Analyses of moisture deficit grain yield loss in drought tolerant maize ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Development of drought tolerant maize cultivars is prerequisite to achieving stable grain yield in drought–prone ecologies of Nigeria's Guinea savanna. However, success has been limited mainly due to lack of maize genotypes that show clear differences in response to well defined moisture deficit condition. Two sets of ...

Influence of the moisture at harvest and drying process of the grains on the level of carotenoids in maize (Zea mays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilton Soares CARDOSO

2015-09-01

Full Text Available AbstractMaize is considered a source of carotenoids; however, these compounds are highly unstable, degraded by high temperatures, exposure to light and presence of oxygen. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of the moisture and type of drying applied to grains on the level of carotenoids in yellow maize. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (2 × 4 factorial, two levels of initial moisture at the harvest (22 and 19% and three types of drying (in the sun; in the shade and in a dryer and control (no drying. The samples of grains after drying with 12% of final moisture were analyzed by concentration of total carotenoids, carotenes (α-carotene + β-carotene, monohydroxilated carotenoids (β-cryptoxanthin, and xanthophylls (lutein + zeaxanthin. Initial moisture, type of drying and the interaction between moisture versus drying influence (p≤0.05 the levels of carotenoids in grains. This is the first report about the drying conditions and harvest’s initial moisture as influence on the profile and content of carotenoids in maize grains. Based on the results, this work suggested that the harvest be carried out preferably when the grains present 22% humidity, with drying in a dryer or in shade for further use or storage.

High moisture airtight storage of barley and triticale: Effect of moisture level and grain processing on nitrogen and phosphorus solubility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ton Nu, Mai Anh; Blaabjerg, Karoline; Labouriau, Rodrigo

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of storage time, grain processing (whole vs. rolled) and the combination of phytase, xylanase, β-glucanase and protease on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) solubility during high moisture airtight (HMA) storage of barley and triticale at various...... moisture levels (20, 23, 26 and 29% moisture) and to compare HMA storage of cereals with dry storage for 49 days. Dry stored barley and triticale (10 and 13% moisture, respectively) were kept in 10 L plastic buckets for 0 and 49 days. HMA stored cereals were kept in airtight bags (400 g per bag) at 15 °C......) in HMA storage at 29% moisture to a greater extent compared with dry storage (P levels increased P solubility (rolled barley, whole and rolled triticale) and N solubility (whole and rolled triticale) linearly and decreased Phytate P:Total P (rolled barley) linearly...

Estimation of the deoxynivalenol and moisture contents of bulk wheat grain samples by FT-NIR spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Deoxynivalenol (DON) levels in harvested grain samples are used to evaluate the Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance of wheat cultivars and breeding lines. Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) calibrations were developed to estimate the DON and moisture content (MC) of bulk wheat grain samples ...

Calibrating the neutron moisture meter: Precision and economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhter, J.; Waheed, R.A.; Hignett, C.T.; Greacen, E.L.

2000-01-01

Established laboratory and field calibration procedures for the neutron moisture meter are demonstrated on a uniform soil and alternative, low cost procedures on a duplex, less uniform soil. The effect of field variability on the calibration methodology is discussed with the aim of optimising calibration reliability at minimal cost. The difference between calibration for a soil material, or for a field (a range of soil materials) is considered. In particular, calibration for the estimation of water content change is shown to be a different problem from calibration for the estimation of water content in a variable field. Techniques aimed at detecting field variability problems during calibration are suggested, and methods for optimising the results for the intended use of the instrument are outlined. Pairing of calibration tubes, alternative methods of analysis of calibration data, and use of other information from the field to measure its variability, can improve the precision of calibration procedures to the point where minimal calibration effort, with careful analysis, can provide reliable results. (author)

Starch degradability of dry and ensiled high-moisture grains of corn hybrids with different textures at different grinding degrees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wagner dos Reis

2011-02-01

Full Text Available This research evaluated corn grains with flint and dent texture (ensiled high-moisture or dried, submitted to grinding degrees, using the in situ ruminal degradation technique. Three rumen canulated adult sheeps were used in a complete randomized design, using a factorial outline 2 x 2 x 3, with two corn hybrids (flint and dent texture, two conservation methods (ensiled high-moisture and dry and three grinding degress (whole, coarsely and finely ground, corresponding to the sieve of 12; 10 and 8 mm. Starch soluble fraction (A of the dent hybrid ensiled corn grains was greater comparing to the dry materials and in both conservation forms this fraction was reduced in the flint texture hybrid, while the insoluble fraction potentially degradable (B the opposite occurred. The degradation potential was higher in grains ensiled in two textures. The ensiled allowed more starch effective degradation in relation to dry grain in two textures and the grains dent texture hybrid also increased such degradation in both conservation methods. The dent texture and the ensiled high-moisture grains proved the best option considering the starch degradability. Regardless of the conservation forms, the grains of corn hybrid flint texture should be finely ground, for providing higher ruminal degradation, while for the dent texture hybrid, the coarsely and whole grinding are the most suitable for ensiled and dry grain, respectively.

Relationship between xerostomia and psychotropic drugs in patients with schizophrenia: evaluation using an oral moisture meter.

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, A; Miyachi, H; Tanaka, K; Chikazu, D; Miyaoka, H

2016-12-01

Patients with schizophrenia are most commonly treated with antipsychotic medications, often with the addition of anxiolytics. This study used an oral moisture meter to evaluate xerostomia in patients with schizophrenia taking typical and atypical antipsychotics, anxiolytics and non-psychotropic medications. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria in the Department of Psychiatry, Kitasato University East, and affiliated hospitals were studied. All patients were on psychotropic medications. Patients with diseases associated with xerostomia, such as Sjögren's syndrome I, were excluded. A total of 127 patients were enrolled. Mean oral moisture was 27·81 ± 2·27% (normal, ≥30·0%). A significant association was observed between objective oral moisture and the subjective sense of dry mouth. Multivariate analysis revealed a negative correlation between the number of antipsychotics and, especially, anxiolytics, and the degree of oral moisture. Drug dosages themselves were not significantly correlated with dry mouth. These findings suggest that objective oral moisture measurements show decreased moisture in patients on these medications and that the degree of moisture shows a greater negative correlation with the number, as opposed to the dosages, of psychotropic drugs administered. When patients with schizophrenia visit a dental clinic, it is important for the dentist to accurately assess the degree of oral moisture and to determine the medications being taken. Based on these findings of the association of polypharmacy with xerostomia, dentists are encouraged to inform the psychiatrist of the need to actively manage patients' xerostomia. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON GRAIN MOISTURE, GERMINATION AND VIGOUR OF THREE WHEAT CULTIVARS DURING ONE YEAR STORAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivica Strelec

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Changes in grain moisture, germination and vigour of three wheat cultivars packed in paper bags and stored for one year under four different conditions of environmental temperature and relative humidity (RH were investigated. During the first ninety days of storage significant reduction in grain moisture content of 4, 2.5 and 0.9 %, respectively, under 40 °C, 25 °C and 4 °C and RH of 45 % occurred. Subsequently grain moisture remained constant until the end of storage. Seeds of examined cultivars lost their germination ability and vigour only under elevated storage temperatures. Germination and vigour loss after one year of storage differed between cultivars being higher for seeds kept under 40°C, RH = 45% (35-85 % and 55-94 %, respectively, than under 25°C, RH = 45 % (10-20 % and 15-22 %, respectively. Obtained data indicate significant influence of storage conditions on moisture content, germination and vigour changes during storage of wheat seeds, as well as varietal dependence of seed viability.

The influence of natural and artificial precipitation on the moisture status of a black soil from the Marchfeld area, as determined by the neutron moisture meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haunold, F.; Roetzer, H.; Storchschnabel, G.; Blochberger, K.

1980-01-01

Changes in the moisture status of a Chernozem in the Marchfeld were measured throughout a vegetation period using a neutron moisture meter from Berthold. Increasing the strength of the irradiation source from 30 to 100 mCi and changing the analog to digital recording, greatly improved the precision of measurement. The installation of the measuring tubes was possible only in soils free of stones. Measurements were made down to 140 cm depth. The field was planted with cabbage. One part of the field received normal rain only, one part received 40 mm of artificial precipitation when the moisture content of the soil in 40 cm depth dropped below 50 % of the water holding capacity. The third part received 3 times that amount of water. The changes in water status of the soil as a consequence of natural and artificial rain were very well recorded by the instrument. Therefore this method is very suitable for the measurement and control of the moisture status of the soil, in order to make proper decisions for the exact time of artificial irrigation. (author)

Microwave moisture meter for in-shell almonds.

Science.gov (United States)

Determining almond kernel moisture content while still in the shell is important for both almond growers and processors. A dielectric method was developed for almond kernel moisture determination from dielectric measurements on in-shell almonds at a single microwave frequency. A sample holder was fi...

development and testing of a capacitive digital soil moisture metre

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

soil moisture meter using the NE555 timer and micro controller as a major electronic component ... relationship between the moisture content process and the digital soil moisture meter. ..... the moisture contents showing that the infiltration of.

Temporal and spatial variabilities in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach

Science.gov (United States)

Namikas, S. L.; Edwards, B. L.; Bitton, M. C. A.; Booth, J. L.; Zhu, Y.

2010-01-01

This study examined spatial and temporal variations in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach at Padre Island, Texas, USA. Surface moisture measurements were collected on a 27 × 24 m grid that extended from the dune toe to the upper foreshore. The grid was surveyed at 2 to 4 h intervals for two tidal cycles, generating 17 maps of the spatial distribution of surface moisture. Simultaneous measurements of air temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, tidal elevation, and water table elevation were used to interpret observed changes in surface moisture. It was found that the spatial distribution of surface moisture was broadly characterized by a cross-shore gradient of high to low content moving landward from the swash zone. The distribution of surface moisture was conceptualized in terms of three zones: saturated (> 25%), intermediate or transitional (5-25%), and dry (< 5%). The position of the saturated zone corresponded to the uppermost swash zone and therefore shifted in accordance with tidal elevation. Moisture contents in the intermediate and dry zones were primarily related to variation in water table depth (which was in turn controlled by tidal elevation) and to a lesser extent by evaporation. Signals associated with atmospheric processes such as evaporation were muted by the minimal degree of variation in atmospheric parameters experienced during most of the study period, but were apparent for the last few hours. The observed spatial and temporal variations in moisture content correspond reasonably well with observations of key controlling processes, but more work is needed to fully characterize this process suite.

Influence of wood moisture content on the modulus of elasticity in compression parallel to the grain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diogo Aparecido Lopes Silva

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Brazilian Standard ABNT NBR7190:1997 for timber structures design, adopts a first degree equation to describe the influence of wood moisture content. Periodically, when necessary, the referred standard is revised in order to analyze inconsistencies and to adopt considerations according new realities verified. So, the present paper aims to examine the adequacy of its equation which corrects to 12% of moisture the values of rigidity properties obtained on experimental tests. To quantify the moisture influence on modulus of elasticity, it was applied tests of compression parallel to the grain for six specimens of different strength classes, considering nominal moisture of 12; 20; 25; 30%. As results, modulus of elasticity in the moisture range 25-30% showed statistically equivalents, and was obtained a first degree equation to correlate the studied variables which leads to statically equivalent estimations when compared with results by ABNT NBR7190:1997 equation. However, it was indicated to maintain the current expression for the next text of the referred document review, without prejudice to statistical significance of the estimates.

Quality Assurance of Rice and Paddy Moisture Measurements in Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Sinhaneti, T.; Keawprasert, T.; Puuntharo, P.; Triarun, W.

2017-10-01

A bilateral comparison in moisture measurement between the National Institute of Metrology Thailand (NIMT) and the Central Bureau of Weights and Measures (CBWM) was organized for quality assuring of rice and paddy moisture measurement in Thailand. The bilateral comparison was conducted by using the same batch of sample and moisture meter as transfer device. It consisted of two parts: moisture measurement in rice and in paddy. A rice moisture meter belonging to CBWM and rice standards prepared at the nominal moisture content of 10 %, 12 %, 14 % and 16 % at NIMT, were used for rice moisture comparison, while a paddy moisture meter belonging to NIMT and paddy standards prepared at the nominal moisture content of 12 %, 14 %, 16 % and 18 % at CBWM, were used for paddy moisture comparison. Both laboratories measured the moisture content of a sample by using the standard method in ISO 712 and used that sample to calibrate a moisture meter by means of the method based on ISO 7700-1. Since the moisture content of the sample can change during the comparison, correction values in moisture content between the standard value and the reading value from the moisture meter are used as calibration results for the comparison evaluation. For the rice moisture comparison, differences in the correction value measured by the two laboratories vary from 0.18 % to 0.46 %, with their combined comparison uncertainty of 0.37 % (k= 2). The main contribution to the difference comes from the standard values from both laboratories differing from 0.27 % to 0.53 %, as the rice standard was found to drift in moisture content less than 0.05 %. Similarly to the rice moisture comparison, differences in the correction value for the paddy moisture measurement range from 0.08 % to 0.56 % with the combined comparison uncertainty of 0.38 % (k = 2), whereas the stability in moisture content of the paddy sample at NIMT was found to be within 0.12 %.

7 CFR 868.258 - Moisture.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Moisture. 868.258 Section 868.258 Agriculture... Governing Application of Standards § 868.258 Moisture. Water content in brown rice for processing as... purpose of this paragraph, “approved device” shall include the Motomco Moisture Meter and any other...

7 CFR 868.207 - Moisture.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Moisture. 868.207 Section 868.207 Agriculture... Application of Standards § 868.207 Moisture. Water content in rough rice as determined by an approved device..., “approved device” shall include the Motomco Moisture Meter and any other equipment that is approved by the...

Starch degradability of dry and ensiled high-moisture grains of corn hybrids with different textures at different grinding degrees

OpenAIRE

Wagner dos Reis; Ciniro Costa; Paulo Roberto de Lima Meirelles; Marina Gabriela Berchiol da Silva; Marco Aurélio Factori; Cristiano Magalhães Pariz; Simony Alves Mendonça; Erikelly Aline Ribeiro de Santana

2011-01-01

This research evaluated corn grains with flint and dent texture (ensiled high-moisture or dried), submitted to grinding degrees, using the in situ ruminal degradation technique. Three rumen canulated adult sheeps were used in a complete randomized design, using a factorial outline 2 x 2 x 3, with two corn hybrids (flint and dent texture), two conservation methods (ensiled high-moisture and dry) and three grinding degress (whole, coarsely and finely ground, corresponding to the sieve of 12; 10...

Capability of crop water content for revealing variability of winter wheat grain yield and soil moisture under limited irrigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chao; Liu, Jiangui; Shang, Jiali; Cai, Huanjie

2018-08-01

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major crop in the Guanzhong Plain, China. Understanding its water status is important for irrigation planning. A few crop water indicators, such as the leaf equivalent water thickness (EWT: g cm -2 ), leaf water content (LWC: %) and canopy water content (CWC: kg m -2 ), have been estimated using remote sensing techniques for a wide range of crops, yet their suitability and utility for revealing winter wheat growth and soil moisture status have not been well studied. To bridge this knowledge gap, field-scale irrigation experiments were conducted over two consecutive years (2014 and 2015) to investigate relationships of crop water content with soil moisture and grain yield, and to assess the performance of four spectral process methods for retrieving these three crop water indicators. The result revealed that the water indicators were more sensitive to soil moisture variation before the jointing stage. All three water indicators were significantly correlated with soil moisture during the reviving stage, and the correlations were stronger for leaf water indicators than that of the canopy water indicator at the jointing stage. No correlation was observed after the heading stage. All three water indicators showed good capabilities of revealing grain yield variability in jointing stage, with R 2 up to 0.89. CWC had a consistent relationship with grain yield over different growing seasons, but the performances of EWT and LWC were growing-season specific. The partial least squares regression was the most accurate method for estimating LWC (R 2 =0.72; RMSE=3.6%) and comparable capability for EWT and CWC. Finally, the work highlights the usefulness of crop water indicators to assess crop growth, productivity, and soil water status and demonstrates the potential of various spectral processing methods for retrieving crop water contents from canopy reflectance spectrums. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Digital neutron moisture meter for moisture determination in the cokes and building materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chibovski, R.; Igel'ski, A.; Kiyanya, K.; Kiyanya, S.; Mnikh, Eh.; Sledzevski, R.; Verba, V.

1979-01-01

Description is given of the digital neutron moisture gage for measuring water content in coke or in dry building materials. The device can work independently with indication of the results to personnel carrying out control operation and adjustment of the process or as a part of an automated control system with supplying the results of measurements in a form of analogous signals or electric pulses in the preselected code. The moisture gage described consists of two units: measuring probes with containers and the desk with power supply and the system for digital processing of a radiometric signal. The measuring probe consists of the asotopic fast neutrons source; helium proportional counter of slow neutrons and a pulse amplifier. The probe is mounted in the bunker with the material measured and is located inside the protective tube made of the weare-resistant material. To obtain high accuracy of measurements and to obtain the measuring instrument's reading immediately in the units of moisture measurement, the digizal converter circuit for radiometric signals processing is used. The The digital converter circuit cited, can be applied to any calibration dependence of linear type with initial value. The block diagram of the device is given. The device described permits to measure the moisture content in the metallurgy coks and in the building materials in one minute and with the error not more than 0.5% [ru

Use a microwave oven to determine the moisture content of sunflower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Backer, L.F.; Walz, A.W.

1987-01-01

Much of the sunflower crop in the major producing areas of the United States requires artificial drying because of late crop maturity. Plant growth regulators permit earlier harvest by accelerating the maturation rate of the plant; research indicates that use of the growth regulator would result in approximately 10-14 days earlier maturation. Effectiveness of the chemical is dependent on timely application at relatively high moisture contents (50 to 55 percent). A rapid means of determining seed moisture content is required so the chemical can be applied at the proper growth stage . Additionally, sunflower is often harvested at moisture contents of more than 17 percent. Most electronic moisture meters are not calibrated for moisture contents this high and the accuracy of most moisture meters decreases with increasing moisture content. A recent study has shown that a conventional microwave oven can successfully be used to very rapidly determine the moisture content of high moisture sunflower seeds to indicate proper growth stage for the application of plant growth regulators. The microwave oven could also be used with reasonable accuracy to check harvest moisture content down to about 15 percent. At lower moisture contents, it would be advisable to use a calibrated electronic moisture meter

Streamlining Smart Meter Data Analytics

OpenAIRE

Liu, Xiufeng; Nielsen, Per Sieverts

2015-01-01

Today smart meters are increasingly used in worldwide. Smart meters are the advanced meters capable of measuring customer energy consumption at a fine-grained time interval, e.g., every 15 minutes. The data are very sizable, and might be from different sources, along with the other social-economic metrics such as the geographic information of meters, the information about users and their property, geographic location and others, which make the data management very complex. On the other hand, ...

Effects of Moisture Content on the Foundry Properties of Yola Natural Sand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Aondona IHOM

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The effect of moisture content of Yola natural sand has been studied. The moisture content was varied from 1 to 9%. The effect of the moisture content on the green compression strength, green permeability and bulk density was investigated. Particle size distribution of the natural sand, the grain fineness number, average grain size, grain shape and the clay content of the natural sand were also studied. 5% moisture gave the optimum green compression strength of 118.6KN/m2. The dry compression strength increased with moisture content, an optimum value of 4000KN/m2 was obtained at 9% moisture. The Yola natural sand had a grain fineness number of 88.05AFS, average grain size of 335.78 microns and a clay content of 26%. A sand mixture containing 5% moisture was prepared and used to produce a test casting with aluminium scraps, the test casting was sound.

The Neutron-Moisture Meter in Studies of the Effect of Fallow on Water Conservation in Arid Regions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oezbek, Nurinnisa; Aksoy, Tevfik; Celebi, Gurkan [Radiophysiology and Soil Fertility Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ankara, Ankara (Turkey)

1967-11-15

For a long time it has been a common practice for the Central Anatolian farmers to leave half the land fallow the whole year in order to increase the amount of water conserved. The main object of these studies was to ascertain whether fallow has an effect on moisture conservation in soils of this region and if so what was its degree of efficiency on a yearly basis. In view of the intensity and distribution of rainfall Ankara, Konya and Eski$ehir were selected for moisture-measurement areas. Altogether 60 holes were dug and 60 access tubes were used for moisture measurements by a neutron- moisture meter, and they were placed at six different locations on either state farms or a dry-farming experimental station. In each location the first group of access tubes were placed in fallow soil, the second in a wheat field and the third in a wheat field after harvest. Each treatment had three replicates. In all holes the moisture measurements were made at five different depths at intervals of either 15 days or one month. At the beginning of the moisture measurements a separate calibration curve was prepared for each location and for each treatment. The measurements were begun in 1964 and are continuing, but with some variations in the sampling technique. Some physical properties of the soils that were sampled from measurement areas, such as texture, field capacity and wilting point, were determined. Some bulk-density measurements were also made by gamma-ray transmission. The results obtained are averaged and illustrated in tables and figures. Necessary calculations and comparisons were made to show the efficiency of the fallow system in the moisture conservation in this dry soil. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) The total amount of water conserved in the soil down to a depth of 1.80 cm was higher in fallow soil than in the other two cases. This was true for all locations over a period of two years. (2) The amounts of water conserved by the effect of fallow

Design of Moisture Content Detection System

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, W. C.; Wang, L.

In this paper, a method for measuring the moisture content of grain was presented based on single chip microcomputer and capacitive sensor. The working principle of measuring moisture content is introduced and a concentric cylinder type of capacitive sensor is designed, the signal processing circuits of system are described in details. System is tested in practice and discussions are made on the various factors affecting the capacitive measuring of grain moisture based on the practical experiments, experiment results showed that the system has high measuring accuracy and good controlling capacity.

Assessment of the SMAP Passive Soil Moisture Product

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Steven K.; Bindlish, Rajat; O'Neill, Peggy E.; Njoku, Eni; Jackson, Tom; Colliander, Andreas; Chen, Fan; Burgin, Mariko; Dunbar, Scott; Piepmeier, Jeffrey;

development and testing of a capacitive digital soil moisture metre

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents a low cost, simple digital soil moisture meter, working on the principle of dielectric. A digital soil moisture meter using the NE555 timer and micro controller as a major electronic component was developed and tested, which display its output in a range of 0.0 to 99% on the 7-segment displayed unit.

Study of Material Moisture Measurement Method and Instrument by the Combination of Fast Neutron Absorption and γ Absorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Chaoqin; Gong Yalin; Zhang Wei; Shang Qingmin; Li Yanfeng; Gou Qiangyuan; Yin Deyou

2010-01-01

To solve the problem of on-line sinter moisture measurement in the iron making plant, we developed material moisture measurement method and instrument by the combination of fast neutron absorption and y-absorption. It overcomes the present existed problems of other moisture meters for the sinter. Compare with microwave moisture meter, the measurement dose not affected by conductance and magnetism of material; to infrared moisture meter, the measurement result dose not influenced by colour and light-reflect performance of material surface, dose not influenced by changes of material kind; to slow neutron scatter moisture meter, the measurement dose not affected by density of material and thickness of hopper wall; to the moisture measurement meter which combined by slow neutron penetrate through and y-absorption, there are definite math model and good linear relation between the measurement values, and the measurement dose not affected by material thickness, changes of material form and component. (authors)

Space-time modeling of soil moisture

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zijuan; Mohanty, Binayak P.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, Ignacio

2017-11-01

A physically derived space-time mathematical representation of the soil moisture field is carried out via the soil moisture balance equation driven by stochastic rainfall forcing. The model incorporates spatial diffusion and in its original version, it is shown to be unable to reproduce the relative fast decay in the spatial correlation functions observed in empirical data. This decay resulting from variations in local topography as well as in local soil and vegetation conditions is well reproduced via a jitter process acting multiplicatively over the space-time soil moisture field. The jitter is a multiplicative noise acting on the soil moisture dynamics with the objective to deflate its correlation structure at small spatial scales which are not embedded in the probabilistic structure of the rainfall process that drives the dynamics. These scales of order of several meters to several hundred meters are of great importance in ecohydrologic dynamics. Properties of space-time correlation functions and spectral densities of the model with jitter are explored analytically, and the influence of the jitter parameters, reflecting variabilities of soil moisture at different spatial and temporal scales, is investigated. A case study fitting the derived model to a soil moisture dataset is presented in detail.

Relation of sortable silt grain-size to deep-sea current speeds: Calibration of the 'Mud Current Meter'

Science.gov (United States)

McCave, I. N.; Thornalley, D. J. R.; Hall, I. R.

2017-09-01

Fine grain-size parameters have been used for inference of palaeoflow speeds of near-bottom currents in the deep-sea. The basic idea stems from observations of varying sediment size parameters on a continental margin with a gradient from slower flow speeds at shallower depths to faster at deeper. In the deep-sea, size-sorting occurs during deposition after benthic storm resuspension events. At flow speeds below 10-15 cm s-1 mean grain-size in the terrigenous non-cohesive 'sortable silt' range (denoted by SS bar , mean of 10-63 μm) is controlled by selective deposition, whereas above that range removal of finer material by winnowing is also argued to play a role. A calibration of the SS bar grain-size flow speed proxy based on sediment samples taken adjacent to sites of long-term current meters set within 100 m of the sea bed for more than a year is presented here. Grain-size has been measured by either Sedigraph or Coulter Counter, in some cases both, between which there is an excellent correlation for SS bar (r = 0.96). Size-speed data indicate calibration relationships with an overall sensitivity of 1.36 ± 0.19 cm s-1/μm. A calibration line comprising 12 points including 9 from the Iceland overflow region is well defined, but at least two other smaller groups (Weddell/Scotia Sea and NW Atlantic continental rise/Rockall Trough) are fitted by sub-parallel lines with a smaller constant. This suggests a possible influence of the calibre of material supplied to the site of deposition (not the initial source supply) which, if depleted in very coarse silt (31-63 μm), would limit SS bar to smaller values for a given speed than with a broader size-spectrum supply. Local calibrations, or a core-top grain-size and local flow speed, are thus necessary to infer absolute speeds from grain-size. The trend of the calibrations diverges markedly from the slope of experimental critical erosion and deposition flow speeds versus grain-size, making it unlikely that the SS bar (or

Performance Analysis of Secure and Private Billing Protocols for Smart Metering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tom Eccles

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Traditional utility metering is to be replaced by smart metering. Smart metering enables fine-grained utility consumption measurements. These fine-grained measurements raise privacy concerns due to the lifestyle information which can be inferred from the precise time at which utilities were consumed. This paper outlines and compares two privacy-respecting time of use billing protocols for smart metering and investigates their performance on a variety of hardware. These protocols protect the privacy of customers by never transmitting the fine-grained utility readings outside of the customer’s home network. One protocol favors complexity on the trusted smart meter hardware while the other uses homomorphic commitments to offload computation to a third device. Both protocols are designed to operate on top of existing cryptographic secure channel protocols in place on smart meters. Proof of concept software implementations of these protocols have been written and their suitability for real world application to low-performance smart meter hardware is discussed. These protocols may also have application to other privacy conscious aggregation systems, such as electronic voting.

Grain Handling and Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Troy G.; Minor, John

This text for a secondary- or postecondary-level course in grain handling and storage contains ten chapters. Chapter titles are (1) Introduction to Grain Handling and Storage, (2) Elevator Safety, (3) Grain Grading and Seed Identification, (4) Moisture Control, (5) Insect and Rodent Control, (6) Grain Inventory Control, (7) Elevator Maintenance,…

Indirect Estimations of Lentil Leaf and Plant N by SPAD Chlorophyll Meter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Zakeri

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD chlorophyll meter can be used to screen for leaf nitrogen (N concentration in breeding programs. Lentil (Lens culinaris L. cultivars were grown under varied N regimes, SPAD chlorophyll meter readings (SCMR were recorded from the cultivars leaves, and leaf N concentration was measured by combustion. Linear regression and the nonlinear Radial Basis Functions (RBF neural networks models were employed to estimate leaf N concentration (LNC based on the SCMR values. The closest estimates of LNC were obtained from the multivariate models in which the combination of plant age, leaf thickness, and SCMR was employed as the independent variable. In comparison, SCMR as the single independent variable in both models estimated less than 50% of LNC variations. The results showed significant effects of soil moisture and plant age on the association of LNC –SCMR as well as the relationship of LNC with plant N, grain yield, and days to maturity. However, the effect of cultivar on the measured variables was negligible. Although lentil N can be diagnosed by comparing SCMR values of the crop with those from a well-fertilized (N fixing plot, the results did not support using SPAD chlorophyll meter for screening lentil LNC.

Fermented high moisture maize grain as supplement to alfalfa haylage is superior over unfermented dry maize grain in diet dry matter digestibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Vranić

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The objectives of the experiment were to examine whether high moisture maize grain (HMM is superior to low moisture maize grain (LMM as supplement to alfalfa haylage (Medicago sativa L. (AH. The effects of HMM and LMM supplementation to AH were studied on feed intake, water intake and dry matter (DM digestibility in wether sheep. Alfalfa was harvested at the beginning of flowering and ensiled into round bales wrapped with plastic. The average DM and crude protein (CP concentration of AH was 534.7 g kg-1 fresh sample and 141 g kg-1 DM, respectively. The average DM content (g kg-1 fresh sample of HMM and LMM were 795.9 and 915.1 g kg-1 fresh sample, respectively, while the average CP concentration (g kg-1 DM were 116.8 and 106.0, respectively. The study consisted of five feeding treatments incorporating AH only and AH supplemented with 5 or 10 g HMM or LMM d-1 kg-1 wether body weight. The inclusion of HMM (5 or 10 g kg-1 body weight d-1 into AH based ration resulted in higher diet DM digestibility (P<0.05 in comparison with LMM inclusion (5 or 10 g kg-1 body weight d-1. Higher daily fresh matter intake (FMI (P<0.05, dry matter intake (DMI (P<0.05 and water intake (P<0.05 was achieved with LMM inclusion in comparison with HMM inclusion. The conclusion was that HMM is superior over LMM as supplement to AH in terms of DM digestibility, while LMM has advantages over HMM in the intake characteristics measured.

Avaliação do teor de umidade da madeira de Eucalyptus grandis por medidores elétricos resistivos. Evaluation of the Eucalyptus grandis lumber moisture content by resistancetype moisture meters.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Eduardo Guarnetti dos SANTOS

2006-01-01

Full Text Available O presente estudo teve como objetivoverificar a precisão de dois tipos de medidoreselétricos de teor de umidade durante o processo desecagem da madeira de Eucalyptus grandis. Foramretiradas amostras representativas de 14 tábuas deEucalyptus grandis e secas em estufa elétrica a40 ºC de temperatura, até que o material atingisse10% de umidade. Durante a secagem foramdeterminados, periodicamente, o teor de umidadeatravés do método de massas correntes e deverificações simultâneas com um medidor elétricoportátil (EMM e com o sistema de controle de umsecador convencional (KCS. Os resultados mostraramque: (1 o sensor de umidade KCS pode substituiro método gravimétrico durante a secagem damadeira; (2 o medidor do teor de umidade EMMsubestima os reais teores de umidade durante asecagem da madeira e não é indicado parasubstituir o método gravimétrico de determinação de umidade.The aim of the study was to evaluate theprecision of two types of electric moisture metersduring the drying process of Eucalyptus grandisboards. Samples were obtained from 14 boards ofEucalyptus grandis and they were dried in electriclaboratory oven at 40 ºC of temperature, until thewood achieve 10% of moisture content. During thedrying, the moisture content was determined bygravimetric method and simultaneous checks by anelectric moisture meter (EMM and by kilncontrol system (KCS. The results showed that:(1 the KCS can replace the gravimetric methodduring the wood drying; (2 the EMMunderestimate the real moisture content during thedrying of boards and it is not indicate as substituteof the gravimetric method.

Development of nuclear density and moisture gauges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Huaian; Zhu Dichen; Jiang Yulan; Yin Xiling; Li Jianwen; Cheng Jianbing; Yan Haiqing

1993-01-01

The model MT5012 nuclear density and moisture gauge is an advanced portable meter to inspect the compactness of a highway roadbed and pavement foundation. It has perfect functions and the advantage of quickness, accuracy and non-destruction. It is also applicable to civil engineering, such as railway, airport and embankment. The model MT5022 nuclear density and moisture gauge is a mobile meter for continuous inspection and control of the compactness of a highway and pavement foundation. It can be installed on road roller, wheelbarrow and other traffic machines while working, and is more efficient than the portable ones

Temperature and moisture content effects on compressive strength parallel to the grain of paricá

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Jesús Manríquez Figueroa

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the temperature and moisture content on the compressive strength parallel to the grain of paricá (Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex. Ducke from cultivated forests. The experiments were carried out on 3 timber samples under different conditions: heated (HT, thermal treatment (TT and water saturated (WS. The HT sample consisted of 105 clear specimens assembled in 15 groups, the TT consisted of 90 clear specimens assembled in 15 groups and the WS consisted of 90 clear specimens assembled in 9 groups. The specimens from HT and WS samples were tested at a temperature range from 20 to 230 ºC and 20 to 100 ºC, respectively. The HT specimens were tested at ambient temperature, but after being submitted to thermal treatment. The HT, TT and WS samples present a decrease in the compressive strength, reaching 65%, 76% and 59% of the compressive strength at room temperature, respectively. The decrease in the compressive strength of the HT and WS samples can be associated to the thermal degradation of wood polymers and the moisture content. For the TT sample, the strength increased for a pre-heating temperature of up to 170 °C due to the reduction in the moisture content of the specimens.

Effectiveness of modified 1-hour air-oven moisture methods for determining popcorn moisture

Science.gov (United States)

Two of the most commonly used approved grain moisture air-oven reference methods are the air oven method ASAE S352.2, which requires long heating time (72-h) for unground samples, and the AACC 44-15.02 air-oven method, which dries a ground sample for 1 hr, but there is specific moisture measurement ...

7 CFR 868.307 - Moisture.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Moisture. 868.307 Section 868.307 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARD... Application of Standards § 868.307 Moisture. Water content in milled rice as determined by an FGIS approved...

Measurement of Moisture in Wood for Application in the Restoration of Old Buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Moron, Carlos; Garcia-Fuentevilla, Luisa; Garcia, Alfonso; Moron, Alberto

2016-05-14

There are many historic buildings whose construction is based on timber frame walls. Most buildings built during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were based on timber frame walls with vertical support elements. These timber frame elements are affected by their moisture content and by the passage of time. If the interaction of the timber frame walls with hygrothermal fluctuations were known, the maintenance of these buildings could be improved significantly. To determine the moisture content of wood there are two types of meters on the market: on the one hand, capacitance meters which consist of two side ends and where the moisture content is measured locally between two peaks. On the other hand, there are meters based on the variation of electromagnetic transmittance of timber, which depends on the moisture of timber. The second ones are very expensive and difficult to handle. This work presents a new non-intrusive capacitive sensor that measures the global moisture content in a section of the timber frame walls and therefore its accuracy is similar to the accuracy that can be obtained with electromagnetic transmittance meters. Additionally, as it is a capacitive sensor, it is low cost and easy to operate.

Dryland Winter Wheat Yield, Grain Protein, and Soil Nitrogen Responses to Fertilizer and Biosolids Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard T. Koenig

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Applications of biosolids were compared to inorganic nitrogen (N fertilizer for two years at three locations in eastern Washington State, USA, with diverse rainfall and soft white, hard red, and hard white winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cultivars. High rates of inorganic N tended to reduce yields, while grain protein responses to N rate were positive and linear for all wheat market classes. Biosolids produced 0 to 1400 kg ha−1 (0 to 47% higher grain yields than inorganic N. Wheat may have responded positively to nutrients other than N in the biosolids or to a metered N supply that limited vegetative growth and the potential for moisture stress-induced reductions in grain yield in these dryland production systems. Grain protein content with biosolids was either equal to or below grain protein with inorganic N, likely due to dilution of grain N from the higher yields achieved with biosolids. Results indicate the potential to improve dryland winter wheat yields with biosolids compared to inorganic N alone, but perhaps not to increase grain protein concentration of hard wheat when biosolids are applied immediately before planting.

MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF GRAIN MICRONIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. A. Afanas’ev

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Summary. During micronisation grain moisture evaporates mainly in decreasing drying rate period. Grain layer located on the surface of the conveyor micronisers will be regarded as horizontal plate. Due to the fact that the micronisation process the surface of the grain evaporates little moisture (within 2-7 % is assumed constant plate thickness. Because in the process of micronization grain structure is changing, in order to achieve an exact solution of the equations necessary to take into account changes thermophysical, optical and others. Equation of heat transfer is necessary to add a term that is responsible for the infrared heating. Because of the small thickness of the grain, neglecting the processes occurring at the edge of the grain, that is actually consider the problem of an infinite plate. To check the adequacy of the mathematical model of the process of micronisation of wheat grain moisture content must be comparable to the function of time, obtained by solving the system of equations with the measured experimental data of experience. Numerical solution of a system of equations for the period of decreasing drying rate is feasible with the help of the Maple 14, substituting the values of the constants in the system. Calculation of the average relative error does not exceed 7- 10 %, and shows a good agreement between the calculated data and the experimental values.

Soil moisture transport during the 1974--1975 and 1975--1976 water years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Last, G.V.; Easley, P.G.; Brown, D.J.

1976-12-01

The rate and direction of soil moisture movement in Hanford sediments were determined for the 1974-1975 and 1975-1976 water years. The data for these determinations was obtained from two large lysimeters located on the 200 area plateau near the center of the Hanford Reservation. During the 1974-75 water year, meteoric moisture percolated to a depth of 2.5 meters with a peak moisture content of 10.5 volume-percent. This percolation envelope was eliminated by evaporation during the hot dry summer of 1975. The 1975-76 water year had only 70 percent of the normal precipitation, thus the percolation envelope was small and penetrated to a depth of only two meters. However, in spite of this shallow depth and low volume of moisture, the percolation envelope was not eliminated by the end of the water year because of lower seasonal temperatures and higher humidity during the drying season. Moisture content of sediments in the 4-18 meter depth range showed no relative change throughout the two water years, and no moisture accumulated at the bottom of the lysimeters, which indicates there is no deep percolation of meteoric moisture at this site, and no recharge to the ground water

On-irrigator pasture soil moisture sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, Adrian Eng-Choon; Richards, Sean; Platt, Ian; Woodhead, Ian

2017-01-01

In this paper, we presented the development of a proximal soil moisture sensor that measured the soil moisture content of dairy pasture directly from the boom of an irrigator. The proposed sensor was capable of soil moisture measurements at an accuracy of  ±5% volumetric moisture content, and at meter scale ground area resolutions. The sensor adopted techniques from the ultra-wideband radar to enable measurements of ground reflection at resolutions that are smaller than the antenna beamwidth of the sensor. An experimental prototype was developed for field measurements. Extensive field measurements using the developed prototype were conducted on grass pasture at different ground conditions to validate the accuracy of the sensor in performing soil moisture measurements. (paper)

Effect of moisture content on some physical and mechanical properties of juvenile rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Buhnnum Kyokong

2003-05-01

Full Text Available Moisture content of rubberwood is an important factor influencing its physical and mechanical behaviours. This research aimed at quantifying effect of moisture content on physical and mechanical properties of juvenile rubberwood core. The specimens at various moisture contents were tested in compression and shear parallel to grain. Information was gathered to determine shrinkage, density and specific gravity of specimens. The equilibrium moisture content determined from desorption experiment, was well described by the Hailwood-Horrobin solution theory. Moisture content of 23+4% best represented the value of apparent fiber saturation point, Mp, determined from physical and mechanical properties data. Above Mp, values of all physical and mechanical properties examined were fairly constant. Maximum volumetric shrinkage from moisture content above Mp to an oven-dry condition was 8.2+1.8%. Specific gravity and density were 0.55+0.03 and 614+30 kg/m3 at 12% moisture content. Below Mp, ultimate compressive stress (UCS parallel to grain, ultimate shear stress parallel to grain, modulus of elasticity (MOE for compression parallel to grain, and shear modulus parallel to grain increased exponentially with decreasing moisture content. Shear strain at fracture and work to fracture of shear parallel to grain were found to increase as moisture content decreased below Mp and attained the maximum values at 20% and 12% moisture content, respectively. The values decreased with further lowering of the level of moisture content. Ultimate compressive stress (UCS parallel to grain was closely correlated with specific gravity and was more sensitive to changes in moisture content at higher specific gravity level.

Measurement of Moisture in Wood for Application in the Restoration of Old Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Moron, Carlos; Garcia-Fuentevilla, Luisa; Garcia, Alfonso; Moron, Alberto

2016-01-01

There are many historic buildings whose construction is based on timber frame walls. Most buildings built during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were based on timber frame walls with vertical support elements. These timber frame elements are affected by their moisture content and by the passage of time. If the interaction of the timber frame walls with hygrothermal fluctuations were known, the maintenance of these buildings could be improved significantly. To determine the moisture content of wood there are two types of meters on the market: on the one hand, capacitance meters which consist of two side ends and where the moisture content is measured locally between two peaks. On the other hand, there are meters based on the variation of electromagnetic transmittance of timber, which depends on the moisture of timber. The second ones are very expensive and difficult to handle. This work presents a new non-intrusive capacitive sensor that measures the global moisture content in a section of the timber frame walls and therefore its accuracy is similar to the accuracy that can be obtained with electromagnetic transmittance meters. Additionally, as it is a capacitive sensor, it is low cost and easy to operate. PMID:27187410

Streamlining Smart Meter Data Analytics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Xiufeng; Nielsen, Per Sieverts

2015-01-01

of the so-called big data possible. This can improve energy management, e.g., help utilities improve the management of energy and services, and help customers save money. As this regard, the paper focuses on building an innovative software solution to streamline smart meter data analytic, aiming at dealing......Today smart meters are increasingly used in worldwide. Smart meters are the advanced meters capable of measuring customer energy consumption at a fine-grained time interval, e.g., every 15 minutes. The data are very sizable, and might be from different sources, along with the other social......-economic metrics such as the geographic information of meters, the information about users and their property, geographic location and others, which make the data management very complex. On the other hand, data-mining and the emerging cloud computing technologies make the collection, management, and analysis...

Dry land Winter Wheat Yield, Grain Protein, and Soil Nitrogen Responses to Fertilizer and Bio solids Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, R.T.; Cogger, C.G.; Bary, A.I.

2011-01-01

Applications of bio solids were compared to inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer for two years at three locations in eastern Washington State, USA, with diverse rainfall and soft white, hard red, and hard white winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars. High rates of inorganic N tended to reduce yields, while grain protein responses to N rate were positive and linear for all wheat market classes. Bio solids produced 0 to 1400 kg ha -1 (0 to 47%) higher grain yields than inorganic N. Wheat may have responded positively to nutrients other than N in the bio solids or to a metered N supply that limited vegetative growth and the potential for moisture stress-induced reductions in grain yield in these dry land production systems. Grain protein content with bio solids was either equal to or below grain protein with inorganic N, likely due to dilution of grain N from the higher yields achieved with bio solids. Results indicate the potential to improve dry land winter wheat yields with bio solids compared to inorganic N alone, but perhaps not to increase grain protein concentration of hard wheat when bio solids are applied immediately before planting.

Autoradiographic study on moisture distribution in pearl-barley and in rice grain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakharov, Eh.V.; Koz'mina, E.P.; Troitskaya, E.Ya

1975-01-01

The dependence of some structural details of the pearl-barley and rice endosperm on the internal moisture distribution is found. The general scheme of the study is shown. The curves of the local moisture distribution in the pearly-barley and rice kernel are plotted according to the radiography data. Moisture distribution over the whole section of the rice kernel is relatively constant at 85 deg C after ten minutes of moisture. Whereas moisture of pearl-barley kernel is only approaching the center of kernel by the time the moisture content increases to 1.5-2%. The slow moisture transfer in the pearl-barley kernel makes the cooking period three times longer as that of the rice

Guidance notes : safe practice for the use of nuclear density meters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-06-01

These 'Guidance notes' have been written to provide information for owners and users on the safe care and use of instruments containing radioactive materials used for the measurement of moisture content and/or density of materials. They give practical guidance on compliance with the requirements of radiation protection legislation and the 'Code of safe practice for the use of nuclear density meters, NRL C15'. Some of these instruments have been known as 'soil moisture gauges' and others as 'nuclear density meters' or just 'NDMs'. For simplicity, these 'Guidance notes' will follow industry terminology and use the term 'nuclear density meter'. Some parts of these 'Guidance notes' and of the 'Code, NRL C15' are relevant for users of asphalt gauges containing radioactive sources. These are normally laboratory bench instruments, and are not portable field instruments. Nevertheless, the radioactive sources used are similar to those used for moisture measurement and the safety implications are similar. The units of measurement of radioactivity and radiation dose are discussed in Appendix 1. Appendix 2 contains consent application forms while sample transport forms can be found in Appendix 3. (author). 10 refs

Heating and dehydration of grain and cereals at a combined energy supply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey Zverev

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The paper dwells on the development of experimental dependencies of heating and dehydration of grain and cereals when varying the irradiance, ambient temperature in the heat treatment zone and the initial moisture content of product, and the development of the mathematical models for heating and dehydration of some grains and cereals. The grain was heated on the laboratory equipment with quartz halogen linear infrared emitters. The irradiance on the working surface in the treatment zone was determined by calculation using a specially developed program. The ambient temperature was determined by a thermocouple thermometer placed in a ceramic tube. The grain temperature was estimated as average by weight by a thermocouple thermometer after its transfer into a thermally insulated container. The following dependencies have been obtained: 1 - Temperature dependence of the heating time for different heating modes and initial moisture content. 2 - Dependence of moisture content on the heating time under different conditions and initial moisture content. 3 - Dependence of moisture content on a temperature under different conditions and constant initial humidity. The models of the heat-moisture exchange and dehydration processes have been created, and the model parameters K0 and KT of the temperature dependence of some grains have been identified, as well as their dependence on moisture content and treatment modes has been evaluated. It has been established that this model describes adequately the process of dehydration to an extent limited by the upper temperature value of grain not much more than 100 ºС. Within not limited to the upper temperature value of grain not much more than 100 ºС. From the presented graphs and earlier obtained results for barley and millet, it can be assumed that the model describes adequately experimental data on the small-sized (3 - 5 mm objects.

High resolution soil moisture radiometer. [large space structures

Science.gov (United States)

Wilheit, T. T.

1978-01-01

An electrically scanned pushbroom phased antenna array is described for a microwave radiometer which can provide agriculturally meaningful measurements of soil moisture. The antenna size of 100 meters at 1400 MHz or 230 meters at 611 MHz requires several shuttle launches and orbital assembly. Problems inherent to the size of the structure and specific instrument problems are discussed as well as the preliminary design.

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Sorghum Grains (Sorghum Vulgare

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The physical and mechanical properties of sorghum grains (sorghum vulgare were studied at varying moisture contents of 13%, 20% and 30% (w.b. The four varieties of sorghum grains studied include; Dura, Guinea, Faterita and Kafir. Results indicate that the size ranges were 3.94mm - 4.83mm for Dura variety; 3.75mm - 4.54mm for Guinea variety; 3.21mm - 4.42mm for Kafir variety and 2.70mm - 4.14mm for Faterita variety. Irregularities in the shapes of the grains were observed but all approximated to a sphere. In the mechanical properties, at major diameter, Dura variety had highest rupture force of 1.16kN at 13% moisture content (w.b while the Guinea variety had the lowest rupture force of 0.955kN. In minor diameter, the Dura variety also recorded highest rupture force of 1.12kN at 13% moisture content (w.b while the Kafir variety had the lowest value of 0.952kN. Also at 20% moisture content, the Dura variety had highest rupture force of 1.025kN while the Guinea variety had the lowest rupture force of 0.965kN. The same trend applies in the varieties at 30% moisture content. This is because, increase in moisture content results to decrease in rupture force. And this implies that force beyond these points at these moisture contents may cause damage to the sorghum varieties.

10559 A NATIONAL SURVEY OF RICE (ORYZA SATIVA L.) GRAIN ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

The study provided quantitative measures of the quality status of rice grains available in Sierra ... using the most convenient methods at their disposal. ... rice, moisture content of grains and percentages of foreign matter, chalky immature grains ...

A Prediction-based Smart Meter Data Generator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iftikhar, Nadeem; Liu, Xiufeng; Nordbjerg, Finn Ebertsen

2016-01-01

With the prevalence of cloud computing and In-ternet of Things (IoT), smart meters have become one of the main components of smart city strategy. Smart meters generate large amounts of fine-grained data that is used to provide useful information to consumers and utility companies for decision......, mainly due to privacy issues. This paper proposes a smart meter data generator that can generate realistic energy consumption data by making use of a small real-world dataset as seed. The generator generates data using a prediction-based method that depends on historical energy consumption patterns along......-making. Now-a-days, smart meter analytics systems consist of analytical algorithms that process massive amounts of data. These analytics algorithms require ample amounts of realistic data for testing and verification purposes. However, it is usually difficult to obtain adequate amounts of realistic data...

Kinetics of water sorption of damaged bean grains: Thermodynamic properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo C. Corrêa

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study aims to determine the thermodynamic properties of damaged beans. Grains with initial moisture content of 53.85% (d.b. were used. A part of the grains was used to obtain the desorption isotherms, while another part was subjected to drying until a moisture content of 5.26% (d.b. was achieved; therefore, it was subjected to the adsorption process. To induce damage, a Stein breakage tester was used. To obtain the equilibrium moisture content, grains were placed in a climatic chamber whose temperatures were 20, 30, 40, and 50 ± 1 °C combined with a relative humidity of 30, 40, 50, 70, and 90 ± 3%. Although in the desorption process, damaged grains had a lower differential enthalpy compared with the control, the reverse behavior was observed in the adsorption process. Mechanical damage caused the formation of a greater number of available adsorption sites, resulting in higher differential entropy values in adsorption and lower values in desorption compared with the control. The mechanical damage had no effect on the Gibbs free energy.

Microstructure and ultrastructure of alfalfa seeds with different moisture contents after satellite carrying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Peng; Li Jian; Zhang Yunwei; Liu Ruohan

2009-01-01

Seeds with different moisture contents (9%, 11%, 13%, 15%, 17%) of Medicago sativa L. cv. Zhongmu No. 1 were boarded on the Shijian-8 satellite and then the microscopic and ultrastructure were observed. The results showed that spongy tissue and leaf palisade of plant after space flight were different to their control. The impact of on spongy cells was more obvious than the palisade cells; greater chloroplasts, empty and crack overflow mitochondria were observed. More starch grain were found at the samples cultured from 15% and 17% moisture content treatment, which was analyzed that starch grains in leaf cell was affected by the moisture content of seeds. (authors)

COSMOS: the COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Zreda

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The newly-developed cosmic-ray method for measuring area-average soil moisture at the hectometer horizontal scale is being implemented in the COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System (or the COSMOS. The stationary cosmic-ray soil moisture probe measures the neutrons that are generated by cosmic rays within air and soil and other materials, moderated by mainly hydrogen atoms located primarily in soil water, and emitted to the atmosphere where they mix instantaneously at a scale of hundreds of meters and whose density is inversely correlated with soil moisture. The COSMOS has already deployed more than 50 of the eventual 500 cosmic-ray probes, distributed mainly in the USA, each generating a time series of average soil moisture over its horizontal footprint, with similar networks coming into existence around the world. This paper is written to serve a community need to better understand this novel method and the COSMOS project. We describe the cosmic-ray soil moisture measurement method, the instrument and its calibration, the design, data processing and dissemination used in the COSMOS project, and give example time series of soil moisture obtained from COSMOS probes.

The influence of external conditions on the grain storage process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. A. Orlovtseva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available .High quality grain - a pledge of his safety, reduce losses and the costs of storage. Wheat is the main source of human nutrition. Elements contained in wheat perform a fundamental role in human life. Storing grain quality is an urgent task. One of the labor-intensive operations in this process is the correct placement of parties in wheat granary and timely monitoring of key parameters (humidity and temperature. In this regard, we consider methods for determining the intensity of the grain breathing method for determining the moisture content and temperature of the grain of wheat. Humidity was determined by electrical hygrometer. To measure the temperature of wheat used mercury thermometer. In analyzing the breathing wheat energy depending on the humidity it was found that the intensity of respiration increasingly affects humidity increase than an increase in temperature. As objects of study used wheat varieties: Hordeiforme 432 and Multiroom 321. According to the results obtained in the study plot the respiratory activity of the grain from moisture. According to the schedules we concluded that the sharp increase in wheat breathing energy occurs with increasing moisture content to a value of more than 15%. Just found out that in addition to breathing in highly humid grain appears vital functions of harmful microorganisms, which under the influence of grain rots and becomes stale. Thus, ho-well-organized and skilled observation, the correct analysis of the obtained data allow to bring the maximum reduction in spending of dry matter and therefore achieve lower grain weight loss during storage.

Smart Meter Data Analytics: Systems, Algorithms and Benchmarking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Xiufeng; Golab, Lukasz; Golab, Wojciech

2016-01-01

the proposed benchmark using five representative platforms: a traditional numeric computing platform (Matlab), a relational DBMS with a built-in machine learning toolkit (PostgreSQL/MADlib), a main-memory column store (“System C”), and two distributed data processing platforms (Hive and Spark/Spark Streaming......Smart electricity meters have been replacing conventional meters worldwide, enabling automated collection of fine-grained (e.g., every 15 minutes or hourly) consumption data. A variety of smart meter analytics algorithms and applications have been proposed, mainly in the smart grid literature......-line feature extraction and model building as well a framework for on-line anomaly detection that we propose. Second, since obtaining real smart meter data is difficult due to privacy issues, we present an algorithm for generating large realistic data sets from a small seed of real data. Third, we implement...

Physical Properties of two Acha varieties as a function of Moisture Content

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. A. Aviara

2017-10-01

Full Text Available "Acha" is a cereal crop of West African origin belonging to the family graminaea. There are many varieties of Acha, but the most prominent two are the white Acha (Digitaria exillis and brown Acha (Digitaria iburua. Acha is used in the production of food and beverages, and manufacture of medicines. The grain therefore, has immense economic values. However, the mechanization of Acha processing has been limited by shortage of data on its physical properties that would aid the design of equipment for its post-harvest operations. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine the variation of bulk density, particle size distribution, porosity, solid density, angle of repose and one thousand grain mass of the two varieties of the crop with moisture content. The moisture content range within which the study was conducted was 5 - 30% (d.b for both white and brown variety. Results showed that as the moisture content of the two varieties of Acha increased, there was decrease in bulk density, porosity and solid density. However, increase in moisture content increased the 1000-grain mass and angle of repose of both varieties, with the values for white Acha being higher than those of brown Acha. The operation and adjustment of any Acha processing and storage equipment would therefore require a consideration of the variety and moisture content to obtain good performance.

[Development and test of a wheat chlorophyll, nitrogen and water content meter].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Bo; Sun, Ming; Han, Shu-Qing; Xia, Jin-Wen

2011-08-01

A portable meter was developed which can detect chlorophyll, nitrogen and moisture content of wheat leaf simultaneously, and can supply enough data for guiding fertilization and irrigation. This meter is composed of light path and electronic circuit. And this meter uses 660, 940 and 1450 nm LED together with narrow band filters as the active light source. The hardware circuit consists of micro-controller, LED drive circuit, detector, communication circuit, keyboard and LCD circuit. The meter was tested in the field and performed well with good repeatability and accuracy. The relative errors of chlorophyll and nitrogen test were about 10%, relative error for water content was 4%. The coefficients of variation of the three indices were all below 1.5%. All of these prove that the meter can be applied under the field condition to guide the wheat production.

Production of aflatexin B1 in wheat grains under different environmental storage conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahrous, S.R.; Shahin, A.A.M.; Bothaina, M.Y.

2000-01-01

Fungal flora of stored wheat grains and the production of aflatoxin B 1 by Aflavus in wheat grains under different environmental conditions were examined. Aspergillus, Penicillium,. Fusarium, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Epicouccum, Verticilium, Rhizopus, Mucor and Altenaria were the predominant fungi isolated from the collected non-disinfected grains. Aspergillus spp, were only isolated from surface disinfected grains. Of 223 aspergillus spp, isolates only 128 found to aflatoxin producing and all aflatoxin producing-fungi belonged to the Aflavus group. Results demonstrate that Aflavus could produce maximum concentration of aflatoxin B 1 in grains at 20% moisture (163.5 MOU g/kg). The highest concentration of aflatoxin B 1 was produced by Aflavus (10 5 spores/g) in wheat grains with 20% moisture after 20 days at 30 degree and 92.40 % R.H. The aflatoxin production did not increase monotonously as a function of inoculum density

Effect of osmopriming sources and moisture stress on wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amin, R.; Khan, A.Z.; Khalil, S.K.

2012-01-01

Wheat yield in Pakistan is very low due to poor germination and poor stand establishment and optimum amount of water availability at critical growth stages. To cope with these problems experiments were planned including control and nine osmopriming sources per liter of water that is PEG (100 g), KCl (37.25 g), KNO/sub 3/ (101 g), NaCl (58.5 g), NH/sub 4/ Cl (53.5 g), CaCl/sub 2/ (55.5 g), Mannitol (20 g), Na/sub 2/ SO/sub 4/ (71 g) and hydro priming. In the filed these were studied at three moisture stresses of 60, 70 and 80% MAD (management allowable depletion). The experiments were repeated during 2008 and 2009 and were laid out in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement replicated three times. Moisture stress was allotted to main plots and osmopriming sources to sub plots. Best combinations of moisture stress (M) and osmopriming sources (OPS) significantly affected pheno logical and grain yield components of wheat. Increased moisture stress showed decreased pheno logical life of the wheat. Hence lowest days to maturity (157.1) were noted for 80% MAD. The optimum MAD (70%) contributed to maximum grain yield (3348.6 kg ha/sup -1/). Wheat showed variation in response to osmopriming sources. Minimum days to emergence (8.1) were noted for PEG. While KNO/sub 3/ osmoprimed seeds took lowest days to maturity (155.4). Highest emergence m/sup -2/ (82), thousand grains weight (39.97 g), and grain yield (3481 kg ha/sup -1/) were recorded for PEG (100 g L/sup -1/ of water). Likewise KNO/sub 3/ (101 g L/sup -1/ of water) osmoprimed seeds attained highest number of grains spike/sup -1/ (51.0). From this study it was concluded that wheat seeds may be osmoprimed with PEG, Na/sub 2/ SO/sub 4/, KNO/sub 3/, CaCl/sub 2/ and water along with the application of 70% MAD irrigation at critical growth stages for gaining high yield. However, due to the high prices of PEG and other osmopriming sources in the market hydro priming is recommended for gaining high net

Influence of moisture content on physical properties of minor millets.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasubramanian, S; Viswanathan, R

2010-06-01

Physical properties including 1000 kernel weight, bulk density, true density, porosity, angle of repose, coefficient of static friction, coefficient of internal friction and grain hardness were determined for foxtail millet, little millet, kodo millet, common millet, barnyard millet and finger millet in the moisture content range of 11.1 to 25% db. Thousand kernel weight increased from 2.3 to 6.1 g and angle of repose increased from 25.0 to 38.2°. Bulk density decreased from 868.1 to 477.1 kg/m(3) and true density from 1988.7 to 884.4 kg/m(3) for all minor millets when observed in the moisture range of 11.1 to 25%. Porosity decreased from 63.7 to 32.5%. Coefficient of static friction of minor millets against mild steel surface increased from 0.253 to 0.728 and coefficient of internal friction was in the range of 1.217 and 1.964 in the moisture range studied. Grain hardness decreased from 30.7 to 12.4 for all minor millets when moisture content was increased from 11.1 to 25% db.

In situ measurements for calculating evapotranspiration values using neutron moisture meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Gendy, R.W.; El-Moniem, M.; Massoud, M.

2000-01-01

Field experiment was conducted at the Wadi Sudr area, south Sinai, Egypt. Two types of residual animal farm (i.e., goat and camel)used wheat crop, beside control (no manure). The neutron scattering method and tensiometers were used to calculate the components of soil moisture depletion, evapotranspiration (ET) and drainage rate (DR). Evapotranspiration (ET) was determined by four methods, i.e, soil moisture depletion (SMD), Active rooting depth (ARD) at 80% SMD, active rooting depth (ARD) at zero hydraulic potential gradient (dh/dz = 0) and Blaney - Criddle formula (climatically data) using published crop coefficient (Kc) ET values for goat and camel residuals and control treatments were found to be 5.59, 5.54 and 6.80; 4.48, 4.43 and 5.44; 5.01, 4.11 and 11.66 and 4.5 mm day 1 for all treatments using the previous four methods respectively. The data obtained also showed that ET values under organic manure treatments were lower than control treatment, while the dry weight of wheat crop was higher in the manure-treated plots relative to the control. These less irrigation water requirements are needed to be applied to manure-treated plots and this should reduce the opportunity of soil deterioration if saline water is used

Compressive Load Resistance Characteristics of Rice Grain

OpenAIRE

Sumpun Chaitep; Chaiy R. Metha Pathawee; Pipatpong Watanawanyoo

2008-01-01

Investigation was made to observe the compressive load property of rice gain both rough rice and brown grain. Six rice varieties (indica and japonica) were examined with the moisture content at 10-12%. A compressive load with reference to a principal axis normal to the thickness of the grain were conducted at selected inclined angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 70°. The result showed the compressive load resistance of rice grain based on its characteristic of yield s...

Effects of dry-rolled or high-moisture corn with twenty-five or forty-five percent wet distillers' grains with solubles on energy metabolism, nutrient digestibility, and macromineral balance in finishing beef steers

Science.gov (United States)

The effects of feeding dry-rolled corn (DRC) or high-moisture corn (HMC) with 25% and 45% wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) on energy metabolism, and nutrient and mineral balance were evaluated in 8 finishing beef steers using a replicated Latin square design. The model included the fixed ...

Privacy-Preserving Smart Metering with Authentication in a Smart Grid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Beom Hur

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The traditional security objectives of smart grids have been availability, integrity, and confidentiality. However, as the grids incorporate smart metering and load management, user and corporate privacy is increasingly becoming an issue in smart grid networks. Although transmitting current power consumption levels to the supplier or utility from each smart meter at short intervals has an advantage for the electricity supplier’s planning and management purposes, it threatens user privacy by disclosing fine-grained consumption data and usage behavior to utility providers. In this study, we propose a distributed incremental data aggregation scheme where all smart meters on an aggregation path are involved in routing the data from the source meter to the collection unit. User privacy is preserved by symmetric homomorphic encryption, which allows smart meters to participate in the aggregation without seeing any intermediate or final result. Aggregated data is further integrated with an aggregate signature to achieve data integrity and smart meter authentication in such a way that dishonest or fake smart meters cannot falsify data en route. Only the collection unit can obtain the aggregated data and verify its integrity while the individual plain data are not exposed to the collection unit. Therefore, user privacy and security are improved for the smart metering in a smart grid network.

Investigation of the response of a neutron moisture meter using a multigroup, two-dimensional diffusion theory code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritchie, A.I.M.; Wilson, D.J.

1984-12-01

A multigroup diffusion code has been used to predict the count rate from a neutron moisture meter for a range of values of soil water content ω, thermal neutron absorption cross section Ssub(a) (defined as Σsub(a)/rho) of the soil matrix and soil matrix density rho. Two dimensions adequately approximated the geometry of the source, detector and soil surrounding the detector. Seven energy groups, the data for which were condensed from 128 group data set over the neutron energy spectrum appropriate to the soil-water mixture under study, proved adequate to describe neutron slowing-down and diffusion. The soil-water mixture was an SiO 2 →water mixture, with the absorption cross section of SiO 2 increased to cover the range of Σsub(a) required. The response to changes in matrix density is, in general, linear but the response to changes in water content is not linear over the range of parameter values investigated. Tabular results are presented which allow interpolation of the response for a particular ω, Ssub(a) and rho. It is shown that R(ω, Ssub(a), rho) rho M(Ssub(a)) + C(ω) is a crude representation of the response over a very limited range of variation of ω, and Ssub(a). As the response is a slowly varying function of rho, Ssub(a) and ω, a polynomial fit will provide a better estimate of the response for values of rho, Ssub(a) and ω not tabulated

Effect of 60Co γ-rays irradiation on equilibrium moisture content of rice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Yong; Wang Jun; Jin Shuifeng; Teng Bin

2008-01-01

Experiments were carried out to study the effect of irradiation on the EMC (equilibrium moisture content) of rice. Irradiation dose was included in three widely used models for EMC, the parameters in models based on the experimental data, and correlation coefficient, mean relative error and standard error of moisture were studied for the better model. Experimental results show that gamma irradiation dose affects the values of EMC of grain at the same relative humidity and temperature of ambient. Values of the EMC decreased with increass of γ-rays irradiation dose during both adsorption and desorption process. Based on the correlation coefficient, mean relative error and standard error of moisture, the modified Chung-Pfost equation and the modified Henderson equation were found to fit the desorption and adsorption isotherms for rough rice grain in the range of experimental conditions. (authors)

Evaluation of Grain Quality in Bread Wheat Recombinant Inbred Lines Under Drought Stress Conditions

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H. Shahbazi

2014-04-01

Full Text Available To study drought stress effect on grain quality properties of wheat, an experiment was conductedusing 169 recombinant inbreed lines (RILS under water stress and non-stress condition and with two separated lattice designs. Grain yield, protein yield, protein content, volume of Zeleny sediment, grain hardness, water absorption, grain moisture content and grain dry matter were evaluated. Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences among the lines for all traits. Moreover, comparison between two lines in two environmental conditions showed, the quality in bread wheat under drought stress conditions due to increment of protein yield is improved. Protein yield in both irrigation regimes has a significant and negative correlation with grain moisture and in the other hand, significant and positive correlation with the grain hardiness dry matter, Zeleny sedimentation and water intake in both conditions. The results showed that the identification of favorable quality characteristics in optimum and stressed conditions were possible and the lines with high grain quality can be used in breeding programs for improving of baking quality. Although some drought sensitive genotypes possessed a favorable baking quality but their grain yield was low.

Privacy-Preserving Meter Report Protocol of Isolated Smart Grid Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiwei Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Smart grid aims to improve the reliability, efficiency, and security of the traditional grid, which allows two-way transmission and efficiency-driven response. However, a main concern of this new technique is that the fine-grained metering data may leak the personal privacy information of the customers. Thus, the data aggregation mechanism for privacy protection is required for the meter report protocol in smart grid. In this paper, we propose an efficient privacy-preserving meter report protocol for the isolated smart grid devices. Our protocol consists of an encryption scheme with additively homomorphic property and a linearly homomorphic signature scheme, where the linearly homomorphic signature scheme is suitable for privacy-preserving data aggregation. We also provide security analysis of our protocol in the context of some typical attacks in smart grid. The implementation of our protocol on the Intel Edison platform shows that our protocol is efficient enough for the physical constrained devices, like smart meters.

Analysis of grain filling process to the varied meteorological conditions in winter wheat [Triticum aestivum] cultivars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, K.; Nakazono, K.; Wakiyama, Y.

2005-01-01

This paper describes effects of varied meteorological conditions on the grain filling periods, stabilities of yield and quality of winter wheat cultivars with different maturity characteristics (cv. Ayahikari, Norin61, Bandowase, and Tsurupikari). In the field experiments, the meteorological treatments were made during the first heading time on 17 April 2001 and the middle heading time on 24 April 2000. Air temperature, global solar radiation and soil moisture were controlled using a rain shelter, cheesecloth and irrigation system. The growth speed and growth period of wheat grains varied among four winter wheat cultivars, depending on meteorological conditions. The growth speed increased within 1 8.4 deg C of mean air temperature over the 30 days after the anthesis. On the other hand, it was found that the growth speed of wheat grains and the maximum number of wheat grains (Ymax) decreased greatly with the 44.4% interception of global solar radiation. Logistic functions were fitted to the relationship between the relative thousand-kernel-weight (Y/Ymax) and the total integrated temperature (sigmaTa) after heading for all treatment conditions. The maximum weight of grains (Ymax) achieved at the harvest time varied somewhat clearly among four winter wheat cultivars and meteorological conditions. Multiple regression analysis showed that the grain yield (Ymax) of four wheat cultivars correlated positively with daily mean solar radiation. It was also found that the cultivar Ayahikari had a highly significant negative correlation between its grain weight and soil moisture. Namely, the grain weight of high soil moisture plot with pF=1.5 was lower by about 9% than that of a control plot with pF=3.5. On the other hand, the grain yield of cultivar Norin61 responded inversely to a wet environment, indicating that its grain weight was higher for high soil moisture and high wet-bulb temperature than for a dry environment. The grain yield of early varieties of Bandowase and

SILAGE OF HIGH MOISTURE GRAIN AND DRY GRAIN OF SORGHUM AS ENERGETIC SOURCE FOR FEMALE CALVES FROM TWO GENETIC GROUPS SILAGEM DE GRÃO ÚMIDO OU GRÃO SECO DE SORGO COMO FONTE ENERGÉTICA PARA BEZERRAS DE DOIS GRUPOS GENÉTICOS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Restle

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The performance and development of Charolais (CH and 5/8Nellore 3/8Charolais (5/8NC female calves, feedlot fed with silage of high moisture grain or dry grain of sorghum, were evaluated. The roughage (corn silage:concentrate ratio was 60:40, dry matter (DM basis. Calves average initial weight and age was 96.9±8.5kg and five months. The experimental design was complete randomized, with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (types of sorghum grains conservation x genetic groups. No significant interaction was observed between type of sorghum grain conservation and genetic group, for the variables studied. No difference (P>.05 was observed between high moisture and dry grain for daily intake of DM (DMI 3.83 and 3.84 kg DM/day, and digestible energy (DEI 14.59 and 14.92 Mcal/day, respectively. Average daily weight gain (ADW .80 and .83 kg, final weight (FW 165.0 and 166.5 kg, and feed conversion (FC 4.78 and 4.63, were similar for high moisture and dry grain sorghum, respectively. Calves growth parameters according to sorghum grains conservation did not differ (P>.05. The gain of body condition (GBC was higher (P<.05 for the treatment of high moisture grain (.33 points in comparison to dry grain (.22 points. No difference (P>.05 was observed between genetic groups for DMI, DEI, ADW, FC and FW. The 5/8NC compared to the CH calves showed higher (P<.05 final body condition score (3.1 vs 3.0 points, initial (91.12 vs 83.62 cm and final withers height (102.62 vs 94.84 cm and initial (99.37 vs 89.69 cm and final rump height (108.87 vs 101.37 cm. The CH calves had higher (P<.05 thoracic perimeter (24.94 vs 20.56 cm.

Application of X-ray methods to assess grain vulnerability to damage resulting from multiple loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zlobecki, A.

1995-01-01

The aim of the work is to describe wheat grain behavior under multiple dynamic loads with various multipliers. The experiments were conducted on Almari variety grain. Grain moisture was 11, 16, 21 and 28%. A special ram stand was used for loading the grain. The experiments were carried out using an 8 g weight, equivalent to impact energy of 4,6 x 10 -3 [J]. The X-ray method was used to assess damage. The exposure time was 8 minutes with X-ray lamp voltage equal to 15 kV. The position index was used as the measure of the damage. The investigation results were elaborated statistically. Based on the results of analysis of variance, regression analysis, the d-Duncan test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the damage number was shown to depend greatly on the number of impacts for the whole range of moisture of the grain loaded. (author)

Service Life Prediction of Wood Claddings by in-situ Measurement of Wood Moisture Content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engelund, Emil Tang; Lindegaard, Berit; Morsing, Niels

2009-01-01

of wood moisture are done by in-situ resistance moisture meters (Lindegaard and Morsing 2006). The aim is that the test should form the basis of evaluation of the maintenance requirements and the prediction of service life of the surface treatment and the wood/construction. At the moment 60 test racks...... are exposed. This study examines the data from the first five years of outdoor exposure using data from a test rack with a water-borne acrylic coating and a test rack with ICP coating for case studies. The moisture content data was converted into weekly average and weekly variation values which gave a deeper...

Browse Title Index

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Items 1 - 50 of 189 ... Vol 6, No 1 (2005), A low cost field usable portable digital grain moisture meter with direct display of moisture (%), Abstract PDF. R Rai, K Sivadasan, S.N Murty. Vol 5, No ... Vol 1, No 4 (2001), Analysis of NOx reduction in diesel engines by air injection using stochastic, Abstract PDF. ISN Mkilaha, GR John.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure based on Smart Meters

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Hiroshi

By specifically designating penetrations rates of advanced meters and communication technologies, devices and systems, this paper introduces that the penetration of advanced metering is important for the future development of electric power system infrastructure. It examines the state of the technology and the economical benefits of advanced metering. One result of the survey is that advanced metering currently has a penetration of about six percent of total installed electric meters in the United States. Applications to the infrastructure differ by type of organization. Being integrated with emerging communication technologies, smart meters enable several kinds of features such as, not only automatic meter reading but also distribution management control, outage management, remote switching, etc.

The measuring system and practical uses of the universal radiation meter type TSM-11

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozsa, S.; Szabo, Gy.; Szem, I.; Vereczky, L.

1980-01-01

The industrial radiation meter in its signal conversion follows the ratemeter principle and uses pulse detectors. By its built-in zero suppression and scale extension the device makes the display of two pulses differing from each other at least by 10% and their conversion onto the output signal range of 0-20 mA possible. The information from the different measuring sections developed for industrial purposes are processed by the same device. The operation principles of and the experience gathered with the radiometer in its use in industry as density, level, thickness gauge, moisture and quantity meter and belt scales are discussed. (author)

Effects of grain-producing cover crops on rice grain yield in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriano Stephan Nascente

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Besides providing benefits to the environment such as soil protection, release of nutrients, soil moisture maintenance, and weed control, cover crops can increase food production for grain production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production of biomass and grain cover crops (and its respective effects on soil chemical and physical attributes, yield components, and grain yield of rice in Mozambique. The study was conducted in two sites located in the province of Cabo Delgado, in Mozambique. The experimental design was a randomized block in a 2 × 6 factorial, with four repetitions. Treatments were carried out in two locations (Cuaia and Nambaua with six cover crops: Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.; namarra bean (Lablab purpureus (L. Sweet, velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens L., oloco beans (Vigna radiata (L. R. Wilczek, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L., and fallow. Cover crops provided similar changes in chemical and physical properties of the soil. Lablab purpureus, Vigna unguiculata, and Mucuna pruriens produced the highest dry matter biomass. Vigna unguiculada produced the highest amount of grains. Rice grain yields were similar under all cover crops and higher in Cuaia than Nambaua.

Qualidade da silagem de grãos de milho com adição de soja crua e parâmetros de digestibilidade parcial e total em bovinos Quality of high moisture corn grain silage with addition of raw soybean grains and parameters of partial and total digestibility in cattle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.C. Jobim

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Avaliou-se a qualidade da silagem de grãos úmidos de milho com adição de soja crua, por meio de medidas de digestibilidade parcial e total em bovinos. Foram utilizados três animais mestiços Nelore x Red Angus, implantados com cânulas ruminal e duodenal. O delineamento experimental foi o quadrado latino 3x3, com os seguintes tratamentos: SGM66= 60% de volumoso, 26,6% de silagem de grãos de milho e 13,4% de farelo de soja e milho moído; SGM33= 60% de volumoso, 13,4% de silagem de grãos de milho e 26,6% de farelo de soja e milho moído, e GMS= 60% de volumoso e 40% de farelo de soja e milho moído. A digestão e a digestibilidade da matéria seca não foram influenciadas pela inclusão de SGM na dieta. A dieta SGM66 aumentou a digestibilidade de matéria seca no intestino em relação à dieta GMS. Não houve efeito da inclusão da silagem de grãos na digestão e na digestibilidade das frações fibra em detergente ácido e fibra em detergente neutro da ração, bem como no fluxo ruminal e intestinal do amido. A SGM66 melhorou a digestibilidade total da proteína bruta, mas não mostrou efeito sobre a digestibilidade total da matéria seca, da fibra e do amido e sobre o ambiente ruminal no que se refere à acidez e à concentração de amônia.The quality of high moisture corn grain silage with addition of raw soybean grains was evaluated by measures of partial and total digestibilities in cattle. Three crossbred Nelore x Red Angus steers averaging 305kg of live weigth and fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used. The experimental design was a 3x3 Latin square, and the steers received the following treatments: HMGS66 = 60% roughage, 26.6% high moisture grain silage, and 13.4% soybean meal and ground corn; HMGS33 = 60% roughage, 13.4% high moisture grain silage, and 26.6% soybean meal and ground corn; and GC = 60% roughage and 40% soybean meal and ground corn. The digestion and digestibility of dry matter was not influenced by

Soil moisture in sessile oak forest gaps

Science.gov (United States)

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

2015-04-01

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

Moisture sources of the Mono Lake deglacial pluvial events

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, X.; Liang, M. C.; Ali, G.; Shen, C. C.; Cai, Y.; Ke, L.; Hemming, S. R.

2016-12-01

Enormously expanded lakes existed in the today's dry western US Great Basin during the last glacial period. The ancient shorelines located well above modern lake levels suggest that precipitation in lake basins must have been substantially higher in the past. It is however under debate whether the subtropical North Pacific or the tropical Pacific is the major moisture source that contributed to the pluvial events, particularly during the deglaciation. Here, we collected a suite of tufa carbonate samples deposited at the 2,080 meter terrace ( 135 meters above today's lake level) in the Mono Basin, California, a closed lake basin for the last 130 thousand years (kyr). At Goat Ranch, we discovered white, shiny, laminated botryoidal carbonate coatings on tufa mounds. Most of these coatings present two generations of formation separated by a hiatus, which indicates lake level fluctuations. Using high-precision U-Th dating techniques, we found that the lower layer was formed 14.1-14.4 kyr BP (corresponding to the North Atlantic Bølling warming period). The upper layer of the coating was formed 11.9-12.3 kyr BP (within the Younger Dryas event). We then obtained d18O, d13C, D47 and 17O-excess values for the two carbonate layers. The upper part is characterized by low d18O values, -8 to -12 ‰ VPDB, whereas the lower one has higher d18O values, -5 to -6 ‰ VPDB. Both share similar d13C values ( 1-2‰ VPDB). D47 analysis on the carbonates suggests that both layers were deposited in a water temperature of 9±2 oC (1s, n = 4 and 8, respectively). The two generations of carbonates present 17O-excess of moisture in values of 50±5 (1s, n=4) and 25±5 (1s, n=8) per meg VSMOW-SLAP, respectively. The large difference in 17O-excess of parent meteoric water points to different origins of moisture for the tufa carbonate formations. The high 17O-excess values during YD suggest a moisture source with a low relative humidity, consistent with the conventional view that the moisture

VARIATION IN GRAIN YIELD, BIOMASS AND GRAIN NUMBER OF BARLEY UNDER DROUGHT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cándido López-Castañeda

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Variability in grain yield (GY, aerial biomass (BM and number of grains m-2 (G M-2 in F6 lines and commercial varieties of barley was studied, and the relationship among these characters in full-irrigation (FI, drought (D and rain-fed (RF conditions was determined. Variation in GY, BM and G M-2 among all genotypes, between F6 lines and varieties, and among genotypes of F6 lines and varieties was significant in all the three soil moisture environments. GY, BM and G M-2 in FI were 23, 14 and 21 % greater than the average of the three soil moisture environments; GY, BM and G M-2 in RF were 21, 16 y 24 % lower than this average. F6 lines produced greater GY (380 g m-2, BM (1027 g m-2 and G M-2 (8641 than the commercial varieties (GY=290 g m-2; BM=726 g m-2 y G M-2=7463 in average of the three environments. GY was positive and significantly associated with BM and G M-2; BM and G M-2 were also associated. GY could be improved in either FI, D or RF environments by selecting genotypes with a greater BM and G M-2 or both of them.

Testing and performance of electrolytic oxygen meters for use in liquid sodium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, R.G.; Thompson, R.

1983-01-01

The performance of yttria-doped thoria ceramic electrochemical oxygen meters in liquid sodium is described. Tests were carried out using laboratory loops. Temperature coefficients of the oxygen meters have been measured between 380 0 C and 480 0 C, and the response to changes in oxygen level using cold-trap temperatures from 125 0 C to 250 0 C was determined. The ceramic has been shown to give good performance over lifetimes exceeding 400 days in some cases. The temperature coefficients and response to oxygen level changes are in good agreement with thermodynamic predictions. The effect of running the meters in high-oxygen sodium has been studied and a general mode of failure has been shown to be grain-boundary attack by oxygen/sodium solutions. The effect of #betta#-radiation on the meters has been studied. The meters with a metal/metal oxide reference electrode were unaffected by dose rates up to 52860 mGy h - 1 . Meters with an air reference electrode do show an effect as a voltage reduction at levels down to 2420 mGy h - 1 . This effect was temperature-dependent and was insignificant at 500 0 C. (orig.)

Gamma irradiation of rice grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, M.K.; Ghosh, S.K.; Chatterjee, S.R.

1991-01-01

Rice grains of the variety, Pusa-33, at 12.0% moisture, were irradiated with doses of 0-150 kGy. The crystallinity of starch, soluble amylose and yellowness of treated grains increased with increment in the dose of radiation but water absorption and volume expansion on cooling decreased. irradiation at doses of 3-5 kGy increased imperceptibly the hardening of rice cooled after cooking, but had no effect on edibility. The off-aroma in irradiated grains was perceptible at doses higher than 5 kGy. The changes in colour and aroma persisted also on cooking. Upto a dose of 5 kGy, the sensory scores of rice, both cooked and uncooked, were at or above acceptable limit of score (5,5). The doses of 3 and 5 kGy were highly effective in reducing fungal population in irradiated grains, but in view of the changes in colour and cooking qualities, 3 kGy is the preferred dose-limit of irradiation. (author). 17 refs., 5 tabs., 1 fig

Radon emanation and soil moisture effects on airborne gamma-ray measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grasty, R.L.

1997-01-01

A theoretical model is developed to explain variations in airborne gamma-ray measurements over a calibration range near Ottawa, Ontario. The gamma-ray flux from potassium and the thorium decay series showed an expected decrease with increasing soil moisture. However, the gamma-ray flux from the uranium decay series was highest in the spring when the ground was water-saturated and even covered with snow. These results are explained through the build-up of radon and its associated gamma-ray-emitting decay products in the clay soil of the calibration range with increasing soil moisture. Similar results were found from airborne measurements over other clay soils. However, measurements over sandy soils showed that the count rates from all three radio elements increased with decreasing soil moisture. This difference between soil types was attributed to the lower radon emanation of the more coarse-grained sandy soils compared to finer-grained clay soils. The theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that any estimate of the natural gamma-ray field caused by radium in the ground must take into consideration the radon emanation coefficient of the soil. The radon diffusion coefficient of the soil must also be considered since it depends strongly on soil moisture. This has significant implications for the assessment of outdoor radiation doses using laboratory analyses of soil samples and the use of ground and airborne gamma-ray measurements for radon potential mapping

Revealing household characteristics from smart meter data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckel, Christian; Sadamori, Leyna; Staake, Thorsten; Santini, Silvia

2014-01-01

Utilities are currently deploying smart electricity meters in millions of households worldwide to collect fine-grained electricity consumption data. We present an approach to automatically analyzing this data to enable personalized and scalable energy efficiency programs for private households. In particular, we develop and evaluate a system that uses supervised machine learning techniques to automatically estimate specific “characteristics” of a household from its electricity consumption. The characteristics are related to a household's socio-economic status, its dwelling, or its appliance stock. We evaluate our approach by analyzing smart meter data collected from 4232 households in Ireland at a 30-min granularity over a period of 1.5 years. Our analysis shows that revealing characteristics from smart meter data is feasible, as our method achieves an accuracy of more than 70% over all households for many of the characteristics and even exceeds 80% for some of the characteristics. The findings are applicable to all smart metering systems without making changes to the measurement infrastructure. The inferred knowledge paves the way for targeted energy efficiency programs and other services that benefit from improved customer insights. On the basis of these promising results, the paper discusses the potential for utilities as well as policy and privacy implications. - Highlights: • Many household characteristics can be automatically inferred from smart meter data. • We develop a system to infer employment status and number of occupants, for instance. • We evaluate our system analyzing data collected from 4232 households in Ireland. • The insights enable personalized and scalable efficiency campaigns for utilities. • Energy efficiency measures must be complemented by privacy protection

Effect of Cold-Water Irrigation on Grain Quality Traits in japonica Rice Varieties from Yunnan Province, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo-zhen ZHAO

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The response of grain quality traits to cold-water irrigation and its correlation with cold tolerance were studied in 11 japonica rice varieties from Yunnan Province, China. The results indicated that the response of grain quality traits to the cold-water stress varied with rice varieties and grain quality traits. Under the cold-water stress, grain width, chalky rice rate, whiteness, 1000-grain weight, brown rice rate, taste meter value, peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown viscosity and final viscosity significantly decreased, whereas grain length-width ratio, head rice rate, alkali digestion value, protein content and setback viscosity markedly increased. However, the other traits such as grain length, amylose content, milled rice rate, peak viscosity time and pasting temperature were not significantly affected by the cold-water stress. Significant correlations were discovered between phenotypic acceptability and cold response indices of taste meter value, protein content, peak viscosity and breakdown viscosity. Therefore, it would be very important to improve the cold tolerance of Yunnan rice varieties in order to stabilize and improve their eating quality.

Application of model MTS5 dew-point meter in gas sampling and analyzing system of HTR-10

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Jiang; Li Zhihui

2010-01-01

The feature of humidity detector to measure the content of water in pure helium of main loop of reactor was discussed, and the circumstances using Al 2 O 3 moisture sensor to measure the content of water in helium on-line were introduced. During those few years, the dew-point meter has sufficed to measure the content of water in the helium gas during the running of the reactor. On the other hand, excursion can happen when the instrument running. Demarcate must be made periodically to improve the veracity of the meter. (authors)

Moisture content determination in solid biofuels by dielectric and NIR reflection methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jensen, Peter Daugbjerg; Morsing, Merete [Department of Forest and Landscape, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Hartmann, Hans; Boehm, Thorsten [Technologie- und Foerderzentrum fuer Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (TFZ), Schulgasse 18, D-94315 Straubing (Germany); Temmerman, Michael; Rabier, Fabienne [Departement Genie Rural, Chee de Namur 146, B-5030 Gembloux (Belgium)

2006-11-15

One near infrared (NIR) reflectance and five dielectric moisture meters were tested for their capability of measuring moisture content (MC) in solid biofuels. Ninety-eight samples were tested at up to eight moisture levels covering the MC range from fresh fuel to approximately 10% MC (w.b.). The fuel types ranged from typical solid biofuels such as coniferous and deciduous wood chips over short rotation coppice (SRC) to sunflower seed and olive stones. The most promising calibrations were obtained with the NIR reflection method and two dielectric devices where the sample is placed in a container integrated in the device. The calibration equations developed show that there is a profound influence from both laboratory and fuel type. It is suggested that individual calibrations that are based on the specific fuel types used at the individual heating plant could be applied. (author)

The establishment of good irradiation practice for insect disinfestation of cereal grain products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Yin; Liu Hongyue; Li Xiangling; Shi Peixin

2001-01-01

According to the reference data and test results, the parameters and technicality of good irradiation practice (GIP) were established as follows: (1) the moisture level of grain products should be < 12% for pre-irradiation treatment of grains, and pupae and adult stages insects should not exist in the products; (2) grain products should be irradiated immediately after packing; (3) the minimum effective dose for insect disinfestation is 0.3 kGy and the maximum tolerant doses for different cereal grains products are 0.5 ∼ 0.8 kGy. (authors)

Metering Plan: Intelligent Operational Strategies Through Enhanced Metering Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pope, Jason E.

2016-07-27

The Sustainability Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has adopted a “triple-bottom-line” approach of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic prosperity to its operations. Metering at PNNL works in support of all three, specifically to measure and inform building energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and minimize water use. The foundation for metering at PNNL is a core goal set, which consists of four objectives: providing accurate data without interruption, analyzing data while it is still new, providing actionable recommendations to operations management, and ensuring PNNL’s compliance with contract metering requirements. These core objectives guide the decisions that we make during annual planning and as we operate throughout the year. This 2016 edition of the Metering Plan conveys the metering practices for and vision of the Sustainability Program. Changes in this plan from the 2015 edition include updated tables and an enhanced discussion on energy tracking systems used at PNNL. This plan also discusses updated benchmarking strategies using PNNL’s graphics and analytics tool, BuildingOS by Lucid Design Group. This plan presents our progress toward the metering goals shared by all federal agencies and highlights our successful completion of metering requirements. Currently, PNNL is fully compliant with the applicable legislative and Executive Order metering requirements. PNNL’s approach to the installation of new meters will be discussed. Perhaps most importantly, this plan details the analysis techniques utilized at PNNL that rely on the endless streams of data newly available as a result of increased meter deployment over the last several years. Previous Metering Plans have documented specific meter connection schemes as PNNL focused on deploying meters in a first step toward managing energy and water use. This plan serves not only to highlight PNNL’s successful completion of agency metering goals, but

Moisture barrier properties of single-layer graphene deposited on Cu films for Cu metallization

Science.gov (United States)

Gomasang, Ploybussara; Abe, Takumi; Kawahara, Kenji; Wasai, Yoko; Nabatova-Gabain, Nataliya; Thanh Cuong, Nguyen; Ago, Hiroki; Okada, Susumu; Ueno, Kazuyoshi

2018-04-01

The moisture barrier properties of large-grain single-layer graphene (SLG) deposited on a Cu(111)/sapphire substrate are demonstrated by comparing with the bare Cu(111) surface under an accelerated degradation test (ADT) at 85 °C and 85% relative humidity (RH) for various durations. The change in surface color and the formation of Cu oxide are investigated by optical microscopy (OM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. First-principle simulation is performed to understand the mechanisms underlying the barrier properties of SLG against O diffusion. The correlation between Cu oxide thickness and SLG quality are also analyzed by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measured on a non-uniform SLG film. SLG with large grains shows high performance in preventing the Cu oxidation due to moisture during ADT.

Calibration Curve of Neutron Moisture Meter for Sandy Soil under Drip Irrigation System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammad, Abd El- Moniem M.; Gendy, R. W.; Bedaiwy, M. N.

2004-01-01

The aim of this work is to construct a neutron calibration curve in order to be able to use the neutron probe in sandy soils under drip irrigation systems. The experimental work was conducted at the Soil and Water Department of the Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority. Three replicates were used along the lateral lines of the drip irrigation system. For each dripper, ten neutron access tubes were installed to 100-cm depth at distances of 5, 15 and 25 cm from the dripper location around the drippers on the lateral line, as well as between lateral lines. The neutron calibrations were determined at 30, 45, and 60-cm depths. Determining coefficients as well as t-test in pairs were employed to detect the accuracy of the calibrations. Results indicated that in order for the neutron calibration curve to express the whole wet area around the emitter; three-access tubes must be installed at distances of 5, 15, and 25 cm from the emitter. This calibration curve will be correlating the average count ratio (CR) at the studied soil depth of the three locations (5, 15, and 25-cm distances from the emitter) to the average moisture content (θ) for this soil depth of the entire wetted area. This procedure should be repeated at different times in order to obtain different θ and C.R values, so that the regression equation of calibration curve at this soil depth can be obtained. To determine the soil moisture content, the average CR of the three locations must be taken and substituted into the regression equation representing the neutron calibration curve. Results taken from access tubes placed at distances of 15 cm from the emitter, showed good agreement with the average calibration curve both for the 45- and the 60-cm depths, suggesting that the 15-cm distance may provide a suitable substitute for the simultaneous use of the three different distances of 5, 15 and 25 cm. However, the obtained results show also that the neutron calibration curves of the 30-cm depth for

Ochratoxin A and citrinin loads in stored wheat grains: impact of grain dust and possible prediction using ergosterol measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Tangni, E K; Pussemier, L

2006-02-01

Crop storage should be carried out under hygienic conditions to ensure safe products, but sometimes grain dust which has settled from previous storage may be left over and incorporated to the following stored grains. This paper describes the results obtained using a lab model developed in order to assess the impact of grain dust incorporation for its direct contribution as a contaminant but also as an inoculum in stored wheat. Settled grain dust (4 samples) released from Belgian grain storages were collected and analysed by HPLC for ergosterol, ochratoxin A (OTA) and citrinin (CIT) content. For OTA and for ergosterol, there was a high degree of variability in concentrations found in the dust samples (from 17.3-318 ng g(-1) and from 39-823 microg g(-1), respectively) whilst for CIT, the range was less significant (from 137-344 ng g(-1)). Incorporation of grain dust into wheat storage contributed to an increase in the concentrations of mycotoxins in the stored grain. Dust acts as a contaminant and as an inoculum. According to these two ways, patterns of mycotoxin generation vary with the nature of the mycotoxin, the mycotoxigenic potential of dust and the water activity of the wheat. OTA and CIT showed a very versatile image when considering the amounts of toxins produced under the selected experimental conditions. The development of a robust tool to forecast the mycotoxigenicity of dust was based on the determination of ergosterol content as a general marker of fungal biomass. Present results suggest that this predictive tool would only be valid for predicting the contamination level of CIT and OTA at reasonable moisture content (14-20%). The potential risk of having highly contaminated batches from stock to stock may thus occur and this paper discusses possible pathways leading to OTA and CIT contamination either under wet or dry storage conditions. We therefore, recommend taking precautionary measures not only by controlling and maintaining moisture at a

Measurement of moisture motion under a temperature gradient in a concrete for SNR-300 using thermal neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zelinger, A.

1975-01-01

For describing the behavior of the moisture in the concrete of the containment of SNR-300 in a hypothetical accident parameters were determined experimentally. The method is based on transmission of thermal neutrons through a plate of concrete. When a temperature of 170 deg C was applied at one end of the plate migration of moisture and evaporation took place. This could be observed by neutron radiography giving a gross picture of moisture migration. Furthermore the intensity of the transmitted neutron beam was measured with a neutron counter. From these values profiles of the change of moisture concentration could be obtained with a spatial resolution of few millimeters. The method used is entirely different from the conventional moisture meters which use fast neutrons. From the experimental data the mass transfer coefficient of vapour, the diffusion coefficient of vapour in concrete and the porosity of the concrete could be determined

Use of neutron scattering meter to detect soil moisture distribution under trickle irrigation system in sandy soil of inshas, Egypt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd El-moniem, M.; El-gendy, R.W.; Gadalla, A.M.; Hamdy, A.; Zeedan, A.

2006-01-01

This study aims to investigate the soil moisture distribution under different quantities of irrigation water in cultivated sandy soil with squash, using drip irrigation system. This study was carried out in Inshas sandy soil at the farm of Soil and Water Research Department, Nuclear Research Centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt. Three rates of applied irrigation water (100, 75 and 50 % ETc) were used. Three sites (0, 12.5 and 25 cm distances from the emitter between drippers and laterals lines) were chosen to measure soil moisture contents (horizontal and vertical directions within the soil depths). The obtained data pointed out that the maximum width, in onion shape of water distribution under drip irrigation system, was at 45 cm depth at 0 site. From the study of soil moisture distribution, the overlapping between each two neighbor drippers played a good role in increasing soil moisture content at the 25 site rather than the rest sites. Water distribution was affected with plant location within the wet area as well as the used irrigation water quantities. Water distribution between drippers and laterals did not differ much approximately. The highest soil moisture depletion was at 12.5 site (between drippers) for 100 and 75 % ETc rather than the rest treatments. 100 % ETc treatment introduced the highest soil moisture depletion in the first stage of plant growth season for the three sites (between drippers and laterals). In the last stage of plant growth season, water re-distribution phenomena resulted from the changeable total hydraulic potential, which played important role for interpretation of results

Direct observations of rock moisture, a hidden component of the hydrologic cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Rempe, Daniella M; Dietrich, William E

2018-03-13

Recent theory and field observations suggest that a systematically varying weathering zone, that can be tens of meters thick, commonly develops in the bedrock underlying hillslopes. Weathering turns otherwise poorly conductive bedrock into a dynamic water storage reservoir. Infiltrating precipitation typically will pass through unsaturated weathered bedrock before reaching groundwater and running off to streams. This invisible and difficult to access unsaturated zone is virtually unexplored compared with the surface soil mantle. We have proposed the term "rock moisture" to describe the exchangeable water stored in the unsaturated zone in weathered bedrock, purposely choosing a term parallel to, but distinct from, soil moisture, because weathered bedrock is a distinctly different material that is distributed across landscapes independently of soil thickness. Here, we report a multiyear intensive campaign of quantifying rock moisture across a hillslope underlain by a thick weathered bedrock zone using repeat neutron probe measurements in a suite of boreholes. Rock moisture storage accumulates in the wet season, reaches a characteristic upper value, and rapidly passes any additional rainfall downward to groundwater. Hence, rock moisture storage mediates the initiation and magnitude of recharge and runoff. In the dry season, rock moisture storage is gradually depleted by trees for transpiration, leading to a common lower value at the end of the dry season. Up to 27% of the annual rainfall is seasonally stored as rock moisture. Significant rock moisture storage is likely common, and yet it is missing from hydrologic and land-surface models used to predict regional and global climate.

Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission L4_SM Data Product Assessment (Version 2 Validated Release)

Science.gov (United States)

Reichle, Rolf Helmut; De Lannoy, Gabrielle J. M.; Liu, Qing; Ardizzone, Joseph V.; Chen, Fan; Colliander, Andreas; Conaty, Austin; Crow, Wade; Jackson, Thomas; Kimball, John;

Parametrization of the increase of the aeolian erosion threshold wind friction velocity due to soil moisture for arid and semi-arid areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Fécan

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Large-scale simulation of the soil-derived dust emission in semi-arid regions needs to account for the influence of the soil moisture on the wind erosion threshold. Soil water retention consists of molecular adsorption on the soil grain surface and capillary forces between the grain. Interparticle capillary forces (characterized by the moisture tension are the main factor responsible for the increase of the wind erosion threshold observed when the soil moisture increases. When the soil moisture content is close to but smaller than the maximum amount of adsorbed water, w' (depending on the soil texture, these capillary forces are considered as not strong enough to significantly increase the erosion threshold. An expression of the moisture tension as a function of soil moisture and w' is derived from retention curves. From this expression, a parametrization of the ratio of the wet to dry erosion thresholds has been developed as a function of soil moisture and soil texture. The coefficients of this parametrization have been determined by using experimental data from the literature. An empirical relationship between w' and soil clay content has been established. The erosion threshold ratios simulated for different soil textures were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data.Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (Aerosols and particles · Hydrology (soil moisture

Changes in Activities of Glutamine Synthetase during Grain Filling and Their Relation to Rice Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng-xun JIN

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Four japonica rice varieties differed in cooking and eating qualities were used in a pot experiment to study the relationship between the activities of glutamine synthetase during grain filling and rice quality. The activities of glutamine synthetase gradually increased and then declined as a single peak curve in the course of grain filling. The 15th day after heading was a turning point, before which the enzymatic activities in the inferior rice varieties with high protein content were higher than those in the superior rice varietie with low protein content, and after which it was converse. The activity of glutamine synthetase in grain was correlated with the taste meter value, peak viscosity and breakdown negatively at the early stage of grain filling whereas positively at the middle and late stages. Moreover, it was correlated with the protein content of rice grain and setback positively at the early stage and negatively at the middle and late stages. The correlation degree varied with the course of grain filling. From 15 days to 20 days after heading was a critical stage, in which the direction of correlation between the activity of glutamine synthetase and taste meter value and RVA properties of rice changed.

The vibrational properties of Chinese fir wood during moisture sorption process

Science.gov (United States)

Jiali Jiang; Jianxiong Lu; Zhiyong Cai

2012-01-01

The vibrational properties of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) wood were investigated in this study as a function of changes in moisture content (MC) and grain direction. The dynamic modulus of elasticity (DMOE) and logarithmic decrement σ were examined using a cantilever beam vibration testing apparatus. It was observed that DMOE and 6 of wood vaned...

Evaluation of Range-based Methods for Localization in Grain Storages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juul, Jakob Pilegaard; Green, Ole; Jacobsen, Rune Hylsberg

2016-01-01

sensor nodes embedded in a grain storage. A path loss model that takes into account the temperature and moisture content of the grain at each sensor node was used for estimating distance based on received signal strength. The average error of the position estimates was 6.3 m. Tests using near......-field electromagnetic ranging were performed to evaluate the performance of the method. It was found that the experimental setup worked best between 2 - 7 m where the average error was 4.9% of the actual distance....

On-line measurement of moisture content of powdered food using microwave free-space transmission technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ki Bok; Park, Seong Un; Kim, Ji Yeon; Kim, Jong Heon; Lee, ChanJoo

2006-01-01

The moisture content of food is not only the most important quality factor but also one of the essential parameters affecting their physical and chemical properties related to storage, capability of processing and quality control. The moisture measurement technique using microwave is very attractive because that method has merits of rapid and accurate measurement in the wider range of moisture content, simple implementation and inexpensive compared with other methods. In this study, microwave free-space transmission technique was applied to measure the moisture content of powdered food. The on-line measurement system consisting of microwave system with 2.5 GHz, 7.0 GHz and 10.5 GHz, conveying device to move the food samples, inlet and outlet of the food samples, guide plate to control the thickness of the food samples, temperature sensing nit, taco-meter and central processing unit having analog to digital convert and microprocessor was constructed and its performance was evaluated.

Moisture Monitoring at Area G, Technical Area 54, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2016 Status Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levitt, Daniel Glenn [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Birdsell, Kay Hanson [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Jennings, Terry L. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); French, Sean B. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-01-17

Hydrological characterization and moisture monitoring activities provide data required for evaluating the transport of subsurface contaminants in the unsaturated and saturated zones beneath Area G, and for the Area G Performance Assessment and Composite Analysis. These activities have been ongoing at Area G, Technical Area 54 of the Los Alamos National Laboratory since waste disposal operations began in 1957. This report summarizes the hydrological characterization and moisture monitoring activities conducted at Area G. It includes moisture monitoring data collected from 1986 through 2016 from numerous boreholes and access tubes with neutron moisture meters, as well as data collected by automated dataloggers for water content measurement sensors installed in a waste disposal pit cover, and buried beneath the floor of a waste disposal pit. This report is an update of a nearly identical report by Levitt et al., (2015) that summarized data collected through early 2015; this report includes additional moisture monitoring data collected at Pit 31 and the Pit 38 extension through December, 2016. It also includes information from the Jennings and French (2009) moisture monitoring report and includes all data from Jennings and French (2009) and the Draft 2010 Addendum moisture monitoring report (Jennings and French, 2010). For the 2015 version of this report, all neutron logging data, including neutron probe calibrations, were investigated for quality and pedigree. Some data were recalculated using more defensible calibration data. Therefore, some water content profiles are different from those in the Jennings and French (2009) report. All of that information is repeated in this report for completeness. Monitoring and characterization data generally indicate that some areas of the Area G vadose zone are consistent with undisturbed conditions, with water contents of less than five percent by volume in the top two layers of the Bandelier tuff at Area G. These data also

Parameters Online Detection and Model Predictive Control during the Grain Drying Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lihui Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the grain drying quality and automation level, combined with the structural characteristics of the cross-flow circulation grain dryer designed and developed by us, the temperature, moisture, and other parameters measuring sensors were placed on the dryer, to achieve online automatic detection of process parameters during the grain drying process. A drying model predictive control system was set up. A grain dry predictive control model at constant velocity and variable temperature was established, in which the entire process was dried at constant velocity (i.e., precipitation rate per hour is a constant and variable temperature. Combining PC with PLC, and based on LabVIEW, a system control platform was designed.

Moisture supply in Danish single-family houses – the influence of occupant behaviour and type of room

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Eva B.; Hansen, Ernst Jan de Place

2017-01-01

According to ISO 13788, the internal moisture supply in dwellings can be described by humidity classes defined by outdoor temperature, occupancy and ventilation. Hygrothermal measurements in indoor air in 500 Danish single-family houses were made to investigate if this corresponds with reality....... The study focuses on the dependency of number and age of occupants, occupants’ time spent in the house, square meters living space, ventilation habits and type of room. Moisture supply depends on the type of room; bathroom, basement and living room have the highest values. None of the other parameters seems...

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission Level 4 Surface and Root Zone Soil Moisture (L4_SM) Product Specification Document

Science.gov (United States)

Reichle, Rolf H.; Ardizzone, Joseph V.; Kim, Gi-Kong; Lucchesi, Robert A.; Smith, Edmond B.; Weiss, Barry H.

2015-01-01

This is the Product Specification Document (PSD) for Level 4 Surface and Root Zone Soil Moisture (L4_SM) data for the Science Data System (SDS) of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) project. The L4_SM data product provides estimates of land surface conditions based on the assimilation of SMAP observations into a customized version of the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5 (GEOS-5) land data assimilation system (LDAS). This document applies to any standard L4_SM data product generated by the SMAP Project. The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission will enhance the accuracy and the resolution of space-based measurements of terrestrial soil moisture and freeze-thaw state. SMAP data products will have a noteworthy impact on multiple relevant and current Earth Science endeavors. These include: Understanding of the processes that link the terrestrial water, the energy and the carbon cycles, Estimations of global water and energy fluxes over the land surfaces, Quantification of the net carbon flux in boreal landscapes Forecast skill of both weather and climate, Predictions and monitoring of natural disasters including floods, landslides and droughts, and Predictions of agricultural productivity. To provide these data, the SMAP mission will deploy a satellite observatory in a near polar, sun synchronous orbit. The observatory will house an L-band radiometer that operates at 1.40 GHz and an L-band radar that operates at 1.26 GHz. The instruments will share a rotating reflector antenna with a 6 meter aperture that scans over a 1000 km swath.

Direct observations of rock moisture, a hidden component of the hydrologic cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Rempe, Daniella M.; Dietrich, William E.

2018-03-01

Recent theory and field observations suggest that a systematically varying weathering zone, that can be tens of meters thick, commonly develops in the bedrock underlying hillslopes. Weathering turns otherwise poorly conductive bedrock into a dynamic water storage reservoir. Infiltrating precipitation typically will pass through unsaturated weathered bedrock before reaching groundwater and running off to streams. This invisible and difficult to access unsaturated zone is virtually unexplored compared with the surface soil mantle. We have proposed the term “rock moisture” to describe the exchangeable water stored in the unsaturated zone in weathered bedrock, purposely choosing a term parallel to, but distinct from, soil moisture, because weathered bedrock is a distinctly different material that is distributed across landscapes independently of soil thickness. Here, we report a multiyear intensive campaign of quantifying rock moisture across a hillslope underlain by a thick weathered bedrock zone using repeat neutron probe measurements in a suite of boreholes. Rock moisture storage accumulates in the wet season, reaches a characteristic upper value, and rapidly passes any additional rainfall downward to groundwater. Hence, rock moisture storage mediates the initiation and magnitude of recharge and runoff. In the dry season, rock moisture storage is gradually depleted by trees for transpiration, leading to a common lower value at the end of the dry season. Up to 27% of the annual rainfall is seasonally stored as rock moisture. Significant rock moisture storage is likely common, and yet it is missing from hydrologic and land-surface models used to predict regional and global climate.

Smart metering - energy data management at every meter point; Smart Metering - Energiedatenmanagement an jedem Zaehlpunkt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keller-Giessbach, D.; Kiel, E. [LogicaCMG, Muenchen (Germany)

2007-09-15

The demise of monopolistic structures in the German energy market has also led to a change of perspective on metering. New requirements have to be met. Even in mass processing jobs such as meter reading it is no longer sufficient to simply read consumption data off a technically reliable meter or have customers do this themselves in preparation of billing. Currently used meters were not designed with a mind to demand management, environmental protection through energy conservation, changes in consumer behaviour or new service offers. This has been recognised in many European countries since the beginning of the present decade. The traditional task of metering is developing into a more comprehensive energy data management that takes account of the needs of customers, energy suppliers and regulatory requirements.

Covalently Connecting Crystal Grains with Polyvinylammonium Carbochain Backbone To Suppress Grain Boundaries for Long-Term Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Han; Liang, Chao; Liu, Yingliang; Zhang, Yiqiang; Tong, Jincheng; Zuo, Weiwei; Xu, Shengang; Shao, Guosheng; Cao, Shaokui

2017-02-22

Grain boundaries act as rapid pathways for nonradiative carrier recombination, anion migration, and water corrosion, leading to low efficiency and poor stability of organometal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, the strategy suppressing the crystal grain boundaries is applied to improve the photovoltaic performance, especially moisture-resistant stability, with polyvinylammonium carbochain backbone covalently connecting the perovskite crystal grains. This cationic polyelectrolyte additive serves as nucleation sites and template for crystal growth of MAPbI 3 and afterward the immobilized adjacent crystal grains grow into the continuous compact, pinhole-free perovskite layer. As a result, the unsealed PSC devices, which are fabricated under low-temperature fabrication protocol with a proper content of polymer additive PVAm·HI, currently exhibit the maximum efficiency of 16.3%. Remarkably, these unsealed devices follow an "outside-in" corrosion mechanism and respectively retain 92% and 80% of the initial PCE value after being exposed under ambient environment for 50 days and 100 days, indicating the superiority of carbochain polymer additives in solving the long-term stability problem of PSCs.

Crop yield monitoring in the Sahel using root zone soil moisture anomalies derived from SMOS soil moisture data assimilation

Science.gov (United States)

Gibon, François; Pellarin, Thierry; Alhassane, Agali; Traoré, Seydou; Baron, Christian

2017-04-01

West Africa is greatly vulnerable, especially in terms of food sustainability. Mainly based on rainfed agriculture, the high variability of the rainy season strongly impacts the crop production driven by the soil water availability in the soil. To monitor this water availability, classical methods are based on daily precipitation measurements. However, the raingauge network suffers from the poor network density in Africa (1/10000km2). Alternatively, real-time satellite-derived precipitations can be used, but they are known to suffer from large uncertainties which produce significant error on crop yield estimations. The present study proposes to use root soil moisture rather than precipitation to evaluate crop yield variations. First, a local analysis of the spatiotemporal impact of water deficit on millet crop production in Niger was done, from in-situ soil moisture measurements (AMMA-CATCH/OZCAR (French Critical Zone exploration network)) and in-situ millet yield survey. Crop yield measurements were obtained for 10 villages located in the Niamey region from 2005 to 2012. The mean production (over 8 years) is 690 kg/ha, and ranges from 381 to 872 kg/ha during this period. Various statistical relationships based on soil moisture estimates were tested, and the most promising one (R>0.9) linked the 30-cm soil moisture anomalies from mid-August to mid-September (grain filling period) to the crop yield anomalies. Based on this local study, it was proposed to derive regional statistical relationships using 30-cm soil moisture maps over West Africa. The selected approach was to use a simple hydrological model, the Antecedent Precipitation Index (API), forced by real-time satellite-based precipitation (CMORPH, PERSIANN, TRMM3B42). To reduce uncertainties related to the quality of real-time rainfall satellite products, SMOS soil moisture measurements were assimilated into the API model through a Particular Filter algorithm. Then, obtained soil moisture anomalies were

Use of Neutron Probe to Quantify the Soil Moisture Flux in Layers of Cultivated Soil by Chickpea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El- Gendy, R.W.

2008-01-01

This work aims to use the neutron moisture meter and the soil moisture retention curve to quantify the soil moisture flux in the soil profile of Nubarria soil in Egypt at 15, 30, 45, and 60-cm depths during the growth season of Chickpea. This method depends on the use of in situ θ measurements via neutron moisture meter and soil matric suction using model of the soil moisture retention curve at different soil depths, which can be determined in situ. Total hydraulic potential values at the different soil depths were calculated as a function (θ) using the derivative model. The gradient of hydraulic potential at any soil depth can be obtained by detecting of the hydraulic potential within the soil profile. The soil water fluxes at the different soil depths were calculated using In situ measured unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and the gradient of hydraulic potential, which correlated with soil moisture contents as measured by neutron probe. Values of hydraulic potentials after and before irrigation indicate that the direction of soil moisture movement was downward after irrigation and was different before next irrigation. Collecting active roots for water absorption of chickpea were defined from direction of soil water movement from up and down to a certain soil depth was 19 cm depth from the soil surface. Active rooting depth was 53 cm depth, which separates between evapotranspiration and gravity effects The soil water fluxes after and before the next irrigation of chickpea were 1.2453, 0.8613, 0.8197 and 0.6588 cm/hr and 0.0037, - 0.0270,- 0.1341, and 0.2545 cm/hr at 15, 30, 45 and 60 cm depths, respectively. The negative values at 30 and 45 cm depth before the next irrigation indicates there were up ward movement for soil water flux, where finding collecting active roots for water absorption of chickpea at 19 cm depth. Direction of soil water movement, soil water flux, collecting active roots for water absorption and active rooting depth can be determined using

The use of remotely-sensed snow, soil moisture and vegetation indices to develop resilience to climate change in Kazakhstan

Science.gov (United States)

Saidaliyeva, Zarina; Davenport, Ian; Nobakht, Mohamad; White, Kevin; Shahgedanova, Maria

2017-04-01

Kazakhstan is a major producer of grain. Large scale grain production dominates in the north, making Kazakhstan one of the largest exporters of grain in the world. Agricultural production accounts for 9% of the national GDP, providing 25% of national employment. The south relies on grain production from household farms for subsistence, and has low resilience, so is vulnerable to reductions in output. Yields in the south depend on snowmelt and glacier runoff. The major limit to production is water supply, which is affected by glacier retreat and frequent droughts. Climate change is likely to impact all climate drivers negatively, leading to a decrease in crop yield, which will impact Kazakhstan and countries dependent on importing its produce. This work makes initial steps in modelling the impact of climate change on crop yield, by identifying the links between snowfall, soil moisture and agricultural productivity. Several remotely-sensed data sources are being used. The availability of snowmelt water over the period 2010-2014 is estimated by extracting the annual maximum snow water equivalent (SWE) from the Globsnow dataset, which assimilates satellite microwave observations with field observations to produce a spatial map. Soil moisture over the period 2010-2016 is provided by the ESA Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. Vegetation density is approximated by the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) produced from NASA's MODIS instruments. Statistical information on crop yields is provided by the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Committee on Statistics. Demonstrating the link between snowmelt yield and agricultural productivity depends on showing the impact of snow mass during winter on remotely-sensed soil moisture, the link between soil moisture and vegetation density, and finally the link between vegetation density and crop yield. Soil moisture maps were extracted from SMOS observations, and resampled onto a 40km x

The pH of the main Brazilian commercial moisturizers and liquid soaps: considerations on the repair of the skin barrier.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Giovana M; Brianezi, Gabrielli; Miot, Hélio Amante

2017-01-01

The pH of the skin is slightly acidic (4.6 to 5.8) which is important for appropriate antibacterial, antifungal, constitution of barrier function, as well as structuring and maturation of the stratum corneum. This study aimed to evaluate the pH of the main commercial moisturizers and liquid soaps in Brazil. Thus, pH of the products was quantified by pH meter in three measurements. A total of 38 moisturizers and six commercial liquid soaps were evaluated. Mean pH of 63% and 50% of the moisturizing and liquid soaps presented results above 5.5, disfavoring repair, function, and synthesis of dermal barrier.

The pH of the main Brazilian commercial moisturizers and liquid soaps: considerations on the repair of the skin barrier*

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Giovana M; Brianezi, Gabrielli; Miot, Hélio Amante

2017-01-01

The pH of the skin is slightly acidic (4.6 to 5.8) which is important for appropriate antibacterial, antifungal, constitution of barrier function, as well as structuring and maturation of the stratum corneum. This study aimed to evaluate the pH of the main commercial moisturizers and liquid soaps in Brazil. Thus, pH of the products was quantified by pH meter in three measurements. A total of 38 moisturizers and six commercial liquid soaps were evaluated. Mean pH of 63% and 50% of the moisturizing and liquid soaps presented results above 5.5, disfavoring repair, function, and synthesis of dermal barrier. PMID:29166523

Method to estimate the internal stresses due to moisture in wood using transmission properties of microwaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takemura, T.; Taniguchi, T.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to offer a new method for detecting stress in wood due to moisture along the lines of a theory reported previously. According to the theory, the stress in wood could be estimated from the moisture content of the wood and the power voltage of a microwave moisture meter (i.e., attenuation of the projected microwave). This seems to suggest a possibility of utilizing microwaves in the field of stress detection. To develop such an idea, the stress formulas were initially modified to the form of an uni-variable function of power voltage, and the application method of the formulas to detection was tried. Finally, these results were applied to the data of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) lumber in the previous experiment. The estimated strains showed fairly good agreement with those observed. It could be concluded from this study that the proposed method might be available for detecting stress in wood due to moisture

Smart Metering. Technological, economic and legal aspects. 2. ed.; Smart Metering. Technologische, wirtschaftliche und juristische Aspekte des Smart Metering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koehler-Schute, Christiana (ed.)

2010-07-01

Smart metering comprises more than just meter technology, and the use of information and communication technologies is indispensable. Processes, roles and business models must be reconsidered as further challenges arise in the context of smart metering. For one, there is the operator of the metering points. Secondly, there is the end user who is in the role of an active market partner. Further, there is smart metering as a basic technology, e.g. for smart grids and smart homes. In spite of the need for action, many utilities are reluctant to introduce smart metering. Reasons for this are the cost, a lack of defined standards, and an unclear legal situation. On the other hand, smart metering offers potential for grids and distribution that should be made use of. The authors discuss all aspects of the subject. The point out the chances and limitations of smart metering and present their own experience. [German] Smart Metering geht weit ueber die Zaehlertechnologie hinaus und der Einsatz von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien ist unabdingbar. Damit einhergehend muessen Prozesse, Rollen und auch Geschaeftsmodelle neu durchdacht werden. Denn weitere Herausforderungen stehen im direkten Zusammenhang mit Smart Metering. Das ist zum einen die Rolle des Messstellenbetreibers / Messdienstleisters. Das ist zum anderen der Endnutzer, dem die Rolle des aktiven Marktpartners zugedacht wird. Das ist des Weiteren das Smart Metering als Basistechnologie beispielsweise fuer Smart Grid und Smart Home. Trotz des Handlungsdrucks stehen viele Unternehmen der Energiewirtschaft dem Smart Metering zurueckhaltend gegenueber. Drei gewichtige Gruende werden ins Feld gefuehrt: die Kostenfrage, nicht definierte Standards und die in vielen Bereichen ungeklaerte Gesetzeslage. Demgegenueber bietet das Smart Metering Potenziale fuer Netz und Vertrieb, die es zu nutzen gilt. Die Autoren setzen sich in ihren Beitraegen mit diesen Themen auseinander, zeigen Chancen, aber auch Grenzen des

Significance of heat-moisture treatment conditions on the pasting and gelling behaviour of various starch-rich cereal and pseudocereal flours.

Science.gov (United States)

Collar, Concha

2017-10-01

The impact of heat-moisture treatment processing conditions (15%, 25%, and 35% moisture content; 1, 3, and 5 h heating time at 120 ℃) on the viscosity pasting and gelling profiles of different grain flours matrices (barley, buckwheat, sorghum, high β-glucan barley, and wheat) was investigated by applying successive cooking and cooling cycles to rapid visco analyser canisters with highly hydrated samples (3.5:25, w:w). At a milder heat-moisture treatment conditions (15% moisture content, 1 h heating time), except for sorghum, heat-moisture treatment flours reached much higher viscosity values during earlier pasting and subsequent gelling than the corresponding native counterparts. Besides heat-moisture treatment wheat flour, the described behaviour found also for non-wheat-treated flours has not been previously reported in the literature. An increased hydrophobicity of prolamins and glutelins in low moisture-short heating time heat-moisture treatment of non-wheat flours with high protein content (12.92%-19.95%) could explain the enhanced viscosity profile observed.

NASA's Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Kellogg, Kent; Njoku, Eni; Thurman, Sam; Edelstein, Wendy; Jai, Ben; Spencer, Mike; Chen, Gun-Shing; Entekhabi, Dara; O'Neill, Peggy; Piepmeier, Jeffrey;

Formation and surface strengthening of nano-meter embedded phases during high energy Ti implanted and annealed steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Tonghe; Wu Yuguang; Cui Ping; Wang Ping

1999-12-01

Observation of transmission electron microscope indicated that the phase of FeTi 2 with 3.5-20 nm in diameter is embedded in high energy Ti implanted layer. It's average diameter is 8 nm. The nano-meter phases were embedded among dislocations and grain boundary in Ti implanted steel at 400 degree C. The wear resistance has been improved. The embedded structure can be changed obviously after annealing. The structure has been changed slightly after annealing at annealing temperature raging from 350 to 500 degree C, however, the hardness and wear resistance of implanted layer increased greatly. The maximum of hardness is obtained when the sample was annealed at 500 degree C for 20 min. It can be seen that the strengthening of implanted layer has enhanced by annealing indeed. The grain boundary and dislocations have disappeared; the diameter of nano-meter phases increased from 10 nm to 15 nm after annealing at temperature of 750 degree C and 1000 degree respectively. The average densities of nano-meter phases are 8.8 x 10 10 /cm 2 and 6.5 x 10 10 /cm 2 respectively for both of annealing temperature. The hardness decreased obviously when the annealing temperature is greater than 750 degree C

Observing grain boundaries in CVD-grown monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides

KAUST Repository

Ly, Thuchue

2014-11-25

Two-dimensional monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMdCs), driven by graphene science, revisit optical and electronic properties, which are markedly different from bulk characteristics. These properties are easily modified due to accessibility of all the atoms viable to ambient gases, and therefore, there is no guarantee that impurities and defects such as vacancies, grain boundaries, and wrinkles behave as those of ideal bulk. On the other hand, this could be advantageous in engineering such defects. Here, we report a method of observing grain boundary distribution of monolayer TMdCs by a selective oxidation. This was implemented by exposing directly the TMdC layer grown on sapphire without transfer to ultraviolet light irradiation under moisture-rich conditions. The generated oxygen and hydroxyl radicals selectively functionalized defective grain boundaries in TMdCs to provoke morphological changes at the boundary, where the grain boundary distribution was observed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. This paves the way toward the investigation of transport properties engineered by defects and grain boundaries. (Figure Presented).

Homogeneity of a Global Multisatellite Soil Moisture Climate Data Record

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Chun-Hsu; Ryu, Dongryeol; Dorigo, Wouter; Zwieback, Simon; Gruber, Alexander; Albergel, Clement; Reichle, Rolf H.; Wagner, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Climate Data Records (CDR) that blend multiple satellite products are invaluable for climate studies, trend analysis and risk assessments. Knowledge of any inhomogeneities in the CDR is therefore critical for making correct inferences. This work proposes a methodology to identify the spatiotemporal extent of the inhomogeneities in a 36-year, global multisatellite soil moisture CDR as the result of changing observing systems. Inhomogeneities are detected at up to 24 percent of the tested pixels with spatial extent varying with satellite changeover times. Nevertheless, the contiguous periods without inhomogeneities at changeover times are generally longer than 10 years. Although the inhomogeneities have measurable impact on the derived trends, these trends are similar to those observed in ground data and land surface reanalysis, with an average error less than 0.003 cubic meters per cubic meter per year. These results strengthen the basis of using the product for long-term studies and demonstrate the necessity of homogeneity testing of multisatellite CDRs in general.

The Effect of Moisture of the Raw Material on the Properties Briquettes for Energy Use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Brožek

2016-01-01

Full Text Available At logging and at the subsequent wood and wood semi-products treatment the fine grained loose waste is arising, e.g. wood dust, saw dust, shavings, chips, bark etc. One of possibilities of its meaningful utilization is the briquetting technology, which product are briquettes determined for energetic utilization (combustion. This report contains the results of tests carried out with the aim to assess the influence of moisture on the briquettes final properties. For the tests the platan tree chips of four moisture levels, namely 5.7 %, 7.7 %, 15.7 % and 23.9 % were used. The basic physical-mechanical properties were the evaluation criteria. Following properties were determined: ash amount, gross calorific value, total moisture content, density, rupture force, length, diameter, weight and mechanical durability. From the results of carried out tests it follows that the best properties were reached at briquettes made from chips of moisture 7.7 %. At higher or lower moisture the briquettes properties were sharply failing (namely rupture force and density.

Response of broiler chickens to diets containing artificially dried high-moisture maize supplemented with microbial enzymes

OpenAIRE

Bhuiyan, M.M; Islam, A.F; Iji, P.A

2010-01-01

The effect of feeding high-moisture maize grains dried in the sun or artificially in a forced draught oven at 80, 90 or 100 ºC for 24 hours and supplemented with microbial enzymes (Avizyme 1502 and Phyzyme XP) on growth performance, visceral organs, tissue protein, enzyme activity and gut development was investigated in a broiler growth trial. Feed intake (FI) up to 21 days decreased as a results of oven drying of grains whereas supplementation with microbial enzymes increased FI compared to ...

Theoretical study of soil water balance and process of soil moisture evaporation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. A. Savel'ev

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nearly a half of all grain production in the Russian Federation is grown in dry regions. But crop production efficiency there depends on amount of moisture, available to plants. However deficit of soil moisture is caused not only by a lack of an atmospheric precipitation, but also inefficient water saving: losses reach 70 percent. With respect thereto it is important to reveal the factors influencing intensity of soil moisture evaporation and to develop methods of decrease in unproductive moisture losses due to evaporation. The authors researched soil water balance theoretically and determined the functional dependences of moisture loss on evaporation. Intensity of moisture evaporation depends on physicomechanical characteristics of the soil, a consistence of its surface and weather conditions. To decrease losses of moisture for evaporation it is necessary, first, to improve quality of crumbling of the soil and therefore to reduce the evaporating surface of the soil. Secondly - to create the protective mulching layer which will allow to enhance albedo of the soil and to reduce its temperature that together will reduce unproductive evaporative water losses and will increase its inflow in case of condensation from air vapors. The most widespread types of soil cultivation are considered: disk plowing and stubble mulch plowing. Agricultural background «no tillage» was chosen as a control. Subsoil mulching tillage has an essential advantage in a storage of soil moisture. So, storage of soil moisture after a disking and in control (without tillage decreased respectively by 24.9 and 19.8 mm while at the mulching tillage this indicator revised down by only 15.6 mm. The mulching layer has lower heat conductivity that provides decrease in unproductive evaporative water losses.

CRITICAL INDICATORS IN MECHANIZED HARVEST GRAINS AND FIBER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Boeing

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Due to the growth in grain production and intensification of production systems losses are inevitable. The harvest as the last operation performed in the field requires better attention. Although the origins are varied and losses occur both before and during harvesting, approximately 80% of them occur by mechanisms of action of the harvester cutting platform. It is necessary to know the causes of losses, whether physical or physiological operational. Thus, the objective was to conduct a survey of potential losses and / or environmental factors that affect machinery and effectively and should be prioritized in a management program in order to raise the efficiency of harvesting. From the collected data determined if the potential of critical failures through the method of analysis and failure mode effects, using a questionnaire listed with the selected quality indicators. It was concluded that in the mechanical harvesting of cotton harvested product loss and impurity had insusceptible rates be prioritized goals in the management of the production process. While the grain crop (soybean / corn moisture grain and grain breaks are still the main causes in the loss of quality of the product, stressing the importance of harvesters in improving the characteristics at harvest in order to minimize qualitative grain losses.

Effectiveness of Protective Action of Coatings from Moisture Sorption into Surface Layer of Sand Moulds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaźnica N.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The results of investigations of the sorption process of surface layers of sand moulds covered by zirconium and zirconium - graphite alcohol coatings are presented in the paper. Investigations comprised two kinds of sand grains (silica sand and reclaimed sand of moulding sand with furan resin. Tests were performed under conditions of a high relative air humidity 75 - 85% and a constant temperature within the range 28 – 33°C. To evaluate the effectiveness of coatings protective action from moisture penetration into surface layers of sand moulds gravimetric method of quantitavie moisture sorption and ultrasonic method were applied in measurements.

77 FR 40586 - Draft NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7823, Advanced Metering Infrastructure Smart Meter...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-10

...-01] Draft NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7823, Advanced Metering Infrastructure Smart Meter... Technology (NIST) seeks comments on Draft NISTIR 7823, Advanced Metering Infrastructure Smart Meter... conformance test requirements for the firmware upgradeability process for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure...

Updated stomatal flux and flux-effect models for wheat for quantifying effects of ozone on grain yield, grain mass and protein yield.

Science.gov (United States)

Grünhage, Ludger; Pleijel, Håkan; Mills, Gina; Bender, Jürgen; Danielsson, Helena; Lehmann, Yvonne; Castell, Jean-Francois; Bethenod, Olivier

2012-06-01

Field measurements and open-top chamber experiments using nine current European winter wheat cultivars provided a data set that was used to revise and improve the parameterisation of a stomatal conductance model for wheat, including a revised value for maximum stomatal conductance and new functions for phenology and soil moisture. For the calculation of stomatal conductance for ozone a diffusivity ratio between O(3) and H(2)O in air of 0.663 was applied, based on a critical review of the literature. By applying the improved parameterisation for stomatal conductance, new flux-effect relationships for grain yield, grain mass and protein yield were developed for use in ozone risk assessments including effects on food security. An example of application of the flux model at the local scale in Germany shows that negative effects of ozone on wheat grain yield were likely each year and on protein yield in most years since the mid 1980s. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of the incorporated organic materials available and the profit in the soil moisture, in the ICTA, la Alameda, Chimaltenango

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corado Recinos, M.J. de

1999-01-01

This study was carried out during the period from June 1995 to November 1996 supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) jointly with the Direction General de Energia Nuclear (DGEN) through the Agricultural Section. The objectives consisted on evaluating the effect of the incorporation of the organic residues of Bean (Phascolus vulgaris L.), MUCUNA (STIZOLOBIUM PRURITUM L.), vicia (Vicia sativa L.) and the stubble of maiz (Zea mays L.) all these compared with a witness in the yield of corn grain of the variety Don Marshall, expressed in kg/ha; to determine the calibration curve of the moisture gauge CPN 503 for the soils of Tecp ; to determine the indexes of consumption of moisture (kc) of corn and lastly to determine the soil moisture contents during the corn cultivation cycle (rainy season) and the beginning of the dry period. The response variables were: Content surface moisture (%), yield grain of corn (kg/ha), real evapotranspiration (Etr). The different valued treatments were: Witness (TO), stubble corn (B), bean (C), Mucuna (D) and Vicia (E); set up in an experimental design of random blocks with 4 repetitions. The moisture contents were determined by means of the use of the moisture gauge, taking in consideration the obtained calibration curve for each stratum, with the purpose to transform the gravimetric humidity in volumetric humidity, being obtained the higher values for the stratum 0-20 cm where the corn stubble was incorporated (B) with 20.11% and for the stratum 20-40 cm the best treatment it was where the organic residual of Vicia was incorporated measuring values of moisture of 25.97%. With regard to the yield corn of the variety Don Marshall (kg/ha), the best treatment was where the residual of Vicia was incorporated with a yield 4,595.13 kg/ha. The pluvial precipitation (PP) and evapotranspiration (ETP) during the cultivation cycle was 1,014.1 mm and 708.14 mm respectively. The values of moisture consumption indexes gives (kc) for

Constructing Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells via Interconnecting Perovskite Grains.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Xian; Huang, Sumei; Ou-Yang, Wei; Pan, Likun; Sun, Zhuo; Chen, Xiaohong

2017-10-11

A high-quality perovskite film with interconnected perovskite grains was obtained by incorporating terephthalic acid (TPA) additive into the perovskite precursor solution. The presence of TPA changed the crystallization kinetics of the perovskite film and promoted lateral growth of grains in the vicinity of crystal boundaries. As a result, sheet-shaped perovskite was formed and covered onto the bottom grains, which made some adjacent grains partly merge together to form grains-interconnected perovskite film. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with TPA additive exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.51% with less hysteresis, which is obviously higher than that of pristine cells (15.53%). PSCs without and with TPA additive retain 18 and 51% of the initial PCE value, respectively, aging for 35 days exposed to relative humidity 30% in air without encapsulation. Furthermore, MAPbI 3 film with TPA additive shows superior thermal stability to the pristine one under 100 °C baking. The results indicate that the presence of TPA in perovskite film can greatly improve the performance of PSCs as well as their moisture resistance and thermal stability.

Smart meters. Smart metering. A solution module for a future-oriented energy system; Intelligente Zaehler. Smart Metering. Ein Loesungsbaustein fuer ein zukunftsfaehiges Energiesystem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grimm, Nadia; Seidl, Hans [comps.

2011-12-15

The German Energy Agency GmbH (Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany) reports on smart metering as a solution module for a future-oriented energy system by means of the following contributions: (1) Key role for smart meters; (2) What is smart metering? (3) Implementation of smart metering in Europe; (4) The market development to date in Germany; (5) Practical experiences with smart metering in Germany; (6) Frequently asked questions; (7) Smart metering in intelligent networks; (8) Legal framework conditions; (9) Data security and data protection in the utilisation of smart meters; (10) Ongoing information; (11) Efficient energy systems.

Dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of contaminated fine-grained soils and barrier materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaya, A.; Fang, H.Y.; Inyang, H.I.

1997-01-01

Characterization of contaminated fine-grained soils and tracking of contaminant migration within barriers have been challenging because current methods and/or procedures are labor and time-intensive, and destructive. To demonstrate the effective use of both dielectric constant and electrical conductivity in the characterization of contaminated fine-grained soils, pore fluids were prepared at different ionic strengths, and were used as permeates for kaolinite, bentonite and a local soil. Then, both dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of the soils were measured by means of a capacitor over a wide range of frequencies and moisture content. It was observed that although each soil has its unique dielectric constant and electrical conductivity at a given moisture content, increases in ionic strength cause a decrease in the dielectric constant of the system at very high frequencies (MHZ), whereas the dielectric constant increases at low frequencies (kHz). Electrical conductivity of a soil-water system is independent of frequency. However, it is a function of ionic strength of the pore fluid. It is clearly demonstrated that dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of soils are functions of both moisture content and ionic strength, and can be used to characterize the spatial and temporal levels of contamination. This method/procedure can be used in estimating the level of contamination as well as the direction of contaminant movement in the subsurface without the use of extensive laboratory testing. Based on obtained results, it was concluded that the proposed method/procedure is promising because it is non-destructive and provides a quick means of assessing the spatial distribution of contaminants in fine-grained soils and barriers

Investigation and Comparison of Separate Meter-In Separate Meter-Out Control Strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Henrik C.; Andersen, Torben Ole; Skoubo, Tobias

2014-01-01

In the later years, there has been an increased focus on new valve types, which yield the possibility to do Separate Meter-In Separate Meter-Out (SMISMO) control. This includes both digital valves, but proportional valves with separate metering spools and build in pressure sensors are also emerging....... The possibility to independently control the meter-in and meter-out side not only increase the functionality of the system, but also opens up for better performance and/or lowered energy consumption. The focus of the current paper is therefore on investigation and comparison of what may be obtained using...

Radiometric measurement of ceramic material moisture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kominek, A.; Sojka, J.; Votava, P.

1975-01-01

Water content measurement using a neutron moisture meter has a long tradition in the CSSR. The method of water content determination using neutron and gamma radiation was developed by the Research Institute of Building Materials in Brno for a number of materials, as e.g. coke, brown coal semi-coke, anthracite, glass sand, dolomite, soda, gravel, aggregates, cement sludge, slag, brick clay, intermediate products of the ceramics industry, refractory building materials, etc. The water content measurement of ceramic materials for the manufacture of wall tiles was performed in a special equipment by detection of the slowed-down neutrons with an accuracy of +-0.6% water (within the range from 5 to 11%) and of materials for the manufacture of floor tiles by means of neutron and gamma radiation with an accuracy of +-0.4% water (within the range from 5 to 8%). (author)

Beyond revenue metering -- a new age for automatic meter reading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chebra, R. J. [RJC Consulting L.L.C., PQ (Canada)

2002-10-01

Advanced metering, data management, and communications possibilities of automated meter reading are explored. Applications in the area of demand side management, including load reduction, peak shaving and load shifting, new tariff structures based on the 'time of use incentive/penalty' approach, and information grade metering are emphasized. Based on trends and expectations, it is predicted that AMR will continue to experience rapid growth and deployment as new services are made available to the mass market. For example, technological advances will enable the industry to make 'time of use metering ' more attractive and beneficial to residential consumers, and embedded intelligence will make it possible to achieve more holistic energy environments.

Assessment of the implementation regulations for smart meters; Beoordeling uitvoeringsregelingen Slimme Meter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boekema, J.

2011-03-15

TNO (Netherlands) assessed whether the smart meter is reliable and future proof. By request of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (ELI) an assessment was conducted of the requirements for smart meters and, as formulated in the Order in Council 'Decree on remotely readable metering devices', based on 48 tests regarding security, privacy and future stability. Taking into account a number of described recommendations, TNO deems the legislation and implementation schemes sufficient to allow for safe, reliable and future proof implementation of smart meters in the Netherlands. [Dutch] TNO heeft beoordeeld of de slimme meter betrouwbaar en toekomstvast is. Ten behoeve van het ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie (ELI) zijn de eisen die aan slimme meters worden gesteld, en zoals verwoord in de AmvB 'Besluit op afstand uitleesbare meetinrichtingen', beoordeeld aan de hand van 48 toetsen over zekerheid (security), persoonlijke levenssfeer (privacy) en toekomstvastheid. Met inachtneming van een aantal omschreven aanbevelingen, vindt TNO wetgeving en uitvoeringsregelingen zodanig dat daarmee een veilige, betrouwbare en toekomstvaste slimme meter geimplementeerd kan worden in Nederland.

Portable wireless metering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DiPaola, L [Powtel Monitoring Systems, Inc., Ajax, ON (Canada)

1996-12-31

Portable meters were discussed as alternatives to standard billing meters for temporary installations. Current, voltage and power factor at a distribution station were measured to calculate kW and kVAR, using an easy to install product that communicates live readings directly to the existing billing system. A background of situations where temporary metering is a possible alternative to regular meters was presented. Use of electronic, clamp on Electronic Recording Ammeters (ERA) and their drawbacks were discussed. An improved temporary metering solution using FM radio transmission to deliver live data to a receiving device, the Eagle Series 3500, was introduced. Improvements over previous ERA systems were discussed, including accuracy, lack of batteries, immediate confirmation of functionality, current, voltage and power factor monitoring, direct feed to billing system, line crew savings, need for only a single unit at any given site, bi-directional power flow metering, independent report storage media, and a portable voltage and P.F. diagnostic tool. Details of trial applications at the Utopia distribution station west of Barrie, ON were presented. This technology was said to be still in the testing stage, but its flexibility and economy were sonsidered to be very promising for future application.

Smart metering. Conformance tests for electricity meters; Smart Metering. Konformitaetstests an Stromzaehlern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bormann, Matthias; Pongratz, Siegfried [VDE Pruef- und Zertifizierungsinstitut, Offenbach (Germany)

2012-07-01

Introduction of communication technologies into today's energy network enables the interworking between the domains of smart metering, smart grid, smart home and e-mobility as well as the creation and provisioning of new innovative services such as efficient load adjustment. Due to this convergence the new energy networks are becoming increasingly complex. Ensuring the interworking between all network elements (e.g. electricity meters, gateways) in these smart energy networks is of utmost importance. To this end conformance and interoperability tests have to be defined to ensure that services work as expected. (orig.)

Sensitivity Enhancement of a PPM Level Capacitive Moisture Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lokesh Kumar

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Measurement of moisture at ppm or ppb level is very difficult and the fabrication of such sensors at low cost is always challenging. High sensitivity is an important parameter for trace level (ppm humidity sensors. Anelectronic detection circuit for interfacing the humidity sensor with high sensitivity requires a simple hardware circuit with few active devices. The recent trends for increasing the sensitivity include fabricating nanoporous film with a very large surface area. In the present work, the sensitivity of a parallel plate capacitive type sensor with metal oxide sensing film has been significantly improved with an aim to detect moisture from 3 to 100 ppm in the industrial process gases used to fabricate semiconductors and other sensitive electronic devices. The sensitivity has been increased by (i fabricating a nanoporous film of aluminum oxide using the sol-gel method and (ii increasing the cross-sectional area of a parallel plate capacitor. A novel double sided capacitive structure has been proposed where two capacitors have been fabricated—one on the top and one on the bottom side of a flat alumina substrate—and then the capacitors are connected in parallel. The structure has twice the sensitivity of a single sensor in the same ppm range but the size of the structure remains unchanged. The important characteristics of the sensors such as the sensitivity (S = Δ C Δ p p m × 100 , the response time (tr, and the recovery time (tc are determined and compared with a commercial SHAW, UKdew point meter. The fabricated double sided sensor has comparable sensitivity (S = 100%, tr (s = 28, tc (s = 40 with the commercial meter (S = 100.5%, tr (s = 258 but has a faster response time. The proposed method of sensitivity enhancement is simple, and mass producible.

In Situ Sampling of Relative Dust Devil Particle Loads and Their Vertical Grain Size Distributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Raack, Jan; Reiss, Dennis; Balme, Matthew R; Taj-Eddine, Kamal; Ori, Gian Gabriele

2017-04-19

During a field campaign in the Sahara Desert in southern Morocco, spring 2012, we sampled the vertical grain size distribution of two active dust devils that exhibited different dimensions and intensities. With these in situ samples of grains in the vortices, it was possible to derive detailed vertical grain size distributions and measurements of the lifted relative particle load. Measurements of the two dust devils show that the majority of all lifted particles were only lifted within the first meter (∼46.5% and ∼61% of all particles; ∼76.5 wt % and ∼89 wt % of the relative particle load). Furthermore, ∼69% and ∼82% of all lifted sand grains occurred in the first meter of the dust devils, indicating the occurrence of "sand skirts." Both sampled dust devils were relatively small (∼15 m and ∼4-5 m in diameter) compared to dust devils in surrounding regions; nevertheless, measurements show that ∼58.5% to 73.5% of all lifted particles were small enough to go into suspension (grain size classification). This relatively high amount represents only ∼0.05 to 0.15 wt % of the lifted particle load. Larger dust devils probably entrain larger amounts of fine-grained material into the atmosphere, which can have an influence on the climate. Furthermore, our results indicate that the composition of the surface, on which the dust devils evolved, also had an influence on the particle load composition of the dust devil vortices. The internal particle load structure of both sampled dust devils was comparable related to their vertical grain size distribution and relative particle load, although both dust devils differed in their dimensions and intensities. A general trend of decreasing grain sizes with height was also detected. Key Words: Mars-Dust devils-Planetary science-Desert soils-Atmosphere-Grain sizes. Astrobiology 17, xxx-xxx.

Micro-gen metering solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elland, J.; Dickson, J.; Cranfield, P.

2003-07-01

This report summarises the results of a project to investigate the regulation of domestic electricity metering work and identify the most economic options for micro-generator installers to undertake work on electricity meters. A micro-generation unit is defined as an energy conversion system converting non-electrical energy into electrical energy and can include technologies such as photovoltaic systems, small-scale wind turbines, micro-hydroelectric systems, and combined heat and power systems. Details of six tasks are given and cover examination of the existing framework and legal documentation for metering work, the existing technical requirements for meter operators, meter operator personnel accreditation, appraisal of options for meter changes and for micro-generation installation, document change procedures, industry consultation, and a review of the costs implications of the options.

Productivity and seed health of husked oats (Avena sativa L. grown under different soil moisture conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Pszczółkowska

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The present study investigated the effect of different soil moisture content levels (60 - 70% SWC (soil water capacity - control; 30 - 35% SWC - water stress on yields, gas exchange parameters, seed health, and protein fractions of husked oat grain. The study showed that water deficit resulted in a decrease in grain weight per plant and a reduction in the gas exchange rates, primarily the photosynthesis and transpiration rates. Cladosporium cladosporioides was the dominant species on oat kernels in both experimental treatment options and in both years of the study. The presence of Fusarium poae was also found. Higher contents of prolamin, albumin and globulin fractions were found in the oat grain harvested from plants grown under soil water deficit conditions.

Monitoring drought affected crop yields based on ERS-scatterometer data : exploration of possibilities to integrate ERS-scatterometer derived soil moisture into the CGMS crop model for a Russian-Ukrainian study area

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boogaard, H.L.; Diepen, van C.A.; Savin, I.

2000-01-01

In this study the possibilities of integrating ERS scatterometer-derived soil moisture into CGMS are explored. This remote sensed soil moisture is used to calculate drought stress in grains of barley for a Russian-Ukrainian study area. The results arecompared with drought stress based on the

Moisture conditions in buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten

2012-01-01

Growth of mould requires the presence of moisture at a certain high level. In a heated indoor environment such moisture levels occur only if there is a reason for the moisture supply. Such moisture can come from the use of the building, because of malfunctioning constructions, or it can be the re......Growth of mould requires the presence of moisture at a certain high level. In a heated indoor environment such moisture levels occur only if there is a reason for the moisture supply. Such moisture can come from the use of the building, because of malfunctioning constructions, or it can...

Relationship between moisture content and electrical impedance of carrot slices during drying

Science.gov (United States)

Kertész, Ákos; Hlaváčová, Zuzana; Vozáry, Eszter; Staroňová, Lenka

2015-01-01

Electrical properties of food materials can give information about the inner structure and physiological state of biological tissues. Generally, the process of drying of fruits and vegetables is followed by weight loss. The aim of this study was to measure the impedance spectra of carrot slices during drying and to correlate impedance parameters to moisture content in different drying periods. Cylindrical slices were cut out from the carrot root along the axis. The slices were dried in a Venticell 111 air oven at 50°C. The weight of the slices was measured with a Denver SI-603 electronic analytical and precision balance. The weighing of the samples was performed every 30 min at the beginning of drying and every 60 min after the process. The moisture content of the samples was calculated on wet basis. The magnitude and phase angle of electrical impedance of the slices were measured with HP 4284A and 4285A precision LCR meters in the frequency range from 30 Hz to 1 MHz and from 75 kHz to 30 MHz, respectively, at voltage 1 V. The impedance measurement was performed after weighting. The change in the magnitude of impedance during drying showed a good correlation with the change in the moisture content.

Soil moisture dynamics and their effect on bioretention performance in Northeast Ohio

Science.gov (United States)

Bush, S. A.; Jefferson, A.; Jarden, K.; Kinsman-Costello, L. E.; Grieser, J.

2014-12-01

Urban impervious surfaces lead to increases in stormwater runoff. Green infrastructure, like bioretention cells, is being used to mitigate negative impacts of runoff by disconnecting impervious surfaces from storm water systems and redirecting flow to decentralized treatment areas. While bioretention soil characteristics are carefully designed, little research is available on soil moisture dynamics within the cells and how these might relate to inter-storm variability in performance. Bioretentions have been installed along a residential street in Parma, Ohio to determine the impact of green infrastructure on the West Creek watershed, a 36 km2 subwatershed of the Cuyahoga River. Bioretentions were installed in two phases (Phase I in 2013 and Phase II in 2014); design and vegetation density vary slightly between the two phases. Our research focuses on characterizing soil moisture dynamics of multiple bioretentions and assessing their impact on stormwater runoff at the street scale. Soil moisture measurements were collected in transects for eight bioretentions over the course of one summer. Vegetation indices of canopy height, percent vegetative cover, species richness and NDVI were also measured. A flow meter in the storm drain at the end of the street measured storm sewer discharge. Precipitation was recorded from a meteorological station 2 km from the research site. Soil moisture increased in response to precipitation and decreased to relatively stable conditions within 3 days following a rain event. Phase II bioretentions exhibited greater soil moisture and less vegetation than Phase I bioretentions, though the relationship between soil moisture and vegetative cover is inconclusive for bioretentions constructed in the same phase. Data from five storms suggest that pre-event soil moisture does not control the runoff-to-rainfall ratio, which we use as a measure of bioretention performance. However, discharge data indicate that hydrograph characteristics, such as lag

Comparison of Clustering Techniques for Residential Energy Behavior using Smart Meter Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Ling; Lee, Doris; Sim, Alex; Borgeson, Sam; Wu, Kesheng; Spurlock, C. Anna; Todd, Annika

2017-03-21

Current practice in whole time series clustering of residential meter data focuses on aggregated or subsampled load data at the customer level, which ignores day-to-day differences within customers. This information is critical to determine each customer’s suitability to various demand side management strategies that support intelligent power grids and smart energy management. Clustering daily load shapes provides fine-grained information on customer attributes and sources of variation for subsequent models and customer segmentation. In this paper, we apply 11 clustering methods to daily residential meter data. We evaluate their parameter settings and suitability based on 6 generic performance metrics and post-checking of resulting clusters. Finally, we recommend suitable techniques and parameters based on the goal of discovering diverse daily load patterns among residential customers. To the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first robust comparative review of clustering techniques applied to daily residential load shape time series in the power systems’ literature.

Conducted interference on smart meters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keyer, Cornelis H.A.; Leferink, Frank

2017-01-01

The increasing conducted interference caused by modern electronic equipment is causing more problems for electronic, or static, energy meters. These meters are called smart meters when equipped with a communication link, and are replacing the conventional electromechanical meters. It is known that

The effect of seed moisture and temperature on grinding characteristics of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassoon Waleed Hameed

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd is a native food plant of the Andean region of South America. Quinoa seeds have remarkable nutritional properties, not only from its high protein content, but also from its good amino acid balance. The aim of the study was evaluate the influence of quinoa seed moisture content (10, 12, 14, 16 and 18% and temperature (-20, 3, 20 and 40°C, with the initial grain moisture content of 10.5% on grinding process. Especially the particle size distributions and grinding energy indices were determined. The results showed that the increase of seed moisture content from 10 to 16% caused an increase the specific grinding energy from 6.9 to 8.3 kJ·kg-1, beside of this as the moisture increased the average particle also increased. The highest changes were observed in the fraction of coarse particles (above 1.0 mm. Interestingly, the mass fraction of fine particles (below 0.2 mm also increased. Other grinding indices also confirmed an increase the grinding energy requirements with the increase seed moisture content. The temperature of seed has little influence on quinoa grinding process. The highest grinding energy requirements were observed when the frozen seeds were ground.

Moisture-Induced TBC Spallation on Turbine Blade Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Smialek, James

2011-01-01

Delayed failure of TBCs is a widely observed laboratory phenomenon, although many of the early observations went unreported. The weekend effect or DeskTop Spallation (DTS) is characterized by initial survival of a TBC after accelerated laboratory thermal cycling, then failure by exposure to ambient humidity or water. Once initiated, failure can occur quite dramatically in less than a second. To this end, the water drop test and digital video recordings have become useful techniques in studies at NASA (Smialek, Zhu, Cuy), DECHMA (Rudolphi, Renusch, Schuetze), and CNRS Toulouse/SNECMA (Deneux, Cadoret, Hervier, Monceau). In the present study the results for a commercial turbine blade, with a standard EB-PVD 7YSZ TBC top coat and Pt-aluminide diffusion bond coat are reported. Cut sections were intermittently oxidized at 1100, 1150, and 1200 C and monitored by weight change and visual appearance. Failures were distributed widely over a 5-100 hr time range, depending on temperature. At some opportune times, failure was captured by video recording, documenting the appearance and speed of the moisture-induced spallation process. Failure interfaces exhibited alumina scale grains, decorated with Ta-rich oxide particles, and alumina inclusions as islands and streamers. The phenomenon is thus rooted in moisture-induced delayed spallation (MIDS) of the alumina scale formed on the bond coat. In that regard, many studies show the susceptibility of alumina scales to moisture, as long as high strain energy and a partially exposed interface exist. The latter conditions result from severe cyclic oxidation conditions, which produce a highly stressed and partially damaged scale. In one model, it has been proposed that moisture reacts with aluminum in the bond coat to release hydrogen atoms that embrittle the interface. A negative synergistic effect with interfacial sulfur is also invoked.

Net metering study of switching effects on electromechanical meters[Report prepared for the Measurement Canada Electricity Net Metering Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Overberghe, L. [Measurement Canada, London, ON (Canada)

2006-03-03

The feasibility of introducing net metering in the electricity sector was evaluated with particular reference to a project administered by Measurement Canada and Electro-Federation Canada (MicroPower Connect) in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada. The objective of the Measurement Canada Electricity Net Metering Project is to identify and eliminate the barriers introduced by the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act regarding the introduction of net metering. The purpose was to design a device that would allow rotation reversal in a residential electromechanical single phase meter. The device should approximate any fluctuations found in a typical net metering system. A series of tests were conducted to understand the influences, on errors, of forward-to-reverse and reverse-to-forward transitions, specifically to find evidence of error migration and mechanical stress. The project was designed to find and measure the effects of forward reverse switching on an electromechanical meter resulting from a change in energy flow. Twenty metres were calibrated in the forward direction in series from light load to high load. Power factor was not adjustable. Test points were then applied in both the forward and reverse directions. The exercise yielded individual errors which were aggregated to show average found errors after 3,000 transitions. Small shifts in errors were apparent and there was no evidence to support a disk flutter theory. refs., tabs., figs.

Understanding natural moisturizing mechanisms: implications for moisturizer technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandar, Prem; Nole, Greg; Johnson, Anthony W

2009-07-01

Dry skin and moisturization are important topics because they impact the lives of many individuals. For most individuals, dry skin is not a notable concern and can be adequately managed with current moisturizing products. However, dry skin can affect the quality of life of some individuals because of the challenges of either harsh environmental conditions or impaired stratum corneum (SC) dry skin protection processes resulting from various common skin diseases. Dry skin protection processes of the SC, such as the development of natural moisturizing factor (NMF), are complex, carefully balanced, and easily perturbed. We discuss the importance of the filaggrin-NMF system and the composition of NMF in both healthy and dry skin, and also reveal new insights that suggest the properties required for a new generation of moisturizing technologies.

Opto-thermal moisture content and moisture depth profile measurements in organic materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xiao, P.; Guo, X.; Cui, Y.Y.; Imhof, R.; Bicanic, D.D.

2004-01-01

Opto-thermal transient emission radiometry(OTTER) is a infrared remote sensing technique, which has been successfully used in in vivo skin moisture content and skin moisture depth profiling measurements.In present paper, we extend this moisture content measurement capability to analyze the moisture

Evaluation of Assimilated SMOS Soil Moisture Data for US Cropland Soil Moisture Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhengwei; Sherstha, Ranjay; Crow, Wade; Bolten, John; Mladenova, Iva; Yu, Genong; Di, Liping

2016-01-01

Remotely sensed soil moisture data can provide timely, objective and quantitative crop soil moisture information with broad geospatial coverage and sufficiently high resolution observations collected throughout the growing season. This paper evaluates the feasibility of using the assimilated ESA Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS)Mission L-band passive microwave data for operational US cropland soil surface moisture monitoring. The assimilated SMOS soil moisture data are first categorized to match with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) survey based weekly soil moisture observation data, which are ordinal. The categorized assimilated SMOS soil moisture data are compared with NASSs survey-based weekly soil moisture data for consistency and robustness using visual assessment and rank correlation. Preliminary results indicate that the assimilated SMOS soil moisture data highly co-vary with NASS field observations across a large geographic area. Therefore, SMOS data have great potential for US operational cropland soil moisture monitoring.

Determination of Soil Moisture Content using Laboratory Experimental and Field Electrical Resistivity Values

Science.gov (United States)

Hazreek, Z. A. M.; Rosli, S.; Fauziah, A.; Wijeyesekera, D. C.; Ashraf, M. I. M.; Faizal, T. B. M.; Kamarudin, A. F.; Rais, Y.; Dan, M. F. Md; Azhar, A. T. S.; Hafiz, Z. M.

2018-04-01

The efficiency of civil engineering structure require comprehensive geotechnical data obtained from site investigation. In the past, conventional site investigation was heavily related to drilling techniques thus suffer from several limitations such as time consuming, expensive and limited data collection. Consequently, this study presents determination of soil moisture content using laboratory experimental and field electrical resistivity values (ERV). Field and laboratory electrical resistivity (ER) test were performed using ABEM SAS4000 and Nilsson400 soil resistance meter. Soil sample used for resistivity test was tested for characterization test specifically on particle size distribution and moisture content test according to BS1377 (1990). Field ER data was processed using RES2DINV software while laboratory ER data was analyzed using SPSS and Excel software. Correlation of ERV and moisture content shows some medium relationship due to its r = 0.506. Moreover, coefficient of determination, R2 analyzed has demonstrate that the statistical correlation obtain was very good due to its R2 value of 0.9382. In order to determine soil moisture content based on statistical correlation (w = 110.68ρ-0.347), correction factor, C was established through laboratory and field ERV given as 19.27. Finally, this study has shown that soil basic geotechnical properties with particular reference to water content was applicably determined using integration of laboratory and field ERV data analysis thus able to compliment conventional approach due to its economic, fast and wider data coverage.

Hexamethylenetetramine-mediated growth of grain-boundary-passivation CH3NH3PbI3 for highly reproducible and stable perovskite solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yan-Zhen; Li, Xi-Tao; Zhao, Er-Fei; Lv, Xin-Ding; Meng, Fan-Li; Peng, Chao; Lai, Xue-Sen; Huang, Meilan; Cao, Guozhong; Tao, Xia; Chen, Jian-Feng

2018-02-01

Simultaneously achieving the long-term device stability and reproducibility has proven challenging in perovskite solar cells because solution-processing produced perovskite film with grain boundary is sensitive to moisture. Herein, we develop a hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA)-mediated one-step solution-processing deposition strategy that leads to the formation of high-purity and grain-boundary-passivation CH3NH3PbI3 film and thereby advances cell optoelectronic performance. Through morphological and structural characterizations and theoretical calculations, we demonstrate that HMTA fully occupies the moisture-exposed surface to build a bridge across grain boundary and coordinates with Pb ions to inhibit the formation of detrimental PbI2. Such HMTA-mediated grown CH3NH3PbI3 films achieves a decent augmentation of power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 12.70% to 17.87%. A full coverage of PbI2-free CH3NH3PbI3 surface on ZnO also boosts the device's stability and reproducibility.

Protein enrichment of brewery spent grain from Rhizopus oligosporus by solid-state fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Canedo, Marianny Silva; de Paula, Fernanda Gomes; da Silva, Flávio Alves; Vendruscolo, Francielo

2016-07-01

Brewery spent grain represents approximately 85 % of total by-products generated in a brewery. Consisting of carbohydrates, fiber, minerals and low amounts of protein, the use of brewery spent grain is limited to the feeding of ruminants; however, its potential use should be investigated. The reuse of this by-product using microorganisms by solid-state fermentation process as the case of protein enrichment by single-cell protein incorporation is an alternative to ensure sustainability and generate commercially interesting products. In this context, the aim of this study was to grow Rhizopus oligosporus in brewery spent grain under different initial moisture contents and nitrogen sources to increase the protein content of the fermented material. After 7 days of fermentation, increase of 2-4 times in the crude protein and soluble protein content was verified, respectively, compared to unfermented brewery spent grain. The kinetics of protein enrichment demonstrated the possibility of application of this technique, which can be a great alternative for use in diets for animals.

Grain Size and Heat Source Effect on the Drying Profile of Cocoa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Four sweat boxes were constructed with wooden material (0.95 x 0.25 x 0.25m) L x W x H and one electric bulb with 100,200,300 and 400watts rating hoisted in each box interchangeably. Cocoa bean cleaned and sorted into four different grain sizes samples (A, B, C, D) was subjected to drying till 13-14% moisture content ...

Determination of degree of compacting and of moisture content by radiometric probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinec, J.; Paul, P.

1977-01-01

A survey is given of radiometric probes used for measuring bulk density and moisture content. Surface probes are used in depths of up to 20 cm with an accuracy of 10%, drive-in probes are used to depths of up to 50 cm with a 4% error, depth probes are used for measuring in depths of 30 to 50 cm with an accuracy of roughly 5% and bulk density in depths of 10 to 150 cm may be measured with an accuracy of 2% using a lysimeter. Changes in the bulk density and soil moisture of the subsoil of an airport runway were studied radiometrically in dependence on time and depth. The dependence is represented graphically. The results of radiometric measurements were compared with the conventional method using a lysimeter probe; the comparison showed that the results were lower by about 7% for the moisture content and higher by about 8% for the bulk density. Radiometric measurements for determining bulk density and soil moisture are advantageous in that they allow the measurement of a great number of sites without any major disturbance of the measured material and results are available immediately on measurement. The economic effect is significant in a large number of measurements carried out on a surface having the same chemical composition and similar grain size which does not necessitate calibration of the instruments to be made more than once a week. The NZK-201 probe by Tesla does not provide sufficiently accurate information on the moisture and density of the earths probed

Agronomic response of cultivars of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. under different soil moisture conditions in province Granma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanitza Meriño Hernández

2017-07-01

Full Text Available To objective of evaluate the response of two cultivars of chickpea (Nac-29 and Nac-5 HA under different soil moisture conditions, field research was carried out in productive teaching plot of the University of Granma. Sowing was carried out on November 22, 2014. Two treatments were used: T1 (Control and T2 (varieties of chickpea in water stress with three replicates, distributed in a randomized block design with split plot arrangements (The large plots corresponded to the two moisture conditions and the small plots to varieties. The variables were: length and diameter of pods, number of grains per plant, number of grains per pods, weight of 100 seeds and agricultural yield. The results obtained were statistically processed using the STATISTICA version 8.0 for Windows program and in case of significant differences, a variance analysis was performed using the Tukey Multiple Range test. The results showed that, with the cultivation of the chickpea, better results are obtained when the plants are subjected to water stress conditions.

Multiscale soil moisture estimates using static and roving cosmic-ray soil moisture sensors

Science.gov (United States)

McJannet, David; Hawdon, Aaron; Baker, Brett; Renzullo, Luigi; Searle, Ross

2017-12-01

Soil moisture plays a critical role in land surface processes and as such there has been a recent increase in the number and resolution of satellite soil moisture observations and the development of land surface process models with ever increasing resolution. Despite these developments, validation and calibration of these products has been limited because of a lack of observations on corresponding scales. A recently developed mobile soil moisture monitoring platform, known as the rover, offers opportunities to overcome this scale issue. This paper describes methods, results and testing of soil moisture estimates produced using rover surveys on a range of scales that are commensurate with model and satellite retrievals. Our investigation involved static cosmic-ray neutron sensors and rover surveys across both broad (36 × 36 km at 9 km resolution) and intensive (10 × 10 km at 1 km resolution) scales in a cropping district in the Mallee region of Victoria, Australia. We describe approaches for converting rover survey neutron counts to soil moisture and discuss the factors controlling soil moisture variability. We use independent gravimetric and modelled soil moisture estimates collected across both space and time to validate rover soil moisture products. Measurements revealed that temporal patterns in soil moisture were preserved through time and regression modelling approaches were utilised to produce time series of property-scale soil moisture which may also have applications in calibration and validation studies or local farm management. Intensive-scale rover surveys produced reliable soil moisture estimates at 1 km resolution while broad-scale surveys produced soil moisture estimates at 9 km resolution. We conclude that the multiscale soil moisture products produced in this study are well suited to future analysis of satellite soil moisture retrievals and finer-scale soil moisture models.

A prototype sensor system for the early detection of microbially linked spoilage in stored wheat grain

Science.gov (United States)

de Lacy Costello, B. P. J.; Ewen, R. J.; Gunson, H.; Ratcliffe, N. M.; Sivanand, P. S.; Spencer-Phillips, P. T. N.

2003-04-01

Sensors based on composites of metal oxides were fabricated and tested extensively under high-humidity and high-flow conditions with exposure to vapours reported to increase in the headspace of wheat grain (Triticum aestivum cv Hereward) colonized by fungi. The sensors that exhibited high sensitivity to target vapours combined with high stability were selected for inclusion into a four-sensor array prototype system. A sampling protocol aligned to parallel gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and human olfactory assessment studies was established for use with the sensor system. The sensor system was utilized to assess irradiated wheat samples that had been conditioned to 25% moisture content and inoculated with pathogens known to cause spoilage of grain in storage. These included the fungi Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Penicillium vulpinum, Penicillium verrucosum, Fusarium culmorum, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus flavus and the actinomycete, Streptomyces griseus. The sensor system successfully tracked the progress of the infections from a very early stage and the results were compared with human olfactory assessment panels run concurrently. A series of dilution studies were undertaken using previously infected grain mixed with sound grain, to improve the sensitivity and maximize the differentiation of the sensor system. An optimum set of conditions including incubation temperature, incubation time, sampling time, and flow rate were ascertained utilizing this method. The sensor system differentiated samples of sound grain from samples of sound grain with 1% (w/w) fungus infected grain added. Following laboratory trials, the prototype sensor system was evaluated in a commercial wheat grain intake facility. Thresholds calculated from laboratory tests were used to differentiate between sound and infected samples (classified by intake laboratory technicians) collected routinely from trucks delivering grain for use in food manufacture. All samples identified as having

Ethanol fermentation of HTST extruded rye grain by bacteria and yeasts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Czarnecki, Z [Univ. of Agriculture, Poznan (Poland). Inst. of Food Technology; Nowak, J [Univ. of Agriculture, Poznan (Poland). Inst. of Food Technology

1997-09-01

High temperature extrusion cooking of rye was used as a pretreatment for ethanol fermentation, and yeasts and bacteria were compared for their fermentation rates. Extrusion cooking caused, on average, a 7.5% increase in ethanol yield in comparison to autoclaved samples. The best results were achieved for grain with a moisture of 21-23% which was extruded at temperatures of 160-180 C. Extrusion decreased the relative viscosity of rye grain water extracts, so it was possible to mash it without {alpha}-amylase. The efficiency of fermentation of extruded rye without Termamyl was equal to that of autoclaved and traditionally mashed rye (using {alpha}-amylase). The rate of fermentation of extruded rye grain by Zymomonas was higher during the first stage, but the final ethanol yield was similar for the bacterium and the yeast. Through both microorganisms gave good quality distillates, the concentration of compounds other than ethanol achieved from extruded rye mashes, which were fermented by Z. mobilis, was five times lower than for yeasts. (orig.)

Moisture content, insect pests and mycotoxin levels of maize at harvest and post-harvest in the Middle Belt of Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Moisture content, insect pest infestation and mycotoxin contamination of maize are challenges to food safety and security, especially in the tropics where maize is a staple grain. However, very little documentation is available on the impact of these factors on maize in Ghana. This study focused on ...

Generating a representative signal of coal moisture content to anticipate combustion control in thermal power stations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prieto-Fernandez, Ismael; Luengo-Garcia, J. Carlos; Alonso-Hidalgo, Manuela; Ponte-Gutierrez, Daniel [Area de Maquinas y Motores Termicos, Universidad de Oviedo, Campus Universitario s/n 33203, Asturias Gijon (Spain)

2002-06-01

This article describes the possibilities of continuously measuring coal moisture in the boiler feeding circuit of a thermal power station so that the measurement can be used as a signal for the boiler combustion control system. To do so, in the first place, the point through which coal would be fed into the boiler was chosen. After studying the different parts of the circuit, the feeder was selected. Then, an installation was designed, at semi-industrial scale, faithfully reproducing the operation of a belt conveyor. In order to measure the moisture content, a microwave system was installed, and a large number of coal samples with different ranks and grain sizes was tested showing eventually the likelihood of the objective.

Validation of soil moisture ocean salinity (SMOS) satellite soil moisture products

Science.gov (United States)

The surface soil moisture state controls the partitioning of precipitation into infiltration and runoff. High-resolution observations of soil moisture will lead to improved flood forecasts, especially for intermediate to large watersheds where most flood damage occurs. Soil moisture is also key in d...

Fundamental principles of rotary displacement meters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosen, J. [Schlumberger Industries, Owenton, KY (United States)

1995-12-01

The gas meter exists to continually and accurately measure the volume of gas supplied over the complete flow range of the load. In effect the gas meter serves as the {open_quotes}cash register{close_quotes} of the gas industry; its accurate and dependable performance ensures fair dealings for both the supplier and the user. An investment both in and of itself, the gas meter should be chosen as a function of its usefullness both over the short term and the long term. Thus in addition to initial cost, one must take into account various associated factors, costs and benefits, including the following: Design Characteristics Application, suitability, Meter features and options, Operation constraints, Installation, Service and maintenance, Repair and replacement, Life expectancy, Compatibility with complimentary products, Correcting devices, Remote reading capabilities, Data generation and gathering, Upgradeabilty. This paper will look at one positive displacement meter, the Rotary meter, and address the fundamentals principals of the technology as well as looking at some of the benefits derived from its application. Rotary positive displacement meters were introduced at the end of last century. Used primarily for metering transmission sized loads, the meters` measuring capabilities have extended to cover nearly all areas of distribution with exception of domestic applications. Rotary meters are available in rated capacities from 800 cfh to 102,000 cfh and operating pressures from 175 PSIG to 1440 PSIG. The use of rotary meters on load ranges in the 800 to 10,000 cfh category has increased and is replacing the use of diaphragm meters because of the smaller relative size of rotaries, and improvements in rangeabilities in the last few years. Turbine meters are usually the meter of choice on loads over 16,000 cfh unless a meter with high rangeability is required because of varying load characteristics, in which case a large foot mounted rotary might still be selected.

Proceedings of the 66th National Conference on Weights and Measures, 1981

Science.gov (United States)

Wollin, H. F.; Barbrow, L. E.; Heffernan, A. P.

1981-12-01

Major issues discussed included measurement science education, enforcement uniformly, national type approval, inch pound and metric labeling provisions, new design and performance requirements for weighing and measuring technology, metric conversion of retail gasoline dispensers, weights and measures program evaluation studies of model State laws and regulations and their adoption by citation or other means by State and local jurisdictions, and report of States conducting grain moisture meter testing programs.

Humidity measurements in the precast concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurez, M.

1986-01-01

The precast concrete industry manufactures requires a good knowledge and control of the humidity factor: during the manufacturing process, in order to regulate the water content of aggregates, or the fresh concrete workability: during the quality control of the product characteristics. The principles of measurements: conductivity, dielectric characteristics and neutron moisture meters are compared for cost, humidity range, accuracy, temperature dependence, interfering elements, density dependence, grain size and shape [fr

Comparison of time domain reflectometry, capacitance methods and neutron scattering in soil moisture measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khorasani, A.; Mousavi Shalmani, M. A.; Piervali Bieranvand, N.

2011-01-01

An accurate, precise, fast and ease as well as the ability for measurements in depth are the characteristics that are desirable in measuring soil moisture methods. To compare methods (time domain reflectometry and capacitance) with neutron scattering for soil water monitoring, an experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design (Split Split plot) on tomato with three replications on the experimental field of International Atomic Energy Agency (Seibersdorf-Austria). The treatment instruments for the soil moisture monitoring (main factor) consist of neutron gauge, Diviner 2000, time domain reflectometer and an EnviroScan and different irrigation systems (first sub factor) consist of trickle and furrow irrigations and different depths of soil (second sub factor) consist of 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm. The results showed that for the neutron gauge and time domain reflectometer the amount of soil moisture in both of trickle and furrow irrigations were the same, but the significant differences were recorded in Diviner 2000 and EnviroScan measurements. The results of this study showed that the neutron gauge is an acceptable and reliable means with the modern technology, with a precision of ±2 mm in 450 mm soil water to a depth of 1.5 meter and can be considered as the most practical method for measuring soil moisture profiles and irrigation planning program. The time domain reflectometer method in most mineral soils, without the need for calibration, with an accuracy ±0.01m 3 m -3 has a good performance in soil moisture and electrical conductivity measurements. The Diviner 2000 and EnviroScan are not well suitable for the above conditions for several reasons such as much higher soil moisture and a large error measurement and also its sensitivity to the soil gap and to the small change in the soil moisture in comparison with the neutron gauge and the time domain reflectometer methods.

Digital temperature meter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glowacki, S

1982-01-01

Digital temperature meter for precise temperature measurements is presented. Its parts such as thermostat, voltage-frequency converter and digital frequency meter are described. Its technical parameters such as temperature range 50degC-700degC, measurement precision 1degC, measurement error +-1degC are given. (A.S.).

Ultrasonic flow meter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lötters, Joost Conrad; Snijders, G.J.; Volker, A.W.F.

2014-01-01

The invention relates to an ultrasonic flow meter comprising a flow tube for the fluid whose flow rate is to be determined. The flow meter comprises a transmitting element for emitting ultrasonic waves, which is provided on the outer jacket of the flow tube. A receiving element, which is provided on

Influence of mineralogy and moisture content on plasticity and induced anisotropic damage of a clay-stone: application to nuclear waste disposals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiarelli, A.S.; Sibai, M.; Karami, M.; Ledesert, B.; Hoteit, N.

2000-01-01

The influence of mineralogy and moisture content on mechanical behaviour of a clay-stone rock is studied by the way of uniaxial and triaxial compression tests and microscopic observations. Some parameters characteristic of phenomena like plasticity and induced anisotropic damage are discussed as a function of these two factors. Rock behaviour becomes more brittle when calcite content grows or when clay or moisture content decreases. At the micro-level, plasticity is induced by slip of clay sheets and induced anisotropic damage appears by growth of oriented microcracks at the interface between grains and matrix. (authors)

Moisture Dependence of physical Properties and Specific Heat Capacity of Neem (Azadirachta Indica A. Juss Kernels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Dauda

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the effect of moisture content on the physical properties and specific heat capacity of Neem (Azadirachta Indica A. Juss nut kernels. The major, intermediate and minor axial dimensions of the kernels increased from 1.04 to 1.23cm, 0.42 to 0.6cm, and 0.32 to 0.45cm respectively, as the moisture content increased from 5.2 to 44.9 % (db. The arithmetic and geometric mean diameters determined at the same moisture level were significantly different from each other, with the arithmetic mean diameter being higher. In the above moisture range, one thousand kernel weight, true density, porosity, sphericity, roundness and surface area all increased linearly from 0.0987 to 0.1755kg, 632 to 733kgm-3, 6.42 to 32.14%, 41.3 to 47.5%, 22 to 36% and 13 to 24cm2 respectively, while bulk density decreased from 591.4 to 497.4kgm-3 with increase in moisture content. Angle of repose increased from 21.22 to 29.8o with increase in moisture content. The Static coefficient of friction on ply wood with grains parallel to the direction of movement ranged from 0.41 to 0.61, it ranged from 0.19 to 0.24 on on fiber glass, 0.28 to .038 on hessian bag material and 0.25 to 0.33 on galvanized steel sheet. The specific heat of the seed varied from 2738.1- 4345.4J/kg/oC in the above moisture range.

Use of non-contacting electromagnetic inductive method for estimating soil moisture across a landscape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khakural, B.R.; Robert, P.C.; Hugins, D.R.

1998-01-01

There is a growing interest in real-time estimation of soil moisture for site-specific crop management. Non-contacting electromagnetic inductive (EMI) methods have potentials to provide real-time estimate of soil profile water contents. Soil profile water contents were monitored with a neutron probe at selected sites. A Geonics LTD EM-38 terrain meter was used to record bulk soil electrical conductivity (EC(A)) readings across a soil-landscape in West central Minnesota with variable moisture regimes. The relationships among EC(A), selected soil and landscape properties were examined. Bulk soil electrical conductivity (0-1.0 and 0-0.5 m) was negatively correlated with relative elevation. It was positively correlated with soil profile (1.0 m) clay content and negatively correlated with soil profile coarse fragments (2 mm) and sand content. There was significant linear relationship between ECA (0-1.0 and 0-0.5) and soil profile water storage. Soil water storage estimated from ECA reflected changes in landscape and soil characteristics

MoisturEC: a new R program for moisture content estimation from electrical conductivity data

Science.gov (United States)

Terry, Neil; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Werkema, Dale D.; Lane, John W.

2018-01-01

Noninvasive geophysical estimation of soil moisture has potential to improve understanding of flow in the unsaturated zone for problems involving agricultural management, aquifer recharge, and optimization of landfill design and operations. In principle, several geophysical techniques (e.g., electrical resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and nuclear magnetic resonance) offer insight into soil moisture, but data‐analysis tools are needed to “translate” geophysical results into estimates of soil moisture, consistent with (1) the uncertainty of this translation and (2) direct measurements of moisture. Although geostatistical frameworks exist for this purpose, straightforward and user‐friendly tools are required to fully capitalize on the potential of geophysical information for soil‐moisture estimation. Here, we present MoisturEC, a simple R program with a graphical user interface to convert measurements or images of electrical conductivity (EC) to soil moisture. Input includes EC values, point moisture estimates, and definition of either Archie parameters (based on experimental or literature values) or empirical data of moisture vs. EC. The program produces two‐ and three‐dimensional images of moisture based on available EC and direct measurements of moisture, interpolating between measurement locations using a Tikhonov regularization approach.

Federal Building Metering Guidance (per 42 U.S.C. 8253(e), Metering of Energy Use)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2014-11-01

Guidance defines which federal buildings are appropriate to meter, provides metering prioritization recommendations for agencies with limited resources, and discusses the requirement for agencies to submit metering implementation plans to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Smart meter status report from Toronto

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Brien, D.

2006-01-01

An update of Toronto Hydro's smart metering program was presented. Electricity demand is expected to keep increasing, and there is presently insufficient generation to match supply needs in Ontario. The smart metering program was introduced to aid in the Ontario government's energy conservation strategy, as well as to address peak supply problems that have led to power outages. It is expected that the smart metering program will reduce provincial peak supply by 5 per cent, as the meters support both time-of-use rates and critical peak pricing. Over 800,000 smart meters will be supplied to customers by 2007, and all 4.3 million homes in Toronto will have a smart meter by 2010. In order to meet targets for 2010, the utility will continue to install more 15,000 meters each month for the next 4 years. While the Ontario government has planned and coordinated the rollout and developed smart metering specifications and standards, Toronto Hydro is responsible for the purchase, installation, operation and maintenance of the meters. Advance testing of each meter is needed to ensure billing accuracy, and customer education on meter use is also. The complexity of the metering program has led the utility to establish a rigid project management process. Customer education pilot program are currently being conducted. Experience gained during the earlier phases of the program have enabled the utility to select appropriate metering systems based on density, topography and physical conditions. Project expenditures have been within budget due to improved project estimating and planning. The metering program has been conducted in tandem with the utility's peakSAVER program, a residential and small commercial load control program that has been successful in reducing summer peak demand by cycling air conditioners without causing discomfort. It was concluded that the utility will continue with its mass deployment of smart meters, and is currently preparing its call center to handled

On-line moisture analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cutmore, N.G.; Mijak, D.G

2002-01-01

Measurement of the moisture content of iron ore has become a key issue for controlling moisture additions for dust suppression. In most cases moisture content is still determined by manual or automatic sampling of the ore stream, followed by conventional laboratory analysis by oven drying. Although this procedure enables the moisture content to be routinely monitored, it is too slow for control purposes. This has generated renewed interest in on-line techniques for the accurate and rapid measurement of moisture in iron ore on conveyors. Microwave transmission techniques have emerged over the past 40 years as the dominant technology for on-line measurement of moisture in bulk materials, including iron ores. Alternative technologies have their limitations. Infra-red analysers are used in a variety of process industries, but rely on the measurement of absorption by moisture in a very thin surface layer. Consequently such probes may be compromised by particle size effects and biased presentation of the bulk material. Nuclear-based analysers measure the total hydrogen content in the sample and do not differentiate between free and combined moisture. Such analysers may also be sensitive to material presentation and elemental composition. Very low frequency electromagnetic probes, such as capacitance or conductance probes, operate in the frequency region where the DC conductivity dominates much of the response, which is a function not only of moisture content but also of ionic composition and chemistry. These problems are overcome using microwave transmission techniques, which also have the following advantages, as a true bulk moisture analysis is obtained, because a high percentage of the bulk material is analysed; the moisture estimate is mostly insensitive to any biased presentation of moisture, for example due to stratification of bulk material with different moisture content and because no physical contact is made between the sensor and the bulk material. This is

Influence of Moisture Absorption and Content of Graphite Filler on Electrical Property of Sensors and Transducers Enclosures and Phenomena of Electrostriction in Glass- Epoxy Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Shivamurthy

2008-10-01

Full Text Available In this investigation E-glass epoxy composite filled with different amount of graphite particles were prepared by compression. Plain waived E-glass cloth with density 200g / meter square was used as reinforcement. Epoxy resin LY556 mixed with Hardener HT907 and accelerator DY063 in the ratio 100:80:2 were used as matrix. The graphite of 50 particle size was used as fillers. Four types of composites were prepared with different amount of graphite fillers viz 0 %, 3 %, 6 % and 9 % with unchanged reinforcement. After subjecting the samples to water absorption up to 96 hours in steps of 24 hrs, dielectric dissipation factor (tan δ, dielectric constant and a. c. conductivity have been measured by using a LCR meter at two different frequencies (100 Hz and 1 kHz. Results show that tan δ direct constant, a.c. conductivity increases with increase in % of graphite in the composites at both high and low frequency for dry samples. Samples with 24 hrs moisture absorption showed approximately same result. After 48 hrs, tan δ values showed variations. However, the fluctuations were less at 6 % of graphite in all samples after 48 and 72 hrs of moisture absorption. Dielectric constant increases with increase in graphite % in composites at higher frequency and there was not much variation at low frequency. In all samples after 24 and 48 hrs of moisture absorption, dielectric constant decreases with increase in graphite loading. It is observed that dielectric constant increases in all samples after 72 hrs of moisture absorption as compared to dry samples. A c. conductivity increases with increase in % of graphite content in dry sample. Up to 6% a. c. conductivity increases after 24 and 48 hrs of immersion, after 72 hrs the trend is reversed. Since Fermi level is initially shifted towards the conduction band and then after 72 hrs of moisture absorption shifted towards the valence band. a. c. conductivity increases with increase in moisture content. The

MoisturEC: A New R Program for Moisture Content Estimation from Electrical Conductivity Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Terry, Neil; Day-Lewis, Frederick D; Werkema, Dale; Lane, John W

2018-03-06

Noninvasive geophysical estimation of soil moisture has potential to improve understanding of flow in the unsaturated zone for problems involving agricultural management, aquifer recharge, and optimization of landfill design and operations. In principle, several geophysical techniques (e.g., electrical resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and nuclear magnetic resonance) offer insight into soil moisture, but data-analysis tools are needed to "translate" geophysical results into estimates of soil moisture, consistent with (1) the uncertainty of this translation and (2) direct measurements of moisture. Although geostatistical frameworks exist for this purpose, straightforward and user-friendly tools are required to fully capitalize on the potential of geophysical information for soil-moisture estimation. Here, we present MoisturEC, a simple R program with a graphical user interface to convert measurements or images of electrical conductivity (EC) to soil moisture. Input includes EC values, point moisture estimates, and definition of either Archie parameters (based on experimental or literature values) or empirical data of moisture vs. EC. The program produces two- and three-dimensional images of moisture based on available EC and direct measurements of moisture, interpolating between measurement locations using a Tikhonov regularization approach. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Calibration of reference KAP-meters at SSDL and cross calibration of clinical KAP-meters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hetland, Per O.; Friberg, Eva G.; Oevreboe, Kirsti M.; Bjerke, Hans H.

2009-01-01

In the summer of 2007 the secondary standard dosimetry laboratory (SSDL) in Norway established a calibration service for reference air-kerma product meter (KAP-meter). The air-kerma area product, PKA, is a dosimetric quantity that can be directly related to the patient dose and used for risk assessment associated with different x-ray examinations. The calibration of reference KAP-meters at the SSDL gives important information on parameters influencing the calibration factor for different types of KAP-meters. The use of reference KAP-meters calibrated at the SSDL is an easy and reliable way to calibrate or verify the PKA indicated by the x-ray equipment out in the clinics. Material and methods. Twelve KAP-meters were calibrated at the SSDL by use of the substitution method at five diagnostic radiation qualities (RQRs). Results. The calibration factors varied from 0.94 to 1.18. The energy response of the individual KAP-meters varied by a total of 20% between the different RQRs and the typical chamber transmission factors ranged from 0.78 to 0.91. Discussion. It is important to use a calibrated reference KAP-meter and a harmonised calibration method in the PKA calibration in hospitals. The obtained uncertainty in the PKA readings is comparable with other calibration methods if the information in the calibration certificate is correct used, corrections are made and proper positioning of the KAP-chamber is performed. This will ensure a reliable estimate of the patient dose and a proper optimisation of conventional x-ray examinations and interventional procedures

Solid state semiconductor detectorized survey meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Eisuke; Nagase, Yoshiyuki; Furuhashi, Masato

1987-01-01

Survey meters are used for measurement of gamma ray dose rate of the space and the surface contamination dencity that the atomic energy plant and the radiation facility etc. We have recently developed semiconductor type survey meter (Commercial name: Compact Survey Meter). This survey meter is a small-sized dose rate meter with excellent function. The special features are using semiconductor type detector which we have developed by our own technique, stablar wide range than the old type, long life, and easy to carry. Now we introduce the efficiency and the function of the survey meter. (author)

Simple meters get smart? Cost benefit analysis of smart metering infrastructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Gerwen, R.J.F.; Jaarsma, S.A.; Koenis, F.T.C.

2005-08-01

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs requested a cost-benefit analysis of the large scale introduction of a smart meter infrastructure for gas and electricity consumption by small consumers. The questions asked in the study need to be answered in order to enable a well-founded evaluation of the implementation of smart meters. [mk] [nl

Metering apparatus and tariffs for electricity supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Conference papers presented cover system economies and tariff structure with papers on pricing of electricity and new metering technologies. Other topics reviewed include metering apparatus design, electronic metering apparatus and solid phase metering technology. Meter data retrieval, bulk supply metering, test equipment and maintenance, and legal requirements and standards are discussed. (author)

Cross-cultural differences in meter perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalender, Beste; Trehub, Sandra E; Schellenberg, E Glenn

2013-03-01

We examined the influence of incidental exposure to varied metrical patterns from different musical cultures on the perception of complex metrical structures from an unfamiliar musical culture. Adults who were familiar with Western music only (i.e., simple meters) and those who also had limited familiarity with non-Western music were tested on their perception of metrical organization in unfamiliar (Turkish) music with simple and complex meters. Adults who were familiar with Western music detected meter-violating changes in Turkish music with simple meter but not in Turkish music with complex meter. Adults with some exposure to non-Western music that was unmetered or metrically complex detected meter-violating changes in Turkish music with both simple and complex meters, but they performed better on patterns with a simple meter. The implication is that familiarity with varied metrical structures, including those with a non-isochronous tactus, enhances sensitivity to the metrical organization of unfamiliar music.

Multitasking metering enhances generation, transmission operations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, E.

2008-11-15

The Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC) which operates from La Crosse, Wisconsin has the capacity to generate and transmit 1000 MW of power to 25 member cooperatives and 20 municipalities who serve over 500,000 customers. When DPC was experiencing diminished service within its analog cellular-based data communications system, it was presented with an opportunity to install a new automated telecommunications system that would provide secure collection of meter readings from all of its substations. DPC decided to evaluate an advanced multifunctional digital meter from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). The SEL-734 Revenue Metering System offers complete instantaneous metering functions, including voltages, currents, power, energy and power factor. Other capabilities include predictive demand, time-of-use metering, automatic voltage monitoring, harmonics metering and synchrophasor measurement. From a metering perspective, DPC wanted to perform daily load profiles and interval-by-interval metering of their delivery points for billing purposes. They also wanted to provide real-time monitoring of electricity being delivered for both generation and transmission purposes and to make that information available to a distribution SCADA system for their members. The SEL-734 Revenue Meter was well suited to those needs. The SEL-734 provides very high-accuracy energy metering, load profile data collection, instantaneous power measurements, power quality monitoring, and communicates simultaneously over a modem, serial ports, and wide area networks (WAN). The meter is backed with a ten-year warranty as well as field support engineers. 5 figs.

Moisture content during extrusion of oats impacts the initial fermentation metabolites and probiotic bacteria during extended fermentation by human fecal microbiota.

Science.gov (United States)

Brahma, Sandrayee; Weier, Steven A; Rose, Devin J

2017-07-01

Extrusion exposes flour components to high pressure and shear during processing, which may affect the dietary fiber fermentability by human fecal microbiota. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of flour moisture content during extrusion on in vitro fermentation properties of whole grain oats. Extrudates were processed at three moisture levels (15%, 18%, and 21%) at fixed screw speed (300rpm) and temperature (130°C). The extrudates were then subjected to in vitro digestion and fermentation. Extrusion moisture significantly affected water-extractable β-glucan (WE-BG) in the extrudates, with samples processed at 15% moisture (lowest) and 21% moisture (highest) having the highest concentration of WE-BG. After the first 8h of fermentation, more WE-BG remained in fermentation media in samples processed at 15% moisture compared with the other conditions. Also, extrusion moisture significantly affected the production of acetate, butyrate, and total SCFA by the microbiota during the first 8h of fermentation. Microbiota grown on extrudates processed at 18% moisture had the highest production of acetate and total SCFA, whereas bacteria grown on extrudates processed at 15% and 18% moisture had the highest butyrate production. After 24h of fermentation, samples processed at 15% moisture supported lower Bifidobacterium counts than those produced at other conditions, but had among the highest Lactobacillus counts. Thus, moisture content during extrusion significantly affects production of fermentation metabolites by the gut microbiota during the initial stages of fermentation, while also affecting probiotic bacteria counts during extended fermentation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On-line moisture analysis

CERN Document Server

Cutmore, N G

2002-01-01

Measurement of the moisture content of iron ore has become a key issue for controlling moisture additions for dust suppression. In most cases moisture content is still determined by manual or automatic sampling of the ore stream, followed by conventional laboratory analysis by oven drying. Although this procedure enables the moisture content to be routinely monitored, it is too slow for control purposes. This has generated renewed interest in on-line techniques for the accurate and rapid measurement of moisture in iron ore on conveyors. Microwave transmission techniques have emerged over the past 40 years as the dominant technology for on-line measurement of moisture in bulk materials, including iron ores. Alternative technologies have their limitations. Infra-red analysers are used in a variety of process industries, but rely on the measurement of absorption by moisture in a very thin surface layer. Consequently such probes may be compromised by particle size effects and biased presentation of the bulk mater...

Smart meter incorporating UWB technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khan, T.A.; Khan, A.B.; Babar, M.; Taj, T.A.

2014-01-01

Smart Meter is a key element in the evolving concept of Smart Grid, which plays an important role in interaction between the consumer and the supplier. In general, the smart meter is an intelligent digital energy meter that measures the consumption of electrical energy and provides other additional

Good standards for smart meters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoenkamp, R.A.; Huitema, G.B.

2012-01-01

This paper examines what lessons can be learned from the rollout of smart meters in the Netherlands to improve the European smart meter standardization. This study is based on the case of the Dutch meter rollout which preparations started in 2005 but finally was delayed until 2011 by governmental

RFID-BASED Prepaid Power Meter

OpenAIRE

Teymourzadeh, Rozita

2013-01-01

An Electric power meter is an important component in electric energy service. In the past, many consumers have complained about reading inaccurate of the electric meter. This research presents the development of an electrical power meter equipped with RFID reader. The RFID reader reads a valid RFID card and activates the power meter so that it can supply electricity. When the credit is about low or before the electricity is auto cut off, an SMS message will be sent to the user’s handphone to ...

Cancer-meter: measure and cure.

Science.gov (United States)

Kashyap, Sunil Kumar; Sharma, Birendra Kumar; Banerjee, Amitabh

2017-05-01

This paper presents a theory and system on "Cancer-Meter'. This idea came through the statement that "cancer is curable if it is measurable". The Cancer-Meter proves that it is possible. This paper proposes the cancer-meter in two ways, theoretical and electronically, as per the measurement and treatment. By the mathematics, first part is defined but the second part is based on computer programming, electrical and electronics. Thus, the cancer-meter is a programmed-electrical-electronic device which measures and cures the cancer both.

Privacy friendly aggregation of smart meter readings, even when meters crash

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoepman, J.H.

2017-01-01

A well studied privacy problem in the area of smart grids is the question of how to aggregate the sum of a set of smart meter readings in a privacy friendly manner, i.e., in such a way that individual meter readings are not revealed to the adversary. Much less well studied is how to deal with

Moisture Content Impact on Mechanical Properties of Selected Cohesive Soils from the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship Southern Part

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pezowicz Piotr

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Results of investigations of shearing resistance and compressibility of fine-grained cohesive soil from the southern part of the wielkopolskie voivodeship in relation to the increasing moisture content are presented. The analysis of two series of samples, using soil paste for the consistency index of 0.9 and 0.4–0.3 was carried out. The results imply that the increasing moisture content causes a decrease in the angle of shearing resistance and cohesion and is also reflected in the higher compressibility of the soil. It was observed that regardless of the soil consistency, the angle of shearing resistance decreases and the cohesion value and the oedometric modulus of primary (consolidation and secondary compressibility grows with the increase in the clay fraction.

A Stochastic Lagrangian Basis for a Probabilistic Parameterization of Moisture Condensation in Eulerian Models

OpenAIRE

Tsang, Yue-Kin; Vallis, Geoffrey K.

2018-01-01

In this paper we describe the construction of an efficient probabilistic parameterization that could be used in a coarse-resolution numerical model in which the variation of moisture is not properly resolved. An Eulerian model using a coarse-grained field on a grid cannot properly resolve regions of saturation---in which condensation occurs---that are smaller than the grid boxes. Thus, in the absence of a parameterization scheme, either the grid box must become saturated or condensation will ...

Digital reactivity meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Zongbing

1996-02-01

The importance and the usual methods of reactivity measurement in a nuclear reactor are presented. Emphasis is put upon the calculation principle, software and hardware components, main specifications, application, as well as the features of the digital reactivity meter. The test results of operation in various reactors shown that the meter possess the following features: high accuracy, short response time, low output noise, high resolution, wide measuring range, simple and flexible to operate, high stability and reliability. In addition, the reactivity meter can save the measuring data automatically and have a perfect capability of self-verifying. It not only meet the requirement of the reactivity measurement in nuclear power plant, but also can be applied to various types of reactors. (1 tab.)

Microwave emission measurements of sea surface roughness, soil moisture, and sea ice structure

Science.gov (United States)

Gloersen, P.; Wilheit, T. T.; Schmugge, T. J.

1972-01-01

In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the microwave radiometers to be carried aboard the Nimbus 5 and 6 satellites and proposed for one of the earth observatory satellites, remote measurements of microwave radiation at wavelengths ranging from 0.8 to 21 cm have been made of a variety of the earth's surfaces from the NASA CV-990 A/C. Brightness temperatures of sea water surfaces of varying roughness, of terrain with varying soil moisture, and of sea ice of varying structure were observed. In each case, around truth information was available for correlation with the microwave brightness temperature. The utility of passive microwave radiometry in determining ocean surface wind speeds, at least for values higher than 7 meters/second has been demonstrated. In addition, it was shown that radiometric signatures can be used to determine soil moisture in unvegetated terrain to within five percentage points by weight. Finally, it was demonstrated that first year thick, multi-year, and first year thin sea ice can be distinguished by observing their differing microwave emissivities at various wavelengths.

Fungal volatiles associated with moldy grain in ventilated and non-ventilated bin-stored wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, R N; Tuma, D; Abramson, D; Muir, W E

1988-01-01

The fungal odor compounds 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-octen-3-ol and 3-octanone were monitored in nine experimental bins in Winnipeg, Manitoba containing a hard red spring wheat during the autumn, winter and summer seasons of 1984-85. Quality changes were associated with seed-borne microflora and moisture content in both ventilated and non-ventilated bins containing wheat of 15.6 and 18.2% initial moisture content. All three odor compounds occurred in considerably greater amounts in bulk wheat in non-ventilated than in ventilated bins, particularly in those with wheat having 18.2% moisture content. The presence of these compounds usually coincided with infection of the seeds by the fungi Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler, Aspergillus repens DeBarry, A. versicolor (Vuill.) Tiraboschi, Penicillium crustosum Thom, P. oxalicum Currie and Thom, P. aurantiogriesum Dierckx, and P. citrinum Thom. High production of all three odor compounds in damp wheat stored in non-ventilated bins was associated with heavy fungal infection of the seeds and reduction in seed germinability. High initial moisture content of the harvested grain accelerated the production of all three fungal volatiles in non-ventilated bins.

Smart metering design and applications

CERN Document Server

Weranga, K S K; Chandima, D P

2013-01-01

Taking into account the present day trends and the requirements, this Brief focuses on smart metering of electricity for next generation energy efficiency and conservation. The contents include discussions on the smart metering concepts and existing technologies and systems as well as design and implementation of smart metering schemes together with detailed examples.

Application of a method based on the measurement of radiation reflectance when estimating the sensitivity of selected grain maize hybrids to the herbicide CALLISTO 480 SC + ATPLUS 463

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michal Vondra

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The application of methods based on measurements of photosynthesis efficiency is now more and more popular and used not only for the evaluation of the efficiency of herbicides but also for the estimation of their phytotoxicity to the cultivated crop. These methods enable to determine also dif­fe­ren­ces in the sensitivity of cultivars and/or hybrids to individual herbicides. The advantage of these methods consists above all in the speed and accuracy of measuring.In a field experiment, the sensitivity of several selected grain maize hybrids (EDENSTAR, NK AROBASE, NK LUGAN, LG 33.30 and NK THERMO to the herbicide CALLISTO 480 SC + ATPLUS 463 was tested for a period of three years. The sensitivity to a registered dose of 0.25 l . ha−1 + 0.5 % was measured by means of the apparatus PS1 meter, which could measure the reflected radiation. Measurements of sensitivity of hybrids were performed on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th day after the application of the tested herbicide, i.e. in the growing stage of the 3rd–5th leaf. Plant material was harvested using a small-plot combine harvester SAMPO 2010. Samples were weighed and converted to the yield with 15 % of moisture in grain DM.The obtained three-year results did not demonstrate differences in sensitivity of tested hybrids to the registered dose of the herbicide CALLISTO 480 SC + ATPLUS 463 (i.e. 0.25 l . ha−1 + 0,5 %. Recorded results indicated that for the majority of tested hybrids the most critical were the 4th and the 5th day after the application; on these days the average PS1 values were the highest at all. In years 2005 and 2007, none of the tested hybrids exceeded the limit value 15 (which indicated a certain decrease in the efficiency of photosynthesis. Although in 2006 three of tested hybrids showed a certain decrease in photosynthetic activity (i.e. EDENSTAR and NK AROBASE on the 3rd day and NK LUGAN on the 2nd–4th day after the application, no visual symptoms

Hydrogen meter prooftesting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCown, J.J.; Mettler, G.W.

1976-04-01

Two diffusion type hydrogen meters have been tested on the Prototype Applications Loop (PAL). The ANL designed unit was used to monitor hydrogen in sodium during FFTF startup and over a wide range of hydrogen concentrations resulting from chemical additions to the sodium and cover gas. A commercially available meter was added and its performance compared with the ANL unit. Details of the test work are described

Bending creep in the direction perpendicular to grain during microwave irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, I.

1989-01-01

Bending creep tests in the radial direction perpendicular to the grain were carried out on the thirteen different wood species during the microwave irradiation and during the hot-air drying. The course of moisture content of specimen during creep tests were measured at the same time. And then, relationships between the drying rate and the moisture content, or the creep deflection and the moisture content were investigated and disscussed. Results obtained are as follows : 1) The coefficients of drying rate (K 1 ) during microwave irradiation process were from values of 3.40(hr) -1 to 5.65(hr) -1 for different species. With average value of all woods, there were of 4.73(hr) -1 . Therefore, this value show a value of 5.3 times as much as these of hot-air drying. 2) Creep deflection of woods dried by the microwave heating increase remarkably from the start of the microwave irradiation. 3) Ratio ( y 30 /y m ) of creep deflection y m , in region of ∼30% moisture content, to the maximum creep deflection y m were thought the values differ from each wood species, in no relation with the applied stresses and these values have the constant in a wood. Those were estimated about 0.73 for Icho wood and about 0.44 for Buna wood, and moreover it was about 0.6 with average value for all wood species. Consequently, it was recognized that drying rate became remarkably magnitude value during microwave heating. Creep deflection on the 30% moisture content take beyond about half of the total creep deflection. Conseqently, the large creep deformation developed during the high moisture content process, and it constitute a caractaristic frature of microwave heating

Responses of Grain Maize to Plant Density at Different Irrigation Regimes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara SAMADVAND

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In order to examine the effects of different plant densities, plant patterns and irrigation regimes on yield, yield components and harvest index of grain maize, a field experiment was conducted at Miyandoab Agricultural Research Station, Iran. A strip split plot experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that the effect of plant density was significant on kernel yield, harvest index, 1,000 kernel weight. The highest kernel yield was obtained from 90,000 plants ha-1 density. Maximum grain yield (18.530 t ha-1 was obtained from furrow irrigation. However, there was no significant difference between moisture levels of 100% and 120% of field capacity. The lowest kernel yield was obtained at 80% field capacity. This study also showed that mean kernel weight and the number of kernels per row were the most determinant factors in grain yield formation. The highest and the lowest harvest indices were obtained at 120% and 80% treatments of field capacity treatment, respectively.

Investigation of Barely Grain Yield Improvement during the Last Half Century across Golestan Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Hajipoor

2017-03-01

lowest grain number per spike were related to Torkaman and Mahoor cultivar, respectively. Mahoor and Yousef had the hieghest and the lowest spike numbers per square meter, respectively. Six-row cultivars had more number of grians per spike compare with two- rows cultivars due to more rows per spike. Yousef cultivar with 1529.7 gr.m-2 had the highest biological yield and Reyhan had the lowest biological yield with 1155.7 gr.m-2. Results indicated that biological yield was increased during released years. If carbon produced during photosynthesis, allocate on economic parts or grains, rising of biological yield would be an effective parameter. In other words, barely cultivars with high biological yield and harvest index, would be likely to have a high grain yield. The highest and the lowest of grain yield with 388.33 gr.m-2 and 243.33 gr.m-2 were obtained at Yousef and Torkaman cultivar, respectively. The results indicated that the potential of grian yield is different among various barely cultivars. Results revealed that new cultivars had high grain yield. The highest and the lowest of harvest index with 32.66% and 20.33% were observed at Sahra and Torkaman, respectively. It seems that new cultivars allocate more phothosysnthetic material to grains. Path way analysis showed that thusand grain weights, the number of grians per spike and the number of spikes per square meters had direct effects on grain yield, respectively. furthemore, among these three factors, the number of grains per spike had the highest direct effect on grain yield. The indirect effect of thousand grian weights on grain yield through number grains per spike was high and negative. moreover, correlation results showed that these two traits had negative effect together. Conclusions In summary, the results suggested that the highest yields were related to new cultivars and harvest index was increased during released years of cultivars. New cultivars had higher grain yield than the old cultivars. In addition

Borehole-calibration methods used in cased and uncased test holes to determine moisture profiles in the unsaturated zone, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammermeister, D.P.; Kneiblher, C.R.; Klenke, J.

1985-01-01

The use of drilling and coring methods that minimize the disturbance of formation rock and core has permitted field calibration of neutron-moisture tools in relatively large diameter cased and uncased boreholes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. For 5.5-inch diameter cased holes, there was reasonable agreement between a field calibration in alluvium-colluvium and a laboratory calibration in a chamber containing silica sand. There was little difference between moisture-content profiles obtained in a neutron-access hole with a hand-held neutron-moisture meter and an automated borehole-logging tool using laboratory-generated calibration curves. Field calibrations utilizing linear regression analyses and as many as 119 data pairs show a good correlation between neutron-moisture counts and volumetric water content for sections of uncased 6-inch diameter boreholes in nonwelded and bedded tuff. Regression coefficients ranged from 0.80 to 0.94. There were only small differences between calibration curves in 4.25- and 6-inch uncased sections of boreholes. Results of analyzing field calibration data to determine the effects of formation density on calibration curves were inconclusive. Further experimental and theoretical work is outlined

Evaluation of different disinfectants on the performance of an on-meter dosed amperometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meter.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmaga, Don; Dubois, Jeffrey A; Lyon, Martha E

2011-11-01

Off-meter dosed photometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meters have been reported to be susceptible to interference by hydrogen-peroxide-based disinfecting agents. The objective of this study was to determine if a single application of hydrogen-peroxide-containing Accel® wipe to disinfect an on-meter dosed amperometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meter will influence its performance. The performance of five on-meter dosed amperometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meters was determined before and after disinfecting the devices with a single application of either CaviWipes® (14.3% isopropanol and 0.23% diisobutyl-phenoxy-ethoxyethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride) or Accel (0.5% hydrogen peroxide) wipes. Replicate glucose measurements were conducted before disinfecting the devices, immediately after disinfecting, and then 1 and 2 min postdisinfecting, with measurements in triplicate. Analysis was sequentially completed for five different meters. Results were analyzed by a two-way analysis of variance (Analyze-it software). No clinical ( .05) in glucose concentration were detected when the on-meter dosed amperometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meters were disinfected with either CaviWipes or Accel wipes and measured immediately or 1 or 2 min postdisinfecting. No clinically significant difference in glucose concentration was detected between meters (glucose oxidase amperometric-based glucose meters are not analytically susceptible to interference by a single application of hydrogen-peroxide-containing Accel disinfectant wipes. © 2011 Diabetes Technology Society.

Net metering: zero electricity bill

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mangi, A.; Khan, Z.

2011-01-01

Worldwide move towards renewable energy sources, environmental concerns and decentralization of the power sector have made net metering an attractive option for power generation at small scale. This paper discusses the net metering, economical issues of renewable sources in Pakistan, technical aspects, installation suitability according to varying terrain, existing utility rules and formulation of legislation for net metering making it economically attractive. (author)

Moisture transport in coated wood

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meel, P.A. van; Erich, S.J.F.; Huinink, H.P.; Kopinga, K.; Jong, J. DE; Adan, O.C.G.

2011-01-01

Moisture accumulation inside wood causes favorable conditions for decay. Application of a coating alters the moisture sorption of wood and prevents accumulation of moisture. This paper presents the results of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study on the influence of a coating on the moisture

Balanced Flow Meters without Moving Parts

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Anthony R.; VanBuskirk, Paul

2008-01-01

Balanced flow meters are recent additions to an established class of simple, rugged flow meters that contain no moving parts in contact with flow and are based on measurement of pressure drops across objects placed in flow paths. These flow meters are highly accurate, minimally intrusive, easily manufacturable, and reliable. A balanced flow meter can be easily mounted in a flow path by bolting it between conventional pipe flanges. A balanced flow meter can be used to measure the flow of any of a variety of liquids or gases, provided that it has been properly calibrated. Relative to the standard orifice-plate flow meter, the balanced flow meter introduces less turbulence and two times less permanent pressure loss and is therefore capable of offering 10 times greater accuracy and repeatability with less dissipation of energy. A secondary benefit of the reduction of turbulence is the reduction of vibration and up to 15 times less acoustic noise generation. Both the balanced flow meter and the standard orifice-plate flow meter are basically disks that contain holes and are instrumented with pressure transducers on their upstream and downstream faces. The most obvious difference between them is that the standard orifice plate contains a single, central hole while the balanced flow meter contains multiple holes. The term 'balanced' signifies that in designing the meter, the sizes and locations of the holes are determined in an optimization procedure that involves balancing of numerous factors, including volumetric flow, mass flow, dynamic pressure, kinetic energy, all in an effort to minimize such undesired effects as turbulence, pressure loss, dissipation of kinetic energy, and non-repeatability and nonlinearity of response over the anticipated range of flow conditions. Due to proper balancing of these factors, recent testing demonstrated that the balanced flow-meter performance was similar to a Venturi tube in both accuracy and pressure recovery, but featured reduced

MoisturEC: an R application for geostatistical estimation of moisture content from electrical conductivity data

Science.gov (United States)

Terry, N.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Werkema, D. D.; Lane, J. W., Jr.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture is a critical parameter for agriculture, water supply, and management of landfills. Whereas direct data (as from TDR or soil moisture probes) provide localized point scale information, it is often more desirable to produce 2D and/or 3D estimates of soil moisture from noninvasive measurements. To this end, geophysical methods for indirectly assessing soil moisture have great potential, yet are limited in terms of quantitative interpretation due to uncertainty in petrophysical transformations and inherent limitations in resolution. Simple tools to produce soil moisture estimates from geophysical data are lacking. We present a new standalone program, MoisturEC, for estimating moisture content distributions from electrical conductivity data. The program uses an indicator kriging method within a geostatistical framework to incorporate hard data (as from moisture probes) and soft data (as from electrical resistivity imaging or electromagnetic induction) to produce estimates of moisture content and uncertainty. The program features data visualization and output options as well as a module for calibrating electrical conductivity with moisture content to improve estimates. The user-friendly program is written in R - a widely used, cross-platform, open source programming language that lends itself to further development and customization. We demonstrate use of the program with a numerical experiment as well as a controlled field irrigation experiment. Results produced from the combined geostatistical framework of MoisturEC show improved estimates of moisture content compared to those generated from individual datasets. This application provides a convenient and efficient means for integrating various data types and has broad utility to soil moisture monitoring in landfills, agriculture, and other problems.

L-band HIgh Spatial Resolution Soil Moisture Mapping using SMALL UnManned Aerial Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, E.; Venkitasubramony, A.; Gasiewski, A. J.; Stachura, M.; Elston, J. S.; Walter, B.; Lankford, D.; Corey, C.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture is of fundamental importance to many hydrological, biological and biogeochemical processes, plays an important role in the development and evolution of convective weather and precipitation, water resource management, agriculture, and flood runoff prediction. The launch of NASA's Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) mission in 2015 provided new passive global measurements of soil moisture and surface freeze/thaw state at fixed crossing times and spatial resolutions of 36 km. However, there exists a need for measurements of soil moisture on much smaller spatial scales and arbitrary diurnal times for SMAP validation, precision agriculture and evaporation and transpiration studies of boundary layer heat transport. The Lobe Differencing Correlation Radiometer (LDCR) provides a means of mapping soil moisture on spatial scales as small as several meters. Compared with other methods of validation based on either in-situ measurements [1,2] or existing airborne sensors suitable for manned aircraft deployment [3], the integrated design of the LDCR on a lightweight small UAS (sUAS) is capable of providing sub-watershed ( km scale) coverage at very high spatial resolution ( 15 m) suitable for scaling studies, and at comparatively low operator cost. To demonstrate the LDCR several flights had been performed during field experiments at the Canton Oklahoma Soilscape site and Yuma Colorado Irrigation Research Foundation (IRF) site in 2015 and 2016, respectively, using LDCR Revision A and Tempest sUAS. The scientific intercomparisons of LDCR retrieved soil moisture and in-situ measurements will be presented. LDCR Revision B has been built and integrated into SuperSwift sUAS and additional field experiments will be performed at IRF in 2017. In Revision B the IF signal is sampled at 80 MS/s to enable digital correlation and RFI mitigation capabilities, in addition to analog correlation. [1] McIntyre, E.M., A.J. Gasiewski, and D. Manda D, "Near Real-Time Passive C

How to use your peak flow meter

Science.gov (United States)

... meter - how to use; Asthma - peak flow meter; Reactive airway disease - peak flow meter; Bronchial asthma - peak ... 2014:chap 55. National Asthma Education and Prevention Program website. How to use a peak flow meter. ...

Community Net Energy Metering: How Novel Policies Expand Benefits of Net Metering to Non-Generators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rose, James; Varnado, Laurel

2009-04-01

As interest in community solutions to renewable energy grows, more states are beginning to develop policies that encourage properties with more than one meter to install shared renewable energy systems. State net metering policies are evolving to allow the aggregation of multiple meters on a customer’s property and to dissolve conventional geographical boundaries. This trend means net metering is expanding out of its traditional function as an enabling incentive to offset onsite customer load at a single facility. This paper analyzes community net energy metering (CNEM) as an emerging vehicle by which farmers, neighborhoods, and municipalities may more easily finance and reap the benefits of renewable energy. Specifically, it aims to compare and contrast the definition of geographical boundaries among different CNEM models and examine the benefits and limitations of each approach. As state policies begin to stretch the geographic boundaries of net metering, they allow inventive solutions to encourage renewable energy investment. This paper attempts to initiate the conversation on this emerging policy mechanism and offers recommendations for further development of these policies.

Sector smart meter audit review report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-03-31

This paper presented the results of an electricity distributor sector smart meter audit review conducted by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) for the period of January 1, 2006 to September 30, 2009. The review summarized the results of a questionnaire related to distributors' smart meter regulatory accounting treatment. Seventy-eight distributors responded to the survey. The review included details of: (1) total investments in smart metering initiative for capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating maintenance and administrative expenses (OM and A), (2) funding dollars received by the distributors, (3) board-approved recoveries for CAPEX and OM and A, (4) recorded stranded meter costs, and (5) number of smart meters installed in the review period. The audit review demonstrated that some distributors incorrectly recorded carrying charges related to smart meter OM and A expenses, and that some smart meter transactions were recorded in accounts other than OEB established accounts in the general ledger. Results of the audit will be used to provide further accounting assistance to electricity distributors. 7 tabs.

Hardware Design of a Smart Meter

OpenAIRE

Ganiyu A. Ajenikoko; Anthony A. Olaomi

2014-01-01

Smart meters are electronic measurement devices used by utilities to communicate information for billing customers and operating their electric systems. This paper presents the hardware design of a smart meter. Sensing and circuit protection circuits are included in the design of the smart meter in which resistors are naturally a fundamental part of the electronic design. Smart meters provides a route for energy savings, real-time pricing, automated data collection and elimina...

Optical cycle power meter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

A bicycle power meter for measuring power generated when riding a bicycle, the power meter comprising a position-sensitive radiation detector (409) attachable to a component of a crank set (404) of bicycle, and a radiation source (408) attachable to the component of the crank set and configured t...

Identification of Alleles of Puroindoline Genes and Their Effect on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Grain Texture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klára Štiasna

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Grain hardness is one of the most important quality characteristics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.. It is a significant property of wheat grains and relates to milling quality and end product quality. Grain hardness is caused by the presence of puroindoline genes (Pina and Pinb. A collection of 25 genotypes of wheat with unusual grain colour (blue aleurone, purple and white pericarp, yellow endosperm was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR for the diversity within Pina and Pinb (alleles: Pina-D1a, Pina-D1b, Pinb-D1a, Pinb- -D1b, Pinb-D1c and Pinb-D1d. The endosperm structure was determined by a non-destructive method using light transfl ectance meter and grain hardness by a texture analyser. Genotype Novosibirskaya 67 and isogenic ANK lines revealed hitherto unknown alleles at the locus for the annealing of primers of Pinb-D1. Allele Pinb-D1c was found to be absent from each genotype. The mealy endosperm ranged from 0 to 100 % and grain hardness from 15.10 to 26.87 N per sample.

Moisture Transport in Wood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Astrup, Thomas; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard; Hoffmeyer, Preben

2005-01-01

Modelling of moisture transport in wood is of great importance as most mechanical and physical properties of wood depend on moisture content. Moisture transport in porous materials is often described by Ficks second law, but several observations indicate that this does not apply very well to wood....... Recently at the Technical University of Denmark, Department of Civil Engineering, a new model for moisture transport in wood has been developed. The model divides the transport into two phases, namely water vapour in the cell lumens and bound water in the cell walls....

Moisture in Crawl Spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Anton TenWolde; Samuel V. Glass

2013-01-01

Crawl space foundations can be designed and built to avoid moisture problems. In this article we provide a brief overview of crawl spaces with emphasis on the physics of moisture. We review trends that have been observed in the research literature and summarize cur-rent recommendations for moisture control in crawl spaces.

Effects of storage structures and moisture contents on seed quality attributes of quality protein maize

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gopal Bhandari

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The study was aimed to examine the effects of various storage structures and moisture contents on seed quality attributes of quality protein maize seed. The quality protein maize (QPM-1 seed was tested in conventional seed storage containers (Fertilizer sack and earthen pot and the improved hermetic ones (Metal bin, Super grain bag, and Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS bag at Seed Science and Technology Division, Khumaltar, Nepal during February, 2015 to January 2016. Ten treatments comprising 5 storage devices in two moisture regimes (11% and 9% replicated thrice and laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD. Data on temperature, relative humidity (RH, germination, electrical conductivity (EC, seed moisture content (MC were collected bimonthly. The conventional containers were found liable to the external environmental condition whereas the hermetic structures observed with controlled RH level below 40% in all combinations. Electrical conductivity (EC for seed vigor showed that hermetic containers provide higher seed vigor than the conventional ones. Up to 4 months all treatments were found statistically at par for germination. A significant difference was observed in each treatment after 4 months where PICS bag & Super grain bag showed best germination followed by metal bin while fertilizer bag & earthen-pot showed poorer and poorest germination respectively till one year. Almost all treatments with lower MC showed better results than the treatments with higher MC. A negative correlation (R2=69.7% was found between EC and Germination. All six figures from 2 to 12 months on MC showed statistically different where hermetic plastic bags were found maintaining MC as initial whereas MC of fertilizer bags and earthen pot was spiked than the basal figure. The finding evidenced that the hermetic containers and low MC are the seed storage approaches for retaining the quality of seed even in an ambient environmental condition for more than a year.

Net metering in British Columbia : white paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berry, T.

2003-01-01

Net metering was described as being the reverse registration of an electricity customer's revenue meter when interconnected with a utility's grid. It is a provincial policy designed to encourage small-distributed renewable power generation such as micro-hydro, solar energy, fuel cells, and larger-scale wind energy. It was noted that interconnection standards for small generation is an important issue that must be addressed. The British Columbia Utilities Commission has asked BC Hydro to prepare a report on the merits of net metering in order to support consultations on a potential net metering tariff application by the utility. This report provides information on net metering with reference to experience in other jurisdictions with net metering, and the possible costs and benefits associated with net metering from both a utility and consumer perspective. Some of the barriers and policy considerations for successful implementation of net metering were also discussed. refs., tabs., figs

Effects of Two Different Pozole Preparation Processes on Quality Variables and Pasting Properties of Processed Maize Grain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Gricelda Vázquez-Carrillo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of two different pozole preparation processes, traditional (TP and industrial (IP, on quality variables, chemical composition, and pasting properties of processed grain of nine maize landraces were evaluated. Nixtamalization and steeping time in TP (~15 h allowed more water absorption resulting in higher moisture content as well as softer debranned nixtamal relative to the debranned nixtamal produced by IP (52 min. Steeping in TP and bleaching in IP increased the pasting temperature, peak viscosity, and time to peak viscosity of maize starch. Flowering time was shorter in IP (120 min and was significantly affected by the hardness of debranned nixtamal and bleached precooked grains. Total dry matter loss was higher in IP (>10.5% than in TP (<5.0%, mainly due to the complete elimination of pedicel and pericarp by the Ca(OH2 + NaOH solution during cooking. Soft grains, with low test weight, a high proportion of floury endosperm, and high peak viscosity, are required to obtain higher yield of bleached precooked grains and soft flowered grains in both processes.

Buffer moisture protection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritola, J.; Peura, J.

2013-11-01

With the present knowledge, bentonite blocks have to be protected from the air relative humidity and from any moisture leakages in the environment that might cause swelling of the bentonite blocks during the 'open' installation phase before backfilling. The purpose of this work was to design the structural reference solution both for the bottom of the deposition hole and for the buffer moisture protection and dewatering system with their integrated equipment needed in the deposition hole. This report describes the Posiva's reference solution for the buffer moisture protection system and the bottom plate on basis of the demands and functional requirements set by long-term safety. The reference solution with structural details has been developed in research work made 2010-2011. The structural solution of the moisture protection system has not yet been tested in practice. On the bottom of the deposition hole a copper plate which protects the lowest bentonite block from the gathered water is installed straight to machined and even rock surface. The moisture protection sheet made of EPDM rubber is attached to the copper plate with an inflatable seal. The upper part of the moisture protection sheet is fixed to the collar structures of the lid which protects the deposition hole in the disposal tunnel. The main function of the moisture protection sheet is to protect bentonite blocks from the leaking water and from the influence of the air humidity at their installation stage. The leaking water is controlled by the dewatering and alarm system which has been integrated into the moisture protection liner. (orig.)

Estimating the responses of winter wheat yields to moisture variations in the past 35 years in Jiangsu Province of China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiangying; Gao, Ping; Zhu, Xinkai; Guo, Wenshan; Ding, Jinfeng; Li, Chunyan

2018-01-01

Jiangsu is an important agricultural province in China. Winter wheat, as the second major grain crop in the province, is greatly affected by moisture variations. The objective of this study was to investigate whether there were significant trends in changes in the moisture conditions during wheat growing seasons over the past decades and how the wheat yields responded to different moisture levels by means of a popular drought index, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The study started with a trend analysis and quantification of the moisture conditions with the Mann-Kendall test and Sen's Slope method, respectively. Then, correlation analysis was carried out to determine the relationship between de-trended wheat yields and multi-scalar SPEI. Finally, a multivariate panel regression model was established to reveal the quantitative yield responses to moisture variations. The results showed that the moisture conditions in Jiangsu were generally at a normal level, but this century appeared slightly drier in because of the relatively high temperatures. There was a significant correlation between short time scale SPEI values and wheat yields. Among the three critical stages of wheat development, the SPEI values in the late growth stage (April-June) had a closer linkage to the yields than in the seedling stage (October-November) and the over-wintering stage (December-February). Moreover, the yield responses displayed an asymmetric characteristic, namely, moisture excess led to higher yield losses compared to moisture deficit in this region. The maximum yield increment could be obtained under the moisture level of slight drought according to the 3-month SPEI at the late growth stage, while extreme wetting resulted in the most severe yield losses. The moisture conditions in the first 15 years of the 21st century were more favorable than in the last 20 years of the 20th century for wheat production in Jiangsu.

Estimating the responses of winter wheat yields to moisture variations in the past 35 years in Jiangsu Province of China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangying Xu

Full Text Available Jiangsu is an important agricultural province in China. Winter wheat, as the second major grain crop in the province, is greatly affected by moisture variations. The objective of this study was to investigate whether there were significant trends in changes in the moisture conditions during wheat growing seasons over the past decades and how the wheat yields responded to different moisture levels by means of a popular drought index, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI. The study started with a trend analysis and quantification of the moisture conditions with the Mann-Kendall test and Sen's Slope method, respectively. Then, correlation analysis was carried out to determine the relationship between de-trended wheat yields and multi-scalar SPEI. Finally, a multivariate panel regression model was established to reveal the quantitative yield responses to moisture variations. The results showed that the moisture conditions in Jiangsu were generally at a normal level, but this century appeared slightly drier in because of the relatively high temperatures. There was a significant correlation between short time scale SPEI values and wheat yields. Among the three critical stages of wheat development, the SPEI values in the late growth stage (April-June had a closer linkage to the yields than in the seedling stage (October-November and the over-wintering stage (December-February. Moreover, the yield responses displayed an asymmetric characteristic, namely, moisture excess led to higher yield losses compared to moisture deficit in this region. The maximum yield increment could be obtained under the moisture level of slight drought according to the 3-month SPEI at the late growth stage, while extreme wetting resulted in the most severe yield losses. The moisture conditions in the first 15 years of the 21st century were more favorable than in the last 20 years of the 20th century for wheat production in Jiangsu.

Influence of the Moisture Content on the Flowability of Fine-Grained Iron Ore Concentrate

OpenAIRE

C. Lanzerstorfer; M. Hinterberger

2017-01-01

The iron content of the ore used is crucial for the productivity and coke consumption rate in blast furnace pig iron production. Therefore, most iron ore deposits are processed in beneficiation plants to increase the iron content and remove impurities. In several comminution stages, the particle size of the ore is reduced to ensure that the iron oxides are physically liberated from the gangue. Subsequently, physical separation processes are applied to concentrate the iron ore. The fine-graine...

Microcomputerized neutron moisture gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Shengkang; Mei Yu

1987-01-01

A microcomputerized neutron moisture gauge is introduced. This gauge consists of a neutron moisture sensor and instruments. It is developed from the neutron moisture gauge for concrete mixer. A TECH-81 single card microcomputer is used for count, computation and display. It has the function of computing compensated quantity of sand. It can acquire the data from several neutron sensors by the multichanneling sampling, therefore it can measure moisture values of sand in several hoppers simultaneously. The precision of the static state calibration curve is 0.24% wt. The error limits of the dynamic state check is < 0.50% wt

Effect of Initial Moisture on the Adsorption and Desorption Equilibrium Moisture Contents of Polished Rice

OpenAIRE

Murata, Satoshi; Amaratunga, K.S.P.; Tanaka, Fumihiko; Hori, Yoshiaki; 村田, 敏; 田中, 史彦; 堀, 善昭

1993-01-01

The moisture adsorption and desorption properties for polished rice have been measured using a dynamic ventilatory method. Air temperatures of 10,20,30 and 40℃, relative humidities of 50,60,70,80 and 90%, and five levels of initial moisture contents ranging approximately from 8% to 19% d.b. were used to obtain moisture content data. The value of equilibrium moisture content for each initial moisture content at the range of air condition was determined by a method of nonlinear least squares. R...

Moisture content measurement in paddy

Science.gov (United States)

Klomklao, P.; Kuntinugunetanon, S.; Wongkokua, W.

2017-09-01

Moisture content is an important quantity for agriculture product, especially in paddy. In principle, the moisture content can be measured by a gravimetric method which is a direct method. However, the gravimetric method is time-consuming. There are indirect methods such as resistance and capacitance methods. In this work, we developed an indirect method based on a 555 integrated circuit timer. The moisture content sensor was capacitive parallel plates using the dielectric constant property of the moisture. The instrument generated the output frequency that depended on the capacitance of the sensor. We fitted a linear relation between periods and moisture contents. The measurement results have a standard uncertainty of 1.23 % of the moisture content in the range of 14 % to 20 %.

Feasibility study of photodiodes utilization in the soil-moisture determination by gamma transmission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, L.A.P. dos.

1992-08-01

This study was done to verify the viability of photodiodes, as gamma radiation detector ( 241 Am - Energy=60 KeV), to measure soil water content. The photodiodes used had different mechanical and electrical characteristics, and were tested on soils of different textures. A good linear correlation between the logarithm of the attenuation factor and soil-moisture demonstrated such viability, and that the low photopeak efficiency of these devices is not a limitation to the measurement of soil water content. Furthermore, the stability, the portability, and low cost of such semiconductor devices, including its electronic system, represent relevant characteristics that may justify the development of a reliable gamma meter system for field studies. (author). 37 refs, 21 figs, 20 tabs

ATD-2 Surface Scheduling and Metering Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Coppenbarger, Richard A.; Jung, Yoon Chul; Capps, Richard Alan; Engelland, Shawn A.

2017-01-01

This presentation describes the concept of ATD-2 tactical surface scheduling and metering. The concept is composed of several elements, including data exchange and integration; surface modeling; surface scheduling; and surface metering. The presentation explains each of the elements. Surface metering is implemented to balance demand and capacity• When surface metering is on, target times from surface scheduler areconverted to advisories for throttling demand• Through the scheduling process, flights with CTOTs will not get addedmetering delay (avoids potential for ‘double delay’)• Carriers can designate certain flights as exempt from metering holds• Demand throttle in Phase 1 at CLT is through advisories sent to rampcontrollers for pushback instructions to the flight deck– Push now– Hold for an advised period of time (in minutes)• Principles of surface metering can be more generally applied to otherairports in the NAS to throttle demand via spot-release times (TMATs Strong focus on optimal use of airport resources• Flexibility enables stakeholders to vary the amount of delay theywould like transferred to gate• Addresses practical aspects of executing surface metering in aturbulent real world environment• Algorithms designed for both short term demand/capacityimbalances (banks) or sustained metering situations• Leverage automation to enable surface metering capability withoutrequiring additional positions• Represents first step in Tactical/Strategic fusion• Provides longer look-ahead calculations to enable analysis ofstrategic surface metering potential usage

Portable neutron moisture gage for the moisture determination of structure parts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harnisch, M.

1985-01-01

For determining the moisture of structure parts during building or before repairing a portable neutron moisture gage consisting of a neutron probe and pulse analyzer has been developed. The measuring process, calibration, and prerequisites of application are briefly discussed

Digital reactivity meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akkus, B.; Anac, H.; Alsan, S.; Erk, S.

1991-01-01

Nowadays, various digital methods making use of microcomputers for neutron detector signals and determining the reactivity by numerical calculations are used in reactor control systems in place of classical reactivity meters. In this work, a calculation based on the ''The Time Dependent Transport Equation'' has been developed for determining the reactivity numerically. The reactivity values have been obtained utilizing a computer-based data acquisition and control system and compared with the analog reactivity meter values as well as the values calculated from the ''Inhour Equation''

Flexible Ultra Moisture Barrier Film for Thin-Film Photovoltaic Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David M. Dean

2012-10-30

Flexible Thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) is a low cost alternative to incumbent c-Si PV products as it requires less volume of costly semiconductor materials and it can potentially reduce installation cost. Among the TFPV options, copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) has the highest efficiency and is believed to be one of the most attractive candidates to achieve PV cost reduction. However, CIGS cells are very moisture sensitive and require module water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of less than 1x10-4 gram of water per square meter per day (g-H2O/m2/day). Successful development and commercialization of flexible transparent ultra moisture barrier film is the key to enable flexible CIGS TFPV products, and thus enable ultimate PV cost reduction. At DuPont, we have demonstrated at lab scale that we can successfully make polymer-based flexible transparent ultra moisture barrier film by depositing alumina on polymer films using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. The layer by layer ALD approach results in uniform and amorphous structure which effectively reduces pinhole density of the inorganic coating on the polymer, and thus allow the fabrication of flexible barrier film with WVTR of 10-5 g-H2O/m2/day. Currently ALD is a time-consuming process suitable only for high-value, relatively small substrates. To successfully commercialize the ALD-on-plastic technology for the PV industry, there is the need to scale up this technology and improve throughput. The goal of this contract work was to build a prototype demonstrating that the ALD technology could be scaled-up for commercial use. Unfortunately, the prototype failed to produce an ultra-barrier film by the close of the project.

Automated borehole gravity meter system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lautzenhiser, Th.V.; Wirtz, J.D.

1984-01-01

An automated borehole gravity meter system for measuring gravity within a wellbore. The gravity meter includes leveling devices for leveling the borehole gravity meter, displacement devices for applying forces to a gravity sensing device within the gravity meter to bring the gravity sensing device to a predetermined or null position. Electronic sensing and control devices are provided for (i) activating the displacement devices, (ii) sensing the forces applied to the gravity sensing device, (iii) electronically converting the values of the forces into a representation of the gravity at the location in the wellbore, and (iv) outputting such representation. The system further includes electronic control devices with the capability of correcting the representation of gravity for tidal effects, as well as, calculating and outputting the formation bulk density and/or porosity

A simple reactivity-meter system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, P.S.B.

1992-01-01

This paper describes a new version of a reactivity meter developed at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (IPEN) (Brazil). The reactivity meter computes the reactor reactivity utilizing a programmable electrometer that performs the data aquisition. The software commands the main functions of the electrometer, the data acquisition, data transfer, and reactivity calculation. The necessary hardware for this reactivity meter are a programmable electrometer, a microcomputer, and interfaces for the microcomputer to communicate with the electrometer. If it is necessary, it is possible to connect a graphic register to the microcomputer. With this conventional hardware, available in any nuclear reactor facility, one can build a powerful reactivity meter. Adding to these advantages, one can use the microcomputer on-line to analyze the data, store the data on diskettes, or create graphics

MULTICHANNEL DISTRIBUTION METER: A VERITABLE ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eobe

Usually, commercial home owners preferred the installation of one or few .... communication (GSM) based solution were presented. The authors ... meters. The proposed meters in their work uses .... The most probable data entry component to ...

Hydro Ottawa achieves Smart Meter milestone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2008-01-01

As Ontario's second largest municipal electricity company, Hydro Ottawa serves more than 285,000 residential and business customers in the city of Ottawa and the village of Casselman. Since 2006, the utility has installed more than 230,000 Smart Meters throughout its service territory in an effort to provide better services to its customers. This initiative represents the largest operational advanced metering infrastructure network in Canada. This move was necessary before time-of-use rates can be implemented in Ottawa. The Smart Meters deliver data wirelessly to Hydro Ottawa's Customer Information System for billing and eliminating manual readings. The Smart Meters are designed to promote more efficient use of electricity. The Government of Ontario has passed legislation requiring the installation of Smart Meters throughout the province by the end of 2010

Towards Novel Techniques for Root Phenotyping Using GPR

Science.gov (United States)

Kobylinski, C.; Neely, H.; Everett, M. E.; Hays, D. B.; Lewis, K.

2017-12-01

The ability to phenotype roots in situ would provide information for carbon sequestration potential through increased root mass, possible water-seeking strategies by plants, and generate data for plant breeders. One technique for root phenotyping is to measure differences in soil moisture and use this data to infer root presence or absence. Current technologies for soil moisture detection include electromagnetic induction and neutron moisture meters; however, ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been suggested to monitor root phenotypes. The objective of this study is to use GPR as a novel technique for detecting roots and classifying root phenotypes based on the detection of differences in dielectric permittivity in response to changes in soil water content. The study will be conducted at two sites in Texas: Thrall, TX (Burleson clay) and Lubbock, TX (Olton clay loam). Three root types will be investigated: fibrous (grain sorghum), tap root (cowpea), and mixed (9-species). Data will be collected along a 10 m linear transect in each plot with a PulseEkko GPR bi-static unit operating at a radio frequency of 500 MHz. Additionally, an EM38-MK2 survey will be performed along each transect. Soil surface moisture readings will be collected with a ML3 ThetaProbe soil moisture sensor and a neutron moisture meter will be used to obtain soil moisture measurements down to 1.2 m. Measurements will be collected every two weeks throughout the growing season. Soil properties including particle size distribution, cation exchange capacity, and bulk density will also be measured. GPR's ability to distinguish root types across soils will be assessed.

Degradation of bifenthrin and pirimiphos-methyl residues in stored wheat grains (Triticum aestivum L.) by ozonation.

Science.gov (United States)

Savi, Geovana D; Piacentini, Karim C; Bortolotto, Tiago; Scussel, Vildes M

2016-07-15

Pesticide insecticides are used on wheat grains in storage units but their efficiency is hindered by persistent residues in the grains. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ozone (O3) gas treatment on the degradation of residual bifenthrin and pirimiphos-methyl insecticides commonly used in storage wheat grains, as well as to evaluate degradation of their by-products. The residues of bifenthrin decreased after 180 min of exposure in a concentration of 60 μmol/mol (a 37.5 ± 7.4% reduction) with 20% moisture content and 0.9 water activity. On the other hand, under the same experimental conditions, the pirimiphos-methyl residues significantly decreased in the wheat grains (71.1 ± 8.6%) after 30 min of exposure. After O3 gas treatment, three by-products of pirimiphos-methyl (m/z=306.1) containing different molecular mass to charge ratios (m/z=278.1, 301.1 and 319.2) were identified by LC-MS. O3 is a strong oxidizer that has shown the potential to reduce pesticide residues in stored grain in order to ensure food quality and safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of durum wheat genotypes with efficiency on the uptake and Use of water using Carbon-13 discrimination and neutron moisture meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mechergui, M.; Daaloul, A.; Snane, M.H.

1995-01-01

Carbon-13 isotope discrimination method and water balance model Using neutron probe are the two tools used in this study to genotypes for water use efficiency. It is a three years experiment and the results presented will be for the last year. Four durum wheat Cvs were selected and planted in a randomnized block design with 6 replicates. Total consumption of water was calculated. Grain and strow yields and other parameters were recorded. The carbon isotope ratio which illustrates carbon 13 dicrimination is measured for each genotype in grain and strow. The total and the grain water use efficiency were calculated and correlated to the G C-13 isotope dicrimination to compare genotypes between them. The main results presented in this paper revealed that. Carbon-13 discrimination technique is an excellent screening technique for screening for water use in cultivars in semi-arid conditions. 2 fig., 3 tabs

Identification of durum wheat genotypes with efficiency on the uptake and Use of water using Carbon-13 discrimination and neutron moisture meter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mechergui, M; Daaloul, A [Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, 43, Avenue Charles Nicolle - 1082 Tunis Mahrajene - (Tunisia); Snane, M H [Institut National Agronomique de (Tunisia)

1995-10-01

Carbon-13 isotope discrimination method and water balance model Using neutron probe are the two tools used in this study to genotypes for water use efficiency. It is a three years experiment and the results presented will be for the last year. Four durum wheat Cvs were selected and planted in a randomnized block design with 6 replicates. Total consumption of water was calculated. Grain and strow yields and other parameters were recorded. The carbon isotope ratio which illustrates carbon 13 dicrimination is measured for each genotype in grain and strow. The total and the grain water use efficiency were calculated and correlated to the G C-13 isotope dicrimination to compare genotypes between them. The main results presented in this paper revealed that. Carbon-13 discrimination technique is an excellent screening technique for screening for water use in cultivars in semi-arid conditions. 2 fig., 3 tabs.

Monitoring of prestressed concrete pressure vessels. II. performance of selected concrete embedment strain meters under normal and extreme environmental conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naus, D.J.; Hurtt, C.C.

1978-10-01

Unique types of instrumentation are used in prestressed concrete pressure vessels (PCPVs) to measure strains, stresses, deflections, prestressing forces, moisture content, temperatures, and possibly cracking. Their primary purpose is to monitor these complex structures throughout their 20- to 30-year operating lifetime in order to provide continuing assurance of their reliability and safety. Numerous concrete embedment instrumentation systems are available commercially. Since this instrumentation is important in providing continuing assurance of satisfactory performance of PCPVs, the information provided must be reliable. Therefore, laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the reliability of these commercially available instrumentation systems. This report, the second in a series related to instrumentation embedded in concrete, presents performance-reliability data for 13 types of selected concrete embedment strain meters which were subjected to a variety of loading environments, including unloaded, thermally loaded, simulated PCPV, and extreme environments. Although only a limited number of meters of each type were tested in any one test series, the composite results of the investigation indicate that the majority of these meters would not be able to provide reliable data throughout the 20- to 30-year anticipated operating life of a PCPV. Specific conclusions drawn from the study are: (1) Improved corrosion-resistant materials and sealing techniques should be developed for meters that are to be used in PCPV environments. (2) There is a need for the development of meters that are capable of surviving in concretes where temperatures in excess of 66 0 C are present for extended periods of time. (3) Research should be conducted on other measurement techniques, such as inductance, capacitance, and fluidics

Field Evaluation of Cereal Combine Harvesters Processing Losses on JD-955 and JD-1165 Combines Equipped with Grain Loss Monitor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.R Mostofi Sarkari

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Grain loss monitors are installed on combine harvester and make it possible to measure grain loss on different parts of the combine. The instrument permits the operator to adjust a proper ground speed to keep grain loss within an acceptable range. In this study a loss monitoring system was implemented to measure grain losses continuously on straw walker and sieves. Two grain loss monitors (KEE and TeeJet were installed behind the straw walker and the sieves of JD-955 and JD-1165 combine harvesters. Harvesting performance parameters such as combine total and processing losses were then measured. To evaluate the precision and accuracy of the instruments, the measured and monitored losses were compared and investigated. The results of a two-year research showed that the average processing loss of the combine harvesters with 10-12% grain moisture content and 750 rpm drum speed was 0.82% which is whitin the acceptable range recommended by ASAE Standard No. S343.3. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the measured and monitored values of processing loss.

Radioisotope conveyor ash meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savelov, V.D.

1994-01-01

Radioisotope conveyor ash meter realizes persistent measuring of ashiness of coal and products of its enrichment on the belt conveyor without contact. The principle of ash meter acting is based on functional dependence of the gamma radiation flows backscattering intensity of radioisotope sources from the ash volume content in the controlled fuel. Facility consists from the ashiness transducer and the processing and control device

Development and Application of the Single-Spiral Inductive-Capacitive Resonant Circuit Sensor for Wireless, Real-Time Characterization of Moisture in Sand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J. DeRouin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A wireless, passive embedded sensor was designed and fabricated for monitoring moisture in sand. The sensor, consisted of an inductive-capacitive (LC resonant circuit, was made of a printed spiral inductor embedded inside sand. When exposed to an electromagnetic field, the sensor resonated at a specific frequency dependent on the inductance of the inductor and its parasitic capacitance. Since the permittivity of water was much higher than dry sand, moisture in sample increased the parasitic capacitance, thus decreasing the sensor’s resonant frequency. Therefore, the internal moisture level of the sample could be easily measured through tracking the resonant frequency using a detection coil. The fabrication process of this sensor is much simpler compared to LC sensors that contain both capacitive and inductive elements, giving it an economical advantage. A study was conducted to investigate the drying rate of sand samples of different grain sizes. The experimental data showed a strong correlation with the actual moisture content in the samples. The described sensor technology can be applied for long term monitoring of localized water content inside soils and sands to understand the environmental health in these media, or monitoring moisture levels within concrete supports and road pavement.

Multi-channel ground-penetrating radar to explore spatial variations in thaw depth and moisture content in the active layer of a permafrost site

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

U. Wollschläger

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Multi-channel ground-penetrating radar (GPR was applied at a permafrost site on the Tibetan Plateau to investigate the influence of surface properties and soil texture on the late-summer thaw depth and average soil moisture content of the active layer. Measurements were conducted on an approximately 85 × 60 m² sized area with surface and soil textural properties that ranged from medium to coarse textured bare soil to finer textured, sparsely vegetated areas covered with fine, wind blown sand, and it included the bed of a gravel road. The survey allowed a clear differentiation of the various units. It showed (i a shallow thaw depth and low average soil moisture content below the sand-covered, vegetated area, (ii an intermediate thaw depth and high average soil moisture content along the gravel road, and (iii an intermediate to deep thaw depth and low to intermediate average soil moisture content in the bare soil terrain. From our measurements, we found hypotheses for the permafrost processes at this site leading to the observed late-summer thaw depth and soil moisture conditions. The study clearly indicates the complicated interactions between surface and subsurface state variables and processes in this environment. Multi-channel GPR is an operational technology to efficiently study such a system at scales varying from a few meters to a few kilometers.

Comparison of wet brewers' grains or dried distillers' grains as supplements to conserved bermudagrass forage as winter feeding options for beef cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, M V; Hersom, M J; Thrift, T A; Yelich, J V

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the use of 2 byproduct supplements and conserved warm-season forage as winter feeding options for primiparous beef cows. Gestating Angus ( = 48) and Brangus ( = 24) 2-yr-old cows were stratified by BW and breed to 1 of 12 pens. Pens were randomly assigned 1 of 2 supplements, wet brewers' grains (WBG) or dried distillers' grains (DDG). Coastal bermudagrass hay or round bale silage (RBS) was fed free choice (6 pens each) and cows received WBG or DDG supplements at a daily rate of 0.05% BW (DM basis) prorated for feeding 3 d/wk. Total BW and BCS changes did not differ ( = 0.65 and = 0.93, respectively) between DDG- and WBG-supplemented cows. Total amount of forage DM offered and mean calculated daily forage DM offered did not differ ( = 0.59 and = 0.20, respectively) between supplement treatments. Estimated daily mean and total supplement DM offered was greater ( forage sources were used in an unbalanced 6 × 4 design to measure intake, digestibility, and rumen parameters in ruminally fistulated steers. Supplement did not affect forage DMI of hay ( = 0.31) or RBS ( = 0.63). Total DMI was not different ( = 0.37 and = 0.73) for hay-based and RBS-based diets, respectively. Total tract digestibility tended to be greater ( = 0.06) for DDG than for WBG in hay diets but was not different ( = 0.76) for RBS diets. Daily mean ruminal pH was greater ( = 0.03) for WBG than for DDG when supplemented to hay-based diets. In RBS diets, a supplement × hour interaction ( = 0.05) existed for ruminal pH. Daily mean ruminal ammonia N concentration was greater ( forage. High-moisture forage sources can be coupled with high-moisture byproduct supplements.

Influence of boundary-layer dynamics on pollen dispersion and viability

Science.gov (United States)

Arritt, Raymond W.; Viner, Brian J.; Westgate, Mark E.

2013-04-01

Adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops has raised concerns that GM traits can accidentally cross into conventional crops or wild relatives through the transport of wind-borne pollen. In order to evaluate this risk it is necessary to account both for dispersion of the pollen grains and environmental influences on pollen viability. The Lagrangian approach is suited to this problem because it allows tracking the environmental temperature and moisture that pollen grains experience as they travel. Taking advantage of this capability we have combined a high-resolution version of the WRF meteorological model with a Lagrangian particle dispersion model to predict maize pollen dispersion and viability. WRF is used to obtain fields of wind, turbulence kinetic energy, temperature, and humidity which are then used as input to the Lagrangian dispersion model. The dispersion model in turn predicts transport of a statistical sample of a pollen cloud from source plants to receptors. We also use the three-dimensional temperature and moisture fields from WRF to diagnose changes in moisture content of the pollen grains and consequent loss of viability. Results show that turbulent motions in the convective boundary layer counteract the large terminal velocity of maize pollen grains and lift them to heights of several hundred meters, so that they can be transported long distances before settling to the ground. We also found that pollen lifted into the upper part of the boundary layer remains more viable than has been inferred using surface observations of temperature and humidity. This is attributed to the thermal and moisture structure that typifies the daytime atmospheric boundary layer, producing an environment of low vapor pressure deficit in the upper boundary layer which helps maintain pollen viability.

Intelligent Metering for Urban Water: A Review

OpenAIRE

Rodney Stewart; Stuart White; Candice Moy; Ariane Liu; Pierre Mukheibir; Damien Giurco; Thomas Boyle

2013-01-01

This paper reviews the drivers, development and global deployment of intelligent water metering in the urban context. Recognising that intelligent metering (or smart metering) has the potential to revolutionise customer engagement and management of urban water by utilities, this paper provides a summary of the knowledge-base for researchers and industry practitioners to ensure that the technology fosters sustainable urban water management. To date, roll-outs of intelligent metering have been ...

Effects of moisture barrier and initial moisture content on the storage ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The two factors examined were moisture barrier at three levels namely: thick lining, thin lining and non-lining. The other factor included initial moisture content of the produce, namely, turgid and partially wilted. Partial wilting of the produce was achieved by exposing freshly harvested materials at ambient temperature to dry ...

Fabrication of Meso-Porous Gamma-Alumina Films by Sol-Gel and Gel Casting Processes for Making Moisture Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalyan Kumar Mistry

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Meso-porous g-Al2O3 film may be used as a highly sensitive trace moisture sensor. The crack-free alumina film was developed using a combination of sol-gel and tape casting processes, which produce high porosity, high surface area and small pore dimensions in the range of few nano-meter at uniform distribution. Sol-gel processes are well known in nano-technology and nano-material preparation, but it is difficult to make crack-free thick or thin films using this method. Tape cast methods are used for the fabrication of flexible crack-free thick ceramic sheets. Our objective was to develop nano-structured, crack-free, transparent Al2O3 film a few microns thick, has a highly porous and stable crystallographic nature. A metallic paste was printed by screen printing on both side of the film surface for electrodes to form a sensitive element. A silver wire (dia j=0.1mm lead was connected to a grid structure electrode using a silver paste spot for fine joining. Alumina is absorbs moisture molecules into its meso-porous layer and changes its electrical characteristics according to the moisture content, its dielectric constant increase as moisture increase. Moisture molecules can be conceived of as dipoles in random state before the application of an electric field. When the dipole orientation was changed from random to an equilibrium state under the application of external field, a large change in dielectric constant was observed. The number of water molecules absorbed determines the electrical impedance of the capacitor, which in turn is proportional to water vapor pressure.

Studies on Brewers Spent Grains (BSG) Biomethanation: I - Optimal Conditions for Digestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ezeonu, F. C.; Udedi, S. C.; Okaka, A. N. C.; Okonkwo, C. J.

2002-01-01

Laboratory studies were carried out to determine the effect of parameters such as water dilution and carbon to nitrogen ratio, on the anaerobic digestion of brewer's spent grains (BSG). Digesters were operated at between 270C and 330C and pH 6.0 - 7.0 The initiation of methane production was achieved using small volumes of cow rumen liquor (1: -10 v/v). The optimum conditions for anaerobic digestion are presented and the importance of the level of organic nitrogen, moisture content and in the digester starring materials emphasized

7 CFR 52.3185 - Moisture limits.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Moisture limits. 52.3185 Section 52.3185 Agriculture... United States Standards for Grades of Dried Prunes Moisture, Uniformity of Size, Defects § 52.3185 Moisture limits. Dried prunes shall not exceed the moisture limits for the applicable grades and kind and...

Calibration of Soil Available Nitrogen and Water Content with Grain Yield of Dry land Wheat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Feiziasl

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nitrogen (N is one of the most important growth-limiting nutrients for dryland wheat. Mineral nitrogen or ammonium (NH4+ and nitrate (NO3− are two common forms of inorganic nitrogen that can serve as limiting factors for plant growth. Nitrogen fertilization in dryland area can increase the use of soil moisture, and improve wheat yields to some extent. Many researchers have been confirmed interactions between water stress and nitrogen fertilizers on wheat, especially under field conditions. Because of water stress affects forms of nitrogen uptake that leads to disorder in plant metabolism, reduction in grain yield and crop quality in dryland condition. On the other hand, use of suitable methods for determining nitrogen requirement can increase dryland wheat production. However, nitrogen recommendations should be based on soil profile content or precipitation. An efficient method for nitrogen fertilizer recommendation involves choosing an effective soil extractant and calibrating soil nitrogen (Total N, NO3− andNH4+ tests against yield responses to applied nitrogen in field experiments. Soil testing enables initial N supply to be measured and N supply throughout the season due to mineralization to be estimated. This study was carried out to establish relationship between nitrogen forms (Total N, NO3− andNH4+ in soil and soil profile water content with plant response for recommendation of nitrogen fertilizer. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in split-split plot in a RCBD in Dryland Agricultural Research Institute (DARI, Maragheh, Iranwhere N application times (fall, 2/3 in fall and 1/3 in spring were assigned to the main plots, N rates to sub plot (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg/ha, and 7 dryland wheat genotypes to sub-sub plots (Azar2, Ohadi, Rasad and 1-4 other genotypes in three replications in 2010-2011. Soil samples were collected from 0-20, 20-40, 40-60 and 60-80 cm in sub-sub plots in shooting stage (ZGS32. Ammonium

Errors in the calculation of sub-soil moisture probe by equivalent moisture content technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakshmipathy, A.V.; Gangadharan, P.

1982-01-01

The size of the soil sample required to obtain the saturation response, with a neutron moisture probe is quite large and this poses practical problems of handling and mixing large amounts of samples for absolute laboratory calibration. Hydrogenous materials are used as a substitute for water in the equivalent moisture content technique, for calibration of soil moisture probes. In this it is assumed that only hydrogen of the bulk sample is responsible for the slowing down of fast neutrons and the slow neutron countrate is correlated to equivalent water content by considering the hydrogen density of sample. It is observed that the higher atomic number elements present in water equivalent media also affect the response of the soil moisture probe. Hence calculations, as well as experiments, were undertaken to know the order of error introduced by this technique. The thermal and slow neutron flux distribution around the BF 3 counter of a sub-soil moisture probe is calculated using three group diffusion theory. The response of the probe corresponding to different equivalent moisture content of hydrogenous media, is calculated taking into consideration the effective length of BF 3 counter. Soil with hydrogenous media such as polyethylene, sugar and water are considered for calculation, to verify the suitability of these materials as substitute for water during calibration of soil moisture probe. Experiments were conducted, to verify the theoretically calculated values. (author)

Soil moisture variability across different scales in an Indian watershed for satellite soil moisture product validation

KAUST Repository

Singh, Gurjeet

2016-05-05

Strategic ground-based sampling of soil moisture across multiple scales is necessary to validate remotely sensed quantities such as NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) product. In the present study, in-situ soil moisture data were collected at two nested scale extents (0.5 km and 3 km) to understand the trend of soil moisture variability across these scales. This ground-based soil moisture sampling was conducted in the 500 km2 Rana watershed situated in eastern India. The study area is characterized as sub-humid, sub-tropical climate with average annual rainfall of about 1456 mm. Three 3x3 km square grids were sampled intensively once a day at 49 locations each, at a spacing of 0.5 km. These intensive sampling locations were selected on the basis of different topography, soil properties and vegetation characteristics. In addition, measurements were also made at 9 locations around each intensive sampling grid at 3 km spacing to cover a 9x9 km square grid. Intensive fine scale soil moisture sampling as well as coarser scale samplings were made using both impedance probes and gravimetric analyses in the study watershed. The ground-based soil moisture samplings were conducted during the day, concurrent with the SMAP descending overpass. Analysis of soil moisture spatial variability in terms of areal mean soil moisture and the statistics of higher-order moments, i.e., the standard deviation, and the coefficient of variation are presented. Results showed that the standard deviation and coefficient of variation of measured soil moisture decreased with extent scale by increasing mean soil moisture. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Moisture accumulation in a building envelope

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forest, T.W.; Checkwitch, K.

1988-09-01

In a large number of cases, the failure of a building envelope can be traced to the accumulation of moisture. In a cold winter climate, characteristic of the Canadian prairies, moisture is deposited in the structure by the movement of warm, moist air through the envelope. Tests on the moisture accumulation in a building envelope were initiated in a test house at an Alberta research facility during the 1987/88 heating season. The indoor moisture generation rate was measured and compared with the value inferred from the measured air infiltration rate. With the flue open, the moisture generation rate was approximately 5.5 kg/d of which 0.7 kg/d entered the building envelope; the remainder was exhausted through the flue. With the flue blocked, the moisture generation rate decreased to 3.4 kg/d, while the amount of moisture migrating through the envelope increased to 4.0 kg/d. The moisture accumulation in wall panels located on the north and south face of the test house was also monitored. Moisture was allowed to enter the wall cavity via a hole in the drywall. The fiberglass insulation remained dry throughout the test period. The moisture content of the exterior sheathing of the north panel increased to a maximum of 18% wt in the vicinity of the hole, but quickly dried when the ambient temperatures increased towards the end of the season. The south panel showed very little moisture accumlation due to the effects of solar radiation. 14 refs., 9 figs.

Use of Soil Moisture Variability in Artificial Neural Network Retrieval of Soil Moisture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bert Veenendaal

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Passive microwave remote sensing is one of the most promising techniques for soil moisture retrieval. However, the inversion of soil moisture from brightness temperature observations is not straightforward, as it is influenced by numerous factors such as surface roughness, vegetation cover, and soil texture. Moreover, the relationship between brightness temperature, soil moisture and the factors mentioned above is highly non-linear and ill-posed. Consequently, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs have been used to retrieve soil moisture from microwave data, but with limited success when dealing with data different to that from the training period. In this study, an ANN is tested for its ability to predict soil moisture at 1 km resolution on different dates following training at the same site for a specific date. A novel approach that utilizes information on the variability of soil moisture, in terms of its mean and standard deviation for a (sub region of spatial dimension up to 40 km, is used to improve the current retrieval accuracy of the ANN method. A comparison between the ANN with and without the use of the variability information showed that this enhancement enables the ANN to achieve an average Root Mean Square Error (RMSE of around 5.1% v/v when using the variability information, as compared to around 7.5% v/v without it. The accuracy of the soil moisture retrieval was further improved by the division of the target site into smaller regions down to 4 km in size, with the spatial variability of soil moisture calculated from within the smaller region used in the ANN. With the combination of an ANN architecture of a single hidden layer of 20 neurons and the dual-polarized brightness temperatures as input, the proposed use of variability and sub-region methodology achieves an average retrieval accuracy of 3.7% v/v. Although this accuracy is not the lowest as comparing to the research in this field, the main contribution is the ability of ANN in

Ambiguity effects of rhyme and meter.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallot, Sebastian; Menninghaus, Winfried

2018-04-23

Previous research has shown that rhyme and meter-although enhancing prosodic processing ease and memorability-also tend to make semantic processing more demanding. Using a set of rhymed and metered proverbs, as well as nonrhymed and nonmetered versions of these proverbs, the present study reveals this hitherto unspecified difficulty of comprehension to be specifically driven by perceived ambiguity. Roman Jakobson was the 1st to propose this hypothesis, in 1960. He suggested that "ambiguity is an intrinsic, inalienable feature" of "parallelistic" diction of which the combination of rhyme and meter is a pronounced example. Our results show that ambiguity indeed explains a substantial portion of the rhyme- and meter-driven difficulty of comprehension. Longer word-reading times differentially reflected ratings for ambiguity and comprehension difficulty. However, the ambiguity effect is not "inalienable." Rather, many rhymed and metered sentences turned out to be low in ambiguity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Properties of cellulose triacetate dose meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, N.; Tanaka, R.; Mitomo, S.; Matsuda, K.; Nagai, S.

1981-01-01

Several clear plastics and dyed plastics are commercially available for dosimetry in intense radiation field, especially for radiation processing applications. Among these dose meters cellulose triacetate (CTA) dose meter has two advantages for routine uses; (1) it has linear response in mega-rad dose region and (2) the main product form is long tape. However, the manufacture of Numelec CTA film so far used had been discontinued, and for this reason we developed a new film for dosimetry uses. To determine the manufacturing conditions of the film, we examined the influence of additives, triphenylphosphate (TPP) and others, and film thickness on the dosimetric properties, since these two conditions remarkably influence the sensitivity of the dose meter. It is necessary for the reliability of plastic dose meters that the radiation induced colorations should be understood as radiation chemical processes. In this paper we describe the determination of the manufacturing conditions of the new film, the feature of the new dose meter, and the coloration mechanism. (author)

39 CFR 501.15 - Computerized Meter Resetting System.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Computerized Meter Resetting System. 501.15... AND DISTRIBUTE POSTAGE EVIDENCING SYSTEMS § 501.15 Computerized Meter Resetting System. (a) Description. The Computerized Meter Resetting System (CMRS) permits customers to reset their postage meters at...

Development and characterization of food-grade tracers for the global grain tracing and recall system.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kyung-Min; Armstrong, Paul R; Thomasson, J Alex; Sui, Ruixiu; Casada, Mark; Herrman, Timothy J

2010-10-27

Tracing grain from the farm to its final processing destination as it moves through multiple grain-handling systems, storage bins, and bulk carriers presents numerous challenges to existing record-keeping systems. This study examines the suitability of coded caplets to trace grain, in particular, to evaluate methodology to test tracers' ability to withstand the rigors of a commercial grain handling and storage systems as defined by physical properties using measurement technology commonly applied to assess grain hardness and end-use properties. Three types of tracers to dispense into bulk grains for tracing the grain back to its field of origin were developed using three food-grade substances [processed sugar, pregelatinized starch, and silicified microcrystalline cellulose (SMCC)] as a major component in formulations. Due to a different functionality of formulations, the manufacturing process conditions varied for each tracer type, resulting in unique variations in surface roughness, weight, dimensions, and physical and spectroscopic properties before and after coating. The applied two types of coating [pregelatinized starch and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC)] using an aqueous coating system containing appropriate plasticizers showed uniform coverage and clear coating. Coating appeared to act as a barrier against moisture penetration, to protect against mechanical damage of the surface of the tracers, and to improve the mechanical strength of tracers. The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests showed the type of tracer, coating material, conditioning time, and a theoretical weight gain significantly influenced the morphological and physical properties of tracers. Optimization of these factors needs to be pursued to produce desirable tracers with consistent quality and performance when they flow with bulk grains throughout the grain marketing channels.

A Probabilistic Model of Meter Perception: Simulating Enculturation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bastiaan van der Weij

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Enculturation is known to shape the perception of meter in music but this is not explicitly accounted for by current cognitive models of meter perception. We hypothesize that the induction of meter is a result of predictive coding: interpreting onsets in a rhythm relative to a periodic meter facilitates prediction of future onsets. Such prediction, we hypothesize, is based on previous exposure to rhythms. As such, predictive coding provides a possible explanation for the way meter perception is shaped by the cultural environment. Based on this hypothesis, we present a probabilistic model of meter perception that uses statistical properties of the relation between rhythm and meter to infer meter from quantized rhythms. We show that our model can successfully predict annotated time signatures from quantized rhythmic patterns derived from folk melodies. Furthermore, we show that by inferring meter, our model improves prediction of the onsets of future events compared to a similar probabilistic model that does not infer meter. Finally, as a proof of concept, we demonstrate how our model can be used in a simulation of enculturation. From the results of this simulation, we derive a class of rhythms that are likely to be interpreted differently by enculturated listeners with different histories of exposure to rhythms.

Rice starch vs. rice flour: differences in their properties when modified by heat-moisture treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Puncha-arnon, Santhanee; Uttapap, Dudsadee

2013-01-02

Starch and flour from the same rice grain source (with 20, 25 and 30% moisture content) were exposed to heat-moisture treatment (HMT) at 100 °C for 16 h in order to investigate whether there were differences in their susceptibility to modification by HMT and, if any, to determine the main causes of the differences. HMT had a far greater effect on paste viscosity of flour than of starch. A significant increase in paste viscosity after removal of proteins from HMT flour - as well as images of fast green-stained HMT flour gels - indicated that an important role was played by proteins in affecting properties of the modified samples. Greater effects of HMT on thermal parameters of gelatinization and gel hardness values of flours were observed - more so than those for starches. Following this observation, it was ascertained that components in rice flour other than rice starch granules also underwent alterations during HMT. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moisture Dynamics in Building Envelopes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peuhkuri, Ruut Hannele

2003-01-01

The overall scope of this Thesis "Moisture dynamics in building envelopes" has been to characterise how the various porous insulation materials investigated performed hygrothermally under conditions similar to those in a typical building envelope. As a result of the changing temperature...... part of the Thesis consists of a theory and literature review on the moisture storage and transport processes (Chapter 2), on the non-Fickian moisture transport (Chapter 3)and on the methods for determining the moisture properties (Chapter 4). In the second part, the conducted experimental work...

Moisture dynamics in building envelopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peuhkuri, R.

2003-07-01

The overall scope of this Thesis 'Moisture dynamics in building envelopes' has been to characterise how the various porous insulation materials investigated performed hygro thermally under conditions similar to those in a typical building envelope. As a result of the changing temperature and moisture conditions in the exterior weather and indoor climate the materials dynamically absorb and release moisture. The complexity of the impact of these conditions on the resulting moisture transport and content of the materials has been studied in this Thesis with controlled laboratory tests. (au)

Radiofrequency energy exposure from the Trilliant smart meter.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Kenneth R; Tell, Richard A

2013-08-01

This paper reviews radiofrequency (RF) field levels produced by electric utility meters equipped with RF transceivers (so-called Smart Meters), focusing on meters from one manufacturer (Trilliant, Redwood City, CA, USA, and Granby, QC, Canada). The RF transmission levels are summarized based on publicly available data submitted to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission supplemented by limited independent measurements. As with other Smart Meters, this meter incorporates a low powered radiofrequency transceiver used for a neighborhood mesh network, in the present case using ZigBee-compliant physical and medium access layers, operating in the 2.45 GHz unlicensed band but with a proprietary network architecture. Simple calculations based on a free space propagation model indicate that peak RF field intensities are in the range of 10 mW m or less at a distance of more than 1-2 m from the meters. However, the duty cycle of transmission from the meters is very low (meter that were consistent with data reported by the vendor to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Limited measurements conducted in two houses with the meters were unable to clearly distinguish emissions from the meters from the considerable electromagnetic clutter in the same frequency range from other sources, including Wi-Fi routers and, when it was activated, a microwave oven. These preliminary measurements disclosed the difficulties that would be encountered in characterizing the RF exposures from these meters in homes in the face of background signals from other household devices in the same frequency range. An appendix provides an introduction to Smart Meter technology. The RF transmitters in wireless-equipped Smart Meters operate at similar power levels and in similar frequency ranges as many other digital communications devices in common use, and their exposure levels are very far below U.S. and international exposure limits.

Charge Meter

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 19; Issue 4. Charge Meter: Easy Way to Measure Charge and Capacitance: Some Interesting Electrostatic Experiments. M K Raghavendra V Venkataraman. Classroom Volume 19 Issue 4 April 2014 pp 376-390 ...

Micrometeorological, evapotranspiration, and soil-moisture data at the Amargosa Desert Research site in Nye County near Beatty, Nevada, 2006-11

Science.gov (United States)

Arthur, Jonathan M.; Johnson, Michael J.; Mayers, C. Justin; Andraski, Brian J.

2012-01-01

This report describes micrometeorological, evapotranspiration, and soil-moisture data collected since 2006 at the Amargosa Desert Research Site adjacent to a low-level radio-active waste and hazardous chemical waste facility near Beatty, Nevada. Micrometeorological data include precipitation, solar radiation, net radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, saturated and ambient vapor pressure, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, near-surface soil temperature, soil-heat flux, and soil-water content. Evapotranspiration (ET) data include latent-heat flux, sensible-heat flux, net radiation, soil-heat flux, soil temperature, air temperature, vapor pressure, and other principal energy-budget data. Soil-moisture data include periodic measurements of volumetric water-content at experimental sites that represent vegetated native soil, devegetated native soil, and simulated waste disposal trenches - maximum measurement depths range from 5.25 to 29.25 meters. All data are compiled in electronic spreadsheets that are included with this report.

Role of low seed moisture in increasing the effectiveness of gamma rays for plant type and grain quality mutations in wheat, tritium aestivum var k-68

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Devendra; Singh, R.M.

1975-01-01

Seeds of the wheat variety K-68 equilibrated at 14 and 4% moisture levels were irradiated with 5,10,15, and 20Kr doses of Co 60 gamma rays. The observations in M 1 generation on germination, survival, seedling height, chromosomal aberrations and pollen and ovule sterility indicated maximum radiosensitivity at 4% seed moisture level with increasing doses. Further, in M 2 generation both mutation frequency and spectrum were much greater at 4% seed moisture level. Desirable mutants from yield point of view were identified in M 2 and stabilized in M 3 generation. Five promising mutants, out of which three were from 4% seed moisture level, along with control were grown in a randomized block design in M 4 generation. Mutant HUW-Dfl yielded highest (29.30q/ha) and HUW-DrHP3 the lowest (18.50q/ha), the control yield being 18.70q/ha. Protein values ranged from 12.57 to 16.76% for different mutants as against 12.92% for control. Mutant HUW-SDf2 had the highest lysine value (2.81%) and HYW-DfHP2 the lowest value (2.21%). There was a significant negative correlation (rsup(=)-.961) between protein and lysine. Pelsenke value ranged from 39 to 246 (min.) for different mutants in contrast to 198 (min.) for control, giving a fairly good latitude for biscuit, bread, and chapati making purposes. Findings clearly indicate that seed moisture greatly influences gamma rays induced mutations which may be attributed to maximum accumulation of long lived free radicals at 4% moisture level. (author)

A Probabilistic Model of Meter Perception: Simulating Enculturation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Weij, B.; Pearce, M.T.; Honing, H.

Enculturation is known to shape the perception of meter in music but this is not explicitly accounted for by current cognitive models of meter perception. We hypothesize that the induction of meter is a result of predictive coding: interpreting onsets in a rhythm relative to a periodic meter

Measuring methods in power metering 2013; Elektrizitaetsmesstechnik 2013

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahmann, Martin; Zayer, Peter (eds.)

2012-07-01

The book addresses technical and economic issues of power metering, data communication and data processing. Smart metering is the key issue discussed in all 14 contributions: 1. The perspective of Smart Metering in Europe through 2020; 2. Introduction of Smart Metering in Austria; 3. Metering after the amended EnWG 2011; 4. The FNN project ''MessSystem 2020''; 5. Technological requirements of Smart Grid and Smart Market; 6. DIN Spec 33440 ''Ergonomic Aspects of Smart Grids and Electromobility''; 7. Load management as a key element of energy transition; 8. Added value in Smart Metering as a result of Smart Home applications, 9. The main cost factors of the new metering systems; 10. BSI protection profile: Smart Meter Gateway certification; 11. The influence of new boundary conditions in metering on intercompany processes; 12. Reliable time allotment via internet; 13. Recommendations of the EEG Clearing Authority on metering problems; 14. Outline quality management manual for state-authorized test services for electric power, gas, water, and heat. [German] Dieses Buch richtet seinen Blick sowohl auf technische wie auch auf energiewirtschaftliche Themen rund um das Thema Mess- und Zaehltechnik sowie die inzwischen immer bedeutsamer werdende zugehoerige Datenkommunikations- und Datenverarbeitungstechnik. Eine zunehmende Betrachtung des Smart Metering als einen Teilaspekt des grossen Themas Smart Grid bildet die gemeinsame Klammer um die Beitraege. Die Themen der 14 Beitraege sind: 1. Perspektive Smart Metering in Europa bis 2020; 2. Smart-Meter-Einfuehrung in Oesterreich; 3. Das Messwesen nach der EnWG-Novelle 2011; 4. Das FNN-Projekt ''MessSystem 2020''; 5. Anforderungen durch Smart Grid und Smart Market an die intelligente Messtechnik; 6. DIN Spec 33440 ''Ergonomie-Aspekte zu Smart Grid und Elektromobilitaet''; 7. Lastverschiebung als Baustein der Energiewende; 8. Mehrwerte beim Smart

Soil moisture variability across different scales in an Indian watershed for satellite soil moisture product validation

KAUST Repository

Singh, Gurjeet; Panda, Rabindra K.; Mohanty, Binayak P.; Jana, Raghavendra Belur

2016-01-01

Strategic ground-based sampling of soil moisture across multiple scales is necessary to validate remotely sensed quantities such as NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) product. In the present study, in-situ soil moisture data were collected

24 CFR 965.401 - Individually metered utilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PHA-OWNED OR LEASED PROJECTS-GENERAL PROVISIONS Individual Metering of Utilities for Existing PHA-Owned Projects § 965.401 Individually metered utilities. (a) All utility service shall be... supplier or through the use of checkmeters, unless: (1) Individual metering is impractical, such as in the...

Metering error quantification under voltage and current waveform distortion

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tao; Wang, Jia; Xie, Zhi; Zhang, Ran

2017-09-01

With integration of more and more renewable energies and distortion loads into power grid, the voltage and current waveform distortion results in metering error in the smart meters. Because of the negative effects on the metering accuracy and fairness, it is an important subject to study energy metering combined error. In this paper, after the comparing between metering theoretical value and real recorded value under different meter modes for linear and nonlinear loads, a quantification method of metering mode error is proposed under waveform distortion. Based on the metering and time-division multiplier principles, a quantification method of metering accuracy error is proposed also. Analyzing the mode error and accuracy error, a comprehensive error analysis method is presented which is suitable for new energy and nonlinear loads. The proposed method has been proved by simulation.

Soil moisture mapping at Bubnow Wetland using L-band radiometer (ELBARA III)

Science.gov (United States)

Łukowski, Mateusz; Schwank, Mike; Szlązak, Radosław; Wiesmann, Andreas; Marczewski, Wojciech; Usowicz, Bogusław; Usowicz, Jerzy; Rojek, Edyta; Werner, Charles

2016-04-01

The study of soil moisture is a scientific challenge. Not only because of large diversity of soils and differences in their water content, but also due to the difficulty of measuring, especially in large scale. On this field of interest several methods to determine the content of water in soil exists. The basic and referential is gravimetric method, which is accurate, but suitable only for small spatial scales and time-consuming. Indirect methods are faster, but need to be validated, for example those based on dielectric properties of materials (e.g. time domain reflectometry - TDR) or made from distance (remote), like brightness temperature measurements. Remote sensing of soil moisture can be performed locally (from towers, drones, planes etc.) or globally (satellites). These techniques can complement and help to verify different models and assumptions. In our studies, we applied spatial statistics to local soil moisture mapping using ELBARA III (ESA L-band radiometer, 1.4 GHz) mounted on tower (6.5 meter height). Our measurements were carried out in natural Bubnow Wetland, near Polesie National Park (Eastern Poland), during spring time. This test-site had been selected because it is representative for one of the biggest wetlands in Europe (1400 km2), called "Western Polesie", localized in Ukraine, Poland and Belarus. We have investigated Bubnow for almost decade, using meteorological and soil moisture stations, conducting campaigns of hand-held measurements and collecting soil samples. Now, due to the possibility of rotation at different incidence angles (as in previous ELBARA systems) and the new azimuth tracking capabilities, we obtained brightness temperature data not only at different distances from the tower, but also around it, in footprints containing different vegetation and soil types. During experiment we collected data at area about 450 m2 by rotating ELBARA's antenna 5-175° in horizontal and 30-70° in vertical plane. This type of approach allows

Digital Receiver Phase Meter

Science.gov (United States)

Marcin, Martin; Abramovici, Alexander

2008-01-01

The software of a commercially available digital radio receiver has been modified to make the receiver function as a two-channel low-noise phase meter. This phase meter is a prototype in the continuing development of a phase meter for a system in which radiofrequency (RF) signals in the two channels would be outputs of a spaceborne heterodyne laser interferometer for detecting gravitational waves. The frequencies of the signals could include a common Doppler-shift component of as much as 15 MHz. The phase meter is required to measure the relative phases of the signals in the two channels at a sampling rate of 10 Hz at a root power spectral density measurements in laser metrology of moving bodies. To illustrate part of the principle of operation of the phase meter, the figure includes a simplified block diagram of a basic singlechannel digital receiver. The input RF signal is first fed to the input terminal of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). To prevent aliasing errors in the ADC, the sampling rate must be at least twice the input signal frequency. The sampling rate of the ADC is governed by a sampling clock, which also drives a digital local oscillator (DLO), which is a direct digital frequency synthesizer. The DLO produces samples of sine and cosine signals at a programmed tuning frequency. The sine and cosine samples are mixed with (that is, multiplied by) the samples from the ADC, then low-pass filtered to obtain in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signal components. A digital signal processor (DSP) computes the ratio between the Q and I components, computes the phase of the RF signal (relative to that of the DLO signal) as the arctangent of this ratio, and then averages successive such phase values over a time interval specified by the user.

The Effect of Drought Stress on Grain Yield and Oil Rate and Protein Percentage of Four Varieties Castor in Climatic Conditions of Damghan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gh. Laei

2012-08-01

Full Text Available In this study theeffect ofdrought stress was investigated on grain yield and oil rate and protein percentage of four varieties of castor in the climatic conditions of Damghan. The experiment was done in the research farm of Damghan Islamic Azad University(Iranin 2011 assplit plots in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plots of drought stress were 5, 10 and15 days and another factor included four varities of castor ( one-flower, two- flower, local and red-flower which were performed in stable density of fivebushes per cultured square meter. Therefore, after gremination, the amount of irrigation water was recorded using volumetric meters. The traits evaluated included oil rate,seed protein percentage, andgrainyield. The results show that two-flower variety with 1241 kg per hectare on 5-day drought stress has the most grain yield. Most oil rate was observed in two-flower variety on 5 day drought stress with 496.4 kg/ha.

Investigation of Separate Meter-In Separate Meter-Out Control Strategies for Systems with Over Centre Valves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Henrik C.; Andersen, Torben Ole; Hansen, Rico Hjerm

2010-01-01

to overcome this problem, but it typically implies higher energy consumption and/or decreased control performance. With the development of robust sensors and new valve types with separate meter-in, separate meter-out control it is, however, possible to overcome these stability problems in a much more...... intelligent way, also adding increased functionality to the system. The focus of the current paper is therefore on investigation of different control strategies for Separate Meter-In Separate Meter-Out (SMISMO) control of general single axis hydraulic system with a differential cylinder and an over......-centre valve included. The paper first presents a general model of the system considered, which is experimentally verified. This is followed by a discussion of different control strategies and their implications. For each of the control strategies controllers are described, taking into account the dynamics...

Rapid and accurate biofuel moisture content gauging using magnetic resonance measurement technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaervinen, T.

2013-04-15

Biomass is extensively utilised in energy production and as a raw material, such as for the production of liquid biofuels. All those processes will benefit if the moisture content of bio material is known in advance as accurately as possible under transient circumstances. Biofuel trade is increasingly based on the calorific value of fuels. In the first step, this also increases the need for rapid and accurate moisture content determination. During the last few years, large biofuel standardisation has been implemented, emphasising biofuel quality control at all stages of the utilisation chain. In principle, the moisture instrumental measurement can be utilised by many technologies and procedures. Typical techniques are infrared, radiofrequency, microwave, radiometric, electrical conductivity, capacitance, and impedance. Nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) and thermal neutron absorption are also applied. The MR measurement principle has been known and utilised already since the early 1950s. It has become the basic instrumental analysis tool in chemistry. It is also well-known as a very accurate method for analysing most compounds, especially substances containing hydrogen. The utilisation of MR metering is expanded extensively to medical diagnostics as a form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Because of the precision of the MR principle, there have for a long time been efforts to apply it in new and different areas, and to make more user-friendly, smaller, and even portable devices. Such a device was designed by Vaisala a few years ago. VTT has utilised Vaisala's MR prototype for approximately one year for moisture content measurement of different biofuels. The first step in the use of an MR device for moisture determination was the definition of its measurement accuracy compared to the standard method (EN 14774). Those tests proved that the absolute precision seems to be comparable to the standard moisture content measurement method. It was also found out that

Surface moisture estimation in urban areas

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yitong

Surface moisture is an important parameter because it modifies urban microclimate and surface layer meteorology. The primary objectives of this paper are: 1) to analyze the impact of surface roughness from buildings on surface moisture in urban areas; and 2) to quantify the impact of surface roughness resulting from urban trees on surface moisture. To achieve the objectives, two hypotheses were tested: 1) the distribution of surface moisture is associated with the structural complexity of buildings in urban areas; and 2) The distribution and change of surface moisture is associated with the distribution and vigor of urban trees. The study area is Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. In the part of the morphology of urban trees, Warren Township was selected due to the limitation of tree inventory data. To test the hypotheses, the research design was made to extract the aerodynamic parameters, such as frontal areas, roughness length and displacement height of buildings and trees from Terrestrial and Airborne LiDAR data, then to input the aerodynamic parameters into the urban surface energy balance model. The methodology was developed for comparing the impact of aerodynamic parameters from LiDAR data with the parameters that were derived empirically from land use and land cover data. The analytical procedures are discussed below: 1) to capture the spatial and temporal variation of surface moisture, daily and hourly Land Surface Temperature (LST) were downscaled from 4 km to 1 km, and 960 m to 30 m, respectively, by regression between LST and various components that impact LST; 2) to estimate surface moisture, namely soil moisture and evapotranspiration (ET), land surfaces were classified into soil, vegetation, and impervious surfaces, using Linear Spectral Mixture Analysis (LSMA); 3) aerodynamic parameters of buildings and trees were extracted from Airborne and Terrestrial LiDAR data; 4) the Temperature-Vegetation-Index (TVX) method, and the Two-Source-Energy-Balance (TSEB

Control of insects and mites in grain using a high temperature/short time (HTST) technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Mourier; Poulsen

2000-07-01

Wheat infested with grain mites (Acari) and Sitophilus granarius, and maize infested with Prostephanus truncatus, were exposed to hot air in a CIMBRIA HTST Microline toaster((R)). Inlet temperatures of the hot air were in the range of 150-750 degrees C decreasing to outlet temperatures in the range of 100-300 degrees C during the exposure period. A rotating drum, connected to a natural-gas burner was fed with grain which was in constant movement along the drum and thereby mixed thoroughly during the process. The capacity of the toaster was 1000 kg per hour.Complete control of grain mites and adult S. granarius in wheat was obtained with an inlet temperature of 300-350 degrees C and an average residence time in the drum of 6 s. More than 99% mortality was obtained for all stages of S. granarius with an inlet temperature of 300-350 degrees C and an average exposure period of 40 s. For control of P. truncatus in maize, an inlet temperature of 700 degrees C resulted in a complete disinfestation when the exposure time was 19 s.The reduction in grain moisture content was 0.5-1% at treatments giving 100% control. Germination tests indicate that it is possible to choose a combination of inlet temperatures and exposure periods which effectively kills mites and insects in small grains, without harming the functional properties of the grain.Economy of the method was considered to be competitive with fumigation using phosphine.

Smart Metering System for Microgrids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palacios-Garcia, Emilio; Guan, Yajuan; Savaghebi, Mehdi

2015-01-01

suppliers, but they can also play a big role in the control of the Microgrid since the recorded power and energy profiles can be integrated in energy management systems (EMS). In addition, basic power quality (PQ) disturbance can de detected and reported by some advanced metering systems. Thus, this paper...... will expose an example of Smart Meters integration in a Microgrid scenario, which is the Intelligent Microgrid Lab of Aalborg University (AAU). To do this, first the installation available in the Microgrid Lab will be introduced. Then, three different test scenarios and their respective results...... will be presented, regarding the capabilities of this system and the advantages of integration the Smart Meters information in the Microgrid control....

Low Cost Digital Vibration Meter.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, W Vance; Geist, Jon

2007-01-01

This report describes the development of a low cost, digital Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) vibration meter that reports an approximation to the RMS acceleration of the vibration to which the vibration meter is subjected. The major mechanical element of this vibration meter is a cantilever beam, which is on the order of 500 µm in length, with a piezoresistor deposited at its base. Vibration of the device in the plane perpendicular to the cantilever beam causes it to bend, which produces a measurable change in the resistance of a piezoresistor. These changes in resistance along with a unique signal-processing scheme are used to determine an approximation to the RMS acceleration sensed by the device.

Robust Meter Network for Water Distribution Pipe Burst Detection

OpenAIRE

Donghwi Jung; Joong Hoon Kim

2017-01-01

A meter network is a set of meters installed throughout a water distribution system to measure system variables, such as the pipe flow rate and pressure. In the current hyper-connected world, meter networks are being exposed to meter failure conditions, such as malfunction of the meter’s physical system and communication system failure. Therefore, a meter network’s robustness should be secured for reliable provision of informative meter data. This paper introduces a multi-objective optimal me...

Versatile operation meter for nuclear information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Yong; Xiao Yabin; Wang Shuyuan; Shu Jingfang; Di Shaoliang; Wu Hongbin

1995-01-01

This paper states a low-cost, small-volume, multi-function, reproducible and new model intelligent nuclear electronic meter. It's hardware and Software were detailed and the 137 Cs spectrum with this meter was presented

Measurement of soil moisture using gypsum blocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friis Dela, B.

the building. Consequently, measuring the moisture of the surrounding soil is of great importance for detecting the source of moisture in a building. Up till now, information has been needed to carry out individual calibrations for the different types of gypsum blocks available on the market and to account......For the past 50 years, gypsum blocks have been used to determine soil moisture content. This report describes a method for calibrating gypsum blocks for soil moisture measurements. Moisture conditions inside a building are strongly influenced by the moisture conditions in the soil surrounding...

Smart metering - new possibilities for energy distribution in the mass customer sector; Smart Metering - neue Moeglichkeiten fuer den Energievertrieb im Massenkundenbereich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haller, T. [Simon-Kucher aand Partners GmbH, Wien (Austria); Hoffmann, S.O.; Rentschler, M.D. [Simon-Kucher and Partners Strategy and Marketing Consultants GmbH, Bonn (Germany)

2008-06-15

As a result of the liberalisation of gas and electricity metering procedures energy suppliers are more and more turning their attention to innovative and intelligent metering techniques. Smart Metering allows energy suppliers to improve their metering processes while at the same time responding better to their customers' needs. These developments are also opening up new sales opportunities because intelligent meters facilitate the launch of new products in the mass customer sector. There is therefore much in favour of looking at this topic in greater detail.

Effect of corn processing and wet distiller’s grains with solubles on odorous volatile organic compound emissions from urine and feces of beef cattle

Science.gov (United States)

Wet distiller’s grains with solubles (WDGS) are a common feed ingredient in beef feedlot diets, but the excess nitrogen in these diets creates air quality issues, primarily due to the aromatic compounds emitted during fermentation of excreted protein. Use of high-moisture corn (HMC) instead of dry-r...

Probing bias reduction to improve comparability of lint cotton water and moisture contents at moisture equilibrium

Science.gov (United States)

The Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) reference method is specific for water in lint cotton and was designed for samples conditioned to moisture equilibrium, thus limiting its biases. There is a standard method for moisture content – weight loss – by oven drying (OD), just not for equilibrium moisture c...

Film grain synthesis and its application to re-graining

Science.gov (United States)

Schallauer, Peter; Mörzinger, Roland

2006-01-01

Digital film restoration and special effects compositing require more and more automatic procedures for movie regraining. Missing or inhomogeneous grain decreases perceived quality. For the purpose of grain synthesis an existing texture synthesis algorithm has been evaluated and optimized. We show that this algorithm can produce synthetic grain which is perceptually similar to a given grain template, which has high spatial and temporal variation and which can be applied to multi-spectral images. Furthermore a re-grain application framework is proposed, which synthesises based on an input grain template artificial grain and composites this together with the original image content. Due to its modular approach this framework supports manual as well as automatic re-graining applications. Two example applications are presented, one for re-graining an entire movie and one for fully automatic re-graining of image regions produced by restoration algorithms. Low computational cost of the proposed algorithms allows application in industrial grade software.

Proceedings of the 2006 smart metering conference and expo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Ontario's smart metering program was launched as part of a general demand response management strategy to improve energy conservation in the province. Smart metering will help consumers to control their electricity bills through conservation and demand response, and will allow consumers to better manage their energy consumption and use it more effectively during cheaper, off-peak times of day. Smart metering systems measure how much electricity a customer uses on an hourly basis, and data is transferred daily to local electricity distributors. Toronto Hydro will have close to 200,000 smart meters installed by the end of 2006. By 2010, Toronto will be North America's largest urban centre to have made the full transition to smart metering technology across its entire base. This conference provided an update of Toronto Hydro's smart metering project, as well as details of their demand response program. Presentations were given by a variety of experts in information technology as well as electric power industry leaders North American demand and response metering strategies were reviewed, as well as various initiatives in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). Security risks associated with smart metering environments were reviewed. An evaluation of the current regulatory environment was presented along with a discussion of smart metering standards and compatibility issues. New metering technologies were presented as well as various associated demand side management tools. Smart metering pilot programs and initiatives were discussed, and best practices in smart metering were evaluated. Twenty-nine presentations were given at the conference, 13 of which have been indexed separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

Dust grain charging in a wake of other grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miloch, W. J.; Block, D.

2012-01-01

The charging of dust grain in the wake of another grains in sonic and supersonic collisionless plasma flows is studied by numerical simulations. We consider two grains aligned with the flow, as well as dust chains and multiple grain arrangements. It is found that the dust charge depends significantly on the flow speed, distance between the grains, and the grain arrangement. For two and three grains aligned, the charges on downstream grains depend linearly on the flow velocity and intergrain distance. The simulations are carried out with DiP3D, a three dimensional particle-in-cell code with both electrons and ions represented as numerical particles [W. J. Miloch et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 103703 (2010)].

An overview of the measurements of soil moisture and modeling of moisture flux in FIFE

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J. R.

1992-01-01

Measurements of soil moisture and calculations of moisture transfer in the soil medium and at the air-soil interface were performed over a 15-km by 15-km test site during FIFE in 1987 and 1989. The measurements included intensive soil moisture sampling at the ground level and surveys at aircraft altitudes by several passive and active microwave sensors as well as a gamma radiation device.

A comprehensive investigation on static and dynamic friction coefficients of wheat grain with the adoption of statistical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafaei, S M; Kamgar, S

2017-07-01

This paper deals with studying and modeling static friction coefficient (SFC) and dynamic friction coefficient (DFC) of wheat grain as affected by several treatments. Significance of single effect (SE) and dual interaction effect (DIE) of treatments (moisture content and contact surface) on SFC and, SE, DIE, and triple interaction effect (TIE) of treatments (moisture content, contact surface and sliding velocity) on DFC were determined using statistical analysis methods. Multiple linear regression (MLR) modeling was employed to predict SFC and DFC on different contact surfaces. Predictive ability of developed MLR models was evaluated using some statistical parameters (coefficient of determination ( R 2 ), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean relative deviation modulus (MRDM)). Results indicated that significant increasing DIE of treatments on SFC was 3.2 and 3 times greater than significant increasing SE of moisture content and contact surface, respectively. In case of DFC, the significant increasing TIE of treatments was 8.8, 3.7, and 8.9 times greater than SE of moisture content, contact surface, and sliding velocity, respectively. It was also found that the SE of contact surface on SFC was 1.1 times greater than that of moisture content and the SE of contact surface on DFC was 2.4 times greater than that of moisture content or sliding velocity. According to the reasonable average of statistical parameters ( R 2  = 0.955, RMSE = 0.01788 and MRDM = 3.152%), the SFC and DFC could be successfully predicted by suggested MLR models. Practically, it is recommended to apply the models for direct prediction of SFC and DFC, respective to each contact surface, based on moisture content and sliding velocity.

Arduino based radiation survey meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, Nur Aira Abd; Lombigit, Lojius; Abdullah, Nor Arymaswati; Azman, Azraf; Dolah, Taufik; Jaafar, Zainudin; Mohamad, Glam Hadzir Patai; Ramli, Abd Aziz Mhd; Zain, Rasif Mohd; Said, Fazila; Khalid, Mohd Ashhar; Taat, Muhamad Zahidee; Muzakkir, Amir

2016-01-01

This paper presents the design of new digital radiation survey meter with LND7121 Geiger Muller tube detector and Atmega328P microcontroller. Development of the survey meter prototype is carried out on Arduino Uno platform. 16-bit Timer1 on the microcontroller is utilized as external pulse counter to produce count per second or CPS measurement. Conversion from CPS to dose rate technique is also performed by Arduino to display results in micro Sievert per hour (μSvhr −1 ). Conversion factor (CF) value for conversion of CPM to μSvhr −1 determined from manufacturer data sheet is compared with CF obtained from calibration procedure. The survey meter measurement results are found to be linear for dose rates below 3500 µSv/hr

Compact RFID Enabled Moisture Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

U. H. Khan

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This research proposes a novel, low-cost RFID tag sensor antenna implemented using commercially available Kodak photo-paper. The aim of this paper is to investigate the possibility of stable, RFID centric communication under varying moisture levels. Variation in the frequency response of the RFID tag in presence of moisture is used to detect different moisture levels. Combination of unique jaw shaped contours and T-matching network is used for impedance matching which results in compact size and minimal ink consumption. Proposed tag is 1.4 × 9.4 cm2 in size and shows optimum results for various moisture levels upto 45% in FCC band with a bore sight read range of 12.1 m.

Neutron moisture monitoring (NMM) and moisture contents in the Green River, Utah, UMTRA disposal cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-06-01

This report provides the basis for the US Department of Energy's (DOE) request to discontinue neutron moisture monitoring (NMM) at the Green River, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) disposal cell and decommission the neutron access holes. After 3 years of monitoring the disposal cell, the DOE has determined that the NMM method is not suitable for determining changes in moisture content in the disposal cell. Existing tailings moisture contents in the disposal cell result in a low seepage flux. The combination of a low seepage flux and geochemical retardation by foundation materials underneath the disposal cell ensures that the proposed US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) groundwater protection standards will not be exceeded within the design life of the disposal cell. To assess the effectiveness of the NMM method for monitoring moisture contents In the disposal cell at Green River, the DOE subsequently conducted a field study and a review of historical and new literature. The literature review allowed the DOE to identify performance criteria for the NMM method. Findings of these studies suggest that: The NMM method is not sensitive to the low moisture contents found in the disposal cell.; there is an insufficient range of moisture contents in the disposal cell to develop a field calibration curve relating moisture content to neutron counts; it is not possible to collect NMM data from the disposal cell that meet data quality objectives for precision and accuracy developed from performance criteria described in the literature

Moisture measurement in the iron and steel industry: experience with nuclear moisture measurements in coke, and studies of infrared moisture measurement of iron ore mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beumer, J.A.; Wouters, M.

1976-01-01

In the heavy iron-making industry there are several processes for which it is necessary to measure on-line the moisture content of certain process materials, especially in the field of iron ore preparation and blast furnace practice. Two examples are given. (1) Experience with nuclear moisture-measurements in coke covers a period of ten years in which eight measuring systems have been installed in the weighing hoppers of blast furnaces. The standard deviation is about 0.7% moisture in the range 0 to 15% moisture. The way the method is used, the safety measures and the difficulties encountered, especially the effect on recalibration of neutron-absorbing materials in photomultipliers are described. (2) The application of infrared absorption to the study of moisture measurment or iron ore mixtures is described. With an ore mixture for pellets manufacture, a rather dark ore mixture, problems have arisen concerning the sensitivity. The reference and measuring wavelengths now in use are 2.51 and 2.95 μm. In this case the absorption of the energy is rather high. The results may be improved by using quartz optics instead of the normal Pyrex ones, as the cut-off wavelength of Pyrex is about 3 μm. Variations due to colour and specific surface have been studied. As the accuracy required is +- 0.1% moisture in the range 8 to 12% moisture, these variations need to be eliminated. (author)

Development of a neutron moisture gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, A.S.

1979-01-01

A neutron moisture gauge fabricated for measuring the moisture content of coke is described. It has an americium-beryllium source placed beside a boron coated neutron counter which is a slow neutron detector. The fast neutrons emitted by the radioactive source are slowed down by the hydrogen nuclei present in the material either as bound hydrogen or as a hydrogen of the water. Measure of the slowed down i.e. thermal neutrons (their density) is proportional to the total hydrogen content of the material. The instrument is installed as an ''on-line'' measuring device to estimate the moisture content of coke at the weighing hopper feeding the skip car. The accuracy of measurement is dependent on the moisture content, i.e. higher accuracy is obtained for higher moisture content. At low moisture content, the effect of the bound hydrogen other than that of the water on low moisture readings is pronounced. Effect of bulk density on the accuracy of measurement is not very significant as long as the coke size is constant. The error is in the range of +- 1.1%. (M.G.B.)

Turbine flow meter response in two-phase flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, W.J.; Dougherty, T.J.; Cheh, H.Y.

1996-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a simple method of calibrating turbine flow meters to measure the flow rates of each phase in a two-phase flow. The response of two 50.8 mm (2 inch) turbine flow meters to air-water, two-phase mixtures flowing vertically in a 57 mm I.D. (2.25 inch) polycarbonate tube has been investigated for both upflow and downflow. The flow meters were connected in series with an intervening valve to provide an adjustable pressure difference between them. Void fractions were measured by two gamma densitometers, one upstream of the flow meters and the other downstream. The output signal of the turbine flow meters was found to depend only on the actual volumetric flow rate of the gas, F G , and liquid, F L , at the location of the flow meter

Automatic ranging circuit for a digital panel meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, T.R.; Ross, H.H.

1976-01-01

This invention relates to a range changing circuit that operates in conjunction with a digital panel meter of fixed sensitivity. The circuit decodes the output of the panel meter and uses that information to change the gain of an input amplifier to the panel meter in order to ensure that the maximum number of significant figures is always displayed in the meter. The circuit monitors five conditions in the meter and responds to any of four combinations of these conditions by means of logic elements to carry out the function of the circuit. The system was designed for readout of a fluorescence analyzer for uranium analysis

EU data protection and smart metering. Legal boundary conditions; EU-Datenschutz und Smart Metering. Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hladjk, Joerg [Praxisgruppe European Data Protection and Privacy, Hunton and Williams, Bruessel (Belgium)

2011-07-01

With the introduction of smart metering, the problem of data protection arises. The independent Article 29 Data Protection Group of the European Commission drew up an expert opinion with the intention of explaining the applicable EU data protection regulations for the smart metering technology in the power supply sector. (orig.)

Grain-filling duration and grain yield relationships in wheat mutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larik, A.S.

1987-01-01

Nine stable mutants of bread wheat along with their mother cultivars were investigated for grain-filling characteristics in relation to grain yield. Significant differences among mutants for grain-filling duration and grain-filling index were observed. Inspite of the consistent differences in grain-filling duration there was no significant association between grain-filling duration and grain yield in C-591 and Nayab mutants. Failure to detect an yield advantage due to differences in grain-filling duration in these genotypes suggests that any advantage derived from alteration of grain-filling period may have been outweighed by the coincident changes in length of the vegetative period. Other factors such as synchrony of anthesis may have limited out ability to find an association between grainfilling duration and grain yield. On the contrary, significant association between grain-filling duration and grain yield displayed by indus-66 indus-66 mutants derived from gamma rays, shows the ability of gamma rays to induce functional alternations in the pattern of gene arrangements controlling these traits. Thus, the vaability observed in these physiological traits suggests that selection for these traits could be useful in improving grain yield. (author)

Extrapolating effects of conservation tillage on yield, soil moisture and dry spell mitigation using simulation modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Mkoga, Z. J.; Tumbo, S. D.; Kihupi, N.; Semoka, J.

There is big effort to disseminate conservation tillage practices in Tanzania. Despite wide spread field demonstrations there has been some field experiments meant to assess and verify suitability of the tillage options in local areas. Much of the experiments are short lived and thus long term effects of the tillage options are unknown. Experiments to study long term effects of the tillage options are lacking because they are expensive and cannot be easily managed. Crop simulation models have the ability to use long term weather data and the local soil parameters to assess long term effects of the tillage practices. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) crop simulation model; was used to simulate long term production series of soil moisture and grain yield based on the soil and weather conditions in Mkoji sub-catchment of the great Ruaha river basin in Tanzania. A 24 year simulated maize yield series based on conventional tillage with ox-plough, without surface crop residues (CT) treatment was compared with similar yield series based on conservation tillage (ox-ripping, with surface crop residues (RR)). Results showed that predicted yield averages were significantly higher in conservation tillage than in conventional tillage ( P APSIM simulation model, showed that average soil moisture in the conservation tillage was significantly higher ( P < 0.05) (about 0.29 mm/mm) than in conventional tillage (0.22 mm/mm) treatment during the seasons which received rainfall between 468 and 770 mm. Similarly the conservation tillage treatment recorded significantly higher yields (4.4 t/ha) ( P < 0.01) than the conventional tillage (3.6 t/ha) treatment in the same range of seasonal rainfall. On the other hand there was no significant difference in soil moisture for the seasons which received rainfall above 770 mm. In these seasons grain yield in conservation tillage treatment was significantly lower (3.1 kg/ha) than in the conventional tillage treatment (4.8 kg

Your Glucose Meter

Science.gov (United States)

... Medical Devices Radiation-Emitting Products Vaccines, Blood & Biologics Animal & Veterinary Cosmetics Tobacco ... 164KB) En Español Basic Facts 7 Tips for Testing Your Blood Sugar and Caring for Your Meter ...

Arduino based radiation survey meter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahman, Nur Aira Abd, E-mail: nur-aira@nm.gov.my; Lombigit, Lojius; Abdullah, Nor Arymaswati; Azman, Azraf; Dolah, Taufik; Jaafar, Zainudin; Mohamad, Glam Hadzir Patai; Ramli, Abd Aziz Mhd; Zain, Rasif Mohd; Said, Fazila; Khalid, Mohd Ashhar; Taat, Muhamad Zahidee [Malaysian Nuclear Agency, 43000, Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Muzakkir, Amir [Sinaran Utama Teknologi Sdn Bhd, 43650, Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia)

2016-01-22

This paper presents the design of new digital radiation survey meter with LND7121 Geiger Muller tube detector and Atmega328P microcontroller. Development of the survey meter prototype is carried out on Arduino Uno platform. 16-bit Timer1 on the microcontroller is utilized as external pulse counter to produce count per second or CPS measurement. Conversion from CPS to dose rate technique is also performed by Arduino to display results in micro Sievert per hour (μSvhr{sup −1}). Conversion factor (CF) value for conversion of CPM to μSvhr{sup −1} determined from manufacturer data sheet is compared with CF obtained from calibration procedure. The survey meter measurement results are found to be linear for dose rates below 3500 µSv/hr.

Multilayer moisture barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Pankow, Joel W; Jorgensen, Gary J; Terwilliger, Kent M; Glick, Stephen H; Isomaki, Nora; Harkonen, Kari; Turkulainen, Tommy

2015-04-21

A moisture barrier, device or product having a moisture barrier or a method of fabricating a moisture barrier having at least a polymer layer, and interfacial layer, and a barrier layer. The polymer layer may be fabricated from any suitable polymer including, but not limited to, fluoropolymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), or ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). The interfacial layer may be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD). In embodiments featuring an ALD interfacial layer, the deposited interfacial substance may be, but is not limited to, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, AlSiO.sub.x, TiO.sub.2, and an Al.sub.2O.sub.3/TiO.sub.2 laminate. The barrier layer associated with the interfacial layer may be deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The barrier layer may be a SiO.sub.xN.sub.y film.

How today's USM diagnostics solve metering problems[Ultrasonic meters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lansing, John

2005-07-01

This paper discusses both basic and advanced diagnostic features of gas ultrasonic meters (USM), and how capabilities built into today's electronics can identify problems that often may not have been identified in the past. It primarily discusses fiscal-quality, multi-path USMs and does not cover issues that may be different with non-fiscal meters. Although USMs basically work the same, the diagnostics for each manufacturer does vary. All brands provide basic features as discussed in AGA 9. However, some provide advanced features that can be used to help identify issues such as blocked flow conditioners and gas compositional errors. This paper is based upon the Daniel USM design and the information presented here may or may not be applicable to other manufacturers. (author) (tk)

Contributions of Precipitation and Soil Moisture Observations to the Skill of Soil Moisture Estimates in a Land Data Assimilation System

Science.gov (United States)

Reichle, Rolf H.; Liu, Qing; Bindlish, Rajat; Cosh, Michael H.; Crow, Wade T.; deJeu, Richard; DeLannoy, Gabrielle J. M.; Huffman, George J.; Jackson, Thomas J.

2011-01-01

The contributions of precipitation and soil moisture observations to the skill of soil moisture estimates from a land data assimilation system are assessed. Relative to baseline estimates from the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), the study investigates soil moisture skill derived from (i) model forcing corrections based on large-scale, gauge- and satellite-based precipitation observations and (ii) assimilation of surface soil moisture retrievals from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E). Soil moisture skill is measured against in situ observations in the continental United States at 44 single-profile sites within the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) for which skillful AMSR-E retrievals are available and at four CalVal watersheds with high-quality distributed sensor networks that measure soil moisture at the scale of land model and satellite estimates. The average skill (in terms of the anomaly time series correlation coefficient R) of AMSR-E retrievals is R=0.39 versus SCAN and R=0.53 versus CalVal measurements. The skill of MERRA surface and root-zone soil moisture is R=0.42 and R=0.46, respectively, versus SCAN measurements, and MERRA surface moisture skill is R=0.56 versus CalVal measurements. Adding information from either precipitation observations or soil moisture retrievals increases surface soil moisture skill levels by IDDeltaR=0.06-0.08, and root zone soil moisture skill levels by DeltaR=0.05-0.07. Adding information from both sources increases surface soil moisture skill levels by DeltaR=0.13, and root zone soil moisture skill by DeltaR=0.11, demonstrating that precipitation corrections and assimilation of satellite soil moisture retrievals contribute similar and largely independent amounts of information.

De Minimis Thresholds for Federal Building Metering Appropriateness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henderson, Jordan W. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-03-31

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is required by statute and Presidential Memorandum to establish guidelines for agencies to meter their Federal buildings for energy (electricity, natural gas, and steam) and water. See 42 U.S.C. § 8253(e). DOE issued guidance in February 2006 on the installation of electric meters in Federal buildings. A recent update to the 2006 guidance accounts for more current metering practices within the Federal Government. The updated metering guidance specifies that all Federal buildings shall be considered “appropriate” for energy or water metering unless identified for potential exclusion. In developing the updated guidance to carry out the statue, Congress also directed DOE to (among other things) establish exclusions from the metering requirements based on the de minimis quantity of energy use of a Federal building, industrial process, or structure. This paper discusses the method used to identify de minimis values.

Absolute moisture sensing for cotton bales

Science.gov (United States)

With the recent prevalence of moisture restoration systems in cotton gins, more and more gins are putting moisture back into the bales immediately before the packaging operation. There are two main reasons for this recent trend, the first is that it has been found that added moisture at the bale pre...

Water metering in England and Wales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Zetland

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The transformation of water services that began with the privatisation of water companies in 1989 extended to households with the implementation of water metering. Meters 'privatised' water and the cost of provision by allocating to individual households costs that had previously been shared within the community. This (ongoing conversion of common pool to private good has mostly improved economic, environmental and social impacts, but the potential burden of metering on poorer households has slowed the transition. Stronger anti-poverty programmes would be better at addressing this poverty barrier than existing coping mechanisms reliant on subsidies from other water consumers.

18 CFR 367.9020 - Account 902, Meter reading expenses.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Account 902, Meter... GAS ACT Operation and Maintenance Expense Chart of Accounts § 367.9020 Account 902, Meter reading... customer meters, and determining consumption when performed by employees engaged in reading meters. (b...

Smart Metering. Between technical challenge and societal acceptance - Interdisciplinary status quo; Smart Metering. Zwischen technischer Herausforderung und gesellschaftlicher Akzeptanz - Interdisziplinaerer Status Quo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Westermann, Dirk; Doering, Nicola; Bretschneider, Peter (eds.)

2013-04-01

The international research project RESIDENS (more efficient energy utilization by means of system technical integration of the private ultimate consumer) investigates the technology of smart metering that is the utilization of intelligent smart meters in private households. The interdisciplinary character of the RESIDENS project becomes visible by different sub-projects examining different formulations of a question from perspectives of different scientific disciplines: First of all, chapter 2 of the contribution under consideration follows up the question, what impact the media coverage on smart metering has on the perception of this technology in the population at large. Chapter 3 reports on the state of the art of the smart metering. Chapter 4 illustrates how a load control of private consumers can be performed by means of the smart meter technology. Chapter 5 reports on the impacts of the smart metering on the procurement of energy in the liberalised energy market. Chapter 6 investigates the smart metering from the customer's point of view. Concretely, the user-friendliness of an internet portal is evaluated by which the customers may follow up their consumption of electricity by means of an intelligent smart meter continuously. Chapter 7 illustrates legal aspects of smart metering from the perspective of the customer, electricity suppliers and distribution system operators. Chapter 8 presents the conception and implementation of an online gaming operation for the promotion of competency of private power customers: In line with this game, the participants may learn to handle smart metering and flexible electricity tariffs in an entertaining manner. Finally, chapter 9 reports on an expert interview in which the smart metering technology is evaluated by public utilities being involved in this project.

Multiphase flow metering: 4 years on

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Falcone, G.; Hewitt, G.F.; Alimonti, C.; Harrison, B.

2005-07-01

Since the authors' last review in 2001 [1], the use of Multiphase Flow Metering (MFM) within the oil and gas industry continues to grow apace, being more popular in some parts of the world than others. Since the early 1990's, when the first commercial meters started to appear, there have been more than 1,600 field applications of MFM for field allocation, production optimisation and mobile well testing. As the authors predicted, wet gas metering technology has improved to such an extent that its use has rapidly increased worldwide. A ''who's who'' of the MFM sector is provided, which highlights the mergers in the sector and gives an insight into the meters and measurement principles available today. Cost estimates, potential benefits and reliability in the field of the current MFM technologies are revisited and brought up to date. Several measurements technologies have resurfaced, such as passive acoustic energy patterns, infrared wavelengths, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT), and they are becoming commercial. The concept of ''virtual metering'', integrated with ''classical MFM'', is now widely accepted. However, sometimes the principles of the MFM measurements themselves are forgotten, submerged in the sales and marketing hype. (author) (tk)

From ASCAT to Sentinel-1: Soil Moisture Monitoring using European C-Band Radars

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Wolfgang; Bauer-Marschallinger, Bernhard; Hochstöger, Simon

2016-04-01

The Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) is a C-Band radar instrument flown on board of the series of three METOP satellites. Albeit not operating in one of the more favorable longer wavelength ranges (S, L or P-band) as the dedicated Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) missions, it is one of main microwave sensors used for monitoring of soil moisture on a global scale. Its attractiveness for soil moisture monitoring applications stems from its operational status, high radiometric accuracy and stability, short revisit time, multiple viewing directions and long heritage (Wagner et al. 2013). From an application perspective, its main limitation is its spatial resolution of about 25 km, which does not allow resolving soil moisture patterns driven by smaller-scale hydrometeorological processes (e.g. convective precipitation, runoff patterns, etc.) that are themselves related to highly variable land surface characteristics (soil characteristics, topography, vegetation cover, etc.). Fortunately, the technique of aperture synthesis allows to significantly improve the spatial resolution of spaceborne radar instruments up to the meter scale. Yet, past Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) missions had not yet been designed to achieve a short revisit time required for soil moisture monitoring. This has only changed recently with the development and launch of SMAP (Entekhabi et al. 2010) and Sentinel-1 (Hornacek et al. 2012). Unfortunately, the SMAP radar failed only after a few months of operations, which leaves Sentinel-1 as the only currently operational SAR mission capable of delivering high-resolution radar observations with a revisit time of about three days for Europe, about weekly for most crop growing regions worldwide, and about bi-weekly to monthly over the rest of the land surface area. Like ASCAT, Sentinel-1 acquires C-band backscatter data in VV polarization over land. Therefore, for the interpretation of both ASCAT and Sentinel-1

Comparison of five portable peak flow meters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glaucia Nency Takara

2010-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To compare the measurements of spirometric peak expiratory flow (PEF from five different PEF meters and to determine if their values are in agreement. Inaccurate equipment may result in incorrect diagnoses of asthma and inappropriate treatments. METHODS: Sixty-eight healthy, sedentary and insufficiently active subjects, aged from 19 to 40 years, performed PEF measurements using Air Zone®, Assess®, Galemed®, Personal Best® and Vitalograph® peak flow meters. The highest value recorded for each subject for each device was compared to the corresponding spirometric values using Friedman's test with Dunn's post-hoc (p<0.05, Spearman's correlation test and Bland-Altman's agreement test. RESULTS: The median and interquartile ranges for the spirometric values and the Air Zone®, Assess®, Galemed®, Personal Best® and Vitalograph® meters were 428 (263-688 L/min, 450 (350-800 L/min, 420 (310-720 L/min, 380 (300-735 L/min, 400 (310-685 L/min and 415 (335-610 L/min, respectively. Significant differences were found when the spirometric values were compared to those recorded by the Air Zone® (p<0.001 and Galemed ® (p<0.01 meters. There was no agreement between the spirometric values and the five PEF meters. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the values recorded from Galemed® meters may underestimate the actual value, which could lead to unnecessary interventions, and that Air Zone® meters overestimate spirometric values, which could obfuscate the need for intervention. These findings must be taken into account when interpreting both devices' results in younger people. These differences should also be considered when directly comparing values from different types of PEF meters.

Intelligent Metering for Urban Water: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodney Stewart

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews the drivers, development and global deployment of intelligent water metering in the urban context. Recognising that intelligent metering (or smart metering has the potential to revolutionise customer engagement and management of urban water by utilities, this paper provides a summary of the knowledge-base for researchers and industry practitioners to ensure that the technology fosters sustainable urban water management. To date, roll-outs of intelligent metering have been driven by the desire for increased data regarding time of use and end-use (such as use by shower, toilet, garden, etc. as well as by the ability of the technology to reduce labour costs for meter reading. Technology development in the water sector generally lags that seen in the electricity sector. In the coming decade, the deployment of intelligent water metering will transition from being predominantly “pilot or demonstration scale” with the occasional city-wide roll-out, to broader mainstream implementation. This means that issues which have hitherto received little focus must now be addressed, namely: the role of real-time data in customer engagement and demand management; data ownership, sharing and privacy; technical data management and infrastructure security, utility workforce skills; and costs and benefits of implementation.

Giant grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitch-Devlin, M.A.; Millar, T.J.; Williams, D.A.

1976-01-01

Infrared observations of the Orion nebula have been interpreted by Rowan-Robinson (1975) to imply the existence of 'giant' grains, radius approximately 10 -2 cm, throughout a volume about a parsec in diameter. Although Rowan-Robinson's model of the nebula has been criticized and the presence of such grains in Orion is disputed, the proposition is accepted, that they exist, and in this paper situations in which giant grains could arise are examined. It is found that, while a giant-grain component to the interstellar grain density may exist, it is difficult to understand how giant grains arise to the extent apparently required by the Orion nebula model. (Auth.)

MOISTURE-BUFFERING CHARACTERISTICS OF BUILDING MATERIALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Cheol Choi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The humidity level of indoor air is an important factor influencing the air quality and energy consumption of buildings, as well as the durability of building components. Indoor humidity levels depend on several factors, such as moisture sources, air flow, and the adsorption/desorption properties of materials. The moisture-buffering characteristics of building materials that are in contact with indoor air may help moderate the variations of indoor humidity, especially in the summer and winter. In this study, the moisture adsorption/desorption properties of building materials were investigated experimentally and numerically. These properties can be used to characterize the ability of building materials to exchange moisture with the indoor environment. This study indicates that a building material surface resistivity was the main factor creating variations of moisture buffering.

Research on Operation Assessment Method for Energy Meter

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiangqun; Huang, Rui; Shen, Liman; chen, Hao; Xiong, Dezhi; Xiao, Xiangqi; Liu, Mouhai; Xu, Renheng

2018-03-01

The existing electric energy meter rotation maintenance strategy regularly checks the electric energy meter and evaluates the state. It only considers the influence of time factors, neglects the influence of other factors, leads to the inaccuracy of the evaluation, and causes the waste of resources. In order to evaluate the running state of the electric energy meter in time, a method of the operation evaluation of the electric energy meter is proposed. The method is based on extracting the existing data acquisition system, marketing business system and metrology production scheduling platform that affect the state of energy meters, and classified into error stability, operational reliability, potential risks and other factors according to the influencing factors, based on the above basic test score, inspecting score, monitoring score, score of family defect detection. Then, according to the evaluation model according to the scoring, we evaluate electric energy meter operating state, and finally put forward the corresponding maintenance strategy of rotation.

Interior moisture design loads for residences

Science.gov (United States)

Anton TenWolde; Iain S. Walker

2001-01-01

This paper outlines a methodology to obtain design values for indoor boundary conditions for moisture design calculations for residences. This is part of a larger effort by ASHRAE Standard Project Committee 160P, Design Criteria for Moisture Control in Buildings, to formulate criteria for moisture design loads, analysis techniques, and material and building performance...

Uptake of [14C]triadimenol via grain and root after seed treatment of winter barley with a flowable seed dressing: Influence of soil moisture and sowing date on the distribution of radioactivity and active ingredient content in plant and soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, M.

1988-12-01

Winter barley seed of the 'Vogelsander Gold' variety was shown in a total of 7 lysimeters after seed treatment with [benzene ring-U- 14 C]triadimenol in the formulation as [ 14 C]Baytan 075 FS and [ 14 C]Baytan 25 DS at an early (September) and a late date (October). After both dates of sowing, the FS-treated winter barley developed under 3 different soil moisture conditions. The radioactivity and active ingredient contents in plants and soil were recorded until tillering as a function of low, high and natural precipitation after sowing. Details on the uptake of radioactivity via grain and roots were quantitatively and qualitatively studied in two further lysimeters, a pot experiment as well as experiments in the growth chamber. The results are presented and discussed in detail. (orig./MG) [de

PELATIHAN RENANG GAYA DADA 8 KALI 25 METER 4 SET LEBIH MENINGKATKAN KECEPATAN RENANG 100 METER GAYA DADA DARIPADA 4 KALI 50 METER 4 SET PADA RENANG PEMULA PUTRA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Wayan Suarta

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Sports pool in Indonesia are well known to the public, which is reduced when driving (after the end of the recovery to begin hand pull another hand, the breaststroke is the style of the most interesting because it does not quickly tiring when compared with other styles, because the process of respiration take place with ease, making them easier use in long-distance swim, at the start to affect the pace to continue this next movement needs to get training and a variety of training models, especially at students aged 10-12 years. Training pool 8 times 25 times 50 meters and 4 meters is one of the training methods that can speed up travel time. The best training model has not been encountered in the data. So do the research to find a model training 25 meter pool 8 times and 4 times 4 sets of 50 meters. The study was conducted with pretest-postes group design. Samples taken from the novice swimmer Toya Ening on Dalung Badung, as many as 26 people were randomly selected simple. Samples were divided into 2 groups each group totaled 13 people. Both groups were equally give training in the first group to pool 8 by 25 feet 4 sets, and 4 times the second group of 4 sets of 50 meters. 0.05 ab. Differences in results were analyzed statistically with  The data analyzed were age, height, weight, leg length and physical fitness.  13.49 seconds.± 107.69, and 126.38 ±The mean test results of the final 100 meter breaststroke swimming in a row 12.14 seconds  F count the results obtained respectively by 0.95 seconds with p = 0.59 and 0.93 seconds with a value of p = 0.34. Data showed significant differences significant (p> 0.05. These results indicate that the training of swimming the breaststroke 8 by 25 feet 4 sets is better than 4 times in 4 sets of 50 meter speed up travel time 100-meter breaststroke swimming novice men (p <0.05. Suggested the use of breaststroke swimming training method 8 by 25 feet 4 sets to be intensified to provide training pool at 100

Potential Water Retention Capacity as a Factor in Silage Effluent Control: Experiments with High Moisture By-product Feedstuffs.

Science.gov (United States)

Razak, Okine Abdul; Masaaki, Hanada; Yimamu, Aibibula; Meiji, Okamoto

2012-04-01

The role of moisture absorptive capacity of pre-silage material and its relationship with silage effluent in high moisture by-product feedstuffs (HMBF) is assessed. The term water retention capacity which is sometimes used in explaining the rate of effluent control in ensilage may be inadequate, since it accounts exclusively for the capacity of an absorbent incorporated into a pre-silage material prior to ensiling, without consideration to how much the pre-silage material can release. A new terminology, 'potential water retention capacity' (PWRC), which attempts to address this shortcoming, is proposed. Data were pooled from a series of experiments conducted separately over a period of five years using laboratory silos with four categories of agro by-products (n = 27) with differing moisture contents (highest 96.9%, lowest 78.1% in fresh matter, respectively), and their silages (n = 81). These were from a vegetable source (Daikon, Raphanus sativus), a root tuber source (potato pulp), a fruit source (apple pomace) and a cereal source (brewer's grain), respectively. The pre-silage materials were adjusted with dry in-silo absorbents consisting wheat straw, wheat or rice bran, beet pulp and bean stalks. The pooled mean for the moisture contents of all pre-silage materials was 78.3% (±10.3). Silage effluent decreased (p<0.01), with increase in PWRC of pre-silage material. The theoretical moisture content and PWRC of pre-silage material necessary to stem effluent flow completely in HMBF silage was 69.1% and 82.9 g/100 g in fresh matter, respectively. The high correlation (r = 0.76) between PWRC of ensiled material and silage effluent indicated that the latter is an important factor in silage-effluent relationship.

10 CFR 451.7 - Metering requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Metering requirements. 451.7 Section 451.7 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION INCENTIVES § 451.7 Metering requirements. The net electric energy generated and sold (kilowatt-hours) by the owner or operator of a qualified...

Australian Soil Moisture Field Experiments in Support of Soil Moisture Satellite Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Edward; Walker, Jeff; Rudiger, Christopher; Panciera, Rocco

2010-01-01

Large-scale field campaigns provide the critical fink between our understanding retrieval algorithms developed at the point scale, and algorithms suitable for satellite applications at vastly larger pixel scales. Retrievals of land parameters must deal with the substantial sub-pixel heterogeneity that is present in most regions. This is particularly the case for soil moisture remote sensing, because of the long microwave wavelengths (L-band) that are optimal. Yet, airborne L-band imagers have generally been large, heavy, and required heavy-lift aircraft resources that are expensive and difficult to schedule. Indeed, US soil moisture campaigns, have been constrained by these factors, and European campaigns have used non-imagers due to instrument and aircraft size constraints. Despite these factors, these campaigns established that large-scale soil moisture remote sensing was possible, laying the groundwork for satellite missions. Starting in 2005, a series of airborne field campaigns have been conducted in Australia: to improve our understanding of soil moisture remote sensing at large scales over heterogeneous areas. These field data have been used to test and refine retrieval algorithms for soil moisture satellite missions, and most recently with the launch of the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, to provide validation measurements over a multi-pixel area. The campaigns to date have included a preparatory campaign in 2005, two National Airborne Field Experiments (NAFE), (2005 and 2006), two campaigns to the Simpson Desert (2008 and 2009), and one Australian Airborne Cal/val Experiment for SMOS (AACES), just concluded in the austral spring of 2010. The primary airborne sensor for each campaign has been the Polarimetric L-band Microwave Radiometer (PLMR), a 6-beam pushbroom imager that is small enough to be compatible with light aircraft, greatly facilitating the execution of the series of campaigns, and a key to their success. An

A Scalable Smart Meter Data Generator Using Spark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iftikhar, Nadeem; Liu, Xiufeng; Danalachi, Sergiu

2017-01-01

Today, smart meters are being used worldwide. As a matter of fact smart meters produce large volumes of data. Thus, it is important for smart meter data management and analytics systems to process petabytes of data. Benchmarking and testing of these systems require scalable data, however, it can ...

Multichannel Distribution Meter: A Veritable Solution in Power ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Partitioned apartments in commercial buildings particularly in congested environments shares energy supply meters among several users. This often leads to disputes and results to power theft in the form of unpaid bills and meter tampering. This paper described how power from a single supply meter can be adequately ...

Mulch and groundcover effects on soil temperature and moisture, surface reflectance, grapevine water potential, and vineyard weed management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina M. Bavougian

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this research were to identify alternatives to glyphosate for intra-row (under-trellis vineyard floor management and to evaluate the potential for intra-row and inter-row (alleyway groundcovers to reduce vegetative vigor of ‘Marquette’ grapevines (Vitis spp. in a southeast Nebraska vineyard. The experiment was a randomized factorial design with five intra-row treatments (crushed glass mulch [CG], distillers’ grain mulch [DG], creeping red fescue [CRF], non-sprayed control [NSC], and glyphosate [GLY] and three inter-row treatments (creeping red fescue [CRF], Kentucky bluegrass [KB], and resident vegetation [RV]. Treatments were established in 2010–2011 and measurements were conducted during 2012 and 2013 on 5- and 6-year-old vines. Soil temperatures were mostly higher under mulches and lower under intra-row groundcovers, compared to GLY. Weed cover in CG, DG, and CRF treatments was the same or less than GLY. At most sampling dates, inter-row soil moisture was lowest under KB. Intra-row soil moisture was highest under DG mulch and lowest under CRF and NSC; CG had the same or lower soil moisture than GLY. Surprisingly, we did not detect differences in mid-day photosynthetically active radiation (PAR reflectance, despite visual differences among the intra-row treatments. Mid-day vine water potential did not differ among treatments. We concluded it is not necessary to maintain a bare soil strip under established vines in this region, where soil fertility and moisture are non-limiting.

40 CFR 1065.245 - Sample flow meter for batch sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sample flow meter for batch sampling... Sample flow meter for batch sampling. (a) Application. Use a sample flow meter to determine sample flow... difference between a diluted exhaust sample flow meter and a dilution air meter to calculate raw exhaust flow...

The relationships between common measures of glucose meter performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilmoth, Daniel R

2012-09-01

Glucose meter performance is commonly measured in several different ways, including the relative bias and coefficient of variation (CV), the total error, the mean absolute relative deviation (MARD), and the size of the interval around the reference value that would be necessary to contain a meter measurement at a specified probability. This fourth measure is commonly expressed as a proportion of the reference value and will be referred to as the necessary relative deviation. A deeper understanding of the relationships between these measures may aid health care providers, patients, and regulators in comparing meter performances when different measures are used. The relationships between common measures of glucose meter performance were derived mathematically. Equations are presented for calculating the total error, MARD, and necessary relative deviation using the reference value, relative bias, and CV when glucose meter measurements are normally distributed. When measurements are also unbiased, the CV, total error, MARD, and necessary relative deviation are linearly related and are therefore equivalent measures of meter performance. The relative bias and CV provide more information about meter performance than the other measures considered but may be difficult for some audiences to interpret. Reporting meter performance in multiple ways may facilitate the informed selection of blood glucose meters. © 2012 Diabetes Technology Society.

Wanted: competitive metering infrastructure. Metering must be automated in a high grade; Gesucht: wettbewerbsfaehige Metering-Infrastruktur. Metering muss hochgradig automatisiert werden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller-Elschner, C. [T-Systems Enterprise Services GmbH, Bonn (Germany). Business Development und Marketing

2008-04-21

Accurate on-time consumption metering and data transmission are increasingly important as energy markets are being deregulated. Measuring and information systems combine measurements with intelligent modules for automatic transmission of consumption information. A meaningful cost-benefit comparision results only when the total system is considered. Telecommunication companies as ICT service systems and service sectors can do a clear contribution to the total system. (orig./GL)

Modeling soil moisture memory in savanna ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Gou, S.; Miller, G. R.

2011-12-01

Antecedent soil conditions create an ecosystem's "memory" of past rainfall events. Such soil moisture memory effects may be observed over a range of timescales, from daily to yearly, and lead to feedbacks between hydrological and ecosystem processes. In this study, we modeled the soil moisture memory effect on savanna ecosystems in California, Arizona, and Africa, using a system dynamics model created to simulate the ecohydrological processes at the plot-scale. The model was carefully calibrated using soil moisture and evapotranspiration data collected at three study sites. The model was then used to simulate scenarios with various initial soil moisture conditions and antecedent precipitation regimes, in order to study the soil moisture memory effects on the evapotranspiration of understory and overstory species. Based on the model results, soil texture and antecedent precipitation regime impact the redistribution of water within soil layers, potentially causing deeper soil layers to influence the ecosystem for a longer time. Of all the study areas modeled, soil moisture memory of California savanna ecosystem site is replenished and dries out most rapidly. Thus soil moisture memory could not maintain the high rate evapotranspiration for more than a few days without incoming rainfall event. On the contrary, soil moisture memory of Arizona savanna ecosystem site lasts the longest time. The plants with different root depths respond to different memory effects; shallow-rooted species mainly respond to the soil moisture memory in the shallow soil. The growing season of grass is largely depended on the soil moisture memory of the top 25cm soil layer. Grass transpiration is sensitive to the antecedent precipitation events within daily to weekly timescale. Deep-rooted plants have different responses since these species can access to the deeper soil moisture memory with longer time duration Soil moisture memory does not have obvious impacts on the phenology of woody plants

Combining satellite radar altimetry, SAR surface soil moisture and GRACE total storage changes for model calibration and validation in a large ungauged catchment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milzow, Christian; Krogh, Pernille Engelbredt; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter

2010-01-01

The availability of data is a major challenge for hydrological modelling in large parts of the world. Remote sensing data can be exploited to improve models of ungauged or poorly gauged catchments. In this study we combine three datasets for calibration and validation of a rainfall-runoff model...... of the ungauged Okavango catchment in Southern Africa: (i) Surface soil moisture (SSM) estimates derived from SAR measurements onboard the Envisat satellite; (ii) Radar altimetry measurements by Envisat providing river stages in the tributaries of the Okavango catchment, down to a minimum width of about one...... hundred meters; and (iii) Temporal changes of the Earth’s gravity field recorded by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) caused by total water storage changes in the catchment. The SSM data are compared to simulated moisture conditions in the top soil layer. They cannot be used for model...

21 CFR 868.1780 - Inspiratory airway pressure meter.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Inspiratory airway pressure meter. 868.1780 Section 868.1780 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... meter. (a) Identification. An inspiratory airway pressure meter is a device used to measure the amount...

Analysis of a quantum nondemolition speed-meter interferometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purdue, Patricia

2002-01-01

In the quest to develop viable designs for third-generation optical interferometric gravitational-wave detectors (e.g. LIGO-III and EURO), one strategy is to monitor the relative momentum or speed of the test-mass mirrors rather than monitoring their relative position. This paper describes and analyzes the most straightforward design for a speed meter interferometer that accomplishes this--a design (due to Braginsky, Gorodetsky, Khalili and Thorne) that is analogous to a microwave-cavity speed meter conceived by Braginsky and Khalili. A mathematical mapping between the microwave speed meter and the optical interferometric speed meter is developed and is used to show [in accord with the speed being a quantum nondemolition observable] that in principle the interferometric speed meter can beat the gravitational-wave standard quantum limit (SQL) by an arbitrarily large amount, over an arbitrarily wide range of frequencies, and can do so without the use of squeezed vacuum or any auxiliary filter cavities at the interferometer's input or output. However, in practice, to reach or beat the SQL, this specific speed meter requires exorbitantly high input light power. The physical reason for this is explored, along with other issues such as constraints on performance due to optical dissipation. This analysis forms a foundation for ongoing attempts to develop a more practical variant of an interferometric speed meter and to combine the speed meter concept with other ideas to yield a promising LIGO-III/EURO interferometer design that entails low laser power

Metering in the gas supply sector; Metering in der Gasversorgung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wernekinck, U. [RWE Westfalen-Weser-Ems, Recklinghausen (Germany)

2007-10-15

The new conditions of competition in the gas supply sector have strongly increased the requirements on gas grid operators. Mainly an exact gas metering and -accouting will become more and more important. The systems and procedures are presented in detail in this contribution. (GL)

Portable Dew Point Mass Spectrometry System for Real-Time Gas and Moisture Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Arkin, C.; Gillespie, Stacey; Ratzel, Christopher

2010-01-01

A portable instrument incorporates both mass spectrometry and dew point measurement to provide real-time, quantitative gas measurements of helium, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide, along with real-time, quantitative moisture analysis. The Portable Dew Point Mass Spectrometry (PDP-MS) system comprises a single quadrupole mass spectrometer and a high vacuum system consisting of a turbopump and a diaphragm-backing pump. A capacitive membrane dew point sensor was placed upstream of the MS, but still within the pressure-flow control pneumatic region. Pressure-flow control was achieved with an upstream precision metering valve, a capacitance diaphragm gauge, and a downstream mass flow controller. User configurable LabVIEW software was developed to provide real-time concentration data for the MS, dew point monitor, and sample delivery system pressure control, pressure and flow monitoring, and recording. The system has been designed to include in situ, NIST-traceable calibration. Certain sample tubing retains sufficient water that even if the sample is dry, the sample tube will desorb water to an amount resulting in moisture concentration errors up to 500 ppm for as long as 10 minutes. It was determined that Bev-A-Line IV was the best sample line to use. As a result of this issue, it is prudent to add a high-level humidity sensor to PDP-MS so such events can be prevented in the future.

Cratering efficiency on coarse-grain targets: Implications for the dynamical evolution of asteroid 25143 Itokawa

Science.gov (United States)

Tatsumi, Eri; Sugita, Seiji

2018-01-01

Remote sensing observations made by the spacecraft Hayabusa provided the first direct evidence of a rubble-pile asteroid: 25143 Itokawa. Itokawa was found to have a surface structure very different from other explored asteroids; covered with coarse pebbles and boulders ranging at least from cm to meter size. The cumulative size distribution of small circular depressions on Itokawa, most of which may be of impact origin, has a significantly shallower slope than that on the Moon; small craters are highly depleted on Itokawa compared to the Moon. This deficiency of small circular depressions and other features, such as clustered fragments and pits on boulders, suggest that the boulders on Itokawa might behave like armor, preventing crater formation: the ;armoring effect;. This might contribute to the low number density of small crater candidates. In this study, the cratering efficiency reduction due to coarse-grained targets was investigated based on impact experiments at velocities ranging from ∼ 70 m/s to ∼ 6 km/s using two vertical gas gun ranges. We propose a scaling law extended for cratering on coarse-grained targets (i.e., target grain size ≳ projectile size). We have found that the crater efficiency reduction is caused by energy dissipation at the collision site where momentum is transferred from the impactor to the first-contact target grain, and that the armoring effect can be classified into three regimes: (1) gravity scaled regime, (2) reduced size crater regime, or (3) no apparent crater regime, depending on the ratio of the impactor size to the target grain size and the ratio of the impactor kinetic energy to the disruption energy of a target grain. We found that the shallow slope of the circular depressions on Itokawa cannot be accounted for by this new scaling law, suggesting that obliteration processes, such as regolith convection and migration, play a greater role in the depletion of circular depressions on Itokawa. Based on the new extended

Smart Metering. Synergies within medium voltage automation; Synergien durch Smart Metering. Automatisierung auf Mittelspannungsebene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maas, Peter [IDS GmbH, Ettlingen (Germany)

2010-11-15

Transparent interdivisional system solutions are an indispensable and decisive precondition for the optimization of business processes. The implementation of a Smart Metering solution does not only provide data for billing purposes, but also renders important data for network operation. Synergies can be achieved through the use of a common infrastructure which covers both the needs of Smart Metering and network operation. An open architecture of the solution allows for the future integration of further services of the domains Smart Grid and Smart Home. (orig.)

Calibration of dose meters used in radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

This manual is a practical guide, not a comprehensive textbook, to the instrumentation and procedures necessary to calibrate a radiation dose meter used in clinical practice against a secondary standard dose meter

Carpel size, grain filling, and morphology determine individual grain weight in wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Quan; Mayes, Sean; Sparkes, Debbie L

2015-11-01

Individual grain weight is a major yield component in wheat. To provide a comprehensive understanding of grain weight determination, the carpel size at anthesis, grain dry matter accumulation, grain water uptake and loss, grain morphological expansion, and final grain weight at different positions within spikelets were investigated in a recombinant inbred line mapping population of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)×spelt (Triticum spelta L.). Carpel size, grain dry matter and water accumulation, and grain dimensions interacted strongly with each other. Furthermore, larger carpels, a faster grain filling rate, earlier and longer grain filling, more grain water, faster grain water absorption and loss rates, and larger grain dimensions were associated with higher grain weight. Frequent quantitative trait locus (QTL) coincidences between these traits were observed, particularly those on chromosomes 2A, 3B, 4A, 5A, 5DL, and 7B, each of which harboured 16-49 QTLs associated with >12 traits. Analysis of the allelic effects of coincident QTLs confirmed their physiological relationships, indicating that the complex but orderly grain filling processes result mainly from pleiotropy or the tight linkages of functionally related genes. After grain filling, distal grains within spikelets were smaller than basal grains, primarily due to later grain filling and a slower initial grain filling rate, followed by synchronous maturation among different grains. Distal grain weight was improved by increased assimilate availability from anthesis. These findings provide deeper insight into grain weight determination in wheat, and the high level of QTL coincidences allows simultaneous improvement of multiple grain filling traits in breeding. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Comparison of five portable peak flow meters.

Science.gov (United States)

Takara, Glaucia Nency; Ruas, Gualberto; Pessoa, Bruna Varanda; Jamami, Luciana Kawakami; Di Lorenzo, Valéria Amorim Pires; Jamami, Mauricio

2010-05-01

To compare the measurements of spirometric peak expiratory flow (PEF) from five different PEF meters and to determine if their values are in agreement. Inaccurate equipment may result in incorrect diagnoses of asthma and inappropriate treatments. Sixty-eight healthy, sedentary and insufficiently active subjects, aged from 19 to 40 years, performed PEF measurements using Air Zone, Assess, Galemed, Personal Best and Vitalograph peak flow meters. The highest value recorded for each subject for each device was compared to the corresponding spirometric values using Friedman's test with Dunn's post-hoc (pmeters were 428 (263-688 L/min), 450 (350-800 L/min), 420 (310-720 L/min), 380 (300-735 L/min), 400 (310-685 L/min) and 415 (335-610 L/min), respectively. Significant differences were found when the spirometric values were compared to those recorded by the Air Zone(R) (pmeters. There was no agreement between the spirometric values and the five PEF meters. The results suggest that the values recorded from Galemed meters may underestimate the actual value, which could lead to unnecessary interventions, and that Air Zone meters overestimate spirometric values, which could obfuscate the need for intervention. These findings must be taken into account when interpreting both devices' results in younger people. These differences should also be considered when directly comparing values from different types of PEF meters.

In-situ calibration of clinical built-in KAP meters with traceability to a primary standard using a reference KAP meter.

Science.gov (United States)

Malusek, A; Helmrot, E; Sandborg, M; Grindborg, J-E; Carlsson, G Alm

2014-12-07

The air kerma-area product (KAP) is used for settings of diagnostic reference levels. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommends that doses in diagnostic radiology (including the KAP values) be estimated with an accuracy of at least ± 7% (k = 2). Industry standards defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) specify that the uncertainty of KAP meter measurements should be less than ± 25% (k = 2). Medical physicists willing to comply with the IAEA's recommendation need to apply correction factors to KAP values reported by x-ray units. The aim of this work is to present and evaluate a calibration method for built-in KAP meters on clinical x-ray units. The method is based on (i) a tandem calibration method, which uses a reference KAP meter calibrated to measure the incident radiation, (ii) measurements using an energy-independent ionization chamber to correct for the energy dependence of the reference KAP meter, and (iii) Monte Carlo simulations of the beam quality correction factors that correct for differences between beam qualities at a standard laboratory and the clinic. The method was applied to the KAP meter in a Siemens Aristos FX plus unit. It was found that values reported by the built-in KAP meter differed from the more accurate values measured by the reference KAP meter by more than 25% for high tube voltages (more than 140 kV) and heavily filtered beams (0.3 mm Cu). Associated uncertainties were too high to claim that the IEC's limit of 25% was exceeded. Nevertheless the differences were high enough to justify the need for a more accurate calibration of built-in KAP meters.

Analysing Smart Metering Systems from a Consumer Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Yesudas, Rani

Many countries are deploying smart meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure systems as part of demand management and grid modernisation efforts. Several of these projects are facing consumer resistance. The advertised benefits to the consumer appear mainly monetary but detailed analysis shows that financial benefits are hard to realise since the fixed services charges are high. Additionally, the data collected from smart meters have security and privacy implications for the consumer. These projects failed to consider end-users as an important stakeholder group during planning stages resulting in the design and roll-out of expensive systems, which do not demonstrate clear consumer benefits. The overall goal of the research reported in this thesis was to improve the smart metering system to deliver consumer benefits that increase confidence and acceptance of these projects. The smart metering system was examined from an end-user perspective for realistic insights into consumer concerns. Processes from Design Science Research methodology were utilised to conduct this research due to the utilitarian nature of the objective. Consumer segmentation was central to the proposed measures. Initially, a consumer-friendly risk analysis framework was devised, and appropriate requirement elicitation techniques were identified. Control options for smart meter data transfer and storage were explored. Various scenarios were analysed to determine consumer-friendly features in the smart metering system, including control options for smart meter data transfer and storage. Proposed functionalities (billing choices, feedback information and specific configurations to match the needs of different user segments) were studied using the Australian smart metering system. Smart meters vary in capabilities depending on the manufacturer, mode and place of deployment. The research showed that features proposed in this thesis are implementable in smart meters, by examining their applicability

Liquid ultrasonic flow meters for crude oil measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalivoda, Raymond J.; Lunde, Per

2005-07-01

Liquid ultrasonic flow meters (LUFMs) are gaining popularity for the accurate measurement of petroleum products. In North America the first edition of the API standard ''Measurement of liquid hydrocarbons by ultrasonic flow meters using transit time technology'' was issued in February 2005. It addresses both refined petroleum products and crude oil applications. Its field of application is mainly custody transfer applications but it does provide general guidelines for the installation and operation of LUFM's other applications such as allocation, check meters and leak detection. As with all new technologies performance claims are at times exaggerated or misunderstood and application knowledge is limited. Since ultrasonic meters have no moving parts they appear to have fewer limitations than other liquid flow meters. Liquids ultrasonic flow meters, like turbine meters, are sensitive to fluid properties. It is increasingly more difficult to apply on high viscosity products then on lighter hydrocarbon products. Therefore application data or experience on the measurement of refined or light crude oil may not necessarily be transferred to measuring medium to heavy crude oils. Before better and more quantitative knowledge is available on how LUFMs react on different fluids, the arguments advocating reduced need for in-situ proving and increased dependency on laboratory flow calibration (e.g. using water instead of hydrocarbons) may be questionable. The present paper explores the accurate measurement of crude oil with liquid ultrasonic meters. It defines the unique characteristics of the different API grades of crude oils and how they can affect the accuracy of the liquid ultrasonic measurement. Flow testing results using a new LUFM design are discussed. The paper is intended to provide increased insight into the potentials and limitations of crude oil measurement using ultrasonic flow meters. (author) (tk)

SMOS validation of soil moisture and ocen salinity (SMOS) soil moisture over watershed networks in the U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

Estimation of soil moisture at large scale has been performed using several satellite-based passive microwave sensors and a variety of retrieval methods. The most recent source of soil moisture is the European Space Agency Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. A thorough validation must b...

Two laboratory methods for the calibration of GPS speed meters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Yin; Sun, Qiao; Du, Lei; Yu, Mei; Bai, Jie

2015-01-01

The set-ups of two calibration systems are presented to investigate calibration methods of GPS speed meters. The GPS speed meter calibrated is a special type of high accuracy speed meter for vehicles which uses Doppler demodulation of GPS signals to calculate the measured speed of a moving target. Three experiments are performed: including simulated calibration, field-test signal replay calibration, and in-field test comparison with an optical speed meter. The experiments are conducted at specific speeds in the range of 40–180 km h −1 with the same GPS speed meter as the device under calibration. The evaluation of measurement results validates both methods for calibrating GPS speed meters. The relative deviations between the measurement results of the GPS-based high accuracy speed meter and those of the optical speed meter are analyzed, and the equivalent uncertainty of the comparison is evaluated. The comparison results justify the utilization of GPS speed meters as reference equipment if no fewer than seven satellites are available. This study contributes to the widespread use of GPS-based high accuracy speed meters as legal reference equipment in traffic speed metrology. (paper)

Synergisms between smart metering and smart grid; Synergien zwischen Smart Metering und Smart Grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maas, Peter [IDS GmbH, Ettlingen (Germany)

2010-04-15

With the implementation of a smart metering solution, it is not only possible to acquire consumption data for billing but also to acquire relevant data of the distribution grid for grid operation. There is still a wide gap between the actual condition and the target condition. Synergies result from the use of a common infrastructure which takes account both of the requirements of smart metering and of grid operation. An open architecture also enables the future integration of further applications of the fields of smart grid and smart home. (orig.)

Soil moisture memory at sub-monthly time scales

Science.gov (United States)

Mccoll, K. A.; Entekhabi, D.

2017-12-01

For soil moisture-climate feedbacks to occur, the soil moisture storage must have `memory' of past atmospheric anomalies. Quantifying soil moisture memory is, therefore, essential for mapping and characterizing land-atmosphere interactions globally. Most previous studies estimate soil moisture memory using metrics based on the autocorrelation function of the soil moisture time series (e.g., the e-folding autocorrelation time scale). This approach was first justified by Delworth and Manabe (1988) on the assumption that monthly soil moisture time series can be modelled as red noise. While this is a reasonable model for monthly soil moisture averages, at sub-monthly scales, the model is insufficient due to the highly non-Gaussian behavior of the precipitation forcing. Recent studies have shown that significant soil moisture-climate feedbacks appear to occur at sub-monthly time scales. Therefore, alternative metrics are required for defining and estimating soil moisture memory at these shorter time scales. In this study, we introduce metrics, based on the positive and negative increments of the soil moisture time series, that can be used to estimate soil moisture memory at sub-monthly time scales. The positive increments metric corresponds to a rapid drainage time scale. The negative increments metric represents a slower drying time scale that is most relevant to the study of land-atmosphere interactions. We show that autocorrelation-based metrics mix the two time scales, confounding physical interpretation. The new metrics are used to estimate soil moisture memory at sub-monthly scales from in-situ and satellite observations of soil moisture. Reference: Delworth, Thomas L., and Syukuro Manabe. "The Influence of Potential Evaporation on the Variabilities of Simulated Soil Wetness and Climate." Journal of Climate 1, no. 5 (May 1, 1988): 523-47. doi:10.1175/1520-0442(1988)0012.0.CO;2.

Advanced Metering Installations – A Perspective from Federal Sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Earni, Shankar [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Technologies Area

2016-05-02

This report is intended to provide guidance to the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and other federal agencies to highlight some of the existing practices related to advanced building metering systems. This study identified some of the existing actions related to advanced meter data and proposes how advanced metered data can be employed to develop robust cost effective measurement and verification (M&V) strategies. This report proposes an integrated framework on how advanced meter data can be used to identify energy conservation opportunities and to develop proactive M&V strategies to ensure that the savings for energy projects are being realized. This information will help improve metering, feedback, and dashboard implementations for reducing energy use at DOE facilities, based on lessons learned from various advanced metering implementations.

Moisture relationships in composting processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Richard, T.L.; Veeken, A.H.M.

2002-01-01

Moisture is a key environmental factor that affects many aspects of the composting process. Biodegradation kinetics are affected by moisture through changes in oxygen diffusion, water potential and water activity, and microbial growth rates. These relationships are made more complex by the dynamic

Prevalence of IgE antibodies to grain and grain dust in grain elevator workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, D M; Romeo, P A; Olenchock, S A

1986-01-01

IgE-mediated allergic reactions have been postulated to contribute to respiratory reactions seen in workers exposed to grain dusts. In an attempt better to define the prevalence of IgE antibodies in workers exposed to grain dusts, we performed the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) on worker sera using both commercial allergens prepared from grain and worksite allergens prepared from grain dust samples collected at the worksite. We found that the two types of reagents identified different populations with respect to the specificity of IgE antibodies present. The RAST assay performed using worksite allergens correlated well with skin test procedures. These results may allow us to gain better understanding of allergy associated with grain dust exposure, and document the utility of the RAST assay in assessment of occupational allergies. PMID:3709478

Prevalence of IgE antibodies to grain and grain dust in grain elevator workers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, D.M.; Romeo, P.A.; Olenchock, S.A.

1986-04-01

IgE-mediated allergic reactions have been postulated to contribute to respiratory reactions seen in workers exposed to grain dusts. In an attempt better to define the prevalence of IgE antibodies in workers exposed to grain dusts, we performed the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) on worker sera using both commercial allergens prepared from grain and worksite allergens prepared from grain dust samples collected at the worksite. We found that the two types of reagents identified different populations with respect to the specificity of IgE antibodies present. The RAST assay performed using worksite allergens correlated well with skin test procedures. These results may allow us to gain better understanding of allergy associated with grain dust exposure, and document the utility of the RAST assay in assessment of occupational allergies.

Prevalence of IgE antibodies to grain and grain dust in grain elevator workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, D.M.; Romeo, P.A.; Olenchock, S.A.

1986-01-01

IgE-mediated allergic reactions have been postulated to contribute to respiratory reactions seen in workers exposed to grain dusts. In an attempt better to define the prevalence of IgE antibodies in workers exposed to grain dusts, we performed the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) on worker sera using both commercial allergens prepared from grain and worksite allergens prepared from grain dust samples collected at the worksite. We found that the two types of reagents identified different populations with respect to the specificity of IgE antibodies present. The RAST assay performed using worksite allergens correlated well with skin test procedures. These results may allow us to gain better understanding of allergy associated with grain dust exposure, and document the utility of the RAST assay in assessment of occupational allergies

FLOW METERS WITH VERY GOOD PERFORMANCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mircea Dimitrie CAZACU

2011-11-01

Full Text Available We present the theoretical calculus of a patented flow meter, concerning such the thermodynamic and aerodynamic calculus, as well as the offered precision to measure the flow of the air in any meteorological conditions. In the same time we remark that the proposed flow meter, by its positioning, has not loss of head.

Simulating the Probability of Grain Sorghum Maturity before the First Frost in Northeastern Colorado

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory S. McMaster

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Expanding grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench] production northward from southeastern Colorado is thought to be limited by shorter growing seasons due to lower temperatures and earlier frost dates. This study used a simulation model for predicting crop phenology (PhenologyMMS to estimate the probability of reaching physiological maturity before the first fall frost for a variety of agronomic practices in northeastern Colorado. Physiological maturity for seven planting dates (1 May to 12 June, four seedbed moisture conditions affecting seedling emergence (from Optimum to Planted in Dust, and three maturity classes (Early, Medium, and Late were simulated using historical weather data from nine locations for both irrigated and dryland phenological parameters. The probability of reaching maturity before the first frost was slightly higher under dryland conditions, decreased as latitude, longitude, and elevation increased, planting date was delayed, and for later maturity classes. The results provide producers with estimates of the reliability of growing grain sorghum in northeastern Colorado.

Smart Metering: Learning from telecommunication providers. Innovative customized products; Beim Smart Metering von Telekommunikationsanbietern lernen. Innovative Buendelprodukte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isbrecht, Volker; Sombrutzki, Ingo [Putz und Partner Unternehmensberatung AG, Hamburg (Germany). Strategie- und Projektmanagement - Energiewirtschaft; Hofer, Kristina [Putz und Partner Unternehmensberatung AG, Hamburg (Germany). CRM- und Telekommunikation

2010-04-06

Deregulation in the electricity and gas metering has raised interest in smart meters. Experts estimate that in a four-person household, smart meters may reduce electricity consumption by up to 10 percent, i.e. 50 - 90 Euros, and CO2 emissions by 8.5 million tonnes, which amounts to 4 percent of the total CO2 emissions in Germany. These are ideal conditions for utilities to develop innovative products for the mass market of private consumers and to improve their competitive standing in the market by a clearly communicated advantage to both the customers and the climate. By utilizing the experience gained in the telecommunications industry, they will be able to respond quickly to impending challenges. (orig.)

Grain yield losses in yellow-rusted durum wheat estimated using digital and conventional parameters under field conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar Vergara-Diaz

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The biotrophic fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici is the causal agent of the yellow rust in wheat. Between the years 2010–2013 a new strain of this pathogen (Warrior/Ambition, against which the present cultivated wheat varieties have no resistance, appeared and spread rapidly. It threatens cereal production in most of Europe. The search for sources of resistance to this strain is proposed as the most efficient and safe solution to ensure high grain production. This will be helped by the development of high performance and low cost techniques for field phenotyping. In this study we analyzed vegetation indices in the Red, Green, Blue (RGB images of crop canopies under field conditions. We evaluated their accuracy in predicting grain yield and assessing disease severity in comparison to other field measurements including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, leaf chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, and canopy temperature. We also discuss yield components and agronomic parameters in relation to grain yield and disease severity. RGB-based indices proved to be accurate predictors of grain yield and grain yield losses associated with yellow rust (R2 = 0.581 and R2 = 0.536, respectively, far surpassing the predictive ability of NDVI (R2 = 0.118 and R2 = 0.128, respectively. In comparison to potential yield, we found the presence of disease to be correlated with reductions in the number of grains per spike, grains per square meter, kernel weight and harvest index. Grain yield losses in the presence of yellow rust were also greater in later heading varieties. The combination of RGB-based indices and days to heading together explained 70.9% of the variability in grain yield and 62.7% of the yield losses.

CPAC optical moisture monitoring: Characterization of composition and physical effects on moisture determination Task 2A report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veltkamp, D.J.

1994-01-01

The impact of particle size and chemical composition variations on determination of tank simulant moisture from near infrared (NIR) optical spectra are presented. This work shows particle size and chemical variations will impact moisture predictions from NIR spectra. However, the prediction errors can be minimized if calibration models are built with samples containing these variations as interferents. Prior work showed the NIR spectral region (1100 to 2500 nm) could be used to predict moisture content of BY-104 tank simulant with a standard error less of approximately 0.5 wt%. Particle size will increase moisture prediction error if calibration-models do not include the same particle size ranges as unknown samples. A combined particle size model with 0-420 x10 -6 m, 420-841 x 10 -6 m, and 841 x 10 -6 m-2 mm diameter particles predicted 0.59, 0.34 nd 0.23 wt% errors respectively for samples containing only these size ranges and 0.80 wt% error for a samples with all particle size ranges. Chemical composition would also increase moisture prediction error if calibration model samples chemically differ from unknown samples. For a BY-104 simulant, increases in NaOH, NaAlO 2 , Na 2 SiO 3 , and Na 3 PO 4 produced moisture predictions that were lower than the actual moisture levels while increases in FE(NO 3 ) 3 , Ca(NO 3 ) 2 , and Mg (NO 3 ) 2 resulted in a higher than actual moisture prediction. Systematic changes in the NIR spectra could be observed for these families of materials. When all of the composition variations were included in a single model, the model had a moisture prediction error of 1.41 wt% as compared to a 2.96 wt% error without model changes. This work shows a calibration model based on a single set of tightly controlled experimental conditions will tend to have somewhat larger prediction errors when applied to samples collected with variations outside of such conditions

Nematode survival in relation to soil moisture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Simons, W.R.

1973-01-01

Established nematode populations are very persistent in the soil. It is known that they need sufficient soil moisture for movement, feeding and reproduction (fig. 5), and that there are adverse soil moisture conditions which they cannot survive. The influence of soil moisture on survival

Design and Implementation of Enhanced Smart Energy Metering System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oday A.L.A Ridha

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In this work, the design and implementation of a smart energy metering system has been developed. This system consists of two parts: billing center and a set of distributed smart energy meters. The function of smart energy meter is measuring and calculating the cost of consumed energy according to a multi-tariff scheme. This can be effectively solving the problem of stressing the electrical grid and rising consumer awareness. Moreover, smart energy meter decreases technical losses by improving power factor. The function of the billing center is to issue a consumer bill and contributes in locating the irregularities on the electrical grid (non-technical losses. Moreover, it sends the switch off command in case of the consumer bill is not paid. For implementation of smart energy meter, the microcontroller (PIC 18F45K22 is used. For communication between billing center and smart energy meters, ZigBee technology is adopted. The necessary program for smart energy meter is written in MicroC PRO, while the program for billing center is written in visual C#.

Bandwidth Analysis of Smart Meter Network Infrastructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balachandran, Kardi; Olsen, Rasmus Løvenstein; Pedersen, Jens Myrup

2014-01-01

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a net-work infrastructure in Smart Grid, which links the electricity customers to the utility company. This network enables smart services by making it possible for the utility company to get an overview of their customers power consumption and also control...... devices in their costumers household e.g. heat pumps. With these smart services, utility companies can do load balancing on the grid by shifting load using resources the customers have. The problem investigated in this paper is what bandwidth require-ments can be expected when implementing such network...... to utilize smart meters and which existing broadband network technologies can facilitate this smart meter service. Initially, scenarios for smart meter infrastructure are identified. The paper defines abstraction models which cover the AMI scenarios. When the scenario has been identified a general overview...

New consumer services provided by smart metering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daminov Ildar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the issues of smart metering market and considers different services provided by smart metering from consumer point of view. Firstly, smart metering deployment challenges emerging and conventional tariffs, which modify a consumer behavior and thus, the entire electric energy market can be optimized since the customer is motivated to consume less energy. Secondly, the authors illustrate changes in electricity quality, which have an impact on consumer relations with utility. Additionally, two main indices of grid resilience – SAIDI and SAIFI – are exemplified to reveal the improvement potential of smart metering implementation in certain regions of Russia that also influence the consumer. Finally, in-home display and privacy problem directly reflect the consumer’s behavior, thus the private life rights should not be violated as they are guaranteed by law.

Assessment of SMOS Soil Moisture Retrieval Parameters Using Tau-Omega Algorithms for Soil Moisture Deficit Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Prashant K.; Han, Dawei; Rico-Ramirez, Miguel A.; O'Neill, Peggy; Islam, Tanvir; Gupta, Manika

2014-01-01

Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) is the latest mission which provides flow of coarse resolution soil moisture data for land applications. However, the efficient retrieval of soil moisture for hydrological applications depends on optimally choosing the soil and vegetation parameters. The first stage of this work involves the evaluation of SMOS Level 2 products and then several approaches for soil moisture retrieval from SMOS brightness temperature are performed to estimate Soil Moisture Deficit (SMD). The most widely applied algorithm i.e. Single channel algorithm (SCA), based on tau-omega is used in this study for the soil moisture retrieval. In tau-omega, the soil moisture is retrieved using the Horizontal (H) polarisation following Hallikainen dielectric model, roughness parameters, Fresnel's equation and estimated Vegetation Optical Depth (tau). The roughness parameters are empirically calibrated using the numerical optimization techniques. Further to explore the improvement in retrieval models, modifications have been incorporated in the algorithms with respect to the sources of the parameters, which include effective temperatures derived from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) downscaled using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-NOAH Land Surface Model and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface temperature (LST) while the s is derived from MODIS Leaf Area Index (LAI). All the evaluations are performed against SMD, which is estimated using the Probability Distributed Model following a careful calibration and validation integrated with sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. The performance obtained after all those changes indicate that SCA-H using WRF-NOAH LSM downscaled ECMWF LST produces an improved performance for SMD estimation at a catchment scale.

A neutron dose equivalent meter at CAEP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Shihai; Lu Yan; Wang Heyi; Yuan Yonggang; Chen Xu

2012-01-01

The measurement of neutron dose equivalent has been a widespread need in industry and research. In this paper, aimed at improving the accuracy of neutron dose equivalent meter: a neutron dose counter is simulated with MCNP5, and the energy response curve is optimized. The results show that the energy response factor is from 0.2 to 1.8 for neutrons in the energy range of 2.53×10 -8 MeV to 10 MeV Compared with other related meters, it turns that the design of this meter is right. (authors)

Separating heat stress from moisture stress: analyzing yield response to high temperature in irrigated maize

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Elizabeth K.; Melkonian, Jeff; Riha, Susan J.; Shaw, Stephen B.

2016-09-01

Several recent studies have indicated that high air temperatures are limiting maize (Zea mays L.) yields in the US Corn Belt and project significant yield losses with expected increases in growing season temperatures. Further work has suggested that high air temperatures are indicative of high evaporative demand, and that decreases in maize yields which correlate to high temperatures and vapor pressure deficits (VPD) likely reflect underlying soil moisture limitations. It remains unclear whether direct high temperature impacts on yields, independent of moisture stress, can be observed under current temperature regimes. Given that projected high temperature and moisture may not co-vary the same way as they have historically, quantitative analyzes of direct temperature impacts are critical for accurate yield projections and targeted mitigation strategies under shifting temperature regimes. To evaluate yield response to above optimum temperatures independent of soil moisture stress, we analyzed climate impacts on irrigated maize yields obtained from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) corn yield contests for Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. In irrigated maize, we found no evidence of a direct negative impact on yield by daytime air temperature, calculated canopy temperature, or VPD when analyzed seasonally. Solar radiation was the primary yield-limiting climate variable. Our analyses suggested that elevated night temperature impacted yield by increasing rates of phenological development. High temperatures during grain-fill significantly interacted with yields, but this effect was often beneficial and included evidence of acquired thermo-tolerance. Furthermore, genetics and management—information uniquely available in the NCGA contest data—explained more yield variability than climate, and significantly modified crop response to climate. Thermo-acclimation, improved genetics and changes to management practices have the potential to partially or completely

A micro-controller based wide range survey meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhingare, R.R.; Bajaj, K.C.; Kannan, S.

2004-01-01

Wide range survey meters (1μSv/h -10 Sv/h) with the detector(s) mounted at the end of a two-to-four meter-long extendable tube are widely used for radiation protection survey of difficult to reach locations and high dose rate areas, The commercially available survey meters of this type use two GM counters to cover a wide range of dose rate measurement. A new micro-controller based wide range survey meter using two Si diode detectors has been developed. The use of solid state detectors in the survey meter has a number of advantages like low power consumption, lighter battery powered detector probe, elimination of high voltage for the operation of the detectors, etc. The design uses infrared communication between the probe and the readout unit through a light-weight collapsible extension tube for high reliability. The design details and features are discussed in detail. (author)

HJD-I record and analysis meter for nuclear information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Shaoliang; Huang Yong; Xiao Yanbin

1992-01-01

A low-cost, small-volume, multi-function and new model intelligent nuclear electronic meter HJD-I Record and Analysis Meter are stated for Nuclear Information. It's hardware and software were detailed and the 137 Cs spectrum with this meter was presented

Adjustment equipment for reactor radioactivity meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denisov, V.P.; Malishev, A.N.; Shebanova, L.E.; Kirilyuk, N.A.; Maksimov, Yu.N.; Bessalov, G.G.; Vikhorev, Yu.V.; Lukyanov, M.A.

1978-01-01

An activity meter is described movably located in a channel placed in the peripheral biological shielding of a nuclear reactor. It is connected to a weight moving in a second channel by means of a pulley. This arrangement allows locating the radioactivity meter drive on the outer side of the biological shield and vacating space above the reactor body. (Ha)

The reactivity meter and core reactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siltanen, P.

1999-01-01

This paper discussed in depth the point kinetic equations and the characteristics of the point kinetic reactivity meter, particularly for large negative reactivities. From a given input signal representing the neutron flux seen by a detector, the meter computes a value of reactivity in dollars (ρ/β), based on inverse point kinetics. The prompt jump point of view is emphasised. (Author)

Household Classification Using Smart Meter Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carroll Paula

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article describes a project conducted in conjunction with the Central Statistics Office of Ireland in response to a planned national rollout of smart electricity metering in Ireland. We investigate how this new data source might be used for the purpose of official statistics production. This study specifically looks at the question of determining household composition from electricity smart meter data using both Neural Networks (a supervised machine learning approach and Elastic Net Logistic regression. An overview of both classification techniques is given. Results for both approaches are presented with analysis. We find that the smart meter data alone is limited in its capability to distinguish between household categories but that it does provide some useful insights.

Water velocity meter

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, C. W.; Smith, D. L.

1970-01-01

Simple, inexpensive drag sphere velocity meter with a zero to 6 ft/sec range measures steady-state flow. When combined with appropriate data acquisition system, it is suited to applications where large numbers of simultaneous measurements are needed for current mapping or velocity profile determination.

Potential Water Retention Capacity as a Factor in Silage Effluent Control: Experiments with High Moisture By-product Feedstuffs

Science.gov (United States)

Razak, Okine Abdul; Masaaki, Hanada; Yimamu, Aibibula; Meiji, Okamoto

2012-01-01

The role of moisture absorptive capacity of pre-silage material and its relationship with silage effluent in high moisture by-product feedstuffs (HMBF) is assessed. The term water retention capacity which is sometimes used in explaining the rate of effluent control in ensilage may be inadequate, since it accounts exclusively for the capacity of an absorbent incorporated into a pre-silage material prior to ensiling, without consideration to how much the pre-silage material can release. A new terminology, ‘potential water retention capacity’ (PWRC), which attempts to address this shortcoming, is proposed. Data were pooled from a series of experiments conducted separately over a period of five years using laboratory silos with four categories of agro by-products (n = 27) with differing moisture contents (highest 96.9%, lowest 78.1% in fresh matter, respectively), and their silages (n = 81). These were from a vegetable source (Daikon, Raphanus sativus), a root tuber source (potato pulp), a fruit source (apple pomace) and a cereal source (brewer’s grain), respectively. The pre-silage materials were adjusted with dry in-silo absorbents consisting wheat straw, wheat or rice bran, beet pulp and bean stalks. The pooled mean for the moisture contents of all pre-silage materials was 78.3% (±10.3). Silage effluent decreased (p<0.01), with increase in PWRC of pre-silage material. The theoretical moisture content and PWRC of pre-silage material necessary to stem effluent flow completely in HMBF silage was 69.1% and 82.9 g/100 g in fresh matter, respectively. The high correlation (r = 0.76) between PWRC of ensiled material and silage effluent indicated that the latter is an important factor in silage-effluent relationship. PMID:25049587

Potential Water Retention Capacity as a Factor in Silage Effluent Control: Experiments with High Moisture By-product Feedstuffs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Okine Abdul Razak

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The role of moisture absorptive capacity of pre-silage material and its relationship with silage effluent in high moisture by-product feedstuffs (HMBF is assessed. The term water retention capacity which is sometimes used in explaining the rate of effluent control in ensilage may be inadequate, since it accounts exclusively for the capacity of an absorbent incorporated into a pre-silage material prior to ensiling, without consideration to how much the pre-silage material can release. A new terminology, ‘potential water retention capacity’ (PWRC, which attempts to address this shortcoming, is proposed. Data were pooled from a series of experiments conducted separately over a period of five years using laboratory silos with four categories of agro by-products (n = 27 with differing moisture contents (highest 96.9%, lowest 78.1% in fresh matter, respectively, and their silages (n = 81. These were from a vegetable source (Daikon, Raphanus sativus, a root tuber source (potato pulp, a fruit source (apple pomace and a cereal source (brewer’s grain, respectively. The pre-silage materials were adjusted with dry in-silo absorbents consisting wheat straw, wheat or rice bran, beet pulp and bean stalks. The pooled mean for the moisture contents of all pre-silage materials was 78.3% (±10.3. Silage effluent decreased (p<0.01, with increase in PWRC of pre-silage material. The theoretical moisture content and PWRC of pre-silage material necessary to stem effluent flow completely in HMBF silage was 69.1% and 82.9 g/100 g in fresh matter, respectively. The high correlation (r = 0.76 between PWRC of ensiled material and silage effluent indicated that the latter is an important factor in silage-effluent relationship.

Generation and emplacement of fine-grained ejecta in planetary impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Ghent, R.R.; Gupta, V.; Campbell, B.A.; Ferguson, S.A.; Brown, J.C.W.; Fergason, R.L.; Carter, L.M.

2010-01-01

We report here on a survey of distal fine-grained ejecta deposits on the Moon, Mars, and Venus. On all three planets, fine-grained ejecta form circular haloes that extend beyond the continuous ejecta and other types of distal deposits such as run-out lobes or ramparts. Using Earth-based radar images, we find that lunar fine-grained ejecta haloes represent meters-thick deposits with abrupt margins, and are depleted in rocks 1cm in diameter. Martian haloes show low nighttime thermal IR temperatures and thermal inertia, indicating the presence of fine particles estimated to range from ???10??m to 10mm. Using the large sample sizes afforded by global datasets for Venus and Mars, and a complete nearside radar map for the Moon, we establish statistically robust scaling relationships between crater radius R and fine-grained ejecta run-out r for all three planets. On the Moon, ???R-0.18 for craters 5-640km in diameter. For Venus, radar-dark haloes are larger than those on the Moon, but scale as ???R-0.49, consistent with ejecta entrainment in Venus' dense atmosphere. On Mars, fine-ejecta haloes are larger than lunar haloes for a given crater size, indicating entrainment of ejecta by the atmosphere or vaporized subsurface volatiles, but scale as R-0.13, similar to the ballistic lunar scaling. Ejecta suspension in vortices generated by passage of the ejecta curtain is predicted to result in ejecta run-out that scales with crater size as R1/2, and the wind speeds so generated may be insufficient to transport particles at the larger end of the calculated range. The observed scaling and morphology of the low-temperature haloes leads us rather to favor winds generated by early-stage vapor plume expansion as the emplacement mechanism for low-temperature halo materials. ?? 2010 Elsevier Inc.

Optical transparency of paper as a function of moisture content with applications to moisture measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Forughi, A F; Green, S I; Stoeber, B

2016-02-01

Accurate measurement of the moisture content of paper is essential in papermaking and is also important in some paper-based microfluidic devices. Traditional measurement techniques provide very limited spatiotemporal resolution and working range. This article presents a novel method for moisture content measurement whose operating principle is the strong correlation between the optical transparency of paper and its moisture content. Spectrographic and microscopic measurement techniques were employed to characterize the relation of moisture content and relative transparency of four types of paper: hardwood chemi-thermomechanical pulp paper, Northern bleached softwood kraft paper, unbleached softwood kraft paper, and General Electric(®) Whatman™ grade 1 chromatography paper. It was found that for all paper types, the paper transparency increased monotonically with the moisture content (as the ratio of the mass-of-water to the mass-of-dry-paper increased from 0% to 120%). This significant increase in relative transparency occurred due to the refractive index matching role of water in wet paper. It is further shown that mechanical loading of the paper has little impact on the relative transparency, for loadings that would be typical on a paper machine. The results of two transient water absorption experiments are presented that show the utility and accuracy of the technique.

49 CFR 192.359 - Customer meter installations: Operating pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Customer meter installations: Operating pressure... SAFETY TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS Customer Meters, Service Regulators, and Service Lines § 192.359 Customer meter installations: Operating pressure...

Calibration of ionization chamber and GM counter survey meters, (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bingo, Kazuyoshi; Kajimoto, Yoichi; Suga, Shin-ichi

1978-01-01

Three types of ionization chamber survey meters and a type of GM counter survey meter were calibrated for measuring the β-ray absorbed dose rate in a working area. To estimate the β-ray absorbed dose rate, a survey meter was used without and with a filter. A reading of survey meter's indicator measured with the filter was subtracted from a reading measured without the filter, and then the absorbed dose rate was obtained by multiplying this remainder by a conversion coefficient. The conversion coefficients were roughly constant with distance more than 8 cm (ionization chamber survey meters) and with distance more than 5 cm (GM counter survey meter). The conversion coefficient was dependent on β-ray energies. In order to measure the absorbed dose rate of tissue whose epidermal thickness is 40 mg/cm 2 , the constant value, 4 (mrad/h)/(mR/h), was chosen independently of β-ray energies as the conversion coefficient of three types of ionization chamber survey meters. The conversion coefficient of the GM counter survey meter was more energy dependent than that of every type of ionization chamber survey meter. (author)

Abnormal grain growth: a non-equilibrium thermodynamic model for multi-grain binary systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svoboda, J; Fischer, F D

2014-01-01

Abnormal grain growth as the abrupt growth of a group of the largest grains in a multi-grain system is treated within the context of unequal retardation of grain growth due to the segregation of solute atoms from the bulk of the grains into the grain boundaries. During grain boundary migration, the segregated solute atoms are dragged under a small driving force or left behind the migrating grain boundary under a large driving force. Thus, the solute atoms in the grain boundaries of large grains, exhibiting a large driving force, can be released from the grain boundary. The mobility of these grain boundaries becomes significantly higher and abnormal grain growth is spontaneously provoked. The mean-field model presented here assumes that each grain is described by its grain radius and by its individual segregation parameter. The thermodynamic extremal principle is engaged to obtain explicit evolution equations for the radius and segregation parameter of each grain. Simulations of grain growth kinetics for various conditions of segregation with the same initial setting (100 000 grains with a given radius distribution) are presented. Depending on the diffusion coefficients of the solute in the grain boundaries, abnormal grain growth may be strongly or marginally pronounced. Solute segregation and drag can also significantly contribute to the stabilization of the grain structure. Qualitative agreement with several experimental results is reported. (paper)

Effects of the leakage magnetic field from an analog meter on the response of scintillation survey meters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Toshiaki; Yamamoto, Hisao; Norimura, Toshiyuki; Katase, Akira

2003-01-01

Effects of the weak leakage magnetic field are studied on the response of two kinds of scintillation survey meters: an ordinary type for γ-rays and that optimized for the detection of low-energy photons from 125 I. In the presence of the magnetic field, the response of the optimized survey meter decreases to the photons from 125 I, and increases considerably to the background radiations. On the other hand, the response of the ordinary survey meter decreases slightly to both the γ-rays from 131 I and the background radiations. From analysis of the pulse-height spectra for the radiations, such variations of the response are ascribed to the reduction of the amplification factor of photomultiplier tubes by the magnetic field. (author)

49 CFR 192.357 - Customer meters and regulators: Installation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Customer meters and regulators: Installation. 192... SAFETY TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS Customer Meters, Service Regulators, and Service Lines § 192.357 Customer meters and regulators: Installation. (a...

7 CFR 51.2561 - Average moisture content.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Average moisture content. 51.2561 Section 51.2561... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Pistachio Nuts § 51.2561 Average moisture content. (a) Determining average moisture content of the lot is not a requirement of the grades, except when...

Apparent losses due to domestic water meter under-registration in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

By combining these results with the average age of meters in South Africa, estimated from the National Water Demand Archive, it was possible to estimate the average meter under-registration due to meter aging. The study concluded that apparent losses due to water meter under-registration are around 5% of consumption ...

Moisture Management for High R-Value Walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lepage, R. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States); Schumacher, C. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States); Lukachko, A. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States)

2013-11-01

This report explains the moisture-related concerns for high R-value wall assemblies and discusses past Building America research work that informs this study. In this project, hygrothermal simulations were prepared for several common approaches to High R-value wall construction in six cities (Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, St. Louis, Chicago, and International Falls) representing a range of climate zones. The modeling program assessed the moisture durability of the wall assemblies based on three primary sources of moisture: construction moisture, air leakage condensation, and bulk water leakage; the report presents results of the study.

A grain-boundary diffusion model of dynamic grain growth during superplastic deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Byung-Nam; Hiraga, Keijiro; Sakka, Yoshio; Ahn, Byung-Wook

1999-01-01

Dynamic grain growth during superplastic deformation is modelled on the basis of a grain-boundary diffusion mechanism. On the grain boundary where a static and a dynamic potential difference coexist, matter transport along the boundary is assumed to contribute to dynamic grain growth through depositing the matter on the grain surface located opposite to the direction of grain-boundary migration. The amount of the diffusive matter during deformation is calculated for an aggregate of spherical grains and is converted to the increment of mean boundary migration velocity. The obtained relationship between the strain rate and the dynamic grain growth rate is shown to be independent of deformation mechanisms, provided that the grain growth is controlled by grain-boundary diffusion. The strain dependence, strain-rate dependence and temperature dependence of grain growth predicted from this model are consistent with those observed in superplastic ZrO 2 -dispersed Al 2 O 3

40 CFR 92.122 - Smoke meter calibration.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Smoke meter calibration. 92.122 Section 92.122 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... meter calibration. The smokemeter shall be checked according to the following procedure prior to each...

Moisture monitoring and control system engineering study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carpenter, K.E.; Fadeff, J.G.

1995-01-01

During the past 50 years, a wide variety of chemical compounds have been placed in the 149 single-shell tanks (SSTS) on the Hanford Site. A concern relating to chemical stability, chemical control, and safe storage of the waste is the potential for propagating reactions as a result of ferrocyanide-oxidizer and organic-oxidizer concentrations in the SSTS. Propagating reactions in fuel-nitrate mixtures are precluded if the amounts of fuel and moisture present in the waste are within specified limits. Because most credible ignition sources occur near the waste surface, the main emphasis of this study is toward monitoring and controlling moisture in the top 14 cm (5.5 in.) of waste. The purpose of this engineering study is to recommend a moisture monitoring and control system for use in SSTs containing sludge and saltcake. This study includes recommendations for: (1) monitoring and controlling moisture in SSTs; (2) the fundamental design criteria for a moisture monitoring and control system; and (3) criteria for the deployment of a moisture monitoring and control system in hanford Site SSTs. To support system recommendations, technical bases for selecting and using a moisture monitoring and control system are presented. Key functional requirements and a conceptual design are included to enhance system development and establish design criteria

Skin moisturization mechanisms: new data.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonté, F

2011-05-01

The main function of the skin is to protect the body against exogenous substances and excessive water loss. The skin barrier is located in the outermost layer of the skin, called the stratum corneum, which is composed of corneocytes, originating from the keratinocytes differentiation process, embedded in organized complex lipid domains. Moisturizing of the skin is recognized as the first anti-aging skin care. Skin moisturization is essential for its appearance, protection, complexion, softness and the reinforcement of its barrier properties against deleterious and exogenous environmental factors. The intrinsic water binding capacity of skin is not only due to the complex natural moisturizing factor present in corneocytes, but also to hyaluronic acid and a regulated water transport within the skin. Recent data shows that the water movements between the cells at the different levels of the epidermis are due to dedicated water and glycerol transport proteins named aquaporins. Their role in the skin moisturization is completed by corneodesmosomes and tight junctions. Water and pH are now shown to be of prime importance in the regulation of the epidermal enzymes linked to corneocytes desquamation and lipid synthesis. Furthermore, the level of moisturization of the skin is important in its protection against repeated exposure to various irritant agents or phenomena such as very frequent washing with strong tensioactive materials. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A Method of Evaluating Operation of Electric Energy Meter

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiangqun; Li, Tianyang; Cao, Fei; Chu, Pengfei; Zhao, Xinwang; Huang, Rui; Liu, Liping; Zhang, Chenglin

2018-05-01

The existing electric energy meter rotation maintenance strategy regularly checks the electric energy meter and evaluates the state. It only considers the influence of time factors, neglects the influence of other factors, leads to the inaccuracy of the evaluation, and causes the waste of resources. In order to evaluate the running state of the electric energy meter in time, a method of the operation evaluation of the electric energy meter is proposed. The method is based on extracting the existing data acquisition system, marketing business system and metrology production scheduling platform that affect the state of energy meters, and classified into error stability, operational reliability, potential risks and other factors according to the influencing factors, based on the above basic test score, inspecting score, monitoring score, score of family defect detection. Then, according to the evaluation model according to the scoring, we evaluate electric energy meter operating state, and finally put forward the corresponding maintenance strategy of rotation.

Carpel size, grain filling, and morphology determine individual grain weight in wheat

OpenAIRE

Xie, Quan; Mayes, Sean; Sparkes, Debbie L.

2015-01-01

Individual grain weight is a major yield component in wheat. To provide a comprehensive understanding of grain weight determination, the carpel size at anthesis, grain dry matter accumulation, grain water uptake and loss, grain morphological expansion, and final grain weight at different positions within spikelets were investigated in a recombinant inbred line mapping population of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)?spelt (Triticum spelta L.). Carpel size, grain dry matter and water accumulat...

Characterization of radiofrequency field emissions from smart meters.

Science.gov (United States)

Tell, Richard A; Kavet, Robert; Mezei, Gabor

2013-01-01

This study presents measurement data that describe radiofrequency emission levels and patterns from smart meters (rated nominally at 1 W) currently deployed in Pacific Gas and Electric Company's service territory in northern California. The smart meters in our investigation could not be set to operate continuously and required a Field Service Unit to induce short periods of emitted fields. To obtain peak field data under both laboratory and ambient conditions, a spectrum analyzer scanned across the 83 transmitting channels between 902 and 928 MHz used by the smart meter on a random frequency-hopping basis. To obtain data describing temporal emission patterns, the analyzer operated in scope mode. Duty cycle was estimated using transmit data acquired by the system operator from over 88,000 m. Instantaneous peak fields at 0.3 m in front of the meters were no more than 15% of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) exposure limit for the general public, and 99.9% of the meters operated with a duty cycle of 1.12% or less during the sampling period. In a sample of measurements in six single-detached residences equipped with individual smart meters, no interior measurement of peak field exceeded 1% of the FCC's general public exposure limit.

Design of Remote Heat-Meter System Based on Trusted Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Changgeng; Lai, Liping

2018-03-01

This article presents a proposal of a heat meter and remote meter reading system for the disadvantages of the hackers very easily using eavesdropping, tampering, replay attack of traditional remote meter reading system. The system selects trusted technology such as, the identity authentication, integrity verifying, and data protection. By the experiments, it is proved that the remote meter reading system of the heat meter can be used to verify the feasibility of the technology, and verify the practicability and operability of data protection technology.

Energy saving by smart metering with consumption feedback; Energieeinsparung durch Smart Metering mit Verbrauchs-Feedback

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffmann, Patrick [Institut fuer ZukunftsEnergieSysteme (IZES), Saarbruecken (Germany); Friedrich, Malte [Institut fuer Soziologische Meinungsforschung (IsoMe), Berlin (Germany); Kerber-Clasen, Stefan [Institut fuer Sozialforschung und Sozialwirtschaft e.V., Saarbruecken (Germany); Frey, Guenther

2012-08-15

While the German legislative, e.g. in the EnWG (Power Industry Act) assumes that electricity consumption metering will contribute to energy conservation in any case, many studies have arrived at a different contribution: Only a combination of consumption metering and direct feedback methods will result in significant energy savings. A recent research project (''Moderne Energiesparsysteme fuer Haushalte'') analysed an energy conservation system of this type. The findings will provide socio-economic insight into the background of successful energy conservation, and they will show how feedback methods can be optimised.

Metering: EU policy and implications for fuel poor households

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darby, Sarah J.

2012-01-01

Fuel poverty is a function of household energy consumption, income, and the cost of delivered energy. The paper discusses ways in which current EU policy on the development of ‘smart’ metering could affect fuel poor households. The main focus is on developments in electricity metering and the development of ‘active demand’ and smart grids, so that demand can be matched closely with available supply. Advances in metering and related technologies open the way to time-of-use charging, easier switching between suppliers and between credit payment and prepayment, direct load control of some end-uses by the utility, greater scope for microgeneration, and improved consumption feedback for customers. These options open up both uncertainties and risks. The paper offers definitions and discussion of various functions of smart metering, summarizes the EU policy background, and considers some possible equity implications of rolling out a new generation of meters. There follows an assessment of potential implications to the fuel poor of changes to metering, based on a review of the literature on energy feedback, tariffing, and supplier–customer relationships. Much of the discussion is based on the UK experience, with examples from other EU member states and, where appropriate, from other parts of the world. - Highlights: ► Smart meters are part of general upgrading of electricity and gas networks. ► EU policy is to roll out the meters to 80%+ of the population by 2020. ► Improved feedback and prepayment metering may benefit the fuel poor. ► Remote disconnection and data privacy are issues for all consumers. ► We need careful assessment of potential gains and losses to the fuel poor.

EMMNet: Sensor Networking for Electricity Meter Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi-Ting Lin

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Smart sensors are emerging as a promising technology for a large number of application domains. This paper presents a collection of requirements and guidelines that serve as a basis for a general smart sensor architecture to monitor electricity meters. It also presents an electricity meter monitoring network, named EMMNet, comprised of data collectors, data concentrators, hand-held devices, a centralized server, and clients. EMMNet provides long-distance communication capabilities, which make it suitable suitable for complex urban environments. In addition, the operational cost of EMMNet is low, compared with other existing remote meter monitoring systems based on GPRS. A new dynamic tree protocol based on the application requirements which can significantly improve the reliability of the network is also proposed. We are currently conducting tests on five networks and investigating network problems for further improvements. Evaluation results indicate that EMMNet enhances the efficiency and accuracy in the reading, recording, and calibration of electricity meters.

EMMNet: sensor networking for electricity meter monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Zhi-Ting; Zheng, Jie; Ji, Yu-Sheng; Zhao, Bao-Hua; Qu, Yu-Gui; Huang, Xu-Dong; Jiang, Xiu-Fang

2010-01-01

Smart sensors are emerging as a promising technology for a large number of application domains. This paper presents a collection of requirements and guidelines that serve as a basis for a general smart sensor architecture to monitor electricity meters. It also presents an electricity meter monitoring network, named EMMNet, comprised of data collectors, data concentrators, hand-held devices, a centralized server, and clients. EMMNet provides long-distance communication capabilities, which make it suitable suitable for complex urban environments. In addition, the operational cost of EMMNet is low, compared with other existing remote meter monitoring systems based on GPRS. A new dynamic tree protocol based on the application requirements which can significantly improve the reliability of the network is also proposed. We are currently conducting tests on five networks and investigating network problems for further improvements. Evaluation results indicate that EMMNet enhances the efficiency and accuracy in the reading, recording, and calibration of electricity meters.

Look at the Beat, Feel the Meter: Top-Down Effects of Meter Induction on Auditory and Visual Modalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Celma-Miralles, Alexandre; de Menezes, Robert F; Toro, Juan M

2016-01-01

Recent research has demonstrated top-down effects on meter induction in the auditory modality. However, little is known about these effects in the visual domain, especially without the involvement of motor acts such as tapping. In the present study, we aim to assess whether the projection of meter on auditory beats is also present in the visual domain. We asked 16 musicians to internally project binary (i.e., a strong-weak pattern) and ternary (i.e., a strong-weak-weak pattern) meter onto separate, but analog, visual and auditory isochronous stimuli. Participants were presented with sequences of tones or blinking circular shapes (i.e., flashes) at 2.4 Hz while their electrophysiological responses were recorded. A frequency analysis of the elicited steady-state evoked potentials allowed us to compare the frequencies of the beat (2.4 Hz), its first harmonic (4.8 Hz), the binary subharmonic (1.2 Hz), and the ternary subharmonic (0.8 Hz) within and across modalities. Taking the amplitude spectra into account, we observed an enhancement of the amplitude at 0.8 Hz in the ternary condition for both modalities, suggesting meter induction across modalities. There was an interaction between modality and voltage at 2.4 and 4.8 Hz. Looking at the power spectra, we also observed significant differences from zero in the auditory, but not in the visual, binary condition at 1.2 Hz. These findings suggest that meter processing is modulated by top-down mechanisms that interact with our perception of rhythmic events and that such modulation can also be found in the visual domain. The reported cross-modal effects of meter may shed light on the origins of our timing mechanisms, partially developed in primates and allowing humans to synchronize across modalities accurately.

Look at the Beat, Feel the Meter: Top–Down Effects of Meter Induction on Auditory and Visual Modalities

Science.gov (United States)

Celma-Miralles, Alexandre; de Menezes, Robert F.; Toro, Juan M.

2016-01-01

Recent research has demonstrated top–down effects on meter induction in the auditory modality. However, little is known about these effects in the visual domain, especially without the involvement of motor acts such as tapping. In the present study, we aim to assess whether the projection of meter on auditory beats is also present in the visual domain. We asked 16 musicians to internally project binary (i.e., a strong-weak pattern) and ternary (i.e., a strong-weak-weak pattern) meter onto separate, but analog, visual and auditory isochronous stimuli. Participants were presented with sequences of tones or blinking circular shapes (i.e., flashes) at 2.4 Hz while their electrophysiological responses were recorded. A frequency analysis of the elicited steady-state evoked potentials allowed us to compare the frequencies of the beat (2.4 Hz), its first harmonic (4.8 Hz), the binary subharmonic (1.2 Hz), and the ternary subharmonic (0.8 Hz) within and across modalities. Taking the amplitude spectra into account, we observed an enhancement of the amplitude at 0.8 Hz in the ternary condition for both modalities, suggesting meter induction across modalities. There was an interaction between modality and voltage at 2.4 and 4.8 Hz. Looking at the power spectra, we also observed significant differences from zero in the auditory, but not in the visual, binary condition at 1.2 Hz. These findings suggest that meter processing is modulated by top–down mechanisms that interact with our perception of rhythmic events and that such modulation can also be found in the visual domain. The reported cross-modal effects of meter may shed light on the origins of our timing mechanisms, partially developed in primates and allowing humans to synchronize across modalities accurately. PMID:27047358

Look at the Beat, Feel the Meter:Top-down Effects of Meter Induction on Auditory and Visual Modalities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre eCelma-Miralles

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Recent research has demonstrated top-down effects on meter induction in the auditory modality. However, little is known about these effects in the visual domain, especially without the involvement of motor acts such as tapping. In the present study, we aim to assess whether the projection of meter on auditory beats is also present in the visual domain. We asked sixteen musicians to internally project binary (i.e. a strong-weak pattern and ternary (i.e. a strong-weak-weak pattern meter onto separate, but analogue, visual and auditory isochronous stimuli. Participants were presented with sequences of tones or blinking circular shapes (i.e. flashes at 2.4 Hz while their electrophysiological responses were recorded. A frequency analysis of the elicited steady-state evoked potentials allowed us to compare the frequencies of the beat (2.4 Hz, its first harmonic (4.8 Hz, the binary subharmonic (1.2 Hz, and ternary subharmonic (0.8 Hz within and across modalities. Taking the amplitude spectra into account, we observed an enhancement of the amplitude at 0.8 Hz in the ternary condition for both modalities, suggesting meter induction across modalities. There was an interaction between modality and voltage at 2.4 and 4.8 Hz. Looking at the power spectra, we also observed significant differences from zero in the auditory, but not in the visual, binary condition at 1.2 Hz. These findings suggest that meter processing is modulated by top-down mechanisms that interact with our perception of rhythmic events and that such modulation can also be found in the visual domain. The reported cross-modal effects of meter may shed light on the origins of our timing mechanisms, partially developed in primates and allowing humans to synchronize across modalities accurately.

KVP meter errors induced by plastic wrap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jefferies, D.; Morris, J.W.; White, V.P.

1991-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether erroneous kVp meter readings, induced by plastic wrap, affected the actual kVp (output) of a dental X-ray machine. To evaluate the effect of plastic wrap on dental X-ray machine kVp meters, a radiation output device was used to measure output in mR/ma.s. An intraoral dental X-ray unit (S.S. White Model number-sign 90W) was used to make the exposures. First, the kVp meter was not covered with plastic wrap and output readings were recorded at various kVp settings with the milliamperage and time held constant. Secondly, the same kVp settings were selected before the plastic wrap was placed. Milliamperage and time were again held to the same constant. The X-ray console was then covered with plastic wrap prior to measuring the output for each kVp. The wrap possessed a static charge. This charge induced erroneous kVp meter readings. Out-put readings at the various induced kVp settings were then recorded. A kVp of 50 with no wrap present resulted in the same output as a kVp of 50 induced to read 40 or 60 kVp by the presence of wrap. Similar results were obtained at other kVp settings. This indicates that the plastic wrap influences only the kVp meter needle and not the actual kilovoltage of the X-ray machine. Dental X-ray machine operators should select kVp meter readings prior to placing plastic wrap and should not adjust initial settings if the meter is deflected later by the presence of wrap. The use of such a procedure will result in proper exposures, fewer retakes, and less patient radiation. If plastic wrap leads to consistent exposure errors, clinicians may wish to use a 0.5% sodium hypochlorite disinfectant as an alternative to the barrier technique

Use of midlatitude soil moisture and meteorological observations to validate soil moisture simulations with biosphere and bucket models

Science.gov (United States)

Robock, Alan; Vinnikov, Konstantin YA.; Schlosser, C. Adam; Speranskaya, Nina A.; Xue, Yongkang

1995-01-01

Soil moisture observations in sites with natural vegetation were made for several decades in the former Soviet Union at hundreds of stations. In this paper, the authors use data from six of these stations from different climatic regimes, along with ancillary meteorological and actinometric data, to demonstrate a method to validate soil moisture simulations with biosphere and bucket models. Some early and current general circulation models (GCMs) use bucket models for soil hydrology calculations. More recently, the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB) was developed to incorporate the effects of vegetation on fluxes of moisture, momentum, and energy at the earth's surface into soil hydrology models. Until now, the bucket and SiB have been verified by comparison with actual soil moisture data only on a limited basis. In this study, a Simplified SiB (SSiB) soil hydrology model and a 15-cm bucket model are forced by observed meteorological and actinometric data every 3 h for 6-yr simulations at the six stations. The model calculations of soil moisture are compared to observations of soil moisture, literally 'ground truth,' snow cover, surface albedo, and net radiation, and with each other. For three of the stations, the SSiB and 15-cm bucket models produce good simulations of seasonal cycles and interannual variations of soil moisture. For the other three stations, there are large errors in the simulations by both models. Inconsistencies in specification of field capacity may be partly responsible. There is no evidence that the SSiB simulations are superior in simulating soil moisture variations. In fact, the models are quite similar since SSiB implicitly has a bucket embedded in it. One of the main differences between the models is in the treatment of runoff due to melting snow in the spring -- SSiB incorrectly puts all the snowmelt into runoff. While producing similar soil moisture simulations, the models produce very different surface latent and sensible heat fluxes, which

Grain dissection as a grain size reducing mechanism during ice microdynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Steinbach, Florian; Kuiper, Ernst N.; Eichler, Jan; Bons, Paul D.; Drury, Martin R.; Griera, Albert; Pennock, Gill M.; Weikusat, Ilka

2017-04-01

Ice sheets are valuable paleo-climate archives, but can lose their integrity by ice flow. An understanding of the microdynamic mechanisms controlling the flow of ice is essential when assessing climatic and environmental developments related to ice sheets and glaciers. For instance, the development of a consistent mechanistic grain size law would support larger scale ice flow models. Recent research made significant progress in numerically modelling deformation and recrystallisation mechanisms in the polycrystalline ice and ice-air aggregate (Llorens et al., 2016a,b; Steinbach et al., 2016). The numerical setup assumed grain size reduction is achieved by the progressive transformation of subgrain boundaries into new high angle grain boundaries splitting an existing grain. This mechanism is usually termed polygonisation. Analogue experiments suggested, that strain induced grain boundary migration can cause bulges to migrate through the whole of a grain separating one region of the grain from another (Jessell, 1986; Urai, 1987). This mechanism of grain dissection could provide an alternative grain size reducing mechanism, but has not yet been observed during ice microdynamics. In this contribution, we present results using an updated numerical approach allowing for grain dissection. The approach is based on coupling the full field theory crystal visco-plasticity code (VPFFT) of Lebensohn (2001) to the multi-process modelling platform Elle (Bons et al., 2008). VPFFT predicts the mechanical fields resulting from short strain increments, dynamic recrystallisation process are implemented in Elle. The novel approach includes improvements to allow for grain dissection, which was topologically impossible during earlier simulations. The simulations are supported by microstructural observations from NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling) ice core. Mappings of c-axis orientations using the automatic fabric analyser and full crystallographic orientations using electron

21 CFR 868.1860 - Peak-flow meter for spirometry.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Peak-flow meter for spirometry. 868.1860 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ANESTHESIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 868.1860 Peak-flow meter for spirometry. (a) Identification. A peak-flow meter for spirometry is a device used to measure a patient's...

Heat and Moisture transport of socks

Science.gov (United States)

Komárková, P.; Glombíková, V.; Havelka, A.

2017-10-01

Investigating the liquid moisture transport and thermal properties is essential for understanding physiological comfort of clothes. This study reports on an experimental investigation of moisture management transport and thermal transport on the physiological comfort of commercially available socks. There are subjective evaluation and objective measurements. Subjective evaluation of the physiological comfort of socks is based on individual sensory perception of probands during and after physical exertion. Objective measurements were performed according to standardized methods using Moisture Management tester for measuring the humidity parameters and C-term TCi analyzer for thermal conductivity and thermal effusivity. The obtained values of liquid moisture transport and thermal properties were related to the material composition and structure of the tested socks. In summary, these results show that objective measurement corresponds with probands feelings.

Moisture relations and physical properties of wood

Science.gov (United States)

Samuel V. Glass; Samuel L. Zelinka

2010-01-01

Wood, like many natural materials, is hygroscopic; it takes on moisture from the surrounding environment. Moisture exchange between wood and air depends on the relative humidity and temperature of the air and the current amount of water in the wood. This moisture relationship has an important influence on wood properties and performance. Many of the challenges of using...

Moisture sorption isotherms of dehydrated whey proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzana Rimac Brnčić

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Moisture sorption isotherms describe the relation between the moisture content of the dry material (food and relative humidity of the surrounding environment. The data obtained are important in modelling of drying process conditions, packaging and shelf-life stability of food that will provide maximum retaining of aroma, colour and texture as well as nutritive and biological value. The objective of this research was to establish the equilibrium moisture content and water activity, as well as monolayer value of two commercial powdered whey protein isolates before and after tribomechanical micronisation and enzymatic hydrolysis, respectively. At the same time it was necessary to evaluate the best moisture sorption isotherm equation to fit the experimental data. The equilibrium moisture contents in investigated samples were determined using standard gravimetric method at 20 °C. The range of water activities was 0.11 to 0.75. The monolayer moisture content was estimated from sorption data using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB models. The results have shown that tribomechanically treated whey protein isolates as well as protein hydrolizates had lower monolayer moisture content values as well as higher corresponding water activity. Therefore, in spite of the fact that they have lower moisture content, they can be storage at higher relative humidity compared to untreated samples. BET model gave better fit to experimental sorption data for a water activity range from 0.11-0.54, while GAB model gave the closest fit for a water activity to 0.75.

Moisture Management for High R-Value Walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lepage, R.; Schumacher, C.; Lukachko, A.

2013-11-01

The following report explains the moisture-related concerns for High R-value wall assemblies and discusses past Building America research work that informs this study. Hygrothermal simulations were prepared for several common approaches to High R-value wall construction in six cities (Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, St. Louis, Chicago, and International Falls) representing a range of climate zones (2, 3, 4C, 4, 5A, and 7, respectively). The simulations are informed by experience gained from past research in this area and validated by field measurement and forensic experience. The modeling program was developed to assess the moisture durability of the wall assemblies based on three primary sources of moisture: construction moisture, air leakage condensation, and bulk water leakage. The peak annual moisture content of the wood based exterior sheathing was used to comparatively analyze the response to the moisture loads for each of the walls in each given city. Walls which experienced sheathing moisture contents between 20% and 28% were identified as risky, whereas those exceeding 28% were identified as very high risk. All of the wall assemblies perform well under idealized conditions. However, only the walls with exterior insulation, or cavity insulation which provides a hygrothermal function similar to exterior insulation, perform adequately when exposed to moisture loads. Walls with only cavity insulation are particularly susceptible to air leakage condensation. None of the walls performed well when a precipitation based bulk water leak was introduced to the backside of the sheathing, emphasizing the importance of proper flashing details.

Photon and neutron doses of the personnel using moisture and density measurement devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carinou, E.; Papadomarkaki, E.; Tritakis, P.; Hourdakis, C.I.; Kamenopoulou, V. [Greek Atomic Energy Commission, Agia Paraskevi, Attiki, 60092 (Greece)

2006-07-01

The objective of this study is to present the evolution of the photon doses received by the workers who use mobile devices for measuring the moisture and the density in various materials and to estimate the neutron doses. The workers employed in more than 30 construction companies in Greece were 76 in 2004. The devices used for that purpose incorporate a {sup 137}Cs source for density measurements and an {sup 241}Am-Be source for moisture measurements of soil, asphalt or concrete. Photon and neutron measurements were performed occasionally during the on site inspections. The results of the measurements showed that the photon and neutron dose rates were not negligible. The workers were monitored for photon radiation using film badges (Kodak Type 2, Holder NRPB type) till the year 2000 and then TLD badges issued by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), on a monthly basis. Since the neutron dose rates measured by a rem-meter were not so high, no neutron dosemeters were issued for them. Their personal dose equivalent data for photons are kept in the National Dose Registry Information System (N.D.R.I.S.) in G.A.E.C. and were used for statistical analysis for the period from 1997 till 2004. As far as the neutrons are concerned, a Monte Carlo code was used to simulate the measuring devices and the working positions in order to calculate the neutron individual doses. (authors)

Photon and neutron doses of the personnel using moisture and density measurement devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carinou, E.; Papadomarkaki, E.; Tritakis, P.; Hourdakis, C.I.; Kamenopoulou, V.

2006-01-01

The objective of this study is to present the evolution of the photon doses received by the workers who use mobile devices for measuring the moisture and the density in various materials and to estimate the neutron doses. The workers employed in more than 30 construction companies in Greece were 76 in 2004. The devices used for that purpose incorporate a 137 Cs source for density measurements and an 241 Am-Be source for moisture measurements of soil, asphalt or concrete. Photon and neutron measurements were performed occasionally during the on site inspections. The results of the measurements showed that the photon and neutron dose rates were not negligible. The workers were monitored for photon radiation using film badges (Kodak Type 2, Holder NRPB type) till the year 2000 and then TLD badges issued by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), on a monthly basis. Since the neutron dose rates measured by a rem-meter were not so high, no neutron dosemeters were issued for them. Their personal dose equivalent data for photons are kept in the National Dose Registry Information System (N.D.R.I.S.) in G.A.E.C. and were used for statistical analysis for the period from 1997 till 2004. As far as the neutrons are concerned, a Monte Carlo code was used to simulate the measuring devices and the working positions in order to calculate the neutron individual doses. (authors)

Holocene moisture variations over the arid central Asia revealed by a comprehensive sand-dune record from the central Tian Shan, NW China