimation as well as a model based optimization. ...

Operation optimization of a distributed energy system considering energy costs and exergy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Somma, M.; Yan, B.; Bianco, N.; Graditi, G.; Luh, P.B.; Mongibello, L.; Naso, V.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Operation optimization model of a Distributed Energy System (DES). • Multi-objective strategy to optimize energy cost and exergy efficiency. • Exergy analysis in building energy supply systems. - Abstract: With the growing demand of energy on a worldwide scale, improving the efficiency of energy resource use has become one of the key challenges. Application of exergy principles in the context of building energy supply systems can achieve rational use of energy resources by taking into account the different quality levels of energy resources as well as those of building demands. This paper is on the operation optimization of a Distributed Energy System (DES). The model involves multiple energy devices that convert a set of primary energy carriers with different energy quality levels to meet given time-varying user demands at different energy quality levels. By promoting the usage of low-temperature energy sources to satisfy low-quality thermal energy demands, the waste of high-quality energy resources can be reduced, thereby improving the overall exergy efficiency. To consider the economic factor as well, a multi-objective linear programming problem is formulated. The Pareto frontier, including the best possible trade-offs between the economic and exergetic objectives, is obtained by minimizing a weighted sum of the total energy cost and total primary exergy input using branch-and-cut. The operation strategies of the DES under different weights for the two objectives are discussed. The operators of DESs can choose the operation strategy from the Pareto frontier based on costs, essential in the short run, and sustainability, crucial in the long run. The contribution of each energy device in reducing energy costs and the total exergy input is also analyzed. In addition, results show that the energy cost can be much reduced and the overall exergy efficiency can be significantly improved by the optimized operation of the DES as compared with the

Comparison of approaches to Total Quality Management. Including an examination of the Department of Energy`s position on quality management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bennett, C.T.

1994-03-01

This paper presents a comparison of several qualitatively different approaches to Total Quality Management (TQM). The continuum ranges from management approaches that are primarily standards -- with specific guidelines, but few theoretical concepts -- to approaches that are primarily philosophical, with few specific guidelines. The approaches to TQM discussed in this paper include the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 Standard, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Senge`s the Learning Organization, Watkins and Marsick`s approach to organizational learning, Covey`s Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, and Deming`s Fourteen Points for Management. Some of these approaches (Deming and ISO 9000) are then compared to the DOE`s official position on quality management and conduct of operations (DOE Orders 5700.6C and 5480.19). Using a tabular format, it is shown that while 5700.6C (Quality Assurance) maps well to many of the current approaches to TQM, DOE`s principle guide to management Order 5419.80 (Conduct of Operations) has many significant conflicts with some of the modern approaches to continuous quality improvement.

A diet quality index for American preschoolers based on current dietary intake recommendations and an indicator of energy balance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kranz, Sibylle; Hartman, Terryl; Siega-Riz, Anna Maria; Herring, Amy H

2006-10-01

Based on current dietary intake recommendations and a recommendation to limit sedentary activity in preschoolers, an overall diet quality index for preschoolers (RC-DQI) incorporating a component for energy balance to measure adequacy of nutrition for growth, development, and disease prevention was developed. The newly developed index was used in nationally representative samples of 2- to 5-year-olds in the US Department of Agriculture Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals 1994-96 and 1998 (n=5,437). Index components included added sugar, total fat, polyunsaturated fatty acids, total and whole grains, fruits, vegetables, excess fruit juice, dairy, iron, and an interaction term of total daily energy intake and sedentary behavior (television time). Points were allocated to reflect deficient or excessive intakes. Means and standard errors were used to describe food intakes and RC-DQI scores. Ability to differentiate diets was ascertained using mean intakes of food groups/nutrients followed by a nonparametric test of trends across ordered groups. Correlation coefficients measured dependence among RC-DQI components, nutrients, and overall energy intakes. Component scores of the highest and lowest quartile of RC-DQI were compared. Mean RC-DQI score was 64 points (range=28 to 93). Increasing RC-DQI scores were associated with improved diet quality. Children in the lowest RC-DQI quartile scored lower in all components. The RC-DQI successfully differentiated diets by level of diet quality. Increasing scores were associated with decreasing consumption of added sugar and juices, and increasing intakes of fiber, essential fatty acids, fruits, and vegetables. The RC-DQI can be used to determine diet quality in groups of preschool-age children.

Environmental Quality Laboratory Research Report, 1985-1987

OpenAIRE

Brooks, Norman H.

1988-01-01

The Environmental Quality Laboratory at Caltech is a center for research on large-scale systems problems of natural resources and environmental quality. The principal areas of investigation at EQL are: 1. Air quality management. 2. Water resources and water quality management. 3. Control of hazardous substances in the environment. 4. Energy policy, including regulation, conservation and energy-environment tradeoffs. 5. Resources policy (other than energy); residuals m...

A quality assurance program for ancillary high technology devices on a dual-energy accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, Eric E.; Low, Daniel A.; Maag, Derek; Purdy, James A.

1996-01-01

Our facility has added high-technology ancillary devices to our dual-energy linear accelerator. After commissioning and acceptance testing of dual asymmetric jaws, dynamic wedge, portal imaging, and multileaf collimation (MLC), quality assurance programs were instituted. The programs were designed to be both periodic and patient specific when required. In addition, when dosimetric aspects were affected by these technologies, additional quality assurance checks were added. Positional accuracy checks (light and radiation) are done for both asymmetric jaws and MLC. Each patient MLC field is checked against the original simulation or digitally reconstructed radiographs. Off-axis factors and output checks are performed for asymmetric fields. Dynamic wedge transmission factors and profiles are checked periodically, and a patient diode check is performed for every new dynamic wedge portal. On-line imaging checks encompass safety checks along with periodic measurement of contrast and spatial resolution. The most important quality assurance activity is the annual review of proper operation and procedures for each device. Our programs have been successful in avoiding patient-related errors or device malfunctions. The programs are a team effort involving physicists, maintenance engineers, and therapists

Neural Network based Control of SG based Standalone Generating System with Energy Storage for Power Quality Enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Nayar, Priya; Singh, Bhim; Mishra, Sukumar

2017-08-01

An artificial intelligence based control algorithm is used in solving power quality problems of a diesel engine driven synchronous generator with automatic voltage regulator and governor based standalone system. A voltage source converter integrated with a battery energy storage system is employed to mitigate the power quality problems. An adaptive neural network based signed regressor control algorithm is used for the estimation of the fundamental component of load currents for control of a standalone system with load leveling as an integral feature. The developed model of the system performs accurately under varying load conditions and provides good dynamic response to the step changes in loads. The real time performance is achieved using MATLAB along with simulink/simpower system toolboxes and results adhere to an IEEE-519 standard for power quality enhancement.

Assessment of environmental co-benefits of energy system decarbonisation - the case of UK air quality using Remote Sensing and Model simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Sobral Mourao, Z.; Konadu, D. D.; Damoah, R.

2016-12-01

The UK has a binding obligation to reduce GHG emission by 80% (based on 1990 levels) by 2050. Meeting this target requires extensive decarbonisation of the UK energy system. Different pathways that achieve this target at the lowest system costs are being explored at different levels of policy and decisions on future energy infrastructure. Whilst benefits of decarbonisation are mainly focused on the impacts on climate change, there are other potential environmental and health impacts such as air-quality. In particular, a decrease in fossil fuel use by directly substituting current systems with low-carbon technologies could lead to significant reductions in the concentrations of SO2, NOX, CO and other atmospheric pollutants. So far, the proposed decarbonisation pathways tend to target the electricity sector first, followed by a transition in transport and heating technologies and use. However, the spatial dimension of where short term changes in the energy sector occur in relation to high density population areas is not taken into account when defining the energy transition strategies. This may lead to limited short-term improvements in air quality within urban areas, where use of fossil fuels for heating and transport is the main contribution to overall atmospheric pollutant levels. It is therefore imperative to explore decarbonisation strategies that prioritise transition in sectors of the energy system that produce immediate improvements in air quality in key regions of the UK. This study aims to use a combination of Remote Sensing observations and atmospheric chemistry/transport modelling approaches to estimate and map the atmospheric pollutants impact of the traditional approach of decarbonising electricity first compared to a slower transition in the electricity sector, but faster change in end use sectors (heating and transport). This would provide an additional standard to compare future energy system pathways beyond the traditional metrics of cost and GHG

Effects of atmospheric deposition of energy-related pollutants on water quality: a review and assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, M.J.

1981-05-01

The effects on surface-water quality of atmospheric pollutants that are generated during energy production are reviewed and evaluated. Atmospheric inputs from such sources to the aquatic environment may include trace elements, organic compounds, radionuclides, and acids. Combustion is the largest energy-related source of trace-element emissions to the atmosphere. This report reviews the nature of these emissions from coal-fired power plants and discusses their terrestrial and aquatic effects following deposition. Several simple models for lakes and streams are developed and are applied to assess the potential for adverse effects on surface-water quality of trace-element emissions from coal combustion. The probability of acute impacts on the aquatic environment appears to be low; however, more subtle, chronic effects are possible. The character of acid precipitation is reviewed, with emphasis on aquatic effects, and the nature of existing or potential effects on water quality, aquatic biota, and water supply is considered. The response of the aquatic environment to acid precipitation depends on the type of soils and bedrock in a watershed and the chemical characteristics of the water bodies in question. Methods for identifying regions sensitive to acid inputs are reviewed. The observed impact of acid precipitation ranges from no effects to elimination of fish populations. Coal-fired power plants and various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle release radionuclides to the atmosphere. Radioactive releases to the atmosphere from these sources and the possible aquatic effects of such releases are examined. For the nuclear fuel cycle, the major releases are from reactors and reprocessing. Although aquatic effects of atmospheric releases have not been fully quantified, there seems little reason for concern for man or aquatic biota

The effect of energy performance regulations on energy consumption

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guerra-Santin, O.; Itard, L.

2012-01-01

Governments have developed energy performance regulations in order to lower energy consumption in the housing stock. Most of these regulations are based on the thermal quality of the buildings. In the Netherlands, the energy efficiency for new buildings is expressed as the EPC (energy performance

Between quality and energy efficiency. Water management in the field of tension; Zwischen Qualitaet und Energieeffizienz. Wasserwirtschaft im Spannungsfeld

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pawlowski, Ludwig

2009-07-01

The political debate with respect to the climate change, high energy prices and good reimbursement for electric power from renewable energies causes a transfer of a part of the district water management options of action from the topic water to the topic energy. A development of quality with water is not possible without additional emissions of CO{sub 2}. New sanitary systems enable a feedback of valuable materials into the material cycle. On the level of nutrients, the emission of CO{sub 2} from the production of mineral fertilizer can be avoided, if the nutrients from the sewage management are used purposefully.

10 CFR 76.93 - Quality assurance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality assurance. 76.93 Section 76.93 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.93 Quality assurance. The Corporation shall establish, maintain, and execute a quality assurance program satisfying each of...

Absorbed-dose beam quality conversion factors for cylindrical chambers in high energy photon beams.

Science.gov (United States)

Seuntjens, J P; Ross, C K; Shortt, K R; Rogers, D W

2000-12-01

Recent working groups of the AAPM [Almond et al., Med. Phys. 26, 1847 (1999)] and the IAEA (Andreo et al., Draft V.7 of "An International Code of Practice for Dosimetry based on Standards of Absorbed Dose to Water," IAEA, 2000) have described guidelines to base reference dosimetry of high energy photon beams on absorbed dose to water standards. In these protocols use is made of the absorbed-dose beam quality conversion factor, kQ which scales an absorbed-dose calibration factor at the reference quality 60Co to a quality Q, and which is calculated based on state-of-the-art ion chamber theory and data. In this paper we present the measurement and analysis of beam quality conversion factors kQ for cylindrical chambers in high-energy photon beams. At least three chambers of six different types were calibrated against the Canadian primary standard for absorbed dose based on a sealed water calorimeter at 60Co [TPR10(20)=0.572, %dd(10)x=58.4], 10 MV [TPR10(20)=0.682, %dd(10)x=69.6), 20 MV (TPR10(20)=0.758, %dd(10)x= 80.5] and 30 MV [TPR10(20) = 0.794, %dd(10)x= 88.4]. The uncertainty on the calorimetric determination of kQ for a single chamber is typically 0.36% and the overall 1sigma uncertainty on a set of chambers of the same type is typically 0.45%. The maximum deviation between a measured kQ and the TG-51 protocol value is 0.8%. The overall rms deviation between measurement and the TG-51 values, based on 20 chambers at the three energies, is 0.41%. When the effect of a 1 mm PMMA waterproofing sleeve is taken into account in the calculations, the maximum deviation is 1.1% and the overall rms deviation between measurement and calculation 0.48%. When the beam is specified using TPR10(20), and measurements are compared with kQ values calculated using the version of TG-21 with corrected formalism and data, differences are up to 1.6% when no sleeve corrections are taken into account. For the NE2571 and the NE2611A chamber types, for which the most literature data are

Indoor air quality in energy-efficient dwellings: Levels and sources of pollutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Derbez, M; Wyart, G; Le Ponner, E; Ramalho, O; Ribéron, J; Mandin, C

2018-03-01

Worldwide, public policies are promoting energy-efficient buildings and accelerating the thermal renovation of existing buildings. The effects of these changes on the indoor air quality (IAQ) in these buildings remain insufficiently understood. In this context, a field study was conducted in 72 energy-efficient dwellings to describe the pollutants known to be associated with health concerns. Measured parameters included the concentrations of 19 volatile organic compounds and aldehydes, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), radon, temperature, and relative humidity. The air stuffiness index and night-time air exchange rate were calculated from the monitored carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations. Indoor and outdoor measurements were performed at each dwelling during 1 week in each of the two following seasons: heating and non-heating. Moreover, questionnaires were completed by the occupants to characterize the building, equipment, household, and occupants' habits. Perspective on our results was provided by previous measurements made in low-energy European dwellings. Statistical comparisons with the French housing stock and a pilot study showed higher concentrations of terpenes, that is, alpha-pinene and limonene, and hexaldehyde in our study than in previous studies. Alpha-pinene and hexaldehyde are emitted by wood or wood-based products used for the construction, insulation, decoration, and furnishings of the dwellings, whereas limonene is more associated with discontinuous sources related to human activities. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

P-marking of indoor environment and energy use - Considerations prior to certification of energy use

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wahlstroem, Aasa

2008-02-15

SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden's P-marking quality assurance scheme for buildings, products, services etc., now includes P-marking of the indoor environment and energy use performance of buildings. The rules for the system, which cover new buildings, renovation and existing buildings, are set out in SP's Certification Rules no. SPCR 114E, specifying requirements in respect of both energy use and indoor environment management. Over the last ten years, SP has carried out considerable work in the field of the indoor environment, resulting in the development of a quality assurance system concentrating on achieving a high-quality indoor environment. This quality assurance system has been successfully applied to schools, offices and dwellings. However, the performance of a building is determined not only by a good indoor environment, but also by low impact on the external environment as a result of energy use in the building. In some cases, concentrating on either good indoor environment or energy efficiency may result in an adverse effect on the other aspect, and so the quality assurance system for indoor environments been extended with a section dealing with energy use. This document is a handbook for inspection of documentation concerning quality assurance of energy use (primary energy analysis, determination of energy targets, energy management systems etc.). It can also be helpful for the organisation that is applying for P-marking when drawing up checklists. The document concentrates on requirements for approved certification of energy use in connection with P-marking of indoor environments and energy use in existing buildings: it does not cover requirements for certification of indoor environments. It starts by describing targeting, aims and requirements for P-marking of energy use, followed by presentation of some examples of inspections of collected documentation

10 CFR 63.142 - Quality assurance criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... planned and periodic audits to verify compliance with all aspects of the quality assurance program and to... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality assurance criteria. 63.142 Section 63.142 Energy... REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Quality Assurance § 63.142 Quality assurance criteria. (a) Introduction...

Effect of energy renovation on indoor air quality in multifamily residential buildings in Slovakia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Földváry, Veronika; Bekö, Gabriel; Langer, Sarka

2017-01-01

efficiency of these buildings rarely consider their impact on the indoor air quality (IAQ). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of simple energy renovation on IAQ, air exchange rates (AER) and occupant satisfaction in Slovak residential buildings. Three pairs of identical naturally...... of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde and total and individual volatile organic compounds (VOC) were also measured. CO2 concentrations were significantly higher and AERs were lower in the renovated buildings. Formaldehyde concentrations increased after renovation and were positively correlated with CO2...

A High-Energy Good-Beam-Quality Krypton-Lamp-Pumped Nd:YAG Solid-State Laser with One Pump Cavity

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIU Xue-Sheng; WANG Zhi-Yong; YAN Xin; CAO Ying-Hua

2008-01-01

We investigate a high-energy good-beam-quality krypton-lamp-pumped pulsed Nd:YAG solid-state laser with one pump cavity.The symmetrical resonator laser is developed and is rated at 80 J with beam parameter product 12mm mrad.The total system electro-optics efficiency of the lamp-pumped YAG laser is as high as 3.3% and the stability of output energy is ±2% with pulse width tunable between 0.1 ms and 10ms.The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical analysis and simulation.

Effects of a high-energy diet on oocyte quality and in vitro embryo production in Bos indicus and Bos taurus cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Sales, J N S; Iguma, L T; Batista, R I T P; Quintão, C C R; Gama, M A S; Freitas, C; Pereira, M M; Camargo, L S A; Viana, J H M; Souza, J C; Baruselli, P S

2015-05-01

The effects of different dietary energy levels [100 and 170% for maintenance (M) and high energy (1.7M), respectively] on metabolic, endocrine, and reproductive parameters were evaluated in nonlactating Bos indicus (Gir; n=14) and Bos taurus (Holstein; n=14) cows submitted to ultrasound-guided ovum pick-up followed by in vitro embryo production. The oocyte donor cows were housed in a tiestall system and fed twice daily (0800 and 1600 h). Twenty-one days before the beginning of the experiment, the animals were fed with a maintenance diet for adaptation followed by the experimental diets (M and 1.7M), and each cow underwent 9 ovum pick-up procedures 14 d apart. The recovered oocytes were cultured in vitro for 7 d. We measured glucose and insulin concentrations and performed glucose tolerance tests and the relative quantification of transcripts (PRDX1, HSP70.1, GLUT1, GLUT5, IGF1R, and IGF2R) from the oocytes recovered at the end of the experimental period. No interactions were observed between the effects of genetic groups and dietary energy level on the qualitative (viable oocytes, quality grade, and oocyte quality index) and quantitative (oocytes recovered) oocyte variables. There were no effects of dietary energy level on the qualitative and quantitative oocyte variables. However, Bos indicus cows had greater numbers of recovered structures, viable oocytes, and A and B oocyte grades as well as better oocyte quality index scores and lower DNA fragmentation rates compared with Bos taurus donors. In vitro embryo production (cleavage and blastocyst rates and number of embryos) was similar between diets, but the 1.7M diet reduced in vitro embryo production in Bos indicus cows after 60 d of treatment. Moreover, Bos indicus cows on the 1.7M diet showed lower transcript abundance for the HSP70.1, GLUT1, IGF1R, and IGF2R genes. All cows fed 1.7M diets had greater glucose and insulin concentrations and greater insulin resistance according to the glucose tolerance test. In

Optimization of Ventilation Energy Demands and Indoor Air Quality in the ZEBRAlliance Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hun, D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Jackson, M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Shrestha, S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2013-09-01

High-performance homes require that ventilation energy demands and indoor air quality (IAQ) be simultaneously optimized. In this project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers attempted to bridge these two areas by conducting tests in research houses located in Oak Ridge, TN, that were less than 2 years old, energy-efficient (i.e., expected to consume 50% less energy than a house built per the 2006 IRC), tightly-built, unoccupied, and unfurnished. The team identified air pollutants of concern in the test homes that could generally serve as indicators of IAQ, and conduced field experiments and computer simulations to determine the effectiveness and energy required by various techniques that lessened the concentration of these contaminants. Formaldehyde was selected as the main pollutant of concern from initial air sampling surveys. Field data indicate that concentrations were higher during the summer primarily because emissions from sources rise with increases in temperature. Furthermore, supply ventilation and gas-phase filtration were effective means to reduce formaldehyde concentrations; however, exhaust ventilation had minimal influence on this pollutant. Results from simulations suggest that formaldehyde concentrations obtained while ventilating per ASHRAE 62.2-2010 could be decreased by about 20% from May through September through three strategies: 1) increasing ASHRAE supply ventilation by a factor of two, 2) reducing the thermostat setpoint from 76 to 74°F, or 3) running a gas-phase filtration system while decreasing supply ventilation per ASHRAE by half. In the mixed-humid climate of Oak Ridge, these strategies caused minimal to modest increases in electricity cost of ~$5 to ~$15/month depending on outdoor conditions.

Measurements of Energy Performance and Indoor Environmental Quality in 10 Danish Passive Houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Tine Steen; Jensen, Rasmus Lund

2009-01-01

The paper describes the first results from a large Danish project regarding measurements of energy performance and indoor environmental quality in 10 Danish Passive Houses. The project includes both qualitative and quantitative analyses. This paper describes the first results from the quantitative...... part. The house considered in this paper has an air change rate (ACR) of 0.34 h-1 and the results from the first few months of measurements show excellent results when relative humidity (RH) and CO2-levels are considered. When the temperatures are assessed problems with slight overheating are found...... used for heating domestic hot water is very similar to conventional houses....

Eating patterns, diet quality and energy balance: from the macro- to the microscopic.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, Michael R

2014-07-01

As a discussant for the 2013 IBRC Symposium on Eating Patterns, Diet Quality and Energy Balance at Purdue University, I describe here several reflections I had on the papers as a whole. I initially focus on the keynote address by Dr. Leonard. His address suggested that the evolutionary development of Homo sapiens during the past 2 million years may have "prepared" humans to seek and consume food beyond their immediate energy needs, a predisposition that may have rendered humans particularly vulnerable to modern food environments. Additional observations include: 1) the importance of differentiating between a given appetitive variable (e.g., snacking) as a potential cause versus consequence of an outcome of interest (e.g., obesity), 2) the need to move beyond research on the consummatory phase of appetite to the anticipatory phase of appetite, and 3) the opportunity that exists to take the many obesogenic nutritional influences documented in the symposium and "turn them on their heads" to facilitate, rather than undermine, long-term weight control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An energy impact assessment of indoor air quality acceptance for air-conditioned offices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, L.T.; Mui, K.W.; Shi, K.L.; Hui, P.S.

2008-01-01

Treatment of fresh air in ventilation systems for the air-conditioning consumes a considerable amount of energy and affects the indoor air quality (IAQ). The ventilation demand is primarily related to the occupant load. In this study, the ventilation demands due to occupant load variations and occupant acceptability were examined against certain IAQ objectives using the mass balance of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations in an air-conditioned office. In particular, this study proposed a ventilation model for the consideration of the occupant load variations and occupant acceptability based on the regional survey of typical offices (422 samples) in Hong Kong. The model was applied to evaluate the relative energy performance of different IAQ objectives in ventilation systems for typical office buildings in Hong Kong. The results showed that the energy consumption of a ventilation system would be correlated with the occupant load and acceptability in the air-conditioned office. Indicative CO 2 levels of 800 ppmv, 1000 ppmv and 1200 ppmv corresponding to 83%, 97% and 99.7% survey samples were shown, corresponding to the thermal energy consumptions of 1500 MJ m -2 yr -1 , 960 MJ m -2 yr -1 and 670 MJ m -2 yr -1 , respectively. In regards to the monetary issue, an annual value of HK$ 762 million per year in electrical consumption could be saved in all office buildings in Hong Kong when the indoor target CO 2 concentration is increased from 1000 ppmv to 1200 ppmv. To achieve an excellent IAQ following the existing design standard, i.e. to decrease the CO 2 level from 1000 ppmv to 800 ppmv, 56% additional energy would be consumed, corresponding to an annual value of HK$ 1,419 million, even though the occupant acceptability is only improved from 81% to 86%. The development of the models in this study would be useful for the energy performance evaluation of ventilation systems in air-conditioned offices

Proceedings of the 8. Brazilian congress on energy: energy policy, regulation and sustainable development. v. 1: energy, environment and energy sector regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The theme energy policy, regulation and sustainable development chosen for the 8. Brazilian congress on energy to be held in Rio de Janeiro from 30 November of 1999 to 02 December of 1999, specifically means the contribution of energy to a satisfactory quality of life for everyone. Within such a context, the congress technical programme theme has been structured around six different divisions: energy, environment and development; energy sector regulation; energy policy and planning; technology innovation; energy conservation; and renewable energy sources and rural areas energy supply

Dual fan, dual-duct system meets air quality, energy-efficiency needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuler, M. [Pageau Morel and Associates, Montreal, Quebec (Canada)

1996-03-01

Canada`s Space Centre in Saint-Hubert Quebec is a 300,000 ft{sup 2} (27,871 m{sup 2}) complex that houses the headquarters of the Canadian Space Agency, the Canadian Astronaut Training Centre, mission ground control installations, research facilities, offices and the required support facilities. A comfortable, pleasant research environment was a primary concern for the Space Centre, given its elite clientele. The objectives were high indoor-air quality, design flexibility, energy efficiency and low capital costs. Dual duct systems which are the heart of the mechanical concept allowed the designers to meet these objectives. The Space Centre`s offices, laboratories and conference center are all served by dual-duct systems. All operate using an air economizer cycle. Gas boilers provide them with hot water for heating and steam for humidification while centrifugal chillers provide chilled water for cooling. This article describes the design.

10 CFR 71.105 - Quality assurance program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... which functional compliance can be demonstrated by inspection or test; and (5) The quality history and... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality assurance program. 71.105 Section 71.105 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Quality...

Semi-annual report of the Department of Energy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment, Quality Assessment Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanderson, C.G.; Scarpitta, S.C.

1991-01-01

This report presents the results from the analysis of the 34th set of environmental quality assessment samples (QAP 34) that were received on or before June 10, 1991. This Quality Assessment Program (QAP) is designed to test the quality of the environmental measurements being reported to the Department of Energy by its contractors. Since 1976, real or synthetic environmental samples that have been prepared and thoroughly analyzed at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) have been distributed at first quarterly and then semi-annually to these contractors. Their results, which are returned to EML within 90 days, are compiled with EML's results and are reported back to the participating contractors 30 days later. A summary of the reported results is available to the participants 3 days after the reporting deadline via a modem-telephone connection to the EML computer. The ''EML value'' listed in the tables to which the contractors' results are compared is the mean of replicate determination for each nuclide. The EML uncertainty is the standard error of the mean. All other uncertainties are as reported by the participants

A Simulation Study of the Potential Effects of Healthy Food and Beverage Substitutions on Diet Quality and Total Energy Intake in Lower Mississippi Delta Adults1,2,3

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, Jessica L.; Tussing-Humphreys, Lisa M.; Onufrak, Stephen J.; Zoellner, Jamie M.; Connell, Carol L.; Bogle, Margaret L.; Yadrick, Kathy

2015-01-01

The majority of adult diets in the United States, particularly the South, are of poor quality, putting these individuals at increased risk for chronic diseases. In this study, simulation modeling was used to determine the effects of substituting familiar, more healthful foods and beverages for less healthy ones on diet quality and total energy intake in Lower Mississippi Delta (LMD) adults. Dietary data collected in 2000 for 1,689 LMD adults who participated in the Foods of Our Delta Study were analyzed. The Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI-2005) was used to measure diet quality. The effects of substituting targeted foods and beverages with more healthful items on diet quality were simulated by replacing the targeted items’ nutrient profile with their replacements’ profile. For the single food and beverage groups, 100% replacement of grain desserts with juice-packed fruit cocktail and sugar-sweetened beverages with water resulted in the largest improvements in diet quality (4.0 and 3.8 points, respectively) and greatest decreases in total energy intake (98 and 215 kcal/d, respectively). The 100% substitution of all food and beverage groups combined resulted in a 12.0-point increase in HEI-2005 score and a decrease of 785 kcal/d in total energy intake. Community interventions designed to improve the diet of LMD adults through the use of familiar, healthy food and beverage substitutions have the potential to improve diet quality and decrease energy intake of this health disparate population. PMID:22031664

Soup consumption is associated with a lower dietary energy density and a better diet quality in US adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yong; Hollis, James H

2014-04-28

Epidemiological studies have revealed that soup consumption is associated with a lower risk of obesity. Moreover, intervention studies have reported that soup consumption aids in body-weight management. However, little is known about mechanisms that can explain these findings. The objective of the present study was to investigate associations between soup consumption and daily energy intake, dietary energy density (ED), nutrient intake and diet quality. Adults aged 19-64 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys during 2003-8 were included in the study. Soup consumers were identified from the first dietary recall using the United States Department of Agriculture food codes and combination food type from the dietary data. Compared with non-consumers (n 9307), soup consumers (n 1291) had a lower body weight (P = 0.002), a lower waist circumference (P = 0.001) and a trend towards a lower total energy intake (P = 0.087). Soup consumption was associated with a lower dietary ED (Psoup consumers (P = 0.008). Soup consumption was also associated with a reduced intake of total fat and an increased intake of protein, carbohydrate and dietary fibre, as well as several vitamins and minerals (P soup consumption and body weight could be due to a reduced dietary ED and an improved diet quality. Consumers need to pay attention to their Na intake and choose low-Na products for a healthier diet.

Dual-energy compared to single-energy CT in pediatric imaging: a phantom study for DECT clinical guidance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Xiaowei; Servaes, Sabah; Darge, Kassa [The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); University of Pennsylvania, The Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States); McCullough, William P. [University of Virginia Health System, Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, Charlottesville, VA (United States); Mecca, Patricia [The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2016-11-15

Dual-energy CT technology is available on scanners from several vendors and offers significant advantages over classic single-energy CT technology in multiple clinical applications. Many studies have detailed dual-energy CT applications in adults and several have evaluated the relative radiation dose performance of dual-energy CT in adult imaging. However, little has been published on dual-energy CT imaging in the pediatric population, and the relative dose performance of dual-energy CT imaging in the pediatric population is not well described. When evaluating dual-energy CT technology for implementation into a routine clinical pediatric imaging practice, the radiation dose implications must be considered, and when comparing relative CT dose performance, image quality must also be evaluated. Therefore the purpose of this study is to develop dual-energy CT scan protocols based on our optimized single-energy scan protocols and compare the dose. We scanned the head, chest and abdomen regions of pediatric-size anthropomorphic phantoms with contrast inserts, using our optimized single-energy clinical imaging protocols on a Siemens Flash {sup registered} CT scanner. We then scanned the phantoms in dual-energy mode using matching image-quality reference settings. The effective CT dose index volume (CTDI{sub vol}) of the scans was used as a surrogate for relative dose in comparing the single- and dual-energy scans. Additionally, we evaluated image quality using visual assessment and contrast-to-noise ratio. Dual-energy CT scans of the head and abdomen were dose-neutral for all three phantoms. Dual-energy CT scans of the chest showed a relative dose increase over the single-energy scan for 1- and 5-year-old child-based age-equivalent phantoms, ranging 11-20%. Quantitative analysis of image quality showed no statistically significant difference in image quality between the single-energy and dual-energy scans. There was no clinically significant difference in image quality by

Semi-annual report of the Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Quality Assessment Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanderson, C.G.; Scarpitta, S.C.

1992-01-01

This report presents the results from the analysis of the 36th set of environmental quality assessment samples (QAP 36) that were received on or before January 2, 1992. This Quality Assessment Program (QAP) is designed to test the quality of the environmental measurements being reported to the Department of Energy by its contractors. Since 1976, real or synthetic environmental samples that have been prepared and thoroughly analyzed at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) have been distributed at first quarterly and then semi-annually to these contractors. Their results, which are returned to EML within 90 days, are complied with EML's results and are reported back to the participating contractors 30 days later. A summary of the reported results is available to the participants 3 days after the reporting deadline via a modem-telephone connection to the EML computer

Semi-annual report of the Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Quality Assessment Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanderson, C.G.; Klusek, C.S.

1993-01-01

This Quality Assessment Program (QAP) is designed to test the quality of the environmental measurements being reported to the Department of Energy by its contractors. Since 1976, real or synthetic environmental samples that have been prepared and thoroughly analyzed at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) have been distributed at first quarterly and then semi-annually to these contractors. Their results, which are returned to EML within 90 days, are compiled with EML's results and are reported back to the participating contractors 30 days later. A summary of the reported results is available to the participants 3 days after the reporting deadline via a modem-telephone connection to the EML computer. This report presents the results from the analysis of the 38th set of environmental quality assessment samples (QAP XXXVIII) that were received on or before June 2, 1993

Search paths for the actions of energy retrofit and new quality of housing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martino Milardi

2012-10-01

Full Text Available HOPUS (Housing Praxis for Urban Sustainability is a research project conducted by the department DASTEC Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, with various community and local partners. The project aimed to implement and promote the use of design codes for building sustainable development in European cities and create a local support group for testing the codes. The objective to start this process was to establish a synergy between research centers, governments and enterprises, in order to understand and improve the relationships built with the new quality framework for social, urban, housing and energy. Objects of the experiments were some existing public residential buildings that are located in Reggio Calabria and built in different historical periods.

Design and implementation of strategies for the assurance of quality for sterility testing in the Quality Control Section of the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olave Carreno, Evelyn Karina

2015-01-01

The Department of Production and Service of the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN), is an organization dedicated to the production and quality control of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. To be considered pharmaceutical specialties, the department has implemented a quality assurance system to guarantee compliance with the required standards during manufacturing processes, quality control and distribution. Such products are administered, mostly by via parental; that is why it is extremely important that as an injectable solution is sterile non-pyrogenic. Therefore, the Head of Quality Control Section emphasized the importance of validating sterility testing for these products. In the first instance we proceeded to update the related documentation, as this is one of the essential pillars of a good system of quality assurance, then continuing with the verification of compliance with the physical conditions of the place where the infertility tests are performed (classification of areas from a microbiological point of view). During this process, the proper training of personnel involved in performing environmental testing and sterility testing was performed. Finally, we proceeded to validate the sterility test by the method of direct inoculation three radiopharmaceuticals; also implemented sterility testing by membrane filtration method described in the USP. It was possible to validate the methods of direct inoculation and membrane filtration based on the validation protocol guidelines generated and previously approved by the Chief; demonstrating that in both cases the detection of reference strains of inocula is achieved under 100 cfu (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spizizenii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium sporogenes, Candida albicans, Aspergillus brasiliensis), without interference of two of the products tested and interference of a product by direct inoculation method which was resolved. Based on these results, the documented evidence that

10 CFR 72.144 - Quality assurance program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... quality history and degree of standardization of the item. (d) The licensee, applicant for a license... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Quality assurance program. 72.144 Section 72.144 Energy... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Quality...

Assessing ecosystem effects of reservoir operations using food web-energy transfer and water quality models

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, L.; Johnson, B.M.; Bartholow, J.; Hanna, R.B.

2001-01-01

We investigated the effects on the reservoir food web of a new temperature control device (TCD) on the dam at Shasta Lake, California. We followed a linked modeling approach that used a specialized reservoir water quality model to forecast operation-induced changes in phytoplankton production. A food web–energy transfer model was also applied to propagate predicted changes in phytoplankton up through the food web to the predators and sport fishes of interest. The food web–energy transfer model employed a 10% trophic transfer efficiency through a food web that was mapped using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. Stable isotope analysis provided an efficient and comprehensive means of estimating the structure of the reservoir's food web with minimal sampling and background data. We used an optimization procedure to estimate the diet proportions of all food web components simultaneously from their isotopic signatures. Some consumers were estimated to be much more sensitive than others to perturbations to phytoplankton supply. The linked modeling approach demonstrated that interdisciplinary efforts enhance the value of information obtained from studies of managed ecosystems. The approach exploited the strengths of engineering and ecological modeling methods to address concerns that neither of the models could have addressed alone: (a) the water quality model could not have addressed quantitatively the possible impacts to fish, and (b) the food web model could not have examined how phytoplankton availability might change due to reservoir operations.

Evaluation of low-energy contrast-enhanced spectral mammography images by comparing them to full-field digital mammography using EUREF image quality criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Lalji, U C; Jeukens, C R L P N; Houben, I; Nelemans, P J; van Engen, R E; van Wylick, E; Beets-Tan, R G H; Wildberger, J E; Paulis, L E; Lobbes, M B I

2015-10-01

Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) examination results in a low-energy (LE) and contrast-enhanced image. The LE appears similar to a full-field digital mammogram (FFDM). Our aim was to evaluate LE CESM image quality by comparing it to FFDM using criteria defined by the European Reference Organization for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services (EUREF). A total of 147 cases with both FFDM and LE images were independently scored by two experienced radiologists using these (20) EUREF criteria. Contrast detail measurements were performed using a dedicated phantom. Differences in image quality scores, average glandular dose, and contrast detail measurements between LE and FFDM were tested for statistical significance. No significant differences in image quality scores were observed between LE and FFDM images for 17 out of 20 criteria. LE scored significantly lower on one criterion regarding the sharpness of the pectoral muscle (p < 0.001), and significantly better on two criteria on the visualization of micro-calcifications (p = 0.02 and p = 0.034). Dose and contrast detail measurements did not reveal any physical explanation for these observed differences. Low-energy CESM images are non-inferior to FFDM images. From this perspective FFDM can be omitted in patients with an indication for CESM. • Low-energy CESM images are non-inferior to FFDM images. • Micro-calcifications are significantly more visible on LE CESM than on FFDM. • There is no physical explanation for this improved visibility of micro-calcifications. • There is no need for an extra FFDM when CESM is indicated.

Study of relationship between radioactivity distribution, contamination burden and quality standard, accommodate energy of code river Yogyakarta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agus Taftazani and Muzakky

2009-01-01

Study of relationship between distribution, contamination burden of gross β radioactivity and natural radionuclide in water and sediment sample from 11 observation station Code river to quality standard and maximum capacity of Code river have been done. Natural radio nuclides identification and gross β radioactivity measurement of condensed water, dry and homogeneous sediment powder (past through 100 mesh sieve) samples have been done by using spectrometer and GM counter. Radioactivity data was analyzed descriptive with histogram to show the spreading pattern of data. Contamination burden data, quality standard and maximum capacity of river Code was to descriptive analyzed by line diagram to knowing relationship between contamination burden, quality standard, and maximum capacity of Code river. The observation of water and sediment at 11 observation station show that the emitter natural radionuclides: 210 Pb, 212 Pb, 214 Pb, 226 Ra, 208 Tl, 214 Bi, 228 Ac and 40 K were detected. The analytical result conclusion was that the pattern spread of average activity gross β and were increase from upstream to downstream of the Code river samples. Contamination burden, quality standard and maximum capacity of radionuclide activity of 210 Pb, 212 Pb, 226 Ra and 228 Ac were more smaller than quality standard of river water according to regulation of Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency 02/Ka-BAPETEN/V-99 concerning quality standard of radioactivity. It’s mean that Code river still in good contamination burden for the four radionuclides. (author)

Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for Breweries: An ENERGY STAR(R) Guide for Energy and Plant Managers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galitsky, Christina; Martin, Nathan; Worrell, Ernst; Lehman, Bryan

2003-09-01

Annually, breweries in the United States spend over $200 million on energy. Energy consumption is equal to 38 percent of the production costs of beer, making energy efficiency improvement an important way to reduce costs, especially in times of high energy price volatility. After a summary of the beer making process and energy use, we examine energy efficiency opportunities available for breweries. We provide specific primary energy savings for each energy efficiency measure based on case studies that have implemented the measures, as well as references to technical literature. If available, we have also listed typical payback periods. Our findings suggest that given available technology, there are still opportunities to reduce energy consumption cost-effectively in the brewing industry. Brewers value highly the quality, taste and drinkability of their beer. Brewing companies have and are expected to continue to spend capital on cost-effective energy conservation measures that meet these quality, taste and drinkability requirements. For individual plants, further research on the economics of the measures, as well as their applicability to different brewing practices, is needed to assess implementation of selected technologies.

Availability of high quality weather data measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Elsa; Johansen, Jakob Berg; Furbo, Simon

In the period 2016-2017 the project “Availability of high quality weather data measurements” is carried out at Department of Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark. The aim of the project is to establish measured high quality weather data which will be easily available...... for the building energy branch and the solar energy branch in their efforts to achieve energy savings and for researchers and students carrying out projects where measured high quality weather data are needed....

QA [Quality Assurance] role in advanced energy activities: Towards an /open quotes/orthodox/close quotes/ Quality Program: Canonizing the traditions at Fermilab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bodnarczuk, M.W.

1988-02-01

After a brief description of the goal of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) this paper poses and answers three questions related to Quality Assurance (QA) at the Laboratory. First, what is the difference between 'orthodox' and 'unorthodox' QA and is there a place for 'orthodox' QA at a laboratory like Fermilab? Second, are the deeper philosophical and cultural frameworks of high-energy physics acommodating or antagonistic to an 'orthodox' QA Program? Finally, faced with the task of developing an institutional QA program for Fermilab where does one begin? The paper is based on experience with the on-going development and implementation of an institutional QA Program at Fermilab. 10 refs

Dual-energy compared to single-energy CT in pediatric imaging: a phantom study for DECT clinical guidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Xiaowei; Servaes, Sabah; Darge, Kassa; McCullough, William P.; Mecca, Patricia

2016-01-01

Dual-energy CT technology is available on scanners from several vendors and offers significant advantages over classic single-energy CT technology in multiple clinical applications. Many studies have detailed dual-energy CT applications in adults and several have evaluated the relative radiation dose performance of dual-energy CT in adult imaging. However, little has been published on dual-energy CT imaging in the pediatric population, and the relative dose performance of dual-energy CT imaging in the pediatric population is not well described. When evaluating dual-energy CT technology for implementation into a routine clinical pediatric imaging practice, the radiation dose implications must be considered, and when comparing relative CT dose performance, image quality must also be evaluated. Therefore the purpose of this study is to develop dual-energy CT scan protocols based on our optimized single-energy scan protocols and compare the dose. We scanned the head, chest and abdomen regions of pediatric-size anthropomorphic phantoms with contrast inserts, using our optimized single-energy clinical imaging protocols on a Siemens Flash "r"e"g"i"s"t"e"r"e"d CT scanner. We then scanned the phantoms in dual-energy mode using matching image-quality reference settings. The effective CT dose index volume (CTDI_v_o_l) of the scans was used as a surrogate for relative dose in comparing the single- and dual-energy scans. Additionally, we evaluated image quality using visual assessment and contrast-to-noise ratio. Dual-energy CT scans of the head and abdomen were dose-neutral for all three phantoms. Dual-energy CT scans of the chest showed a relative dose increase over the single-energy scan for 1- and 5-year-old child-based age-equivalent phantoms, ranging 11-20%. Quantitative analysis of image quality showed no statistically significant difference in image quality between the single-energy and dual-energy scans. There was no clinically significant difference in image quality

Diagnosis of pulmonary artery embolism. Comparison of single-source CT and 3rd generation dual-source CT using a dual-energy protocol regarding image quality and radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petritsch, Bernhard; Kosmala, Aleksander; Gassenmeier, Tobias; Weng, Andreas Max; Veldhoen, Simon; Kunz, Andreas Steven; Bley, Thorsten Alexander

2017-01-01

To compare radiation dose, subjective and objective image quality of 3 rd generation dual-source CT (DSCT) and dual-energy CT (DECT) with conventional 64-slice single-source CT (SSCT) for pulmonary CTA. 180 pulmonary CTA studies were performed in three patient cohorts of 60 patients each. Group 1: conventional SSCT 120 kV (ref.); group 2: single-energy DSCT 100 kV (ref.); group 3: DECT 90/Sn150 kV. CTDIvol, DLP, effective radiation dose were reported, and CT attenuation (HU) was measured on three central and peripheral levels. The signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) were calculated. Two readers assessed subjective image quality according to a five-point scale. Mean CTDIvol and DLP were significantly lower in the dual-energy group compared to the SSCT group (p < 0.001 [CTDIvol]; p < 0.001 [DLP]) and the DSCT group (p = 0.003 [CTDIvol]; p = 0.003 [DLP]), respectively. The effective dose in the DECT group was 2.79 ± 0.95 mSv and significantly smaller than in the SSCT group (4.60 ± 1.68 mSv, p < 0.001) and the DSCT group (4.24 ± 2.69 mSv, p = 0.003). The SNR and CNR were significantly higher in the DSCT group (p < 0.001). Subjective image quality did not differ significantly among the three protocols and was rated good to excellent in 75 % (135/180) of cases with an inter-observer agreement of 80 %. Dual-energy pulmonary CTA protocols of 3 rd generation dual-source scanners allow for significant reduction of radiation dose while providing excellent image quality and potential additional information by means of perfusion maps. Dual-energy CT with 90/Sn150 kV configuration allows for significant dose reduction in pulmonary CTA. Subjective image quality was similar among the three evaluated CT-protocols (64-slice SSCT, single-energy DSCT, 90/Sn150 kV DECT) and was rated good to excellent in 75% of cases. Dual-energy CT provides potential additional information by means of iodine distribution maps.

Renewable Energy Zones for the Africa Clean Energy Corridor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Grace C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Deshmukh, Ranjit [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Ndhlukula, Kudakwashe [International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Radojicic, Tijana [International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Reilly, Jessica [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-07-01

Multi-criteria Analysis for Planning Renewable Energy (MapRE) is a study approach developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with the support of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The approach combines geospatial, statistical, energy engineering, and economic methods to comprehensively identify and value high-quality wind, solar PV, and solar CSP resources for grid integration based on techno-economic criteria, generation profiles (for wind), and socio-environmental impacts. The Renewable Energy Zones for the Africa Clean Energy Corridor study sought to identify and comprehensively value high-quality wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), and concentrating solar power (CSP) resources in 21 countries in the East and Southern Africa Power Pools to support the prioritization of areas for development through a multi-criteria planning process. These countries include Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The study includes the methodology and the key results including renewable energy potential for each region.

Proceedings of the 8. Brazilian congress on energy: energy policy, regulation and sustainable development. v. 2: energy planning and policy, energy conservation and rational use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The theme energy policy, regulation and sustainable development chosen for the 8. Brazilian congress on energy to be held in Rio de Janeiro from 30 November of 1999 to 02 December of 1999, specifically means the contribution of energy to a satisfactory quality of life for everyone. Within such a context, the congress technical programme theme has been structured around six different divisions: energy, environment and development; energy sector regulation; energy policy and planning; technology innovation; energy conservation; and renewable energy sources and rural areas energy supply

Quality Assurance Framework for Mini-Grids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esterly, Sean; Baring-Gould, Ian; Booth, Samuel

2017-05-04

To address the root challenges of providing quality power to remote consumers through financially viable mini-grids, the Global Lighting and Energy Access Partnership (Global LEAP) initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial and the U.S. Department of Energy teamed with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Power Africa to develop a Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) for isolated mini-grids. The framework addresses both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) mini-grids, and is applicable to renewable, fossil-fuel, and hybrid systems.

Ventilation and healthy saving of energy; Ventilatie en gezond energie besparen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasselaar, E

2007-05-15

Methods to realize energy efficiency standards in residential buildings can have negative impacts on the air quality in houses. Therefore, it is necessary to put the quality of the indoor climate on the first place. Improving the energy efficiency is of secondary interest. [Dutch] Energiebesparing is belangrijk, maar de jacht naar methoden om de EPC-norm te halen, zoals vraaggestuurd ventileren, kan conflicteren met gezondheid van de woning. Energie besparen door te weinig te ventileren vormt een risico voor het binnenmilieu. Ventilatie dient daarom primair vanuit gezondheid en comfort ontworpen te worden, de energiekwaliteit is van secundair belang.

The Energy Balance and Energy-Saving Measures in Greenhouse Tomato Cultivation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elings, A.; Kempkes, F.L.K.; Kaarsemaker, R.C.; Ruijs, M.N.A.; Braak, van de N.J.; Dueck, T.A.

2005-01-01

Reliable and quick assessment of energy conservation measures in greenhouse cultivation supports growers in their operations. Such an overview should quantify the consequences of changes in energy flows for total energy consumption, amount and quality of production, and farm economy. Using tomato as

Advanced virtual monochromatic reconstruction of dual-energy unenhanced brain computed tomography in children: comparison of image quality against standard mono-energetic images and conventional polychromatic computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Juil [Seoul National University Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Young Hun [Seoul National University Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Cheon, Jung-Eun; Kim, Woo Sun; Kim, In-One [Seoul National University Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Pak, Seong Yong [Siemens Healthineers, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Krauss, Bernhard [Siemens Healthineers, Forchheim (Germany)

2017-11-15

Advanced virtual monochromatic reconstruction from dual-energy brain CT has not been evaluated in children. To determine the most effective advanced virtual monochromatic imaging energy level for maximizing pediatric brain parenchymal image quality in dual-energy unenhanced brain CT and to compare this technique with conventional monochromatic reconstruction and polychromatic scanning. Using both conventional (Mono) and advanced monochromatic reconstruction (Mono+) techniques, we retrospectively reconstructed 13 virtual monochromatic imaging energy levels from 40 keV to 100 keV in 5-keV increments from dual-source, dual-energy unenhanced brain CT scans obtained in 23 children. We analyzed gray and white matter noise ratios, signal-to-noise ratios and contrast-to-noise ratio, and posterior fossa artifact. We chose the optimal mono-energetic levels and compared them with conventional CT. For Mono+maximum optima were observed at 60 keV, and minimum posterior fossa artifact at 70 keV. For Mono, optima were at 65-70 keV, with minimum posterior fossa artifact at 75 keV. Mono+ was superior to Mono and to polychromatic CT for image-quality measures. Subjective analysis rated Mono+superior to other image sets. Optimal virtual monochromatic imaging using Mono+ algorithm demonstrated better image quality for gray-white matter differentiation and reduction of the artifact in the posterior fossa. (orig.)

Architectural Qualities in Passive Houses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brunsgaard, Camilla

2012-01-01

that it is possible to build this type of houses, but the knowledge and discussion about the architectural quality in the buildings is hardly present. The question is if the strategies for optimising energy use and indoor environment collide with the architectural qualities of buildings. This paper brings forth...... this discussion based in literature and four case studies. The paper highlights cases on how passive strategies for optimising energy use and indoor environment affect, restrict, inspire or create possibilities for the architectural expression and there through the architectural quality of the building....

Energy Cost and Gait Efficiency of Below-Knee Amputee and Normal Subject with Similar Physical Parameters & Quality of Life: A Comparative Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durbadal Biswas

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The study focused on the comparative analysis of energy cost and gait efficiency between a below knee (BK amputee and a reference subject (without amputation. It also attempted to indicate the specific feature responsible for a controlled gait with optimum energy cost for BK amputees. Selection criteria of the subjects were similar physical parameters and quality of life studied with WHOQOL-100 quality of life assessment. A Cosmed® k4 b2 Respiratory Analyzer system was used for the measurement of Oxygen Uptake (VO2, Energy Expenditure per minute (EE and Heart Rate (HR. Gait efficiency (p < 0.0002 was found higher for BK amputee than normal subject. The therapeutic activities and mainly walking rhythm contributed to improve the mobility & balance. This ensures the optimum time & co-ordination of movements and hence improves the gait efficiency for the BK amputee. Comparison with control group was performed to validate the data.

Report on HVAC option selections for a relocatable classroom energy and indoor environmental quality field study; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apte, Michael G.; Delp, Woody W.; Diamond, Richard C.; Hodgson, Alfred T.; Kumar, Satish; Rainer, Leo I.; Shendell, Derek G.; Sullivan, Doug P.; Fisk, William J.

2001-01-01

It is commonly assumed that efforts to simultaneously develop energy efficient building technologies and to improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ) are unfeasible. The primary reason for this is that IEQ improvements often require additional ventilation that is costly from an energy standpoint. It is currently thought that health and productivity in work and learning environments requires adequate, if not superior, IEQ. Despite common assumptions, opportunities do exist to design building systems that provide improvements in both energy efficiency and IEQ. This report outlines the selection of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to be used in demonstrating such an opportunity in a field study using relocatable school classrooms. Standard classrooms use a common wall mounted heat pump HVAC system. After reviewing alternative systems, a wall-mounting indirect/direct evaporative cooling system with an integral hydronic gas heating is selected. The anticipated advantages of this system include continuous ventilation of 100 percent outside air at or above minimum standards, projected cooling energy reductions of about 70 percent, inexpensive gas heating, improved airborne particle filtration, and reduced peak load electricity use. Potential disadvantages include restricted climate regions and possible increases in indoor relative humidity levels under some conditions

Quality assurance and quality control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

The practice of nuclear diagnostic imaging requires an appropriate quality assurance program to attain high standards of efficiency and reliability. The International Atomic Energy Agency defines the term quality assurance as ''the closeness with which the outcome of a given procedure approaches some ideal, free from all errors and artifacts.'' The term quality control is used in reference to the specific measures taken to ensure that one particular aspect of the procedure is satisfactory. Therefore, quality assurance is a hospital-wide concept that should involve all aspects of clinical practice. Quality control is concerned with the submission of requests for procedures; the scheduling of patients; the preparation and dispensing of radiopharmaceuticals; the protection of patients, staff, and the general public against radiation hazards and accidents caused by radioactive materials or by faulty equipment; the setting up, use, and maintenance of electronic instruments; the methodology of the actual procedures; the analysis and interpretation of data; the reporting of results; and, finally, the keeping of records. The chapter discusses each of these areas

Metal artifact reduction software used with abdominopelvic dual-energy CT of patients with metal hip prostheses: assessment of image quality and clinical feasibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Seung Chol; Chung, Yong Eun; Lee, Young Han; Park, Kwan Kyu; Kim, Myeong Jin; Kim, Ki Whang

2014-10-01

The objective of our study was to determine the feasibility of using Metal Artifact Reduction (MAR) software for abdominopelvic dual-energy CT in patients with metal hip prostheses. This retrospective study included 33 patients (male-female ratio, 19:14; mean age, 63.7 years) who received total hip replacements and 20 patients who did not have metal prostheses as the control group. All of the patients underwent dual-energy CT. The quality of the images reconstructed using the MAR algorithm and of those reconstructed using the standard reconstruction was evaluated in terms of the visibility of the bladder wall, pelvic sidewall, rectal shelf, and bone-prosthesis interface and the overall diagnostic image quality with a 4-point scale. The mean and SD attenuation values in Hounsfield units were measured in the bladder, pelvic sidewall, and rectal shelf. For validation of the MAR interpolation algorithm, pelvis phantoms with small bladder "lesions" and metal hip prostheses were made, and images of the phantoms both with and without MAR reconstruction were evaluated. Image quality was significantly better with MAR reconstruction than without at all sites except the rectal shelf, where the image quality either had not changed or had worsened after MAR reconstruction. The mean attenuation value was changed after MAR reconstruction to its original expected value at the pelvic sidewall (p software with dual-energy CT decreases metal artifacts and increases diagnostic confidence in the assessment of the pelvic cavity but also introduces new artifacts that can obscure pelvic structures.

Comparison of true metabolisable energy and true amino acid availability between normal maize and quality protein maize (Shandan 17

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mei Li Zhang

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A precision-fed assay was conducted to determine true metabolisable energy and true amino acid digestibility in Chinese quality protein maize (QPM compared with normal maize (NM. Thirty adult roosters, kept in individual cages, were made to fast for 48h and then tub-fed 50g QPM or NM per bird and their excreta was colleted for the subsequent 48h. Additional fifteen roosters were made to fast in order to estimate endogenous losses of energy and amino acids (AA in excreta. Gross energy of the two types of maize were similar; the lysine content in NM and QPM were 0.27% and 0.41% (DM basis, respectively. True metabolisable energy (TME and true metabolisable energy nitrogen corrected (TMEn values of QPM and NM were not significantly different (P>0.05. Digestibility of some AA, including lysine and methionine, in QPM were higher than those in NM (P<0.05. The results of this study indicated that the nutritive value of QPM might be higher than that of NM.

Single-energy pediatric chest computed tomography with spectral filtration at 100 kVp: effects on radiation parameters and image quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bodelle, Boris; Fischbach, Constanze; Booz, Christian; Yel, Ibrahim; Frellesen, Claudia; Kaup, Moritz; Beeres, Martin; Vogl, Thomas J.; Scholtz, Jan-Erik [Goethe University of Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany)

2017-06-15

Most of the applied radiation dose at CT is in the lower photon energy range, which is of limited diagnostic importance. To investigate image quality and effects on radiation parameters of 100-kVp spectral filtration single-energy chest CT using a tin-filter at third-generation dual-source CT in comparison to standard 100-kVp chest CT. Thirty-three children referred for a non-contrast chest CT performed on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner were examined at 100 kVp with a dedicated tin filter with a tube current-time product resulting in standard protocol dose. We compared resulting images with images from children examined using standard single-source chest CT at 100 kVp. We assessed objective and subjective image quality and compared radiation dose parameters. Radiation dose was comparable for children 5 years old and younger, and it was moderately decreased for older children when using spectral filtration (P=0.006). Effective tube current increased significantly (P=0.0001) with spectral filtration, up to a factor of 10. Signal-to-noise ratio and image noise were similar for both examination techniques (P≥0.06). Subjective image quality showed no significant differences (P≥0.2). Using 100-kVp spectral filtration chest CT in children by means of a tube-based tin-filter on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner increases effective tube current up to a factor of 10 to provide similar image quality at equivalent dose compared to standard single-source CT without spectral filtration. (orig.)

Single-energy pediatric chest computed tomography with spectral filtration at 100 kVp: effects on radiation parameters and image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bodelle, Boris; Fischbach, Constanze; Booz, Christian; Yel, Ibrahim; Frellesen, Claudia; Kaup, Moritz; Beeres, Martin; Vogl, Thomas J.; Scholtz, Jan-Erik

2017-01-01

Most of the applied radiation dose at CT is in the lower photon energy range, which is of limited diagnostic importance. To investigate image quality and effects on radiation parameters of 100-kVp spectral filtration single-energy chest CT using a tin-filter at third-generation dual-source CT in comparison to standard 100-kVp chest CT. Thirty-three children referred for a non-contrast chest CT performed on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner were examined at 100 kVp with a dedicated tin filter with a tube current-time product resulting in standard protocol dose. We compared resulting images with images from children examined using standard single-source chest CT at 100 kVp. We assessed objective and subjective image quality and compared radiation dose parameters. Radiation dose was comparable for children 5 years old and younger, and it was moderately decreased for older children when using spectral filtration (P=0.006). Effective tube current increased significantly (P=0.0001) with spectral filtration, up to a factor of 10. Signal-to-noise ratio and image noise were similar for both examination techniques (P≥0.06). Subjective image quality showed no significant differences (P≥0.2). Using 100-kVp spectral filtration chest CT in children by means of a tube-based tin-filter on a third-generation dual-source CT scanner increases effective tube current up to a factor of 10 to provide similar image quality at equivalent dose compared to standard single-source CT without spectral filtration. (orig.)

Dual-Readout Calorimetry for High-Quality Energy

CERN Multimedia

During the past seven years, the DREAM collaboration has systematically investigated all factors that determine and limit the precision with which the properties of hadrons and jets can be measured in calorimeters. Using simultaneous detection of the deposited energy and the Cerenkov light produced in hadronic shower development ${(dual}$ ${readout}$), the fluctuations in the electromagnetic shower fraction could be measured event by event their effects on signal linearity, response function and energy resolution eliminated. Detailed measurement of the time structure of the signals made it possible to measure the contirbutions of nuclear evaporation neutrons to the signals and thus reduce the effects of fluctuations in "invisible energy". We are now embarking on the construction of a full-scale calorimeter which incorporates all these elements and which should make it possible to measure the four-vectors of both electrons, hadrons and jets with very high precision, in an instrument that can be simply calibrat...

Diagnosis of pulmonary artery embolism. Comparison of single-source CT and 3{sup rd} generation dual-source CT using a dual-energy protocol regarding image quality and radiation dose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petritsch, Bernhard; Kosmala, Aleksander; Gassenmeier, Tobias; Weng, Andreas Max; Veldhoen, Simon; Kunz, Andreas Steven; Bley, Thorsten Alexander [Univ. Hospital Wuerzburg (Germany). Inst. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology

2017-06-15

To compare radiation dose, subjective and objective image quality of 3 rd generation dual-source CT (DSCT) and dual-energy CT (DECT) with conventional 64-slice single-source CT (SSCT) for pulmonary CTA. 180 pulmonary CTA studies were performed in three patient cohorts of 60 patients each. Group 1: conventional SSCT 120 kV (ref.); group 2: single-energy DSCT 100 kV (ref.); group 3: DECT 90/Sn150 kV. CTDIvol, DLP, effective radiation dose were reported, and CT attenuation (HU) was measured on three central and peripheral levels. The signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) were calculated. Two readers assessed subjective image quality according to a five-point scale. Mean CTDIvol and DLP were significantly lower in the dual-energy group compared to the SSCT group (p < 0.001 [CTDIvol]; p < 0.001 [DLP]) and the DSCT group (p = 0.003 [CTDIvol]; p = 0.003 [DLP]), respectively. The effective dose in the DECT group was 2.79 ± 0.95 mSv and significantly smaller than in the SSCT group (4.60 ± 1.68 mSv, p < 0.001) and the DSCT group (4.24 ± 2.69 mSv, p = 0.003). The SNR and CNR were significantly higher in the DSCT group (p < 0.001). Subjective image quality did not differ significantly among the three protocols and was rated good to excellent in 75 % (135/180) of cases with an inter-observer agreement of 80 %. Dual-energy pulmonary CTA protocols of 3 rd generation dual-source scanners allow for significant reduction of radiation dose while providing excellent image quality and potential additional information by means of perfusion maps. Dual-energy CT with 90/Sn150 kV configuration allows for significant dose reduction in pulmonary CTA. Subjective image quality was similar among the three evaluated CT-protocols (64-slice SSCT, single-energy DSCT, 90/Sn150 kV DECT) and was rated good to excellent in 75% of cases. Dual-energy CT provides potential additional information by means of iodine distribution maps.

Managing customer loyalty in liberalized residential energy markets: the impact of energy branding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, P.; Ibanez, V.A.

2007-01-01

In numerous recently deregulated energy markets, utilities previously operating in monopolistic environments are now focusing on customer satisfaction and loyalty. In this study, a conceptual framework is proposed that analyses the effects of brand associations and perceived switching costs on customer satisfaction and loyalty in residential energy markets. Several brand associations relevant to energy branding are identified: perceived technical service quality and service process quality, perception of value-added services, environmental and social commitment of the company, brand trust, price perceptions and brand associations related to the corporate attributes 'innovative and dynamic'. Subsequently, the proposed model is tested in the scope of a representative survey of Spanish residential energy customers. Results indicate that customer satisfaction, brand trust and perceived switching costs are positively related to customer loyalty and that brand trust exerts a stronger influence on customer loyalty than satisfaction and switching costs. Findings also show significant effects of the perception of service process quality and environmental and social commitment on loyalty via customer satisfaction. Implications for energy brand managers and regulators are discussed. [Author

Managing customer loyalty in liberalized residential energy markets: The impact of energy branding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, Patrick; Apaolaza Ibanez, Vanessa

2007-01-01

In numerous recently deregulated energy markets, utilities previously operating in monopolistic environments are now focusing on customer satisfaction and loyalty. In this study, a conceptual framework is proposed that analyses the effects of brand associations and perceived switching costs on customer satisfaction and loyalty in residential energy markets. Several brand associations relevant to energy branding are identified: perceived technical service quality and service process quality, perception of value-added services, environmental and social commitment of the company, brand trust, price perceptions and brand associations related to the corporate attributes 'innovative and dynamic'. Subsequently, the proposed model is tested in the scope of a representative survey of Spanish residential energy customers. Results indicate that customer satisfaction, brand trust and perceived switching costs are positively related to customer loyalty and that brand trust exerts a stronger influence on customer loyalty than satisfaction and switching costs. Findings also show significant effects of the perception of service process quality and environmental and social commitment on loyalty via customer satisfaction. Implications for energy brand managers and regulators are discussed

Managing customer loyalty in liberalized residential energy markets: the impact of energy branding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hartmann, P.; Ibanez, V.A. [University of the Basque Country, Bilbao (Spain). Facultad de Ciencias Economicas y Empresariales

2007-04-15

In numerous recently deregulated energy markets, utilities previously operating in monopolistic environments are now focusing on customer satisfaction and loyalty. In this study, a conceptual framework is proposed that analyses the effects of brand associations and perceived switching costs on customer satisfaction and loyalty in residential energy markets. Several brand associations relevant to energy branding are identified: perceived technical service quality and service process quality, perception of value-added services, environmental and social commitment of the company, brand trust, price perceptions and brand associations related to the corporate attributes 'innovative and dynamic'. Subsequently, the proposed model is tested in the scope of a representative survey of Spanish residential energy customers. Results indicate that customer satisfaction, brand trust and perceived switching costs are positively related to customer loyalty and that brand trust exerts a stronger influence on customer loyalty than satisfaction and switching costs. Findings also show significant effects of the perception of service process quality and environmental and social commitment on loyalty via customer satisfaction. Implications for energy brand managers and regulators are discussed. [Author].

Evaluation of low-energy contrast-enhanced spectral mammography images by comparing them to full-field digital mammography using EUREF image quality criteria

OpenAIRE

Lalji, U. C.; Jeukens, C. R. L. P. N.; Houben, I.; Nelemans, P. J.; van Engen, R. E.; van Wylick, E.; Beets-Tan, R. G. H.; Wildberger, J. E.; Paulis, L. E.; Lobbes, M. B. I.

2015-01-01

Objective Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) examination results in a low-energy (LE) and contrast-enhanced image. The LE appears similar to a full-field digital mammogram (FFDM). Our aim was to evaluate LE CESM image quality by comparing it to FFDM using criteria defined by the European Reference Organization for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services (EUREF). Methods A total of 147 cases with both FFDM and LE images were independently scored by two experienced r...

Performance of the mixed LED light quality on the growth and energy efficiency of Arthrospira platensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Ruixin; Guo, Shuangsheng

2018-06-01

The effect of mixed light quality with red, blue, and green LED lamps on the growth of Arthrospira platensis was studied, so as to lay the theoretical and technical basis for establishing a photo-bioreactor lighting system for application in space. Meanwhile, indexes, like morphology, growth rate, photosynthetic pigment compositions, energy efficiency, and main nutritional components, were measured respectively. The results showed that the blue light combined with red light could decrease the tightness of filament, and the effect of green light was opposite. The combination of blue light or green light with red light induced the filaments to get shorter in length. The 8R2B treatment could promote the growth of Arthrospira platensis significantly, and its dry weight reached 1.36 g L -1 , which was 25.93% higher than the control. What's more, 8R2B treatment had the highest contents of carbohydrate and lipid, while 8R2G was rich in protein. 8R0.5G1.5B had the highest efficiency of biomass production, which was 161.53 mg L -1  kW -1  h -1 . Therefore, the combination of red and blue light is more conducive to the growth of Arthrospira platensis, and a higher biomass production and energy utilization efficiency can be achieved simultaneously under the mixed light quality with the ratio of 8R0.5G1.5B.

The impact of hybrid energy storage on power quality, when high power pulsed DC loads are operated on a microgrid testbed

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Jay Paul

. This enables the generator to maintain its operation at levels of high efficiency thereby increasing the power quality of the AC bus. The work discussed here is aimed at evaluating how the use of energy storage impacts the power quality on MicroGrid's AC bus when high rate DC and AC loads are sourced simultaneously. Also HESM has been developed and evaluated as a mean to optimizing both the power and energy density of the energy storage installed.

Energy Statistics Manual; Manual Statistik Energi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

Detailed, complete, timely and reliable statistics are essential to monitor the energy situation at a country level as well as at an international level. Energy statistics on supply, trade, stocks, transformation and demand are indeed the basis for any sound energy policy decision. For instance, the market of oil -- which is the largest traded commodity worldwide -- needs to be closely monitored in order for all market players to know at any time what is produced, traded, stocked and consumed and by whom. In view of the role and importance of energy in world development, one would expect that basic energy information to be readily available and reliable. This is not always the case and one can even observe a decline in the quality, coverage and timeliness of energy statistics over the last few years.

Power quality and reliability issues in a deregulated energy market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huggins, M.J.

1999-01-01

The challenge of maintaining power quality and reliability in Ontario's new competitive electricity market was the focus of this paper. The intention of Ontario's deregulation is to lower costs and give customers more power and choice. However, some fear that costs pressures may lead to poorer quality. This paper reviewed the causes, costs, and responsibilities, and made some suggestions concerning how customers can protect their interests as the market opens. It was suggested that in order to assure power quality, especially during the transition period, customers need to take care to design their systems and equipment to tolerate some quality variations. Conversely, utilities need to strive for at least minimum industry standards under most conditions. Contracts should be carefully crafted, with responsibilities for reliability and quality clearly stated. 2 refs

Development of sensor-less control strategies for grid connected PMSG based variable speed wind energy conversion system with improved power quality features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandra, A. [Quebec Univ., Montreal, PQ (Canada). Dept. of Electrical Engineering

2010-07-01

Interest in renewable energy sources has grown in recent years in response to concerns of increasing pollution levels and depleting fossil fuels. Among renewable energy sources, wind energy generation is the fastest growing technology and one of the most cost-effective and environmental friendly means to generate electricity from renewable sources. Modern wind turbines are ready to be deployed in large scale as a result of recent developments in wind power technology. Variable speed permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSG) based wind energy conversion systems (WECS) are becoming more popular. The use of a permanent magnet reduces size, cost and weight of overall WECS. In addition, the absence of field winding and its excitation system avoids heat dissipation in the rotor winding, thereby improving overall efficiency of the WECS. This type of configuration is more appropriate for remote locations, particularly for off-shore wind application, where the geared doubly fed induction generator usually requires regular maintenance due to tearing-wearing in brushes, windings and gear box. This presentation discussed the development of sensor-less control strategies for grid connected PMSG based variable speed wind energy conversion system with improved power quality features. A novel adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system was used to estimate the speed and position of variable speed PMSG under fluctuating wind conditions. A novel control strategy was developed for the grid interfacing inverter incorporating power quality improvement features at point of common coupling.

Effects of ultrasonic pretreatments on quality, energy consumption and sterilization of barley grass in freeze drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaohuang; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Zhong, Qifeng; Wang, Zhushang

2018-01-01

Barley grass is a plant resource for rehabilitation therapy. Its processing requires retaining nutrition well for rehabilitation cure of consumers. To meet the aim as well as low energy consumption and microbiological safety of products, ultrasonic treatments (UT) were applied to bathing materials at different power levels (10, 30, 45, 60W/L) for 10mins. After treatments, the bathed barley grass (100g) was freeze-dried under vacuum -0.09MPa with fixed power of 2W/g. Parameters of color, microbial colony, energy consumption, glass transition temperature, moisture content, water activity, taste substances, contents of flavonoid and chlorophyll were determined after drying. In contrast with no treatment case, UT (45W/L) decreased drying time by 14% and decreased energy consumption by 19%; UT (60W/L) decreased total microbial colonies by 33%. Also, UT (30W/L) yielded contents of flavonoid (9.2/kg) and chlorophyll (10.5g/kg) of dried sample; UT power (10W/L) yielded the highest L ∗ (51.5) and the lowest a ∗ (-9.3) value. Simultaneously, UT leads to a higher glass transition temperature (Tg), lower water activity and produces less sourness and bitterness of dried products. Ultra-sonication is an alternative to improve quality, flavor and energy consumption of barley grass in freeze drying. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Energy, environment and sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omer, Abdeen Mustafa

2008-01-01

Globally, buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of the total world annual energy consumption. Most of this energy is for the provision of lighting, heating, cooling, and air conditioning. Increasing awareness of the environmental impact of CO 2 and NO x emissions and CFCs triggered a renewed interest in environmentally friendly cooling, and heating technologies. Under the 1997 Montreal Protocol, governments agreed to phase out chemicals used as refrigerants that have the potential to destroy stratospheric ozone. It was therefore considered desirable to reduce energy consumption and decrease the rate of depletion of world energy reserves and pollution of the environment. One way of reducing building energy consumption is to design building, which are more economical in their use of energy for heating, lighting, cooling, ventilation and hot water supply. Passive measures, particularly natural or hybrid ventilation rather than air-conditioning, can dramatically reduce primary energy consumption. However, exploitation of renewable energy in buildings and agricultural greenhouses can, also, significantly contribute towards reducing dependency on fossil fuels. Therefore, promoting innovative renewable applications and reinforcing the renewable energy market will contribute to preservation of the ecosystem by reducing emissions at local and global levels. This will also contribute to the amelioration of environmental conditions by replacing conventional fuels with renewable energies that produce no air pollution or greenhouse gases. The provision of good indoor environmental quality while achieving energy and cost-efficient operation of the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) plants in buildings represents a multi-variant problem. The comfort of building occupants is dependent on many environmental parameters including air speed, temperature, relative humidity and quality in addition to lighting and noise. The overall objective is to provide a high

Single-Family Energy Auditor Job Task Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Head, Heather R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kurnik, Charles W [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-05-02

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is contracted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) to develop and maintain the resources under the Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals (GHEP) project. As part of the GHEP strategy to increase the quality of work conducted for single-family, residential energy-efficiency retrofits, the Home Energy Professionals Job Task Analysis are used as the foundation for quality training programs and trainers.

Quality assurance in the measurement of internal radioactive contamination and dose assessment and the United States Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatt, Anita

2016-01-01

The Quality Assurance for analytical measurement of internal radioactive contamination and dose assessment in the United States (US) is achieved through the US Department of Energy (DOE) Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP) for both Dosimetry and Radio bioassay laboratories for approximately 150,000 radiation workers. This presentation will explain the link between Quality Assurance and the DOELAP Accreditation process. DOELAP is a DOE complex-wide safety program that ensures the quality of worker radiation protection programs. DOELAP tests the ability of laboratories to accurately measure and quantify radiation dose to workers and assures the laboratories quality systems are capable of defending and sustaining their measurement results. The United States Law in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 835 requires that personnel Dosimetry and Radio bioassay programs be tested and accredited

Quality assurance programs developed and implemented by the US Department of Energy`s Analytical Services Program for environmental restoration and waste management activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lillian, D.; Bottrell, D. [Dept. of Energy, Germntown, MD (United States)

1993-12-31

The U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) has been tasked with addressing environmental contamination and waste problems facing the Department. A key element of any environmental restoration or waste management program is environmental data. An effective and efficient sampling and analysis program is required to generate credible environmental data. The bases for DOE`s EM Analytical Services Program (ASP) are contained in the charter and commitments in Secretary of Energy Notice SEN-13-89, EM program policies and requirements, and commitments to Congress and the Office of Inspector General (IG). The Congressional commitment by DOE to develop and implement an ASP was in response to concerns raised by the Chairman of the Congressional Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Subcommittee, and the Chairman of the Congressional Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, regarding the production of analytical data. The development and implementation of an ASP also satisfies the IG`s audit report recommendations on environmental analytical support, including development and implementation of a national strategy for acquisition of quality sampling and analytical services. These recommendations were endorsed in Departmental positions, which further emphasize the importance of the ASP to EM`s programs. In September 1990, EM formed the Laboratory Management Division (LMD) in the Office of Technology Development to provide the programmatic direction needed to establish and operate an EM-wide ASP program. In January 1992, LMD issued the {open_quotes}Analytical Services Program Five-Year Plan.{close_quotes} This document described LMD`s strategy to ensure the production of timely, cost-effective, and credible environmental data. This presentation describes the overall LMD Analytical Services Program and, specifically, the various QA programs.

Air Quality, Energy Budget, and Offset Policy in South Africa's Low-Income Settlements

Science.gov (United States)

Hersey, S. P.; Piketh, S.; Burger, R.

2014-12-01

Urban and exurban residential populations in South Africa reside primarily in low-income settlements, including many townships remaining from Apartheid. Over 3 million free government homes have been built in the last 20 years, but the number of people living in informal settlements is the same as at the end of Apartheid in 1994 - a consequence of rapid urbanization. Despite availability of electricity to the vast majority of South Africans, ~80% of electrified homes in low-income areas also burn coal and/or wood as supplementary fuels for cooking and heating. These domestic burning activities represent 70-85% of total PM10mass during winter in South Africa's low-income settlements. Here we analyze data from observations of human-atmosphere systems in: 1) 19 ground monitoring sites in Gauteng Province (Johannesburg and Pretoria), and 2) an intensive sampling campaign in a township in Mpumalanga Province (Industrial Highveld). From ground monitoring, we quantitatively describe seasonal and diurnal trends in PM10 and PM2.5 typical in low-income settlements as compared with industrial and developed suburban areas, and demonstrate the impact of low-income settlements on regional air quality. We also explore the implications of economic development in townships (increased household income, expanded commercialization and widespread electricity usage) on local and regional air quality. Data from the intensive township sampling study provides a seasonal energy budget for domestic burning in low-income settlements and suggests that indoor and ambient air quality are independent systems requiring unique interventions. We conclude with a preview of innovative strategies being developed by industry, government, and academic stakeholders for a not-like-for-like emissions offset policy in South Africa, focused on investments directly into low-income settlements that are aimed at reducing PM exposure.

The renewable energies in the heart of the energy diversification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antolini, A.; Chartier, Ph.; Saglio, A.

2002-06-01

The renewable energies constitute a primordial part of the energy accounting of the future, taking into account the energy supply safety, the environmental quality and the local economic development. In this framework the authors present the stakes and the today data concerning the french and european situations of the renewable energies production, the development of the wind power and the solar energy and show the necessity of rapidly complete the today legislation of the french legal framework. (A.L.B.)

Eco-design of low energy mechanical milling through implementation of quality function deployment and design for sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Rashid, Muhammad Hanif Abd; Nor, Nik Hisyamudin Muhd; Selamat, Siti Norhana; Hassan, Mohd Fahrul; Rahim, Abd Khalil Abd; Ahmad, Mohd Fauzi; Ismail, Al Emran; Omar, Badrul; Mokhtar, Mohd Faiz; Turan, Faiz Mohd; Yokoyama, Seiji

2017-04-01

Malaysia as a developing country favor energy demand by years which created mainly from fossil fuel. Unfortunately, the action leads to significant increment in carbon dioxide (CO2) emission that causing the global warming. The most promising mitigation strategy is by deploying Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology where mineral carbonation was identified as the safest method for permanent storage and does not require continuous monitoring. Accordingly, National Green Technology was launched in 2009 to support the growth of green technology development in Malaysia as a carbon mitigation strategy. Thus, this paper aims to propose the development of a conceptual eco-design for Low Energy Mechanical Milling (LEMM). The concept was proposed by using the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) tool with combination of sustainability determinants (DFS) namely economic, environmental and social which evaluated using Solidworks 2015 sustainability assessment. The results show the new product targets for LEMM in prior on energy consumption (MJ), selling price (MYR), material cost (MYR), carbon footprint (kg CO2) with weightage of 5.2, 4.2, 3.6 and 3.6 respectively. The implementation of DFS criteria into the QFD promote to reduce material used by 16%, 35% reduction of carbon footprint, 28% less energy consumption, 28% lower air acidification, 77% of water eutrophication declined and increased recyclability by 15%.

Quality control of dosemeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendes, L.

1984-01-01

Nuclear medicine laboratories are required to assay samples of radioactivity to be administered to patients. Almost universally, these assays are acomplished by use of a well ionization chamber isotope calibrator. The Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (Institute for Radiological Protection and Dosimetry) of the Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (National Commission for Nuclear Energy) is carrying out a National Quality Control Programme in Nuclear Medicine, supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The assessment of the current needs and practices of quality control in the entire country of Brazil includes Dose Calibrators and Scintilation Cameras, but this manual is restricted to the former. Quality Control Procedures for these Instruments are described in this document together with specific recommendations and assessment of its accuracy. (Author) [pt

Long-term evaluation of biomass production and quality of two cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) cultivars for energy use

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Angelini, Luciana G.; Ceccarini, Lucia; Nassi o Di Nasso, Nicoletta [University of Pisa, Dipartimento di Agronomia e Gestione dell' Agroecosistema, Via S. Michele degli Scalzi, 2, 56100 Pisa (Italy); Bonari, Enrico [Scuola Sant' Anna, Piazza Martiri della Liberta, 33, 56100 Pisa (Italy)

2009-05-15

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) is an herbaceous species indicated as one of the most suitable energy crop for southern European countries. The aim of this work was to outline the productivity of two cardoon cultivars, Bianco Avorio (BA) and Gigante di Romagna (GR), over 11 years of cultivation in rain fed field conditions in the temperate climate of Central Italy. The quantitative and qualitative aspects of its biomass (calorific value, ultimate and proximate analyses, ash composition) as well as its energy balance (energy efficiency, net energy yield) have been determined. Crop dry yield was not different between the two cultivars and it was rather stable with a mean value (averaged from year 3 to 11) of 14 and 13 t ha{sup -1} for GR and BA respectively. Furthermore the biomass dry matter content was higher in BA than GR (51% vs 42%). The chemical analysis of cardoon biomass showed a similar composition in both cultivars with good calorific value (15 MJ kg{sup -1}) but with an ash content (13.9% d.w.) higher than other herbaceous energy crops. The total energy input was higher in the establishing than in the following years, however from the planting year onward, both cardoon crops were characterised by a positive energy balance. Even if its mean net energy is lower than other perennial energy crops (182 GJ ha{sup -1} year{sup -1}), cardoon can be easily propagated by seed with important advantages for crop management and production costs. The results confirmed cardoon's good biomass yield and favourable energy balance even in cultivation systems characterised by limited water input. Moreover future works are necessary in order to improve cardoon biomass quality and to evaluate the possibility of using it in blends with other biomass sources. (author)

Long-term evaluation of biomass production and quality of two cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) cultivars for energy use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelini, Luciana G.; Ceccarini, Lucia; Nassi o Di Nasso, Nicoletta; Bonari, Enrico

2009-01-01

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) is an herbaceous species indicated as one of the most suitable energy crop for southern European countries. The aim of this work was to outline the productivity of two cardoon cultivars, Bianco Avorio (BA) and Gigante di Romagna (GR), over 11 years of cultivation in rain fed field conditions in the temperate climate of Central Italy. The quantitative and qualitative aspects of its biomass (calorific value, ultimate and proximate analyses, ash composition) as well as its energy balance (energy efficiency, net energy yield) have been determined. Crop dry yield was not different between the two cultivars and it was rather stable with a mean value (averaged from year 3 to 11) of 14 and 13 t ha -1 for GR and BA respectively. Furthermore the biomass dry matter content was higher in BA than GR (51% vs 42%). The chemical analysis of cardoon biomass showed a similar composition in both cultivars with good calorific value (15 MJ kg -1 ) but with an ash content (13.9% d.w.) higher than other herbaceous energy crops. The total energy input was higher in the establishing than in the following years, however from the planting year onward, both cardoon crops were characterised by a positive energy balance. Even if its mean net energy is lower than other perennial energy crops (182 GJ ha -1 year -1 ), cardoon can be easily propagated by seed with important advantages for crop management and production costs. The results confirmed cardoon's good biomass yield and favourable energy balance even in cultivation systems characterised by limited water input. Moreover future works are necessary in order to improve cardoon biomass quality and to evaluate the possibility of using it in blends with other biomass sources.

Energy potential mapping : Visualising energy characteristics for the exergetic optimisation of the built environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broersma, S.; Fremouw, M.A.; Van den Dobbelsteen, A.A.J.F.

2013-01-01

It is difficult to fully satisfy the energy demand of today’s society with renewables. Nevertheless, most of the energy we use is lost as non-functional waste energy, whereas a large part of the built environment’s energy demand is only for low-quality energy, so the initial demand for primary,

Alberta's clean energy future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

This paper deals with the future of clean energy in Alberta. With the present economic growth of the oil sands industry in Alberta, it is expected that there will be very considerable increases in job opportunities and GDP in both Canada and US. The challenges include high-energy demand and reduction of the carbon footprint. Alberta has adopted certain approaches to developing renewable and alternate forms of energy as well as to increasing the efficiency of present energy use and raising environmental consciousness in energy production. Three areas where the effects of clean energy will be felt are energy systems, climate change, and regional impacts, for instance on land, water, and wildlife. Alberta's regulatory process is shown by means of a flow chart. Aspects of oil sands environmental management include greenhouse gas targets, air quality assurance, and water quality monitoring, among others. Steps taken by Alberta to monitor and improve air quality and water management are listed. In conclusion, the paper notes that significant amounts of money are being pumped into research and development for greenhouse gas and water management projects.

Lessons learned from a rigorous peer-review process for building the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness (CLEAN) collection of high-quality digital teaching materials

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, A. U.; Ledley, T. S.; McCaffrey, M. S.; Buhr, S. M.; Manduca, C. A.; Niepold, F.; Fox, S.; Howell, C. D.; Lynds, S. E.

2010-12-01

The topic of climate change permeates all aspects of our society: the news, household debates, scientific conferences, etc. To provide students with accurate information about climate science and energy awareness, educators require scientifically and pedagogically robust teaching materials. To address this need, the NSF-funded Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) Pathway has assembled a new peer-reviewed digital collection as part of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) featuring teaching materials centered on climate and energy science for grades 6 through 16. The scope and framework of the collection is defined by the Essential Principles of Climate Science (CCSP 2009) and a set of energy awareness principles developed in the project. The collection provides trustworthy teaching materials on these socially relevant topics and prepares students to become responsible decision-makers. While a peer-review process is desirable for curriculum developer as well as collection builder to ensure quality, its implementation is non-trivial. We have designed a rigorous and transparent peer-review process for the CLEAN collection, and our experiences provide general guidelines that can be used to judge the quality of digital teaching materials across disciplines. Our multi-stage review process ensures that only resources with teaching goals relevant to developing climate literacy and energy awareness are considered. Each relevant resource is reviewed by two individuals to assess the i) scientific accuracy, ii) pedagogic effectiveness, and iii) usability/technical quality. A science review by an expert ensures the scientific quality and accuracy. Resources that pass all review steps are forwarded to a review panel of educators and scientists who make a final decision regarding inclusion of the materials in the CLEAN collection. Results from the first panel review show that about 20% (~100) of the resources that were initially considered for inclusion

Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation in Residential Deep Energy Retrofits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Less, Brennan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Walker, Iain [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2014-06-01

Because airtightening is a significant part of Deep Energy Retrofits (DERs), concerns about ventilation and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) have emerged. To investigate this, ventilation and IAQ were assessed in 17 non-smoking California Deep Energy Retrofit homes. Inspections and surveys were used to assess household activities and ventilation systems. Pollutant sampling performed in 12 homes included six-day passive samples of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), formaldehyde and air exchange rate (AER); time-resolved data loggers were used to measure particle counts. Half of the homes provided continuous mechanical ventilation. Despite these homes being twice as airtight (3.0 and 7.6 ACH50, respectively), their median AER was indistinguishable from naturally vented homes (0.36 versus 0.37 hr^-1). Numerous problems were found with ventilation systems; however, pollutant levels did not reach levels of concern in most homes. Ambient NO₂ standards were exceeded in some gas cooking homes that used legacy ranges with standing pilots, and in Passive House-style homes without range hoods exhausted to outside. Cooking exhaust systems were installed and used inconsistently. The majority of homes reported using low-emitting materials, and formaldehyde levels were approximately half those in conventional new CA homes (19.7 versus 36 μg/m³), with emissions rates nearly 40percent less (12.3 versus 20.6 μg/m²/hr.). Presence of air filtration systems led to lower indoor particle number concentrations (PN_>0.5: 8.80E+06 PN/m³ versus 2.99E+06; PN_>2.5: 5.46E+0.5 PN/m³ versus 2.59E+05). The results indicate that DERs can provide adequate ventilation and IAQ, and that DERs should prioritize source control, particle filtration and well-designed local exhaust systems, while still providing adequate continuous ventilation.

Cyber-physical system for a water reclamation plant: Balancing aeration, energy, and water quality to maintain process resilience

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Junjie

Aeration accounts for a large fraction of energy consumption in conventional water reclamation plants (WRPs). Although process operations at older WRPs can satisfy effluent permit requirements, they typically operate with excess aeration. More effective process controls at older WRPs can be challenging as operators work to balance higher energy costs and more stringent effluent limitations while managing fluctuating loads. Therefore, understandings of process resilience or ability to quickly return to original operation conditions at a WRP are important. A state-of-art WRP should maintain process resilience to deal with different kinds of perturbations even after optimization of energy demands. This work was to evaluate the applicability and feasibility of cyber-physical system (CPS) for improving operation at Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) Calumet WRP. In this work, a process model was developed and used to better understand the conditions of current Calumet WRP, with additional valuable information from two dissolved oxygen field measurements. Meanwhile, a classification system was developed to reveal the pattern of historical influent scenario based on cluster analysis and cross-tabulation analysis. Based on the results from the classification, typical process control options were investigated. To ensure the feasibility of information acquisition, the reliability and flexibility of soft sensors were assessed to typical influent conditions. Finally, the process resilience was investigated to better balance influent perturbations, energy demands, and effluent quality for long-term operations. These investigations and evaluations show that although the energy demands change as the influent conditions and process controls. In general, aeration savings could be up to 50% from the level of current consumption; with a more complex process controls, the saving could be up to 70% in relatively steady-state conditions and at least 40

A comparison of low-carbohydrate vs. high-carbohydrate diets: energy restriction, nutrient quality and correlation to body mass index.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Shanthy A; Spence, Joseph T

2002-06-01

To evaluate free-living adults' diets that ranged from very low to high amounts of carbohydrate for their energy content, nutritional quality and correlation to Body Mass Index. Adults ages 19 years and older, who had complete dietary intake data on day-1 of the USDA's 1994 to 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII 1994-1996), were divided into four groups--very low, low, moderate and high carbohydrate--based on the percent total energy from carbohydrate. Mean energy, nutrient, food intakes and Body Mass Index values were compared among the groups. SUDAAN software package was used for the data analysis and pair-wise mean comparisons (p low-fat foods, grain products and fruits. This group also had the lowest sodium intake. Adults eating a high-carbohydrate diet are more likely to have Body Mass Index values below 25. A study of diets of free-living adults in the U.S. showed that diets high in carbohydrate were both energy restrictive and nutritious and may be adopted for successful weight management.

Temperature and Humidity Control in Air-Conditioned Buildings with lower Energy Demand and increased Indoor Air Quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paul, Joachim; Martos, E. T.

2003-01-01

Air-conditioning is not only a matter of temperature control. Thermal comfort and good indoor air quality are mainly a matter of humidity. Human health and well being may suffer seriously from inadequate humidity and/or too low temperatures in a room. A case study involving supermarket air......%. For indoor air temperature and humidity control, the use of an ice slurry (´Binary Ice´)was compared to conventional chilled water. The use of Binary Ice instead of chilled water makes the air handling and air distribution installation much simpler, recirculation of air becomes obsolete, and a higher portion...... of ambient air can be supplied, thus improving the indoor air quality still further. Reheating of air is not necessary when using Binary Ice. The introduction of chilled air into a room requires a different type of air outlet, however. When using Binary Ice, energy savings are high for climates with low...

Nonlinear image blending for dual-energy MDCT of the abdomen: can image quality be preserved if the contrast medium dose is reduced?

Science.gov (United States)

Mileto, Achille; Ramirez-Giraldo, Juan Carlos; Marin, Daniele; Alfaro-Cordoba, Marcela; Eusemann, Christian D; Scribano, Emanuele; Blandino, Alfredo; Mazziotti, Silvio; Ascenti, Giorgio

2014-10-01

The objective of this study was to compare the image quality of a dual-energy nonlinear image blending technique at reduced load of contrast medium with a simulated 120-kVp linear blending technique at a full dose during portal venous phase MDCT of the abdomen. Forty-five patients (25 men, 20 women; mean age, 65.6 ± 9.7 [SD] years; mean body weight, 74.9 ± 12.4 kg) underwent contrast-enhanced single-phase dual-energy CT of the abdomen by a random assignment to one of three different contrast medium (iomeprol 400) dose injection protocols: 1.3, 1.0, or 0.65 mL/kg of body weight. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and noise at the portal vein, liver, aorta, and kidney were compared among the different datasets using the ANOVA. Three readers qualitatively assessed all datasets in a blinded and independent fashion. Nonlinear blended images at a 25% reduced dose allowed a significant improvement in CNR (p < 0.05 for all comparisons), compared with simulated 120-kVp linear blended images at a full dose. No statistically significant difference existed in CNR and noise between the nonlinear blended images at a 50% reduced dose and the simulated 120-kVp linear blended images at a full dose. Nonlinear blended images at a 50% reduced dose were considered in all cases to have acceptable image quality. The dual-energy nonlinear image blending technique allows reducing the dose of contrast medium up to 50% during portal venous phase imaging of the abdomen while preserving image quality.

Improving Ventilation and Saving Energy: Final Report on Indoor Environmental Quality and Energy Monitoring in Sixteen Relocatable Classrooms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Apte, Michael G.; Norman, Bourassa; Faulkner, David; Hodgson, Alfred T.; Hotchi, Toshfumi; Spears, Michael; Sullivan, Douglas P.; Wang, Duo

2008-04-04

effective removal of volatile organic compounds and aldehydes, on average lowering the concentrations by 57 percent relative to the levels in the 10 SEER classrooms. The average IHPAC to 10 SEER formaldehyde ratio was about 67 percent, indicating only a 33 percent reduction of this compound in indoor air. The IHPAC thermal control system provided less variability in occupied classroom temperature than the 10 SEER thermostats. The average room temperatures in all seasons tended to be slightly lower in the IHPAC classrooms, often below the lower limit of the ASHRAE 55 thermal comfort band. State-wide and national energy modeling provided conservative estimates of potential energy savings by use of the IHPAC system that would provide payback a the range of time far lower than the lifetime of the equipment. Assuming electricity costs of $0.15/kWh, the perclassroom range of savings is from about $85 to $195 per year in California, and about $89 to $250 per year in the U.S., depending upon the city. These modelsdid not include the non-energy benefits to the classrooms including better air quality and acoustic conditions that could lead to improved health and learning in school. Market connection efforts that were part of the study give all indication that this has been a very successful project. The successes include the specification of the IHPAC equipment in the CHPS portable classroom standards, the release of a commercial product based on the standards that is now being installed in schools around the U.S., and the fact that a public utility company is currently considering the addition of the technology to its customer incentive program. These successes indicate that the IHPAC may reach its potential to improve ventilation and save energy in classrooms.

Productivity and energy efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lovins, H. [Rocky Mountain Inst., Snowmass, CO (United States)

1995-12-31

Energy efficient building and office design offers the possibility of significantly increased worker productivity. By improving lighting, heating and cooling, workers can be made more comfortable and productive. An increase of 1 percent in productivity can provide savings to a company that exceed its entire energy bill. Efficient design practices are cost effective just from their energy savings. The resulting productivity gains make them indispensable. This paper documents eight cases in which efficient lighting, heating, and cooling have measurably increased worker productivity, decreased absenteeism, and/or improved the quality of work performed. They also show that efficient lighting can measurably increase work quality by removing errors and manufacturing defects. The case studies presented include retrofit of existing buildings and the design of new facilities, and cover a variety of commercial and industrial settings. Each case study identifies the design changes that were most responsible for increased productivity. As the eight case studies illustrate, energy efficient design may be one of the least expensive ways for a business to improve the productivity of its workers and the quality of its product. (author). 15 refs.

Small Wind Energy Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simoes, Marcelo; Farret, Felix Alberto; Blaabjerg, Frede

2015-01-01

devices, and a centralized distribution control. In order to establish a small wind energy system it is important to observe the following: (i) Attending the energy requirements of the actual or future consumers; (ii) Establishing civil liabilities in case of accidents and financial losses due to shortage...... or low quality of energy; (iii) Negotiating collective conditions to interconnect the microgrid with the public network or with other sources of energy that is independent of wind resources; (iv) Establishing a performance criteria of power quality and reliability to end-users, in order to reduce costs...... and guaranteeing an acceptable energy supply. This paper discuss how performance is affected by local conditions and random nature of the wind, power demand profiles, turbine related factors, and presents the technical issues for implementing a self-excited induction generator system, or a permanent magnet based...

Summary report of the Department of Energy, Division of Operational and Environmental Safety: Quality Assurance Programs 1 through 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welford, G.A.; Fisenne, I.M.; Sanderson, C.

1978-01-01

Analytical Laboratories which provide environmental monitoring data for assessment of radioactive contamination, under the Department of Energy (DOE) Contract, were requested to participate in a Quality Assurance Program. The Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) was asked to prepare intercomparison samples for radionuclide analysis of soil, water, air filters, tissue ash, and vegetation ash for distribution to the Analytical Laboratories. Samples were collected in the environment of DOE facilities, since only water and air samples could be conveniently spiked. A set of 6 to 8 samples is distributed quarterly to about 28 laboratories. EML performed multiple analyses on the samples, however, the results are considered intercomparisons not standards. This report summarizes the program and evaluates the data for Quality Assurance Programs (QAP) from 1 through 4

Energy transition, a new French energy model. Future energies, green growth, sustainable jobs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Royal, Segolene

2014-01-01

This publication introduces the new French energy policy for energy transition. It presents and comments the main orientations defined for this policy and which are at the base of the French law on energy transition for a green growth. Thus, it addresses the following topics: to define common objectives for a successful energy transition, to strengthen France's energy independence and to struggle against climate change; to better insulate buildings to save energy, to reduce energy bills and to create jobs; to develop clean transports to improve air quality and to protect the health of French people; to promote renewable energies to diversify energies and to valorise resources of French territories; to struggle against wastage and to promote circular economy from product design to product recycling; to simplify and clarify procedures aimed at improving efficiency and competitiveness; to strengthen nuclear safety and citizen information; and to provide citizen, enterprises, territories and the State with the power to act together

Energy efficient processing of natural resources; Energieeffiziente Verarbeitung natuerlicher Rohstoffe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pehlken, Alexandra [Univ. Bremen (Germany). Projekt FU2; Hans, Carl [Bremer Institut fuer Produktion und Logistik GmbH BIBA, Bremen (Germany). Abt. Intelligente Informations- und Kommunikationsumgebungen fuer die kooperative Produktion im Forschungsbereich Informations- und Kommunikationstechnische Anwendungen; Thoben, Klaus-Dieter [Univ. Bremen (Germany). Inst. fuer integrierte Produktentwicklung; Bremer Institut fuer Produktion und Logistik GmbH BIBA, Bremen (Germany). Forschungsbereich Informations- und kommunikationstechnische Anwendungen; Austing, Bernhard [Fa. Austing, Damme (Germany)

2012-10-15

Energy efficiency is gaining high importance in production processes. High energy consumption is directly related to high costs. The processing of natural resources is resulting in additional energy input because of defined output quality demands. This paper discussed approaches and IT-solutions for the automatically adjustment of production processes to cope with varying input qualities. The intention is to achieve the lowest energy input into the process without quality restraints.

A study of electrical power network of renewable energies and water desalination research center using power quality phenomena and indices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segayer, Ali Mehemmed

2008-08-01

Renewable energies and water distillation research center (REWDRC) is a very strategic research facility and contains many important and critical industrial and electrical loads that must to be operated as a group to fulfill the requirements and the needs of the center in the operation of the main research facility of the center which a 10 MW reactor. Faults on the electrical or the industrial system can occur on many ways such as a malfunction in the questioned system, power quality related problem, or a failure of any of the loads (such as central ventilation or water circulation system or one of the substations) have a great diverse effect on the operation of the main research facility (reactor). In this research common problems due to power quality phenomena were studied, assessed through a assigning some power quality indices to the electrical network of the center so that the operational condition of the REWDRC electrical and industrial network could be evaluated. power quality indices (PQI) were assigned based on results of real time measurements at the points of common coupling of the network (PCC) and the initial power quality survey report. indices analysis was done using three methods which were the normalization method, method of comparing to the limit value and analysis of measurement data time function profile. As a result of this research a recommendation for safe operation against power quality disturbances was pointed out through a continuous monitoring of assigned power quality indices. (Author)

Planning and implementation of reliability/quality programs to energy plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quenon, J.

1986-01-01

Quality Assurance principles have long been applied in part to many varied industrial enterprises. The advent of commercial nuclear power brought the evolution of a more comprehensive approach to the applications of quality assurance programs in this industry. However, the application philosophy was almost totally aimed at assuring the safety of the worker and the public. Recently, there has been a strong movement by industries and business in the U.S. and Europe to apply quality assurance in a more general way to assure overall reliability as well as safety. This paper describes an approach to enable management to not only make initial determinations of how to apply the elements of a reliability/quality assurance program, but how to continuously adjust the program to optimize the benefits that can be obtained

Quality assurance program for determining the radioactivity in environmental samples at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gone, J.K.; Wang, T.W.

2000-01-01

Interest in determining radioactivity in environmental samples has increased considerably in recent years after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Environmental monitoring programs have been set up in different countries to measure the trace amount of radionuclides in the environment, and quality of the analytical results on these samples is important because the regulation and safety concerns. A good quality assurance program is essential to provide accurate information for the regulatory body and environmentalists to set proper reactions to protect the environment, and a good analytical result is also important for scientists to determine the transfer of radionuclides between environmental matrices. The Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (lNER) in Taiwan has been working on radionuclide analysis in environmental samples for years, and it's environmental media radioanalytical laboratory (EMRAL) has recently upgraded its quality assurance program for the international standard ISO/lEC guide 25 requirements. The general requirements of lSO/lEC guide 25 has been adapted by the Chinese National Laboratory Accreditation (CNLA) of Taiwan, and CNLA is also a member of International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC). This paper summarizes the quality assurance program of lNER's EMRAL. It covers both management and technical sections. These sections have ensured the quality of INER's EMRAL, and they can be applied to different laboratories in the future. (author)

Quality assurance program for determining the radioactivity in environmental samples at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gone, J.K. [TRR-II Project Team, Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Taoyuan, Taiwan (China); Wang, T.W. [Division of Health Physics, Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Taoyuan, Taiwan (China)

2000-05-01

Interest in determining radioactivity in environmental samples has increased considerably in recent years after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Environmental monitoring programs have been set up in different countries to measure the trace amount of radionuclides in the environment, and quality of the analytical results on these samples is important because the regulation and safety concerns. A good quality assurance program is essential to provide accurate information for the regulatory body and environmentalists to set proper reactions to protect the environment, and a good analytical result is also important for scientists to determine the transfer of radionuclides between environmental matrices. The Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (lNER) in Taiwan has been working on radionuclide analysis in environmental samples for years, and it's environmental media radioanalytical laboratory (EMRAL) has recently upgraded its quality assurance program for the international standard ISO/lEC guide 25 requirements. The general requirements of lSO/lEC guide 25 has been adapted by the Chinese National Laboratory Accreditation (CNLA) of Taiwan, and CNLA is also a member of International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC). This paper summarizes the quality assurance program of lNER's EMRAL. It covers both management and technical sections. These sections have ensured the quality of INER's EMRAL, and they can be applied to different laboratories in the future. (author)

The renewable energies in the heart of the energy diversification; Les energies renouvelables au coeur de la diversification energetique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antolini, A.; Chartier, Ph.; Saglio, A

2002-06-01

The renewable energies constitute a primordial part of the energy accounting of the future, taking into account the energy supply safety, the environmental quality and the local economic development. In this framework the authors present the stakes and the today data concerning the french and european situations of the renewable energies production, the development of the wind power and the solar energy and show the necessity of rapidly complete the today legislation of the french legal framework. (A.L.B.)

Climate, air and energy - Issue 2014. Key figures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

After having recalled international objectives (Kyoto protocol), European objectives (directives related to energy efficiency and renewable energies, greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation, air quality, wastes) and French national (plans, laws) and sector-based objectives (for buildings, transports, agriculture, renewable energies, industry, office building and local communities, air quality), this publication presents and comments numerous tables and graphs of data and indicators (and of their evolution) regarding energy consumptions and intensities (primary and final energy), greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, emissions of pollutants and air quality in France and in European countries, but also the implementation of various plans and tools (Agenda 21 for example), the creation of specific public bodies, jobs and markets related to renewable energies in France. The other chapters propose detailed data related to energy consumption or production, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and so on for different sectors: housing, tertiary sector, transport, industry, agriculture and forest, renewable energies and heat networks, wastes, individuals

Energy-efficient Building in Greenland: Investigation of the Energy Consumption and Indoor Climate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luc, Katarzyna Marta; Kotol, Martin; Lading, Tove

2016-01-01

Recently, a brand new single family home was built in Sisimiut, Greenland. The building was constructed as a wooden house typical for Greenland. However, some non-traditional measures were implemented in order to reduce the energy consumption and improve indoor air quality. Assessment...... was installed in the house. It enables the evaluation of the indoor air quality, as well as building's energy performance. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the performance of the newly constructed house by and compare it with the performance of identical house built in a traditional way by using...... a computer model. The data obtained from the measurements in the new house were used to verify the model. Significant energy savings and improvements of indoor air quality were found in the new house when compared to the traditional one. Moreover, all the extra measures have a feasible payback time despite...

A sustainable energy development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The French government has decided to encourage electric power production through renewable energies (such as wind energy with the Eole 2000 plan, solar water heaters in overseas departments, wood energy for space heating in buildings, photovoltaic energy), demand side management and cogeneration, and to enhance its purchase conditions by the government-owned EDF utility. Laws have been also introduced concerning air quality and the rational use of energy

Dual energy computer tomography. Objectve dosimetry, image quality and dose efficiency; Dual Energy Computertomographie. Objektive Dosimetrie, Bildqualitaet und Dosiseffizienz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schenzle, Jan Christian

2012-05-24

The aim of the present studies was an objective reflection of newly developed methods of modern imaging techniques concerning radiation exposure to the human body. Dual Source computed tomography has opened up a broad variety of new diagnostic possibilities. Using two X-ray sources with an angular offset of about 90 in a single gantry, images with a high spatiotemporal resolution can be achieved, for example in patients suffering acute chest pain. The Dual Energy Mode is based on the acquisition of two data sets with two different X-ray spectra which make it possible to identify certain substances with different spectral properties like bone, iodine or other organic material. [6-17] There is no doubt that this technical innovation will make an essential contribution to clinical diagnostics, but it remained to be proven that there is no additional dose. An anthropomorphic Phantom and thermoluminiscent detectors were used to objectively quantify the radiation dose resulting from the different examination protocols. For Dual Energy CT examinations, it was possible to verify dose neutrality in combination with comparable image quality and even improved contrast to noise ratio. Nowadays, this protocol is used in clinical routine examinations, e.g. for the evaluation of pulmonary embolism. A milestone in dose reduction was reached with modern triple rule out protocols. Causes of acute chest pain such as heart attack, pulmonary embolism or aortic rupture can be differentiated in a single examination with a high precision and a fractional amount of dose compared to conventional methods.

INFLUENCE OF FEEDING ELECTRIC ENERGY QUALITY ON HEATING OF THE AUXILIARY MA-CHINES OF AC ELECTRIC ROLLING STOCK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. YU. Baliichuk

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The article aims to study the problem of increase the reliability of auxiliary machines for AC electric trains during operation in real conditions. Methodology. The peculiarity of system construction of auxiliary machines for AC electric rolling stock is the use of asynchronous motors for general industrial purpose. An engineering method of influence determination on the feeding voltage asymmetry and its deviation from the nominal value on heating of auxiliary machines insulation was proposed. Findings. It is found out that in case when the auxiliary machines of AC electric trains work under asymmetry factor of the voltage 10% or more and feeding voltage deviation from the nominal order 0.6 relative unit then it is possible the overheat of their isolation, even if it has class H. Originality. For the first time the issue of the total insulation heating under such boundary parameters combinations of energy quality, when each of them contributes to the heating insulation increase as compared to the nominal regime of the "rotating phase splitter−auxiliary machinery" system was illuminated. Practical value. Conducted research allow us to establish the boundary parameter values of feeding energy quality (asymmetry factor, feeding voltage deviations from the nominal value, at which additional isolation overheating of this class under the effect of specified factors will not exceed the agreed value.

The nuclear energy: an essential source of the energy package

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngo, Ch.

2007-01-01

In the framework of the energy consumption facing the environmental quality, the author presents the energy sources, used and possible. He shows the necessity to reduce the dependency towards the fossil fuels. He discusses the possibility of the CO 2 storage, the electric power use to decrease the CO 2 emissions. He then analyses the cogeneration alternative, the hybrid vehicles and the advantages of the nuclear energy. (A.L.B.)

High quality steel casting for energy technics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuster, F.; Koefler, G.

1982-01-01

The casting of several chromium-molybdenum steels for steam and hydraulic turbines is discussed. Non-destructive testing of the castings is performed demonstrating the safety for use in nuclear technology. The effect of metallurgical parameters on steel casting quality, the heat treatment, and the effect of construction design on costs for fettling and repair weldings are considered. (Auth.)

Rescue US energy innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Anadon, Laura Diaz; Gallagher, Kelly Sims; Holdren, John P.

2017-10-01

President Trump has proposed severe cuts to US government spending on energy research, development and demonstration, but Congress has the `power of the purse' and can rescue US energy innovation. If serious cuts are enacted, the pace of innovation will slow, harming the economy, energy security and global environmental quality.

Effect of ingredients on rheological, nutritional and quality characteristics of fibre and protein enriched baked energy bars.

Science.gov (United States)

Rawat, Neelam; Darappa, Indrani

2015-05-01

Effect of substitution of brown flour (BF) with fiber rich ingredient mixture, FRIM (banana flour, psyllium husk, partially defatted coconut flour and oats) and protein rich ingredient mixture, PRIM (chickpea flour, sesame, soya protein isolate and whey protein concentrate) at the levels of 25, 50 and 75 % on the rheological, nutritional and quality characteristics of baked energy bars (BEB) were studied. Use of increasing amount of FRIM increased farinograph water absorption and amylograph peak viscosity while PRIM decreased the aforementioned parameters. Addition of FRIM or PRIM increased the bar dough hardness and decreased cohesiveness and springiness. The overall quality score of BEB increased only up to the substitution of 50 % of BF with FRIM or PRIM. The BEB with 50 % FRIM and PRIM remained chemically stable during storage up to 3 months and showed 9 times increase in dietary fiber content and about 2 times increase in protein content respectively.

Implementation of the quality management system in the regulatory body (Peruvian Institute for Nuclear Energy, Lima, Peru)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medina Gironzini, E.

2013-01-01

One of the functions of the Peruvian Institute of Nuclear Energy (IPEN), Lima, Peru is the control of sources of ionizing radiation. For this, they have the Oficina Tecnica de la Autoridad Nacional (OTAN) which has the necessary infrastructure to issue technical standards, conducting inspections, issuing authorizations and punish according to the existing legislation. OTAN has decided to address this issue and is taking into account the IAEA recommendations, especially the Safety Requirements GS-R-3: Management System facilities and activities and offering advice on the establishment and improvement of integrated management systems, including safety requirements that are not in the ISO 9001 standard and are also considered the requirements of technological safety, security, quality, economic, environmental and health. The working plan is detailed and the activities that are carried out after the scientific visit to a regulator organ, which has experience in the execution of a Quality Management System, consequence of a work initiated for more than four decades ago

Effects of dietary energy levels using calcium salts of fatty acids on nutritive value of diets and milk quality in peripartum dairy goats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo de Souza

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Peripartum is a critical period for dairy goats, as dry matter intake (DMI is not enough to supply the energy requirement for foetal growth and subsequent lactation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of calcium salts of fatty acids (CSFA to increase dietary energy level of peripartum dairy goats and its effects on nutritive value of diets and milk quality. Twenty multiparous Saanen goats (body weight 63.5±10.3 kg were distributed in a completely randomised design in four treatments at the following dietary energy levels: 2.6 Mcal of metabolisable energy per kg of dry matter (Mcal ME/kg DM - control diet; and 2.7, 2.8, and 2.9 Mcal/kg DM - with added CSFA. Goats were housed in individual stalls and evaluated in the peripartum period, by measuring body weight (BW, DMI, dry matter and nutrient digestibility of diets, blood composition, and milk quality and yield. Increasing dietary energy level to 2.9 Mcal ME/kg DM had no effect on BW and did not limit DMI. CSFA supplementation increased intake of total digestible nutrients and did not affect fibre digestion. Blood triglycerides and cholesterol concentration increased with CSFA addition. The treatments had no effect on milk yield and composition; however, CSFA supplementation changed the fatty acid concentration of milk fat, increasing levels of polyunsaturated and essential fatty acids. In conclusion, peripartum dairy goats supplemented with CSFA to increase dietary energy level up to 2.9 Mcal ME/kg DM had a greater supply of total digestible nutrients and showed altered fatty acid concentration of milk fat.

Medium-Term Stability of the Photon Beam Energy of An Elekta CompactTM Linear Accelerator Based on Daily Measurements of Beam Quality Factor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Amin Mosleh-Shirazi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction In this study, we aimed to assess the medium-term energy stability of a 6MV Elekta CompactTM linear accelerator. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published article to evaluate this linear accelerator in terms of energy stability. As well as investigating the stability of the linear accelerator energy over a period of several weeks, the results will be useful for estimation of the required tolerance values for the beam quality factor (BQF of the PTW QUICKCHECK weblineTM (QCW daily checking device. Materials and Methods Over a 13 week period of routine clinical service, 52 daily readings of BQF were taken and then analyzed for a 10×10 cm2 field. Results No decreasing or increasing trend in BQF was observed over the study period. The mean BQF value was estimated at 5.4483 with a standard deviation (SD of 0.0459 (0.8%. The mean value was only 0.1% different from the baseline value. Conclusion The results of this medium-term stability study of the Elekta Compact linear accelerator energy showed that 96.2% of the observed BQF values were within ±1.3% of the baseline value. This can be considered to be within the recommended tolerance for linear accelerator photon beam energy. If an approach of applying ±3 SD is taken, the tolerance level for BQF may be suggested to be set at ±2.5%. However, further research is required to establish a relationship between BQF value and the actual changes in beam energy and penetrative quality.

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

Improvement of energy efficiency and quality of street lighting in South Italy as an action of Sustainable Energy Action Plans. The case study of Comiso (RG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beccali, Marco; Bonomolo, Marina; Ciulla, Giuseppina; Galatioto, Alessandra; Lo Brano, Valerio

2015-01-01

Existing street lighting systems, in most of South Italy cities, are often inefficient due to the obsolescence of lamps and luminaires and of ineffective light control systems unable to implement efficient on-off and dimming strategies. Energy efficiency improvement, in street lighting systems, is often one of the key actions to be adopted by Public Administration in their Sustainable Energy Action Plan in the framework of the “Covenant of Majors” activities. As a task of FACTOR 20 project, a set of planning options has been analysed and proposed. Particularly, street lighting efficiency projects have been studied for representative case studies. A detailed survey of the public lighting systems, in Comiso, allowed represent current performance figures such us installed power, luminance and illuminance levels in roads categories, electricity consumption, switching and dimming schedules. A project of system upgrade has been elaborated. To do this, many lighting simulations, energy and economic assessments in three scenarios have been performed. The obtained results show that high improvements of the lighting quality are foreseeable together with large energy and economic saving. An economic sensitivity analysis, has shown how the performance can change. The proposed methodology can be applied in many similar South Italy cities. - Highlights: • Retrofit actions in urban lighting systems of typical South Italy cities are studied. • A methodology for the comparison of baseline and design scenarios is presented. • An analysis of energy and economic savings of different scenarios is performed. • A sensitivity analysis of payback times is presented for different costs of LED and kWhe.

Quality assurance as a management tool in decommissioning activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arter, D.R.

1982-01-01

Quality assurance practices have been applied to the peaceful use of nuclear energy for many years. These practices are just as useful to the back end of the nuclear energy cycle as they are to the front end. The Department of Energy requires the application of quality assurance to all of its projects and programs. Quality assurance as a management tool consists of three fundamental elements: planning, execution and control. These elements should be applied to decommissioning activities by all parties, such that limited funds are wisely spent and the public is adequately protected

Adoption of energy-efficiency measures in SMEs—An empirical analysis based on energy audit data from Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleiter, Tobias; Schleich, Joachim; Ravivanpong, Ployplearn

2012-01-01

This paper empirically investigates factors driving the adoption of energy-efficiency measures by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Our analyses are based on cross-sectional data from SMEs which participated in a German energy audit program between 2008 and 2010. In general, our findings appear robust to alternative model specifications and are consistent with the theoretical and still scarce empirical literature on barriers to energy-efficiency in SMEs. More specifically, high investment costs, which are captured by subjective and objective proxies, appear to impede the adoption of energy-efficiency measures, even if these measures are deemed profitable. Similarly, we find that lack of capital slows the adoption of energy-efficiency measures, primarily for larger investments. Hence, investment subsidies or soft loans (for larger investments) may help accelerating the diffusion of energy-efficiency measures in SMEs. Other barriers were not found to be statistically significant. Finally, our findings provide evidence that the quality of energy audits affects the adoption of energy-efficiency measures. Hence, effective regulation should involve quality standards for energy audits, templates for audit reports or mandatory monitoring of energy audits. - Highlights: ► We empirically analyze barriers to the adoption of energy-efficiency measures in SMEs. ► We focus on firms participating in the German energy audit program for SMEs. ► The program overcomes information related barriers. ► High investment costs still impede the adoption even for profitable measures. ► Low audit quality also impedes the adoption of profitable measures.

Quality Assurance Framework for Mini-Grids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baring-Gould, Ian [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Burman, Kari [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Singh, Mohit [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Esterly, Sean [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Mutiso, Rose [US Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States); McGregor, Caroline [US Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)

2016-11-01

Providing clean and affordable energy services to the more than 1 billion people globally who lack access to electricity is a critical driver for poverty reduction, economic development, improved health, and social outcomes. More than 84% of populations without electricity are located in rural areas where traditional grid extension may not be cost-effective; therefore, distributed energy solutions such as mini-grids are critical. To address some of the root challenges of providing safe, quality, and financially viable mini-grid power systems to remote customers, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) teamed with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop a Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) for isolated mini-grids. The QAF for mini-grids aims to address some root challenges of providing safe, quality, and affordable power to remote customers via financially viable mini-grids through two key components: (1) Levels of service: Defines a standard set of tiers of end-user service and links them to technical parameters of power quality, power availability, and power reliability. These levels of service span the entire energy ladder, from basic energy service to high-quality, high-reliability, and high-availability service (often considered 'grid parity'); (2) Accountability and performance reporting framework: Provides a clear process of validating power delivery by providing trusted information to customers, funders, and/or regulators. The performance reporting protocol can also serve as a robust monitoring and evaluation tool for mini-grid operators and funding organizations. The QAF will provide a flexible alternative to rigid top-down standards for mini-grids in energy access contexts, outlining tiers of end-user service and linking them to relevant technical parameters. In addition, data generated through implementation of the QAF will provide the foundation for comparisons across projects, assessment of impacts, and greater confidence that

Effects of Curcuma longa rhizome powder on egg quality, performance and some physiological indices of laying hens fed different levels of metabolizable energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirbod, Mahsa; Mahdavi, Amir Hossein; Samie, Abdol-Hossein; Mehri, Mehran

2017-03-01

High-energy diets of laying hens may improve roductive performance, although some negative effects may also appear with respect to egg quality and physiological parameters. Curcuma longa rhizome powder (CRP) has beneficial effects on health indices of the birds through antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, especially when the birds experience nutritional stress. Increasing dietary CRP enhanced egg quality by improving eggshell thickness and hardness but decreasing yolk cholesterol content (P < 0.05). The best feed conversion ratio was obtained in birds fed high-apparent metabolizable energy (AME) diets supplemented with 2.0 g kg -1 CRP (P < 0.05). Although increasing dietary AME elevated the serum concentration of triglycerides (P < 0.05) and enzymatic activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase (P < 0.05), dietary inclusion of CRP alleviates the blood levels of these enzymes (P < 0.01). Low level of dietary CRP boosted the immune responses to Newcastle virus (P < 0.01) and sheep red blood cells (P < 0.05) antigens but decreased the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (P < 0.05). Inclusion of at least 2.0 g kg -1 CRP in the diet of laying decreased Escherichia coli enumerations in the ileal content (P < 0.01) and improved villus height, crypt depth and goblet cell numbers (P < 0.05). An improvement in the productive performance of laying hens fed high-energy diets might be associated with decreasing health indices and product quality, which could potentially be amended by nutritional modifications such as incorporating medicinal herbs in the feed. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prevalence of illness, poor mental health and sleep quality and low energy availability prior to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Science.gov (United States)

Drew, Michael; Vlahovich, Nicole; Hughes, David; Appaneal, Renee; Burke, Louise M; Lundy, Bronwen; Rogers, Margot; Toomey, Mary; Watts, David; Lovell, Gregory; Praet, Stephan; Halson, Shona L; Colbey, Candice; Manzanero, Silvia; Welvaert, Marijke; West, Nicholas P; Pyne, David B; Waddington, Gordon

2018-01-01

Establish the prevalence of illness symptoms, poor sleep quality, poor mental health symptoms, low energy availability and stress-recovery state in an Olympic cohort late in the 3 months prior to the Summer Olympic Games. Olympic athletes (n=317) from 11 sports were invited to complete questionnaires administered 3 months before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. These questionnaires included the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Dispositional Resilience Scale, Recovery-Stress Questionnaire (REST-Q-52 item), Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q), Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and custom-made questionnaires on probiotic usage and travel. Multiple illness (case) definitions were applied. ORs and attributable fractions in the population were used. Factor analyses were used to explore the relationships between variables. The response rate was of 42% (male, n=47, age 25.8±4.1 years; female, n=85, age 24.3±3.9 years). Low energy availability was associated with sustaining an illness in the previous month (upper respiratory, OR=3.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 12). The main factor relating to illness pertained to a combination of anxiety and stress-recovery states (as measured by the REST-Q-52 item). All participants reported at least one episode of illness in the last month (100% prevalence). All participants reported at least one illness symptom in the previous month. Low energy availability was a leading variable associated with illness in Olympic-class athletes. The estimates duration of symptoms ranged from 2 to 7 days. Factor analyses show the interdependence of various health domains and support multidisciplinary care. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN): Customer satisfaction survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, A.V. [Information International Associates, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Henderson, D.P. [Dept. of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Office of Scientific and Technical Information

1996-04-22

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) Customer Satisfaction Survey was developed and executed in support of EREN`s continuous quality improvement (CQI) plan. The study was designed to provide information about the demographic make up of EREN users, the value or benefits they derive from EREN, the kinds and quality of services they want, their levels of satisfaction with existing services, their preferences in both the sources of service and the means of delivery, and to provide benchmark data for the establishment of continuous quality improvement measures. The survey was performed by soliciting voluntary participation from members of the EREN Users Group. It was executed in two phases; the first being conducted by phone using a randomly selected group; and the second being conducted electronically and which was open to all of the remaining members of the Users Group. The survey results are described.

The effect of a home delivery meal service of energy- and protein-rich meals on quality of life in malnourished outpatients suffering from lung cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leedo, Eva; Gade, Josephine; Granov, Sabrina

2017-01-01

Undernutrition is prevalent in cancer patients and associated with increased incidence of complications and mortality. We investigated the effects of a home delivery meal service, providing a selection of energy-dense, protein-rich meals, on quality of life (QoL) in malnourished lung cancer....... Intervention exerted a significant positive effect on performance score after 12 wk (P = 0.047). Increased energy and protein intakes were strongly associated with improved QoL, functional score, hand grip strength, symptom and performance scores. Food delivery service with energy- and protein-rich main meals...

Air quality impacts of increased use of ethanol under the United States’ Energy Independence and Security Act

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Rich; Phillips, Sharon; Houyoux, Marc; Dolwick, Pat; Mason, Rich; Yanca, Catherine; Zawacki, Margaret; Davidson, Ken; Michaels, Harvey; Harvey, Craig; Somers, Joseph; Luecken, Deborah

2011-12-01

Increased use of ethanol in the United States fuel supply will impact emissions and ambient concentrations of greenhouse gases, "criteria" pollutants for which the U. S. EPA sets ambient air quality standards, and a variety of air toxic compounds. This paper focuses on impacts of increased ethanol use on ozone and air toxics under a potential implementation scenario resulting from mandates in the U. S. Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. The assessment of impacts was done for calendar year 2022, when 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels must be used. Impacts were assessed relative to a baseline which assumed ethanol volumes mandated by the first renewable fuels standard promulgated by U. S. EPA in early 2007. This assessment addresses both impacts of increased ethanol use on vehicle and other engine emissions, referred to as "downstream" emissions, and "upstream" impacts, i.e., those connected with fuel production and distribution. Air quality modeling was performed for the continental United States using the Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model (CMAQ), version 4.7. Pollutants included in the assessment were ozone, acetaldehyde, ethanol, formaldehyde, acrolein, benzene, and 1,3-butadiene. Results suggest that increased ethanol use due to EISA in 2022 will adversely increase ozone concentrations over much of the U.S., by as much as 1 ppb. However, EISA is projected to improve ozone air quality in a few highly-populated areas that currently have poor air quality. Most of the ozone improvements are due to our assumption of increases in nitrogen oxides (NO x) in volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited areas. While there are some localized impacts, the EISA renewable fuel standards have relatively little impact on national average ambient concentrations of most air toxics, although ethanol concentrations increase substantially. Significant uncertainties are associated with all results, due to limitations in available data. These uncertainties are

Quality control for dose calibrators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendes, L.C.G.

1984-01-01

Nuclear medicine laboratories are required to assay samples of radioactivity to be administered to patients. Almost universally, these assays are accomplished by use of a well ionization chamber isotope calibrator. The Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (Institute for Radiological Protection and Dosimetry) of the Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (National Commission for Nuclear Energy) is carrying out a National Quality Control Programme in Nuclear Medicine, supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The assessment of the current needs and practices of quality control in the entire country of Brazil includes Dose Calibrators and Scintillation Cameras, but this manual is restricted to the former. Quality Control Procedures for these Instruments are described in this document together with specific recommendations and assessment of its accuracy. (author)

Navy Energy Forum - Seapower Repowered: Energy as a Force Multiplier and Strategic Resource

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-13

of energy Enablers: Policy Where a policy change will enhance energy security without negatively impacting readiness, the Navy will favor... Energy Security • Green fuels certification and use across land, sea, air installations and platforms • Fuel (Gallons) – Impact 3 billion gallons...Management System & lighting upgrades ■ Improved Quality of Life & future MilCon Savings: New central chillers ■ Energy Security: Cogeneration plant

Managing Your Energy: An ENERGY STAR(R) Guide for Identifying Energy Savings in Manufacturing Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Worrell, Ernst; Angelini, Tana; Masanet, Eric

2010-07-27

In the United States, industry spends over $100 billion annually to power its manufacturing plants. Companies also spend on maintenance, capital outlay, and energy services. Improving energy efficiency is vital to reduce these costs and increase earnings. Many cost-effective opportunities to reduce energy consumption are available, and this Energy Guide discusses energy-efficiency practices and energy-efficient technologies that can be applied over a broad spectrum of companies. Strategies in the guide address hot water and steam, compressed air, pumps, motors, fans, lighting, refrigeration, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. This guide includes descriptions of expected energy and cost savings, based on real-world applications, typical payback periods, and references to more detailed information. The information in this Energy Guide is intended to help energy and plant managers achieve cost-effective energy reductions while maintaining product quality. Further research on the economics of all measures--as well as on their applicability to different production practices?is needed to assess their cost effectiveness at individual plants.

Energy conservation in mechanical industry; Maitrise de l`energie dans les industries mecaniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-12-31

The workshop is composed of 12 communications on the theme of energy consumption, conservation and management in industry, and more especially in metal industry: evaluation of the energy savings potential in the French industry; official energy diagnosis procedure in buildings; the French national gas utility policy for energy conservation and economical performance in industry; energy conservation with speed variators for electric motors; energy audits and energy metering for conservation objectives. Examples of energy efficient systems or energy audits in various industrial sectors (compressed air, industrial buildings, heat treatments, curing...) are also presented. The electric power quality EDF`s contract is also discussed

Electrical Energy Quality Studies in 3 kV DC Electric Traction Systems for Different Schemes of Connection Traction Substation to Power Utility System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leszek Mierzejewski

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The paper present aspects of DC electric traction system influence on electric energetic system. Study is based on modeling and simulation of electrified railway line. After simulation, there was performed analysis of energy quality, whitch using results of simulation and supply systems parameters.

Virtual non-contrast dual-energy CT compared to single-energy CT of the urinary tract: a prospective study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lundin, Margareta; Liden, Mats; Geijer, Haakan; Andersson, Torbjoern [Dept. of Radiology, Oerebro Univ. Hospital, Oerebro Univ., Oerebro (Sweden)], E-mail: margareta.lundin@orebroll.se; Magnuson, Anders [Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistic Unit, Oerebro Univ. Hospital, Oerebro (Sweden); Mohammed, Ahmed Abdulilah [Dept. of Radiology, Linkoeping Univ. Hospital, Linkoeping (Sweden); Persson, Anders [CMIV Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linkoeping (Sweden)

2012-07-15

Background. Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has been shown to be useful for subtracting bone or calcium in CT angiography and gives an opportunity to produce a virtual non-contrast-enhanced (VNC) image from a series where contrast agents have been given intravenously. High noise levels and low resolution have previously limited the diagnostic value of the VNC images created with the first generation of DECT. With the recent introduction of a second generation of DECT, there is a possibility of obtaining VNC images with better image quality at hopefully lower radiation dose compared to the previous generation. Purpose. To compare the image quality of the single-energy series to a VNC series obtained with a two generations of DECT scanners. CT of the urinary tract was used as a model. Material and Methods. Thirty patients referred for evaluation of hematuria were examined with an older system (Somatom Definition) and another 30 patients with a new generation (Somatom Definition Flash). One single-energy series was obtained before and one dual-energy series after administration of intravenous contrast media. We created a VNC series from the contrast-enhanced images. Images were assessed concerning image quality with a visual grading scale evaluation of the VNC series with the single-energy series as gold standard. Results. The image quality of the VNC images was rated inferior to the single-energy variant for both scanners, OR 11.5-67.3 for the Definition and OR 2.1-2.8 for the Definition Flash. Visual noise and overall quality were regarded as better with Flash than Definition. Conclusion. Image quality of VNC images obtained with the new generation of DECT is still slightly inferior compared to native images. However, the difference is smaller with the new compared to the older system.

Virtual non-contrast dual-energy CT compared to single-energy CT of the urinary tract: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lundin, Margareta; Lidén, Mats; Magnuson, Anders; Mohammed, Ahmed Abdulilah; Geijer, Håkan; Andersson, Torbjörn; Persson, Anders

2012-07-01

Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has been shown to be useful for subtracting bone or calcium in CT angiography and gives an opportunity to produce a virtual non-contrast-enhanced (VNC) image from a series where contrast agents have been given intravenously. High noise levels and low resolution have previously limited the diagnostic value of the VNC images created with the first generation of DECT. With the recent introduction of a second generation of DECT, there is a possibility of obtaining VNC images with better image quality at hopefully lower radiation dose compared to the previous generation. To compare the image quality of the single-energy series to a VNC series obtained with a two generations of DECT scanners. CT of the urinary tract was used as a model. Thirty patients referred for evaluation of hematuria were examined with an older system (Somatom Definition) and another 30 patients with a new generation (Somatom Definition Flash). One single-energy series was obtained before and one dual-energy series after administration of intravenous contrast media. We created a VNC series from the contrast-enhanced images. Images were assessed concerning image quality with a visual grading scale evaluation of the VNC series with the single-energy series as gold standard. The image quality of the VNC images was rated inferior to the single-energy variant for both scanners, OR 11.5-67.3 for the Definition and OR 2.1-2.8 for the Definition Flash. Visual noise and overall quality were regarded as better with Flash than Definition. Image quality of VNC images obtained with the new generation of DECT is still slightly inferior compared to native images. However, the difference is smaller with the new compared to the older system.

Virtual non-contrast dual-energy CT compared to single-energy CT of the urinary tract: a prospective study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundin, Margareta; Liden, Mats; Geijer, Haakan; Andersson, Torbjoern; Magnuson, Anders; Mohammed, Ahmed Abdulilah; Persson, Anders

2012-01-01

Background. Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has been shown to be useful for subtracting bone or calcium in CT angiography and gives an opportunity to produce a virtual non-contrast-enhanced (VNC) image from a series where contrast agents have been given intravenously. High noise levels and low resolution have previously limited the diagnostic value of the VNC images created with the first generation of DECT. With the recent introduction of a second generation of DECT, there is a possibility of obtaining VNC images with better image quality at hopefully lower radiation dose compared to the previous generation. Purpose. To compare the image quality of the single-energy series to a VNC series obtained with a two generations of DECT scanners. CT of the urinary tract was used as a model. Material and Methods. Thirty patients referred for evaluation of hematuria were examined with an older system (Somatom Definition) and another 30 patients with a new generation (Somatom Definition Flash). One single-energy series was obtained before and one dual-energy series after administration of intravenous contrast media. We created a VNC series from the contrast-enhanced images. Images were assessed concerning image quality with a visual grading scale evaluation of the VNC series with the single-energy series as gold standard. Results. The image quality of the VNC images was rated inferior to the single-energy variant for both scanners, OR 11.5-67.3 for the Definition and OR 2.1-2.8 for the Definition Flash. Visual noise and overall quality were regarded as better with Flash than Definition. Conclusion. Image quality of VNC images obtained with the new generation of DECT is still slightly inferior compared to native images. However, the difference is smaller with the new compared to the older system

Financial development and environmental quality: The way forward

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahbaz, Muhammad; Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain; Ahmad, Nawaz; Alam, Shaista

2016-01-01

The present paper re-examines the asymmetric impact of financial development on environmental quality in Pakistan for the period 1985Q1 to 2014Q4. A comprehensive index of financial development is generated using Bank- and Stock market-based financial development indicators. The results show that inefficient use of energy adversely affects the environmental quality. This suggests adoption of energy efficient technology at both production and consumption levels. These technologies would be helpful to improve environmental quality, enhance the productivity in long-run and save energy. Bank-based financial development also impedes the environment. The government should encourage lenders to ease the funding for energy sector and allocate financial resources for environment friendly businesses rather than wasting them in consumer financing. - Highlights: • A positive shock in economic growth leads carbon emissions. • Energy consumption and financial development add in environmental degradation. • Financial resources should be allocated to environment friendly ventures.

Sleep quality and sleep patterns in relation to consumption of energy drinks, caffeinated beverages, and other stimulants among Thai college students.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohsoonthorn, Vitool; Khidir, Hazar; Casillas, Gardenia; Lertmaharit, Somrat; Tadesse, Mahlet G; Pensuksan, Wipawan C; Rattananupong, Thanapoom; Gelaye, Bizu; Williams, Michelle A

2013-09-01

Poor sleep and heavy use of caffeinated beverages have been implicated as risk factors for a number of adverse health outcomes. Caffeine consumption and use of other stimulants are common among college students globally. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined the influence of caffeinated beverages on the sleep quality of college students in Southeast Asian populations. We conducted this study to evaluate the patterns of sleep quality and to examine the extent to which poor sleep quality is associated with consumption of energy drinks, caffeinated beverages, and other stimulants among 2,854 Thai college students. A questionnaire was administered to ascertain demographic and behavioral characteristics. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep habits and quality. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify statistically significant associations. Overall, the prevalence of poor sleep quality was found to be 48.1 %. A significant percent of students used stimulant beverages (58.0 %). Stimulant use (odds ratios (OR) 1.50; 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) 1.28-1.77) was found to be statistically significant and positively associated with poor sleep quality. Alcohol consumption (OR 3.10; 95 % CI 1.72-5.59) and cigarette smoking (OR 1.43; 95 % CI 1.02-1.98) also had a statistically significant association with increased daytime dysfunction due to sleepiness. In conclusion, stimulant use is common among Thai college students and is associated with several indices of poor sleep quality. Our findings underscore the need to educate students on the importance of sleep and the influences of dietary and lifestyle choices on their sleep quality and overall health.

Model test on the relationship feed energy and protein ratio to the production and quality of milk protein

Science.gov (United States)

Hartanto, R.; Jantra, M. A. C.; Santosa, S. A. B.; Purnomoadi, A.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research was to find an appropriate relationship model between the feed energy and protein ratio with the amount of production and quality of milk proteins. This research was conducted at Getasan Sub-district, Semarang Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia using 40 samples (Holstein Friesian cattle, lactation period II-III and lactation month 3-4). Data were analyzed using linear and quadratic regressions, to predict the production and quality of milk protein from feed energy and protein ratio that describe the diet. The significance of model was tested using analysis of variance. Coefficient of determination (R2), residual variance (RV) and root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) were reported for the developed equations as an indicator of the goodness of model fit. The results showed no relationship in milk protein (kg), milk casein (%), milk casein (kg) and milk urea N (mg/dl) as function of CP/TDN. The significant relationship was observed in milk production (L or kg) and milk protein (%) as function of CP/TDN, both in linear and quadratic models. In addition, a quadratic change in milk production (L) (P = 0.003), milk production (kg) (P = 0.003) and milk protein concentration (%) (P = 0.026) were observed with increase of CP/TDN. It can be concluded that quadratic equation was the good fitting model for this research, because quadratic equation has larger R2, smaller RV and smaller RMSPE than those of linear equation.

Revitalizing quality assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawkins, F.C.

1998-01-01

The image of someone inspecting or auditing often comes to mind when people hear the term quality assurance. Although partially correct, this image is not the complete picture. The person doing the inspecting or auditing is probably part of a traditional quality assurance organization, but that organization is only one aspect of a properly conceived and effectively implemented quality assurance system whose goal is improved facility safety and reliability. This paper introduces the underlying philosophies and basic concepts of the International Atomic Energy Agency's new quality assurance initiative that began in 1991 as part of a broad Agency-wide program to enhance nuclear safety. The first product of that initiative was publication in 1996 of a new Quality Assurance Code 50-C/SG-Q and fourteen related Safety Guides. This new suite of documents provide the technical and philosophical foundation upon which Member States can base their quality assurance programs. (author)

Hawaii energy strategy project 2: Fossil energy review. Task 2: Fossil energy in Hawaii

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breazeale, K. [ed.; Yamaguchi, N.D.; Keeville, H. [and others

1993-12-01

In Task 2, the authors establish a baseline for evaluating energy use in Hawaii, and examine key energy and economic indicators. They provide a detailed look at fossil energy imports by type, current and possible sources of oil, gas and coal, quality considerations, and processing/transformation. They present time series data on petroleum product consumption by end-use sector, though they caution the reader that the data is imperfect. They discuss fuel substitutability to identify those end-use categories that are most easily switched to other fuels. They then define and analyze sequential scenarios of fuel substitution in Hawaii and their impacts on patterns of demand. They also discuss energy security--what it means to Hawaii, what it means to neighboring economies, whether it is possible to achieve energy security. 95 figs., 48 tabs.

Energy and development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gururaja, J.

1980-03-15

The developing countries will require higher per capita energy for improving the quality of life. This paper examines the goals and strategies for development vis-a-vis those of the developed countries. Crucial issues in India are listed. The role of technology in the utilization of energy is discussed. Difficulties in choosing the technology are pointed out. The problem of integrating several alternative energy sources in villages is mentioned. Environmental issues are considered. (DLC)

Energy Industry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Butler, James; Bekbenbetov, Marat; Coffman, Katherine; Davies, Kirk; Farrar, Michael R; Fletcher, Scott N; Hall, Robert; Kljajic, Senad; Koprucu, Feza; Leek, Kevin

2007-01-01

... technologies and use of alternative fuels. Specifically, the national energy policy should lead to one air quality standard for automobile emissions, articulate a clear position on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increase the diversity...

Energy Efficiency and Air Quality Repairs at Lyonsdale Biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brower, Michael R; Morrison, James A; Spomer, Eric; Thimot, Carol A

2012-07-31

This project enabled Lyonsdale Biomass, LLC to effect analyses, repairs and upgrades for its biomass cogeneration facility located in Lewis County, New York and close by the Adirondack Park to reduce air emissions by improving combustion technique and through the overall reduction of biomass throughput by increasing the system's thermodynamic efficiency for its steam-electrical generating cycle. Project outcomes result in significant local, New York State, Northeast U.S. and national benefits including improved renewable energy operational surety, enhanced renewable energy efficiency and more freedom from foreign fossil fuel source dependence. Specifically, the reliability of the Lyonsdale Biomass 20MWe woody biomass combined-heat and power (CHP) was and is now directly enhanced. The New York State and Lewis County benefits are equally substantial since the facility sustains 26 full-time equivalency (FTE) jobs at the facility and as many as 125 FTE jobs in the biomass logistics supply chain. Additionally, the project sustains essential local and state payment in lieu of taxes revenues. This project helps meet several USDOE milestones and contributes directly to the following sustainability goals:  Climate: Reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with bio-power production, conversion and use, in comparison to fossil fuels. Efficiency and Productivity: Enhances efficient use of renewable resources and maximizes conversion efficiency and productivity. Profitability: Lowers production costs. Rural Development: Enhances economic welfare and rural development through job creation and income generation. Standards: Develop standards and corresponding metrics for ensuring sustainable biopower production. Energy Diversification and Security: Reduces dependence on foreign oil and increases energy supply diversity. Net Energy Balance: Ensures positive net energy balance for all alternatives to fossil fuels.

Quality assurance for passive houses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visscher, H.J.; Mlecnik, E.

2009-01-01

For newly built houses national ambitions prescribe increasing levels of energy performances, even including achieving net zero energy or carbon neutral houses. This is in large contrast with the lack of quality in many building processes. The building regulations, processes and control will have to

Energy innovation and renewable energy consumption in the correction of air pollution levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez-Herranz, Agustin; Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel; Shahbaz, Muhammad; Cantos, José María

2017-01-01

This study analyses the relationship between economic growth and environmental pollution. Specifically, it investigates the presence of an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in 17 OECD countries over the period of 1990–2012. The results confirm the existence of an N-shaped EKC relationship between income and environmental degradation. The study offers a novel methodological contribution that makes it possible to explain the environmental pollution process through the analysis of low-carbon technologies. This demonstrates how income levels affect energy consumption and how higher energy demand leads to a larger share of fossil sources in the energy mix and, thus, increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The effect on per capita GHG emissions is explored in a model containing a dampening variable that moderates the relationship between energy consumption and income. This empirical evidence helps to explain the interaction between energy regulation, economic growth and carbon emissions. This study also confirms the positive effect that energy innovation process exerts on environmental pollution. Finally, it is noted that renewable energy sources help to improve air quality. - Highlights: • An inverted N-shaped relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation in OECD countries is validated. • Energy regulatory policies exert positive effect on environmental quality. • Energy innovation processes delays the technical obsolescence. • Energy innovation process requires a time lag to become fully efficient.

The changing role of the quality professional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, R.G.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses the historic role of the quality professionals in a Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) contractor's organization. The quality professional's changing role is presented

Soil organic carbon changes in the cultivation of energy crops: Implications for GHG balances and soil quality for use in LCA