High-Entropy Alloys in Hexagonal Close-Packed Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, M. C.; Zhang, B.; Guo, S. M.; Qiao, J. W.; Hawk, J. A.

2016-07-01

The microstructures and properties of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) based on the face-centered cubic and body-centered cubic structures have been studied extensively in the literature, but reports on HEAs in the hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structure are very limited. Using an efficient strategy in combining phase diagram inspection, CALPHAD modeling, and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, a variety of new compositions are suggested that may hold great potentials in forming single-phase HCP HEAs that comprise rare earth elements and transition metals, respectively. Experimental verification was carried out on CoFeReRu and CoReRuV using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersion spectroscopy.

Online dynamic equalization adjustment of high-power lithium-ion battery packs based on the state of balance estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Shunli; Shang, Liping; Li, Zhanfeng; Deng, Hu; Li, Jianchao

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A novel concept (SOB, State of Balance) is proposed for the LIB pack equalization. • Core parameter detection and filtering is analyzed to identify the LIB pack behavior. • The electrical UKF model is adopted for the online dynamic estimation. • The equalization target model is built based on the optimum preference. • Comprehensive imbalance state calculation is implemented for the adjustment. - Abstract: A novel concept named as state of balance (SOB) is proposed and its online dynamic estimation method is presented for the high-power lithium-ion battery (LIB) packs, based on which the online dynamic equalization adjustment is realized aiming to protect the operation safety of its power supply application. The core parameter detection method based on the specific moving average algorithm is studied because of their identical varying characteristics on the individual cells due to the manufacturing variability and other factors, affecting the performance of the high-power LIB pack. The SOB estimation method is realized with the detailed deduction, in which a dual filter consisting of the Unscented Kalman filter (UKF), equivalent circuit model (ECM) and open circuit voltage (OCV) is used in order to predict the SOB state. It is beneficial for the energy operation and the energy performance state can be evaluated online prior to the adjustment method based on the terminal voltage consistency. The energy equalization is realized that is based on the credibility reasoning together with the equalization model building process. The experiments including the core parameter detection, SOB estimation and equalization adjustment are done and the experimental results are analyzed. The experiment results show that the numerical Coulomb efficiency is bigger than 95%. The cell voltage measurement error is less than 5 mV and the terminal voltage measurement error of the LIB pack is less than 1% FS. The measurement error of the battery discharge and charge

Hypostatic jammed packings of frictionless nonspherical particles

OpenAIRE

VanderWerf, Kyle; Jin, Weiwei; Shattuck, Mark D.; O'Hern, Corey S.

2017-01-01

We perform computational studies of static packings of a variety of nonspherical particles including circulo-lines, circulo-polygons, ellipses, asymmetric dimers, and dumbbells to determine which shapes form hypostatic versus isostatic packings and to understand why hypostatic packings of nonspherical particles can be mechanically stable despite having fewer contacts than that predicted from na\\"ive constraint counting. To generate highly accurate force- and torque-balanced packings of circul...

Integral transport multiregion geometrical shadowing factor for the approximate collision probability matrix calculation of infinite closely packed lattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jowzani-Moghaddam, A.

1981-01-01

An integral transport method of calculating the geometrical shadowing factor in multiregion annular cells for infinite closely packed lattices in cylindrical geometry is developed. This analytical method has been programmed in the TPGS code. This method is based upon a consideration of the properties of the integral transport method for a nonuniform body, which together with Bonalumi's approximations allows the determination of the approximate multiregion collision probability matrix for infinite closely packed lattices with sufficient accuracy. The multiregion geometrical shadowing factors have been calculated for variations in fuel pin annular segment rings in a geometry of annular cells. These shadowing factors can then be used in the calculation of neutron transport from one annulus to another in an infinite lattice. The result of this new geometrical shadowing and collision probability matrix are compared with the Dancoff-Ginsburg correction and the probability matrix using constant shadowing on Yankee fuel elements in an infinite lattice. In these cases the Dancoff-Ginsburg correction factor and collision probability matrix using constant shadowing are in difference by at most 6.2% and 6%, respectively

A Quantitative Study on Packing Density and Pozzolanic Activity of Cementitious Materials Based on the Compaction Packing Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Jianqing; Chou, Kai; Huang, Zheng Yu; Zhao, Minghua

2014-01-01

A brief introduction to the theoretical basis of compaction packing model (CPM) and an over-view of the principle of the specific strength method provided the starting point of this study. Then, research on quantitative relations was carried out to find the correlation between the contribution rate of the pozzolanic activity and the contribution value of packing density when CPM was applied to fine powder mixture systems. The concept of the contribution value of the packing density being in direct correspondence with the contribution rate was proved by the compressive strength results and SEM images. The results indicated that the variation rule of the contribution rate of the pozzolanic activity is similar to that of the contribution value of packing density as calculated by CPM. This means the contribution value of the packing density could approximately simulate the change tendency of the contribution rate of the pozzolanic activity, which is of significant value for the future of mix designs for high and ultra-high performance concrete

A Recursive Formulation of Cholesky Factorization of a Matrix in Packed Storage Format

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Bjarne Stig; Gustavson, Fred; Wasniewski, Jerzy

2001-01-01

. Algorithm RPC is based on level-3 BLAS and requires variants of algorithms {\\$\\backslash\\$bf TRSM} and {\\$\\backslash\\$bf SYRK} that work on RPF. We call these {\\$\\backslash\\$bf RP\\$\\backslash\\$\\_TRSM} and {\\$\\backslash\\$bf RP\\$\\backslash\\$\\_SYRK} and find that they do most of their work by calling...... matrix. Second, RPC gives a level-3 implementation of Cholesky factorization whereas standard packed implementations are only level 2. Hence, the performance of our RPC implementation is decidedly superior. Third, unlike fixed block size algorithms, RPC requires no block size tuning parameter. We present...

Heavy metals in the snow pack of Semey town

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panin, M.S.; Esenzholova, A.Zh.; Toropov, A.S.

2008-01-01

The data about the maintenance of heavy metals in the snow pack in various zones of Semey and biogeochemical operation factors of snow pack in Semey are presented in this work. Also the correlation connection between elements is calculated.

Comparative examination of the microstructure and high temperature oxidation performance of NiCrBSi flame sprayed and pack cementation coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Chaliampalias, D.; Vourlias, G.; Pavlidou, E.; Skolianos, S.; Chrissafis, K.; Stergioudis, G.

2009-01-01

Coatings formed from NiCrBSi powder were deposited by thermal spray and pack cementation processes on low carbon steel. The microstructure and morphology of the coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Flame sprayed coatings exhibited high porosity and were mechanically bonded to the substrate while pack cementation coatings were more compact and chemically bonded to the substrate. The microhardness and the high temperature oxidation resistance of the coated samples were evaluated by a Vickers microhardness tester and by thermogravimetric measurements (TG), respectively. Pack cementation coatings showed higher hardness and were more protective to high temperature environments than the flame sprayed coatings.

Max–min Bin Packing Algorithm and its application in nano-particles filling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Dingju

2016-01-01

With regard to existing bin packing algorithms, higher packing efficiency often leads to lower packing speed while higher packing speed leads to lower packing efficiency. Packing speed and packing efficiency of existing bin packing algorithms including NFD, NF, FF, FFD, BF and BFD correlates negatively with each other, thus resulting in the failure of existing bin packing algorithms to satisfy the demand of nano-particles filling for both high speed and high efficiency. The paper provides a new bin packing algorithm, Max–min Bin Packing Algorithm (MM), which realizes both high packing speed and high packing efficiency. MM has the same packing speed as NFD (whose packing speed ranks no. 1 among existing bin packing algorithms); in case that the size repetition rate of objects to be packed is over 5, MM can realize almost the same packing efficiency as BFD (whose packing efficiency ranks No. 1 among existing bin packing algorithms), and in case that the size repetition rate of objects to be packed is over 500, MM can achieve exactly the same packing efficiency as BFD. With respect to application of nano-particles filling, the size repetition rate of nano particles to be packed is usually in thousands or ten thousands, far higher than 5 or 500. Consequently, in application of nano-particles filling, the packing efficiency of MM is exactly equal to that of BFD. Thus the irreconcilable conflict between packing speed and packing efficiency is successfully removed by MM, which leads to MM having better packing effect than any existing bin packing algorithm. In practice, there are few cases when the size repetition of objects to be packed is lower than 5. Therefore the MM is not necessarily limited to nano-particles filling, and can also be widely used in other applications besides nano-particles filling. Especially, MM has significant value in application of nano-particles filling such as nano printing and nano tooth filling.

Prevention and suppression of metal packing fires.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Mark; Rogers, William J; Sam Mannan, M; Ostrowski, Scott W

2003-11-14

Structured packing has been widely used because of large surface area that makes possible columns with high capacity and efficiency. The large surface area also contributes to fire hazards because of hydrocarbon deposits that can easily combust and promote combustion of the thin metal packing materials. Materials of high surface area that can fuel fires include reactive metals, such as titanium, and materials that are not considered combustible, such as stainless steel. Column design and material selection for packing construction is discussed together with employee training and practices for safe column maintenance and operations. Presented also are methods and agents for suppression of metal fires. Guidance for prevention and suppression of metal fires is related to incidents involving packing fires in columns.

An on-line estimation of battery pack parameters and state-of-charge using dual filters based on pack model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xu; Wang, Yujie; Yang, Duo; Chen, Zonghai

2016-01-01

Accurate estimation of battery pack state-of-charge plays a very important role for electric vehicles, which directly reflects the behavior of battery pack usage. However, the inconsistency of battery makes the estimation of battery pack state-of-charge different from single cell. In this paper, to estimate the battery pack state-of-charge on-line, the definition of battery pack is proposed, and the relationship between the total available capacity of battery pack and single cell is put forward to analyze the energy efficiency influenced by battery inconsistency, then a lumped parameter battery model is built up to describe the dynamic behavior of battery pack. Furthermore, the extend Kalman filter-unscented Kalman filter algorithm is developed to identify the parameters of battery pack and forecast state-of-charge concurrently. The extend Kalman filter is applied to update the battery pack parameters by real-time measured data, while the unscented Kalman filter is employed to estimate the battery pack state-of-charge. Finally, the proposed approach is verified by experiments operated on the lithium-ion battery under constant current condition and the dynamic stress test profiles. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method can estimate the battery pack state-of-charge with high accuracy. - Highlights: • A novel space state equation is built to describe the pack dynamic behavior. • The dual filters method is used to estimate the pack state-of-charge. • Battery inconsistency is considered to analyze the pack usage efficiency. • The accuracy of the proposed method is verified under different conditions.

Radiative-Transfer Modeling of Spectra of Densely Packed Particulate Media

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, G.; Mishchenko, M. I.; Glotch, T. D.

2017-12-01

Remote sensing measurements over a wide range of wavelengths from both ground- and space-based platforms have provided a wealth of data regarding the surfaces and atmospheres of various solar system bodies. With proper interpretations, important properties, such as composition and particle size, can be inferred. However, proper interpretation of such datasets can often be difficult, especially for densely packed particulate media with particle sizes on the order of wavelength of light being used for remote sensing. Radiative transfer theory has often been applied to the study of densely packed particulate media like planetary regoliths and snow, but with difficulty, and here we continue to investigate radiative transfer modeling of spectra of densely packed media. We use the superposition T-matrix method to compute scattering properties of clusters of particles and capture the near-field effects important for dense packing. Then, the scattering parameters from the T-matrix computations are modified with the static structure factor correction, accounting for the dense packing of the clusters themselves. Using these corrected scattering parameters, reflectance (or emissivity via Kirchhoff's Law) is computed with the method of invariance imbedding solution to the radiative transfer equation. For this work we modeled the emissivity spectrum of the 3.3 µm particle size fraction of enstatite, representing some common mineralogical and particle size components of regoliths, in the mid-infrared wavelengths (5 - 50 µm). The modeled spectrum from the T-matrix method with static structure factor correction using moderate packing densities (filling factors of 0.1 - 0.2) produced better fits to the laboratory measurement of corresponding spectrum than the spectrum modeled by the equivalent method without static structure factor correction. Future work will test the method of the superposition T-matrix and static structure factor correction combination for larger particles

High thermal performance lithium-ion battery pack including hybrid active–passive thermal management system for using in hybrid/electric vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fathabadi, Hassan

2014-01-01

In this study, a novel Li-ion battery pack design including hybrid active–passive thermal management system is presented. The battery pack is suitable for using in hybrid/electric vehicles. Active part of the hybrid thermal management system uses distributed thin ducts, air flow and natural convection as cooling media while the passive part utilizes phase change material/expanded graphite composite (PCM/EG) as cooling/heating component to optimize the thermal performance of the proposed battery pack. High melting enthalpy of PCM/EG composite together with melting of PCM/EG composite at the temperature of 58.9 °C remains the temperature distribution of the battery units in the desired temperature range (below 60 °C). The temperature and voltage distributions in the proposed battery pack design consisting of battery units, distributed thin ducts and PCM/EG composite are calculated by numerical solving of the related partial differential equations. Simulation results obtained by writing M-files code in Matlab environment and plotting the numerical data are presented to validate the theoretical results. A comparison between the thermal and physical characteristics of the proposed battery pack and other latest works is presented that explicitly proves the battery pack performance. - Highlights: • Novel Li-ion battery pack including active and passive thermal management systems. • The battery pack has high thermal performance for ambient temperatures until 55 °C. • Uniform temperature and voltage distributions. • The maximum observed temperature in each battery unit is less than other works. • The maximum temperature dispersion in each battery is less than other works

Sorption-capacity limited retardation of radionuclides transport in water-saturated packing materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pescatore, C.; Sullivan, T.

1984-01-01

Radionuclides breakthrough times as calculated through constant retardation factors obtained in dilute solutions are non-conservative. The constant retardation approach regards the solid as having infinite sorption capacity throughout the solid. However, as the solid become locally saturated, such as in the proximity of the waste form-packing materials interface, it will exhibit no retardation properties, and transport will take place as if the radionuclides were locally non-reactive. The magnitude of the effect of finite sorption capacity of the packing materials on radionuclide transport is discussed with reference to high-level waste package performance. An example based on literature sorption data indicated that the breakthrough time may be overpredicted by orders of magnitude using a constant retardation factor as compared to using the entire sorption isotherm to obtain a concentration-dependent retardation factor. 8 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

Sorption-capacity limited retardation of radionuclides transport in water-saturated packing materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pescatore, C.; Sullivan, T.

1984-01-01

Radionuclides breakthrough times as calculated through constant retardation factors obtained in dilute solutions are non-conservative. The constant retardation approach regards the solid as having infinite sorption capacity throughout the solid. However, as the solid becomes locally saturated, such as in the proximity of the waste form-packing materials interface, it will exhibit no retardation properties, and transport will take place as if the radionuclides were locally non-reactive. The magnitude of the effect of finite sorption capacity of the packing materials on radionuclide transport is discussed with reference to high-level waste package performance. An example based on literature sorption data indicates that the breakthrough time may be overpredicted by orders of magnitude using a constant retardation factor as compared to using the entire sorption isotherm to obtain a concentration-dependent retardation factor. 8 references, 3 figures, 3 tables

The function of packing materials in a high-level nuclear waste repository and some candidate materials: Salt Repository Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunnell, L.R.; Shade, J.W.

1987-03-01

Packing materials should be included in waste package design for a high-level nuclear waste repository in salt. A packing material barrier would increase confidence in the waste package by alleviating possible shortcomings in the present design and prolonging confinement capabilities. Packing materials have been studied for uses in other geologic repositories; appropriately chosen, they would enhance the confinement capabilities of salt repository waste packages in several ways. Benefits of packing materials include retarding or chemically modifying brines to reduce corrosion of the waste package, providing good thermal conductivity between the waste package and host rock, retarding or absorbing radionuclides, and reducing the massiveness of the waste package. These benefits are available at low percentage of total repository cost, if the packing material is properly chosen and used. Several candidate materials are being considered, including oxides, hydroxides, silicates, cement-based mixtures, and clay mixtures. 18 refs

Optimal Packed String Matching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ben-Kiki, Oren; Bille, Philip; Breslauer, Dany

2011-01-01

In the packed string matching problem, each machine word accommodates – characters, thus an n-character text occupies n/– memory words. We extend the Crochemore-Perrin constantspace O(n)-time string matching algorithm to run in optimal O(n/–) time and even in real-time, achieving a factor – speed...

Tunable random packings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lumay, G; Vandewalle, N

2007-01-01

We present an experimental protocol that allows one to tune the packing fraction η of a random pile of ferromagnetic spheres from a value close to the lower limit of random loose packing η RLP ≅0.56 to the upper limit of random close packing η RCP ≅0.64. This broad range of packing fraction values is obtained under normal gravity in air, by adjusting a magnetic cohesion between the grains during the formation of the pile. Attractive and repulsive magnetic interactions are found to affect stongly the internal structure and the stability of sphere packing. After the formation of the pile, the induced cohesion is decreased continuously along a linear decreasing ramp. The controlled collapse of the pile is found to generate various and reproducible values of the random packing fraction η

Fast charge implications: Pack and cell analysis and comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Tanim, Tanvir R.; Shirk, Matthew G.; Bewley, Randy L.; Dufek, Eric J.; Liaw, Bor Yann

2018-03-01

This study investigates the effect of 50-kW (about 2C) direct current fast charging on a full-size battery electric vehicle's battery pack in comparison to a pack exclusively charged at 3.3 kW, which is the common alternating current Level 2 charging power level. Comparable scaled charging protocols are also independently applied to individual cells at three different temperatures, 20 °C, 30 °C, and 40 °C, to perform a comparative analysis with the packs. Dominant cell-level aging modes were identified through incremental capacity analysis and compared with full packs to gain a clear understanding of additional key factors that affect pack aging. While the cell-level study showed a minor impact on performance due to direct current fast charging, the packs showed a significantly higher rate of capacity fade under similar charging protocols. This indicates that pack-level aging cannot be directly extrapolated from cell evaluation. Delayed fast charging, completing shortly before discharge, was found to have less of an impact on battery degradation than conventional alternating current Level 2 charging.

Hyperkalemia after irradiation of packed red blood cells: Possible effects with intravascular fetal transfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorp, J.A.; Plapp, F.V.; Cohen, G.R.; Yeast, J.D.; O'Kell, R.T.; Stephenson, S.

1990-01-01

Plasma potassium, calcium, and albumin concentrations in irradiated blood, and in fetal blood before and after transfusion, were measured. Dangerously high plasma potassium levels were observed in some units of irradiated packed red blood cells (range, 13.9 to 66.5 mEq/L; mean, 44.7 mEq/L) and could be one possible explanation for the high incidence of fetal arrhythmia associated with fetal intravascular transfusion. There are many factors operative in the preparation of irradiated packed red blood cells that may predispose to high potassium levels: the age of the red blood cells, the number of procedures used to concentrate the blood, the duration of time elapsed from concentration, the duration of time elapsed from irradiation, and the hematocrit. Use of fresh blood, avoidance of multiple packing procedures, limiting the hematocrit in the donor unit to less than or equal to 80%, and minimizing the time between concentration, irradiation and transfusion may minimize the potassium levels, and therefore making an additional washing procedure unnecessary

Hypostatic jammed packings of frictionless nonspherical particles

Science.gov (United States)

VanderWerf, Kyle; Jin, Weiwei; Shattuck, Mark D.; O'Hern, Corey S.

2018-01-01

We perform computational studies of static packings of a variety of nonspherical particles including circulo-lines, circulo-polygons, ellipses, asymmetric dimers, dumbbells, and others to determine which shapes form packings with fewer contacts than degrees of freedom (hypostatic packings) and which have equal numbers of contacts and degrees of freedom (isostatic packings), and to understand why hypostatic packings of nonspherical particles can be mechanically stable despite having fewer contacts than that predicted from naive constraint counting. To generate highly accurate force- and torque-balanced packings of circulo-lines and cir-polygons, we developed an interparticle potential that gives continuous forces and torques as a function of the particle coordinates. We show that the packing fraction and coordination number at jamming onset obey a masterlike form for all of the nonspherical particle packings we studied when plotted versus the particle asphericity A , which is proportional to the ratio of the squared perimeter to the area of the particle. Further, the eigenvalue spectra of the dynamical matrix for packings of different particle shapes collapse when plotted at the same A . For hypostatic packings of nonspherical particles, we verify that the number of "quartic" modes along which the potential energy increases as the fourth power of the perturbation amplitude matches the number of missing contacts relative to the isostatic value. We show that the fourth derivatives of the total potential energy in the directions of the quartic modes remain nonzero as the pressure of the packings is decreased to zero. In addition, we calculate the principal curvatures of the inequality constraints for each contact in circulo-line packings and identify specific types of contacts with inequality constraints that possess convex curvature. These contacts can constrain multiple degrees of freedom and allow hypostatic packings of nonspherical particles to be mechanically

Pt-catalyzed ozonation of aqueous phenol solution using high-gravity rotating packed bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Chia-Chi; Chiu, Chun-Yu; Chang, Ching-Yuan; Chang, Chiung-Fen; Chen, Yi-Hung; Ji, Dar-Ren; Tseng, Jyi-Yeong; Yu, Yue-Hwa

2009-01-01

In this study, a high-gravity rotating packed bed (HGRPB or HG) was used as a catalytic ozonation (Cat-OZ) reactor to decompose phenol. The operation of HGRPB system was carried out in a semi-batch apparatus which combines two major parts, namely the rotating packed bed (RPB) and photo-reactor (PR). The high rotating speed of RPB can give a high volumetric gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient with one or two orders of magnitude higher than those in the conventional packed beds. The platinum-containing catalyst (Dash 220N, Pt/γ-Al 2 O 3 ) and activated alumina (γ-Al 2 O 3 ) were packed in the RPB respectively to adsorb molecular ozone and the target pollutant of phenol on the surface to catalyze the oxidation of phenol. An ultra violet (UV) lamp (applicable wavelength λ = 200-280 nm) was installed in the PR to enhance the self-decomposition of molecular ozone in water to form high reactive radical species. Different combinations of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) with the HGRPB for the degradation of phenol were tested. These included high-gravity OZ (HG-OZ), HG catalytic OZ (HG-Cat-OZ), HG photolysis OZ (HG-UV-OZ) and HG-Cat-OZ with UV (HG-Cat-UV-OZ). The decomposition efficiency of total organic compound (η TOC ) of HG-UV-OZ with power of UV (P UV ) of 16 W is 54% at applied dosage of ozone per volume sample m A,in = 1200 mg L -1 (reaction time t = 20 min), while that of HG-OZ without the UV irradiation is 24%. After 80 min oxidation (m A,in = 4800 mg L -1 ), the η TOC of HG-UV-OZ is as high as 94% compared to 82% of HG-OZ process. The values of η TOC for HG-Cat-OZ process with m S = 42 g are 56% and 87% at m A,in = 1200 and 4800 mg L -1 , respectively. By increasing the catalyst mass to 77 g, the η TOC for the HG-Cat-OZ process reaches 71% and 90% at m A,in = 1200 and 4800 mg L -1 , respectively. The introduction of Pt/γ-Al 2 O 3 as well as UV irradiation in the HG-OZ process can enhance the η TOC of phenol significantly, while γ-Al 2 O 3 exhibits

Discovering Innovation at the Intersection of Undergraduate Medical Education, Human Factors, and Collaboration: The Development of a Nasogastric Tube Safety Pack.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Natalie; Bamford, Thomas; Haindl, Cornelia; Cracknell, Alison

2016-04-01

Significant deficiencies exist in the knowledge and skills of medical students and residents around health care quality and safety. The theory and practice of quality and safety should be embedded into undergraduate medical practice so that health care professionals are capable of developing interventions and innovations to effectively anticipate and mitigate errors. Since 2011, Leeds Medical School in the United Kingdom has used case study examples of nasogastric (NG) tube patient safety incidents within the undergraduate patient safety curriculum. In 2012, a medical undergraduate student approached a clinician with an innovative idea after undertaking an NG tubes root cause analysis case study. Simultaneously, a separate local project demonstrated low compliance (11.6%) with the United Kingdom's National Patient Safety Agency NG tubes guideline for use of the correct method to check tube position. These separate endeavors led to interdisciplinary collaboration between a medical student, health care professionals, researchers, and industry to develop the Initial Placement Nasogastric Tube Safety Pack. Human factors engineering was used to inform pack design to allow guideline recommendations to be accessible and easy to follow. A timeline of product development, mapped against key human factors and medical device design principles used throughout the process, is presented. The safety pack has since been launched in five UK National Health Service (NHS) hospitals, and the pack has been introduced into health care professional staff training for NG tubes. A mixed-methods evaluation is currently under way in five NHS organizations.

The investigation of cooling tower packing in various arrangements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golshayshi, H.R.; Missenden, J.F.

1998-01-01

The effect of form with corrugated packing on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics in atmospheric cooling towers has been studied experimentally. The results showed that the heat transfer coefficient decreased with increase in packing pitch and increase in the ratio of rib pitch to rib height. Friction factors were expressed by a dimensional equation which included pitch and distance between the packings, for both smooth and rough surface. From these results, the relationship between packing heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop was deduced. The correlations were verified with additional experimental data taken with 1.1,P/D p /e 5 . This provides a useful semi experimental relation, in the area generally lacking in design and performance data. (author)

A novel approach of battery pack state of health estimation using artificial intelligence optimization algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xu; Wang, Yujie; Liu, Chang; Chen, Zonghai

2018-02-01

An accurate battery pack state of health (SOH) estimation is important to characterize the dynamic responses of battery pack and ensure the battery work with safety and reliability. However, the different performances in battery discharge/charge characteristics and working conditions in battery pack make the battery pack SOH estimation difficult. In this paper, the battery pack SOH is defined as the change of battery pack maximum energy storage. It contains all the cells' information including battery capacity, the relationship between state of charge (SOC) and open circuit voltage (OCV), and battery inconsistency. To predict the battery pack SOH, the method of particle swarm optimization-genetic algorithm is applied in battery pack model parameters identification. Based on the results, a particle filter is employed in battery SOC and OCV estimation to avoid the noise influence occurring in battery terminal voltage measurement and current drift. Moreover, a recursive least square method is used to update cells' capacity. Finally, the proposed method is verified by the profiles of New European Driving Cycle and dynamic test profiles. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method can estimate the battery states with high accuracy for actual operation. In addition, the factors affecting the change of SOH is analyzed.

Microbiological Quality of Blister Pack Tablets in Community ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Keywords: Blister pack, Community pharmacy, Good Manufacturing Practice, Microbial contamination,. Quality control ... High levels of microbial contamination in blister-packed tablets ... and their drugs approved by the Jordan Food and Drug ...

A real-time insulation detection method for battery packs used in electric vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Jiaqiang; Wang, Yujie; Yang, Duo; Zhang, Xu; Chen, Zonghai

2018-05-01

Due to the energy crisis and environmental pollution, electric vehicles have become more and more popular. Compared to traditional fuel vehicles, the electric vehicles are integrated with more high-voltage components, which have potential security risks of insulation. The insulation resistance between the chassis and the direct current bus of the battery pack is easily affected by factors such as temperature, humidity and vibration. In order to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the electric vehicles, it is necessary to detect the insulation resistance of the battery pack. This paper proposes an insulation detection scheme based on low-frequency signal injection method. Considering the insulation detector which can be easily affected by noises, the algorithm based on Kalman filter is proposed. Moreover, the battery pack is always in the states of charging and discharging during driving, which will lead to frequent changes in the voltage of the battery pack and affect the estimation accuracy of insulation detector. Therefore the recursive least squares algorithm is adopted to solve the problem that the detection results of insulation detector mutate with the voltage of the battery pack. The performance of the proposed method is verified by dynamic and static experiments.

Multi-Node Thermal System Model for Lithium-Ion Battery Packs: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Ying; Smith, Kandler; Wood, Eric; Pesaran, Ahmad

2015-09-14

Temperature is one of the main factors that controls the degradation in lithium ion batteries. Accurate knowledge and control of cell temperatures in a pack helps the battery management system (BMS) to maximize cell utilization and ensure pack safety and service life. In a pack with arrays of cells, a cells temperature is not only affected by its own thermal characteristics but also by its neighbors, the cooling system and pack configuration, which increase the noise level and the complexity of cell temperatures prediction. This work proposes to model lithium ion packs thermal behavior using a multi-node thermal network model, which predicts the cell temperatures by zones. The model was parametrized and validated using commercial lithium-ion battery packs. neighbors, the cooling system and pack configuration, which increase the noise level and the complexity of cell temperatures prediction. This work proposes to model lithium ion packs thermal behavior using a multi-node thermal network model, which predicts the cell temperatures by zones. The model was parametrized and validated using commercial lithium-ion battery packs.

High throughput photo-oxidations in a packed bed reactor system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Caleb J; Fisher, Daniel; Desai, Bimbisar K; Yang, Yuan; Ahmad, Saeed; Belecki, Katherine; Gupton, B Frank

2017-12-01

The efficiency gains produced by continuous-flow systems in conducting photochemical transformations have been extensively demonstrated. Recently, these systems have been used in developing safe and efficient methods for photo-oxidations using singlet oxygen generated by photosensitizers. Much of the previous work has focused on the use of homogeneous photocatalysts. The development of a unique, packed-bed photoreactor system using immobilized rose bengal expands these capabilities as this robust photocatalyst allows access to and elaboration from these highly useful building blocks without the need for further purification. With this platform we were able to demonstrate a wide scope of singlet oxygen ene, [4+2] cycloadditions and heteroatom oxidations. Furthermore, we applied this method as a strategic element in the synthesis of the high-volume antimalarial artemisinin. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Low Density of Top Predators (Seabirds and Marine Mammals in the High Arctic Pack Ice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claude R. Joiris

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The at-sea distribution of top predators, seabirds and marine mammals, was determined in the high Arctic pack ice on board the icebreaker RV Polarstern in July to September 2014. In total, 1,620 transect counts were realised, lasting 30 min each. The five most numerous seabird species represented 74% of the total of 15,150 individuals registered: kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, puffin Fratercula arctica, Ross’s gull Rhodostethia rosea, and little auk Alle alle. Eight cetacean species were tallied for a total of 330 individuals, mainly white-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris and fin whale Balaenoptera physalus. Five pinniped species were represented by a total of 55 individuals and the polar bear Ursus maritimus was represented by 12 individuals. Four main geographical zones were identified: from Tromsø to the outer marginal ice zone (OMIZ, the Arctic pack ice (close pack ice, CPI, the end of Lomonosov Ridge off Siberia, and the route off Siberia and northern Norway. Important differences were detected between zones, both in species composition and in individual abundance. Low numbers of species and high proportion of individuals for some of them can be considered to reflect very low biodiversity. Numbers encountered in zones 2 to 4 were very low in comparison with other European Arctic seas. The observed differences showed strong patterns.

Enabling Microliquid Chromatography by Microbead Packing of Microchannels

Science.gov (United States)

Balvin, Manuel; Zheng, Yun

2014-01-01

The microbead packing is the critical element required in the success of on-chip microfabrication of critical microfluidic components for in-situ analysis and detection of chiral amino acids. In order for microliquid chromatography to occur, there must be a stationary phase medium within the microchannel that interacts with the analytes present within flowing fluid. The stationary phase media are the microbeads packed by the process discussed in this work. The purpose of the microliquid chromatography is to provide a lightweight, low-volume, and low-power element to separate amino acids and their chiral partners efficiently to understand better the origin of life. In order to densely pack microbeads into the microchannels, a liquid slurry of microbeads was created. Microbeads were extracted from a commercially available high-performance liquid chromatography column. The silica beads extracted were 5 microns in diameter, and had surface coating of phenyl-hexyl. These microbeads were mixed with a 200- proof ethanol solution to create a microbead slurry with the right viscosity for packing. A microfilter is placed at the outlet via of the microchannel and the slurry is injected, then withdrawn across a filter using modified syringes. After each injection, the channel is flushed with ethanol to enhance packing. This cycle is repeated numerous times to allow for a tightly packed channel of microbeads. Typical microbead packing occurs in the macroscale into tubes or channels by using highly pressurized systems. Moreover, these channels are typically long and straight without any turns or curves. On the other hand, this method of microbead packing is completed within a microchannel 75 micrometers in diameter. Moreover, the microbead packing is completed into a serpentine type microchannel, such that it maximizes microchannel length within a microchip. Doing so enhances the interactions of the analytes with the microbeads to separate efficiently amino acids and amino acid

Porous structure analysis of large-scale randomly packed pebble bed in high temperature gas-cooled reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, Cheng; Yang, Xingtuan; Liu, Zhiyong; Sun, Yanfei; Jiang, Shengyao [Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China). Key Laboratory of Advanced Reactor Engineering and Safety; Li, Congxin [Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People' s Republic of China, Beijing (China). Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center

2015-02-15

A three-dimensional pebble bed corresponding to the randomly packed bed in the heat transfer test facility built for the High Temperature Reactor Pebble bed Modules (HTR-PM) in Shandong Shidaowan is simulated via discrete element method. Based on the simulation, we make a detailed analysis on the packing structure of the pebble bed from several aspects, such as transverse section image, longitudinal section image, radial and axial porosity distributions, two-dimensional porosity distribution and coordination number distribution. The calculation results show that radial distribution of porosity is uniform in the center and oscillates near the wall; axial distribution of porosity oscillates near the bottom and linearly varies along height due to effect of gravity; the average coordination number is about seven and equals to the maximum coordination number frequency. The fully established three-dimensional packing structure analysis of the pebble bed in this work is of fundamental significance to understand the flow and heat transfer characteristics throughout the pebble-bed type structure.

Coalescence preference in dense packing of bubbles

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yeseul; Gim, Bopil; Gim, Bopil; Weon, Byung Mook

2015-11-01

Coalescence preference is the tendency that a merged bubble from the contact of two original bubbles (parent) tends to be near to the bigger parent. Here, we show that the coalescence preference can be blocked by densely packing of neighbor bubbles. We use high-speed high-resolution X-ray microscopy to clearly visualize individual coalescence phenomenon which occurs in micro scale seconds and inside dense packing of microbubbles with a local packing fraction of ~40%. Previous theory and experimental evidence predict a power of -5 between the relative coalescence position and the parent size. However, our new observation for coalescence preference in densely packed microbubbles shows a different power of -2. We believe that this result may be important to understand coalescence dynamics in dense packing of soft matter. This work (NRF-2013R1A22A04008115) was supported by Mid-career Researcher Program through NRF grant funded by the MEST and also was supported by Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (2009-0082580) and by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry and Education, Science and Technology (NRF-2012R1A6A3A04039257).

Measured Black Carbon Deposition on the Sierra Nevada Snow Pack and Implication for Snow Pack Retreat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hadley, O.L.; Corrigan, C.E.; Kirchstetter, T.W.; Cliff, S.S.; Ramanathan, V.

2010-01-12

Modeling studies show that the darkening of snow and ice by black carbon deposition is a major factor for the rapid disappearance of arctic sea ice, mountain glaciers and snow packs. This study provides one of the first direct measurements for the efficient removal of black carbon from the atmosphere by snow and its subsequent deposition to the snow packs of California. The early melting of the snow packs in the Sierras is one of the contributing factors to the severe water problems in California. BC concentrations in falling snow were measured at two mountain locations and in rain at a coastal site. All three stations reveal large BC concentrations in precipitation, ranging from 1.7 ng/g to 12.9 ng/g. The BC concentrations in the air after the snow fall were negligible suggesting an extremely efficient removal of BC by snow. The data suggest that below cloud scavenging, rather than ice nuclei, was the dominant source of BC in the snow. A five-year comparison of BC, dust, and total fine aerosol mass concentrations at multiple sites reveals that the measurements made at the sampling sites were representative of large scale deposition in the Sierra Nevada. The relative concentration of iron and calcium in the mountain aerosol indicates that one-quarter to one-third of the BC may have been transported from Asia.

Decontamination of pesticide packing using ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duarte, C.L.; Mori, M.N.; Kodama, Yasko; Oikawa, H.; Sampa, M.H.O.

2007-01-01

The Brazilian agriculture activities have consumed about 288,000 tons of pesticides per year conditioned in about 107,000,000 packing with weight of approximately 23,000 tons. The discharge of empty plastic packing of pesticides can be an environmental concern causing problems to human health, animals, and plants if done without inspection and monitoring. The objective of this work is to study the ionizing radiation effect in the main pesticides used in Brazil for plastic packing decontamination. Among the commercial pesticides, chlorpyrifos has significant importance because of its wide distribution and extensive use and persistence. The radiation-induced degradation of chlorpyrifos in liquid samples and in polyethylene pack was studied by gamma radiolysis. Packing of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) three layer coextruded, named COEX, contaminated with chlorpyrifos, were irradiated using both a multipurpose Co-60 gamma irradiator and a gamma source with 5000 Ci total activity Gamma cell type. The chemical analysis of the chlorpyrifos was made using a gas chromatography associated to the Mass Spectrometry-GCMS from Shimadzu Model QP 5000. Gamma radiation was efficient for removing chlorpyrifos from the plastic packing, in all studied cases

Decontamination of pesticide packing using ionizing radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duarte, C.L. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares-IPEN-CNEN/SP Av. Lineu Prestes 2.242, 05508-900, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)], E-mail: clduarte@ipen.br; Mori, M.N.; Kodama, Yasko; Oikawa, H.; Sampa, M.H.O. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares-IPEN-CNEN/SP Av. Lineu Prestes 2.242, 05508-900, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2007-11-15

The Brazilian agriculture activities have consumed about 288,000 tons of pesticides per year conditioned in about 107,000,000 packing with weight of approximately 23,000 tons. The discharge of empty plastic packing of pesticides can be an environmental concern causing problems to human health, animals, and plants if done without inspection and monitoring. The objective of this work is to study the ionizing radiation effect in the main pesticides used in Brazil for plastic packing decontamination. Among the commercial pesticides, chlorpyrifos has significant importance because of its wide distribution and extensive use and persistence. The radiation-induced degradation of chlorpyrifos in liquid samples and in polyethylene pack was studied by gamma radiolysis. Packing of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) three layer coextruded, named COEX, contaminated with chlorpyrifos, were irradiated using both a multipurpose Co-60 gamma irradiator and a gamma source with 5000 Ci total activity Gamma cell type. The chemical analysis of the chlorpyrifos was made using a gas chromatography associated to the Mass Spectrometry-GCMS from Shimadzu Model QP 5000. Gamma radiation was efficient for removing chlorpyrifos from the plastic packing, in all studied cases.

Random close packing in protein cores.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaines, Jennifer C; Smith, W Wendell; Regan, Lynne; O'Hern, Corey S

2016-03-01

Shortly after the determination of the first protein x-ray crystal structures, researchers analyzed their cores and reported packing fractions ϕ ≈ 0.75, a value that is similar to close packing of equal-sized spheres. A limitation of these analyses was the use of extended atom models, rather than the more physically accurate explicit hydrogen model. The validity of the explicit hydrogen model was proved in our previous studies by its ability to predict the side chain dihedral angle distributions observed in proteins. In contrast, the extended atom model is not able to recapitulate the side chain dihedral angle distributions, and gives rise to large atomic clashes at side chain dihedral angle combinations that are highly probable in protein crystal structures. Here, we employ the explicit hydrogen model to calculate the packing fraction of the cores of over 200 high-resolution protein structures. We find that these protein cores have ϕ ≈ 0.56, which is similar to results obtained from simulations of random packings of individual amino acids. This result provides a deeper understanding of the physical basis of protein structure that will enable predictions of the effects of amino acid mutations to protein cores and interfaces of known structure.

Novel thermal management system using boiling cooling for high-powered lithium-ion battery packs for hybrid electric vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Zareer, Maan; Dincer, Ibrahim; Rosen, Marc A.

2017-09-01

A thermal management system is necessary to control the operating temperature of the lithium ion batteries in battery packs for electrical and hybrid electrical vehicles. This paper proposes a new battery thermal management system based on one type of phase change material for the battery packs in hybrid electrical vehicles and develops a three dimensional electrochemical thermal model. The temperature distributions of the batteries are investigated under various operating conditions for comparative evaluations. The proposed system boils liquid propane to remove the heat generated by the batteries, and the propane vapor is used to cool the part of the battery that is not covered with liquid propane. The effect on the thermal behavior of the battery pack of the height of the liquid propane inside the battery pack, relative to the height of the battery, is analyzed. The results show that the propane based thermal management system provides good cooling control of the temperature of the batteries under high and continuous charge and discharge cycles at 7.5C.

Assessment of pack injection cells and the relationship between hematocrit of pack cells and the increase in hematocrit in patients with thalassemia

OpenAIRE

Fekri K; Kasiri K; Jalil T; Ganji F

2017-01-01

Background and aims: The amount of injected blood in patients with thalassemia is of particular importance and the blood amount is calculated based on the exact volume of pack cell as well as their hematocrit. The aim of this study was to evaluate pack cells and the factors affecting on the amount of their hematocrit and their association with increase in hematocrit after blood injection. Methods: This is descriptive-analytical study. Characteristics including age, size, type of anticoagu...

Packing force data correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiman, S.M.

1994-01-01

One of the issues facing valve maintenance personnel today deals with an appropriate methodology for installing and setting valve packing that will minimize leak rates, yet ensure functionality of the the valve under all anticipated operating conditions. Several variables can affect a valve packing's ability to seal, such as packing bolt torque, stem finish, and lubrication. Stem frictional force can be an excellent overall indicator of some of the underlying conditions that affect the sealing characteristics of the packing and the best parameter to use when adjusting the packing. This paper addresses stem friction forces, analytically derives the equations related to these forces, presents a methodology for measuring these forces on valve stems, and attempts to correlate the data directly to the underlying variables

Sorption-enhanced water gas shift reaction for high-purity hydrogen production: Application of a Na-Mg double salt-based sorbent and the divided section packing concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chan Hyun; Lee, Ki Bong

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Na-Mg double salt-based sorbent was used for high-temperature CO 2 sorption. •Divided section packing concept was applied to the SE-WGS reaction. •High-purity H 2 was produced from the SE-WGS reaction with divided section packing. •High-purity H 2 productivity could be further enhanced by modifying packing method. -- Abstract: Hydrogen is considered a promising environmentally benign energy carrier because it has high energy density and produces no pollutants when it is converted into other types of energy. The sorption-enhanced water gas shift (SE-WGS) reaction, where the catalytic WGS reaction and byproduct CO 2 removal are carried out simultaneously in a single reactor, has received considerable attention as a novel method for high-purity hydrogen production. Since the high-purity hydrogen productivity of the SE-WGS reaction is largely dependent on the performance of the CO 2 sorbent, the development of sorbents having high CO 2 sorption capacity is crucial. Recently, a Na-Mg double salt-based sorbent has been considered for high-temperature CO 2 capture since it has been reported to have a high sorption capacity and fast sorption kinetics. In this study, the SE-WGS reaction was experimentally demonstrated using a commercial catalyst and a Na-Mg double salt-based sorbent. However, the SE-WGS reaction with a one-body hybrid solid, a physical admixture of catalyst and sorbent, showed poor reactivity and reduced CO 2 sorption uptake. As a result, a divided section packing concept was suggested as a solution. In the divided section packing method, the degree of mixing for the catalyst and sorbent in a column can be controlled by the number of sections. High-purity hydrogen (<10 ppm CO) was produced directly from the SE-WGS reaction with divided section packing, and the hydrogen productivity was further improved when the reactor column was divided into more sections and packed with more sorbent.

Characterization of metallic surfaces in phosphorous-bronze ordered packings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandru, Claudia; Titescu, Gh.

1997-01-01

Copper and its alloys, particularly the phosphorous bronze, are characterized by a high water wettability as compared with other materials. This feature led to utilization of phosphorous bronze in fabrication of contact elements, a packing type equipping the distillation columns. For heavy water separation by isotopic distillation under vacuum, ordered packings of phosphorous bronze networks were fabricated. The superior performances of these packings are determined by the material and also by the geometrical form and the state of the metallic surface. Thus, a procedure of evaluating the wettability has been developed, based on tests of the network material. The results of the tests constitute a criterion of rating the functional performances of packings, particularly of their efficiencies. Also, investigation techniques of the chemical composition and of the thickness of superficial layer on the packing were developed. It was found that the packing surface presents a layer of about 5-20 μm formed mainly by oxides of copper, tin, and, depending on the packing treatment, of oxides of other elements coming from the treatment agent. The paper presents characterization of phosphorous bronze treated with potassium permanganate, a specific treatment for improving the functional performances of the packings used in the heavy water concentration and re-concentration installations

Effects of crystalline grain size and packing ratio of self-forming core/shell nanoparticles on magnetic properties at up to GHz bands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suetsuna, Tomohiro; Suenaga, Seiichi; Sakurada, Shinya; Harada, Koichi; Tomimatsu, Maki; Takahashi, Toshihide

2011-01-01

Self-forming core/shell nanoparticles of magnetic metal/oxide with crystalline grain size of less than 40 nm were synthesized. The nanoparticles were highly concentrated in an insulating matrix to fabricate a nanocomposite, whose magnetic properties were investigated. The crystalline grain size of the nanoparticles strongly influenced the magnetic anisotropy field, magnetic coercivity, relative permeability, and loss factor (tan δ=μ''/μ') at high frequency. The packing ratio of the magnetic metallic phase in the nanocomposite also influenced those properties. High permeability with low tan δ of less than 1.5% at up to 1 GHz was obtained in the case of the nanoparticles with crystalline grain size of around 15 nm with large packing ratio of the nanoparticles. - Research highlights: → Self-forming core/shell nanoparticles of magnetic metal/oxide were synthesized. → Crystalline grain size of the nanoparticle and its packing ratio were controlled. → Magnetic properties changed according to the size and packing ratio.

American Spirit Pack Descriptors and Perceptions of Harm: A Crowdsourced Comparison of Modified Packs.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Jennifer L; Richardson, Amanda; Feirman, Shari P; Villanti, Andrea C; Cantrell, Jennifer; Cohn, Amy; Tacelosky, Michael; Kirchner, Thomas R

2016-08-01

In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration issued warnings to three tobacco manufacturers who label their cigarettes as "additive-free" and/or "natural" on the grounds that they make unauthorized reduced risk claims. The goal of this study was to examine US adults' perceptions of three American Spirit (AS) pack descriptors ("Made with Organic Tobacco," "100% Additive-Free," and "100% US Grown Tobacco") to assess if they communicate reduced risk. In September 2012, three cross-sectional surveys were posted on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Adult participants evaluated the relative harm of a Marlboro Red pack versus three different AS packs with the descriptors "Made with Organic Tobacco," "100% Additive-Free," or "100% US Grown Tobacco" (Survey 1; n = 461); a Marlboro Red pack versus these AS packs modified to exclude descriptors (Survey 2; n = 857); and unmodified versus modified AS pack images (Survey 3; n = 1001). The majority of Survey 1 participants rated the unmodified AS packs as less harmful than the Marlboro Red pack; 35.4%-58.8% of Survey 2 participants also rated the modified (no claims) packs as less harmful than Marlboro Red. In these surveys, prior use of AS cigarettes was associated with reduced perceptions of risk (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.59-2.40). "Made with Organic Tobacco" and "100% Additive-Free" were associated with reduced perceptions of risk when comparing the modified versus the unmodified AS packs (Survey 3). Data suggest that these AS pack descriptors communicate reduced harm messages to consumers. Findings have implications for regulatory actions related to product labeling and packaging. These findings provide additional evidence that the "Made with Organic Tobacco," "100% Additive-Free," and "100% US Grown" descriptors, as well as other aspects of the AS pack design, communicate reduced harm to non-, current, and former smokers. Additionally, they provide support for the importance of FDA's 2015 warning to Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company on

Friction factor for water flow through packed beds of spherical and non-spherical particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaluđerović-Radoičić Tatjana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was the experimental evaluation of different friction factor correlations for water flow through packed beds of spherical and non-spherical particles at ambient temperature. The experiments were performed by measuring the pressure drop across the bed. Packed beds made of monosized glass spherical particles of seven different diameters were used, as well as beds made of 16 fractions of quartz filtration sand obtained by sieving (polydisperse non-spherical particles. The range of bed voidages was 0.359–0.486, while the range of bed particle Reynolds numbers was from 0.3 to 286 for spherical particles and from 0.1 to 50 for non-spherical particles. The obtained results were compared using a number of available literature correlations. In order to improve the correlation results for spherical particles, a new simple equation was proposed in the form of Ergun’s equation, with modified coefficients. The new correlation had a mean absolute deviation between experimental and calculated values of pressure drop of 9.04%. For non-spherical quartz filtration sand particles the best fit was obtained using Ergun’s equation, with a mean absolute deviation of 10.36%. Surface-volume diameter (dSV necessary for correlating the data for filtration sand particles was calculated based on correlations for dV = f(dm and Ψ = f(dm. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. ON172022

Ranking factors affecting the packing of saffron from the perspective of consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arash Dorandish

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Packaging is a tool for recognition and differentiation of product and it plays a crucial role in consumers' purchasing decisions, and it can be used to create competitive advantages. Saffron is one of the most important agricultural crops in Iran and its packaging in accordance with consumer demand increases sales and satisfaction of the consumers. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to rank the factors affecting the packaging from the perspective of consumers of saffron in Mashhad. Data was collected in the form of 99 questionnaires that have been answered by the consumers of saffron in Mashhad in 2015. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP was used to rank these factors. The results showed that labeling information about internal and international standards and saffron nutrients on the package have the greatest impact on consumer preferences. Also, the results of the ranking alternatives indicated that attention to the brand labelled on the packing is the most important issue from the perspective of the consumers. Hence, labelling information elements on the package can be a good way for brand differentiation and increasing its value. According to the results, it is recommended that producers and suppliers of saffron pay more attention to features and information elements in package design.

Scottish young people's perceptions of standardised packs - a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andy Macgregor

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background Standardised cigarette packs were introduced into the UK in May 2016. Retailers could sell old stock until May 2017 after which only the sale of cigarettes and tobacco in standardised packs was allowed. As in Australia, pack shape, colour, opening mechanism and font are regulated, together with the size and position of health warnings and number of cigarettes in a pack. This paper explores Scottish young people's awareness of and views about standardised packs in Spring 2017. Methods The DISPLAY study is a five year study established to evaluate the national tobacco point-of sale (POS promotions ban in four communities in Scotland. This paper is based on the qualitative component, annual focus groups carried out with Secondary 2 (13 year olds and Secondary 4 (15 year olds students in four secondary schools. 16 groups (82 students convened in February - March 2017 explored students' perceptions of standardised packaging. Results There was a high level of awareness of standardised packs prior to their full implementation. Smokers had bought them, and they and other participants had seen them in possession of friends and family members, and in litter. Participants' views of the new packaging were generally negative, described as unappealing and depressing, particularly the pictorial health warnings. Packs were compared unfavourably with previous non-standardised versions. However, there was no consensus on their likely impact. Some participants argued that their impact would be widespread, while others thought that any impact would be confined to young non/occasional smokers and that established smokers would be unaffected. Conclusions In early 2017 young people in Scotland had high awareness and knowledge of standardised tobacco packs before their full implementation. Despite differing views about their likely impact on youth smoking, participants irrespective of smoking status overwhelmingly regarded them as unattractive and less

Direct contact condensation in packed beds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yi; Klausner, James F.; Mei, Renwei; Knight, Jessica [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States)

2006-12-15

A diffusion driven desalination process was recently described where a very effective direct contact condenser with a packed bed is used to condense water vapor out of an air/vapor mixture. A laboratory scale direct contact condenser has been fabricated as a twin tower structure with two stages, co-current and countercurrent. Experiments have been operated in each stage with respective saturated air inlet temperatures of 36, 40 and 43{sup o}C. The temperature and humidity data have been collected at the inlet and exit of the packed bed for different water to air mass flow ratios that vary between 0 and 2.5. A one-dimensional model based on conservation principles has been developed, which predicts the variation of temperature, humidity, and condensation rate through the condenser stages. Agreement between the model and experiments is very good. It is observed that the countercurrent flow stage condensation effectiveness is significantly higher than that for the co-current stage. The condensation heat and mass transfer rates were found to decrease when water blockages occur within the packed bed. Using high-speed digital cinematography, it was observed that this problem can occur at any operating condition, and is dependent on the packing surface wetting characteristics. This observation is used to explain the requirement for two different empirical constants, depending on packing diameter, suggested by Onda for the air side mass transfer coefficient correlation. (author)

Hardness of approximation for strip packing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adamaszek, Anna Maria; Kociumaka, Tomasz; Pilipczuk, Marcin

2017-01-01

Strip packing is a classical packing problem, where the goal is to pack a set of rectangular objects into a strip of a given width, while minimizing the total height of the packing. The problem has multiple applications, for example, in scheduling and stock-cutting, and has been studied extensively......)-approximation by two independent research groups [FSTTCS 2016,WALCOM 2017]. This raises a questionwhether strip packing with polynomially bounded input data admits a quasi-polynomial time approximation scheme, as is the case for related twodimensional packing problems like maximum independent set of rectangles or two...

Modified strip packing heuristics for the rectangular variable-sized bin packing problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FG Ortmann

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Two packing problems are considered in this paper, namely the well-known strip packing problem (SPP and the variable-sized bin packing problem (VSBPP. A total of 252 strip packing heuristics (and variations thereof from the literature, as well as novel heuristics proposed by the authors, are compared statistically by means of 1170 SPP benchmark instances in order to identify the best heuristics in various classes. A combination of new heuristics with a new sorting method yields the best results. These heuristics are combined with a previous heuristic for the VSBPP by the authors to find good feasible solutions to 1357 VSBPP benchmark instances. This is the largest statistical comparison of algorithms for the SPP and the VSBPP to the best knowledge of the authors.

Fast synchrotron X-ray tomography study of the rod packing structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Xiaodan; Xia Chengjie; Sun Haohua; Wang Yujie [Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2013-06-18

We present a fast synchrotron X-ray tomography study of the packing structures of rods under tapping. Utilizing the high flux of the X-rays generated from the third-generation synchrotron source, we can complete a tomography scan within several seconds, after which the three-dimensional (3D) packing structure can be obtained for the subsequent structural analysis. Due to the high-energy nature of the X-ray beam, special image processing steps including image phase-retrieval has been implemented. Overall, this study suggests the possibility of acquiring statistically significant static packing structures within a reasonable time scale using high-intensity X-ray sources.

Flooding characteristics of Goodloe packing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begovich, J.M.; Watson, J.S.

1976-08-01

Experimental flooding data for the countercurrent flow of air and water in a 7.62-cm-diam glass column filled with Goodloe packing were compared with a correlation reported by the packing manufacturer. Flooding rates observed in this study were as low as one-half those predicted by the correlation. Rearranging the packing by inverting the column and removing some packing segments yielded results similar to the correlation for liquid-to-gas (L/G) mass flow rate ratios greater than 10, but the experimental flooding curve fell significantly below the correlation at lower L/G ratios. When the column was repacked with new packing, the results were essentially the same as those obtained in the inverted column. Thus, it is believed that a carefully packed column is more likely to yield flooding rates similar to those obtained in the new or inverted columns rather than rates predicted by the original correlation

The advantages of hydraulic packing extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, R.S.

1991-01-01

Today's competitive environment, coupled with industry's desire to improve the efficiency of plant maintenance and operations, has management continually seeking ways to save time, money, and, at nuclear plants, radiation exposure. One area where a tremendous improvement in efficiency can be realized is valve packing removal. For example, industry experience indicates that up to 70% of the time it takes to repack a valve can be spent just removing the old packing. In some case, the bonnets of small valves are removed to facilitate packing removal and prevent stem and stuffing box damage that can occur when using packing removal picks. In other cases, small valves are simply removed and discarded because it costs less to replace the valves than to remove the packing using conventional methods. Hydraulic packing extraction greatly reduces packing removal time and will not damage the stem nor stuffing box, thus eliminating the need for bonnet removal or valve replacement. This paper will review some of the more common problems associated with manual packing extraction techniques. It will explain how hydraulic packing extraction eliminates or greatly reduces the impact of each of the problem areas. A discussion will be provided of some actual industry operating experiences related to success stories using hydraulic packing extraction. The paper will also briefly describe the operating parameters associated with hydraulic packing extraction tools. Throughout the paper, actual operating experiences from the nuclear power, fossil power, petrochemical, and refinery industries will be used to support the conclusion that hydraulic packing extraction is an alternative that can save time, money, and exposure

The Maximum Resource Bin Packing Problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boyar, J.; Epstein, L.; Favrholdt, L.M.

2006-01-01

Usually, for bin packing problems, we try to minimize the number of bins used or in the case of the dual bin packing problem, maximize the number or total size of accepted items. This paper presents results for the opposite problems, where we would like to maximize the number of bins used...... algorithms, First-Fit-Increasing and First-Fit-Decreasing for the maximum resource variant of classical bin packing. For the on-line variant, we define maximum resource variants of classical and dual bin packing. For dual bin packing, no on-line algorithm is competitive. For classical bin packing, we find...

Disordered strictly jammed binary sphere packings attain an anomalously large range of densities

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, Adam B.; Stillinger, Frank H.; Torquato, Salvatore

2013-08-01

Previous attempts to simulate disordered binary sphere packings have been limited in producing mechanically stable, isostatic packings across a broad spectrum of packing fractions. Here we report that disordered strictly jammed binary packings (packings that remain mechanically stable under general shear deformations and compressions) can be produced with an anomalously large range of average packing fractions 0.634≤ϕ≤0.829 for small to large sphere radius ratios α restricted to α≥0.100. Surprisingly, this range of average packing fractions is obtained for packings containing a subset of spheres (called the backbone) that are exactly strictly jammed, exactly isostatic, and also generated from random initial conditions. Additionally, the average packing fractions of these packings at certain α and small sphere relative number concentrations x approach those of the corresponding densest known ordered packings. These findings suggest for entropic reasons that these high-density disordered packings should be good glass formers and that they may be easy to prepare experimentally. We also identify an unusual feature of the packing fraction of jammed backbones (packings with rattlers excluded). The backbone packing fraction is about 0.624 over the majority of the α-x plane, even when large numbers of small spheres are present in the backbone. Over the (relatively small) area of the α-x plane where the backbone is not roughly constant, we find that backbone packing fractions range from about 0.606 to 0.829, with the volume of rattler spheres comprising between 1.6% and 26.9% of total sphere volume. To generate isostatic strictly jammed packings, we use an implementation of the Torquato-Jiao sequential linear programming algorithm [Phys. Rev. EPLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.82.061302 82, 061302 (2010)], which is an efficient producer of inherent structures (mechanically stable configurations at the local maxima in the density landscape). The identification and

Thermal conductivity model of vibro-packed fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeon Soo, Kim

2001-01-01

In an effort to dispose of excess weapons grade plutonium accumulated in the cold war era in the United States and the Russian Federation, one method currently under investigation is the conversion of the plutonium into mixed oxide (MOX) reactor fuel for LWRs and fast reactors in the Russian Federation. A fuel option already partly developed at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR) in Dimitrovgrad is that of vibro-packed MOX. Fuel rod fabrication using powder vibro-packing is attractive because it includes neither a process too complex to operate in glove boxes (or remotely), nor a waste-producing step necessary for the conventional pellet rod fabrication. However, because of its loose bonding between fuel particles at the beginning of life, vibro-packed MOX fuel has a somewhat less effective thermal conductivity than fully sintered pellet fuel, and undergoes more restructuring. Helium would also likely be pressurized in vibro-packed MOX fuel rods for LWRs to enhance initial fuel thermal conductivity. The combination of these two factors complicates development of an accurate thermal conductivity model. But clearly in order to predict fuel thermomechanical responses during irradiation of vibro-packed MOX fuel, fuel thermal conductivity must be known. The Vibropac fuel of interest in this study refers the fuel that is compacted with irregular fragments of mixed oxide fuel. In this paper, the thermal-conductivity models in the literature that dealt with relatively similar situations to the present case are examined. Then, the best model is selected based on accuracy of prediction and applicability. Then, the selected model is expanded to fit the various situations of interest. (author)

Valve packing manual. A maintenance application guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aikin, J.A.; McCutcheon, R.G.; Cumming, D.

1997-01-01

Since 1970, AECL Chalk River Mechanical Equipment Development (MED) branch has invested over 175 person years in testing related to improving valve packing performance. Successful developments, including, 'live-loading', reduced packing heights, and performance-based packing qualification testing have been implemented. Since 1986, MED and the Integrated Valve Actuator Program Task Force - Valve Packing Steering Committee (IVAP-VPSC) have been involved in the development of combination die-formed graphite packing for use in CANDU plants. Many reports, articles, and specifications have been issued. Due to the large amount of test data and reports, a more user-friendly document has been prepared for everyday use. The Valve Packing Manual is based on many years of MED research and testing, as well as operating experience from CANDU nuclear generating stations (NGS). Since 1986, packing research and testing has been funded by the CANDU Owners Group (COG), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and participating valve packing manufacturers. The Valve Packing Manual (VPM) provides topical summaries of all work related to valve packing done since 1985. It includes advances in configuration design, stem packing friction, materials specifications, and installation procedures. This paper provides an overview on the application of the VPM with a focus on qualification testing, packing configuration, and stem packing friction. (author)

Scandinavian consumer preference for beef steaks packed with or without oxygen.

Science.gov (United States)

Aaslyng, M D; Tørngren, M A; Madsen, N T

2010-07-01

Beef steaks retail-packed with (80% O(2), 20% CO(2)) or without oxygen (either skin-packed or gas-packed (69.6% N(2), 30% CO(2), 0.04% CO or 70% N(2), 30% CO(2))) were compared by consumers in Denmark (n=382), Norway (n=316) and Sweden (n=374). Two pairs of two steaks - one steak packed in a high oxygen atmosphere and one packed without oxygen - were given to the consumers. They were instructed to prepare the steaks at home on two consecutive days, and two persons had to taste each steak. In Denmark, the oxygen-free packing was either gas packing with CO (69.6% N(2), 30% CO(2), 0.04% CO) or without CO (70% N(2), 30% CO(2)), in Norway it was either gas packing with CO (69.6% N(2), 30% CO(2), 0.04% CO) or skin packing, and in Sweden it was either skin packing or gas packing without CO (70% N(2), 30% CO(2)). The meat represented animals that were between 17 and 80 months old (Denmark) and young bulls (Norway and Sweden). Consumers in all three countries clearly preferred steaks packed without oxygen, in terms of overall liking, willingness to pay and their preferred choice of one steak. Furthermore, they preferred the oxygen-free steaks in terms of both overall liking and liking of tenderness, juiciness and flavour. In Sweden, many consumers would pay more than usual for the skin-packed steak, and it was more often chosen as the preferred steak out of the four compared with gas-packed without oxygen. No difference was seen between the two oxygen-free packing methods in Denmark and Norway. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pulse amplitude and frequency effects in a pulsed packed column

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russell, S H

1954-04-15

A study has been made of the effect on the efficiency and capacity of applying pulses of varying amplitude and frequency to a packed column. In the efficiency studies, the maximum efficiency was obtained with a pulse having an amplitude of 3/8'' and a frequency of 140 cycles per minute. Under these conditions, the column was about five times as efficient as a simple packed column. Two general types of results were obtained in the capacity studies. Under certain conditions, the capacity increased over that of a simple packed column, but under others, it decreased. Some of the factors causing this were investigated but the fundamental reasons were not determined due to a lack of personnel for the necessary experiments. (author)

Pulse amplitude and frequency effects in a pulsed packed column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, S.H.

1954-04-01

A study has been made of the effect on the efficiency and capacity of applying pulses of varying amplitude and frequency to a packed column. In the efficiency studies, the maximum efficiency was obtained with a pulse having an amplitude of 3/8'' and a frequency of 140 cycles per minute. Under these conditions, the column was about five times as efficient as a simple packed column. Two general types of results were obtained in the capacity studies. Under certain conditions, the capacity increased over that of a simple packed column, but under others, it decreased. Some of the factors causing this were investigated but the fundamental reasons were not determined due to a lack of personnel for the necessary experiments. (author)

Ultratight crystal packing of a 10 kDa protein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trillo-Muyo, Sergio [Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Spanish Research Council CSIC, Barcelona Science Park, c/Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Jasilionis, Andrius [Vilnius University, M. K. Čiurlionio 21/27, 03101 Vilnius (Lithuania); Domagalski, Marcin J. [University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0736 (United States); Chruszcz, Maksymilian [University of South Carolina, 631 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Minor, Wladek [University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0736 (United States); Kuisiene, Nomeda [Vilnius University, M. K. Čiurlionio 21/27, 03101 Vilnius (Lithuania); Arolas, Joan L.; Solà, Maria; Gomis-Rüth, F. Xavier, E-mail: xgrcri@ibmb.csic.es [Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Spanish Research Council CSIC, Barcelona Science Park, c/Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2013-03-01

The crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of a putative U32 peptidase from G. thermoleovorans is reported; it is one of the most tightly packed protein structures reported to date. While small organic molecules generally crystallize forming tightly packed lattices with little solvent content, proteins form air-sensitive high-solvent-content crystals. Here, the crystallization and full structure analysis of a novel recombinant 10 kDa protein corresponding to the C-terminal domain of a putative U32 peptidase are reported. The orthorhombic crystal contained only 24.5% solvent and is therefore among the most tightly packed protein lattices ever reported.

Experimental studies on the coolability of packed beds. Flooding of hot dry packed beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leininger, S.; Kulenovic, R.; Laurien, E.

2013-01-01

In case of a severe accident in a nuclear power plant meltdown of the reactor core can occur and form a packed bed in the lower plenum of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) after solidification due to contact with water. The removal of after-heat and the long-term coolability is of essential interest. The efficient injection of cooling water into the packed bed has to be assured without endangering the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel. The experiments performed aimed to study the dry-out and the quenching (flooding) of hot dry packed beds. Two different inflow variants, bottom- and top-flooding including the variation of the starting temperature of the packed bed and the injection rate were studied. In case of bottom flooding the quenching time increases with increasing packed bed temperature and decreasing injection rate. In case of top flooding the flow pattern is more complex, in a first phase the water flows preferentially toward the RPV wall, the flow paths conduct the water downwards. The flow resistance of the packed bed increases with increasing bed temperatures. The quenching temperatures increase significantly above average.

Injectable and microporous scaffold of densely-packed, growth factor-encapsulating chitosan microgels.

Science.gov (United States)

Riederer, Michael S; Requist, Brennan D; Payne, Karin A; Way, J Douglas; Krebs, Melissa D

2016-11-05

In this work, an emulsion crosslinking method was developed to produce chitosan-genipin microgels which acted as an injectable and microporous scaffold. Chitosan was characterized with respect to pH by light scattering and aqueous titration. Microgels were characterized with swelling, light scattering, and rheometry of densely-packed microgel solutions. The results suggest that as chitosan becomes increasingly deprotonated above the pKa, repulsive forces diminish and intermolecular attractions cause pH-responsive chain aggregation; leading to microgel-microgel aggregation as well. The microgels with the most chitosan and least cross-linker showed the highest yield stress and a storage modulus of 16kPa when condensed as a microgel paste at pH 7.4. Two oppositely-charged growth factors could be encapsulated into the microgels and endothelial cells were able to proliferate into the 3D microgel scaffold. This work motivates further research on the applications of the chitosan microgel scaffold as an injectable and microporous scaffold in regenerative medicine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Jammed packings of deformable and rigid 2D spherocylinders and spheropolygons

Science.gov (United States)

Shattuck, Mark

We study mechanically stable packings of deformable and rigid 2D spheropolygons using computer simulation. A 2D sphereopolygon is a particle shape formed by the collection of all points within a perpendicular distance r from the edge of a polygon. It is a generalization of the 2D spherocylinder and a circle, which are the collection of all points within a distance r from a line and a point. In our model, the spheropolygon can be deformable. The lengths of the sides are fixed, but the angles are only constrained by the requirement that the shape factor, S = 4 πA /p2 is fixed, where A is the area of the polygon and p is the perimeter. The particles can be made rigid by requiring that the shape factor is the maximum possible for the edge length ratios. For example, the maximum for a square is S = π /4. We present densities and average contact numbers for collections of mono- and bi-disperse packings of spheropolygons for a range of shape factors, edge numbers, and system sizes. We find mechically stable packings with fewer than isostatic contacts.

Optimized packings with applications

CERN Document Server

Pintér, János

2015-01-01

This volume presents a selection of case studies that address a substantial range of optimized object packings (OOP) and their applications. The contributing authors are well-recognized researchers and practitioners. The mathematical modelling and numerical solution aspects of each application case study are presented in sufficient detail. A broad range of OOP problems are discussed: these include various specific and non-standard container loading and object packing problems, as well as the stowing of hazardous and other materials on container ships, data centre resource management, automotive engineering design, space station logistic support, cutting and packing problems with placement constraints, the optimal design of LED street lighting, robust sensor deployment strategies, spatial scheduling problems, and graph coloring models and metaheuristics for packing applications. Novel points of view related to model development and to computational nonlinear, global, mixed integer optimization and heuristic st...

High-Throughput Image Analysis of Fibrillar Materials: A Case Study on Polymer Nanofiber Packing, Alignment, and Defects in Organic Field Effect Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Persson, Nils E; Rafshoon, Joshua; Naghshpour, Kaylie; Fast, Tony; Chu, Ping-Hsun; McBride, Michael; Risteen, Bailey; Grover, Martha; Reichmanis, Elsa

2017-10-18

High-throughput discovery of process-structure-property relationships in materials through an informatics-enabled empirical approach is an increasingly utilized technique in materials research due to the rapidly expanding availability of data. Here, process-structure-property relationships are extracted for the nucleation, growth, and deposition of semiconducting poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanofibers used in organic field effect transistors, via high-throughput image analysis. This study is performed using an automated image analysis pipeline combining existing open-source software and new algorithms, enabling the rapid evaluation of structural metrics for images of fibrillar materials, including local orientational order, fiber length density, and fiber length distributions. We observe that microfluidic processing leads to fibers that pack with unusually high density, while sonication yields fibers that pack sparsely with low alignment. This is attributed to differences in their crystallization mechanisms. P3HT nanofiber packing during thin film deposition exhibits behavior suggesting that fibers are confined to packing in two-dimensional layers. We find that fiber alignment, a feature correlated with charge carrier mobility, is driven by increasing fiber length, and that shorter fibers tend to segregate to the buried dielectric interface during deposition, creating potentially performance-limiting defects in alignment. Another barrier to perfect alignment is the curvature of P3HT fibers; we propose a mechanistic simulation of fiber growth that reconciles both this curvature and the log-normal distribution of fiber lengths inherent to the fiber populations under consideration.

Granular packings with moving side walls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landry, James W.; Grest, Gary Stephen

2004-01-01

The effects of movement of the side walls of a confined granular packing are studied by discrete element, molecular dynamics simulations. The dynamical evolution of the stress is studied as a function of wall movement both in the direction of gravity as well as opposite to it. For all wall velocities explored, the stress in the final state of the system after wall movement is fundamentally different from the original state obtained by pouring particles into the container and letting them settle under the influence of gravity. The original packing possesses a hydrostaticlike region at the top of the container which crosses over to a depth-independent stress. As the walls are moved in the direction opposite to gravity, the saturation stress first reaches a minimum value independent of the wall velocity, then increases to a steady-state value dependent on the wall velocity. After wall movement ceases and the packing reaches equilibrium, the stress profile fits the classic Janssen form for high wall velocities, while some deviations remain for low wall velocities. The wall movement greatly increases the number of particle-wall and particle-particle forces at the Coulomb criterion. Varying the wall velocity has only small effects on the particle structure of the final packing so long as the walls travel a similar distance.

Optimization analysis of thermal management system for electric vehicle battery pack

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Huiqi; Zheng, Minxin; Jin, Peng; Feng, Dong

2018-04-01

Electric vehicle battery pack can increase the temperature to affect the power battery system cycle life, charge-ability, power, energy, security and reliability. The Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation and experiment of the charging and discharging process of the battery pack were carried out for the thermal management system of the battery pack under the continuous charging of the battery. The simulation result and the experimental data were used to verify the rationality of the Computational Fluid Dynamics calculation model. In view of the large temperature difference of the battery module in high temperature environment, three optimization methods of the existing thermal management system of the battery pack were put forward: adjusting the installation position of the fan, optimizing the arrangement of the battery pack and reducing the fan opening temperature threshold. The feasibility of the optimization method is proved by simulation and experiment of the thermal management system of the optimized battery pack.

Cancer illustrations and warning labels on cigarette packs: perceptions of teenagers from high socioeconomic status in Lahore.

Science.gov (United States)

Zil-E-Ali, Ahsan; Ahsen, Noor Fatima; Iqbal, Humaira

2015-06-01

Smoking is linked with adverse health outcomes and multi-organ diseases with six million deaths every year. The smoking population includes both genders and the habit is seen in minors as well. The cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore among teenagers belonging to high socioeconomic class. A sample of 191 students was recruited by convenience sampling. The teenagers were questioned on their perceptions relating to prohibition labels, factors that led them to smoke, and ideas to make health warnings more effective. Overall, 66(34.55%) teenagers were smokers, and of them, 50(75.75%) were boys and 16(24.24%) were girls. Besides, 25(37.9%) smokers were of the view that smoking is a bad habit; 40(60.6%) said prohibition labels would not change the mindset of the smoker; 35(53%)believed that a smoker is completely uninfluenced by prohibition labels. Results suggest that the warning labels on cigarette packs should be made more comprehensible and alarming for smokers.

Packing Degenerate Graphs Greedily

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Allen, P.; Böttcher, J.; Hladký, J.; Piguet, Diana

2017-01-01

Roč. 61, August (2017), s. 45-51 ISSN 1571-0653 R&D Projects: GA ČR GJ16-07822Y Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : tree packing conjecture * graph packing * graph processes Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Pure mathematics

Deuterium exchange reaction in a trickle bed packed with a mixture of hydrophobic catalyst and hydrophilic packings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seungwoo Paek; Heui-Joo Choi; DO-Hee Ahn; Kwang-Rag Kim; Minsoo Lee; Sung-Paal Yim; Hongsuk Chung

2006-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The isotopic exchange reaction between hydrogen and water on the platinum supported catalysts provides a useful step for separating hydrogen isotopes such as deuterium and tritium. The CECE (Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange) with a hydrophobic catalyst is a very effective method to remove small quantities of tritium from light or heavy waste water streams because of its high separation factor and mild operating conditions. The CECE column is composed of an electrolysis cell and a liquid phase catalytic exchange column. This paper deals with the experiments for the hydrogen isotopic exchange reaction in a trickle bed reactor packed with a hydrophobic catalyst in order to develop the catalytic column of the CECE. Hydrophobic Pt/SDBC catalyst which has been developed for the LPCE column of WTRF (Wolsong Tritium Removal Facility) was tested in a trickle bed reactor. The catalyst column was packed with a mixture of hydrophobic catalyst and hydrophilic packing (Dixon gauze ring) to improve liquid distribution and vapor/liquid transfer area. An experimental apparatus was built for the test of the catalyst at various temperatures and gas velocities. The catalyst was packed wet into the column and water was injected at the top through a liquid distributor and trickled through a catalyst mixture. Hydrogen gas passed up the column and deuterium was transferred to water stream flowing counter currently. The temperature of the column was controlled to maintain at 60 deg. C using water jackets around the reactor and equilibrator, a feed waster heater, and a circulation water heater. A metal bellows pump was used to circulate the hydrogen gas at the typical flow rate of 60 LPM.The reactor pressure was controlled to maintain at 135 kPa (abs) by a water column. Gas samples were drawn off from the top and bottom of the column. The difference in deuterium concentration between the inlet and outlet gas samples was analyzed using Gas

Heuristics for Multidimensional Packing Problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Egeblad, Jens

for a minimum height container required for the items. The main contributions of the thesis are three new heuristics for strip-packing and knapsack packing problems where items are both rectangular and irregular. In the two first papers we describe a heuristic for the multidimensional strip-packing problem...... that is based on a relaxed placement principle. The heuristic starts with a random overlapping placement of items and large container dimensions. From the overlapping placement overlap is reduced iteratively until a non-overlapping placement is found and a new problem is solved with a smaller container size...... of this heuristic are among the best published in the literature both for two- and three-dimensional strip-packing problems for irregular shapes. In the third paper, we introduce a heuristic for two- and three-dimensional rectangular knapsack packing problems. The two-dimensional heuristic uses the sequence pair...

Valve-stem-packing improvement study. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adey, C.W.; Klein, J.J.

1982-08-01

By employing questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with valve and valve packing manufacturers, as well as nuclear plant personnel, an understanding of valve stem packing leakage problems from each of the three viewpoints was developed. This information, in-house experience, and available technical literature were used to develop specific recommendations for valve manufacturers, valve packing manufacturers, and nuclear plant valve users. It was generally recommended that each these groups make better use of graphite packing. The questionnaires and interviews indicated that increased usage of graphite packing over the last few years has reduced the incidence of valve packing problems. To confirm this, a survey of Licensee Event Reports (LERs) from 1972 to 1980 was undertaken using the keywords Valve and Packing. A statistical analysis of the LER data confirms that the adoption of graphite packing has significantly reduced valve stem leakage

Activation analysis of high pure quartz used as packing materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luknitskij, V.A.; Morozov, B.A.

1979-01-01

A γ-spectrometric technique of neutron activation determination of microelements in quartz tubes used as a packing material for irradiation in reactors is reported. The analysis of 29 micro-admixtures in quartz tubes of USSR brands ''spectrtosil'' and ''KV'' was carried out. The γ-spectra of ''KV'' quartz irradiated by thermal and epithermal neutrons are presented. The activation by epithermal neutrons provides an activity gain for the nuclei whose resonance integral is high enough as compared to the activation cross-section with regard to thermal neutrons. The activation by epithermal neutrons permits additional determination of W, Cd, V, Th, Mn and Ni and provides for a substantial decrease in the activity of 24 Na, 42 K, 140 La, 46 Sc, 141 Ce, 51 Cr, and 59 Fe, which hinder the determination of the above-mentioned elements. The microelement composition of Soviet-made quartz varieties is compared to that of foreign-made quartz brands

7 CFR 989.702 - Minimum grade standards for packed raisins.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... for those factors. (b) Golden Seedless Raisins. Packed Golden Seedless raisins shall at least meet the... Seedless raisins means the raisins have not been detached from the main bunch. Cluster Seedless raisins...

High temperature energy storage performances of methane reforming with carbon dioxide in a tubular packed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Jianfeng; Chen, Yuan; Ding, Jing; Wang, Weilong

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Energy storage of methane reforming in a tubular packed reactor is investigated. • Thermochemical storage efficiency approaches maximum at optimal temperature. • Sensible heat and heat loss play important roles in the energy storage system. • The reaction and energy storage models of methane reforming reactor are established. • The simulated methane conversion and energy storage efficiency fit with experiments. - Abstract: High temperature heat transfer and energy storage performances of methane reforming with carbon dioxide in tubular packed reactor are investigated under different operating conditions. Experimental results show that the methane reforming in tubular packed reactor can efficiently store high temperature thermal energy, and the sensible heat and heat loss besides thermochemical energy storage play important role in the total energy storage process. When the operating temperature is increased, the thermochemical storage efficiency first increases for methane conversion rising and then decreases for heat loss rising. As the operating temperate is 800 °C, the methane conversion is 79.6%, and the thermochemical storage efficiency and total energy efficiency can be higher than 47% and 70%. According to the experimental system, the flow and reaction model of methane reforming is established using the laminar finite-rate model and Arrhenius expression, and the simulated methane conversion and energy storage efficiency fit with experimental data. Along the flow direction, the fluid temperature in the catalyst bed first decreases because of the endothermic reaction and then increases for the heat transfer from reactor wall. As a conclusion, the maximum thermochemical storage efficiency will be obtained under optimal operating temperature and optimal flow rate, and the total energy efficiency can be increased by the increase of bed conductivity and decrease of heat loss coefficient.

Biological perchlorate reduction in packed bed reactors using elemental sulfur.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahu, Ashish K; Conneely, Teresa; Nüsslein, Klaus R; Ergas, Sarina J

2009-06-15

Sulfur-utilizing perchlorate (ClO4-)-reducing bacteria were enriched from a denitrifying wastewater seed with elemental sulfur (S0) as an electron donor. The enrichment was composed of a diverse microbial community, with the majority identified as members of the phylum Proteobacteria. Cultures were inoculated into bench-scale packed bed reactors (PBR) with S0 and crushed oyster shell packing media. High ClO4-concentrations (5-8 mg/L) were reduced to PBR performance decreased when effluent recirculation was applied or when smaller S0 particle sizes were used, indicating that mass transfer of ClO4- to the attached biofilm was not the limiting mechanism in this process, and that biofilm acclimation and growth were key factors in overall reactor performance. The presence of nitrate (6.5 mg N/L) inhibited ClO4- reduction. The microbial community composition was found to change with ClO4- availability from a majority of Beta-Proteobacteria near the influent end of the reactor to primarily sulfur-oxidizing bacteria near the effluent end of the reactor.

Particles size distribution effect on 3D packing of nanoparticles in to a bounded region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farzalipour Tabriz, M.; Salehpoor, P.; Esmaielzadeh Kandjani, A.; Vaezi, M. R.; Sadrnezhaad, S. K.

2007-01-01

In this paper, the effects of two different Particle Size Distributions on packing behavior of ideal rigid spherical nanoparticles using a novel packing model based on parallel algorithms have been reported. A mersenne twister algorithm was used to generate pseudo random numbers for the particles initial coordinates. Also, for this purpose a nano sized tetragonal confined container with a square floor (300 * 300 nm) were used in this work. The Andreasen and the Lognormal Particle Size Distributions were chosen to investigate the packing behavior in a 3D bounded region. The effects of particle numbers on packing behavior of these two Particle Size Distributions have been investigated. Also the reproducibility and the distribution of packing factor of these Particle Size Distributions were compared

Complications of balloon packing in epistaxis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeeren, Lenka; Derks, Wynia; Fokkens, Wytske; Menger, Dirk Jan

2015-01-01

Although balloon packing appears to be efficient to control epistaxis, severe local complications can occur. We describe four patients with local lesions after balloon packing. Prolonged balloon packing can cause damage to nasal mucosa, septum and alar skin (nasal mucosa, the cartilaginous skeleton

An approximate version of the Tree Packing Conjecture

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Böttcher, J.; Hladký, Jan; Piguet, Diana; Taraz, A.

2016-01-01

Roč. 211, č. 1 (2016), s. 391-446 ISSN 0021-2172 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 ; RVO:67985807 Keywords : Ringel's conjecture * Gyarfas-Lehel conjecture * Tree packing Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.796, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11856-015-1277-2

Do gray wolves (Canis lupus) support pack mates during aggressive inter-pack interactions?

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Kira A; McIntyre, Richard T

2016-09-01

For group-living mammals, social coordination increases success in everything from hunting and foraging (Crofoot and Wrangham in Mind the Gap, Springer, Berlin, 2010; Bailey et al. in Behav Ecol Sociobiol 67:1-17, 2013) to agonism (Mosser and Packer in Anim Behav 78:359-370, 2009; Wilson et al. in Anim Behav 83:277-291, 2012; Cassidy et al. in Behav Ecol 26:1352-1360, 2015). Cooperation is found in many species and, due to its low costs, likely is a determining factor in the evolution of living in social groups (Smith in Anim Behav 92:291-304, 2014). Beyond cooperation, many mammals perform costly behaviors for the benefit of group mates (e.g., parental care, food sharing, grooming). Altruism is considered the most extreme case of cooperation where the altruist increases the fitness of the recipient while decreasing its own fitness (Bell in Selection: the mechanism of evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2008). Gray wolf life history requires intra-pack familiarity, communication, and cooperation in order to succeed in hunting (MacNulty et al. in Behav Ecol doi: 10.1093/beheco/arr159 2011) and protecting group resources (Stahler et al. in J Anim Ecol 82: 222-234, 2013; Cassidy et al. in Behav Ecol 26:1352-1360, 2015). Here, we report 121 territorial aggressive inter-pack interactions in Yellowstone National Park between 1 April 1995 and 1 April 2011 (>5300 days of observation) and examine each interaction where one wolf interferes when its pack mate is being attacked by a rival group. This behavior was recorded six times (17.6 % of interactions involving an attack) and often occurred between dyads of closely related individuals. We discuss this behavior as it relates to the evolution of cooperation, sociality, and altruism.

Implementation fidelity of a nurse-led falls prevention program in acute hospitals during the 6-PACK trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Morello, Renata T; Barker, Anna L; Ayton, Darshini R; Landgren, Fiona; Kamar, Jeannette; Hill, Keith D; Brand, Caroline A; Sherrington, Catherine; Wolfe, Rory; Rifat, Sheral; Stoelwinder, Johannes

2017-06-02

When tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of 31,411 patients, the nurse-led 6-PACK falls prevention program did not reduce falls. Poor implementation fidelity (i.e., program not implemented as intended) may explain this result. Despite repeated calls for the examination of implementation fidelity as an essential component of evaluating interventions designed to improve the delivery of care, it has been neglected in prior falls prevention studies. This study examined implementation fidelity of the 6-PACK program during a large multi-site RCT. Based on the 6-PACK implementation framework and intervention description, implementation fidelity was examined by quantifying adherence to program components and organizational support. Adherence indicators were: 1) falls-risk tool completion; and for patients classified as high-risk, provision of 2) a 'Falls alert' sign; and 3) at least one additional 6-PACK intervention. Organizational support indicators were: 1) provision of resources (executive sponsorship, site clinical leaders and equipment); 2) implementation activities (modification of patient care plans; training; implementation tailoring; audits, reminders and feedback; and provision of data); and 3) program acceptability. Data were collected from daily bedside observation, medical records, resource utilization diaries and nurse surveys. All seven intervention components were delivered on the 12 intervention wards. Program adherence data were collected from 103,398 observations and medical record audits. The falls-risk tool was completed each day for 75% of patients. Of the 38% of patients classified as high-risk, 79% had a 'Falls alert' sign and 63% were provided with at least one additional 6-PACK intervention, as recommended. All hospitals provided the recommended resources and undertook the nine outlined program implementation activities. Most of the nurses surveyed considered program components important for falls prevention. While implementation

A Capillary Electrochromatographic Microchip Packed with Self-Assembly Colloidal Carboxylic Silica Beads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, In Sun; Kim, Shin Seon; Park, Jong Man [Konkuk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-04-15

An electrochromatographic microchip with carboxyl-group-derivatized mono-disperse silica packing was prepared from the corresponding colloidal silica solution by utilizing capillary action and self-assembly behavior. The silica beads in water were primed by the capillary action toward the ends of cross-patterned microchannel on a cyclic olefinic copolymer (COC) substrate. Slow evaporation of water at the front of packing promoted the self-assembled packing of the beads. After thermally binding a cover plate on the chip substrate, reservoirs for sample solutions were fabricated at the ends of the microchannel. The packing at the entrances of the microchannel was silver coated to fix utilizing an electroless silver-plating technique to prevent the erosion of the packed structure caused by the sudden switching of a high voltage DC power source. The electrochromatographic behavior of the microchip was explored and compared to that of the microchip with bare silica packing in basic borate buffer. Electrophoretic migration of Rhodamine B was dominant in the microchip with the carboxyl-derivatized silica packing that resulted in a migration approximated twice as fast, while the reversible adsorption was dominant in the bare silica-packed microchip. Not only the faster migration rates of the negatively charged FITC-derivatives of amino acids but also the different migration due to the charge interaction at the packing surface were observed. The electrochromatographic characteristics were studied in detail and compared with those of the bare silica packed microchip in terms of the packing material, the separation potential, pH of the running buffer, and also the separation channel length

Express penetration of hydrogen on Mg(10͞13) along the close-packed-planes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ouyang, Liuzhang; Tang, Jiajun; Zhao, Yujun; Wang, Hui; Yao, Xiangdong; Liu, Jiangwen; Zou, Jin; Zhu, Min

2015-06-01

Metal atoms often locate in energetically favorite close-packed planes, leading to a relatively high penetration barrier for other atoms. Naturally, the penetration would be much easier through non-close-packed planes, i.e. high-index planes. Hydrogen penetration from surface to the bulk (or reversely) across the packed planes is the key step for hydrogen diffusion, thus influences significantly hydrogen sorption behaviors. In this paper, we report a successful synthesis of Mg films in preferential orientations with both close- and non-close-packed planes, i.e. (0001) and a mix of (0001) and (10͞13), by controlling the magnetron sputtering conditions. Experimental investigations confirmed a remarkable decrease in the hydrogen absorption temperature in the Mg (10͞13), down to 392 K from 592 K of the Mg film (0001), determined by the pressure-composition-isothermal (PCI) measurement. The ab initio calculations reveal that non-close-packed Mg(10͞13) slab is advantageous for hydrogen sorption, attributing to the tilted close-packed-planes in the Mg(10͞13) slab.

An experimental comparison of some heuristics for cardinality constrained bin packing problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maja Remic

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Bin packing is an NPhard optimization problem of packing items of given sizes into minimum number of capacitylimited bins. Besides the basic problem, numerous other variants of bin packing exist. The cardinality constrained bin packing adds an additional constraint that the number of items in a bin must not exceed a given limit Nmax. Objectives: Goal of the paper is to present a preliminary experimental study which demostrates adaptations of the new algorithms to the general cardinality constrained bin packing problem. Methods/Approach: Straightforward modifications of First Fit Decreasing (FFD, Refined First Fit (RFF and the algorithm by Zhang et al. for the bin packing problem are compared to four cardinality constrained bin packing problem specific algorithms on random lists of items with 0%, 10%, 30% and 50% of large items. The behaviour of all algorithms when cardinality constraint Nmax increases is also studied. Results: Results show that all specific algorithms outperform the general algorithms on lists with low percentage of big items. Conclusions: One of the specific algorithms performs better or equally well even on lists with high percentage of big items and is therefore of significant interest. The behaviour when Nmax increases shows that specific algorithms can be used for solving the general bin packing problem as well.

Multi-Objective Predictive Balancing Control of Battery Packs Based on Predictive Current

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenbiao Li

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Various balancing topology and control methods have been proposed for the inconsistency problem of battery packs. However, these strategies only focus on a single objective, ignore the mutual interaction among various factors and are only based on the external performance of the battery pack inconsistency, such as voltage balancing and state of charge (SOC balancing. To solve these problems, multi-objective predictive balancing control (MOPBC based on predictive current is proposed in this paper, namely, in the driving process of an electric vehicle, using predictive control to predict the battery pack output current the next time. Based on this information, the impact of the battery pack temperature caused by the output current can be obtained. Then, the influence is added to the battery pack balancing control, which makes the present degradation, temperature, and SOC imbalance achieve balance automatically due to the change of the output current the next moment. According to MOPBC, the simulation model of the balancing circuit is built with four cells in Matlab/Simulink. The simulation results show that MOPBC is not only better than the other traditional balancing control strategies but also reduces the energy loss in the balancing process.

Calculations of and evidence for chain packing stress in inverse lyotropic bicontinuous cubic phases.

Science.gov (United States)

Shearman, Gemma C; Khoo, Bee J; Motherwell, Mary-Lynn; Brakke, Kenneth A; Ces, Oscar; Conn, Charlotte E; Seddon, John M; Templer, Richard H

2007-06-19

Inverse bicontinuous cubic lyotropic phases are a complex solution to the dilemma faced by all self-assembled water-amphiphile systems: how to satisfy the incompatible requirements for uniform interfacial curvature and uniform molecular packing. The solution reached in this case is for the water-amphiphile interfaces to deform hyperbolically onto triply periodic minimal surfaces. We have previously suggested that although the molecular packing in these structures is rather uniform the relative phase behavior of the gyroid, double diamond, and primitive inverse bicontinuous cubic phases can be understood in terms of subtle differences in packing frustration. In this work, we have calculated the packing frustration for these cubics under the constraint that their interfaces have constant mean curvature. We find that the relative packing stress does indeed differ between phases. The gyroid cubic has the least packing stress, and at low water volume fraction, the primitive cubic has the greatest packing stress. However, at very high water volume fraction, the double diamond cubic becomes the structure with the greatest packing stress. We have tested the model in two ways. For a system with a double diamond cubic phase in excess water, the addition of a hydrophobe may release packing frustration and preferentially stabilize the primitive cubic, since this has previously been shown to have lower curvature elastic energy. We have confirmed this prediction by adding the long chain alkane tricosane to 1-monoolein in excess water. The model also predicts that if one were able to hydrate the double diamond cubic to high water volume fractions, one should destabilize the phase with respect to the primitive cubic. We have found that such highly swollen metastable bicontinuous cubic phases can be formed within onion vesicles. Data from monoelaidin in excess water display a well-defined transition, with the primitive cubic appearing above a water volume fraction of 0.75. Both of

Deuterium exchange reaction in a trickle bed packed with a mixture of hydrophobic catalyst and hydrophilic packings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seungwoo Paek [KAERI (Korea, Republic of); Heui-Joo Choi; DO-Hee Ahn; Kwang-Rag Kim; Minsoo Lee; Sung-Paal Yim; Hongsuk Chung

2006-07-01

Full text of publication follows: The isotopic exchange reaction between hydrogen and water on the platinum supported catalysts provides a useful step for separating hydrogen isotopes such as deuterium and tritium. The CECE (Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange) with a hydrophobic catalyst is a very effective method to remove small quantities of tritium from light or heavy waste water streams because of its high separation factor and mild operating conditions. The CECE column is composed of an electrolysis cell and a liquid phase catalytic exchange column. This paper deals with the experiments for the hydrogen isotopic exchange reaction in a trickle bed reactor packed with a hydrophobic catalyst in order to develop the catalytic column of the CECE. Hydrophobic Pt/SDBC catalyst which has been developed for the LPCE column of WTRF (Wolsong Tritium Removal Facility) was tested in a trickle bed reactor. The catalyst column was packed with a mixture of hydrophobic catalyst and hydrophilic packing (Dixon gauze ring) to improve liquid distribution and vapor/liquid transfer area. An experimental apparatus was built for the test of the catalyst at various temperatures and gas velocities. The catalyst was packed wet into the column and water was injected at the top through a liquid distributor and trickled through a catalyst mixture. Hydrogen gas passed up the column and deuterium was transferred to water stream flowing counter currently. The temperature of the column was controlled to maintain at 60 deg. C using water jackets around the reactor and equilibrator, a feed waster heater, and a circulation water heater. A metal bellows pump was used to circulate the hydrogen gas at the typical flow rate of 60 LPM.The reactor pressure was controlled to maintain at 135 kPa (abs) by a water column. Gas samples were drawn off from the top and bottom of the column. The difference in deuterium concentration between the inlet and outlet gas samples was analyzed using Gas

A Heuristic Algorithm for Solving Triangle Packing Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruimin Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The research on the triangle packing problem has important theoretic significance, which has broad application prospects in material processing, network resource optimization, and so forth. Generally speaking, the orientation of the triangle should be limited in advance, since the triangle packing problem is NP-hard and has continuous properties. For example, the polygon is not allowed to rotate; then, the approximate solution can be obtained by optimization method. This paper studies the triangle packing problem by a new kind of method. Such concepts as angle region, corner-occupying action, corner-occupying strategy, and edge-conjoining strategy are presented in this paper. In addition, an edge-conjoining and corner-occupying algorithm is designed, which is to obtain an approximate solution. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm is highly efficient, and by the time complexity analysis and the analogue experiment result is found.

Mechanised packing for longwall coal faces. Monolithic packing and powered supports for the packhole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carr, F; Kitching, F

1978-11-01

If full advantage is to be taken of the great advances that have taken place in power loading and powered support at the coalface, other operations in that vicinity must be similarly mechanised and automated. The gateside packing is one of the most important of these ancillary operations on the longwall face, and in previous articles F. Carr and F. Kitching, National Coal Board Headquarters, Coalface Operations Mining Engineers have given a very comprehensive resume of the present situation. Subjects covered include the requirements of mechanised packing, the parameters involved, the various working arrangements, the different systems of gate-ends, the types of equipment that are being used, their characteristics, the spread of their application, and the results obtained from them. In this article the authors conclude their survey by dealing with dirt/cement and anhydrite packing, by taking a hard look at powered supports for the packhole, and by expressing their views on the way mechanised packing may be expected to develop in the future.

Sorption and desorption reactions of radionuclides with a crushed basalt-bentonite packing material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barney, G.S.; Lane, D.L.; Allen, C.C.; Jones, T.E.

1985-04-01

Current design of waste packages for disposal of high-level radioactive wastes in underground basalt formations includes a layer of packing material that surrounds the waste container. One of the functions of this material is to limit the release of radionuclides from a breached container into groundwater by providing a low hydraulic conductivity zone and by sorbing dissolved radionuclides. The objective of this study was to assess the radionuclide sorption capability of a proposed packing material composed of 25% sodium bentonite and 75% crushed basalt (by weight). Sorption and desorption reactions of several important waste radioelements (neptunium, uranium, plutonium, technetium, selenium, and radium) were investigated in the absence of air at 90 0 C. Uranium and neptunium were sorbed by slow reactions that follow first-order kinetics. The reaction rates are probably controlled by reduction of weakly sorbed uranium(VI) and neptunium(V) by ferrous iron in the crushed basalt component. Technetium(VII) was not reduced or sorbed under these conditions. Freundlich sorption and desorption isotherms for a given radionuclide were non-singular and show a strong tendency for sorption hysteresis. Applying the isotherm data to a one-dimensional transport model indicated that hysteretic sorption on the packing material provides an important safety factor in controlling releases of some radionuclides

New Structured Packing CUB for Purification of Exhaust Gases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Novikova

2016-10-01

Full Text Available New structured packing for heat and mass transfer processes named CUB is presented in our article. The packing can be applied in packed towers for exhaust gas cleaning instead random packing, for example, rings type that are the most used in such processes. The advantages of the new packing over random packing are lower pressure drop, capability of purification and as a consequence long-term service of the packing. The researches of intensity of liquid-phase mass-transfer in packed bed depending on liquid spray rate and gas velocity were carried out. Obtained data show that packing CUB is more effective than the most popular type of structured packing under all other conditions being equal. As experimental data shown heat transfer coefficient was up by 17% and mass transfer coefficient was up by 51%. We found out optimal geometry of cross section of the new packing, namely, number of elements and parameters of one element. The new construction of structured packing is applicable for both type of column cross-section round and square.

Development of an effective valve packing program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hart, K.A.

1996-12-01

Current data now shows that graphite valve packing installed within the guidance of a controlled program produces not only reliable stem sealing but predictable running loads. By utilizing recent technological developments in valve performance monitoring for both MOV`s and AOV`s, valve packing performance can be enhanced while reducing maintenance costs. Once known, values are established for acceptable valve packing loads, the measurement of actual valve running loads via the current MOV/AOV diagnostic techniques can provide indication of future valve stem sealing problems, improper valve packing installation or identify the opportunity for valve packing program improvements. At times the full benefit of these advances in material and predictive technology remain under utilized due to simple past misconceptions associated with valve packing. This paper will explore the basis for these misconceptions, provide general insight into the current understanding of valve packing and demonstrate how with this new understanding and current valve diagnostic equipment the key aspects required to develop an effective, quality valve packing program fit together. The cost and operational benefits provided by this approach can be significant impact by the: elimination of periodic valve repacking, reduction of maintenance costs, benefits of leak-free valve operation, justification for reduced Post Maintenance Test Requirements, reduced radiation exposure, improved plant appearance.

Random packing of digitized particles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korte, de A.C.J.; Brouwers, H.J.H.

2013-01-01

The random packing of regularly and irregularly shaped particles has been studied extensively. Within this paper, packing is studied from the perspective of digitized particles. These digitized particles are developed for and used in cellular automata systems, which are employed for the simple

Random packing of digitized particles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Korte, A.C.J.; Brouwers, Jos

2012-01-01

The random packing of regularly and irregularly shaped particles has been studied extensively. Within this paper, packing is studied from the perspective of digitized particles. These digitized particles are developed for and used in cellular automata systems, which are employed for the simple

BNGS B valve packing program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cumming, D.

1995-01-01

The Bruce B Valve Packing Program began in 1987. The early history and development were presented at the 1992 International CANDU Maintenance conference. This presentation covers the evolution of the Bruce B Valve Packing Program over the period 1992 to 1995. (author)

The pursuit of perfect packing

CERN Document Server

Weaire, Denis

2008-01-01

Coauthored by one of the creators of the most efficient space packing solution, the Weaire-Phelan structure, The Pursuit of Perfect Packing, Second Edition explores a problem of importance in physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and engineering: the packing of structures. Maintaining its mathematical core, this edition continues and revises some of the stories from its predecessor while adding several new examples and applications. The book focuses on both scientific and everyday problems ranging from atoms to honeycombs. It describes packing models, such as the Kepler conjecture, Voronoï decomposition, and Delaunay decomposition, as well as actual structure models, such as the Kelvin cell and the Weaire-Phelan structure. The authors discuss numerous historical aspects and provide biographical details on influential contributors to the field, including emails from Thomas Hales and Ken Brakke. With examples from physics, crystallography, engineering, and biology, this accessible and whimsical bo...

Chain-length-dependent intermolecular packing in polyphenylenes: a high pressure study

CERN Document Server

Heimel, G; Oehzelt, M; Hummer, K; Koppelhuber-Bitschnau, B; Porsch, F; Ambrosch-Draxl, C; Resel, R

2003-01-01

We report on pressure-induced structural changes in crystalline oligo(para-phenylenes) containing two to six phenyl rings. The results are discussed with particular emphasis put on the implications these changes in intermolecular distances and molecular arrangement have on important bulk properties of this class of materials, such as optical response and charge transport. We performed energy dispersive x-ray diffraction in a systematic study on polycrystalline powders of biphenyl, para-terphenyl, p-quaterphenyl, p-quinquephenyl and p-sexiphenyl under hydrostatic pressure up to 60 kbar. Revisiting the crystal structures at ambient conditions reveals details in the packing principle. A linear relationship between the density at ambient conditions and the number of phenyl rings is found. High pressure data not only yields pressure-dependent lattice parameters and hints towards pressure-induced changes in the molecular arrangement but also allows for an analysis of the equations of state of these substances as a ...

Battery Pack Thermal Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pesaran, Ahmad

2016-06-14

This presentation describes the thermal design of battery packs at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. A battery thermal management system essential for xEVs for both normal operation during daily driving (achieving life and performance) and off-normal operation during abuse conditions (achieving safety). The battery thermal management system needs to be optimized with the right tools for the lowest cost. Experimental tools such as NREL's isothermal battery calorimeter, thermal imaging, and heat transfer setups are needed. Thermal models and computer-aided engineering tools are useful for robust designs. During abuse conditions, designs should prevent cell-to-cell propagation in a module/pack (i.e., keep the fire small and manageable). NREL's battery ISC device can be used for evaluating the robustness of a module/pack to cell-to-cell propagation.

Efficient small molecule bulk heterojunction solar cells with high fill factors via pyrene-directed molecular self-assembly

KAUST Repository

Lee, Olivia P.; Yiu, Alan T.; Beaujuge, Pierre; Woo, Claire; Holcombe, Thomas W.; Millstone, Jill E.; Douglas, Jessica D.; Chen, Mark S.; Frechet, Jean

2011-01-01

Efficient organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials are constructed by attaching completely planar, symmetric end-groups to donor-acceptor electroactive small molecules. Appending C2-pyrene as the small molecule end-group to a diketopyrrolopyrrole core leads to materials with a tight, aligned crystal packing and favorable morphology dictated by π-π interactions, resulting in high power conversion efficiencies and high fill factors. The use of end-groups to direct molecular self-assembly is an effective strategy for designing high-performance small molecule OPV devices. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Efficient small molecule bulk heterojunction solar cells with high fill factors via pyrene-directed molecular self-assembly

KAUST Repository

Lee, Olivia P.

2011-10-21

Efficient organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials are constructed by attaching completely planar, symmetric end-groups to donor-acceptor electroactive small molecules. Appending C2-pyrene as the small molecule end-group to a diketopyrrolopyrrole core leads to materials with a tight, aligned crystal packing and favorable morphology dictated by π-π interactions, resulting in high power conversion efficiencies and high fill factors. The use of end-groups to direct molecular self-assembly is an effective strategy for designing high-performance small molecule OPV devices. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Condensation in Nanoporous Packed Beds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ally, Javed; Molla, Shahnawaz; Mostowfi, Farshid

2016-05-10

In materials with tiny, nanometer-scale pores, liquid condensation is shifted from the bulk saturation pressure observed at larger scales. This effect is called capillary condensation and can block pores, which has major consequences in hydrocarbon production, as well as in fuel cells, catalysis, and powder adhesion. In this study, high pressure nanofluidic condensation studies are performed using propane and carbon dioxide in a colloidal crystal packed bed. Direct visualization allows the extent of condensation to be observed, as well as inference of the pore geometry from Bragg diffraction. We show experimentally that capillary condensation depends on pore geometry and wettability because these factors determine the shape of the menisci that coalesce when pore filling occurs, contrary to the typical assumption that all pore structures can be modeled as cylindrical and perfectly wetting. We also observe capillary condensation at higher pressures than has been done previously, which is important because many applications involving this phenomenon occur well above atmospheric pressure, and there is little, if any, experimental validation of capillary condensation at such pressures, particularly with direct visualization.

Minimum Energy Dissipation under Cocurrent Flow in Packed Beds

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Akramov, T.A.; Stavárek, Petr; Jiřičný, Vladimír; Staněk, Vladimír

2011-01-01

Roč. 50, č. 18 (2011), s. 10824-10832 ISSN 0888-5885 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA104/09/0880 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : energy dissipation * current flow * packed bed Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 2.237, year: 2011

7 CFR 982.11 - Pack.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... according to size, internal quality, and external appearance and condition of hazelnuts packed in accordance... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Pack. 982.11 Section 982.11 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and...

Comparison of Early-period Results of Nasal Splint and Merocel Nasal Packs in Septoplasty

Science.gov (United States)

Bingöl, Fatih; Budak, Ali; Şimşek, Eda; Kılıç, Korhan; Bingöl, Buket Özel

2017-01-01

Objective Several types of nasal packs are used postoperatively in septoplasty. In this study, we compared two commonly used nasal packing materials, the intranasal septal splint with airway and Merocel tampon, in terms of pain, bleeding, nasal obstruction, eating difficulties, discomfort in sleep, and pain and bleeding during removal of packing in the early period. Methods The study group included 60 patients undergoing septoplasty. Patients were divided into two groups (n=30 in each group). An intranasal splint with airway was used for the patients in the first group after septoplasty, while Merocel nasal packing was used for the second group. Patients were investigated in terms of seven different factors - pain, bleeding while the tampon was in place, nasal obstruction, eating difficulties, night sleep, pain during removal of the nasal packing, and bleeding after removal of packing. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of pain 24 hours after operation (p=0.05), while visual analog scale (VAS) scores for nasal obstruction, night sleep, eating difficulties, and pain during packing removal were lower in the nasal splint group with a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of postoperative bleeding (p=0.23). Significantly less bleeding occurred during removal of the packing in the nasal splint group (p<0.05). Conclusion Our study indicates that the nasal splint was more comfortable and effective in terms of causing lesser bleeding and pain during removal of packing. PMID:29392071

Deterministic indexing for packed strings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bille, Philip; Gørtz, Inge Li; Skjoldjensen, Frederik Rye

2017-01-01

Given a string S of length n, the classic string indexing problem is to preprocess S into a compact data structure that supports efficient subsequent pattern queries. In the deterministic variant the goal is to solve the string indexing problem without any randomization (at preprocessing time...... or query time). In the packed variant the strings are stored with several character in a single word, giving us the opportunity to read multiple characters simultaneously. Our main result is a new string index in the deterministic and packed setting. Given a packed string S of length n over an alphabet σ...

Decontamination of Chlorpyrifos packing using ionizing radiation: processing optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Manoel Nunes; Sampa, Maria Helena de Oliveira; Duarte, Celina Lopes

2007-01-01

The discharge of empty plastic packing of pesticide can be an environmental concern causing problems to human health, animals and plants if done without inspection and monitoring. Among the commercial pesticides, chlorpyrifos, o, o- Diethyl - o- (3,5,6 - trichloro - 2 - pyridyl) phosphorothioate, has significant importance because of its wide distribution, extensive use and persistence. The most commonly used formulations include the emulsified concentrate, granule, wet powder and dispersible granule has significant importance because of its wide distribution and extensive use and persistence. The hydroxyl .OH attack is the most efficient process of chemical oxidation. The degradation-induced of chlorpyrifos by gamma radiolysis was studied in packaging of high-density polyethylene tree layer coextruded, named COEX, irradiated intact and fragments. The intact packing was irradiated with water and the fragmented packing was irradiated with water and with a solution of 50% of water and 50% of acetonitrile. An AECL 'Gammacell 2201 60 Co source and a multipurpose gamma irradiator were used in the processing. The chemical analysis of the chlorpyrifos and by-products were made using a gas chromatography associated to the mass spectrometry (MSGC-Shimadzu QP5000. Radiation processing of packing in pieces showed higher efficiency in removing chlorpyrifos than whole packing. The presence of water showed fundamental to promote the formation of frees radicals and acetonitrile facilitate the dissolution of chlorpyrifos and consequently its removal. (author)

Decontamination of Chlorpyrifos packing using ionizing radiation: processing optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mori, Manoel Nunes; Sampa, Maria Helena de Oliveira; Duarte, Celina Lopes [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mails: mnmori@ipen.br; mhosampa@ipen.br; clduarte@ipen.br

2007-07-01

The discharge of empty plastic packing of pesticide can be an environmental concern causing problems to human health, animals and plants if done without inspection and monitoring. Among the commercial pesticides, chlorpyrifos, o, o- Diethyl - o- (3,5,6 - trichloro - 2 - pyridyl) phosphorothioate, has significant importance because of its wide distribution, extensive use and persistence. The most commonly used formulations include the emulsified concentrate, granule, wet powder and dispersible granule has significant importance because of its wide distribution and extensive use and persistence. The hydroxyl .OH attack is the most efficient process of chemical oxidation. The degradation-induced of chlorpyrifos by gamma radiolysis was studied in packaging of high-density polyethylene tree layer coextruded, named COEX, irradiated intact and fragments. The intact packing was irradiated with water and the fragmented packing was irradiated with water and with a solution of 50% of water and 50% of acetonitrile. An AECL 'Gammacell 2201 {sup 60}Co source and a multipurpose gamma irradiator were used in the processing. The chemical analysis of the chlorpyrifos and by-products were made using a gas chromatography associated to the mass spectrometry (MSGC-Shimadzu QP5000. Radiation processing of packing in pieces showed higher efficiency in removing chlorpyrifos than whole packing. The presence of water showed fundamental to promote the formation of frees radicals and acetonitrile facilitate the dissolution of chlorpyrifos and consequently its removal. (author)

Random packing of colloids and granular matter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wouterse, A.

2008-01-01

This thesis deals with the random packing of colloids and granular matter. A random packing is a stable disordered collection of touching particles, without long-range positional and orientational order. Experimental random packings of particles with the same shape but made of different materials

An improved theoretical electrochemical-thermal modelling of lithium-ion battery packs in electric vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Amiribavandpour, Parisa; Shen, Weixiang; Mu, Daobin; Kapoor, Ajay

2015-06-01

A theoretical electrochemical thermal model combined with a thermal resistive network is proposed to investigate thermal behaviours of a battery pack. The combined model is used to study heat generation and heat dissipation as well as their influences on the temperatures of the battery pack with and without a fan under constant current discharge and variable current discharge based on electric vehicle (EV) driving cycles. The comparison results indicate that the proposed model improves the accuracy in the temperature predication of the battery pack by 2.6 times. Furthermore, a large battery pack with four of the investigated battery packs in series is simulated in the presence of different ambient temperatures. The simulation results show that the temperature of the large battery pack at the end of EV driving cycles can reach to 50 °C or 60 °C in high ambient temperatures. Therefore, thermal management system in EVs is required to maintain the battery pack within the safe temperature range.

Smaller Cigarette Pack as a Commitment to Smoke Less? Insights from Behavioral Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Marti, Joachim; Sindelar, Jody

2015-01-01

Cigarettes are commonly sold in packs of 20 units and therefore little is known about the potential impact of pack size on consumption. Using insights from behavioral economics, we suggest that cigarette packs smaller than the standard size may help some smokers cut back and/or quit, consistent with their long-term goals. Results from an online hypothetical purchase experiment conducted in a sample of US smokers reveal that over a third of smokers are willing to pay a price premium to purchase in smaller quantities. Further, a desire to quit smoking and high self-control is associated with preference for a smaller pack. While we provide some preliminary evidence that smaller packs may be beneficial to certain types of smokers, further research should be conducted to assess whether the smaller pack size should be considered in the arsenal of tobacco control policies to help current smokers quit (JEL: I18; I12; D12) PMID:26356844

Smaller Cigarette Pack as a Commitment to Smoke Less? Insights from Behavioral Economics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joachim Marti

Full Text Available Cigarettes are commonly sold in packs of 20 units and therefore little is known about the potential impact of pack size on consumption. Using insights from behavioral economics, we suggest that cigarette packs smaller than the standard size may help some smokers cut back and/or quit, consistent with their long-term goals. Results from an online hypothetical purchase experiment conducted in a sample of US smokers reveal that over a third of smokers are willing to pay a price premium to purchase in smaller quantities. Further, a desire to quit smoking and high self-control is associated with preference for a smaller pack. While we provide some preliminary evidence that smaller packs may be beneficial to certain types of smokers, further research should be conducted to assess whether the smaller pack size should be considered in the arsenal of tobacco control policies to help current smokers quit (JEL: I18; I12; D12.

Packing circles and spheres on surfaces

KAUST Repository

Schiftner, Alexander; Hö binger, Mathias; Wallner, Johannes; Pottmann, Helmut

2009-01-01

Inspired by freeform designs in architecture which involve circles and spheres, we introduce a new kind of triangle mesh whose faces' incircles form a packing. As it turns out, such meshes have a rich geometry and allow us to cover surfaces with circle patterns, sphere packings, approximate circle packings, hexagonal meshes which carry a torsion-free support structure, hybrid tri-hex meshes, and others. We show how triangle meshes can be optimized so as to have the incircle packing property. We explain their relation to conformal geometry and implications on solvability of optimization. The examples we give confirm that this kind of meshes is a rich source of geometric structures relevant to architectural geometry. © 2009 ACM.

Packing circles and spheres on surfaces

KAUST Repository

Schiftner, Alexander

2009-12-01

Inspired by freeform designs in architecture which involve circles and spheres, we introduce a new kind of triangle mesh whose faces\\' incircles form a packing. As it turns out, such meshes have a rich geometry and allow us to cover surfaces with circle patterns, sphere packings, approximate circle packings, hexagonal meshes which carry a torsion-free support structure, hybrid tri-hex meshes, and others. We show how triangle meshes can be optimized so as to have the incircle packing property. We explain their relation to conformal geometry and implications on solvability of optimization. The examples we give confirm that this kind of meshes is a rich source of geometric structures relevant to architectural geometry.

Packing circles and spheres on surfaces

KAUST Repository

Schiftner, Alexander

2009-01-01

Inspired by freeform designs in architecture which involve circles and spheres, we introduce a new kind of triangle mesh whose faces\\' incircles form a packing. As it turns out, such meshes have a rich geometry and allow us to cover surfaces with circle patterns, sphere packings, approximate circle packings, hexagonal meshes which carry a torsion-free support structure, hybrid tri-hex meshes, and others. We show how triangle meshes can be optimized so as to have the incircle packing property. We explain their relation to conformal geometry and implications on solvability of optimization. The examples we give confirm that this kind of meshes is a rich source of geometric structures relevant to architectural geometry. © 2009 ACM.

Packing circles and spheres on surfaces

KAUST Repository

Schiftner, Alexander; Hö binger, Mathias; Wallner, Johannes; Pottmann, Helmut

2009-01-01

Inspired by freeform designs in architecture which involve circles and spheres, we introduce a new kind of triangle mesh whose faces' incircles form a packing. As it turns out, such meshes have a rich geometry and allow us to cover surfaces with circle patterns, sphere packings, approximate circle packings, hexagonal meshes which carry a torsion-free support structure, hybrid tri-hex meshes, and others. We show how triangle meshes can be optimized so as to have the incircle packing property. We explain their relation to conformal geometry and implications on solvability of optimization. The examples we give confirm that this kind of meshes is a rich source of geometric structures relevant to architectural geometry.

Packing configuration performance for small stem diameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aikin, J.A.; Spence, C.G.; Cumming, D.

1997-01-01

The extensive use of graphite packing and its excellent track record for large isolating valves in CANDU, Primary Heat Transfer (PHT) systems has resulted in an increased application of graphite packing on the conventional side. Many of these applications are in air operated valves (AOVs) where the packing sets are used on small stem diameters (<1 inch) with frequent short-cycling strokes (± 10% of full stroke). The direct application of the proven packing configurations for large isolated valves to control valve application has generated problems such as stiction, packing wear and, in isolated cases, stem stall. To address this issue, a test program was conducted at AECL, CRL by MED branch. The testing showed that by reconfiguring the packing sets and using PTFE wafers reductions in stem friction of 50% at ambient conditions, a 3 fold at hot conditions are achievable. The test program also demonstrated benefits gained in packing wear with different stem roughness finishes and the potential need to exercise small stems valves that see less than full stroke cycling. The paper describes the tests results and provides field support experience. (author)

Bidispersed Sphere Packing on Spherical Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Atherton, Timothy; Mascioli, Andrew; Burke, Christopher

Packing problems on spherical surfaces have a long history, originating in the classic Thompson problem of finding the ground state configuration of charges on a sphere. Such packings contain a minimal number of defects needed to accommodate the curvature; this is predictable using the Gauss-Bonnet theorem from knowledge of the topology of the surface and the local symmetry of the ordering. Famously, the packing of spherical particles on a sphere contains a 'scar' transition, where additional defects over those required by topology appear above a certain critical number of particles and self-organize into chains or scars. In this work, we study the packing of bidispersed packings on a sphere, and hence determine the interaction of bidispersity and curvature. The resultant configurations are nearly crystalline for low values of bidispersity and retain scar-like structures; these rapidly become disordered for intermediate values and approach a so-called Appollonian limit at the point where smaller particles can be entirely accommodated within the voids left by the larger particles. We connect our results with studies of bidispersed packings in the bulk and on flat surfaces from the literature on glassy systems and jamming. Supported by a Cottrell Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

Influence of γ-ray radiation on mechanical character of packing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tashiro, Hisao; Sakuma, Toshio

1989-01-01

This paper describes the results of investigation on coefficient of friction, normal to axial pressure-ratio and compressed strain of packings influenced by γ-ray irradiation, which are necessary to evaluate the mechanical characteristics of packing, using packings made of seven kinds of new materials and conventional asbestos packing A. It resulted that graphite packing was less influenced by the γ-ray exposure, whereas carbon-fiber (pitch) packing, tefron-fiber packing and alamid-fiber packing were much influenced as compared with the graphite packing. (author)

Investigation of hydrodynamic behaviour of a pilot-scale trickle bed reactor packed with hydrophobic and hydrophilic packings using radiotracer technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajesh Kumar; Sadhana Mohan; Pant, H.J.; Sharma, V.K.; Mahajani, S.M.

2012-01-01

A radiotracer study was carried out in a trickle bed reactor (TBR) independently filled with two different types of packing i.e., hydrophobic and hydrophilic. The study was aimed at to estimate liquid holdup and investigate the dispersion characteristics of liquid phase with both types of packing at different operating conditions. Water and H2 gas were used as aqueous and gas phase, respectively. The liquid and gas flow rates used ranged from 0.83 x 10 -7 -16.67 x 10 -7 m 3 /s and 0-3.33 x 10 -4 m 3 (std)/s, respectively. Residence time distribution (RTD) of liquid phase was measured using 82 Br as radiotracer and about 10 MBq activity was used in each run. Mean residence time (MRT) and holdup of liquid phase were estimated from the measured RTD data. An axial dispersion with exchange model was used to simulate the measured RTD curves and model parameters (Peclet number and MRT) were obtained. At higher liquid flow rates, the TBR behaves as a plug flow reactor, whereas at lower liquid flow rates, the flow was found to be highly dispersed. The results of investigation indicated that the dispersion of liquid phase is higher in case of hydrophobic packing, whereas holdup is higher in case of hydrophilic packing. (author)

Quasi-human seniority-order algorithm for unequal circles packing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Dingju

2016-01-01

In the existing methods for solving unequal circles packing problems, the initial configuration is given arbitrarily or randomly, but the impact of different initial configurations for existing packing algorithm to the speed of existing packing algorithm solving unequal circles packing problems is very large. The quasi-human seniority-order algorithm proposed in this paper can generate a better initial configuration for existing packing algorithm to accelerate the speed of existing packing algorithm solving unequal circles packing problems. In experiments, the quasi-human seniority-order algorithm is applied to generate better initial configurations for quasi-physical elasticity methods to solve the unequal circles packing problems, and the experimental results show that the proposed quasi-human seniority-order algorithm can greatly improve the speed of solving the problem.

Centrifugal sedimentation for selectively packing channels with silica microbeads in three-dimensional micro/nanofluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Maojun; Bohn, Paul W; Sweedler, Jonathan V

2009-03-01

Incorporation of nanofluidic elements into microfluidic channels is one approach for adding filtration and partition functionality to planar microfluidic devices, as well as providing enhanced biomolecular separations. Here we introduce a strategy to pack microfluidic channels with silica nanoparticles and microbeads, thereby indirectly producing functional nanostructures; the method allows selected channels to be packed, here demonstrated so that a separation channel is packed while keeping an injection channel unpacked. A nanocapillary array membrane is integrated between two patterned microfluidic channels that cross each other in vertically separated layers. The membrane serves both as a frit for bead packing and as a fluid communication conduit between microfluidic channels. Centrifugal force-assisted sedimentation is then used to selectively pack the microfluidic channels using an aqueous silica bead suspension loaded into the appropriate inlet reservoirs. This packing approach may be used to simultaneously pack multiple channels with silica microbeads having different sizes and surface properties. The chip design and packing method introduced here are suitable for packing silica particles in sizes ranging from nanometers to micrometers and allow rapid (approximately 10 min) packing with high quality. The liquid/analyte transport characteristics of these packed micro/nanofluidic devices have potential utility in a wide range of applications, including electroosmotic pumping, liquid chromatographic separations, and electrochromatography.

48 CFR 552.211-87 - Export packing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Export packing. 552.211-87... FORMS SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Text of Provisions and Clauses 552.211-87 Export packing. As prescribed in 511.204(b)(7), insert the following clause: Export Packing (JAN 2010) (a...

High pressure synthesis of a hexagonal close-packed phase of the high-entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tracy, Cameron L.; Park, Sulgiye; Rittman, Dylan R.; Zinkle, Steven J.; Bei, Hongbin; Lang, Maik; Ewing, Rodney C.; Mao, Wendy L.

2017-05-25

High-entropy alloys, near-equiatomic solid solutions of five or more elements, represent a new strategy for the design of materials with properties superior to those of conventional alloys. However, their phase space remains constrained, with transition metal high-entropy alloys exhibiting only face- or body-centered cubic structures. Here, we report the high-pressure synthesis of a hexagonal close-packed phase of the prototypical high-entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi. This martensitic transformation begins at 14 GPa and is attributed to suppression of the local magnetic moments, destabilizing the initial fcc structure. Similar to fcc-to-hcp transformations in Al and the noble gases, the transformation is sluggish, occurring over a range of >40 GPa. However, the behaviour of CrMnFeCoNi is unique in that the hcp phase is retained following decompression to ambient pressure, yielding metastable fcc-hcp mixtures. This demonstrates a means of tuning the structures and properties of high-entropy alloys in a manner not achievable by conventional processing techniques.

Shelving 6 pack crisps

OpenAIRE

Garriga Torrecillas, Núria; Otrubova, Natalie; Worm, Robert; Larroque, Thibaut

2017-01-01

6-Pack crisps are one of the main products sold by PepsiCo using the standard shelf storage options offered by Tesco PLC. While presenting specific packaging involves a multitude of variables. This report focusses on cognitive recognition, brand confusion and product attractiveness. PepsiCo asked the research team to investigate innovative ways of presenting the crisp 6-pack variant on instore displays. research shows that attraction is crucial in the form of expected rewards. The combination...

Visual nesting system for irregular cutting-stock problem based on rubber band packing algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoping Liao

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the packing problem of irregular items allocated into a rectangular sheet to minimize the waste. Conventional solution is not visual during the packing process. It obtains a reasonable and relatively satisfactory solution between the nesting time and nesting solution. This article adopts a physical method that uses rubber band packing algorithm to simulate a rubber band wrapping those packing irregular items. The simulation shows a visual and fast packing process. The resultant rubber band force is applied in the packing items to translate, rotate, and slide them to make the area decrease and obtain a high packing density. An improved analogy QuickHull algorithm is presented to obtain extreme points of rubber band convex hull. An adaptive module could set a variable rubber band force and a variable time step to make a proper convergence and no intersection. A quick convex decomposition method is used to solve the problem of concave polygon. A plural vector expression approach is adopted to calculate the resultant vector of the rubber band force. Several cases are compared with the benchmark problems to prove rubber band packing algorithm performance.

Sensitivity of energy-packed compounds based on superfine and nanoporous silicon to pulsed electrical treatments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zegrya, G. G. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical–Technical Institute (Russian Federation); Savenkov, G. G. [Saint-Petersburg State Engineering Institute (Technical University) (Russian Federation); Morozov, V. A. [Saint-Petersburg State University (Russian Federation); Zegrya, A. G.; Ulin, N. V., E-mail: Ulin@mail.ioffe.ru; Ulin, V. P. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical–Technical Institute (Russian Federation); Lukin, A. A. [Saint-Petersburg State Engineering Institute (Technical University) (Russian Federation); Bragin, V. A.; Oskin, I. A. [AO Scientific Production Association Poisk (Russian Federation); Mikhailov, Yu. M. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics (Russian Federation)

2017-04-15

The sensitivity of an energy-packed compound based on nanoporous silicon and calcium perchlorate to a high-current electron beam is studied. The initiation of explosive transformations in a mixture of potassium picrate with a highly dispersed powder of boron-doped silicon by means of a high-voltage discharge is examined. It is shown that explosive transformation modes (combustion and explosion) appear in the energy-packed compound under study upon its treatment with an electron beam. A relationship is established between the explosive transformation modes and the density of the energy-packed compound and between the breakdown (initiation) voltage and the mass fraction of the silicon powder.

Does Post Septoplasty Nasal Packing Reduce Complications?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bijan Naghibzadeh

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The main issues in nasal surgery are to stabilize the nose in the good position after surgery and preserve the cartilages and bones in the favorable situation and reduce the risk of deviation recurrence. Also it is necessary to avoid the synechia formation, nasal valve narrowing, hematoma and bleeding. Due to the above mentioned problems and in order to solve and minimize them nasal packing, nasal splint and nasal mold have been advised. Patients for whom the nasal packing used may faced to some problems like naso-pulmonary reflex, intractable pain, sleep disorder, post operation infection and very dangerous complication like toxic shock syndrome. We have two groups of patients and three surgeons (one of the surgeons used post operative nasal packing in his patients and the two others surgeons did not.Complications and morbidities were compared in these two groups. Comparing the two groups showed that the rate of complication and morbidities between these two groups were same and the differences were not valuable, except the pain and discomfort post operatively and at the time of its removal. Nasal packing has several risks for the patients while its effects are not studied. Septoplasty can be safely performed without postoperative nasal packing. Nasal packing had no main findings that compensated its usage. Septal suture is one of the procedures that can be used as alternative method to nasal packing. Therefore the nasal packing after septoplasty should be reserved for the patients with increased risk of bleeding.

Material selection and assembly method of battery pack for compact electric vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Lewchalermwong, N.; Masomtob, M.; Lailuck, V.; Charoenphonphanich, C.

2018-01-01

Battery packs become the key component in electric vehicles (EVs). The main costs of which are battery cells and assembling processes. The battery cell is indeed priced from battery manufacturers while the assembling cost is dependent on battery pack designs. Battery pack designers need overall cost as cheap as possible, but it still requires high performance and more safety. Material selection and assembly method as well as component design are very important to determine the cost-effectiveness of battery modules and battery packs. Therefore, this work presents Decision Matrix, which can aid in the decision-making process of component materials and assembly methods for a battery module design and a battery pack design. The aim of this study is to take the advantage of incorporating Architecture Analysis method into decision matrix methods by capturing best practices for conducting design architecture analysis in full account of key design components critical to ensure efficient and effective development of the designs. The methodology also considers the impacts of choice-alternatives along multiple dimensions. Various alternatives for materials and assembly techniques of battery pack are evaluated, and some sample costs are presented. Due to many components in the battery pack, only seven components which are positive busbar and Z busbar are represented in this paper for using decision matrix methods.

Study of the factors affecting the performance of microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) using liquid scintillation counter and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altun, Zeki; Abdel-Rehim, Mohamed

2008-01-01

Microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) is a new technique for sample preparation that can be connected on-line with LC or GC. In MEPS, approximately 1-2 mg of the solid packing material is inserted into a syringe (100-250 μL) as a plug. Sample preparation takes place on the packed bed. The bed can be packed or coated to provide selective and suitable sampling conditions. The new method is very promising for extraction of drugs and metabolites from biological samples. In this paper, some factors affecting the performance of MEPS such as recovery, carry-over, leakage, washing volume and elution volume were studied using C18 and hydroxylated polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer (ENV+) as sorbents. Radioactively labelled bupivacaine in plasma samples was used as test analyte. For the extraction of this drug, using methanol/water 95:5 (v/v) (0.25% ammonium hydroxide) was used as elution solvent. The analyte response increased with increasing the elution volume and it was linear upp up to 100 μL utilizing liquid scintillation counter. Further, for concentrating the sample, we found that MEPS may be used such that the sample can be drawn through the needle, up and down, several times. The analyte leakage increases as the volume washing increases, though higher washing volumes may also result in cleaner extracts. To eliminate analyte carry-over, the sorbents were washed first with 3 x 250 μL elution solution and then with 3 x 250 μL washing solution. In addition, the reproducibility measurements show relatively good relative standard deviation (RSD) % values concerning analyte recovery and analyte leakage. The present study provides an understanding of basic aspects when optimizing methods for MEPS. In this study, MEPS was used off-line with liquid scintillation counter and on-line with LC-MS/MS

Study of the factors affecting the performance of microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) using liquid scintillation counter and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Altun, Zeki [Karlstad University, Faculty of Technology and Science, SE-651 88 Karlstad (Sweden); Abdel-Rehim, Mohamed [Karlstad University, Faculty of Technology and Science, SE-651 88 Karlstad (Sweden); Clinical Pharmacology and DMPK, AstraZeneca R and D Soedertaelje, SE-151 85 Soedertaelje (Sweden)], E-mail: Mohamed.Abdel-Rehim@Astrazeneca.com

2008-12-23

Microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) is a new technique for sample preparation that can be connected on-line with LC or GC. In MEPS, approximately 1-2 mg of the solid packing material is inserted into a syringe (100-250 {mu}L) as a plug. Sample preparation takes place on the packed bed. The bed can be packed or coated to provide selective and suitable sampling conditions. The new method is very promising for extraction of drugs and metabolites from biological samples. In this paper, some factors affecting the performance of MEPS such as recovery, carry-over, leakage, washing volume and elution volume were studied using C18 and hydroxylated polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer (ENV+) as sorbents. Radioactively labelled bupivacaine in plasma samples was used as test analyte. For the extraction of this drug, using methanol/water 95:5 (v/v) (0.25% ammonium hydroxide) was used as elution solvent. The analyte response increased with increasing the elution volume and it was linear upp up to 100 {mu}L utilizing liquid scintillation counter. Further, for concentrating the sample, we found that MEPS may be used such that the sample can be drawn through the needle, up and down, several times. The analyte leakage increases as the volume washing increases, though higher washing volumes may also result in cleaner extracts. To eliminate analyte carry-over, the sorbents were washed first with 3 x 250 {mu}L elution solution and then with 3 x 250 {mu}L washing solution. In addition, the reproducibility measurements show relatively good relative standard deviation (RSD) % values concerning analyte recovery and analyte leakage. The present study provides an understanding of basic aspects when optimizing methods for MEPS. In this study, MEPS was used off-line with liquid scintillation counter and on-line with LC-MS/MS.

To compare efficacy & discomfort in posterior nasal packing with foley's catheters versus bipp gauze packing in cases of posterior epistaxis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M.A.; Ahmed, A.

2015-01-01

To compare efficacy and discomfort in posterior nasal packing with Foley's catheters versus BIPP gauze packing in cases of posterior epistaxis. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Kharian from October 2011 to October 2013. Material and Methods: A total of 206 patients of posterior epistaxis were included in the study through non-probability convenience sampling and randomly divided in two groups of 103 each. In group A patients were treated by posterior nasal packing with Foley's catheter and in group B patients were treated by posterior nasal packing with BIPP gauze and results in terms of control of epistaxis and discomfort during pack insertion, while the packs were in situ and pack removal, based on VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) were observed. Results: Average age in group A was 52.64 years (SD=9.57) and in group B it was 50.27 years (SD ± 10.13). There were 71 (68.9%) males in group A while 67 (65%) males in group B. During posterior nasal pack insertion, the mean pain score in Group A was 6.21 (SD ± I.13) and in Group B was 7.43 (SD ± 1.19). The mean pain score with the pack in situ was 4.27 (SD ± 0.08) in Group A versus 4.76 (SD ± 0.09) Group B. Similarly pack removal was also more painful in group B than group A (6.14 ± 0.91 vs 6.89 ± 1.09) (p =0.000). In the group A, 31 (30.1%) patients had rebleeding after pack removal, out of which 9 (8.7%) had significant bleeding requiring repacking. In 22 (21.4%) cases there was mild bleeding which settled without repacking. In group B 22 (21.4%) patients had rebleeding after pack removal, out of which 5 (4.7%) had significant bleeding requiring repacking. Conclusion: It is concluded that posterior nasal packing with BIPP gauze pack is effective for controlling posterior epistaxis but causes more discomfort to the patients as compared to Foley's catheter packing. (author)

Analysis of packing microstructure and wall effects in a narrow-bore ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography column using focused ion-beam scanning electron microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Reising, Arved E; Schlabach, Sabine; Baranau, Vasili; Stoeckel, Daniela; Tallarek, Ulrich

2017-09-01

Column wall effects are well recognized as major limiting factor in achieving high separation efficiency in HPLC. This is especially important for modern analytical columns packed with small particles, where wall effects dominate the band broadening. Detailed knowledge about the packing microstructure of packed analytical columns has so far not been acquired. Here, we present the first three-dimensional reconstruction protocol for these columns utilizing focused ion-beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) on a commercial 2.1mm inner diameter×50mm length narrow-bore analytical column packed with 1.7μm bridged-ethyl hybrid silica particles. Two sections from the packed bed are chosen for reconstruction by FIB-SEM: one from the bulk packing region of the column and one from its critical wall region. This allows quantification of structural differences between the wall region and the center of the bed due to effects induced by the hard, confining column wall. Consequences of these effects on local flow velocity in the column are analyzed with flow simulations utilizing the lattice-Boltzmann method. The reconstructions of the bed structures reveal significant structural differences in the wall region (extending radially over approximately 62 particle diameters) compared to the center of the column. It includes the local reduction of the external porosity by up to 10% and an increase of the mean particle diameter by up to 3%, resulting in a decrease of the local flow velocity by up to 23%. In addition, four (more ordered) layers of particles in the direct vicinity of the column wall induce local velocity fluctuations by up to a factor of three regarding the involved velocity amplitudes. These observations highlight the impact of radial variations in packing microstructure on band migration and column performance. This knowledge on morphological peculiarities of column wall effects helps guiding us towards further optimization of the packing process for analytical

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT AND FRICTION FACTOR OF Al2O3 NANOFLUID IN A PACKED BED COLUMN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Srinivasa Rao

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The forced convection heat transfer coefficient and friction factor are determined for the flow of water and nanofluid in a vertical packed bed column. The analysis is undertaken in the laminar and transition Reynolds number range. The column is filled with spherical glass beads as the bed material. The heat transfer coefficients with Al2O3 nanofluid increased by 12% to 15% with the increase of volume concentration from 0.02% to 0.5% compared with water. The experimental values of axial temperature are in good agreement with the NTU-ε method proposed by Schumann’s model.

The influence of bamboo-packed configuration to mixing characteristics in a fixed-bed reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Detalina, M.; Pradanawati, S. A.; Widyarani; Mamat; Nilawati, D.; Sintawardani, N.

2018-03-01

Fixed-bed reactors are commonly used as bioreactors for various applications, including chemicals production and organic wastewater treatment. Bioreactors are fixed with packing materials for attaching microorganisms. Packing materials should have high surface area and enable sufficient fluid flow in the reactor. Natural materials e.g. rocks and fibres are often used as packing materials. Commercially, packing materials are also produced from polymer with the advantage of customizable shapes. The objective of this research was to study the mixing pattern in a packed-bed reactor using bamboo as packing material. Bamboo was selected for its pipe-like and porous form, as well as its abundant availability in Indonesia. The cut bamboo sticks were installed in a reactor in different configurations namely vertical, horizontal, and random. Textile dye was used as a tracer. Our results show that the vertical configuration gave the least liquid resistant flow. Yet, the random configuration was the best configuration during mixing process.

Highly efficient high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of xylene isomers and phthalate acid esters on a homemade DUT-67(Zr) packed column.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Sha; Li, Xiao-Xin; Feng, Fan; Li, Sumei; Han, Jia-Hui; Jia, Zi-Yi; Shu, Lun; Somsundaran, P; Li, Jian-Rong

2018-04-16

In this study, the baseline separations of xylene isomers and phthalate acid esters on a homemade DUT-67(Zr) packed column were achieved, respectively. The high selectivity for xylene isomers and phthalate acid esters was obtained with the increase of temperature and decrease of the retention time. The hydrophobicity of xylene isomers and phthalate acid esters caused the different separation time on the DUT-67(Zr) packed column. The relative standard deviation values of retention time, peak area, peak height and half peak width for five repeat separation of the xylene isomers were 0.26-0.35, 2.11-2.26, 1.51-2.03, and 0.29-0.77%, and the values of the phthalate acid esters on DUT-67(Zr) column were 0.1-0.4, 4.4-5.2, 3.9-6.3, and 0.6-2.1%, respectively. The thermodynamic properties indicated that the separation of xylene isomers was controlled by ΔH and ΔS, but the separation of phthalate acid esters was mainly controlled by ΔS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Power Packing

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2011-08-16

In this podcast for kids, the Kidtastics talk about how to pack a lunch safely, to help keep you from getting sick.  Created: 8/16/2011 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 8/16/2011.

Influence of packing motives on charge Carrier mobility in perylene tetracarboxdiimide derivatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

May, Falk; Andrienko, Denis [Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz (Germany); Marcon, Valentina [Center of Smart Interfaces, Darmstadt (Germany)

2010-07-01

Discotic mesophases are known for their ability to self-assemble into columnar structures and can serve as semiconducting molecular wires. Charge carrier mobility along these wires strongly depends on molecular packing which is controlled by intermolecular interactions. In this work we compare the influence of side chains on the packing motives of perylene tetracarboxdiimide (PDI) derivatives. Two different (alkyl and glycol) side chains are considered. We first establish how the packing of side chains affects the molecular orientation within the columns using molecular dynamics. Then, using the high temperature non-adiabatic limit of Marcus theory for hopping rates and solving the rate equation for charge transport, we analyze the link between the secondary structure and charge carrier mobility. This analysis eventually provides a pathway to rational design of columnar assemblies of PDI derivatives with high charge mobilities.

Structured packing: an opportunity for energy savings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chavez T, R.H.; Guadarrama G, J.J.

1996-01-01

This work emphasizes the advantages about the use of structured packing. This type of packings allows by its geometry to reduce the processing time giving energy savings and throw down the production costs in several industries such as heavy water production plants, petrochemical industry and all industries involved with separation processes. There is a comparative results of energy consumption utilizing the structured vs. Raschig packings. (Author)

Numerical Analysis and Design of Thermal Management System for Lithium Ion Battery Pack Using Thermoelectric Coolers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Liu

2014-08-01

Full Text Available A new design of thermal management system for lithium ion battery pack using thermoelectric coolers (TECs is proposed. Firstly, the 3D thermal model of a high power lithium ion battery and the TEC is elaborated. Then the model is calibrated with experiment results. Finally, the calibrated model is applied to investigate the performance of a thermal management system for a lithium ion battery pack. The results show that battery thermal management system (BTMS with TEC can cool the battery in very high ambient temperature. It can also keep a more uniform temperature distribution in the battery pack than common BTMS, which will extend the life of the battery pack and may save the expensive battery equalization system.

27 CFR 24.308 - Bottled or packed wine record.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bottled or packed wine... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS WINE Records and Reports § 24.308 Bottled or packed wine record. A proprietor who bottles, packs, or receives bottled or packed beverage wine in bond shall...

Simple Cloud Chambers Using Gel Ice Packs

Science.gov (United States)

Kamata, Masahiro; Kubota, Miki

2012-01-01

Although cloud chambers are highly regarded as teaching aids for radiation education, school teachers have difficulty in using cloud chambers because they have to prepare dry ice or liquid nitrogen before the experiment. We developed a very simple and inexpensive cloud chamber that uses the contents of gel ice packs which can substitute for dry…

Chemical treatments for increasing the efficiency of B7 ordered packings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Titescu, Gh.; Predescu, S.

1997-01-01

Efforts to improve the contact elements, particularly, the isotopic and mass exchange elements, resulted in a new highly performing ordered packing made of metallic net. Research directed to improve the functional characteristics of these packings, destined to heavy water separation processes by vacuum isotopic distillations, continued. A special goal was deposing oxide layers on the metallic surface to increase the wettability and, implicitly, the separation efficiency of the packings. Surface treatments are based on the contact of the material in given conditions with oxidizers such as KMnO 4 , H 2 O 2 , K 2 Cr 2 O 7 . At present, the experiments aim at correlating the functional characteristics and the morphologic characteristics of the oxide layers formed on their surface

Coupled electrochemical thermal modelling of a novel Li-ion battery pack thermal management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, Suman; Hariharan, Krishnan S.; Kolake, Subramanya Mayya; Song, Taewon; Sohn, Dong Kee; Yeo, Taejung

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Three-dimensional electrochemical thermal model of Li-ion battery pack using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). • Novel pack design for compact liquid cooling based thermal management system. • Simple temperature estimation algorithm for the cells in the pack using the results from the model. • Sensitivity of the thermal performance to contact resistance has been investigated. - Abstract: Thermal management system is of critical importance for a Li-ion battery pack, as high performance and long battery pack life can be simultaneously achieved when operated within a narrow range of temperature around the room temperature. An efficient thermal management system is required to keep the battery temperature in this range, despite widely varying operating conditions. A novel liquid coolant based thermal management system, for 18,650 battery pack has been introduced herein. This system is designed to be compact and economical without compromising safety. A coupled three-dimensional (3D) electrochemical thermal model is constructed for the proposed Li-ion battery pack. The model is used to evaluate the effects of different operating conditions like coolant flow-rate and discharge current on the pack temperature. Contact resistance is found to have the strongest impact on the thermal performance of the pack. From the numerical solution, a simple and novel temperature correlation of predicting the temperatures of all the individual cells given the temperature measurement of one cell is devised and validated with experimental results. Such coefficients have great potential of reducing the sensor requirement and complexity in a large Li-ion battery pack, typical of an electric vehicle.

Hashish Body Packing: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Jesus Soriano-Perez

2009-01-01

Full Text Available A 42-year-old African male was brought by the police to the emergency department under suspicion of drug smuggling by body-packing. Plain abdominal radiograph showed multiple foreign bodies within the gastrointestinal tract. Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT confirmed the findings, and the patient admitted to have swallowed “balls” of hashish. Body-packing is a recognized method of smuggling drugs across international borders. Body packers may present to the emergency department because of drug toxicity, intestinal obstruction, or more commonly, requested by law-enforcement officers for medical confirmation or exclusion of suspected body packing.

36 CFR 34.10 - Saddle and pack animals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Saddle and pack animals. 34... INTERIOR EL PORTAL ADMINISTRATIVE SITE REGULATIONS § 34.10 Saddle and pack animals. The use of saddle and pack animals is prohibited without a permit from the Superintendent. ...

CoolPack – Simulation tools for refrigeration systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Arne; Rasmussen, Bjarne D.; Andersen, Simon Engedal

1999-01-01

CoolPack is a collection of programs used for energy analysis and optimisation of refrigeration systems. CoolPack is developed at the Department of Energy Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark. The Danish Energy Agency finances the project. CoolPack is freeware and can be downloaded...

Simulation of abuse tolerance of lithium-ion battery packs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spotnitz, Robert M.; Weaver, James; Yeduvaka, Gowri [Battery Design LLC, 2277 DeLucchi Drive, Pleasanton, CA 94588 (United States); Doughty, D.H.; Roth, E.P. [Lithium Battery Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States)

2007-01-01

A simple approach for using accelerating rate calorimetry data to simulate the thermal abuse resistance of battery packs is described. The thermal abuse tolerance of battery packs is estimated based on the exothermic behavior of a single cell and an energy balance than accounts for radiative, conductive, and convective heat transfer modes of the pack. For the specific example of a notebook computer pack containing eight 18650-size cells, the effects of cell position, heat of reaction, and heat-transfer coefficient are explored. Thermal runaway of the pack is more likely to be induced by thermal runaway of a single cell when that cell is in good contact with other cells and is close to the pack wall. (author)

Hardfacing and packings for improved valve performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aikin, J.A.; Patrick, J.N.F.; Inglis, I.

2003-01-01

The CANDU Owners Group (COG), Chemistry, Materials and Components (CMC) Program has supported an ongoing program on valve maintenance and performance for several years. An overview is presented of recent work on iron-based hardfacing, packing qualification, friction testing of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) packings, and an investigation of re-torquing valve packing. Based on this program, two new valve-packing materials have been qualified for use in CANDU stations. By doing this, CANDU maintenance can avoid having only one packing qualified for station use, as well as assess the potential impact of the industry trend towards using lower gland loads. The results from corrosion tests by AECL and the coefficient of friction studies at Battelle' s tribology testing facilities on Delcrome 910, an iron-based hardfacing alloy, indicate it is an acceptable replacement for Stellite 6 under certain conditions. This information can be used to update in-line valve purchasing specifications. The renewed interest in friction characteristics, and environmental qualification (EQ) of packing containing PTFE has resulted in a new test program in these areas. The COG-funded valve programs have resulted in modifications to design specifications for nuclear station in-line valves and have led to better maintenance practices and valve reliability. In the end, this means lower costs and cheaper electricity. (author)

Computational fluid dynamic and thermal analysis of Lithium-ion battery pack with air cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saw, Lip Huat; Ye, Yonghuang; Tay, Andrew A.O.; Chong, Wen Tong; Kuan, Seng How; Yew, Ming Chian

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We designed and analyzed the thermal behavior of the Li-ion battery pack. • We analyzed the heat generation of 38,120 Li-ion cell using ARC. • We validated the simulation results with experimental studies. • We developed the correlations of Nu and Re for the air cooling battery pack. - Abstract: A battery pack is produced by connecting the cells in series and/or in parallel to provide the necessary power for electric vehicles (EVs). Those parameters affecting cost and reliability of the EVs, including cycle life, capacity, durability and warranty are highly dependent on the thermal management system. In this work, computational fluid dynamic analysis is performed to investigate the air cooling system for a 38,120 cell battery pack. The battery pack contained 24 pieces of 38,120 cells, copper bus bars, intake and exhaust plenum and holding plates with venting holes. Heat generated by the cell during charging is measured using an accelerating rate calorimeter. Thermal performances of the battery pack were analyzed with various mass flow rates of cooling air using steady state simulation. The correlation between Nu number and Re number were deduced from the numerical modeling results and compared with literature. Additionally, an experimental testing of the battery pack at different charging rates is conducted to validate the correlation. This method provides a simple way to estimate thermal performance of the battery pack when the battery pack is large and full transient simulation is not viable.

Structural characterization of the packings of granular regular polygons.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chuncheng; Dong, Kejun; Yu, Aibing

2015-12-01

By using a recently developed method for discrete modeling of nonspherical particles, we simulate the random packings of granular regular polygons with three to 11 edges under gravity. The effects of shape and friction on the packing structures are investigated by various structural parameters, including packing fraction, the radial distribution function, coordination number, Voronoi tessellation, and bond-orientational order. We find that packing fraction is generally higher for geometrically nonfrustrated regular polygons, and can be increased by the increase of edge number and decrease of friction. The changes of packing fraction are linked with those of the microstructures, such as the variations of the translational and orientational orders and local configurations. In particular, the free areas of Voronoi tessellations (which are related to local packing fractions) can be described by log-normal distributions for all polygons. The quantitative analyses establish a clearer picture for the packings of regular polygons.

Ultra small angle neutron scattering : a tool to study packing of relatively monodisperse small polymer spheres and their binary mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, Philip A.; McGillivray, Duncan J.; White, John W.; Jackson, Andrew J.; University of Maryland, College Paerk, Maryland, USA

2009-01-01

Full text: We measured ultra small angle neutron scattering (USANS) from polymethylmethacrylate spheres tamped down in air. Two slightly polydisperse pure sphere sizes (1.5/-lm and 7.5/-lm diameter) and five mixtures of these were used. All were loose packed (packing fractions 0.3 to 0.6) with nongravitational forces (e.g., friction) important, preventing close packing. The USANS data is rich in information on powder packing. A modified Percus-Yevick fluid model was used to parametrise the data - adequately but not well. The modifications required introduction of small voids, less than the sphere size, and a parameter reflecting substantial deviation from the Percus-Yevick prediction of the sphere-sphere correlation function. The mixed samples fitted less well, and two further modifying factors were necessary. These were local inhomogeneities, where the concentration of same-size spheres, both large and small, deviated from the mean packing, and a factor accounting for the presence within these 'clusters' of self avoidance of the large spheres (that is large spheres coated with more small spheres than Percus-Yevick would predict). The overall deviations from the hardsphere Percus-Yevick model that we find here suggests fluid models of loose packed powders are unlikely to be successful, but lay the groundwork for future theoretical and computational work.

Forced Convection Heat Transfer of a sphere in Packed Bed Arrangement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Dong-Young; Chung, Bum-Jin

2016-01-01

This paper analysis and discuss the forced convective heat transfer from heated single sphere, which is buried in unheated packed bed, depending on Re d with porosity. The present work determines the test matrix for the packed bed experiment. And this study discuss difference of heat transfer according to the location of heated sphere and compared heated bed with heated sphere in packed bed and compared FCC (Face Centered Cubic), HCP (Hexagonal Closed Packed) structured packed bed with random packed. This paper is to discuss and make the plan to experiment the heat transfer for depending on location of heated single sphere in unheated packed bed, to compare single sphere in packed bed with heated packed bed and to compare the structured packed bed with random packed bed. The Nu d increase as heated single sphere is close to the wall and bottom because of increasing porosity and enhancing eddy motion respectively. The existing experiment of heated sphere in packed bed do not consider the preheating effect which decrease heat transfer on downstream. The heat transfer rate of structured packed bed is different from random packed bed because of unsteady flow in random packed bed. In this study, mass transfer experiments will replace heat transfer experiments based on analogy concept. An electroplating system is adopted using limiting current technique

Forced Convection Heat Transfer of a sphere in Packed Bed Arrangement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Dong-Young; Chung, Bum-Jin [Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

This paper analysis and discuss the forced convective heat transfer from heated single sphere, which is buried in unheated packed bed, depending on Re{sub d} with porosity. The present work determines the test matrix for the packed bed experiment. And this study discuss difference of heat transfer according to the location of heated sphere and compared heated bed with heated sphere in packed bed and compared FCC (Face Centered Cubic), HCP (Hexagonal Closed Packed) structured packed bed with random packed. This paper is to discuss and make the plan to experiment the heat transfer for depending on location of heated single sphere in unheated packed bed, to compare single sphere in packed bed with heated packed bed and to compare the structured packed bed with random packed bed. The Nu{sub d} increase as heated single sphere is close to the wall and bottom because of increasing porosity and enhancing eddy motion respectively. The existing experiment of heated sphere in packed bed do not consider the preheating effect which decrease heat transfer on downstream. The heat transfer rate of structured packed bed is different from random packed bed because of unsteady flow in random packed bed. In this study, mass transfer experiments will replace heat transfer experiments based on analogy concept. An electroplating system is adopted using limiting current technique.

Tritium isotope separation by water distillation column packed with silica-gel beads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukada, Satoshi

2004-01-01

Tritium enrichment or depletion by water distillation was investigated using a glass column of 32cm in height packed with silica-gel beads of 3.4mm in average diameter. The total separation factor of the silica-gel distillation column, α H-T , was compared with those of an open column distillation tower and of a column packed with stainless-steel Dixon rings. Depletion of the tritium activity in the distillate was enhanced by isotopic exchange with water absorbed on silica-gel beads that have a higher affinity for HTO than for H 2 O. The value of α H-T -1 of the silica-gel distillation column was about four times larger than that of a column without any packing and about two times larger than that of the Dixon-ring column. The improvement of α H-T by the silica-gel adsorbent indicated that the height of the distillation-adsorption column becomes shorter than that of the height of conventional distillation columns. (author)

Domain Discretization and Circle Packings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dias, Kealey

A circle packing is a configuration of circles which are tangent with one another in a prescribed pattern determined by a combinatorial triangulation, where the configuration fills a planar domain or a two-dimensional surface. The vertices in the triangulation correspond to centers of circles...... to domain discretization problems such as triangulation and unstructured mesh generation techniques. We wish to ask ourselves the question: given a cloud of points in the plane (we restrict ourselves to planar domains), is it possible to construct a circle packing preserving the positions of the vertices...... and constrained meshes having predefined vertices as constraints. A standard method of two-dimensional mesh generation involves conformal mapping of the surface or domain to standardized shapes, such as a disk. Since circle packing is a new technique for constructing discrete conformal mappings, it is possible...

The pursuit of perfect packing

CERN Document Server

Weaire, Denis

2000-01-01

In 1998 Thomas Hales dramatically announced the solution of a problem that has long teased eminent mathematicians: what is the densest possible arrangement of identical spheres? The Pursuit of Perfect Packing recounts the story of this problem and many others that have to do with packing things together. The examples are taken from mathematics, physics, biology, and engineering, including the arrangement of soap bubbles in foam, atoms in a crystal, the architecture of the bee''s honeycomb, and the structure of the Giant''s Causeway. Using an informal style and with key references, the book also includes brief accounts of the lives of many of the scientists who devoted themselves to problems of packing over many centuries, together with wry comments on their efforts. It is an entertaining introduction to the field for both specialists and the more general public.

Random close packing of hard spheres and disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berryman, J.G.

1983-01-01

A simple definition of random close packing of hard spheres is presented, and the consequences of this definition are explored. According to this definition, random close packing occurs at the minimum packing fraction eta for which the median nearest-neighbor radius equals the diameter of the spheres. Using the radial distribution function at more dilute concentrations to estimate median nearest-neighbor radii, lower bounds on the critical packing fraction eta/sub RCP/ are obtained and the value of eta/sub RCP/ is estimated by extrapolation. Random close packing is predicted to occur for eta/sub RCP/ = 0.64 +- 0.02 in three dimensions and eta/sub RCP/ = 0.82 +- 0.02 in two dimensions. Both of these predictions are shown to be consistent with the available experimental data

New iodine filter pack design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blackbee, B.A.

1977-10-01

To enable Naval Emergency Monitoring Teams to fulfil their role in the field it was necessary to locate or design a replacement filter pack for the collection of radioactive iodine air samples. Collaboration with the Berkeley Laboratories of the Central Electricity Generating Board provided the necessary starting point for a suitable type of package. Further development by NGTE (West Drayton) yielded the improved filter pack which is the subject of this memorandum. (author)

36 CFR 1002.16 - Horses and pack animals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Horses and pack animals. 1002... AND RECREATION § 1002.16 Horses and pack animals. The following are prohibited: (a) The use of animals other than those designated as “pack animals” for purposes of transporting equipment. (b) The use of...

36 CFR 2.16 - Horses and pack animals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Horses and pack animals. 2.16... RESOURCE PROTECTION, PUBLIC USE AND RECREATION § 2.16 Horses and pack animals. The following are prohibited: (a) The use of animals other than those designated as “pack animals” for purposes of transporting...

Bilateral blindness following anterior nasal packing in a case of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, A K; Preetam, C; Kumar, R; Samal, D K

2016-11-01

Epistaxis is the most common ENT emergency encountered in the Emergency Department. Most cases can be managed by simple anterior nasal packing. This is usually a safe and very effective option in an emergency situation, requiring minimal expertise and infrastructure. This paper describes a rare instance of a serious complication following anterior nasal packing in a case of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. A 27-year-old man diagnosed with nasopharyngeal angiofibroma presented to the Emergency Department with bilateral epistaxis. The patient was stabilised and anterior nasal packing was performed, which controlled the bleeding. Three hours later, the patient developed complete blindness in both eyes. Aggressive medical management was initiated immediately, but failed to restore the patient's vision. Anterior nasal packing is a simple and minimally invasive procedure practised regularly in an Emergency Department setting. However, it can occasionally lead to serious complications such as blindness. Thus, obtaining informed consent is essential to avoid medico-legal consequences in high-risk cases.

Packing Smart

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2011-08-22

In this podcast for kids, the Kidtastics talk about packing a lunch that's not boring and is full of the power and energy kids need to make it through the day.  Created: 8/22/2011 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 8/22/2011.

21 CFR 133.124 - Cold-pack cheese food.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cold-pack cheese food. 133.124 Section 133.124 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD... Cheese and Related Products § 133.124 Cold-pack cheese food. (a)(1) Cold-pack cheese food is the food...

PENGARUH POROSITAS PACKING STEEL WOOL TERHADAP PRESSURE DROP DIDALAM PACKED BED COLUMN PADA DISTILASI CAMPURAN ETANOL-AMIL-ALKOHOL-AIR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trisna Kumala Dhaniswara

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Inventories of petroleum fuels are increasingly depleted and will someday run out. These shortcomings can be overcome by using alternative fuels, such as ethanol. Based on this, it is necessary to research and development of ethanol as a fuel. One way is with a separation in a packed distillation column. This study aims to assess the mass transfer phenomena that occur in the process of distilling a mixture of ethanol-water-amyl alcohol packed in column. In addition, this study aims to optimize temperature and reflux to obtain the highest levels of ethanol. This research method uses packed bed distillation system with the batch process. Feed used is synthetic ethanol, water, and solvent. Solvent used were amyl alcohol. Doing distillation with heating temperature is maintained. Distillation is done in the packing of stainless steel wool. Research carried out in a batch process with a variable temperature of  79°C; 84°C; 91°C; and porosity packing 20%; 30%; 40%; 50%; 60%; 70%; 80%.

Cell packing structures

KAUST Repository

Pottmann, Helmut; Jiang, Caigui; Hö binger, Mathias; Wang, Jun; Bompas, Philippe; Wallner, Johannes

2015-01-01

optimization schemes for the computation of quad-based support structures. Hex-dominant structures may be designed via Voronoi tessellations, power diagrams, sphere packings and various extensions of these concepts. Apart from the obvious application as load

A rod-packing microporous hydrogen-bonded organic framework for highly selective separation of C2H2/CO2at room temperature

KAUST Repository

Li, Peng

2014-11-13

Self-assembly of a trigonal building subunit with diaminotriazines (DAT) functional groups leads to a unique rod-packing 3D microporous hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF-3). This material shows permanent porosity and demonstrates highly selective separation of C2H2/CO2 at ambient temperature and pressure.

A rod-packing microporous hydrogen-bonded organic framework for highly selective separation of C2H2/CO2at room temperature

KAUST Repository

Li, Peng; He, Yabing; Zhao, Yunfeng; Weng, Linhong; Wang, Hailong; Krishna, Rajamani A A; Wu, Hui; Zhou, Wei; O'Keeffe, Michael A.; Han, Yu; Chen, Banglin

2014-01-01

Self-assembly of a trigonal building subunit with diaminotriazines (DAT) functional groups leads to a unique rod-packing 3D microporous hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF-3). This material shows permanent porosity and demonstrates highly selective separation of C2H2/CO2 at ambient temperature and pressure.

SEPTOPLASTY WITH AND WITHOUT NASAL PACKING: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitta

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Septoplasty is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in rhinology to relieve nasal obstruction of patients with distortion in the midline cartilage or septum of the nose to relieve nasal obstruction of patient and findings consistent with nasal endoscopy. The anterior nasal packing routinely done following septoplasty is usually conventional and not evidence based. The purpose of nasal packing is to obtain haemostasis, enhance opposition of septal flaps, avoid septal haematoma formation, close the dead space, avoid synechiae formation, provide support to septal cartilage and prevent its displacement. OBJECTIVE This study intends to evaluate the effects of nasal packing on surgical success and related complications in septoplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present clinical prospective and randomised study was carried out on patients attending Otorhinolaryngology Department of Santhiram Medical College & General Hospital between March 2012 and March 2015. Patients undergoing septoplasty were randomised either to receive anterior nasal packing or to not receive nasal packing postoperatively. RESULTS Levels of pain experienced by patients with nasal packing postoperatively during the initial 24 hours postoperatively and during the removal of the pack were significantly more. Post-operative headache, epiphora, swallowing discomfort and sleep disturbance were more in patients with nasal packing and statistically (p.05. Septal haematoma, adhesions and local infections in both groups were statistically insignificant (p>.05. CONCLUSION Septoplasty enhances the standard of living of patients with septal deviation and nasal obstruction. Our study results suggest that nasal packing after septoplasty is not obligatory. Nasal packing causes considerably more pain and complications, and it should be reserved only for those who have bleeding predisposition.

Comparing side chain packing in soluble proteins, protein-protein interfaces, and transmembrane proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaines, J C; Acebes, S; Virrueta, A; Butler, M; Regan, L; O'Hern, C S

2018-05-01

We compare side chain prediction and packing of core and non-core regions of soluble proteins, protein-protein interfaces, and transmembrane proteins. We first identified or created comparable databases of high-resolution crystal structures of these 3 protein classes. We show that the solvent-inaccessible cores of the 3 classes of proteins are equally densely packed. As a result, the side chains of core residues at protein-protein interfaces and in the membrane-exposed regions of transmembrane proteins can be predicted by the hard-sphere plus stereochemical constraint model with the same high prediction accuracies (>90%) as core residues in soluble proteins. We also find that for all 3 classes of proteins, as one moves away from the solvent-inaccessible core, the packing fraction decreases as the solvent accessibility increases. However, the side chain predictability remains high (80% within 30°) up to a relative solvent accessibility, rSASA≲0.3, for all 3 protein classes. Our results show that ≈40% of the interface regions in protein complexes are "core", that is, densely packed with side chain conformations that can be accurately predicted using the hard-sphere model. We propose packing fraction as a metric that can be used to distinguish real protein-protein interactions from designed, non-binding, decoys. Our results also show that cores of membrane proteins are the same as cores of soluble proteins. Thus, the computational methods we are developing for the analysis of the effect of hydrophobic core mutations in soluble proteins will be equally applicable to analyses of mutations in membrane proteins. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Operation of Packed-Bed Reactors Studied in Microgravity

Science.gov (United States)

Motil, Brian J.; Balakotaiah, Vemuri

2004-01-01

The operation of a packed bed reactor (PBR) involves gas and liquid flowing simultaneously through a fixed-bed of solid particles. Depending on the application, the particles can be various shapes and sizes but are generally designed to force the two fluid phases through a tortuous route of narrow channels connecting the interstitial space. The PBR is the most common type of reactor in industry because it provides for intimate contact and high rates of transport between the phases needed to sustain chemical or biological reactions. The packing may also serve as either a catalyst or as a support for growing biological material. Furthermore, this type of reactor is relatively compact and requires minimal power to operate. This makes it an excellent candidate for unit operations in support of long-duration human space activities.

A facile method to fabricate close-packed concave microlens array on cylindrical glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Zefang; Chen, Feng; Yang, Qing; Liu, Hewei; Bian, Hao; Du, Guangqing; Hu, Yang; Si, Jinhai; Meng, Xiangwei; Hou, Xun

2012-01-01

This work presents a facile method to fabricate concave microlens arrays (MLAs) with controllable shape and high fill factor on cylindrical silica glass by a femtosecond laser-enhanced chemical wet etching process. The hexagonal and rectangular MLAs are flexibly fabricated on the silica glass cylinder with a diameter of 3 mm. The morphological characteristics of MLAs are measured by a scanning electron microscope and a laser scanning confocal microscope. The measurements show that the good uniformity and high packing density MLA structures are generated. It has also been demonstrated that the shape and size of the concave structures could be easily tuned by changing laser power and the arrangement of laser exposure spots. The convex MLAs replicated by the polymer casting method experience excellent image quality. (paper)

SPH Modelling of Sea-ice Pack Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Staroszczyk, Ryszard

2017-12-01

The paper is concerned with the problem of sea-ice pack motion and deformation under the action of wind and water currents. Differential equations describing the dynamics of ice, with its very distinct mateFfigrial responses in converging and diverging flows, express the mass and linear momentum balances on the horizontal plane (the free surface of the ocean). These equations are solved by the fully Lagrangian method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). Assuming that the ice behaviour can be approximated by a non-linearly viscous rheology, the proposed SPH model has been used to simulate the evolution of a sea-ice pack driven by wind drag stresses. The results of numerical simulations illustrate the evolution of an ice pack, including variations in ice thickness and ice area fraction in space and time. The effects of different initial ice pack configurations and of different conditions assumed at the coast-ice interface are examined. In particular, the SPH model is applied to a pack flow driven by a vortex wind to demonstrate how well the Lagrangian formulation can capture large deformations and displacements of sea ice.

Micro-fabricated packed gas chromatography column based on laser etching technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, J H; Guan, F Y; Zhu, X F; Ning, Z W; Ma, T J; Liu, J H; Deng, T

2016-01-15

In this work, a micro packed gas chromatograph column integrated with a micro heater was fabricated by using laser etching technology (LET) for analyzing environmental gases. LET is a powerful tool to etch deep well-shaped channels on the glass wafer, and it is the most effective way to increase depth of channels. The fabricated packed GC column with a length of over 1.6m, to our best knowledge, which is the longest so far. In addition, the fabricated column with a rectangular cross section of 1.2mm (depth) × 0.6mm (width) has a large aspect ratio of 2:1. The results show that the fabricated packed column had a large sample capacity, achieved a separation efficiency of about 5800 plates/m and eluted highly symmetrical Gaussian peaks. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modi ed strip packing heuristics for the rectangular variable-sized ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Two packing problems are considered in this paper, namely the well-known strip packing problem (SPP) and the variable-sized bin packing problem (VSBPP). A total of 252 strip packing heuristics (and variations thereof) from the literature, as well as novel heuristics proposed by the authors, are compared statistically by ...

An alternative cooling system to enhance the safety of Li-ion battery packs

Science.gov (United States)

Kizilel, Riza; Sabbah, Rami; Selman, J. Robert; Al-Hallaj, Said

A passive thermal management system is evaluated for high-power Li-ion packs under stressful or abusive conditions, and compared with a purely air-cooling mode under normal and abuse conditions. A compact and properly designed passive thermal management system utilizing phase change material (PCM) provides faster heat dissipation than active cooling during high pulse power discharges while preserving sufficiently uniform cell temperature to ensure the desirable cycle life for the pack. This study investigates how passive cooling with PCM contributes to preventing the propagation of thermal runaway in a single cell or adjacent cells due to a cell catastrophic failure. Its effectiveness is compared with that of active cooling by forced air flow or natural convection using the same compact module and pack configuration corresponding to the PCM matrix technology. The effects of nickel tabs and spacing between the cells were also studied.

Free-Space Optical Communications: Capacity Bounds, Approximations, and a New Sphere-Packing Perspective

KAUST Repository

Chaaban, Anas

2016-02-03

The capacity of the free-space optical channel is studied. A new recursive approach for bounding the capacity of the channel based on sphere-packing is proposed. This approach leads to new capacity upper bounds for a channel with a peak intensity constraint or an average intensity constraint. Under an average constraint only, the derived bound is tighter than an existing sphere-packing bound derived earlier by Farid and Hranilovic. The achievable rate of a truncated-Gaussian input distribution is also derived. It is shown that under both average and peak constraints, this achievable rate and the sphere-packing bounds are within a small gap at high SNR, leading to a simple high-SNR capacity approximation. Simple fitting functions that capture the best known achievable rate for the channel are provided. These functions can be of practical importance especially for the study of systems operating under atmospheric turbulence and misalignment conditions.

Free-Space Optical Communications: Capacity Bounds, Approximations, and a New Sphere-Packing Perspective

KAUST Repository

Chaaban, Anas; Morvan, Jean-Marie; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2016-01-01

The capacity of the free-space optical channel is studied. A new recursive approach for bounding the capacity of the channel based on sphere-packing is proposed. This approach leads to new capacity upper bounds for a channel with a peak intensity constraint or an average intensity constraint. Under an average constraint only, the derived bound is tighter than an existing sphere-packing bound derived earlier by Farid and Hranilovic. The achievable rate of a truncated-Gaussian input distribution is also derived. It is shown that under both average and peak constraints, this achievable rate and the sphere-packing bounds are within a small gap at high SNR, leading to a simple high-SNR capacity approximation. Simple fitting functions that capture the best known achievable rate for the channel are provided. These functions can be of practical importance especially for the study of systems operating under atmospheric turbulence and misalignment conditions.

An alternative cooling system to enhance the safety of Li-ion battery packs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kizilel, Riza; Sabbah, Rami [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, 10 W. 33rd Street, Chicago, IL 60616 (United States); Selman, J. Robert [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, 10 W. 33rd Street, Chicago, IL 60616 (United States); All Cell Technologies, LLC, IIT University Technology Park, 3440 S. Dearborn Street, Suite 117N, Chicago, IL 60616 (United States); Al-Hallaj, Said [All Cell Technologies, LLC, IIT University Technology Park, 3440 S. Dearborn Street, Suite 117N, Chicago, IL 60616 (United States)

2009-12-01

A passive thermal management system is evaluated for high-power Li-ion packs under stressful or abusive conditions, and compared with a purely air-cooling mode under normal and abuse conditions. A compact and properly designed passive thermal management system utilizing phase change material (PCM) provides faster heat dissipation than active cooling during high pulse power discharges while preserving sufficiently uniform cell temperature to ensure the desirable cycle life for the pack. This study investigates how passive cooling with PCM contributes to preventing the propagation of thermal runaway in a single cell or adjacent cells due to a cell catastrophic failure. Its effectiveness is compared with that of active cooling by forced air flow or natural convection using the same compact module and pack configuration corresponding to the PCM matrix technology. The effects of nickel tabs and spacing between the cells were also studied. (author)

Should prophylactic antibiotics be used routinely in epistaxis patients with nasal packs?

Science.gov (United States)

Nightingale, K; Patel, NN; Salib, RJ

2013-01-01

Introduction The current mainstream practice in otolaryngology departments relating to the use of prophylactic antibiotics in epistaxis patients requiring nasal packing is highly variable. This is due primarily to the lack of any validated guidelines. As such, we introduced a new treatment algorithm resulting in significant reduction of use in the systemic antibiotics, with emphasis instead on the use of topical antibiotics. The results were validated through a complete audit cycle. Methods A total of 57 patients undergoing nasal packing for spontaneous epistaxis were studied. Reaudit occurred after the implementation of new guidelines. Telephone surveys were conducted six weeks after hospital discharge, assessing infective nasal symptoms as well as rebleeding and readmission rates. Results Systemic antibiotic prescribing in anterior nasal packing fell by 58.2% between audit cycles with no statistically significant associated increase in infective nasal symptoms, rebleeding or readmission rates six weeks following hospital discharge. Conclusions Systemic prophylactic antibiotics are unnecessary in the majority of epistaxis patients with nasal packs. The use of topical antibiotics such as Naseptin® may be more appropriate, cheaper and as effective. Implementation of this treatment algorithm will help standardise systemic antibiotic usage in epistaxis patients with nasal packing and should reduce costs associated with unnecessary use of such medication. PMID:23317726

Pack stability in dip faces fitted with scraper conveyors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwartzmann, R

1978-01-01

This paper presents an account of an investigation conducted by CERCHAR, at the request of HBNPC, into the problems of goafside pack stability. Winning method and support and stowing techniques are described. Sets out the study methods used: systematic measurement (by direct or remote means) using an instrument developed by CERCHAR to investigate all aspects of in situ pack behaviour: settling, stresses, pressure on supports, etc. Gives the results of the investigation (tables and graphs) load-bearing capacity of the supports, deformation of the surrounding rock, convergence and stresses in the pack (figures, graphs), resistance of support-timber screen, model of in situ pack behaviour. Detailed conclusions (potential techniques, detailed study, practical improvements in packing techniques) are presented.

Polarizable protein packing

KAUST Repository

Ng, Albert H.

2011-01-24

To incorporate protein polarization effects within a protein combinatorial optimization framework, we decompose the polarizable force field AMOEBA into low order terms. Including terms up to the third-order provides a fair approximation to the full energy while maintaining tractability. We represent the polarizable packing problem for protein G as a hypergraph and solve for optimal rotamers with the FASTER combinatorial optimization algorithm. These approximate energy models can be improved to high accuracy [root mean square deviation (rmsd) < 1 kJ mol -1] via ridge regression. The resulting trained approximations are used to efficiently identify new, low-energy solutions. The approach is general and should allow combinatorial optimization of other many-body problems. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2011 Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Insect disinfestation of packed dates by gamma-radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, M.S.H.; Hameed, A.A.; Kadhum, A.A.; Ali, S.R.

1985-01-01

The effect of gamma-radiation on insect disinfestation of commercially packed dry dates was studied in collaboration with the Iraqui Date Administration. The wrapping of ''window carton lunch boxes'' (each holding 250 g of dry dates, Zahdi variety) with polyethylene film, compared to cellophane, prevented reinfestation for a long period of storage if treated with 0.70 kGy of gamma-radiation. All live insects that were found in the irradiated boxes and tested were genetically sterile, and those in different developmental stages died within a short period of time without passing through metamorphosis. In all cases (treated or control batches), cellophane-sealed boxes proved to be more vulnerable to reinfestation. Dates packed in plastic cups, used for N/sub 2/ vacuum packaging, were also effectively disinfested by the same dose of radiation. The value of airtight packaging will certainly add to the advantage of the high penetration power of gamma-radiation relative to methyl bromide fumigation. Results of the assessment of the damaging ability of irradiated insects indicate that treatment of packed dates with 0.70 kGy is sufficient as far as quarantine measures are concerned where the possible increase in infestation rate, brought about by radio-resistant insect stages that usually constitute a small fraction in nature, is negligible

On contact numbers in random rod packings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wouterse, A.; Luding, Stefan; Philipse, A.P.

2009-01-01

Random packings of non-spherical granular particles are simulated by combining mechanical contraction and molecular dynamics, to determine contact numbers as a function of density. Particle shapes are varied from spheres to thin rods. The observed contact numbers (and packing densities) agree well

Molecular Packing of Amphiphilic Nanosheets Resolved by X-ray Scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harutyunyan, Boris; Dannenhoffer, Adam; Kewalramani, Sumit; Aytun, Taner; Fairfield, Daniel J.; Stupp, Samuel I.; Bedzyk, Michael J. (NWU)

2016-12-29

Molecular packing in light harvesting 2D assemblies of photocatalytic materials is a critical factor for solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency. However, structure–function correlations have yet to be fully established. This is partly due to the difficulties in extracting the molecular arrangements from the complex 3D powder averaged diffraction patterns of 2D lattices, obtained via in situ wide-angle X-ray scattering. Here, we develop a scattering theory formalism and couple it with a simple geometrical model for the molecular shape of chromophore 9-methoxy-N-(sodium hexanoate)perylene-3,4-dicarboximide (MeO-PMI) used in our study. This generally applicable method fully reproduces the measured diffraction pattern including the asymmetric line shapes for the Bragg reflections and yields the molecular packing arrangement within a 2D crystal structure with a remarkable degree of detail. We find an approximate edge-centered herringbone structure for the PMI fused aromatic rings and ordering of the carboxypentyl chains above and below the nanosheets. Such a packing arrangement differs from the more symmetric face-to-face orientation of the unsubstituted PMI rings. This structural difference is correlated to our measurement of the reduced catalytic performance of MeO-PMI nanosheets as compared to the mesoscopically similar unsubstituted PMI assemblies.

Packing of ganglioside-phospholipid monolayers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Majewski, J.; Kuhl, T.L.; Kjær, K.

2001-01-01

Using synchrotron grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXD) and reflectivity, the in-plane and out-of-plane structure of mixed ganglioside-phospholipid monolayers was investigated at the air-water interface. Mixed monolayers of 0, 5, 10, 20, and 100 mol% ganglioside GM, and the phospholipid...... monolayers did not affect hydrocarbon tail packing (fluidization or condensation of the hydrocarbon region). This is in contrast to previous investigations of lipopolymer-lipid mixtures, where the packing structure of phospholipid monolayers was greatly altered by the inclusion of lipids bearing hydrophilic...

CEGB research on the effects of fouling of plastic packings on natural draught cooling tower performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winter, R.J.

1989-01-01

Plastic film packings were first used in CEGB natural draught cooling towers in 1985. Since then, cooling towers at seven power stations have been repacked using various commercial designs of plastic packing, with generally satisfactory results in economic terms. However, fouling of all the packings has occurred to some extent, ranging from very thin films on the surface of the sheets, which actually enhances performance, to heavy and voluminous formations which severely constrict the inter-sheet passages, causing performance loss and threatening the structural integrity of the whole fill. At CERL, methods have been developed to relate the degree of fouling to the thermal performance loss. This information is enabling accurate calculations to be made of the economics of repacking. Samples of fouled packing from operation towers are tested using the Experimental Cooling Tower at the Central Electricity Research Laboratories at Leatherhead. A systematic investigation is also underway of the changes in pressure drop and mass transfer coefficients which take place as fouling develops, using progressively-fouled packing samples from a purpose-built Packing Fouling Facility located at one of the power stations. The performance data obtained is fed-back into models by which the effect of high fouling loadings on various packings is calculated, enabling packing economic life to be predicted

Multilayer DNA Origami Packed on Hexagonal and Hybrid Lattices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ke, Yonggang; Voigt, Niels Vinther; Shih, William M.

2012-01-01

“Scaffolded DNA origami” has been proven to be a powerful and efficient approach to construct two-dimensional or three-dimensional objects with great complexity. Multilayer DNA origami has been demonstrated with helices packing along either honeycomb-lattice geometry or square-lattice geometry....... Here we report successful folding of multilayer DNA origami with helices arranged on a close-packed hexagonal lattice. This arrangement yields a higher density of helical packing and therefore higher resolution of spatial addressing than has been shown previously. We also demonstrate hybrid multilayer...... DNA origami with honeycomb-lattice, square-lattice, and hexagonal-lattice packing of helices all in one design. The availability of hexagonal close-packing of helices extends our ability to build complex structures using DNA nanotechnology....

Multilayer DNA origami packed on hexagonal and hybrid lattices.

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Yonggang; Voigt, Niels V; Gothelf, Kurt V; Shih, William M

2012-01-25

"Scaffolded DNA origami" has been proven to be a powerful and efficient approach to construct two-dimensional or three-dimensional objects with great complexity. Multilayer DNA origami has been demonstrated with helices packing along either honeycomb-lattice geometry or square-lattice geometry. Here we report successful folding of multilayer DNA origami with helices arranged on a close-packed hexagonal lattice. This arrangement yields a higher density of helical packing and therefore higher resolution of spatial addressing than has been shown previously. We also demonstrate hybrid multilayer DNA origami with honeycomb-lattice, square-lattice, and hexagonal-lattice packing of helices all in one design. The availability of hexagonal close-packing of helices extends our ability to build complex structures using DNA nanotechnology. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Granular packing as model glass formers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yujie

2017-01-01

Static granular packings are model hard-sphere glass formers. The nature of glass transition has remained a hotly debated issue. We review recent experimental progresses in using granular materials to study glass transitions. We focus on the growth of glass order with five-fold symmetry in granular packings and relate the findings to both geometric frustration and random first-order phase transition theories. (paper)

A Harmonic Algorithm for the 3D Strip Packing Problem

NARCIS (Netherlands)

N. Bansal (Nikhil); X. Han; K. Iwama; M. Sviridenko; G. Zhang (Guochuan)

2013-01-01

htmlabstractIn the three-dimensional (3D) strip packing problem, we are given a set of 3D rectangular items and a 3D box $B$. The goal is to pack all the items in $B$ such that the height of the packing is minimized. We consider the most basic version of the problem, where the items must be packed

Evaluation of Packed Distillation Columns I - Atmospheric Pressure

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Reynolds, Thaine

1951-01-01

.... Four column-packing combinations of the glass columns and four column-packing combinations of the steel columns were investigated at atmospheric pressure using a test mixture of methylcyclohexane...

Duration of Nasal Packs in the Management of Epistaxis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kundi, N. A.; Raza, M.

2015-01-01

Objective:To compare the efficacy of nasal packs for 12 and 24 hours in the management of epistaxis. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital, Nowshera and Heavy Industries Taxilla Hospital, from October 2012 to April 2013. Methodology: A total of 60 patients presenting with epistaxis were selected and were divided into two groups of 30 patients each. Patients in both the groups were managed by nasal packs. In group-A packs were removed after 12 hours while in group-B after 24 hours. Symptoms of headache, lacrimation and recurrence of bleeding were recorded. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis and p-value less than 0.01 was considered significant. Results: There was significant difference for headache between removal of nasal packs after 12 hours and 24 hours (p < 0.001). There was significant difference for excessive lacrimation at 12 and 24 hours (p = 0.001). No significant difference was observed for recurrence of bleed when nasal packs were removed at 12 and 24 hours (p = 0.317). Conclusion: Duration in removal of nasal packs after 12 or 24 hours made a difference in the management of epistaxis. Symptoms of headache and excessive lacrimation were significantly higher when nasal packs were removed after 24 hours. It is recommended that patient could be managed with lesser duration of packs after episode of epistaxis to avoid inconvenience. (author)

Cylinder valve packing nut studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blue, S.C. [Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Paducah, KY (United States)

1991-12-31

The design, manufacture, and use of cylinder valve packing nuts have been studied to improve their resistance to failure from stress corrosion cracking. Stress frozen photoelastic models have been analyzed to measure the stress concentrations at observed points of failure. The load effects induced by assembly torque and thermal expansion of stem packing were observed by strain gaging nuts. The effects of finishing operations and heat treatment were studied by the strain gage hole boring and X-ray methods. Modifications of manufacturing and operation practices are reducing the frequency of stress corrosion failures.

The general packed column : an analytical solution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gielen, J.L.W.

2000-01-01

The transient behaviour of a packed column is considered. The column, uniformly packed on a macroscopic scale, is multi-structured on the microscopic level: the solid phase consists of particles, which may differ in incidence, shape or size, and other relevant physical properties. Transport in the

Characteristics of illegal and legal cigarette packs sold in Guatemala.

Science.gov (United States)

Arevalo, Rodrigo; Corral, Juan E; Monzon, Diego; Yoon, Mira; Barnoya, Joaquin

2016-11-25

Guatemala, as a party to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), is required to regulate cigarette packaging and labeling and eliminate illicit tobacco trade. Current packaging and labeling characteristics (of legal and illegal cigarettes) and their compliance with the FCTC is unknown. We sought to analyze package and label characteristics of illegal and legal cigarettes sold in Guatemala. We visited the 22 largest traditional markets in the country to purchase illegal cigarettes. All brands registered on tobacco industry websites were purchased as legal cigarettes. Analysis compared labeling characteristics of illegal and legal packs. Most (95%) markets and street vendors sold illegal cigarettes; 104 packs were purchased (79 illegal and 25 legal). Ten percent of illegal and none of the legal packs had misleading terms. Half of the illegal packs had a warning label covering 26 to 50% of the pack surface. All legal packs had a label covering 25% of the surface. Illegal packs were more likely to have information on constituents and emissions (85% vs. 45%, p Guatemala, neither illegal nor legal cigarette packs comply with FCTC labeling mandates. Urgent implementation and enforcement of the FCTC is necessary to halt the tobacco epidemic.

Generalized network improvement and packing problems

CERN Document Server

Holzhauser, Michael

2016-01-01

Michael Holzhauser discusses generalizations of well-known network flow and packing problems by additional or modified side constraints. By exploiting the inherent connection between the two problem classes, the author investigates the complexity and approximability of several novel network flow and packing problems and presents combinatorial solution and approximation algorithms. Contents Fractional Packing and Parametric Search Frameworks Budget-Constrained Minimum Cost Flows: The Continuous Case Budget-Constrained Minimum Cost Flows: The Discrete Case Generalized Processing Networks Convex Generalized Flows Target Groups Researchers and students in the fields of mathematics, computer science, and economics Practitioners in operations research and logistics The Author Dr. Michael Holzhauser studied computer science at the University of Kaiserslautern and is now a research fellow in the Optimization Research Group at the Department of Mathematics of the University of Kaiserslautern.

Expected packing density allows prediction of both amyloidogenic and disordered regions in protein chains

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galzitskaya, Oxana V; Garbuzynskiy, Sergiy O; Lobanov, Michail Yu [Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290, Pushchino, Moscow Region (Russian Federation)

2007-07-18

The determination of factors that influence conformational changes in proteins is very important for the identification of potentially amyloidogenic and disordered regions in polypeptide chains. In our work we introduce a new parameter, mean packing density, to detect both amyloidogenic and disordered regions in a protein sequence. It has been shown that regions with strong expected packing density are responsible for amyloid formation. Our predictions are consistent with known disease-related amyloidogenic regions for 9 of 12 amyloid-forming proteins and peptides in which the positions of amyloidogenic regions have been revealed experimentally. Our findings support the concept that the mechanism of formation of amyloid fibrils is similar for different peptides and proteins. Moreover, we have demonstrated that regions with weak expected packing density are responsible for the appearance of disordered regions. Our method has been tested on datasets of globular proteins and long disordered protein segments, and it shows improved performance over other widely used methods. Thus, we demonstrate that the expected packing density is a useful value for predicting both disordered and amyloidogenic regions of a protein based on sequence alone. Our results are important for understanding the structural characteristics of protein folding and misfolding.

Glottotecnologie didattiche per i migranti L’italiano fra le altre lingue nel progetto L-Pack (Citizenship Language Pack for Migrants in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierangela Diadori

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Teaching languages to migrants through ICT L-Pack Project for Italian and other languages (Citizenship Language Pack for Migrants in EuropeThe most recent trends in technology and the internet, commonly called Web 2.0., have determined new concepts in teaching and learning that involve autonomy, multimodality and flexibility. New approaches to ‘knowledge by technology’ are changing both teachers’ and learners’ roles, responding to their different aims and needs. At the same time, nearly 4 million people are presently involved in massive migration processes all over Europe, coming either from outside Europe or from another EU member state. The EU policies on migrants state the importance of a basic knowledge of the host country’s language, history and institutions for an effective integration process, and EU governments are expected to contribute to this aim. This paper describes the European Project ‘L-PACK: Citizenship Language Pack For Migrants in Europe’ (2011-2016, whose main aim consisted in developing a series of internet video texts, accompanied with materials and resources to lead adult migrants to A2 level (according to QCER levels scale in different EU languages. The project has been developed in two main stages. In the first part of the programme, called L-Pack 1, from 2011 to 2013, the languages were Italian, Spanish, German, Lithuanian, Greek and Czech. In the second part, called L-Pack 2 extended, from 2014 to 2016, the project added English and French and was integrated with new resources and tools. The L-PACK course, which consists of 60 short video dialogues from everyday life, supported by comprehension activities and linguistic explanation and rules, is totally free and available through Youtube, Wikibooks and Soundcloud. The dedicated website http://www.l-pack.eu was visited by 120.000 users from 146 countries in the period 2011-2016. L-Pack teaching materials have also been used by teachers in classroom

HETP evaluation of structured packing distillation column

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. E. Orlando Jr.

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Several tests with a hydrocarbon mixture of known composition (C8-C14, obtained from DETEN Chemistry S.A., have been performed in a laboratory distillation column, having 40mm of nominal diameter and 2.2m high, with internals of Sulzer DX gauze stainless steel structured packing. The main purpose of this work was to evaluate HETP of a structured packing laboratory scale distillation column, operating continuously. Six HETP correlations available in the literature were compared in order to find out which is the most appropriate for structured packing columns working with medium distillates. Prior to the experimental tests, simulation studies using commercial software PRO/II® were performed in order to establish the optimum operational conditions for the distillation, especially concerning operating pressure, top and bottom temperatures, feed location and reflux ratio. The results of PRO/II® were very similar to the analysis of the products obtained during continuous operation, therefore permitting the use of the properties calculated by that software on the theoretical models investigated. The theoretical models chosen for HETP evaluation were: Bravo, Rocha and Fair (1985; Rocha, Bravo and Fair (1993, 1996; Brunazzi and Pagliant (1997; Carlo, Olujić and Pagliant (2006; Olujić et al., (2004. Modifications concerning calculation of specific areas were performed on the correlations in order to fit them for gauze packing HETP evaluation. As the laboratory distillation column was operated continuously, different HETP values were found by the models investigated for each section of the column. The low liquid flow rates in the top section of the column are a source of error for HETP evaluation by the models; therefore, more reliable HETP values were found in the bottom section, in which liquid flow rates were much greater. Among the theoretical models, Olujić et al. (2004 has shown good results relative to the experimental tests. In addition, the

Stress concentrations in an impregnated fibre bundle with random fibre packing

OpenAIRE

Swolfs, Y.; Gorbatikh, L.; Romanov, V.; Orlova, S.; Lomov, S. V.; Verpoest, I.

2013-01-01

The stress redistribution after a single fibre break is a fundamental issue in longitudinal strength models for unidirectional composites. Current models assume hexagonal or square fibre packings. In the present work, random fibre packings were modelled using 3D finite element analysis and compared to ordered fibre packings. Significant differences in the stress redistribution are found. Compared to square and hexagonal packings, random fibre packings result in smaller stress concentration fa...

Simple fabrication of closed-packed IR microlens arrays on silicon by femtosecond laser wet etching

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Xiangwei; Chen, Feng; Yang, Qing; Bian, Hao; Du, Guangqing; Hou, Xun

2015-10-01

We demonstrate a simple route to fabricate closed-packed infrared (IR) silicon microlens arrays (MLAs) based on femtosecond laser irradiation assisted by wet etching method. The fabricated MLAs show high fill factor, smooth surface and good uniformity. They can be used as optical devices for IR applications. The exposure and etching parameters are optimized to obtain reproducible microlens with hexagonal and rectangular arrangements. The surface roughness of the concave MLAs is only 56 nm. This presented method is a maskless process and can flexibly change the size, shape and the fill factor of the MLAs by controlling the experimental parameters. The concave MLAs on silicon can work in IR region and can be used for IR sensors and imaging applications.

Pressure drop in packed beds of spherical particles at ambient and elevated air temperatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pešić Radojica

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was the experimental investigation of the particle friction factor for air flow through packed bed of particles at ambient and elevated temperatures. The experiments were performed by measuring the pressure drop across the packed bed, heated to the desired temperature by hot air. Glass spherical particles of seven different diameters were used. The temperature range of the air flowing through the packed bed was from 20ºC to 350ºC and the bed voidages were from 0.3574 to 0.4303. The obtained results were correlated using a number of available literature correlations. The overall best fit of all of the experimental data was obtained using Ergun [1] equation, with mean absolute deviation of 10.90%. Ergun`s equation gave somewhat better results in correlating the data at ambient temperature with mean absolute deviation of 9.77%, while correlation of the data at elevated temperatures gave mean absolute deviation of 12.38%. The vast majority of the correlations used gave better results when applied to ambient temperature data than to the data at elevated temperatures. Based on the results obtained, Ergun [1] equation is proposed for friction factor calculation both at ambient and at elevated temperatures. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. ON172022

Improved Taxation Rate for Bin Packing Games

Science.gov (United States)

Kern, Walter; Qiu, Xian

A cooperative bin packing game is a N-person game, where the player set N consists of k bins of capacity 1 each and n items of sizes a 1, ⋯ ,a n . The value of a coalition of players is defined to be the maximum total size of items in the coalition that can be packed into the bins of the coalition. We present an alternative proof for the non-emptiness of the 1/3-core for all bin packing games and show how to improve this bound ɛ= 1/3 (slightly). We conjecture that the true best possible value is ɛ= 1/7.

Risk factors for breast cancer in a population with high incidence rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wrensch, Margaret; Peskin-Mentzer, Roni; Quesenberry, Charles P Jr; Souders-Mason, Virginia; Spence, Linda; Suzuki, Marisa; Gould, Mary; Chew, Terri; Farren, Georgianna; Barlow, Janice; Belli, Flavia; Clarke, Christina; Erdmann, Christine A; Lee, Marion; Moghadassi, Michelle

2003-01-01

This report examines generally recognized breast cancer risk factors and years of residence in Marin County, California, an area with high breast cancer incidence and mortality rates. Eligible women who were residents of Marin County diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997–99 and women without breast cancer obtained through random digit dialing, frequency-matched by cases' age at diagnosis and ethnicity, participated in either full in-person or abbreviated telephone interviews. In multivariate analyses, 285 cases were statistically significantly more likely than 286 controls to report being premenopausal, never to have used birth control pills, a lower highest lifetime body mass index, four or more mammograms in 1990–94, beginning drinking after the age of 21, on average drinking two or more drinks per day, the highest quartile of pack-years of cigarette smoking and having been raised in an organized religion. Cases and controls did not significantly differ with regard to having a first-degree relative with breast cancer, a history of benign breast biopsy, previous radiation treatment, age at menarche, parity, use of hormone replacement therapy, age of first living in Marin County, or total years lived in Marin County. Results for several factors differed for women aged under 50 years or 50 years and over. Despite similar distributions of several known breast cancer risk factors, case-control differences in alcohol consumption suggest that risk in this high-risk population might be modifiable. Intensive study of this or other areas of similarly high incidence might reveal other important risk factors proximate to diagnosis

Estimating cigarette tax avoidance and evasion: evidence from a national sample of littered packs.

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Dianne C; Wang, Shu; Merriman, David; Crosby, Andrew; Resnick, Elissa A; Chaloupka, Frank J

2016-10-01

A number of recent studies document the proportion of all cigarette packs that are 'contraband' using discarded packs to measure tax avoidance and evasion, which we call tax non-compliance. To date, academic studies using discarded packs focused on relatively small geographical areas such as a city or a neighbourhood. We visited 160 communities across 38 US states in 2012 and collected data from littered cigarette packs as part of the State and Community Tobacco Control (SCTC) Research Initiative and the Bridging the Gap Community Obesity Measures Project (BTG-COMP). Data collectors were trained in a previously tested littered pack data collection protocol. Field teams collected 2116 packs with cellophane across 132 communities. We estimate a national tax non-compliance rate of 18.5% with considerable variation across regions. Suburban areas had lower non-compliance than urban areas as well as areas with high and low median household income areas compared with middle income areas. We present the first academic national study of tax non-compliance using littered cigarette packs. We demonstrate the feasibility of meaningful large-scale data collection using this methodology and document considerable variation in tax non-compliance across areas, suggesting that both policy differences and geography may be important in control of illicit tobacco use. Given the geography of open borders among countries with varying tax rates, this simple methodology may be appropriate to estimate tax non-compliance in countries that use tax stamps or other pack markings, such as health warnings. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

New series of paper pack vending machines; Paper pack jido hanbaiki no shin series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohashi, M. [Fuji Denki Reiki Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Umino, S. [Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-07-10

This paper presents series of paper pack vending machines. These machines may be broadly classified into those of cold drinks and of hot and cold drinks depending on the storage temperature of products. The former is the machine for cooling dairy products at 10{degree}C with a combined stacking by direct-stacked racks and chain-multiracks. The latter is provided with divided storing chambers with each chamber selectively cooled or heated. Products in the hot chamber are canned coffee and the like set at 55{degree}C. The temperature control is performed by a microcomputer. The chain-multiracks are provided with advantages such as capability of handling various kinds of container shapes, storing drinks and foods vertically, replacing products by the change of a shelf attachment with one operation, and storing one liter packs by setting pair columns. The direct-stacked racks are provided with advantages such as versatility of handling various kinds of containers and miniaturization of the mechanism other than the storage part. The installation space was reduced by devising the opening and closing of the door. The control part is capable of setting temperatures differently for cans and paper packs. 7 figs., 1 tab.

Minimal packing duration in close reduction for nasal bone fracture treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Dong Sik; Lee, Jeong Woo; Yang, Jung Dug; Chung, Ho Yun; Cho, Byung Chae; Choi, Kang Young

2015-04-15

Nasal bone fracture is the most common type of facial bone fracture. The optimal duration of the packing after closed reduction has been a controversial issue. The packing has several disadvantages such as blocking the nasal airway, causing infection and a headache, which is the most common immediate complication. The present study investigated the minimal and optimal duration of the nasal packing following reduction surgery of nasal bone fracture. A prospective study was performed for the patients undergoing reduction surgery following nasal bone fracture between July 2010 and June 2012. The patients were categorised into three groups according to the duration of nasal packing. For the patients treated between July 2010 and June 2011, nasal packing was maintained for 5 days. For those between July 2011 and December 2011, packing was maintained for 3 days. For those between January 2012 and June 2012, the packing was removed after 1 day. The computed tomography scan and the cephalolateral X-ray were checked at immediate postoperative period after packing removal and 6 months postoperatively. The alteration of heights, deviations, and nasal bone contours with time passage were compared among three groups. The patient satisfaction survey was also performed and compared. A total of 530 patients including 322 of the 5-days packing group, 102 of the 3-days group, and 106 of the 1-day group were enrolled. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of heights, deviations, and nasal bone contours (p-value ≥ 0.05). In the patient satisfaction survey, the 1-day packing group complained of discomfort related to nasal packing and headache symptoms much less, compared to the other two groups. The present study demonstrated that 1-day packing had comparable postoperative outcome with reducing the patients' discomfort. As such, a longer packing duration was not needed to achieve stable results one day is a reasonable packing time for most

Environmental variables in packing houses and their effects on the quality of grapes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osvaldo C. Vasconcelos

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to characterize the thermal environment in the selection and packing areas of a packing house and its effects on the quality of table grapes produced in the São Francisco Valley, Brazil. The thermal environment was monitored during the winter and summer seasons. The highest value of air temperature (Tair and the lowest relative humidity (RH observed in the packing house were 35 °C and 40.0%, respectively, obtained during the summer, for 8 h. After observing the thermal environment data of the packing house, simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of the ideal environmental storage conditions and observed thermal conditions on the postharvest quality of “Thompson” grapes. Grapes were harvested and stored directly at the ideal temperature and RH of 0 °C and 90%, respectively, or previously exposed to a temperature of 35 °C and RH of 40% for 8 h, the thermal environment observed in the evaluated packing house, followed by storage at 0 °C and 90% RH. Fruit exposure to high temperature and low RH before the ideal storage conditions resulted in higher loss of berry firmness and weight, along with increased soluble solids and dry matter content of rachis and berry. Based on these results, the environmental conditions observed in the packing house result in berry dehydration, which accelerates the loss of fruit quality during storage.

Economics Action Pack.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald's Corp., Oak Brook, IL.

One of five McDonald's Action Packs, this learning package introduces intermediate grade students to basic economic concepts. The fourteen activities include the topics of consumption (4 activities), production (5), the market system (3), a pretest, and a posttest. Specific titles under consumption include The Wonderful Treasure Tree (introduction…

Rheology of three-dimensional packings of aggregates: microstructure and effects of nonconvexity.

Science.gov (United States)

Azéma, Emilien; Radjaï, Farhang; Saint-Cyr, Baptiste; Delenne, Jean-Yves; Sornay, Philippe

2013-05-01

We use three-dimensional contact dynamics simulations to analyze the rheological properties of granular materials composed of rigid aggregates. The aggregates are made from four overlapping spheres and described by a nonconvexity parameter depending on the relative positions of the spheres. The macroscopic and microstructural properties of several sheared packings are analyzed as a function of the degree of nonconvexity of the aggregates. We find that the internal angle of friction increases with the nonconvexity. In contrast, the packing fraction first increases to a maximum value but declines as the nonconvexity increases further. At a high level of nonconvexity, the packings are looser but show a higher shear strength. At the microscopic scale, the fabric and force anisotropy, as well as the friction mobilization, are enhanced by multiple contacts between aggregates and interlocking, thus revealings the mechanical and geometrical origins of shear strength.

CrystalCMP: an easy-to-use tool for fast comparison of molecular packing

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rohlíček, Jan; Skořepová, E.; Babor, M.; Čejka, J.

2016-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 6 (2016), s. 2172-2183 ISSN 0021-8898 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA16-10035S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : comparison * similarity packing * crystal structure * computer programs Subject RIV: JC - Computer Hardware ; Software Impact factor: 3.720, year: 2014

Scratch- and mar-resistant refinish two-pack clear coats – linear versus branched acrylics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Huybrechts, J.; Vaes, A.; Dušek, Karel; Dušková, Miroslava; Barsotti, R. J.

2006-01-01

Roč. 89, B4 (2006), s. 275-283 ISSN 1476-4865 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : scratch resistance * mar resistance * refinishing two-pack clear coats Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 0.338, year: 2006

Occupational stress and cardiovascular risk factors in high-ranking government officials and office workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirmohammadi, Seyyed Jalil; Taheri, Mahmoud; Mehrparvar, Amir Houshang; Heydari, Mohammad; Saadati Kanafi, Ali; Mostaghaci, Mehrdad

2014-08-01

Cardiovascular diseases are among the most important sources of mortality and morbidity, and have a high disease burden. There are some major well-known risk factors, which contribute to the development of these diseases. Occupational stress is caused due to imbalance between job demands and individual's ability, and it has been implicated as an etiology for cardiovascular diseases. This study was conducted to evaluate the cardiovascular risk factors and different dimensions of occupational stress in high-ranking government officials, comparing an age and sex-matched group of office workers with them. We invited 90 high-ranking officials who managed the main governmental offices in a city, and 90 age and sex-matched office workers. The subjects were required to fill the occupational role questionnaire (Osipow) which evaluated their personal and medical history as well as occupational stress. Then, we performed physical examination and laboratory tests to check for cardiovascular risk factors. Finally, the frequency of cardiovascular risk factors and occupational stress of two groups were compared. High-ranking officials in our study had less work experience in their current jobs and smoked fewer pack-years of cigarette, but they had higher waist and hip circumference, higher triglyceride level, more stress from role overload and responsibility, and higher total stress score. Our group of office workers had more occupational stress because of role ambiguity and insufficiency, but their overall job stress was less than officials. The officials have higher scores in some dimensions of occupational stress and higher overall stress score. Some cardiovascular risk factors were also more frequent in managers.

The Performance of the Trickle Bed Reactor Packed with the Pt/SDBC Catalyst Mixture for the CECE Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seungwoo Paek; Do-Hee Ahn; Heui-Joo Choi; Kwang-Rag Kim; Hongsuk Chung; Sung-Paal Yim; Minsoo Lee; Kyu-Min Song; Soon Hwan Sohn

2006-01-01

The CECE (Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange) process with a hydrophobic catalyst is a very effective method to remove small quantities of tritium from light or heavy waste water streams because of its high separation factor and mild operating conditions. The CECE process is composed of an electrolysis cell and a LPCE (Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange) column. This paper describes the experimental results of the hydrogen isotopic exchange reaction in a trickle bed reactor packed with a hydrophobic catalyst for the development of the LPCE column of the CECE process. The hydrophobic Pt/SDBC (Styrene Divinyl Benzene Copolymer) catalyst has been developed by Korean researchers for the LPCE column of WTRF (Wolsong Tritium Removal Facility). An experimental apparatus was constructed for the various experiments with the different parameters, such as hydrogen flow rate, temperature, and the structure of the mixed catalyst column. The catalyst column was packed with a mixture of hydrophobic catalyst and hydrophilic packing (Dixon gauze ring). The performance of the catalyst bed was expressed as an overall rate constant Kya. To improve the performance of the trickle bed, the modification of the catalyst bed design (changing the shape of the catalyst complex and diluting with inert) has been investigated. (author)

Packing parameters effect on injection molding of polypropylene nanostructured surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Calaon, Matteo; Tosello, Guido; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2012-01-01

having a diameter of 500 nm was employed. The tool insert surface was produced using chemical-based-batch techniques such aluminum anodization and nickel electroplating. During the injection molding process, polypropylene (PP) was employed as material and packing phase parameters (packing time, packing...

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study on Temperature Distribution of Self-Lubricating Packing Rings in Reciprocating Compressors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia Xiaohan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The nonuniform abrasion failure and high-temperature thermal failure of packing rings have a significant influence on compressor reliability, particularly that of oil-free compressors. In this study, a test rig was constructed to measure the dynamic temperature of packing rings under different operational conditions in an oil-free reciprocating compressor. The dynamic axial and radial temperature distributions of the packing rings were obtained using an innovative internal temperature testing device that kept the thermocouples and packing box relatively static during compressor operation. A three-dimensional heat transfer model was also developed to analyze the temperature distribution of the packing boxes, piston rod, and cylinder during such operation. Good agreement was observed between the simulation results and experimental data, which showed an average relative error of less than 2.35%. The results indicate that the pressure ratio exerts a significant effect on the axial temperature distribution and determines which packing ring reaches the maximum temperature. They also show the average temperature to rise with an increase in the rotational speed and to fall with an improvement in the external cooling conditions. Finally, the material of the packing rings was found to affect the temperature gradient from their inner to outer surface.

Radioactivity evaluation method for pre-packed concrete packages of low-level dry active wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, Toshiaki; Funahashi, Tetsuo; Watabe, Kiyomi; Ozawa, Yukitoshi; Kashiwagi, Makoto

1998-01-01

Low-level dry active wastes of nuclear power plants are grouted with cement mortal in a container and planned to disposed into the shallow land disposal site. The characteristics of radionuclides contained in dry active wastes are same as homogeneous solidified wastes. In the previous report, we reported the applicability of the radioactivity evaluation methods established for homogeneous solidified wastes to pre-packed concrete packages. This report outlines the developed radioactivity evaluation methods for pre-packed concrete packages based upon recent data. Since the characteristics of dry active wastes depend upon the plant system in which dry active wastes originate and the types of contamination, sampling of wastes and activity measurement were executed to derive scaling factors. The radioactivity measurement methods were also verified. The applicability of non-destructive methods to measure radioactivity concentration of pre-packed concrete packages was examined by computer simulation. It is concluded that those methods are accurate enough to measure actual waste packages. (author)

Random close packing in protein cores

OpenAIRE

Gaines, Jennifer C.; Smith, W. Wendell; Regan, Lynne; O'Hern, Corey S.

2015-01-01

Shortly after the determination of the first protein x-ray crystal structures, researchers analyzed their cores and reported packing fractions $\\phi \\approx 0.75$, a value that is similar to close packing equal-sized spheres. A limitation of these analyses was the use of `extended atom' models, rather than the more physically accurate `explicit hydrogen' model. The validity of using the explicit hydrogen model is proved by its ability to predict the side chain dihedral angle distributions obs...

Packing Density Approach for Sustainable Development of Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudarshan Dattatraya KORE

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the details of optimized mix design for normal strength concrete using particle packing density method. Also the concrete mixes were designed as per BIS: 10262-2009. Different water-cement ratios were used and kept same in both design methods. An attempt has been made to obtain sustainable and cost effective concrete product by use of particle packing density method. The parameters such as workability, compressive strength, cost analysis and carbon di oxide emission were discussed. The results of the study showed that, the compressive strength of the concrete produced by packing density method are closer to that of design compressive strength of BIS code method. By adopting the packing density method for design of concrete mixes, resulted in 11% cost saving with 12% reduction in carbon di oxide emission.

GENETIC DIVERSITY AMONG YERSINIA ENTEROCOLITICA ISOLATED FROM SEWAGE, RAW MILK AND PACKED FOODS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shanmuga Priya Seshadhri

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A total of 90 isolates (40 from sewage, 30 from raw milk and 20 from packed foods collected to study the incidence of Yersinia enterocolitica. It was observed that 61 isolates (32 from sewage, 19 from raw milk and 10 from packed foods were found contaminated with the bacterium. All the isolated strains were confirmed to Yersinia enterocolitica, by using 16S rRNA PCR. Of 61 strains, only five strains (two from sewage and two from packed foods and one from raw milk were found to be the producers of haemolysin at 37 oC, while among the five strains only two strains from packed foods produced haemolysin at 28 oC. All the isolates showed resistance to amoxicillin and found sensitive to chloramphenicol. Seven strains were producer of High molecular weight proteins (HMWP. 53 strains have produced rough LPS, while the smooth LPS has been observed for 8 isolates. Eleven and six different profiles observed in outermembrane proteins and lipopolysaccaride respectively. Combined primer 1 and 2 RAPD-PCR dendogram shows eight different genotypic patterns.

High-performance flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors based on densely-packed graphene/polypyrrole nanoparticle papers

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chao; Zhang, Liling; Hu, Nantao; Yang, Zhi; Wei, Hao; Wang, Yanyan; Zhang, Yafei

2016-11-01

Graphene-based all-solid-state supercapacitors (ASSSCs) have received increasing attention. It's a great challenge to fabricate high-performance flexible solid-state supercapacitors with high areal and volumetric energy storage capability, superior electron and ion conductivity, robust mechanical flexibility, as well as long term stability. Herein, we report a facile method to fabricate flexible ASSSCs based on densely-packed reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/polypyrrole nanoparticle (PPy NP) hybrid papers with a sandwich framework, which consists of well-separated and continuously-aligned rGO sheets. The incorporation of PPy NPs not only provides pseudocapacitance but also facilitates the infiltration of gel electrolyte. The assembled ASSSCs possess maximum areal and volumetric specific capacitances of 477 mF/cm2 and 94.9 F/cm3 at 0.5 mA/cm2. They also exhibit little capacitance deviation under different bending states, excellent cycling stability, small leakage current and low self-discharge characteristics. Additionally, the maximum areal and volumetric energy densities of 132.5 μWh/cm2 and 26.4 mWh/cm3 are achieved, which indicate that this hybrid paper is a promising candidate for high-performance flexible energy storage devices.

Use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for monitoring the shelf life of ham slices packed with probiotic supplemented edible films after treatment with high pressure processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavli, F; Argyri, A A; Nychas, G-J E; Tassou, C; Chorianopoulos, N

2018-04-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential use of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to quantify biochemical changes occurring in ham slices packed with probiotic supplemented edible films and treated with High Pressure Processing (HPP), in monitoring spoilage. Details regarding the data collection and experimental procedure were presented by Pavli et al. (2017). A series of Partial Least Squares (PLS) models were developed to correlate spectral data from FTIR analysis with ham spoilage during storage under vacuum at different temperatures (4, 8 and 12°C). FTIR spectra were collected from the surface of the ham samples in parallel with microbiological analysis of total viable counts (TVC) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Qualitative interpretation of spectral data was based on a sensory evaluation, using a hedonic scale, classifying the samples in three quality classes, fresh, semi-fresh and spoiled. The scope of the modeling approach was to discriminate the ham slices in their respective quality class and additionally to predict the microbial population directly from spectral data. The results obtained demonstrated that the processing of the samples affected the performance of classification in the sensory classes, with better results observed in the case of for ham slices packed with probiotic supplemented (PS) edible films and of control samples without HPP. The performance of PLS regression models on providing quantitative estimations of microbial counts were based on specific figures of merit (bias factor, accuracy factor, root mean square error, percentage of prediction error). Bias and accuracy factors were close to unity for both microbial groups tested for samples without HPP, whereas for HPP treated samples the values of these indices ranged from 0.963 to 1.332, depending on the case and indice. The results of this study demonstrated for the first time that although FTIR can be used reliably for the rapid assessment of

Packing Nonspherical Particles: All Shapes Are Not Created Equal

Science.gov (United States)

Torquato, Salvatore

2012-02-01

Over the past decade there has been increasing interest in the effects of particle shape on the characteristics of dense particle packings, since deviations from sphericity can lead to more realistic models of granular media, nanostructured materials, and tissue architecture. It is clear the that the broken rotational symmetry of a nonspherical particle is a crucial aspect in determining its resulting packing characteristics, but given the infinite variety of possible shapes (ellipsoids, superballs, regular and irregular polyhedra, etc.) it is desirable to formulate packing organizing principles based the particle shape. Such principles are beginning to be elucidated; see Refs. 1 and 2 and references therein. Depending upon whether the particle has central symmetry, inequivalent principle axes, and smooth or flat surfaces, we can describe the nature of its densest packing (which is typically periodic) as well as its disordered jammed states (which may or may not be isostatic). Changing the shape of a particle can dramatically alter its packing attributes. This tunability capability via particle shape could be used to tailor many-particle systems (e.g., colloids and granular media) to have designed crystal, liquid and glassy states. [4pt] [1] S. Torquato and F. H. Stillinger, ``Jammed Hard-Particle Packings: From Kepler to Bernal and Beyond," Rev. Modern Phys. 82, 2633 (2010). [0pt] [2] Y. Jiao and S. Torquato, Communication: ``A Packing of Truncated Tetrahedra That Nearly Fills All of Space and its Melting Properties," J. Chem. Phys. 135, 151101 (2011).

The benefits of hypopharyngeal packing in nasal surgery: a pilot study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Fennessy, B G

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: Hypopharyngeal packs are used in nasal surgery to reduce the risk of aspiration and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Side effects associated with their use range from throat pain to retained packs postoperatively. AIM: To evaluate, as a pilot study, postoperative nausea\\/vomiting and throat pain scores for patients undergoing nasal surgery in whom a wet or dry hypopharyngeal pack was placed compared with patients who received no packing. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind prospective trial in a general ENT unit. RESULTS: The study failed to show a statistically significant difference between the three groups in terms of their postoperative nausea\\/vomiting and throat pain scores at 2 and 6 h postoperatively. This is the first study in which dry packs have been compared with wet and absent packs. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, the authors recommend against placing hypopharyngeal packs for the purpose of preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Permeability change with dissolution and precipitation reaction induced by highly alkaline plume in packed bed with amorphous silica particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komatsu, Kyo; Kadowaki, Junichi; Niibori, Yuichi; Mimura, Hitoshi; Usui, Hideo

2008-01-01

A large amount of cement is used to construct of the geological disposal system. Such a material alters the pH of groundwater to highly alkaline region. The highly alkaline plume contains rich Ca ion compared to the surrounding environment, and the Ca ion reacts with soluble silicic acid. Its product would deposit on the surface of flow-paths in the natural barrier and decrease the permeability. In this study, the influence of Ca ions in highly alkaline plume on flow-paths has been examined by using packed bed column. The column was packed with the amorphous silica particles of 75-150 μm in diameter. The Ca(OH) 2 solution (0.78 mM, 2.58 mM, 4.37 mM, and 8.48 mM, pH: 12.2-12.4) was continuously injected into the column at a constant flow rate (5 ml/min, and 2 ml/min), and the change of permeability was monitored. At the same time, the concentrations of [Ca] total and [Si] in the eluted solution were measured by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The Ca(OH) 2 solutions were prepared with CO 2 -free pure water, and filtrated through 0.45 μm filter. The permeability was normalized by the initial permeability value. In the experiment results, the permeability dramatically changed with increasing Ca concentration, because Ca ions and H 4 SiO 4 (due to the dissolution of SiO 2 ) produce C-S-H gel between the packed particles in the column. The SEM images and XRD analyses showed that the surface of SiO 2 particles was covered with the C-S-H gel precipitation. On the other hand, when the Ca concentration was relatively low, the permeability did not show remarkable change. For the cross section of SiO 2 particles, EPMA analysis suggested the consumption of Ca in the inner pore of the SiO 2 particles. However, the time-change in the concentrations of Si and Ca was not always simple. Such time-change strongly depended not only on pH or Ca concentration, but also on the flow rates. This suggested that mass transport controls the chemical

Electro-Thermo-Mechanical Analysis of High-Power Press-Pack Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors under Various Mechanical Clamping Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasmasan, Adrian Augustin; Busca, Cristian; Teodorescu, Remus

2014-01-01

With the continuously increasing demand for energy and the limited supply of fossil fuels, renewable power sources are becoming ever more important. Knowing that future energy demand will grow, manufacturers are increasing the size of new wind turbines (WTs) in order to reduce the cost of energy...... production. The reliability of the components has a large impact on the overall cost of a WT, and press-pack (PP) insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) could be a good solution for future multi-megawatt WTs because of advantages like high power density and reliability. When used in power converters, PP...

Minimising protein oxidation in retail-packed minced beef using three-gas MA-packaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spanos, Dimitrios; Baussa Cano, Laura; Baron, Caroline P.

beef. To establish whether three-gas MAP (O2, CO2 and N2), instead of two-gas MAP (O2 and CO2), would affect sensory attributes, shelf life, protein and lipid oxidation, minced beef was packed in MAP with either 40%, 50% or 80% O2 and 20% or 40% CO2 with N2 as filler gas. When comparing traditional MA-packaging......Minced beef is usually packed in high oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) with a gas mixture consisting of 70-80% oxygen (O2) and 20-30% carbon dioxide (CO2). Unfortunately, this results in rubbery and less juicy beef patties with a more rancid flavour compared with fresh or nonoxygen packed...... (80% O2 + 20% CO2) with a low oxygen packaging atmosphere (40% O2 + 20% CO2 + 40% N2), the latter is seen to increase the meat oxidative stability during storage but decrease acceptability and shelf life. In contrast, high oxygen MAP (80% and 50% O2) results in more oxidation but a longer shelf life...

7 CFR 906.340 - Container, pack, and container marking regulations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Container, pack, and container marking regulations... AGRICULTURE ORANGES AND GRAPEFRUIT GROWN IN LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY IN TEXAS Container and Pack Requirements § 906.340 Container, pack, and container marking regulations. (a) No handler shall handle any variety of...

cellPACK: a virtual mesoscope to model and visualize structural systems biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Graham T; Autin, Ludovic; Al-Alusi, Mostafa; Goodsell, David S; Sanner, Michel F; Olson, Arthur J

2015-01-01

cellPACK assembles computational models of the biological mesoscale, an intermediate scale (10-100 nm) between molecular and cellular biology scales. cellPACK's modular architecture unites existing and novel packing algorithms to generate, visualize and analyze comprehensive three-dimensional models of complex biological environments that integrate data from multiple experimental systems biology and structural biology sources. cellPACK is available as open-source code, with tools for validation of models and with 'recipes' and models for five biological systems: blood plasma, cytoplasm, synaptic vesicles, HIV and a mycoplasma cell. We have applied cellPACK to model distributions of HIV envelope protein to test several hypotheses for consistency with experimental observations. Biologists, educators and outreach specialists can interact with cellPACK models, develop new recipes and perform packing experiments through scripting and graphical user interfaces at http://cellPACK.org/.

Homometrism in close-packed structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mardix, S.

1990-01-01

Homometric structures are non-congruent structures having identical X-ray intensity distributions. It has so far been assumed that such structures, while theoretically interesting, would not be realized in practice. Homometrism in close-packed structures is shown to be a realistic possibility. Some general rules applicable to homometric pairs are presented; it is shown that an infinite number of them can be derived from one-dimensional homometric pairs. An exhaustive search of close-packed structures with periods of up to 26 reveals that the smallest period of a homometric pair is 15 and that their number increases rapidly with the period. Homometrism in polytypic structures is further discussed. (orig.)

Avoidance of cigarette pack health warnings among regular cigarette smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Maynard, Olivia M; Attwood, Angela; O'Brien, Laura; Brooks, Sabrina; Hedge, Craig; Leonards, Ute; Munafò, Marcus R

2014-03-01

Previous research with adults and adolescents indicates that plain cigarette packs increase visual attention to health warnings among non-smokers and non-regular smokers, but not among regular smokers. This may be because regular smokers: (1) are familiar with the health warnings, (2) preferentially attend to branding, or (3) actively avoid health warnings. We sought to distinguish between these explanations using eye-tracking technology. A convenience sample of 30 adult dependent smokers participated in an eye-tracking study. Participants viewed branded, plain and blank packs of cigarettes with familiar and unfamiliar health warnings. The number of fixations to health warnings and branding on the different pack types were recorded. Analysis of variance indicated that regular smokers were biased towards fixating the branding rather than the health warning on all three pack types. This bias was smaller, but still evident, for blank packs, where smokers preferentially attended the blank region over the health warnings. Time-course analysis showed that for branded and plain packs, attention was preferentially directed to the branding location for the entire 10s of the stimulus presentation, while for blank packs this occurred for the last 8s of the stimulus presentation. Familiarity with health warnings had no effect on eye gaze location. Smokers actively avoid cigarette pack health warnings, and this remains the case even in the absence of salient branding information. Smokers may have learned to divert their attention away from cigarette pack health warnings. These findings have implications for cigarette packaging and health warning policy. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Simulation of capillary infiltration into packing structures for the optimization of ceramic materials using the lattice Boltzmann method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Sergi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study uses the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM to simulate in 2D the capillary infiltration into porous structures obtained from the packing of particles. The experimental problem motivating the work is the densification of carbon preforms by reactive melt infiltration. The aim is to determine the optimization principles for the manufacturing of high-performance ceramics. Simulations are performed for packings with varying structural properties. The results suggest that the observed slow infiltrations can be ascribed to interface dynamics. Pinning represents the primary factor retarding fluid penetration. The mechanism responsible for this phenomenon is analyzed in detail. When surface growth is allowed, it is found that the phenomenon of pinning becomes stronger. Systems trying to reproduce typical experimental conditions are also investigated. It turns out that the standard for accurate simulations is challenging. The primary obstacle to overcome for enhanced accuracy seems to be the over-occurrence of pinning.

Changes in front-of-pack food labeling from 2007-2014

Science.gov (United States)

Objective: The objectives were to describe the proportions of packaged foods with front-of pack (FOP) nutrition marketing or marketing to children that were high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or sugar content, and changes in the proportions from 2007 to 2014. Methods: FOP nutrition marketing, chil...

Future perspectives of using hollow fibers as structured packings in light hydrocarbon distillation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Dali [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Orler, Bruce [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Tornga, Stephanie [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Welch, Cindy [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2011-01-26

Olefin and paraffin are the largest chemical commodities. Furthermore, they are major building blocks for the petrochemical industry. Each year, petroleum refining, consumes 4,500 TBtu/yr in separation energy, making it one of the most energy-intensive industries in the United States). Just considering liquefied petroleum gas (ethane/propane/butane) and olefins (ethylene and propylene) alone, the distillation energy consumption is about 400 TBtu/yr in the US. Since petroleum distillation is a mature technology, incremental improvements in column/tray design will only provide a few percent improvements in the performance. However, each percent saving in net energy use amounts to savings of 10 TBtu/yr and reduces CO{sub 2} emissions by 0.2 MTon/yr. In practice, distillation columns require 100 to 200 trays to achieve the desired separation. The height of a transfer unit (HTU) of conventional packings is typical in the range of 36-60 inch. Since 2006, we had explored using several non-selective membranes as the structured packings to replace the conventional packing materials used in propane and propylene distillation. We obtained the lowest HTU of < 8 inch for the hollow fiber column, which was >5 times shorter than that of the conventional packing materials. In 2008, we also investigated this type of packing materials in iso-/n-butane distillation. Because of a slightly larger relative volatility of iso-/n-butane than that of propane/propylene, a wider and a more stable operational range was obtained for the iso-/n-butane pair. However, all of the experiments were conducted on a small scale with flowrate of < 25 gram/min. Recently, we demonstrated this technology on a larger scale (<250 gram/min). Within the loading range of F-factor < 2.2 Pa{sup 0.5}, a pressure drop on the vapor side is below 50 mbar/m, which suggests that the pressure drop of hollow fibers packings is not an engineering barrier for the applications in distillations. The thermal stability study

Integrality gap analysis for bin packing games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kern, Walter; Qui, X.

A cooperative bin packing game is an $N$-person game, where the player set $N$ consists of $k$ bins of capacity 1 each and $n$ items of sizes $a_1,\\dots,a_n$. The value $v(S)$ of a coalition $S$ of players is defined to be the maximum total size of items in $S$ that can be packed into the bins of

Gravel packing dual zones in one trip reduces offshore completion time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brannon, D.H.; Harrison, D.T.; van Sickle, E.W.

1991-01-01

A single trip, dual-zone gravel pack system was used to successfully gravel pack two wells on Green Canyon platform 52 A in the Gulf of Mexico. An average 56 hours was saved on each well, representing reductions of about 25% in completion time and 26% in completion cost per well. Time-sensitive costs had the largest impact on Green Canyon 52 A final well completion cost; therefore, new technology or more efficient operations were required to minimize completion time. One way to enhance project economics was to gravel pack two separate zones in one trip. In this paper, four objectives are addressed during development of a single trip tool to gravel pack the stacked zones of the Marquette project. These were time and cost reduction, removal of loss circulation material (LCM) prior to gravel packing, zone isolation during gravel packing and use of conventional gravel placement techniques. The design requirement that all LCM (salt and/or viscous polymer pills), perforation debris and formation sand be removed from the wellbore prior to gravel packing was accomplished by incorporating a washdown feature that allows circulation at the bottom of the gravel pack assembly prior to landing in the sump packer

SimPackJ/S: a web-oriented toolkit for discrete event simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Minho; Fishwick, Paul A.

2002-07-01

SimPackJ/S is the JavaScript and Java version of SimPack, which means SimPackJ/S is a collection of JavaScript and Java libraries and executable programs for computer simulations. The main purpose of creating SimPackJ/S is that we allow existing SimPack users to expand simulation areas and provide future users with a freeware simulation toolkit to simulate and model a system in web environments. One of the goals for this paper is to introduce SimPackJ/S. The other goal is to propose translation rules for converting C to JavaScript and Java. Most parts demonstrate the translation rules with examples. In addition, we discuss a 3D dynamic system model and overview an approach to 3D dynamic systems using SimPackJ/S. We explain an interface between SimPackJ/S and the 3D language--Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML). This paper documents how to translate C to JavaScript and Java and how to utilize SimPackJ/S within a 3D web environment.

Multilayer DNA Origami Packed on Hexagonal and Hybrid Lattices

OpenAIRE

Ke, Yonggang; Voigt, Niels V.; Gothelf, Kurt V.; Shih, William M.

2012-01-01

“Scaffolded DNA origami” has been proven to be a powerful and efficient approach to construct two-dimensional or three-dimensional objects with great complexity. Multilayer DNA origami has been demonstrated with helices packing along either honeycomb-lattice geometry or square-lattice geometry. Here we report successful folding of multilayer DNA origami with helices arranged on a close-packed hexagonal lattice. This arrangement yields a higher density of helical packing and therefore higher r...

Improved Erythrocyte Osmotic Fragility and Packed Cell Volume ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Improved Erythrocyte Osmotic Fragility and Packed Cell Volume following administration of Aloe barbadensis Juice Extract in Rats. ... Abstract. Aloe barbadensis is a popular house plant that has a long history of a multipurpose folk remedy. ... Keywords: osmotic fragility, packed cell volume, haemoglobin, Aloe vera ...

Super/subcritical fluid chromatography with packed columns: state of the art and applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Grazieli Azevedo da Silva

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Separations using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC with packed columns have been re-discovered and explored in recent years. SFC enables fast and efficient separations and, in some cases, gives better results than high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. This paper provides an overview of recent advances in SFC separations using packed columns for both achiral and chiral separations. The most important types of stationary phases used in SFC are discussed as well as the most critical parameters involved in the separations and some recent applications.

Implementation of Bin Packing Model for Reed Switch Production Planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parra, Rainier Romero [Polytechnic University of Baja California, Calle de la Claridad S/N, Col Plutarco Elias Calles, Mexicali, B. C., 21376 (Mexico); Burtseva, Larysa [Engineering Institute, Autonomous University of Baja California, Calle de la Normal S/N, Col. Insurgentes Este, Mexicali, BC, 21280 (Mexico)

2010-06-17

This paper presents a form to resolve a real problem of efficient material election in reed switch manufacturing. The carrying out of the consumer demands depends on the stochastic results of the classification process where each lot of switches is distributed into bins according to an electric measure value. Various glass types are employed for the switch manufacturing. The effect caused by the glass type variation on the switch classification results was investigated. Based on real data statistic analysis, the problem is reduced to the lot number minimizing taking into consideration the glass type, and interpreted as a bin packing problem generalization. On difference to the classic bin packing problem, in the considered case, an item represents a set of pieces; a container is divided into a number of bins (sub-containers); the bin capacity is variable; there are the assignment restrictions between bins and sets of pieces; the items are allowed to be fragmented into bins and containers. The problem has a high complexity. A heuristic offline algorithm is proposed to find the quantity, types and packing sequence of containers, the item fragments associated with containers and bins. The bin capacities do not affect the algorithm.

Efficacy of fresh packed red blood transfusion in organophosphate poisoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Hang-Xing; Tong, Pei-Jian; Li, Cai-Xia; Du, Jing; Chen, Bing-Yu; Huang, Zhi-Hui; Wang, Ying

2017-03-01

The mortality rate caused by organophosphate (OP) poisoning is still high, even the standard treatment such as atropine and oxime improves a lot. To search for alternative therapies, this study was aimed to investigate the effects of packed red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in acute OP poisoning, and compare the therapeutic effects of RBCs at different storage times.Patients diagnosed with OP poisoning were included in this prospective study. Fresh RBCs (packed RBCs stored less than 10 days) and longer-storage RBCs (stored more than 10 days but less than 35 days) were randomly transfused or not into OP poisoning patients. Cholinesterase (ChE) levels in blood, atropine usage and durations, pralidoxime durations were measured.We found that both fresh and longer-storage RBCs (200-400 mL) significantly increased blood ChE levels 6 hours after transfusion, shortened the duration for ChE recovery and length of hospital stay, and reduced the usage of atropine and pralidoxime. In addition, fresh RBCs demonstrated stronger therapeutic effects than longer-storage RBCs.Packed RBCs might be an alternative approach in patients with OP poisoning, especially during early stages.

Polymer ultrapermeability from the inefficient packing of 2D chains

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Ian; Bezzu, C. Grazia; Carta, Mariolino; Comesaña-Gándara, Bibiana; Lasseuguette, Elsa; Ferrari, M. Chiara; Bernardo, Paola; Clarizia, Gabriele; Fuoco, Alessio; Jansen, Johannes C.; Hart, Kyle E.; Liyana-Arachchi, Thilanga P.; Colina, Coray M.; McKeown, Neil B.

2017-09-01

The promise of ultrapermeable polymers, such as poly(trimethylsilylpropyne) (PTMSP), for reducing the size and increasing the efficiency of membranes for gas separations remains unfulfilled due to their poor selectivity. We report an ultrapermeable polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-TMN-Trip) that is substantially more selective than PTMSP. From molecular simulations and experimental measurement we find that the inefficient packing of the two-dimensional (2D) chains of PIM-TMN-Trip generates a high concentration of both small (Gas permeability data for PIM-TMN-Trip surpass the 2008 Robeson upper bounds for O2/N2, H2/N2, CO2/N2, H2/CH4 and CO2/CH4, with the potential for biogas purification and carbon capture demonstrated for relevant gas mixtures. Comparisons between PIM-TMN-Trip and structurally similar polymers with three-dimensional (3D) contorted chains confirm that its additional intrinsic microporosity is generated from the awkward packing of its 2D polymer chains in a 3D amorphous solid. This strategy of shape-directed packing of chains of microporous polymers may be applied to other rigid polymers for gas separations.

Implementation of Bin Packing Model for Reed Switch Production Planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parra, Rainier Romero; Burtseva, Larysa

2010-01-01

This paper presents a form to resolve a real problem of efficient material election in reed switch manufacturing. The carrying out of the consumer demands depends on the stochastic results of the classification process where each lot of switches is distributed into bins according to an electric measure value. Various glass types are employed for the switch manufacturing. The effect caused by the glass type variation on the switch classification results was investigated. Based on real data statistic analysis, the problem is reduced to the lot number minimizing taking into consideration the glass type, and interpreted as a bin packing problem generalization. On difference to the classic bin packing problem, in the considered case, an item represents a set of pieces; a container is divided into a number of bins (sub-containers); the bin capacity is variable; there are the assignment restrictions between bins and sets of pieces; the items are allowed to be fragmented into bins and containers. The problem has a high complexity. A heuristic offline algorithm is proposed to find the quantity, types and packing sequence of containers, the item fragments associated with containers and bins. The bin capacities do not affect the algorithm.

The Tobacco Pack Surveillance System: A Protocol for Assessing Health Warning Compliance, Design Features, and Appeals of Tobacco Packs Sold in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Katherine; Washington, Carmen; Brown, Jennifer; Vadnais, Alison; Kroart, Laura; Ferguson, Jacqueline; Cohen, Joanna

2015-01-01

Tobacco remains the world's leading preventable cause of death, with the majority of tobacco-caused deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. The first global health treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), outlines a set of policy initiatives that have been demonstrated as effective in reducing tobacco use. Article 11 of the FCTC focuses on using the tobacco package to communicate tobacco-caused harms; it also seeks to restrict the delivery of misleading information about the product on the pack. The objective of this study was to establish a surveillance system for tobacco packs in the 14 low- and middle-income countries with the greatest number of smokers. The Tobacco Pack Surveillance System (TPackSS) monitors whether required health warnings on tobacco packages are being implemented as intended, and identifies pack designs and appeals that might violate or detract from the communication of harm-related information and undermine the impact of a country's tobacco packaging laws. The protocol outlined is intended to be applicable or adaptable for surveillance efforts in other countries. Tobacco packs were collected in 14 countries during 2013. The intention was, to the extent possible, to construct a census of "unique" pack presentations available for purchase in each country. The TPackSS team partnered with in-country field staff to implement a standardized protocol for acquiring packs from 36 diverse neighborhoods across three cities in each country. At the time of purchase, data on price and place of acquisition of each pack was recorded. The field staff, according to a standardized protocol, then photographed packs before they were shipped to the United States for coding and archiving. Each pack was coded for compliance with the country-specific health warning label laws, as well as for key design features of the pack and appeals of the branding elements. The coding protocols were developed based upon prior research, expert

Development of the Mo loading apparatus for adsorbing high level 99Mo to PZC and packing in 99mTc generator column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hishinuma, Yukio; Ohmori, Hiroyuki; Noguchi, Tuneyuki; Tatenuma, Katsuyoshi; Genka, Tsuguo; Machi, Sueo

2006-01-01

For developing the automatic system to produce the PZC- 99m Tc generator column based on (n, gamma) method, we developed and fabricated the proto-type apparatus for semi hot test to prepare and pack PZC adsorbed 99 Mo produced by (n, gamma) method into the generator column; PZC is Mo adsorbent with practical performance for (n, gamma) 99m Tc generator with high 99 Mo adsorption and high 99m Tc elution. For conducting the constant supply and delivery of 99m Tc generator, it is necessary to establish the technology of (n, gamma) method 99m Tc generator using PZC and to develop the fabrication system for 99 Mo loading to PZC and packing the 99m Tc generator column. By the reason, we are developing the Mo loading apparatus. In order to automatically conduct the process of 99 Mo adsorption to PZC and PZC- 99 Mo packing into the generator column, based on one channel system developed by JAERI-KAKEN at 3 years ago, an advanced automatic loading system functioned with 8 channels was developed as FNCA project proceeded by the core with Kaken Co. and JAIF for realizing a mass production of 99m Tc generators, and moreover the Japanese patent regarding the PZC- 99m Tc generator including the automatic loading system of 99 Mo to PZC and making 99m Tc generator columns has already been applied with joint applicants of BATAN and Kaken Co. Regarding the multi-type Mo loading apparatus mentioned above, we set it up in a hot of BATAN at December 2003 year. In this report, we will introduce mainly about the multi-channel automatic loading system of 99 Mo. (author)

Metallic witness packs for behind-armour debris characterization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verolme, J.L.; Szymczak, M.; Broos, J.P.F.

1999-01-01

For the experimental characterization of behind-armour debris so-called metallic witness packs can be used. A metallic witness pack consists of an array of metallic plates interspaced by polystyrene foam sheets. To quantify the fragment mass and velocity from the corresponding hole area and position

Consistency Check for the Bin Packing Constraint Revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Dupuis, Julien; Schaus, Pierre; Deville, Yves

The bin packing problem (BP) consists in finding the minimum number of bins necessary to pack a set of items so that the total size of the items in each bin does not exceed the bin capacity C. The bin capacity is common for all the bins.

Degradation of nitrobenzene in simulated wastewater by iron-carbon micro-electrolysis packing.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Meng; Zou, Donglei; Zou, Haochen; Fan, Dongyan

2011-12-01

The reductive degradation of nitrobenzene (NB) by iron-carbon micro-electrolysis packing was investigated. The influence of initial NB concentration, pH value and packing amount on the removal rate of NB were studied. The results showed that the reaction with packing followed the pseudo-first-order reaction. The optimum pH was 3.0 for the degradation of NB in the tested pH ranges of 3-9 and the optimum packing amount was 40 g/200 ml. The flow-through column packed with packing was designed to remove NB from simulated wastewater for approximately 68 days. The removal rate was over 90% within initial periods. It could be seen that after running for 68 days, the packing still had good performance after the long-term column experiment. In addition, the changes of the packing surfaces morphologies and matters before, during and after the column experiment were analysed by scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy-dispersion spectroscopy (EDS).

Packing frustration in dense confined fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Nygård, Kim; Sarman, Sten; Kjellander, Roland

2014-09-07

Packing frustration for confined fluids, i.e., the incompatibility between the preferred packing of the fluid particles and the packing constraints imposed by the confining surfaces, is studied for a dense hard-sphere fluid confined between planar hard surfaces at short separations. The detailed mechanism for the frustration is investigated via an analysis of the anisotropic pair distributions of the confined fluid, as obtained from integral equation theory for inhomogeneous fluids at pair correlation level within the anisotropic Percus-Yevick approximation. By examining the mean forces that arise from interparticle collisions around the periphery of each particle in the slit, we calculate the principal components of the mean force for the density profile--each component being the sum of collisional forces on a particle's hemisphere facing either surface. The variations of these components with the slit width give rise to rather intricate changes in the layer structure between the surfaces, but, as shown in this paper, the basis of these variations can be easily understood qualitatively and often also semi-quantitatively. It is found that the ordering of the fluid is in essence governed locally by the packing constraints at each single solid-fluid interface. A simple superposition of forces due to the presence of each surface gives surprisingly good estimates of the density profiles, but there remain nontrivial confinement effects that cannot be explained by superposition, most notably the magnitude of the excess adsorption of particles in the slit relative to bulk.

Evaluation of Type II Fast Packs for Electrostatic Discharge Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-08-01

34 x 8" x 1 3/4") consisting of a reclosable cushioned carrier which mates into an outer fiberboard sleeve. A cushioning insert is used consisting of a... RECLOSABLE CUSHIONED CARRIER TEST LOAD FIGURE 1: Cancel Caddy Pack * CONVOLUTED 4* CUSHIONED I FIGURE 2: Type II Fast Pack (PPP-B-1672) TYPE II FAST PACK

Important notice for Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 computers

CERN Multimedia

The NICE Team

2005-01-01

Microsoft is ending support for Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, which was introduced in 2002. As a consequence, computers running Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (or older versions1)) must be updated. It is recommended that Windows 2000 computers be re-installed with Windows XP Service Pack 2 (see http://cern.ch/Win/Services/Installation/Diane). If this is not possible for compatibility reasons, Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 must be installed to ensure the computers continue to receive security patches (see http://cern.ch/Win/Docs/2000SP4). In the next few days, NICE 2000 computers requiring an update will receive a pop-up window with instructions. Users requiring help with the update can contact Helpdesk@cern.ch or call 78888. If your computer needs to be updated you are recommended to read the additional information available at http://cern.ch/Win/Docs/2000SP3. The NICE Team 1) To determine your Windows service pack version, use the ‘Start' button and select ‘Run'. In the new window that open...

Important notice for Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 computers

CERN Multimedia

The NICE Team

2005-01-01

Microsoft is ending support for Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, which was introduced in 2002. As a consequence, computers running Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (or older versions1) ) must be updated. It is recommended that Windows 2000 computers be re-installed with Windows XP Service Pack 2 (see http://cern.ch/Win/Services/Installation/Diane). If this is not possible for compatibility reasons, Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 must be installed to ensure the computers continue to receive security patches (see http://cern.ch/Win/Docs/2000SP4). In the next few days, NICE 2000 computers requiring an update will receive a pop-up window with instructions. Users requiring help with the update can contact Helpdesk@cern.ch or call 78888. If your computer needs to be updated you are recommended to read the additional information available at http://cern.ch/Win/Docs/2000SP3. The NICE Team 1) To determine your Windows service pack version, use the ‘Start' button and select ‘Run'. In the new window that opens, type ‘wi...

Quasi-Dual-Packed-Kerneled Au49 (2,4-DMBT)27 Nanoclusters and the Influence of Kernel Packing on the Electrochemical Gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Lingwen; Zhuang, Shengli; Wang, Pu; Xu, Yanan; Yan, Nan; Dong, Hongwei; Wang, Chengming; Zhao, Yan; Xia, Nan; Li, Jin; Deng, Haiteng; Pei, Yong; Tian, Shi-Kai; Wu, Zhikun

2017-10-02

Although face-centered cubic (fcc), body-centered cubic (bcc), hexagonal close-packed (hcp), and other structured gold nanoclusters have been reported, it was unclear whether gold nanoclusters with mix-packed (fcc and non-fcc) kernels exist, and the correlation between kernel packing and the properties of gold nanoclusters is unknown. A Au 49 (2,4-DMBT) 27 nanocluster with a shell electron count of 22 has now been been synthesized and structurally resolved by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, which revealed that Au 49 (2,4-DMBT) 27 contains a unique Au 34 kernel consisting of one quasi-fcc-structured Au 21 and one non-fcc-structured Au 13 unit (where 2,4-DMBTH=2,4-dimethylbenzenethiol). Further experiments revealed that the kernel packing greatly influences the electrochemical gap (EG) and the fcc structure has a larger EG than the investigated non-fcc structure. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Packing of equal discs on a parabolic spiral lattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xudong, F.; Bursill, L.A.; Julin, P.

1989-01-01

A contact disc model is investigated to determine the most closely-packed parabolic spiral lattice. The most space-efficient packings have divergence angles in agreement with the priority ranking of natural spiral structures

ANALYSIS OF PACKERS\\' WORKLOAD ON THE PACKING LINE - A CASE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzej Marek Lasota

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: One of the elements of the logistics system is the subsystem of production, which is a system composed of physical elements such as machinery and equipment, tools, and (most importantly people. In addition, systems dependent on the human operator are particularly prone to problems related to: discomfort, ensuring production quality and increases in training costs and absenteeism. Material and methods: The study was conducted in an establishment in the furniture industry, in the product packing department. The system under assessment included a position located at the conveyor belt. The aim of the study was to evaluate the load and the risk of musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD's among workers and conduct an analysis of risk factors. For the evaluation method, the Ovako Working posture Analysing System (OWAS was used. The evaluated activities related to the sequential packing of furniture in positions located at the conveyor belt. Results: The result was 7 tasks qualifying for action category (AC 1, 4 tasks for AC 2 and 5 activities for AC 4. The main risk factors influencing the negative assessment of posture were keeping the back sloped and twisted, work in a standing position and shifting weight onto one leg. Conclusions and recommendations: On each of the evaluated positions where AC 4 occurred, employees back and legs were particularly vulnerable while retrieving elements. Corrective action in these positions should be carried out as soon as possible. Ergonomic intervention should be linked to: reorganizing positions with particular emphasis on retrieving items as well as the storage of packed products; introduction of employee rotation on such positions to ensure load variation of the musculoskeletal system. After making changes on the test positions, reassessment with the OWAS method is recommended in order to verify the effectiveness of the changes.  

Microbiological quality and biogenic amines in ready-to-eat grilled chicken fillets under vacuum packing, freezing, and high-dose irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Baptista, R F; Lemos, M; Teixeira, C E; Vital, H C; Carneiro, C S; Mársico, E T; Conte Júnior, C A; Mano, S B

2014-06-01

The combined effects of cooking, vacuum packing, freezing, and high-dose gamma irradiation in the microbiological conservation and in biogenic amine (BA) contents of ready-to-eat grilled breast chicken fillets are investigated in this work. After seasoning, cooking, and vacuum packing, one-third of the samples were stored at -25°C (T1). The remaining two-thirds were treated with 48 kGy, one-third being stored at -25°C (T2) and the other one-third kept at room temperature (T3). All samples were periodically analyzed to determine growth of heterotrophic aerobic mesophilic bacteria (HAMB) and levels of BA (tyramine, TYM; putrescine, PUT; cadaverine, CAD; spermidine, SPD; histamine, HYM; and spermine, SPM). Variance analysis was performed to determine significant changes in the measured data. Grilling caused HAMB counts in seasoned samples to drop from 5.3 log cfu/g to zero. In addition, no viable HAMB cells were detected in the samples throughout the 12-mo storage time. Regarding the BA analyses, the highest mean levels were measured for SPM and CAD with significantly higher levels (P chicken breast fillets throughout the 12 mo of storage at room temperature. Poultry Science Association Inc.

Hydrodynamics of multi-phase packed bed micro-reactors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Márquez Luzardo, N.M.

2010-01-01

Why to use packed bed micro-reactors for catalyst testing? Miniaturized packed bed reactors have a large surface-to-volume ratio at the reactor and particle level that favors the heat- and mass-transfer processes at all scales (intra-particle, inter-phase and inter-particle or reactor level). If the

27 CFR 24.255 - Bottling or packing wine.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... in the same tax class when that wine is removed from bond, without benefit of tolerance, when the... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bottling or packing wine..., DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS WINE Storage, Treatment and Finishing of Wine Bottling, Packing, and...

Packing simulation code to calculate distribution function of hard spheres by Monte Carlo method : MCRDF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murata, Isao; Mori, Takamasa; Nakagawa, Masayuki; Shirai, Hiroshi.

1996-03-01

High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) employ spherical fuels named coated fuel particles (CFPs) consisting of a microsphere of low enriched UO 2 with coating layers in order to prevent FP release. There exist many spherical fuels distributed randomly in the cores. Therefore, the nuclear design of HTGRs is generally performed on the basis of the multigroup approximation using a diffusion code, S N transport code or group-wise Monte Carlo code. This report summarizes a Monte Carlo hard sphere packing simulation code to simulate the packing of equal hard spheres and evaluate the necessary probability distribution of them, which is used for the application of the new Monte Carlo calculation method developed to treat randomly distributed spherical fuels with the continuous energy Monte Carlo method. By using this code, obtained are the various statistical values, namely Radial Distribution Function (RDF), Nearest Neighbor Distribution (NND), 2-dimensional RDF and so on, for random packing as well as ordered close packing of FCC and BCC. (author)

49 CFR 173.121 - Class 3-Assignment of packing group.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... packing group shall be determined by applying the following criteria: Packing group Flash point (closed-cup) Initial boiling point I ≤35°C (95 °F) II 35 °C (95 °F) III ≥23 °C, ≤60 °C (≥73 °F, ≤140 °F) >35...-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Definitions Classification, Packing Group Assignments...

Complete separation of racemic p-boronophenylalanine by high performance liquid chromatography with crown ether-coated reversed-phase packings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshino, K.; Mieda, S.; Maruyama, T.; Mori, Y.; Mishima, Y.; Ichihashi, M.

1992-01-01

Since the L-form of p-boronophenylalanine (p-bpa) has been shown to be more efficiently incorporated into melanoma cells than racemic p-bpa separation of racemic p-bpa into its stereoisomers is an important subject. One of the preparative methods used to resolve racemic p-bpa involves the use of α-chymotrypsin. However, there has been a problem in that optical purity of resolved L- or D-p-bpa products was not easily determined. In this paper, the authors describe a method which can be used to confirm the optical purity of b-pba using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with crown ether-coated reversed-phase packings

The pack size effect: Influence on consumer perceptions of portion sizes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hieke, Sophie; Palascha, Aikaterini; Jola, Corinne; Wills, Josephine; Raats, Monique M.

2016-01-01

Larger portions as well as larger packs can lead to larger prospective consumption estimates, larger servings and increased consumption, described as 'portion-size effects' and 'pack size effects'. Although related, the effects of pack sizes on portion estimates have received less attention. While

A Compound Sensor for Simultaneous Measurement of Packing Density and Moisture Content of Silage.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Delun; Meng, Fanjia; Sun, Wei; Deng, Shuang

2017-12-28

Packing density and moisture content are important factors in investigating the ensiling quality. Low packing density is a major cause of loss of sugar content. The moisture content also plays a determinant role in biomass degradation. To comprehensively evaluate the ensiling quality, this study focused on developing a compound sensor. In it, moisture electrodes and strain gauges were embedded into an ASABE Standard small cone for the simultaneous measurements of the penetration resistance (PR) and moisture content (MC) of silage. In order to evaluate the performance of the designed sensor and the theoretical analysis being used, relevant calibration and validation tests were conducted. The determination coefficients are 0.996 and 0.992 for PR calibration and 0.934 for MC calibration. The validation indicated that this measurement technique could determine the packing density and moisture content of the silage simultaneously and eliminate the influence of the friction between the penetration shaft and silage. In this study, we not only design a compound sensor but also provide an alternative way to investigate the ensiling quality which would be useful for further silage research.

Numerical Simulation on Dense Packing of Granular Materials by Container Oscillation

OpenAIRE

Jun Liu; Dongxu You

2013-01-01

The packing of granular materials is a basic and important problem in geomechanics. An approach, which generates dense packing of spheres confined in cylindrical and cuboidal containers in three steps, is introduced in this work. A loose packing structure is first generated by means of a reference lattice method. Then a dense packing structure is obtained in a container by simulating dropping of particles under gravitational forces. Furthermore, a scheme that makes the bottom boundary fluctua...

A linear programming algorithm to test for jamming in hard-sphere packings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donev, Aleksandar; Torquato, Salvatore.; Stillinger, Frank H.; Connelly, Robert

2004-01-01

Jamming in hard-particle packings has been the subject of considerable interest in recent years. In a paper by Torquato and Stillinger [J. Phys. Chem. B 105 (2001)], a classification scheme of jammed packings into hierarchical categories of locally, collectively and strictly jammed configurations has been proposed. They suggest that these jamming categories can be tested using numerical algorithms that analyze an equivalent contact network of the packing under applied displacements, but leave the design of such algorithms as a future task. In this work, we present a rigorous and practical algorithm to assess whether an ideal hard-sphere packing in two or three dimensions is jammed according to the aforementioned categories. The algorithm is based on linear programming and is applicable to regular as well as random packings of finite size with hard-wall and periodic boundary conditions. If the packing is not jammed, the algorithm yields representative multi-particle unjamming motions. Furthermore, we extend the jamming categories and the testing algorithm to packings with significant interparticle gaps. We describe in detail two variants of the proposed randomized linear programming approach to test for jamming in hard-sphere packings. The first algorithm treats ideal packings in which particles form perfect contacts. Another algorithm treats the case of jamming in packings with significant interparticle gaps. This extended algorithm allows one to explore more fully the nature of the feasible particle displacements. We have implemented the algorithms and applied them to ordered as well as random packings of circular disks and spheres with periodic boundary conditions. Some representative results for large disordered disk and sphere packings are given, but more robust and efficient implementations as well as further applications (e.g., non-spherical particles) are anticipated for the future

ExactPack Documentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singleton, Robert Jr. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Israel, Daniel M. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Doebling, Scott William [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Woods, Charles Nathan [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kaul, Ann [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Walter, John William Jr [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Rogers, Michael Lloyd [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2016-05-09

For code verification, one compares the code output against known exact solutions. There are many standard test problems used in this capacity, such as the Noh and Sedov problems. ExactPack is a utility that integrates many of these exact solution codes into a common API (application program interface), and can be used as a stand-alone code or as a python package. ExactPack consists of python driver scripts that access a library of exact solutions written in Fortran or Python. The spatial profiles of the relevant physical quantities, such as the density, fluid velocity, sound speed, or internal energy, are returned at a time specified by the user. The solution profiles can be viewed and examined by a command line interface or a graphical user interface, and a number of analysis tools and unit tests are also provided. We have documented the physics of each problem in the solution library, and provided complete documentation on how to extend the library to include additional exact solutions. ExactPack’s code architecture makes it easy to extend the solution-code library to include additional exact solutions in a robust, reliable, and maintainable manner.

Cell packing structures

KAUST Repository

Pottmann, Helmut

2015-03-03

This paper is an overview of architectural structures which are either composed of polyhedral cells or closely related to them. We introduce the concept of a support structure of such a polyhedral cell packing. It is formed by planar quads and obtained by connecting corresponding vertices in two combinatorially equivalent meshes whose corresponding edges are coplanar and thus determine planar quads. Since corresponding triangle meshes only yield trivial structures, we focus on support structures associated with quad meshes or hex-dominant meshes. For the quadrilateral case, we provide a short survey of recent research which reveals beautiful relations to discrete differential geometry. Those are essential for successfully initializing numerical optimization schemes for the computation of quad-based support structures. Hex-dominant structures may be designed via Voronoi tessellations, power diagrams, sphere packings and various extensions of these concepts. Apart from the obvious application as load-bearing structures, we illustrate here a new application to shading and indirect lighting. On a higher level, our work emphasizes the interplay between geometry, optimization, statics, and manufacturing, with the overall aim of combining form, function and fabrication into novel integrated design tools.

Statistical theory of correlations in random packings of hard particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Yuliang; Puckett, James G; Makse, Hernán A

2014-05-01

A random packing of hard particles represents a fundamental model for granular matter. Despite its importance, analytical modeling of random packings remains difficult due to the existence of strong correlations which preclude the development of a simple theory. Here, we take inspiration from liquid theories for the n-particle angular correlation function to develop a formalism of random packings of hard particles from the bottom up. A progressive expansion into a shell of particles converges in the large layer limit under a Kirkwood-like approximation of higher-order correlations. We apply the formalism to hard disks and predict the density of two-dimensional random close packing (RCP), ϕ(rcp) = 0.85 ± 0.01, and random loose packing (RLP), ϕ(rlp) = 0.67 ± 0.01. Our theory also predicts a phase diagram and angular correlation functions that are in good agreement with experimental and numerical data.

Schedulability-Driven Frame Packing for Multi-Cluster Distributed Embedded Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pop, Paul; Eles, Petru; Peng, Zebo

2003-01-01

We present an approach to frame packing for multi-cluster distributed embedded systems consisting of time-triggered and event-triggered clusters, interconnected via gateways. In our approach, the application messages are packed into frames such that the application is schedulable. Thus, we have...... also proposed a schedulability analysis for applications consisting of mixed event-triggered and time-triggered processes and messages, and a worst case queuing delay analysis for the gateways, responsible for routing inter-cluster traffic. Optimization heuristics for frame packing aiming at producing...... a schedulable system have been proposed. Extensive experiments and a real-life example show the efficiency of our frame-packing approach....

Economic evaluation of floseal compared to nasal packing for the management of anterior epistaxis.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Andre; Thavorn, Kednapa; Lasso, Andrea; Kilty, Shaun J

2018-01-04

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Floseal, a topically applied hemostatic agent, and nasal packing for the management of epistaxis in Canada. Outcomes research, a cost-utility analysis. We developed a Markov model to compare the costs and health outcomes of Floseal with nasal packing over a lifetime horizon from the perspective of a publicly funded healthcare system. A cycle length of 1 year was used. Efficacy of Floseal and packing was sought from the published literature. Unit costs were gathered from a hospital case costing system, whereas physician fees were extracted from the Ontario Schedule of Benefits for Physician Services. Results were expressed as an incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. A series of one-way sensitivity and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. From the perspective of a publicly funded health are system, the Floseal treatment strategy was associated with higher costs ($2,067) and greater QALYs (0.27) than nasal packing. Our findings were highly sensitive to discount rates, the cost of Floseal, and the cost of nasal packing. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggested that the probability that Floseal treatment is cost-effective reached 99% if the willingness-to-pay threshold was greater than $120,000 per QALY gained. Prior studies have demonstrated Floseal to be an effective treatment for anterior epistaxis. In the Canadian healthcare system, Floseal treatment appears to be a cost-effective treatment option compared to nasal packing for anterior epistaxis. 2c Laryngoscope, 2018. © 2018 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Two-stage energy storage equalization system for lithium-ion battery pack

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, W.; Yang, Z. X.; Dong, G. Q.; Li, Y. B.; He, Q. Y.

2017-11-01

How to raise the efficiency of energy storage and maximize storage capacity is a core problem in current energy storage management. For that, two-stage energy storage equalization system which contains two-stage equalization topology and control strategy based on a symmetric multi-winding transformer and DC-DC (direct current-direct current) converter is proposed with bidirectional active equalization theory, in order to realize the objectives of consistent lithium-ion battery packs voltages and cells voltages inside packs by using a method of the Range. Modeling analysis demonstrates that the voltage dispersion of lithium-ion battery packs and cells inside packs can be kept within 2 percent during charging and discharging. Equalization time was 0.5 ms, which shortened equalization time of 33.3 percent compared with DC-DC converter. Therefore, the proposed two-stage lithium-ion battery equalization system can achieve maximum storage capacity between lithium-ion battery packs and cells inside packs, meanwhile efficiency of energy storage is significantly improved.

Molecular packing and area compressibility of lipid bilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, S.H.; King, G.I.

1985-01-01

Knowledge of the molecular packing of lipids and water in lipid bilayers is important for understanding bilayer mechanics and thermodynamics. Information on packing is most often obtained from x-ray or neutron diffraction measurements. Given the d spacing, composition, and partial specific volumes of the lipid and water, it is a simple matter to calculate the area per lipid molecule, bilayer thickness, and bilayer mass density. The partial specific volumes are commonly assumed to be those of bulk water and of lipid in excess water regardless of the degree of bilayer hydration. The authors present evidence here that these assumptions should be seriously questioned. At low hydrations, they find the head groups of egg and dioleoyl lecithin to be much less tightly packed than previously thought and the partial specific volume of water to be considerably smaller than 1 ml/g. Because the molecular packing affects the mechanical properties of bilayers, they use the results to reevaluate published experiments concerning the elastic area compressibility modulus of egg lecithin bilayers and the repulsive hydration force between bilayers

High-performance flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors based on densely-packed graphene/polypyrrole nanoparticle papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Chao; Zhang, Liling [Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication Technology of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronics, Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dong Chuan Road No. 800, Shanghai, 200240 (China); Hu, Nantao, E-mail: hunantao@sjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication Technology of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronics, Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dong Chuan Road No. 800, Shanghai, 200240 (China); Yang, Zhi; Wei, Hao [Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication Technology of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronics, Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dong Chuan Road No. 800, Shanghai, 200240 (China); Wang, Yanyan, E-mail: yywang@suda.edu.cn [College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 (China); Zhang, Yafei, E-mail: yfzhang@sjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication Technology of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronics, Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dong Chuan Road No. 800, Shanghai, 200240 (China)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • The addition of methyl orange can affect the size of polypyrrole nanoparticles. • The flexible hybrid paper has a highly-interconnected sandwich framework. • The hybrid paper shows a high areal and volumetric specific capacitance. • Flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor exhibits excellent capacitive performances. - Abstract: Graphene-based all-solid-state supercapacitors (ASSSCs) have received increasing attention. It’s a great challenge to fabricate high-performance flexible solid-state supercapacitors with high areal and volumetric energy storage capability, superior electron and ion conductivity, robust mechanical flexibility, as well as long term stability. Herein, we report a facile method to fabricate flexible ASSSCs based on densely-packed reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/polypyrrole nanoparticle (PPy NP) hybrid papers with a sandwich framework, which consists of well-separated and continuously-aligned rGO sheets. The incorporation of PPy NPs not only provides pseudocapacitance but also facilitates the infiltration of gel electrolyte. The assembled ASSSCs possess maximum areal and volumetric specific capacitances of 477 mF/cm{sup 2} and 94.9 F/cm{sup 3} at 0.5 mA/cm{sup 2}. They also exhibit little capacitance deviation under different bending states, excellent cycling stability, small leakage current and low self-discharge characteristics. Additionally, the maximum areal and volumetric energy densities of 132.5 μWh/cm{sup 2} and 26.4 mWh/cm{sup 3} are achieved, which indicate that this hybrid paper is a promising candidate for high-performance flexible energy storage devices.

Multi-dimensional Bin Packing Problems with Guillotine Constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amossen, Rasmus Resen; Pisinger, David

2010-01-01

The problem addressed in this paper is the decision problem of determining if a set of multi-dimensional rectangular boxes can be orthogonally packed into a rectangular bin while satisfying the requirement that the packing should be guillotine cuttable. That is, there should exist a series of face...... parallel straight cuts that can recursively cut the bin into pieces so that each piece contains a box and no box has been intersected by a cut. The unrestricted problem is known to be NP-hard. In this paper we present a generalization of a constructive algorithm for the multi-dimensional bin packing...... problem, with and without the guillotine constraint, based on constraint programming....

The “Theoreticals” Pack

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2011-01-01

The Particle Zoo is a colourful set of hand-made soft toys representing the particles in the Standard Model and beyond. It includes a “theoreticals” pack where you can find yet undiscovered particles: the best-selling Higgs boson, the graviton, the tachyon, and dark matter. Supersymmetric particle soft toys are also available on demand. But what would happen to the zoo if Nature had prepared some unexpected surprises? Julie Peasley, the zookeeper, is ready to sew new smiling faces…   The "Theoreticals" pack in the Particle Zoo. There is only one place in the world where you can buy a smiling Higgs boson and it’s not at CERN, although this is where scientists hope to observe it. The blue star-shaped particle is the best seller of Julie Peasley’s Particle Zoo – a collection of tens of soft toys representing all sorts of particles, including composite and decaying particles.  Over the years Julie’s zoo ...

A summary of the Chalk River valve packing evaluation program 1985 - 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aikin, J.A.; Doubt, G.L.; Lade, C.R.

1990-12-01

The move away from asbestos-based valve packing products has generated concern among valve manufacturers, packing manufacturers and user groups about the reliability and safety of non-asbestos based products for long-term use. AECL Research, Chalk River, has been actively evaluating these new valve packing products since 1985. This report describes the work done at Chalk River from 1985 to 1990. The report includes both Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and CANDU Owners Group (COG) funded studies. A description of the test programs and a brief summary of the functional performance of the more successful materials (die-formed graphite, braided asbestos and braided non-asbestos) on friction, stem leakage and consolidation are provided. At this time, Chalk River and Ontario Hydro have approved the following packing arrangements: for non-live-loaded valves, the recommended replacements packing for braided asbestos is combination flexible graphite packing sets; and, for heavy water valves originally designed with JC187I, the recommended replacement packing is approved braided-asbestos products

Numerical Simulation on Dense Packing of Granular Materials by Container Oscillation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Liu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The packing of granular materials is a basic and important problem in geomechanics. An approach, which generates dense packing of spheres confined in cylindrical and cuboidal containers in three steps, is introduced in this work. A loose packing structure is first generated by means of a reference lattice method. Then a dense packing structure is obtained in a container by simulating dropping of particles under gravitational forces. Furthermore, a scheme that makes the bottom boundary fluctuate up and down was applied to obtain more denser packing. The discrete element method (DEM was employed to simulate the interactions between particle-particle and particle-boundary during the particles' motions. Finally, two cases were presented to indicate the validity of the method proposed in this work.

Online Reliable Peak Charge/Discharge Power Estimation of Series-Connected Lithium-Ion Battery Packs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Jiang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The accurate peak power estimation of a battery pack is essential to the power-train control of electric vehicles (EVs. It helps to evaluate the maximum charge and discharge capability of the battery system, and thus to optimally control the power-train system to meet the requirement of acceleration, gradient climbing and regenerative braking while achieving a high energy efficiency. A novel online peak power estimation method for series-connected lithium-ion battery packs is proposed, which considers the influence of cell difference on the peak power of the battery packs. A new parameter identification algorithm based on adaptive ratio vectors is designed to online identify the parameters of each individual cell in a series-connected battery pack. The ratio vectors reflecting cell difference are deduced strictly based on the analysis of battery characteristics. Based on the online parameter identification, the peak power estimation considering cell difference is further developed. Some validation experiments in different battery aging conditions and with different current profiles have been implemented to verify the proposed method. The results indicate that the ratio vector-based identification algorithm can achieve the same accuracy as the repetitive RLS (recursive least squares based identification while evidently reducing the computation cost, and the proposed peak power estimation method is more effective and reliable for series-connected battery packs due to the consideration of cell difference.

Predicting Instability Timescales in Closely-Packed Planetary Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Tamayo, Daniel; Hadden, Samuel; Hussain, Naireen; Silburt, Ari; Gilbertson, Christian; Rein, Hanno; Menou, Kristen

2018-04-01

Many of the multi-planet systems discovered around other stars are maximally packed. This implies that simulations with masses or orbital parameters too far from the actual values will destabilize on short timescales; thus, long-term dynamics allows one to constrain the orbital architectures of many closely packed multi-planet systems. A central challenge in such efforts is the large computational cost of N-body simulations, which preclude a full survey of the high-dimensional parameter space of orbital architectures allowed by observations. I will present our recent successes in training machine learning models capable of reliably predicting orbital stability a million times faster than N-body simulations. By engineering dynamically relevant features that we feed to a gradient-boosted decision tree algorithm (XGBoost), we are able to achieve a precision and recall of 90% on a holdout test set of N-body simulations. This opens a wide discovery space for characterizing new exoplanet discoveries and for elucidating how orbital architectures evolve through time as the next generation of spaceborne exoplanet surveys prepare for launch this year.

The sintering behavior of close-packed spheres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørk, Rasmus; Tikare, V.; Frandsen, Henrik Lund

2012-01-01

The sintering behavior of close-packed spheres is investigated using a numerical model. The investigated systems are the body-centered cubic (bcc), face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close-packed spheres (hcp). The sintering behavior is found to be ideal, with no grain growth until full dens...... density is reached for all systems. During sintering, the grains change shape from spherical to tetrakaidecahedron, similar to the geometry analyzed by Coble [R.L. Coble, J. Appl. Phys. 32 (1961) 787]....

An Inexpensive, Implantable Electronic Sensor for Autonomous Measurement of Snow Pack Parameters

Science.gov (United States)

De Roo, R. D.; Haengel, E.; Rogacki, S.

2015-12-01

Snow accumulations on the ground are an important source of water in many parts of the world. Mapping the accumulation, usually represented as the snow water equivalent (SWE), is valuable for water resource management. The longest record of regional and global maps of SWE are from orbiting microwave radiometers, which do not directly measure SWE but rather measure the scatter darkening from the snow pack. Robustly linking the scatter darkening to SWE eludes us to this day, in part because the snow pack is highly variable in both time and space. The data needed is currently collected by hand in "snow pits," and the labor-intensive process limits the size of the data sets that can be obtained. In particular, time series measurements are only a one or two samples per day at best, and come at the expense of spatial sampling. We report on the development of a low-power wireless device that can be embedded within a snow pack to report on some of the critical parameters needed to understand scatter darkening. The device autonomously logs temperature, the microwave dielectric constant and infrared backscatter local to the device. The microwave dielectric constant reveals the snow density and the presence of liquid water, while the infrared backscatter measurement, together with the density measurement, reveals a characteristic grain size of the snow pack. The devices are made to be inexpensive (less than $200 in parts each) and easily replicated, so that many can be deployed to monitor variations vertically and horizontally in the snow pack. The low-power operation is important both for longevity of observations as well as insuring minimal anomalous metamorphism of the snow pack. The hardware required for the microwave measurement is intended for wireless communications, and this feature will soon be implemented for near real-time monitoring of snow conditions. We will report on the design, construction and initial deployment of about 30 of these devices in northern lower

The Performance of Structured Packings in Trickle-Bed Reactors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frank, M.J.W.; Kuipers, J.A.M.; Versteeg, G.F.; Swaaij, W.P.M. van

1999-01-01

An experimental study was carried out to investigate whether the use of structured packings might improve the mass transfer characteristics and the catalyst effectiveness of a trickle-bed reactor. Therefore, the performances of a structured packing, consisting of KATAPAK elements, and a dumped

Radiation sterilization of plastic packing materials and aseptic packaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokuoka, Keiko

1986-01-01

In the present day of 'satiation', quality, not quantity, is emphasized for foods, the consumers being oriented toward raw and healthy foodstuff. Aseptic Packaging is excellent means of conservation. While conventionally chemicals have been used for sterilization of packing materials for aseptic packaging, the sterilization by radiation is used in part recently. The following are described : history of aseptic packaging and its features, sterilization by radiation, γ-ray sterilization of large-sized containers, the development of an aseptic packaging system using electron rays, the occurrence of offensive odors from packing materials (comparison of odors from various materials, volatile substances occurring in irradiated polyethylene, influence of film grade upon the formation of carboxylic acid, influence of the irradiation conditions upon the occurrences of volatile substances, volatile substances occurring in the irradiation of bag-in-box packing materials), changes in properties of the packing materials. (Mori, K.)

Test of hybrid power system for electrical vehicles using a lithium-ion battery pack and a reformed methanol fuel cell range extender

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Ashworth, Leanne; Sahlin, Simon Lennart

2014-01-01

is delivered by a lithium ion battery pack. In order to increase the run time of the application connected to this battery pack, a high temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cell stack acts as an on-board charger able to charge a vehicle during operation as a series hybrid. Because of the high tolerance to carbon...... a down-sized version of the battery pack used in the Mitsubishi iMiEV, which is subjected to power cycles derived from simulations of the vehicle undergoing multiple New European Drive Cycles (NEDC)....

Chameleon-Inspired Mechanochromic Photonic Films Composed of Non-Close-Packed Colloidal Arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Gun Ho; Choi, Tae Min; Kim, Bomi; Han, Sang Hoon; Lee, Jung Min; Kim, Shin-Hyun

2017-11-28

Chameleons use a non-close-packed array of guanine nanocrystals in iridophores to develop and tune skin colors in the full visible range. Inspired by the biological process uncovered in panther chameleons, we designed photonic films containing a non-close-packed face-centered-cubic array of silica particles embedded in an elastomer. The non-close-packed array is formed by interparticle repulsion exerted by solvation layers on the particle surface, which is rapidly captured in the elastomer by photocuring of the dispersion medium. The artificial skin exhibits a structural color that shifts from red to blue under stretching or compression. The separation between inelastic particles enables tuning without experiencing significant rearrangement of particles, providing elastic deformation and reversible color change, as chameleons do. The simple fabrication procedure consists of film casting and UV irradiation, potentially enabling the continuous high-throughput production. The mechanochromic property of the photonic films enables the visualization of deformation or stress with colors, which is potentially beneficial for various applications, including mechanical sensors, sound-vision transformers, and color display.

Early pack-off diagnosis in drilling using an adaptive observer and statistical change detection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willersrud, Anders; Imsland, Lars; Blanke, Mogens

2015-01-01

in the well. A model-based adaptive observer is used to estimate these friction parameters as well as flow rates. Detecting changes to these estimates can then be used for pack-off diagnosis, which due to measurement noise is done using statistical change detection. Isolation of incident type and location...... is done using a multivariate generalized likelihood ratio test, determining the change direction of the estimated mean values. The method is tested on simulated data from the commercial high-fidelity multi-phase simulator OLGA, where three different pack-offs at different locations and with different...

Effects of kinesio taping and hot packs on premenstrual syndrome in females.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jung-Hyun

2017-09-01

[Purpose] This study aimed to evaluate the effects of taping and hot packs on premenstrual syndrome, in an attempt to generate basic data for physical therapy intervention for premenstrual syndrome. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-two females in their 20s with premenstrual syndrome were randomly assigned to a taping group (n=10), hot pack group (n=11), and taping with hot pack group (n=11). Premenstrual syndrome was assessed using the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire in each participant prior to intervention and was re-assessed after applying kinesio taping and/or hot pack from 10 days before the estimated date of menstruation until the first day of menstruation. [Results] Data revealed that the taping and taping with hot pack groups showed significantly reduced premenstrual syndrome following intervention. In terms of the differences in the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire total score among the groups, the taping with hot pack and hot pack groups showed a significant difference. [Conclusion] These findings indicate that kinesio taping is an easy, non-drug intervention for female college students with premenstrual syndrome.

Analysis of the Conditions for the Inception of Natural Pulsing Flow in Cocurrent Packed Columns

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Akramov, T. A.; Stavárek, Petr; Jiřičný, Vladimír; Staněk, Vladimír

2008-01-01

Roč. 47, č. 19 (2008), s. 7424-7432 ISSN 0888-5885 R&D Projects: GA MPO FT-TA/039 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : natural pulsing flow * cocurrent flow * packed columns Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 1.895, year: 2008

Disk Density Tuning of a Maximal Random Packing.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebeida, Mohamed S; Rushdi, Ahmad A; Awad, Muhammad A; Mahmoud, Ahmed H; Yan, Dong-Ming; English, Shawn A; Owens, John D; Bajaj, Chandrajit L; Mitchell, Scott A

2016-08-01

We introduce an algorithmic framework for tuning the spatial density of disks in a maximal random packing, without changing the sizing function or radii of disks. Starting from any maximal random packing such as a Maximal Poisson-disk Sampling (MPS), we iteratively relocate, inject (add), or eject (remove) disks, using a set of three successively more-aggressive local operations. We may achieve a user-defined density, either more dense or more sparse, almost up to the theoretical structured limits. The tuned samples are conflict-free, retain coverage maximality, and, except in the extremes, retain the blue noise randomness properties of the input. We change the density of the packing one disk at a time, maintaining the minimum disk separation distance and the maximum domain coverage distance required of any maximal packing. These properties are local, and we can handle spatially-varying sizing functions. Using fewer points to satisfy a sizing function improves the efficiency of some applications. We apply the framework to improve the quality of meshes, removing non-obtuse angles; and to more accurately model fiber reinforced polymers for elastic and failure simulations.

Mass transfer models analysis for the structured packings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suastegui R, A.O.

1997-01-01

The models that have been developing, to understand the mechanism of the mass transfer through the structured packings, present limitations for their application, existing then uncertainty in order to use them in the chemical industrial processes. In this study the main parameters used in the mass transfer are: the hydrodynamic of the bed of the column, the geometry of the bed, physical-chemical properties of the mixture and the flow regime of the operation between the flows liquid-gas. The sensibility of each one of these parameters generate an arduous work to develop right proposals and good interpretation of the phenomenon. With the purpose of showing the importance of these parameters mentioned in the mass transfer, this work is analyzed the process of absorption for the system water-air, using the models to the structured packings in packed columns. The models selected were developed by Bravo and collaborators in 1985 and 1992, in order to determine the parameters previous mentioned for the system water-air, using a structured packing built in the National Institute of Nuclear Research. In this work is showed the results of the models application and their discussion. (Author)

Packing and Cohesive Properties of Some Locally Extracted Starches

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... properties of the particles affect the packing and cohesive properties of the starches, and are important in predicting the behaviour of the starches during handling and use in pharmaceutical preparations. These properties need to be closely controlled in pre-formulation studies. Keywords: Packing and cohesive properties, ...

Three versus five micrometer chlorinated polysaccharide-based packings in chiral capillary electrochromatography: performance evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrickx, Ans; De Klerck, Katrijn; Mangelings, Debby; Clincke, Lies; Heyden, Yvan Vander

2014-01-01

In this study, a test set of 44 nonacidic compounds was analyzed on four 3 µm chlorinated polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases with cellulose tris (3-chloro-4-methylphenylcarbamate) (Lux Cellulose-2®; LC2), amylose tris (5-chloro-2-methylphenylcarbamate) (Lux Amylose-2®, LA2), cellulose tris (4-chloro-3-methylphenylcarbamate) (Lux Cellulose-4®; LC4) and cellulose tris (3,5-dichlorophenylcarbamate) (Sepapak-5®, Sp5) as selectors. The analysis times, retention factors, efficiencies and enantioselectivities were compared with the results obtained on their 5 µm analogs. All 3 µm packings, except for LA2, individually separated more compounds than their 5 µm analogs. When the cumulative success rates on the 3 and 5 µm packings were considered, it was observed that they were similar for both particle sizes; the combination of three or four 5 µm columns separated one compound more from the considered test set than that of the same number of 3 µm columns. Furthermore, it was observed that the 3 and 5 µm packings showed some complementarity. Only four compounds were not separated on any of the columns, while the use of only either the 3 or 5 µm columns resulted in 10 and nine not-separated compounds, respectively. The analyses on 5 µm LC2 and Sp5 were faster than on their 3 µm analogs. For LC4 the 3 µm packing showed the shortest analysis times and diverse analysis times for both particle sizes were obtained on LA2. Furthermore, three out of four 3 µm packings, that is, LC2, LC4, and Sp5, were found to be more efficient than their 5 µm analogs. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of the gas-liquid ratio on the optimum catalyst quantity for the CECE process with a homogeneously packed LPCE column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugiyama, T.; Ushida, A.; Yamamoto, I.

2008-01-01

In order to improve the separative performance of a combined electrolysis catalytic exchange (CECE) process, we have carried out experimental studies on hydrogen isotope separation by a CECE process using a liquid phase catalytic exchange (LPCE) column of trickle-type packed beds. Two types of trickle beds were tested in our previous study. One was the layered bed, where layers of Kogel catalysts and Dixon gauze rings were alternately filled in the column. The other was the homogeneous bed, where Kogel catalysts and Dixon gauze rings were homogeneously mixed and filled in the column. We found that (1) the homogeneously packed bed was more efficient than the layered packed bed, and (2) the catalyst quantity was optimal, which resulted in the highest separative performance. In this study, the effect of the gas-liquid ratio (G/L) on the optimum catalyst quantity was studied experimentally in a homogeneously packed bed. When the value of G/L was 1.7, total separation factors were relatively small and the optimum catalyst quantity could not be determined. On the other hand, when the values of G/L were 0.9 and 0.7, the values of the total separation factors had maximums and the optimal quantities of the catalyst were clearly obtained

Combined photolysis and catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate in a high-gravity rotating packed bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, C.-C. [Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Chiu, C.-Y. [Department of Cosmetic Science and Application, Lan-Yang Institute of Technology, I-Lan 261, Taiwan (China); Chang, C.-Y. [Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: cychang3@ntu.edu.tw; Chang, C.-F. [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan (China); Chen, Y.-H. [Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Science, Kaohsiung City 807, Taiwan (China); Ji, D.-R.; Yu, Y.-H.; Chiang, P.-C. [Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2009-01-15

In this study, a high-gravity rotating packed bed (HGRPB) was used as a catalytic ozonation reactor to decompose dimethyl phthalate (DMP), an endocrine disrupting chemical commonly encountered. The HGRPB is an effective gas-liquid mixing equipment which can enhance the ozone mass transfer coefficient. Platinum-containing catalyst (Pt/-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) of Dash 220N and ultra violet (UV) lamp were combined in the high-gravity ozonation (HG-OZ) system to enhance the self-decomposition of molecular ozone in liquid to form highly reactive radical species. Different combinations of HG-OZ with Dash 220N and UV for the degradation of DMP were tested. These include HG-OZ, HG catalytic OZ (HG-Pt-OZ), HG photolysis OZ (HG-UV-OZ) and HG-UV-Pt-OZ. The result indicated that all the above four ozonation processes result in significant decomposition of DMP and mineralization of total organic carbon (TOC) at the applied ozone dosage per volume of liquid sample of 1.2 g L{sup -1}. The UV and Pt/{gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} combined in HG-OZ can enhance the TOC mineralization efficiency ({eta}{sub TOC}) to 56% (via HG-UV-OZ) and 57% (via HG-Pt-OZ), respectively, while only 45% with ozone only. The process of HG-UV-Pt-OZ offers the highest {eta}{sub TOC} of about 68%.

The effect of mud pack therapy on serum YKL-40 and hsCRP levels in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Güngen, Gonca; Ardic, Fusun; Fındıkoğlu, Gülin; Rota, Simin

2012-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with mud pack in knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to determine whether mud pack effects serum levels of YKL-40 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) which are reported to be biological markers for articular damage or inflammation in patients with OA. Forty-four patients with the diagnosis of knee OA assigned into two groups were treated with local natural mineral-rich mud pack or hot pack. Treatments were applied for 6 days a week for 2 weeks as a total of 12 sessions. Patients were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3 months after the treatment. VAS, range of motion, 15-m walking time, WOMAC index, Nottingham Health Profile, serum YKL-40, and hsCRP levels were the outcome measures. Pain intensity and joint stiffness decreased in both groups at all follow-ups. Physical activity status was found to persist for 3 months after treatment only in mud pack group. Serum mean YKL-40 and hsCRP levels of the patients were higher compared to healthy control group. Serum YKL-40 level increased significantly only in hot pack group 3 months after the treatment (P 0.05). Mud pack and hot pack therapy were both demonstrated to be effective in symptomatic treatment of knee OA until the end of the 2-week treatment period, whereas only mud pack therapy was shown to be effective in functional status over time. In the hot pack group, increased serum YKL-40 level 3 months after the treatment might indicate persistence of cartilage degradation. Maintenance of YKL-40 level in mud pack therapy seems to slow down the progression of knee OA.

Granular flow through an aperture: Influence of the packing fraction

Science.gov (United States)

Aguirre, M. A.; De Schant, R.; Géminard, J.-C.

2014-07-01

For the last 50 years, the flow of a granular material through an aperture has been intensely studied in gravity-driven vertical systems (e.g., silos and hoppers). Nevertheless, in many industrial applications, grains are horizontally transported at constant velocity, lying on conveyor belts or floating on the surface of flowing liquids. Unlike fluid flows, that are controlled by the pressure, granular flow is not sensitive to the local pressure but rather to the local velocity of the grains at the outlet. We can also expect the flow rate to depend on the local density of the grains. Indeed, vertical systems are packed in dense configurations by gravity, but, in contrast, in horizontal systems the density can take a large range of values, potentially very small, which may significantly alter the flow rate. In the present article, we study, for different initial packing fractions, the discharge through an orifice of monodisperse grains driven at constant velocity by a horizontal conveyor belt. We report how, during the discharge, the packing fraction is modified by the presence of the outlet, and we analyze how changes in the packing fraction induce variations in the flow rate. We observe that variations of packing fraction do not affect the velocity of the grains at the outlet, and, therefore, we establish that flow-rate variations are directly related to changes in the packing fraction.

EFFECT OF SHOULDER SIDE PACK ON DYNAMIC POSTURAL STABILITY IN YOUNG HEALTHY FEMALE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enas ELsayed Mohamed Abutaleb

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Control of balance is a complex motor skill that involves integration of sensory inputs and the planning and execution of flexible movement patterns. Carrying side packs is famous in our society especially shoulder side packs. Most students carry shoulder side packs and they don't care about the way to carry them to be more balanced. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of carrying shoulder side pack on dynamic postural stability and to determine the best way of carrying a shoulder side pack either on the dominant side or non-dominant side that doesn’t affect dynamic postural stability in young healthy female. Methods: Sixty female volunteers aged from 18 to 25 years old participated in the study. Biodex balance system was used to measure the dynamic postural stability in three different occasions (without carrying a shoulder side pack, with carrying a shoulder side pack on the dominant side, and on the non-dominant side with a rest period in between. Results: Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test were used to compare dynamic posture balance without carrying and during carrying a shoulder side pack on dominant and non-dominant sides. Analysis revealed that overall, anteroposterior and mediolateral stability indexes reduced significantly (P<0.0001 when carrying shoulder side pack on dominant side in comparison with when carrying shoulder side pack on non-dominant side and without carrying bag. Conclusion: It was concluded that carrying a shoulder side pack on the non-dominant side didn't disturb the postural stability when compared to carrying on the dominant side so, we recommend the students to carry shoulder side packs on the non-dominant side.

demonstrating close-packing of atoms using spherical bubble gums

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Admin

chemistry and junior inorganic chemistry courses. However, the subject of three dimen- sional close-packing of atoms has always been difficult for students to understand. In particular, students find it difficult to visualize the packing of atoms in different layers. They cannot clearly identify tetrahedral and octahedral holes, and.

Modified sandwich vacuum pack technique for temporary closure of abdominal wounds: an African perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

van As, A B; Navsaria, P; Numanoglu, A; McCulloch, M

2007-01-01

South Africa has very high levels of accidental trauma as well as interpersonal violence. There are more admissions for trauma in South Africa than for any other disease; therefore it can be regarded as the Number 1 disease in the country. Complex abdominal injuries are common, requiring specific management techniques. The aim is to document our experience with the Modified Sandwich Vacuum Pack technique for temporary closure of abdominal wounds. After providing a short historical overview, we will demonstrate the technique which we carefully adapted over the last decade to the present Modified Sandwich Vacuum Pack technique. In the Last 5 years we utilized our Modified Sandwich Vacuum Pack technique 153 times in 69 patients. Five (5) patients were under the age of 12 years. In the patient group over 12 years the most common indication for using our technique were penetrating injuries (40), abdominal sepsis (28), visceral edema (10), abdominal compartment syndrome (9), abdominal packs (6),Abdominal wall defects (2). In the group under 12-years the 2 children had liver ruptures (posttraumatic) and 3 liver transplantations. The average cost for the materials used with our technique was ZAR 96. (10 Euro and 41 cents). In our experience the Modified Sandwich Vacuum Pack technique is an effective, cheap methodology to deal with open abdomens in the African setting.A drawback may be the technical expertise required, particular in centers dealing with low numbers of complex abdominal trauma.

Improvising a Posterior Nasal Pack with Equipment in a Basic First Aid Kit.

Science.gov (United States)

Royer, Allison K; Royer, Mark C

2016-09-01

Posterior epistaxis is a serious condition that can be difficult to treat in a wilderness setting. The initial standard of care involves packing the affected nostril with a 7 to 9 cm nasal pack to tamponade the bleed. These packs are often unavailable outside of the emergency or operating room. This study set out to determine whether a posterior nasal pack could be constructed from the supplies present in a basic first aid kit in order to control massive nasal hemorrhage in a wilderness setting. A basic first aid kit was utilized to construct a posterior nasal pack that was inserted into an anatomical model and visibly compared with the Rapid Rhino (Posterior, 7.5 cm; Smith & Nephew, Austin, TX) nasal packing. The shape, size, and anatomical areas of compression (ie, into nasopharynx and posterior aspect of inferior turbinate) of this pack was similar to the commercially available posterior nasal pack. Placement in an anatomical model appears to provide similar compression as the commercially available posterior pack. This technique may provide short-term hemorrhage control in cases of serious posterior nasal hemorrhage where standard treatment options are not available. Copyright © 2016 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sclerosing lipogranuloma of the eyelid: unusual complication following nasal packing in endoscopic sinus surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramaswamy, Balakrishnan; Singh, Rohit; Manusrut, Manusrut; Hazarika, Manali

2015-03-06

An eyelid or orbital lipogranuloma can occur following nasal packing with liquid paraffin, petroleum jelly or an antibiotic-based cream. It usually presents a few weeks or months after the initial procedure. We present a report of three such cases of sclerosing lipogranuloma involving the eyelid, which occurred following a sinonasal surgery where nasal packing using petroleum jelly was performed. The typical clinical course and the classical histopathological features are highlighted. All cases were diagnosed by histopathological examination as sclerosing lipogranuloma. Complete surgical removal resulted in complete resolution on 1 month follow-up. The diagnosis is based on a high degree of suspicion following a detailed history of prior use of lipid-based products for nasal packing following endonasal surgery. Histopathology is diagnostic. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice, however, due to its infiltrative nature, it may be difficult to obtain a complete cure. 2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Fast Searching in Packed Strings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bille, Philip

2009-01-01

Given strings P and Q the (exact) string matching problem is to find all positions of substrings in Q matching P. The classical Knuth-Morris-Pratt algorithm [SIAM J. Comput., 1977] solves the string matching problem in linear time which is optimal if we can only read one character at the time....... However, most strings are stored in a computer in a packed representation with several characters in a single word, giving us the opportunity to read multiple characters simultaneously. In this paper we study the worst-case complexity of string matching on strings given in packed representation. Let m...... word-RAM with logarithmic word size we present an algorithm using time O(n/log(sigma) n + m + occ) Here occ is the number of occurrences of P in Q. For m = o(n) this improves the O(n) bound...

Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage with packed bed thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbour, Edward; Mignard, Dimitri; Ding, Yulong; Li, Yongliang

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The paper presents a thermodynamic analysis of A-CAES using packed bed regenerators. • The packed beds are used to store the compression heat. • A numerical model is developed, validated and used to simulate system operation. • The simulated efficiencies are between 70.5% and 71.1% for continuous operation. • Heat build-up in the beds reduces continuous cycle efficiency slightly. - Abstract: The majority of articles on Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) so far have focussed on the use of indirect-contact heat exchangers and a thermal fluid in which to store the compression heat. While packed beds have been suggested, a detailed analysis of A-CAES with packed beds is lacking in the available literature. This paper presents such an analysis. We develop a numerical model of an A-CAES system with packed beds and validate it against analytical solutions. Our results suggest that an efficiency in excess of 70% should be achievable, which is higher than many of the previous estimates for A-CAES systems using indirect-contact heat exchangers. We carry out an exergy analysis for a single charge–storage–discharge cycle to see where the main losses are likely to transpire and we find that the main losses occur in the compressors and expanders (accounting for nearly 20% of the work input) rather than in the packed beds. The system is then simulated for continuous cycling and it is found that the build-up of leftover heat from previous cycles in the packed beds results in higher steady state temperature profiles of the packed beds. This leads to a small reduction (<0.5%) in efficiency for continuous operation

Territoriality and inter-pack aggression in gray wolves: shaping a social carnivore's life history

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Kira A.; Smith, Douglas W.; Mech, L. David; MacNulty, Daniel R.; Stahler, Daniel R.; Metz, Matthew C.

2016-01-01

When Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book in 1894 and included the famous line "For the strength of the Wolf is the Pack, and the strength of the Pack is the Wolf," he would have had no idea that over a century later, scientific research would back up his poetic phrase. Recent studies in Yellowstone have found that both the individual wolf and the collective pack rely on each other and play important roles in territoriality. At a time when most fairy tales and fables were portraying wolves as demonic killers or, at best, slapstick gluttons, Kipling seemed to have a respect or even reverence for the wolf. Wolves in The Jungle Book raise and mentor the main character Mowgli, with the pack's leader eventually dying to save the "man-cub" from a pack of wolves. Kipling may have extended intra- pack benevolence to a human boy for literary sake, but he was clearly enthralled with how pack members treat each other. As wolf packs are almost always family units, most commonly comprised of a breeding pair and their offspring from several years, amiable behavior within the pack is unsurprising. By contrast, wolf packs are fiercely intolerant of their neighbors, their rivals. And this competition is proving to be an important facet in the life of a wolf and its pack.

New Packing Structure of Concentration Solar Receiver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Shang-Yu; Lee, Yueh-Mu; Shih, Zun-Hao; Hong, Hwen-Fen; Shin, Hwa-Yuh; Kuo, Cherng-Tsong

2010-01-01

This paper presents a solution to the temperature issue in High Concentration Photovoltaic (HCPV) module device by using different thermal conductive material and packing structure. In general, the open-circuited voltage of a device reduces with the increase of temperature and therefore degrades its efficiency. The thermal conductive material we use in this paper, silicon, has a high thermal conductive coefficient (149 W/m·K) and steady semiconductor properties which are suitable for the application of solar receiver in HCPV module. Solar cell was soldered on a metal-plated Si substrate with a thicker SiO 2 film which acts as an insulating layer. Then it was mounted on an Al-based plate to obtain a better heat dissipating result.

Cigarette pack labelling in 12 countries at different levels of economic development.

Science.gov (United States)

Mir, Hassan; Buchanan, Daniel; Gilmore, Anna; McKee, Martin; Yusuf, Salim; Chow, Clara K

2011-05-01

With increasing restrictions on cigarette marketing, the cigarette pack itself has become a main means of marketing. We describe a method to examine cigarette labelling and use it to evaluate packs collected from 12 countries at different stages of economic development. Health warnings were present on all 115 packs of cigarettes examined, but were on the front and back panels of only 68 per cent. Promotional labels were widespread, found on packs from all countries and more numerous (although not necessarily larger) than health warning labels in 10 of the 12 countries. Deceptive terms such as 'light' and 'mild' were observed on 42 per cent of all packs examined. The simple method described here can be used to compare cigarette labelling and potentially evaluate and track the implementation of cigarette labelling policy. We found health warning legislation poorly enforced and cigarette packs widely used to promote smoking and deceive smokers about health risks. The findings underline the need for generic (plain) packaging.

Application of Nanofiber-packed SPE for Determination of Urinary 1-Hydroxypyrene Level Using HPLC.

Science.gov (United States)

Ifegwu, Okechukwu Clinton; Anyakora, Chimezie; Chigome, Samuel; Torto, Nelson

2014-01-01

It is always desirable to achieve maximum sample clean-up, extraction, and pre-concentration with the minimum possible organic solvent. The miniaturization of sample preparation devices was successfully demonstrated by packing 10 mg of 11 electrospun polymer nanofibers into pipette tip micro column and mini disc cartridges for efficient pre-concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene in urine samples. 1-hydroxypyrene is an extensively studied biomarker of the largest class of chemical carcinogens. Excretory 1-hydroxypyrene was monitored with HPLC/fluorescence detector. Important parameters influencing the percentage recovery such as fiber diameter, fiber packing amount, eluent, fiber packing format, eluent volume, surface area, porosity, and breakthrough parameters were thoroughly studied and optimized. Under optimized condition, there was a near perfect linearity of response in the range of 1-1000 μg/L with a coefficient of determination (r (2)) between 0.9992 and 0.9999 and precision (% RSD) ≤7.64% (n = 6) for all the analysis (10, 25, and 50 μg/L). The Limit of detection (LOD) was between 0.022 and 0.15 μg/L. When compared to the batch studies, both disc packed nanofiber sorbents and pipette tip packed sorbents exhibited evident dominance based on their efficiencies. The experimental results showed comparable absolute recoveries for the mini disc packed fibers (84% for Nylon 6) and micro columns (80% for Nylon 6), although the disc displayed slightly higher recoveries possibly due to the exposure of the analyte to a larger reacting surface. The results also showed highly comparative extraction efficiencies between the nanofibers and conventional C-18 SPE sorbent. Nevertheless, miniaturized SPE devices simplified sample preparation, reducing back pressure, time of the analysis with acceptable reliability, selectivity, detection levels, and environmental friendliness, hence promoting green chemistry.

Cigarette pack design and perceptions of risk among UK adults and youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, David; Dockrell, Martin; Arnott, Deborah; Lee, Alex; McNeill, Ann

2009-12-01

It is illegal in the EU for tobacco packaging to suggest that some cigarettes are safer than others. This study examined consumer perceptions of cigarette packs in the UK, including perceptions of 'plain packaging', in which colour and other design elements are removed, whilst retaining the brand name. 516 adult smokers and 806 youth aged 11-17 participated in an online survey. Participants were asked to compare pairs of cigarette packs on five measures: taste, tar delivery, health risk, attractiveness and either ease of quitting (adult smokers) or brand they would choose if trying smoking (youth). Adults and youth were significantly more likely to rate packs with the terms 'smooth', 'silver' and 'gold' as lower tar, lower health risk and either easier to quit smoking (adults) or their choice of pack if trying smoking (youth). For example, more than half of adults and youth reported that brands labelled as 'smooth' were less harmful compared with the 'regular' variety. The colour of packs was also associated with perceptions of risk and brand appeal: compared with Marlboro packs with a red logo, Marlboro packs with a gold logo were rated as lower health risk by 53% and easier to quit by 31% of adult smokers. Plain packs significantly reduced false beliefs about health risk and ease of quitting, and were rated as significantly less attractive and appealing to youth for trying smoking. Current regulations have failed to remove potentially misleading information from tobacco packaging. Removing colours from packs (plain packaging), as well as terms such as 'smooth' 'gold' and 'silver' would significantly reduce false beliefs and increase compliance with existing legislation.

Characterization of pitches by liquid chromatography using cellulose 3,5-dinitrobenzoate as the packing material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arai, K.; Judo, R.; Ota, E. [Gunma University, Gunma (Japan). Dept. of Chemistry

1997-08-01

Characterization of coal tar, petroleum and PVC pitches by a liquid chromatography using cellulose 3,5-dinitrobenzoate (DNB-cellulose) as the packing material was investigated. Separation mechanism based on charge-transfer interaction between the dinitrobenzoyl group and polyaromatic compounds was expected to be useful for separation of the constituents of the pitches. First, 26 model polyaromatic compounds were tested to examine the characteristic feature of the packing material by liquid chromatography. The compounds were found to be classified roughly into four groups with different retention volume, principally according to the number of condensed rings. The nonplanar structure and aliphatic side chain of the polyaromatic compounds also affected the separation behavior. Both benzene soluble-hexane soluble and benzene soluble-hexane insoluble fractions of the three pitches were separated on DNB-cellulose. It was found that coal tar pitch contains relatively large amounts of some highly condensed polyaromatic compounds with condensed rings of 4 to 5; petroleum pitch has small amounts of such specific highly condensed polyaromatic compounds, while PVC pitch has large amounts of less condensed polyaromatic compounds and there is no significant amount of highly condensed compound in it. Thus DNB-cellulose was useful as the convenient packing material for liquid chromatography to characterize pitches.

Effect of long-range repulsive Coulomb interactions on packing structure of adhesive particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Sheng; Li, Shuiqing; Liu, Wenwei; Makse, Hernán A

2016-02-14

The packing of charged micron-sized particles is investigated using discrete element simulations based on adhesive contact dynamic model. The formation process and the final obtained structures of ballistic packings are studied to show the effect of interparticle Coulomb force. It is found that increasing the charge on particles causes a remarkable decrease of the packing volume fraction ϕ and the average coordination number 〈Z〉, indicating a looser and chainlike structure. Force-scaling analysis shows that the long-range Coulomb interaction changes packing structures through its influence on particle inertia before they are bonded into the force networks. Once contact networks are formed, the expansion effect caused by repulsive Coulomb forces are dominated by short-range adhesion. Based on abundant results from simulations, a dimensionless adhesion parameter Ad*, which combines the effects of the particle inertia, the short-range adhesion and the long-range Coulomb interaction, is proposed and successfully scales the packing results for micron-sized particles within the latest derived adhesive loose packing (ALP) regime. The structural properties of our packings follow well the recent theoretical prediction which is described by an ensemble approach based on a coarse-grained volume function, indicating some kind of universality in the low packing density regime of the phase diagram regardless of adhesion or particle charge. Based on the comprehensive consideration of the complicated inter-particle interactions, our findings provide insight into the roles of short-range adhesion and repulsive Coulomb force during packing formation and should be useful for further design of packings.

Control of polymer-packing orientation in thin films through synthetic tailoring of backbone coplanarity

KAUST Repository

Chen, Mark S.; Niskala, Jeremy R.; Unruh, David A.; Chu, Crystal K.; Lee, Olivia P.; Frechet, Jean

2013-01-01

Controlling solid-state order of π-conjugated polymers through macromolecular design is essential for achieving high electronic device performance; yet, it remains a challenge, especially with respect to polymer-packing orientation. Our work

Integration of coal gasification and packed bed CLC for high efficiency and near-zero emission power generation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spallina, V.; Romano, M.C.; Chiesa, P.; Gallucci, F.; Sint Annaland, van M.; Lozza, G.

2014-01-01

A detailed thermodynamic analysis has been carried out of large-scale coal gasification-based power plant cycles with near zero CO2 emissions, integrated with chemical looping combustion (CLC). Syngas from coal gasification is oxidized in dynamically operated packed bed reactors (PBRs), generating a

Cardiac arrest due to hyperkalemia following irradiated packed red cells transfusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyazawa, Kazuharu [Yamamoto-kumiai General Hospital, Noshiro, Akita (Japan); Ohta, Sukejuurou; Kojima, Yukiko; Mizunuma, Takahide; Nishikawa, Toshiaki

1998-11-01

We describe two cases of cardiac arrest due to hyperkalemia following transfusion of irradiated packed red cells. Case 1: Because sudden, rapid and massive hemorrage occurred in a 69-year-old male patient undergoing the left lobectomy of the liver, 8 units of irradiated packed red cells were rapidly transfused, the patient developed cardiac arrest. Serum kalium concentration after transfusion was 7.6 mEq/l. Case 2: A 7-month-old girl scheduled for closure of a ventricular septal defect, developed cardiac arrest due to hyperkalemia at the start of cardiopulmonary bypass. The extracorporeal circuit was primed with 6 units of irradiated packed red blood cells. Serum kalium concentration immediately after the start of cardiopulmonary bypass was 10.6 mEq/l. Analysis of kalium concentration in the pilot tubes of the same packs revealed 56-61 mEq/l. These case reports suggest that fresh irradiated packed red cells should be transfused during massive bleeding and for pediatric patients to prevent severe hyperkalemia. (author)

Stabilized copper plating method by programmed electroplated current: Accumulation of densely packed copper grains in the interconnect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kao, Li-Chi; Hsu, Li-Hsuan; Brahma, Sanjaya; Huang, Bo-Chia; Liu, Chun-Chu; Lo, Kuang-Yao, E-mail: kuanglo@mail.ncku.edu.tw

2016-12-01

Highlights: • Actual Cu interconnect experiences many times of annealing and then cause the stress. • Stack Cu grains with varying grain size successively to enhance packed density. • XRD and PBR analyze the residual stress of local and average area of plated Cu film. • High packed Cu grain with stable stress proved by texture of Cu(1 1 1) and Cu(2 0 0). - Abstract: In this work, we programmed the plating current to stack the different size of copper (Cu) grain and analyzed the relation between the sequence of different Cu grain size and the stability of the residual stress. The residual stress was measured with varying times of annealing process in order to reach the purpose of simulating the actual Cu interconnect process. We found that varied plating strategy will make different stabilization condition of residual stress through the proof of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical parallel beams reflection (PBR) method. The accumulation of Cu grains, formed by Cu grain with successive variation in grain size, would enhance the packing density better than only single grain size in the finite space. The high density of the grain boundary in the electroplated Cu film will be eliminated through annealing process and it will help to suppress the void formation in further interconnect process. The electroplated Cu film with the plating current of saw tooth wave can soon reach a stable tensile stress through annealing since the Cu grains with high packing density will be quickly eliminated to approach the minimum of the strain energy which reflects to variation in the texture of Cu (2 0 0). The result of this work illustrates the importance of how to stack different size of Cu grain, for achieving a densely packed Cu film which close to the Cu bulk.

Spherical shock-wave propagation in three-dimensional granular packings.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Kun; Bai, Chun-Hua

2011-02-01

We investigate numerically the spherical shock-wave propagation in an open dense granular packing perturbed by the sudden expansion of a spherical intruder in the interior of the pack, focusing on the correlation between geometrical fabrics and propagating properties. The measurements of the temporal and spatial variations in a variety of propagating properties define a consistent serrated wave substructure with characteristic length on the orders of particle diameters. Further inspection of particle packing reveals a well-defined particle layering that persists several particle diameters away from the intruder, although its dominant effects are only within one to two diameters. This interface-induced layering not only exactly coincides with the serrated wave profile, but also highlights the competition between two energy transmission mechanisms involving distinct transport speeds. The alternating dominances between these two mechanisms contribute to the nonlinear wave propagation on the particle scale. Moreover, the proliferation of intricate three-dimensional contact force networks suggests the anisotropic stress transmission, which is found to also arise from the localized packing structure in the vicinity of the intruder.

Hemato-biochemical responses to packing in donkeys administered ascorbic acid during the harmattan season.

Science.gov (United States)

Olaifa, Folashade; Ayo, Joseph Olusegun; Ambali, Suleiman Folorunsho; Rekwot, Peter Ibrahim

2015-02-01

Experiments were performed to investigate the effect of ascorbic acid (AA) in reducing hemato-biochemical changes in pack donkeys during the cold-dry (harmattan) season. Six experimental donkeys administered orally AA (200 mg/kg) and six control donkeys not administered ascorbic acid were subjected to packing. Blood samples were collected from all donkeys for hematological and biochemical analyses. In the control donkeys, packed cell volume (PCV), erythrocyte count and hemoglobin concentration (Hb) decreased significantly (Pdonkeys, there was no significant difference between the pre- and post-packing values of PCV, erythrocyte count and Hb. In the control donkeys, the neutrophil and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio increased significantly (Pdonkeys, the pre- and post-packing values were not significantly different. The eosinophil count increased significantly (Pdonkeys post packing. In conclusion, packing exerted significant adverse effects on the hematological parameters ameliorated by AA administration. AA may modulate neutrophilia and induce a considerable alteration of erythroid markers in donkeys subjected to packing during the harmattan season.

Towards optimal packed string matching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ben-Kiki, Oren; Bille, Philip; Breslauer, Dany

2014-01-01

-size string-matching instruction wssm is available in contemporary commodity processors. The other word-size maximum-suffix instruction wslm is only required during the pattern pre-processing. Benchmarks show that our solution can be efficiently implemented, unlike some prior theoretical packed string...

The generic geometry of helices and their close-packed structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Kasper; Bohr, Jakob

2010-01-01

The formation of helices is an ubiquitous phenomenon for molecular structures whether they are biological, organic, or inorganic, in nature. Helical structures have geometrical constraints analogous to close packing of three-dimensional crystal structures. For helical packing the geometrical cons...

Safer v. Estate of Pack.

Science.gov (United States)

1996-07-11

The Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, recognized "a physician's duty to warn those known to be at risk of avoidable harm from a genetically transmissible condition." During the 1950s, Dr. George Pack treated Donna Shafer's father for a cancerous blockage of the colon and multiple polyposis. In 1990, Safer was diagnosed with the same condition, which she claims is inherited, and, if not diagnosed and treated, invariably will lead to metastic colorectal cancer. Safer alleged that Dr. Pack knew the hereditary nature of the disease, yet failed to warn the immediate family, thus breaching his professional duty to warn. The court did not follow the analysis of the trial court, that a physician has no legal duty to warn the child of a patient of the genetic risk of disease because no physician and patient relationship exists between the doctor and the child.

Interaction between Proppant Packing, Reservoir Depletion, and Fluid Flow in Pore Space

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, M.; McClure, J. E.; Han, Y.; Chen, C.

2016-12-01

In the oil and gas industry, the performance of proppant pack in hydraulically created fractures has a significant influence on fracture conductivity. A better understanding of proppant transport and deposition pattern in a hydraulic fracture is vital for effective and economical production within oil and gas reservoirs. In this research, a numerical modeling approach, combining Particle Flow Code (PFC) and GPU-enhanced lattice Boltzmann simulator (GELBS), is adopted to advance the understanding of the interaction between proppant particle packing, depletion of reservoir formation, and transport of reservoir flow through the pore space. In this numerical work flow, PFC is used to simulate effective stress increase and proppant particle movement and rearrangement under increasing mechanical loading. The pore structure of the proppant pack evolves subsequently and the geometrical data are output for lattice Boltzmann (LB) simulation of proppant pack permeability. Three different proppant packs with fixed particle concentration and 12/18, 16/30, and 20/40 mesh sizes are generated. These proppant packs are compressed with specified loading stress and their subsequent geometries are used for fluid flow simulations. The simulation results are in good agreement with experimental observations, e.g., the conductivity of proppant packs decreases with increasing effective stress. Three proppant packs with the same average diameter were generated using different coefficients of variation (COVs) for the proppant diameter (namely cov5%, cov20%, and cov30%). By using the coupled PFC-LBM work flow, the proppant pack permeability as functions of effective stress and porosity is investigated. The results show that the proppant pack with a higher proppant diameter COV has lower permeability and porosity under the same effective stress, because smaller particles fill in the pore space between bigger particles. The relationship between porosity and permeability is also consistent with

The effect of Al and Cr additions on pack cementation zinc coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaliampalias, D.; Papazoglou, M.; Tsipas, S.; Pavlidou, E.; Skolianos, S.; Stergioudis, G.; Vourlias, G.

2010-01-01

Zinc is widely used as a protective coating material due to its corrosion resistant properties. The structure and oxidation resistance of Al and Cr mixed zinc coatings, deposited by pack cementation process, is thoroughly examined in this work. The morphology and chemical composition of the as-deposited and oxidized samples was accomplished by electron microscopy while the phase identification was performed by XRD diffraction analysis. The experimental results showed that the addition of aluminum or chromium in the pack mixture forms only Al and Cr rich phases on the surface of the specimens without affecting significantly the phase composition of the rest zinc coatings. In the case of Zn-Al coatings, the overlying layer contains high concentrations of Al together with lower amounts of zinc and iron and in Zn-Cr coatings this layer contains Cr, Fe and Zn atoms and has much smaller thickness. The presence of these additional layers promotes significantly the oxidation resistance of the zinc pack coatings and they preserve most of their initial thickness and chemical content when exposed to an aggressive environment while their oxidation mass gain was measured at low levels during the oxidation tests.

Post-depositional enrichment of black soot in snow-pack and accelerated melting of Tibetan glaciers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Baiqing; Joswiak, Daniel R; Zhao Huabiao; Cao Junji; Liu Xianqin; He Jianqiao

2012-01-01

The post-depositional enrichment of black soot in snow-pack was investigated by measuring the redistribution of black soot along monthly snow-pits on a Tien Shan glacier. The one-year experiment revealed that black soot was greatly enriched, defined as the ratio of concentration to original snow concentration, in the unmelted snow-pack by at least an order of magnitude. Greatest soot enrichment was observed in the surface snow and the lower firn-pack within the melt season percolation zone. Black carbon (BC) concentrations as high as 400 ng g −1 in the summer surface snow indicate that soot can significantly contribute to glacier melt. BC concentrations reaching 3000 ng g −1 in the bottom portion of the firn pit are especially concerning given the expected equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) rise associated with future climatic warming, which would expose the dirty underlying firn and ice. Since most of the accumulation area on Tibetan glaciers is within the percolation zone where snow densification is characterized by melting and refreezing, the enrichment of black soot in the snow-pack is of foremost importance. Results suggest the effect of black soot on glacier melting may currently be underestimated. (letter)

Internal states of model isotropic granular packings. I. Assembling process, geometry, and contact networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Agnolin, Ivana; Roux, Jean-Noël

2007-12-01

This is the first paper of a series of three, in which we report on numerical simulation studies of geometric and mechanical properties of static assemblies of spherical beads under an isotropic pressure. The influence of various assembling processes on packing microstructures is investigated. It is accurately checked that frictionless systems assemble in the unique random close packing (RCP) state in the low pressure limit if the compression process is fast enough, higher solid fractions corresponding to more ordered configurations with traces of crystallization. Specific properties directly related to isostaticity of the force-carrying structure in the rigid limit are discussed. With frictional grains, different preparation procedures result in quite different inner structures that cannot be classified by the sole density. If partly or completely lubricated they will assemble like frictionless ones, approaching the RCP solid fraction Phi_{RCP} approximately 0.639 with a high coordination number: z* approximately =6 on the force-carrying backbone. If compressed with a realistic coefficient of friction mu=0.3 packings stabilize in a loose state with Phi approximately 0.593 and z* approximately =4.5 . And, more surprisingly, an idealized "vibration" procedure, which maintains an agitated, collisional regime up to high densities results in equally small values of z* while Phi is close to the maximum value Phi_{RCP}. Low coordination packings have a large proportion (>10%) of rattlers--grains carrying no force--the effect of which should be accounted for on studying position correlations, and also contain a small proportion of localized "floppy modes" associated with divalent grains. Low-pressure states of frictional packings retain a finite level of force indeterminacy even when assembled with the slowest compression rates simulated, except in the case when the friction coefficient tends to infinity. Different microstructures are characterized in terms of near

Effect of indirect ohmic heating on quality of ready-to-eat pineapple packed in plastic pouch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hoang Pham

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Ready-to-eat fruits packed in sealed containers are highly perishable due to their intrinsic characteristics and lack of full thermal process. Ohmic heating has the advantages of rapid liquid heating through electrical current. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of indirect ohmic heating on pH, total soluble solids, polyphenol oxidase activity, color and texture of ready-to-eat pineapple packed in a polypropylene pouch with 1% calcium chloride and 0.3% ascorbic acid packing solution. The pre-packed sample in a pouch was placed in the ohmic heating jar filled with 0.5% sodium chloride ohmic heating solution which was then ohmic heated at different voltage gradients (20, 30, 40 V/cm, to different packing solution temperatures (60, 70, 80°C for 60s. Samples were kept at 4°C for quality measurement. It was found that browning index of ready-to-eat pineapple treated with 20 V/cm at 80°C, 30 V/cm at 70°C and 80°C, 40 V/cm at 80°C did not change during 12 days cold storage (p>0.05. Polyphenol oxidase was inactivated when the temperature of the pineapple was 62°C or higher. After 10 days at 4°C, the pineapple heated with 30 V/cm at 70°C had much higher firmness than the un-heated sample kept at the same storage condition. Indirect ohmic heating of pre-packed ready-to-eat pineapple in polypropylene pouch with 30 V/cm at 70°C packing solution temperature for 60s could be used as minimal heating methods to maintain the quality of ready-to-eat fruits in 12 days at 4°C.

Impact of Australia's introduction of tobacco plain packs on adult smokers’ pack-related perceptions and responses: results from a continuous tracking survey

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlop, Sally M; Dobbins, Timothy; Young, Jane M; Perez, Donna; Currow, David C

2014-01-01

Objectives To investigate the impact of Australia's plain tobacco packaging policy on two stated purposes of the legislation—increasing the impact of health warnings and decreasing the promotional appeal of packaging—among adult smokers. Design Serial cross-sectional study with weekly telephone surveys (April 2006–May 2013). Interrupted time-series analyses using ARIMA modelling and linear regression models were used to investigate intervention effects. Participants 15 745 adult smokers (aged 18 years and above) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Random selection of participants involved recruiting households using random digit dialling and selecting the nth oldest smoker for interview. Intervention The introduction of the legislation on 1 October 2012. Outcomes Salience of tobacco pack health warnings, cognitive and emotional responses to warnings, avoidance of warnings, perceptions regarding one's cigarette pack. Results Adjusting for background trends, seasonality, antismoking advertising activity and cigarette costliness, results from ARIMA modelling showed that, 2–3 months after the introduction of the new packs, there was a significant increase in the absolute proportion of smokers having strong cognitive (9.8% increase, p=0.005), emotional (8.6% increase, p=0.01) and avoidant (9.8% increase, p=0.0005) responses to on-pack health warnings. Similarly, there was a significant increase in the proportion of smokers strongly disagreeing that the look of their cigarette pack is attractive (57.5% increase, pbrand they buy (40.6% increase, p<0.0001), makes their pack stand out (55.6% increase, p<0.0001), is fashionable (44.7% increase, p<0.0001) and matches their style (48.1% increase, p<0.0001). Changes in these outcomes were maintained 6 months postintervention. Conclusions The introductory effects of the plain packaging legislation among adult smokers are consistent with the specific objectives of the legislation in regard to reducing promotional

Hydrogenotrophic denitrification in a packed bed reactor: effects of hydrogen-to-water flow rate ratio.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, J W; Lee, K H; Park, K Y; Maeng, S K

2010-06-01

Hydrogen dissolution and hydrogenotrophic denitrification performance were investigated in a lab-scale packed bed reactor (PBR) by varying the hydrogen flow rate and hydraulic retention time (HRT). The denitrification performance was enhanced by increasing the hydrogen flow rate and HRT as a result of high dissolved hydrogen concentration (0.39mg/L) and utilization efficiencies (79%). In this study, the hydrogen-to-water flow rate ratio (Q(g)/Q(w)) was found to be a new operating factor representing the two parameters of hydrogen flow rate and HRT. Hydrogen dissolution and denitrification efficiency were nonlinearly and linearly correlated with the Q(g)/Q(w), respectively. Based on its excellent linear correlation with denitrification efficiency, Q(g)/Q(w) should be greater than 2.3 to meet the WHO's guideline of nitrate nitrogen for drinking water. This study demonstrates that Q(g)/Q(w) is a simple and robust factor to optimize hydrogen-sparged bioreactors for hydrogenotrophic denitrification. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How changes in top water bother big turning packs of up-going wet air

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, K.

2017-12-01

Big turning packs of up-going wet air form near areas of warm water at the top of big bodies of water. After these turning packs form, they usually get stronger if the top water stays warm. If the top water becomes less warm, the turning packs usually get less strong. Other things can change how strong a turning pack gets, like how wet the air around it is and if that air moves faster higher up than lower down. When these turning packs hit land, their rain and winds can hurt people and the stuff they own, especially if the turning pack is really strong. But it's hard to know how much stronger or less strong it will become before it hits land. Warm top water gives a turning pack of up-going wet air a lot of power, but cool top water doesn't, so we need to know how warm the top water is. Because I can't go into every turning pack myself, flying computers in outer space tell me what the top water is doing. I look at the top water near turning packs that get strong and see how it's different from the top water near those that get less strong. Top water that changes from warm to cool in a small area bothers a turning pack of up-going wet air, which then gets less strong. If we see these top water changes ahead of time, that might help us know what a turning pack will do before it gets close to land.

Consumer preferences for front-of-pack calories labelling.

Science.gov (United States)

van Kleef, Ellen; van Trijp, Hans; Paeps, Frederic; Fernández-Celemín, Laura

2008-02-01

In light of the emerging obesity pandemic, front-of-pack calories labels may be an important tool to assist consumers in making informed healthier food choices. However, there is little prior research to guide key decisions on whether caloric content should be expressed in absolute terms or relative to recommended daily intake, whether it should be expressed in per serving or per 100 g and whether the information should be further brought alive for consumers in terms of what the extra calorie intake implies in relation to activity levels. The present study aimed at providing more insight into consumers' appreciation of front-of-pack labelling of caloric content of food products and their specific preferences for alternative execution formats for such information in Europe. For this purpose, eight executions of front-of-pack calorie flags were designed and their appeal and information value were extensively discussed with consumers through qualitative research in four different countries (Germany, The Netherlands, France and the UK). The results show that calories are well-understood and that participants were generally positive about front-of-pack flags, particularly when flags are uniform across products. The most liked flags are the simpler flags depicting only the number of calories per serving or per 100 g, while more complex flags including references to daily needs or exercise and the flag including a phrase referring to balanced lifestyle were least preferred. Some relevant differences between countries were observed. Although participants seem to be familiar with the notion of calories, they do not seem to fully understand how to apply them. From the results, managerial implications for the design and implementation of front-of-pack calorie labelling as well as important directions for future research are discussed.

Consumer preferences for front-of-pack calories labelling

Science.gov (United States)

van Kleef, Ellen; van Trijp, Hans; Paeps, Frederic; Fernández-Celemín, Laura

2008-01-01

Objective In light of the emerging obesity pandemic, front-of-pack calories labels may be an important tool to assist consumers in making informed healthier food choices. However, there is little prior research to guide key decisions on whether caloric content should be expressed in absolute terms or relative to recommended daily intake, whether it should be expressed in per serving or per 100 g and whether the information should be further brought alive for consumers in terms of what the extra calorie intake implies in relation to activity levels. The present study aimed at providing more insight into consumers’ appreciation of front-of-pack labelling of caloric content of food products and their specific preferences for alternative execution formats for such information in Europe. Design For this purpose, eight executions of front-of-pack calorie flags were designed and their appeal and information value were extensively discussed with consumers through qualitative research in four different countries (Germany, The Netherlands, France and the UK). Results The results show that calories are well-understood and that participants were generally positive about front-of-pack flags, particularly when flags are uniform across products. The most liked flags are the simpler flags depicting only the number of calories per serving or per 100 g, while more complex flags including references to daily needs or exercise and the flag including a phrase referring to balanced lifestyle were least preferred. Some relevant differences between countries were observed. Although participants seem to be familiar with the notion of calories, they do not seem to fully understand how to apply them. Conclusion From the results, managerial implications for the design and implementation of front-of-pack calorie labelling as well as important directions for future research are discussed. PMID:17601362

Analysis on the capacity degradation mechanism of a series lithium-ion power battery pack based on inconsistency of capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhen-Po; Liu Peng; Wang Li-Fang

2013-01-01

The lithium-ion battery has been widely used as an energy source. Charge rate, discharge rate, and operating temperature are very important factors for the capacity degradations of power batteries and battery packs. Firstly, in this paper we make use of an accelerated life test and a statistical analysis method to establish the capacity accelerated degradation model under three constant stress parameters according to the degradation data, which are charge rate, discharge rate, and operating temperature, and then we propose a capacity degradation model according to the current residual capacity of a Li-ion cell under dynamic stress parameters. Secondly, we analyze the charge and discharge process of a series power battery pack and interpret the correlation between the capacity degradations of the battery pack and its charge/discharge rate. According to this cycling condition, we establish a capacity degradation model of a series power battery pack under inconsistent capacity of cells, and analyze the degradation mechanism with capacity variance and operating temperature difference. The comparative analysis of test results shows that the inconsistent operating temperatures of cells in the series power battery pack are the main cause of its degradation; when the difference between inconsistent temperatures is narrowed by 5 °C, the cycle life can be improved by more than 50%. Therefore, it effectively improves the cycle life of the series battery pack to reasonably assemble the batteries according to their capacities and to narrow the differences in operating temperature among cells. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Heterogeneous packing and hydraulic stability of cube and cubipod armor units

OpenAIRE

GÓMEZ-MARTÍN, M. ESTHER; Medina, Josep R.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the heterogeneous packing (HEP) failure mode of breakwater armor. HEP reduces packing density in the armor layer near and above the mean water level and increases packing density below it. With HEP, armor units may move in the armor layer, although they are not actually extracted from it. Thus, when HEP occurs, armor-layer porosity is not constant, and measurements obtained with conventional methods may underestimate armor damage. In this paper, the Virtual Net method ...

The Use of Sports Imagery and Terminology on Cigarette Packs from Fourteen Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleb, Cerise; Welding, Kevin; Cohen, Joanna E; Smith, Katherine C

2018-04-16

Tobacco companies have historically associated their products with sports through event sponsorship and sports-themed advertising campaigns. Such linkages serve to enhance brand image by connecting cigarette brands to ideals associated with sports such as strength, individual accomplishment, and a healthy body. Public health policy progress has created restrictions for tobacco sponsorship and restricted traditional advertising avenues for tobacco products. Nonetheless, the pack itself remains as a mechanism by which to link cigarettes to sports and sporting prowess. Thus, we analyze depictions of sport and references to sports terminology on cigarette packs. To describe the sports-related marketing appeals on cigarette packages purchased in 14 low and middle income countries. In 2013, we collected and coded cigarette packs from 14 low and middle income countries and we returned to four of these countries for further data collection in 2015. Packs from both years were assessed for sports-related appeals (text and imagery) and sports-related brand names to identify sports appeals on cigarette packs. The analysis yielded 36 brands with distinct depictions of sport or sporting terminology on the pack. Text-based appeals were found on 24 of the 36 distinct "sports appeal" packs (e.g., "Polo," "Olympic," "Win," "iScore"). Sporting imagery was present on 22 packs (e.g., soccer ball, race car, wrestling match, trophy). The pack is a powerful medium through which tobacco companies continue to associate their products with idealized concepts associated with sports. These are potentially problematic associations that could be restricted through plain and standardized packaging policy initiatives.

Effects of hydrodynamic interaction on random adhesive loose packings of micron-sized particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Wenwei

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Random loose packings of monodisperse spherical micron-sized particles under a uniform flow field are investigated via an adhesive discrete-element method with the two-way coupling between the particles and the fluid. Characterized by a dimensionless adhesion parameter, the packing fraction follows the similar law to that without fluid, but results in larger values due to the hydrodynamic compression. The total pressure drop through the packed bed shows a critical behaviour at the packing fraction of ϕ ≈ 0.22 in the present study. The normalized permeability of the packed bed for different parameters increases with the increase of porosities and is also in consistent with the Kozeny-Carman equation.

Random packing of regular polygons and star polygons on a flat two-dimensional surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Cieśla, Michał; Barbasz, Jakub

2014-08-01

Random packing of unoriented regular polygons and star polygons on a two-dimensional flat continuous surface is studied numerically using random sequential adsorption algorithm. Obtained results are analyzed to determine the saturated random packing ratio as well as its density autocorrelation function. Additionally, the kinetics of packing growth and available surface function are measured. In general, stars give lower packing ratios than polygons, but when the number of vertexes is large enough, both shapes approach disks and, therefore, properties of their packing reproduce already known results for disks.

Factors associated with smoking cessation success in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bacha ZA

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: The objective is to assess factors associated with the success rate of smoking cessation among Lebanese smokers in a smoking cessation center. Methods: A cross-sectional data study, conducted between March 2014 and March 2016 in an outpatient smoking cessation center with 156 enrolled patients. The patient’s nicotine dependence and motivation to quit smoking were evaluated according to the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and Richmond tests respectively. Results: The number of packs smoked per year decreased the odds of smoking cessation success (p=0.004, ORa=0.982, CI 0.97-0.994, while the compliance with the offered treatment increased the odds of success by 7.68 times (p<0.001, ORa=7.68, CI 3.438-17.187. Highly dependent and highly motivated smokers had more success in the quitting process compared to those with a lower dependence and motivation respectively. Conclusion: Our findings showed that many factors can influence smoking cessation, an experience described as difficult, most significantly the number of packs per year and compliance with the smoking cessation treatment. Moreover, although these outcomes are not representative of the entire Lebanese population, we believe that health authorities could utilize these results when implementing upcoming smoking cessations programs. All attempts at cessation should have a goal of reducing the number of packs smoked per year to improve the chances of ceasing into the future.

New raw materials improve packing sealing efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igel, B.; McKeague, L.

2012-01-01

End-users and OEM's using or manufacturing on/off and control valves expect a permanent and effective increase in service life together with an increased sealing capability while at the same time minimizing maintenance concerns. Developing materials which provide consistency and repeatability are essential characteristics to optimizing valve performance. “New Generation” materials and yarn allow us to meet this growing demand while complying with the requirements related to chemical purity and an increased level of safety to both plant workers and equipment in the nuclear environment. Through R&D initiatives and developments in new and improved raw materials; a new mechanical packing generation which optimizes friction coefficients and extended life cycle has been introduced to the industry. Lower friction values drastically optimize actuator effort and size improving efficiency for stem operation with significant improvements in flow control of fluids. Combined with new and improved procedures (installation, torque levels and consolidation recommendations), this new packing generation has provided significant improvement in the mechanical behavior of packing materials (independent tests carried out in collaboration with AECL and CETIM) this has provided the opportunity to develop successful Valve Enhancement Programs which offer improved efficiency, valve operation and repeatability. These NEW generation yarns are available with or without wire reinforcement depending on specific operating parameters and conditions. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate that new generation material(s). Which are available to the industry for AOV, MOV and Manual valves? - To highlight the steps taken in R&D and manufacturing contributing to the much improved yarns and finished packing products. - Comply and are designed to meet the stringent requirements in the nuclear industry - Simplify valve maintenance without risk to safety or performance - Increase service

On the perfect hexagonal packing of rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starostin, E L

2006-01-01

In most cases the hexagonal packing of fibrous structures or rods extremizes the energy of interaction between strands. If the strands are not straight, then it is still possible to form a perfect hexatic bundle. Conditions under which the perfect hexagonal packing of curved tubular structures may exist are formulated. Particular attention is given to closed or cycled arrangements of the rods like in the DNA toroids and spools. The closure or return constraints of the bundle result in an allowable group of automorphisms of the cross-sectional hexagonal lattice. The structure of this group is explored. Examples of open helical-like and closed toroidal-like bundles are presented. An expression for the elastic energy of a perfectly packed bundle of thin elastic rods is derived. The energy accounts for both the bending and torsional stiffnesses of the rods. It is shown that equilibria of the bundle correspond to solutions of a variational problem formulated for the curve representing the axis of the bundle. The functional involves a function of the squared curvature under the constraints on the total torsion and the length. The Euler-Lagrange equations are obtained in terms of curvature and torsion and due to the existence of the first integrals the problem is reduced to the quadrature. The three-dimensional shape of the bundle may be readily reconstructed by integration of the Ilyukhin-type equations in special cylindrical coordinates. The results are of universal nature and are applicable to various fibrous structures, in particular, to intramolecular liquid crystals formed by DNA condensed in toroids or packed inside the viral capsids

Interactions between two beta-sheets. Energetics of beta/beta packing in proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, K C; Némethy, G; Rumsey, S; Tuttle, R W; Scheraga, H A

1986-04-20

The analysis of the interactions between regularly folded segments of the polypeptide chain contributes to an understanding of the energetics of protein folding. Conformational energy-minimization calculations have been carried out to determine the favorable ways of packing two right-twisted beta-sheets. The packing of two five-stranded beta-sheets was investigated, with the strands having the composition CH3CO-(L-Ile)6-NHCH3 in one beta-sheet and CH3CO-(L-Val)6-NHCH3 in the other. Two distinct classes of low-energy packing arrangements were found. In the class with lowest energies, the strands of the two beta-sheets are aligned nearly parallel (or antiparallel) with each other, with a preference for a negative orientation angle, because this arrangement corresponds to the best complementary packing of the two twisted saddle-shaped beta-sheets. In the second class, with higher interaction energies, the strands of the two beta-sheets are oriented nearly perpendicular to each other. While the surfaces of the two beta-sheets are not complementary in this arrangement, there is good packing between the corner of one beta-sheet and the interior part of the surface of the other, resulting in a favorable energy of packing. Both classes correspond to frequently observed orientations of beta-sheets in proteins. In proteins, the second class of packing is usually observed when the two beta-sheets are covalently linked, i.e. when a polypeptide strand passes from one beta-sheet to the other, but we have shown here that a large contribution to the stabilization of this packing arrangement arises from noncovalent interactions.

The behavior of xenon dynamic adsorption on granular activated carbon packed bed adsorber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chongyang Zhou; Shujuan Feng; Guoqing Zhou; Yuren Jin; Junfu Liang; Jingming Xu

2011-01-01

In order to retard radioxenon release into the atmosphere from nuclear power station or to sensitively monitor its concentration to ensure environmental and human safety, it is necessary to know the behavior of xenon dynamic adsorption on granular activated carbon pack bed adsorber. The quantities, including the dynamic adsorption coefficient (k d ), the amount of xenon adsorbed (q), the length of mass transfer zone (L MTZ ) and the length of the unused bed (LUB), used to describe the adsorption behavior, were sorted out and calculated. The factors, including xenon concentrations, pressures and temperatures, to affect these quantities were investigated. The results show that: (1) The values of k d and q decrease with increasing temperatures, but increase with increasing pressures, (2) The values of L MTZ and LUB increase with increasing temperatures or pressures, but are independent of concentrations. Knowledge of these quantities is very helpful for packed bed adsorber operation. (author)

Slow creep in soft granular packings.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Ishan; Fisher, Timothy S

2017-05-14

Transient creep mechanisms in soft granular packings are studied numerically using a constant pressure and constant stress simulation method. Rapid compression followed by slow dilation is predicted on the basis of a logarithmic creep phenomenon. Characteristic scales of creep strain and time exhibit a power-law dependence on jamming pressure, and they diverge at the jamming point. Microscopic analysis indicates the existence of a correlation between rheology and nonaffine fluctuations. Localized regions of large strain appear during creep and grow in magnitude and size at short times. At long times, the spatial structure of highly correlated local deformation becomes time-invariant. Finally, a microscale connection between local rheology and local fluctuations is demonstrated in the form of a linear scaling between granular fluidity and nonaffine velocity.

Experimental Study of a Pack of Supercapacitors Used in Electric Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed Hedi, Chabchoub

2017-01-01

Electric vehicles have recently attracted research interest. An electric vehicle is composed of two energy sources, such as fuel cells and ultracapacitors, which are employed to provide, respectively, the steady-state and transient power demanded by the vehicle. A bidirectional DC-DC converter is needed to interface the ultracapacitor to a DC bus. The pack of ultracapacitor consists of many cells in series and possibly also in parallel. In this regard, this paper introduces a comparative study between two packs of supercapacitors. The first supercapacitor pack is composed of ten cells in series but the second supercapacitor pack is composed of five cells in series and two parallel circuits. Each cell is characterized by 2.5 V and 100 F. A number of practical tests are presented. PMID:28894785

Experimental Study of a Pack of Supercapacitors Used in Electric Vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amari Mansour

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Electric vehicles have recently attracted research interest. An electric vehicle is composed of two energy sources, such as fuel cells and ultracapacitors, which are employed to provide, respectively, the steady-state and transient power demanded by the vehicle. A bidirectional DC-DC converter is needed to interface the ultracapacitor to a DC bus. The pack of ultracapacitor consists of many cells in series and possibly also in parallel. In this regard, this paper introduces a comparative study between two packs of supercapacitors. The first supercapacitor pack is composed of ten cells in series but the second supercapacitor pack is composed of five cells in series and two parallel circuits. Each cell is characterized by 2.5 V and 100 F. A number of practical tests are presented.

Experimental Study of a Pack of Supercapacitors Used in Electric Vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansour, Amari; Mohamed Hedi, Chabchoub; Faouzi, Bacha

2017-01-01

Electric vehicles have recently attracted research interest. An electric vehicle is composed of two energy sources, such as fuel cells and ultracapacitors, which are employed to provide, respectively, the steady-state and transient power demanded by the vehicle. A bidirectional DC-DC converter is needed to interface the ultracapacitor to a DC bus. The pack of ultracapacitor consists of many cells in series and possibly also in parallel. In this regard, this paper introduces a comparative study between two packs of supercapacitors. The first supercapacitor pack is composed of ten cells in series but the second supercapacitor pack is composed of five cells in series and two parallel circuits. Each cell is characterized by 2.5 V and 100 F. A number of practical tests are presented.

Viscoelastic gravel-pack carrier fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nehmer, W.L.

1988-01-01

The ability of a fluid to flow adequately into the formation during gravel-pack treatments is critical to achieving a good pack. Recent studies have indicated ''fish-eyes'' and/or ''microgels'' present in many polymer gelled carrier fluids will plug pore throats, leading to impaired leakoff and causing formation damage. Intensive manipulation of the polymer gelled fluid using shear and filter devices will help remove the particles, but it adds to the cost of the treatment in terms of equipment and manpower. Excessive shear will degrade the polymer leading to poor gravel suspension, while too little shear will cause filtration problems. A gelled carried fluid using a viscoelastic surfactant system has been found to leak off very efficiently to the formation, and cause no formation damage, without the use of shear/filter devices. Viscoelastic surfactant-base gelled fluids develop viscosity because of the association of surfactant moloecules into large rod-shaped aggregates. There is no hydration of polymer involved, so fish-eyes and microgels will not be formed in the viscoelastic fluid. A surfactant-base system having a yield point allows the gravel carrying properties to be much better than fluids gelled with conventional polymer systems (hydroxyethylcellulose [HEC]). For example, a gravel carried fluid gelled with 80 lb HEC/1,000 gal has a viscosity of about 400 cp at 170 sec/sup -1/; a viscoelastic surfactant-base system having only one-half the viscosity still flows into cores about four times more efficiently than the HEC-base fluid. The rheology, leakoff, formation damage and mixing properties of a viscoelastic, surfactant-base, gravel-pack carrier fluid are discussed

Electrochemical removal of copper ions from dilute solutions using packed bed electrode. Part І

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.A. Khattab

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Removal of some hazardous waste like copper from effluent streams has an industrial importance. In this field, this paper is directed towards electrochemical removal of copper ions from sulfate solution using packed bed electrode. The cathode packing is in static mode, consisted of graphite particles, with mean particle size equal to 0.125 cm. The high surface area of this cell is expected to give high current efficiency and removal percent. The effect of current density and liquid flow rate were tested. Experimental results obtained indicate that the efficiencies are in direct proportional with current density while inversely proportional with liquid flow rate. It was observed that, using this cell was effective in reducing copper concentration to less than 4 mg/l with R.E of 96.2% during 30 min electrolysis time.

The mechanical behaviour of packed particulates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutton, R.

1998-01-01

Within the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management program, the central concept is to package used fuel in containers that would be deposited in an underground vault in a plutonic rock formation. To provide internal mechanical support for the container, the reference design specifies it to be filled with a matrix of compacted particulate material (called 'packed particulate'), such as quartz sand granules. The focus of this report is on the mechanical properties of the packed-particulate material, based on information drawn from the extant literature. We first consider the packing density of particulate matrices to minimize the remnant porosity and maximize mechanical stability under conditions of external pressure. Practical methods, involving vibratory packing, are reviewed and recommendations made to select techniques to achieve optimum packing density. The behaviour of particulates under compressive loading has been of interest to the powder metallurgy industry (i.e., the manufacture of products from pressed/sintered metal and ceramic powders) since the early decades of this century. We review the evidence showing that in short timescales, stress induced compaction occurs by particle shuffling and rearrangement, elastic distortion, plastic yielding and microfracturing. Analytical expressions are available to describe these processes in a semiquantitative fashion. Time-dependent compaction, mainly via creep mechanisms, is more complex. Much of the theoretical and experimental information is confined to higher temperatures (> 500 degrees C), where deformation rates are more rapid. Thus, for the relatively low ambient temperatures of the waste container (∼100 degrees C), we require analytical techniques to extrapolate the collective particulate creep behaviour. This is largely accomplished by employing current theories of creep deformation, particularly in the form of Deformation Mechanism Maps, which allow estimation of creep rates over a wide range of stress

The mechanical behaviour of packed particulates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dutton, R

1998-01-01

Within the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management program, the central concept is to package used fuel in containers that would be deposited in an underground vault in a plutonic rock formation. To provide internal mechanical support for the container, the reference design specifies it to be filled with a matrix of compacted particulate material (called 'packed particulate'), such as quartz sand granules. The focus of this report is on the mechanical properties of the packed-particulate material, based on information drawn from the extant literature. We first consider the packing density of particulate matrices to minimize the remnant porosity and maximize mechanical stability under conditions of external pressure. Practical methods, involving vibratory packing, are reviewed and recommendations made to select techniques to achieve optimum packing density. The behaviour of particulates under compressive loading has been of interest to the powder metallurgy industry (i.e., the manufacture of products from pressed/sintered metal and ceramic powders) since the early decades of this century. We review the evidence showing that in short timescales, stress induced compaction occurs by particle shuffling and rearrangement, elastic distortion, plastic yielding and microfracturing. Analytical expressions are available to describe these processes in a semiquantitative fashion. Time-dependent compaction, mainly via creep mechanisms, is more complex. Much of the theoretical and experimental information is confined to higher temperatures (> 500 degrees C), where deformation rates are more rapid. Thus, for the relatively low ambient temperatures of the waste container ({approx}100 degrees C), we require analytical techniques to extrapolate the collective particulate creep behaviour. This is largely accomplished by employing current theories of creep deformation, particularly in the form of Deformation Mechanism Maps, which allow estimation of creep rates over a wide

A novel BEV concept based on fixed and swappable li-ion battery packs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barreras, Jorge Varela; Pinto, C.; de Castro, R.

2015-01-01

-based ownership models to distribute the cost of the large battery pack over the vehicle lifetime. A methodology is proposed for the analysis and evaluation of the proposed concept in comparison with a direct owned non swappable single pack BEV, proving that significant improvements on city fuel economy (up to 20......In this paper a novel battery electric vehicle (BEV) concept based on a small fixed and a big swappable li-ion battery pack is proposed in order to achieve: longer range, lower initial purchase price and lower energy consumption at short ranges. For short ranges the BEV is only powered...... by the relatively small fixed battery pack, without the large swappable battery pack. In this way the mass of the vehicle is reduced and therefore the energy consumed per unit distance is improved. For higher ranges the BEV is powered by both battery packs. This concept allows the introduction of subscription...

Used fuel packing plant for CANDU fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menzies, I.; Thayer, B.; Bains, N., E-mail: imenzies@atsautomation.com [ATS Automation, Cambridge, ON (Canada); Murchison, A., E-mail: amurchison@nwmo.ca [NWMO, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2015-07-01

Large forgings have been selected to containerize Light Water Reactor used nuclear fuel. CANDU fuel, which is significantly smaller in size, allows novel approaches for containerization. For example, by utilizing commercially available extruded ASME pipe a conceptual design of a Used Fuel Packing Plant for containerization of used CANDU fuel in a long lived metallic container has been developed. The design adopts a modular approach with multiple independent work cells to transfer and containerize the used fuel. Based on current technologies and concepts from proven industrial systems, the Used Fuel Packing Plant can assemble twelve used fuel containers per day considering conservative levels of process availability. (author)

Packing and deploying Soft Origami to and from cylindrical volumes with application to automotive airbags.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruton, Jared T; Nelson, Todd G; Zimmerman, Trent K; Fernelius, Janette D; Magleby, Spencer P; Howell, Larry L

2016-09-01

Packing soft-sheet materials of approximately zero bending stiffness using Soft Origami (origami patterns applied to soft-sheet materials) into cylindrical volumes and their deployment via mechanisms or internal pressure (inflation) is of interest in fields including automobile airbags, deployable heart stents, inflatable space habitats, and dirigible and parachute packing. This paper explores twofold patterns, the 'flasher' and the 'inverted-cone fold', for packing soft-sheet materials into cylindrical volumes. Two initial packing methods and mechanisms are examined for each of the flasher and inverted-cone fold patterns. An application to driver's side automobile airbags is performed, and deployment tests are completed to compare the influence of packing method and origami pattern on deployment performance. Following deployment tests, two additional packing methods for the inverted-cone fold pattern are explored and applied to automobile airbags. It is shown that modifying the packing method (using different methods to impose the same base pattern on the soft-sheet material) can lead to different deployment performance. In total, two origami patterns and six packing methods are examined, and the benefits of using Soft Origami patterns and packing methods are discussed. Soft Origami is presented as a viable method for efficiently packing soft-sheet materials into cylindrical volumes.

Spider Silk Violin Strings with a Unique Packing Structure Generate a Soft and Profound Timbre

Science.gov (United States)

Osaki, Shigeyoshi

2012-04-01

We overcome the difficulties in pulling long draglines from spiders, twist bundles of dragline filaments, and succeed in preparing violin strings. The twisting is found to change the cross section shapes of filaments from circular to polygonal and to optimize the packing structure with no openings among filaments providing mechanically strong and elastic strings. The spider string signal peaks of overtones for the violin are relatively large at high frequencies, generating a soft and profound timbre. Such a preferable timbre is considered to be due to the unique polygonal packing structure which provides valuable knowledge for developing new types of materials.

Matching and Compression of Strings with Automata and Word Packing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skjoldjensen, Frederik Rye; Gørtz, Inge Li; Thomassen, Carsten

pattern queries. In the deterministic variant the goal is to solve the string indexing problem without any randomization (at preprocessing time or query time). In the packed variant the strings are stored with several character in a single word, giving us the opportunity to read multiple characters...... in (deterministic) time O (m= + logm + log log ) ; where = w= log is the number of characters packed in a word of size w = (log n). Our query time is always at least as good as the previous best known bounds and whenever several characters are packed in a word, i.e., log w, the query times are faster. Dynamic...

Valve stem packing seal test results for primary heat transport system conditions in Canadian nuclear generating stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, D.F.; Farrell, J.M.; Coutinho, R.F.

1978-06-01

Valve stem packing tests were done to obtain performance data on packing already in CANDU-PHW reactor service and on alternative packings. Most of the tests were replicated. Results are presented for ten packings tested under two stem cycle modes; leakage, packing consolidation and packing friction were the main responses. Packing tests were performed with water at close to CANDU-PHW reactor primary heat transport (PHT) system conditions (288 deg C and 10 MPa), but without ionizing radiation. The test rigs had rising, rotating stems. Stuffing box dimensions were typical of a standard Velan valve; packings were spring loaded to control applied packing stress

FY-87 packing fabrication techniques (commercial waste form) results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werry, E.V.; Gates, T.E.; Cabbage, K.S.; Eklund, J.D.

1988-04-01

This report covers the investigation of fabrication techniques associated with the development of suitable materials and methods to provide a prefabricated packing for waste packages for the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP). The principal functions of the packing are to minimize container corrosion during the 300 to 1000 years following repository closure and provide long-term control of the release of radionuclides from the waste package. The investigative work, discussed in this report, was specifically conceived to develop the design criteria for production of full-scale prototypical packing rings. The investigative work included the preparation of procedures, the preparation of fabrication materials, physical properties, and the determination of the engineering properties. The principal activities were the preparation of the materials and the determination of the physical properties. 21 refs., 20 figs., 14 tabs

Experimental performance evaluation of sintered Gd spheres packed beds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tura, A.; Nielsen, Klaus K.; Van Nong, Ngo

2016-01-01

Research in magnetic refrigeration heavily relies on the use of packed spheres in regenerators, however little investigation to verify that such non-monolithic arrangements guarantee a sufficiently constrained structure has yet been performed. This work presents a preliminary comparison of the pe......Research in magnetic refrigeration heavily relies on the use of packed spheres in regenerators, however little investigation to verify that such non-monolithic arrangements guarantee a sufficiently constrained structure has yet been performed. This work presents a preliminary comparison...... of the performance of AMRs consisting of Gd spheres with diameters ranging from 450-550 microns partially sintered by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) to similar spheres, sorted in the same size range and from the same batch, but merely packed. Pressure drop is compared at uniform temperature and at a range of heat...

Potential environmental effects of pack stock on meadow ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Ostoja, Steven M.; Brooks, Matthew L.; Moore, Peggy E.; Berlow, Eric L.; Robert Blank,; Roche, Jim; Chase, Jennifer T.; Sylvia Haultain,

2014-01-01

Pack and saddle stock, including, but not limited to domesticated horses, mules, and burros, are used to support commercial, private and administrative activities in the Sierra Nevada. The use of pack stock has become a contentious and litigious issue for land management agencies in the region inter alia due to concerns over effects on the environment. The potential environmental effects of pack stock on Sierra Nevada meadow ecosystems are reviewed and it is concluded that the use of pack stock has the potential to influence the following: (1) water nutrient dynamics, sedimentation, temperature, and microbial pathogen content; (2) soil chemistry, nutrient cycling, soil compaction and hydrology; (3) plant individuals, populations and community dynamics, non-native invasive species, and encroachment of woody species; and (4) wildlife individuals, populations and communities. It is considered from currently available information that management objectives of pack stock should include the following: minimise bare ground, maximise plant cover, maintain species composition of native plants, minimise trampling, especially on wet soils and stream banks, and minimise direct urination and defecation by pack stock into water. However, incomplete documentation of patterns of pack stock use and limited past research limits current understanding of the effects of pack stock, especially their effects on water, soils and wildlife. To improve management of pack stock in this region, research is needed on linking measurable monitoring variables (e.g. plant cover) with environmental relevancy (e.g. soil erosion processes, wildlife habitat use), and identifying specific environmental thresholds of degradation along gradients of pack stock use in Sierra Nevada meadows.

19 CFR 10.602 - Packing materials and containers for shipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.602 Packing materials and... regional value content calculation. Packing materials and containers for shipment, as defined in § 10.593(m) of this subpart, are to be disregarded in determining the regional value content of a good imported...

Using atomic layer deposited tungsten to increase thermal conductivity of a packed bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Norman, Staci A.; Falconer, John L.; Weimer, Alan W., E-mail: alan.weimer@colorado.edu [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, UCB 596, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0596 (United States); Tringe, Joseph W.; Sain, John D. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Yang, Ronggui [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0427 (United States)

2015-04-13

This study investigated the effective thermal conductivity (k{sub eff}) of packed-beds that contained porous particles with nanoscale tungsten (W) films of different thicknesses formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD). A continuous film on the particles is vital towards increasing k{sub eff} of the packed beds. For example, the k{sub eff} of an alumina packed bed was increased by three times after an ∼8-nm continuous W film with 20 cycles of W ALD, whereas k{sub eff} was decreased on a polymer packed bed with discontinuous, evenly dispersed W-islands due to nanoparticle scattering of phonons. For catalysts, understanding the thermal properties of these packed beds is essential for developing thermally conductive supports as alternatives to structured supports.

Content-aware photo collage using circle packing.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zongqiao; Lu, Lin; Guo, Yanwen; Fan, Rongfei; Liu, Mingming; Wang, Wenping

2014-02-01

In this paper, we present a novel approach for automatically creating the photo collage that assembles the interest regions of a given group of images naturally. Previous methods on photo collage are generally built upon a well-defined optimization framework, which computes all the geometric parameters and layer indices for input photos on the given canvas by optimizing a unified objective function. The complex nonlinear form of optimization function limits their scalability and efficiency. From the geometric point of view, we recast the generation of collage as a region partition problem such that each image is displayed in its corresponding region partitioned from the canvas. The core of this is an efficient power-diagram-based circle packing algorithm that arranges a series of circles assigned to input photos compactly in the given canvas. To favor important photos, the circles are associated with image importances determined by an image ranking process. A heuristic search process is developed to ensure that salient information of each photo is displayed in the polygonal area resulting from circle packing. With our new formulation, each factor influencing the state of a photo is optimized in an independent stage, and computation of the optimal states for neighboring photos are completely decoupled. This improves the scalability of collage results and ensures their diversity. We also devise a saliency-based image fusion scheme to generate seamless compositive collage. Our approach can generate the collages on nonrectangular canvases and supports interactive collage that allows the user to refine collage results according to his/her personal preferences. We conduct extensive experiments and show the superiority of our algorithm by comparing against previous methods.

Mineral and sensory profile of seasoned cracked olives packed in diverse salt mixtures.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno-Baquero, J M; Bautista-Gallego, J; Garrido-Fernández, A; López-López, A

2013-05-01

This work studies the effect of packing cracked seasoned olives with NaCl, KCl, and CaCl(2) mixture brines on their mineral nutrients and sensory attributes, using RSM methodology. The Na, K, Ca, and residual natural Mn contents in flesh as well as saltiness, bitterness and fibrousness were significantly related to the initial concentrations of salts in the packing solution. This new process led to table olives with a significantly lower sodium content (about 31%) than the traditional product but fortified in K and Ca. High levels of Na and Ca in the flesh led to high scores of acidity and saltiness (the first descriptor) and bitterness (the second) while the K content was unrelated to any sensory descriptor. The new presentations using moderate proportions of alternative salts will therefore have improved nutritional value and healthier characteristics but only a slightly modified sensory profile. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental investigation into a packed bed thermal storage solution for solar gas turbine systems

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Klein, P

2013-09-01

Full Text Available High temperature thermal storage in randomly packed beds of ceramic particles is proposed as an effective storage solution for Solar Gas Turbine (SGT) cycles in the near term. Numerical modelling of these systems allows for optimised thermal storage...

Numerical analysis of heat propagation in a battery pack using a novel technology for triggering thermal runaway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coman, Paul T.; Darcy, Eric C.; Veje, Christian T.; White, Ralph E.

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Heat propagation during thermal runaway (TR) in a battery pack with aluminum heat sink was analyzed. •TR in the battery pack, triggered by a novel internal short circuit device (ISCD) was modeled. •A 2D geometry and model couplings reduce computation time significantly. •Small air gaps and mica paper in combination with a thermally conductive matrix increase safety in battery packs. -- Abstract: This paper presents a numerical model used for analyzing heat propagation as a safety feature in a custom-made battery pack. The pack uses a novel technology consisting of an internal short circuit device implanted in a cell to trigger thermal runaway. The goal of the study is to investigate the importance of wrapping cylindrical battery cells (18650 type) in a thermally and electrically insulating mica sleeve, to fix the cells in a thermally conductive aluminum heat sink. By modeling the full-scale pack using a 2D model and coupling the thermal model with an electrochemical model, good agreement with a 3D model and experimental data was found (less than 6%). The 2D modeling approach also reduces the computation time considerably (from 11 h to 25 min) compared to using a 3D model. The results showed that the air trapped between the cell and the boreholes of the heat sink provides a good insulation which reduces the temperature of the adjacent cells during thermal runaway. At the same time, a highly conductive matrix dissipates the heat throughout its thermal mass, reducing the temperature even further. It was found that for designing a safe battery pack which mitigates thermal runaway propagation, a combination of small insulating layers wrapped around the cells, and a conductive heat sink is beneficial.

Field investigation into the influene of anhydrite packing on longwall gate road stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dudley, W R

1977-01-01

Strata movements around a number of longwall roadways at Easington Colliery (UK), together with pack load, convergence, and area losses were determined. The influence of relatively incompressible anhydrite packs on roadway stability was particularly studied. Closures between roadways using this type of pack were compared with those using dirt filled wood chocks. The effectiveness of a Webster packer in controlling roadway convergence was assessed at Horden Colliery. The physical properties of anhydrite/accelerator mixtures likely to influence their use as a roadside packing material was also investigated. (91 refs.)

Impact of Australia's introduction of tobacco plain packs on adult smokers' pack-related perceptions and responses: results from a continuous tracking survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlop, Sally M; Dobbins, Timothy; Young, Jane M; Perez, Donna; Currow, David C

2014-12-18

To investigate the impact of Australia's plain tobacco packaging policy on two stated purposes of the legislation--increasing the impact of health warnings and decreasing the promotional appeal of packaging--among adult smokers. Serial cross-sectional study with weekly telephone surveys (April 2006-May 2013). Interrupted time-series analyses using ARIMA modelling and linear regression models were used to investigate intervention effects. 15,745 adult smokers (aged 18 years and above) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Random selection of participants involved recruiting households using random digit dialling and selecting the nth oldest smoker for interview. The introduction of the legislation on 1 October 2012. Salience of tobacco pack health warnings, cognitive and emotional responses to warnings, avoidance of warnings, perceptions regarding one's cigarette pack. Adjusting for background trends, seasonality, antismoking advertising activity and cigarette costliness, results from ARIMA modelling showed that, 2-3 months after the introduction of the new packs, there was a significant increase in the absolute proportion of smokers having strong cognitive (9.8% increase, p=0.005), emotional (8.6% increase, p=0.01) and avoidant (9.8% increase, p=0.0005) responses to on-pack health warnings. Similarly, there was a significant increase in the proportion of smokers strongly disagreeing that the look of their cigarette pack is attractive (57.5% increase, p<0.0001), says something good about them (54.5% increase, p<0.0001), influences the brand they buy (40.6% increase, p<0.0001), makes their pack stand out (55.6% increase, p<0.0001), is fashionable (44.7% increase, p<0.0001) and matches their style (48.1% increase, p<0.0001). Changes in these outcomes were maintained 6 months postintervention. The introductory effects of the plain packaging legislation among adult smokers are consistent with the specific objectives of the legislation in regard to reducing

Life Prediction of Large Lithium-Ion Battery Packs with Active and Passive Balancing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Ying [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Smith, Kandler A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Zane, Regan [Utah State University; Anderson, Dyche [Ford Motor Company

2017-07-03

Lithium-ion battery packs take a major part of large-scale stationary energy storage systems. One challenge in reducing battery pack cost is to reduce pack size without compromising pack service performance and lifespan. Prognostic life model can be a powerful tool to handle the state of health (SOH) estimate and enable active life balancing strategy to reduce cell imbalance and extend pack life. This work proposed a life model using both empirical and physical-based approaches. The life model described the compounding effect of different degradations on the entire cell with an empirical model. Then its lower-level submodels considered the complex physical links between testing statistics (state of charge level, C-rate level, duty cycles, etc.) and the degradation reaction rates with respect to specific aging mechanisms. The hybrid approach made the life model generic, robust and stable regardless of battery chemistry and application usage. The model was validated with a custom pack with both passive and active balancing systems implemented, which created four different aging paths in the pack. The life model successfully captured the aging trajectories of all four paths. The life model prediction errors on capacity fade and resistance growth were within +/-3% and +/-5% of the experiment measurements.

Social Interactions Sparked by Pictorial Warnings on Cigarette Packs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marissa G. Hall

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The Message Impact Framework suggests that social interactions may offer smokers the opportunity to process pictorial warnings on cigarette packs more deeply. We aimed to describe adult smokers’ social interactions about pictorial cigarette pack warnings in two longitudinal pilot studies. In Pilot Study 1, 30 smokers used cigarette packs with one of nine pictorial warnings for two weeks. In Pilot Study 2, 46 smokers used cigarette packs with one of five pictorial warnings for four weeks. Nearly all smokers (97%/96% in Pilot Study 1/2 talked about the warnings with other people, with the most common people being friends (67%/87% and spouses/significant others (34%/42%. Pilot Study 2 found that 26% of smokers talked about the warnings with strangers. Discussions about the health effects of smoking and quitting smoking were more frequent during the first week of exposure to pictorial warnings than in the week prior to beginning the study (both p < 0.05. Pictorial warnings sparked social interactions about the warnings, the health effects of smoking, and quitting smoking, indicating that pictorial warnings may act as a social intervention reaching beyond the individual. Future research should examine social interactions as a potential mediator of the impact of pictorial warnings on smoking behavior.

Dynamic Simulation of Random Packing of Polydispersive Fine Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Ferraz, Carlos Handrey Araujo; Marques, Samuel Apolinário

2018-02-01

In this paper, we perform molecular dynamic (MD) simulations to study the two-dimensional packing process of both monosized and random size particles with radii ranging from 1.0 to 7.0 μm. The initial positions as well as the radii of five thousand fine particles were defined inside a rectangular box by using a random number generator. Both the translational and rotational movements of each particle were considered in the simulations. In order to deal with interacting fine particles, we take into account both the contact forces and the long-range dispersive forces. We account for normal and static/sliding tangential friction forces between particles and between particle and wall by means of a linear model approach, while the long-range dispersive forces are computed by using a Lennard-Jones-like potential. The packing processes were studied assuming different long-range interaction strengths. We carry out statistical calculations of the different quantities studied such as packing density, mean coordination number, kinetic energy, and radial distribution function as the system evolves over time. We find that the long-range dispersive forces can strongly influence the packing process dynamics as they might form large particle clusters, depending on the intensity of the long-range interaction strength.

Calcium oxide/carbon dioxide reactivity in a packed bed reactor of a chemical heat pump for high-temperature gas reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Yukitaka; Yamada, Mitsuteru; Kanie, Toshihiro; Yoshizawa, Yoshio

2001-01-01

The thermal performance of a chemical heat pump that uses a calcium oxide/carbon dioxide reaction system was discussed as a heat storage system for utilizing heat output from high temperature gas reactors (HTGR). Calcium oxide/carbon dioxide reactivity for the heat pump was measured using a packed bed reactor containing 1.0 kg of reactant. The reactor was capable of storing heat at 900 deg. C by decarbonation of calcium carbonate and generating up to 997 deg. C by carbonation of calcium oxide. The amount of stored heat in the reactor was 800-900 kJ kg -1 . The output temperature of the reactor could be controlled by regulating the carbonation pressure. The thermal storage performance of the reactor was superior to that of conventional sensible heat storage systems. A heat pump using this CaO/CO 2 reactor is expected to contribute to thermal load leveling and to realize highly efficient utilization of HTGR output due to the high heat storage density and high-quality temperature output of the heat pump

Packing in Two and Three Dimensions

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Martins, Gustavo H

2003-01-01

...), the Multidimensional Knapsack Problem (MD-KP), and the Multidimensional Bin Packing Problem (MD-BPP). In these problems, there is a set of items, with rectangular dimensions, and a set of large containers, or bins, also with rectangular dimensions...

Goddard rattler-jamming mechanism for quantifying pressure dependence of elastic moduli of grain packs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pride, Steven R.; Berryman, James G.

2009-01-05

An analysis is presented to show how it is possible for unconsolidated granular packings to obey overall non-Hertzian pressure dependence due to the imperfect and random spatial arrangements of the grains in these packs. With imperfect arrangement, some gaps that remain between grains can be closed by strains applied to the grain packing. As these gaps are closed, former rattler grains become jammed and new stress-bearing contacts are created that increase the elastic stiffness of the packing. By allowing for such a mechanism, detailed analytical expressions are obtained for increases in bulk modulus of a random packing of grains with increasing stress and strain. Only isotropic stress and strain are considered in this analysis. The model is shown to give a favorable fit to laboratory data on variations in bulk modulus due to variations in applied pressure for bead packs.

Method for immobilizing particulate materials in a packed bed

Science.gov (United States)

Even, Jr., William R.; Guthrie, Stephen E.; Raber, Thomas N.; Wally, Karl; Whinnery, LeRoy L.; Zifer, Thomas

1999-01-01

The present invention pertains generally to immobilizing particulate matter contained in a "packed" bed reactor so as to prevent powder migration, compaction, coalescence, or the like. More specifically, this invention relates to a technique for immobilizing particulate materials using a microporous foam-like polymer such that a) the particulate retains its essential chemical nature, b) the local movement of the particulate particles is not unduly restricted, c) bulk powder migration and is prevented, d) physical and chemical access to the particulate is unchanged over time, and e) very high particulate densities are achieved. The immobilized bed of the present invention comprises a vessel for holding particulate matter, inlet and an outlet ports or fittings, a loosely packed bed of particulate material contained within the vessel, and a three dimensional porous matrix for surrounding and confining the particles thereby fixing the movement of individual particle to a limited local position. The established matrix is composed of a series of cells or chambers comprising walls surrounding void space, each wall forming the wall of an adjacent cell; each wall containing many holes penetrating through the wall yielding an overall porous structure and allowing useful levels of gas transport.

Are artificial opals non-close-packed fcc structures?

Science.gov (United States)

García-Santamaría, F.; Braun, P. V.

2007-06-01

The authors report a simple experimental method to accurately measure the volume fraction of artificial opals. The results are modeled using several methods, and they find that some of the most common yield very inaccurate results. Both finite size and substrate effects play an important role in calculations of the volume fraction. The experimental results show that the interstitial pore volume is 4%-15% larger than expected for close-packed structures. Consequently, calculations performed in previous work relating the amount of material synthesized in the opal interstices with the optical properties may need revision, especially in the case of high refractive index materials.

Lung Cancer Risk and Demographic Characteristics of Current 20-29 Pack-year Smokers: Implications for Screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinsky, Paul F; Kramer, Barnett S

2015-11-01

Based on current recommendations, 30+ pack-years of smoking are required for eligibility for low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening; former smokers must have quit within 15 years. We investigated whether current smokers with 20 to 29 pack-years have similar lung cancer risks as eligible former smokers and also whether they have a different demographic profile. The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) was a randomly assigned screening trial of subjects age 55 to 74 years with chest radiographs (CXR) used for lung cancer. Subjects completed a baseline questionnaire containing smoking history questions. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age and sex, were utilized to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for various smoking history groups. Next, we utilized the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which inquired about smoking history and race/ethnicity, to analyze the demographic profiles of various high-risk smoking history categories. All statistical tests were two-sided. The PLCO cohort included 18 114 former and 12 243 current LDCT-eligible smokers, plus 2283 20- to 29-pack-year current smokers. The hazard ratio for 20- to 29-pack-year current smokers compared with eligible (30+ pack-year) former smokers was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75 to 1.5). Based on the NHIS, 10 million persons in the United States are currently LDCT eligible; an additional 1.6 million (16%, 95% CI = 13.6% to 19.0%) are 20- to 29-pack-year current smokers. The percentage increase in eligibles if 20- to 29-pack-year current smokers were included was substantially greater for women than men (22.2%, 95% CI = 17.9% to 26.7%; vs 12.2%, 95% CI = 9.3% to 15.3%, P non-Hispanic whites (30.0%, 95% CI = 24.2% to 36.0%; vs 14.1%, 95% CI = 11.1% to 17.0%, P smokers should be assessed. Published by Oxford University Press 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Transparent Heat-Resistant PMMA Copolymers for Packing Light-Emitting Diode Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shu-Ling Yeh

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Transparent and heat-resistant poly(methyl methacrylate copolymers were synthesized by bulk polymerizing methyl methacrylate (MMA, isobornyl methacrylate (IBMA, and methacrylamide (MAA monomers. Copolymerization was performed using a chain transfer agent to investigate the molecular weight changes of these copolymers, which exhibited advantages including a low molecular weight distribution, excellent optical properties, high transparency, high glass transition temperature, low moisture absorption, and pellets that can be readily mass produced by using extrusion or jet injection for packing light-emitting diode materials.

Imaging of drug smuggling by body packing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sica, Giacomo; Guida, Franco; Bocchini, Giorgio; Iaselli, Francesco; Iadevito, Isabella; Scaglione, Mariano

2015-02-01

Body packing, pushing, and stuffing are hazardous practices with complex medicolegal and social implications. A radiologist plays both a social and a medicolegal role in their assessment, and it should not be limited only to the identification of the packages but must also provide accurate information about their number and their exact location so as to prevent any package remains in the body packer. Radiologists must also be able to recognize the complications associated with these risky practices. Imaging assessment of body packing is performed essentially through plain abdominal X-ray and computed tomography scans. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, although with some advantages, actually have a limited use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An iterative bidirectional heuristic placement algorithm for solving the two-dimensional knapsack packing problem

Science.gov (United States)

Shiangjen, Kanokwatt; Chaijaruwanich, Jeerayut; Srisujjalertwaja, Wijak; Unachak, Prakarn; Somhom, Samerkae

2018-02-01

This article presents an efficient heuristic placement algorithm, namely, a bidirectional heuristic placement, for solving the two-dimensional rectangular knapsack packing problem. The heuristic demonstrates ways to maximize space utilization by fitting the appropriate rectangle from both sides of the wall of the current residual space layer by layer. The iterative local search along with a shift strategy is developed and applied to the heuristic to balance the exploitation and exploration tasks in the solution space without the tuning of any parameters. The experimental results on many scales of packing problems show that this approach can produce high-quality solutions for most of the benchmark datasets, especially for large-scale problems, within a reasonable duration of computational time.

21 CFR 133.125 - Cold-pack cheese food with fruits, vegetables, or meats.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cold-pack cheese food with fruits, vegetables, or..., vegetables, or meats. (a) Cold-pack cheese food with fruits, vegetables, or meats or mixtures of these is the... cheese food with fruits, vegetables or meats is “Cold-pack cheese food with ___”, the blank being filled...

Fast searching in packed strings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bille, Philip

2011-01-01

Given strings P and Q the (exact) string matching problem is to find all positions of substrings in Q matching P. The classical Knuth–Morris–Pratt algorithm [SIAM J. Comput. 6 (2) (1977) 323–350] solves the string matching problem in linear time which is optimal if we can only read one character...... at the time. However, most strings are stored in a computer in a packed representation with several characters in a single word, giving us the opportunity to read multiple characters simultaneously. In this paper we study the worst-case complexity of string matching on strings given in packed representation....... Let m⩽n be the lengths P and Q, respectively, and let σ denote the size of the alphabet. On a standard unit-cost word-RAM with logarithmic word size we present an algorithm using timeO(nlogσn+m+occ). Here occ is the number of occurrences of P in Q. For m=o(n) this improves the O(n) bound of the Knuth...

Radioecological aspects of at-sea dumping of nuclear wastes resulting from the FSU nuclear fleet activities: Reliability of packings and necessity of rehabilitation measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavkovsky, S.; Kvasha, N.; Kobzev, V.; Sadovnikov, V.; Goltsev, V.

2002-01-01

The practice of radioactive waste treatment in the former USSR was that prior to at-sea dumping of objects with spent nuclear fuel (SNF) a set of design and technological measures was undertaken with a view to form packings with additional barriers to prevent radionuclide release in the environment. Based upon the results of most conservative evaluations of the protective barrier corrosion resistance it was concluded, that till Year 2300 there will be no grounds to worry about a possibility of the loss of tightness of the majority of packings. However, should unfavourable external natural factors combine, the loss of sealing of the packing with the screening assembly of the nuclear icebreaker 'Lenin' can occur at any moment. (author)

Multi objective optimization of line pack management of gas pipeline system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chebouba, A

2015-01-01

This paper addresses the Line Pack Management of the ''GZ1 Hassi R'mell-Arzew'' gas pipeline. For a gas pipeline system, the decision-making on the gas line pack management scenarios usually involves a delicate balance between minimization of the fuel consumption in the compression stations and maximizing gas line pack. In order to select an acceptable Line Pack Management of Gas Pipeline scenario from these two angles for ''GZ1 Hassi R'mell- Arzew'' gas pipeline, the idea of multi-objective decision-making has been introduced. The first step in developing this approach is the derivation of a numerical method to analyze the flow through the pipeline under transient isothermal conditions. In this paper, the solver NSGA-II of the modeFRONTIER, coupled with a matlab program was used for solving the multi-objective problem

Numerical simulation and experimental verification of gas flow through packed beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natarajan, S.; Zhang, C.; Briens, C.

2003-01-01

This work is concerned with finding out an effective way of eliminating oxygen from a packed bed of monomer particles. This process finds application in industries involved in the manufacture of Nylon12. In the manufacture of the polymer Nylon12, the polymerization reaction is hindered by the presence of oxygen. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to get rid of the oxygen by injecting nitrogen to displace the oxygen from the voids in-between the monomer particles before they are introduced into the polymerization reactor. This work involves the numerical simulation and experimental verification of the flow in a packed bed. In addition, a parametric study is carried out for the parameters such as the number of injectors, the radial position of injectors, and the position of the injectors along the circumference of the packed bed to find out the best possible combination for effective elimination of the oxygen. Nitrogen does not interact with the monomer particles and hence there is no chemical reaction involved in this process. The nitrogen is introduced into the packed bed at a flow rate which will keep the superficial velocity well below the minimum fluidization velocity of the monomer particles. The packed bed will be modeled using a porous medium approach available in the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software FLUENT. The fluid flow inside the packed bed will be a multicomponent gas flow through a porous medium. The simulation results are validated by comparing with the experimental results. (author)

Differential wolf-pack-size persistence and the role of risk when hunting dangerous prey

Science.gov (United States)

Barber-Meyer, Shannon M.; Mech, L. David; Newton, Wesley E.; Borg, Bridget

2016-01-01

Risk to predators hunting dangerous prey is an emerging area of research and could account for possible persistent differences in gray wolf (Canis lupus) pack sizes. We documented significant differences in long-term wolf-pack-size averages and variation in the Superior National Forest (SNF), Denali National Park and Preserve, Yellowstone National Park, and Yukon, Canada (pwolves’ risk when hunting primary prey, for those packs (N=3) hunting moose (Alces americanus) were significantly larger than those (N=10) hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (F1,8=16.50, p=0.004). Our data support the hypothesis that differential pack-size persistence may be perpetuated by differences in primary prey riskiness to wolves, and we highlight two important extensions of this idea: (1) the potential for wolves to provision and defend injured packmates from other wolves and (2) the importance of less-risky, buffer prey to pack-size persistence and year-to-year variation. Risk to predators hunting dangerous prey is an emerging area of research and could account for possible persistent differences in gray wolf (Canis lupus) pack sizes. We documented significant differences in long-term wolf-pack-size averages and variation in the Superior National Forest (SNF), Denali National Park and Preserve, Yellowstone National Park, and Yukon, Canada (pwolves’ risk when hunting primary prey, for those packs (N=3) hunting moose (Alces americanus) were significantly larger than those (N=10) hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (F1,8=16.50, p=0.004). Our data support the hypothesis that differential pack-size persistence may be perpetuated by differences in primary prey riskiness to wolves, and we highlight two important extensions of this idea: (1) the potential for wolves to provision and defend injured packmates from other wolves and (2) the importance of less-risky, buffer prey to pack-size persistence and year-to-year variation.

6-PACK programme to decrease fall injuries in acute hospitals: cluster randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Anna L; Morello, Renata T; Wolfe, Rory; Brand, Caroline A; Haines, Terry P; Hill, Keith D; Brauer, Sandra G; Botti, Mari; Cumming, Robert G; Livingston, Patricia M; Sherrington, Catherine; Zavarsek, Silva; Lindley, Richard I; Kamar, Jeannette

2016-01-26

To evaluate the effect of the 6-PACK programme on falls and fall injuries in acute wards. Cluster randomised controlled trial. Six Australian hospitals. All patients admitted to 24 acute wards during the trial period. Participating wards were randomly assigned to receive either the nurse led 6-PACK programme or usual care over 12 months. The 6-PACK programme included a fall risk tool and individualised use of one or more of six interventions: "falls alert" sign, supervision of patients in the bathroom, ensuring patients' walking aids are within reach, a toileting regimen, use of a low-low bed, and use of a bed/chair alarm. The co-primary outcomes were falls and fall injuries per 1000 occupied bed days. During the trial, 46 245 admissions to 16 medical and eight surgical wards occurred. As many people were admitted more than once, this represented 31 411 individual patients. Patients' characteristics and length of stay were similar for intervention and control wards. Use of 6-PACK programme components was higher on intervention wards than on control wards (incidence rate ratio 3.05, 95% confidence interval 2.14 to 4.34; Pcontrol wards. Positive changes in falls prevention practice occurred following the introduction of the 6-PACK programme. However, no difference was seen in falls or fall injuries between groups. High quality evidence showing the effectiveness of falls prevention interventions in acute wards remains absent. Novel solutions to the problem of in-hospital falls are urgently needed. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12611000332921. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Thermo-mechanical parametric analysis of packed-bed thermocline energy storage tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González, Ignacio; Pérez-Segarra, Carlos David; Lehmkuhl, Oriol; Torras, Santiago; Oliva, Assensi

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A numerical model of packed-bed thermocline thermal storage for CSP is presented. • Up-to-date commercial configurations are tested both thermally and structurally. • Promising thermal performance is obtained with a temperature difference of 100 °C. • Reliable factors of safety against material yielding and ratcheting can be obtained. • Cyclic relaxation-traction elastic wall stresses arise with plant normal operation. - Abstract: A packed-bed thermocline tank represents a proved cheaper thermal energy storage for concentrated solar power plants compared with the commonly-built two-tank system. However, its implementation has been stopped mainly due to the vessel’s thermal ratcheting concern, which would compromise its structural integrity. In order to have a better understanding of the commercial viability of thermocline approach, regarding energetic effectiveness and structural reliability, a new numerical simulation platform has been developed. The model dynamically solves and couples all the significant components of the subsystem, being able to evaluate its thermal and mechanical response over plant normal operation. The filler material is considered as a cohesionless bulk solid with thermal expansion. For the stresses on the tank wall the general thermoelastic theory is used. First, the numerical model is validated with the Solar One thermocline case, and then a parametric analysis is carried out by settling this storage technology in two real plants with a temperature rise of 100 °C and 275 °C. The numerical results show a better storage performance together with the lowest temperature difference, but both options achieve suitable structural factors of safety with a proper design.

Modelling and comparison studies of packed screen regenerators for active magnetocaloric refrigeration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lei, Tian; Engelbrecht, Kurt; Nielsen, K. K.

2011-01-01

In active magnetic regeneration (AMR) systems, not only the magnetocaloric properties of materials, but also the regenerator geometry plays an important role in the system performance. Packed sphere regenerators are often employed in existing prototypes, however, the characteristics such as relat...... is improved and applied to simulate the regenerators. The performance of the new regenerators is studied and compared with that of the packed sphere regenerators. Possible fabrication methods of the packed screen regenerators are also discussed....

Modelling and comparison studies of packed screen regenerators for active magnetocaloric refrigeration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lei, Tian; Engelbrecht, Kurt; Nielsen, Kaspar Kirstein

2014-01-01

In active magnetic regeneration (AMR) systems, not only the magnetocaloric properties of materials, but also the regenerator geometry plays an important role in the system performance. Packed sphere regenerators are often employed in existing prototypes, however, the characteristics such as relat...... is improved and applied to simulate the regenerators. The performance of the new regenerators is studied and compared with that of the packed sphere regenerators. Possible fabrication methods of the packed screen regenerators are also discussed....

A biphasic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones using a simplified packed-bed microreactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Bogdan

2009-04-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate the preparation and characterization of a simplified packed-bed microreactor using an immobilized TEMPO catalyst shown to oxidize primary and secondary alcohols via the biphasic Anelli-Montanari protocol. Oxidations occurred in high yields with great stability over time. We observed that plugs of aqueous oxidant and organic alcohol entered the reactor as plugs but merged into an emulsion on the packed-bed. The emulsion coalesced into larger plugs upon exiting the reactor, leaving the organic product separate from the aqueous by-products. Furthermore, the microreactor oxidized a wide range of alcohols and remained active in excess of 100 trials without showing any loss of catalytic activity.

Lifetime prediction of high-power press-pack IGBTs in wind power applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Busca, Cristian

The Wind Turbine (WT) industry is advancing at a rapid pace and the power rating of new WTs is continuously growing. The next generation large WTs are likely to be realized with full-scale power converters due to the advantages they offer in terms of grid code compliance, power density and decoup......The Wind Turbine (WT) industry is advancing at a rapid pace and the power rating of new WTs is continuously growing. The next generation large WTs are likely to be realized with full-scale power converters due to the advantages they offer in terms of grid code compliance, power density...... and decoupling of the generator and grid sides. Press-Pack (PP) Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) are promising semiconductor devices for the next generation large WTs due to the advantages they offer in terms of power capability, power density and thermal cycling capability. PP IGBTs require proper...

Two-Dimensional Model of Scrolled Packings of Molecular Nanoribbons

Science.gov (United States)

Savin, A. V.; Mazo, M. A.

2018-04-01

A simplified model of the in-plane molecular chain, allowing the description of folded and scrolled packings of molecular nanoribbons of different structures, is proposed. Using this model, possible steady states of single-layer nanoribbons scrolls of graphene, graphane, fluorographene, and fluorographane (graphene hydrogenated on the one side and fluorinated on the other side) are obtained. Their stability is demonstrated and their energy is calculated as a function of the nanoribbon length. It is shown that the scrolled packing is the most energetically favorable nanoribbon conformation at long lengths. The existences of scrolled packings for fluorographene nanoribbons and the existence of two different scroll types corresponding to left- and right-hand Archimedean spirals for fluorographane nanoribbons in the chain model are shown for the first time. The simplicity of the proposed model makes it possible to consider the dynamics of scrolls of rather long molecular nanoribbons at long enough time intervals.

Singlet Fission in Rubrene Derivatives: Impact of Molecular Packing

KAUST Repository

Sutton, Christopher

2017-03-13

We examine the properties of six recently synthesized rubrene derivatives (with substitutions on the side phenyl rings) that show vastly different crystal structures. In order to understand how packing in the solid state affects the excited states and couplings relevant for singlet fission, the lowest excited singlet (S), triplet (T), multiexciton (TT), and charge-transfer (CT) states of the rubrene derivatives are compared to known singlet fission materials [tetracene, pentacene, 5,12-diphenyltetracene (DPT), and rubrene itself]. While a small difference of less than 0.2 eV is calculated for the S and TT energies, a range of 0.50 to 1.2 eV in the CT energies and nearly 3 orders of magnitude in the electronic couplings are computed for the rubrene derivatives in their crystalline packings, which strongly affects the role of the CT state in facilitating SF. To rationalize experimental observations of singlet fission occurring in amorphous phases of rubrene, DPT, and tetracene, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to assess the impact of molecular packing and orientations and to gain a better understanding of the parameters that control singlet fission in amorphous films compared to crystalline packings. The MD simulations point to a crystalline-like packing for thin films of tetracene; on the other hand, DPT, rubrene, and the rubrene derivatives all show various degrees of disorder with a number of sites that have larger electronic couplings than in the crystal, which can facilitate singlet fission in such thin films. Our analysis underlines the potential of these materials as promising candidates for singlet fission and helps understand how various structural motifs affect the critical parameters that control the ability of a system to undergo singlet fission.

Flow dynamics in distillation columns packed with Dixon rings as used in isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilath, C.; Cohen, H.; Wolf, D.

1977-01-01

Packed distillation columns are common in isotope separation. The pressure drop serves as an indication for the hydrodynamic state of the column. Models were formulated for flow and pressure drop dynamics in packed distillation columns. These models were confirmed on columns packed with Dixon rings and operated with water for separation of oxygen isotopes. Liquid holdup displacement is very important in isotope separation practice. Experiments proved that distillation columns packed with Dixon rings exhibit a behaviour close to plug flow. (author)

Chicken Meat Submitted to Gamma Radiation and Packed with or without Oxygen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K Pelicia

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects on gamma radiation levels on the physical and microbiological characteristics of chicken breast meat. A completely randomized experimental design in a 4x2x3 factorial arrangement was adopted. Treatments consisted of four radiation concentrations (0, 2, 4, or 8kGy, two package sealing methods (with or without vacuum, and three storage times (01, 07, or 14 days, with ten replicates each, totaling 240 chicken breast fillets. Packaging and radiation had no influence (p>0.05 on chicken breast meat pH, water retention capacity, or presence of Salmonella spp. Breast fillets not submitted to radiation and vacuum packed presented higher water retention capacity (p<0.05 than those radiated at 4kGy and vacuum packed. Drip loss in fillets radiated at 8kGy and not vacuum packed was higher (p<0.05 than in non-radiated and non-vacuum packed fillets; however, both were not different from the other treatments. Coliform presence increased with storage time in non-radiated samples; however, when these were vacuum-packed, their development was slower. The results of the present experiment suggest that the use of a low radiation dose (2kGy, combined with vacuum packing, may minimize the harmful effects of storage on chicken breast fillets.

Accelerated carbonation of steelmaking slags in a high-gravity rotating packed bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, E-E; Pan, Shu-Yuan; Chen, Yi-Hung; Tan, Chung-Sung; Chiang, Pen-Chi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The carbonation conversion in a RPB was higher than that in traditional reactors. ► The optimum conditions were operated at 750 rpm and 65 °C for 30 min. ► The product on BOF slag was identified as crystallized calcite based on SEM and XRD. ► The diffusivity ranged from 10 −7 to 10 −6 cm 2 s −1 based on the shrinking core model. - Abstract: Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sequestration using the accelerated carbonation of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag in a high-gravity rotating packed bed (RPB) under various operational conditions was investigated. The effects of reaction time, reaction temperature, rotation speed and slurry flow rate on the CO 2 sequestration process were evaluated. The samples of reacted slurry were analyzed quantitatively using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and qualitatively using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The sequestration experiments were performed at a liquid-to-solid ratio of 20:1 with a flow rate of 2.5 L min −1 of a pure CO 2 stream under atmospheric temperature and pressure. The results show that a maximum conversion of BOF slag was 93.5% at a reaction time of 30 min and a rotation speed of 750 rpm at 65 °C. The experimental data were utilized to determine the rate-limiting mechanism based on the shrinking core model (SCM), which was validated by the observations of SEM and TEM. Accelerated carbonation in a RPB was confirmed to be a viable method due to its higher mass-transfer rate.

Packing and Disorder in Substituted Fullerenes

KAUST Repository

Tummala, Naga Rajesh

2016-07-15

Fullerenes are ubiquitous as electron-acceptor and electron-transport materials in organic solar cells. Recent synthetic strategies to improve the solubility and electronic characteristics of these molecules have translated into a tremendous increase in the variety of derivatives employed in these applications. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to examine the impact of going from mono-adducts to bis- and tris-adducts on the structural, cohesive, and packing characteristics of [6,6]-phenyl-C60-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and indene-C60. The packing configurations obtained at the MD level then serve as input for density functional theory calculations that examine the solid-state energetic disorder (distribution of site energies) as a function of chemical substitution. The variations in structural and site-energy disorders reflect the fundamental materials differences among the derivatives and impact the performance of these materials in thin-film electronic devices.

Length of perineal pain relief after ice pack application: A quasi-experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza Bosco Paiva, Caroline; Junqueira Vasconcellos de Oliveira, Sonia Maria; Amorim Francisco, Adriana; da Silva, Renata Luana; de Paula Batista Mendes, Edilaine; Steen, Mary

2016-04-01

Ice pack is effective for alleviating postpartum perineal pain in primiparous women while multiparous women's levels of perineal pain appear to be poorly explored. Ice pack is a low-cost non-invasive localised treatment that can be used with no impact on breastfeeding. However, how long perineal analgesia persists after applying an ice pack is still unknown. To evaluate if perineal analgesia is maintained up to 2h after applying an ice pack to the perineum for 20min. A quasi-experimental study, using a pre and post-test design, was undertaken with a sample size of 50 multiparous women in Brazil. Data was collected by structured interview. The intervention involved a single application of an ice pack applied for 20min to the perineal area of women who reported perineal pain ≥3 by use of a numeric rating scale (0-10), with intact perineum, 1st or 2nd degree lacerations or episiotomy, between 6 and 24h after spontaneous vaginal birth. Perineal pain was evaluated at three points of time: before, immediately after and 2h after applying an ice pack. Immediately after applying an ice pack to the perineal area, there was a significant reduction in the severity of perineal pain reported (5.4 vs. 1.0, p<0.0005), which continued for 1h 35min up to 2h after the local application. Ice pack application for 20min is effective for alleviating postpartum perineal pain and continues to be effective between 1h 35min for up to 2h. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Six Pack Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Henrik; Ritter, Thomas

Ever seen a growth strategies fail because it was not connect ed to the firm’s customer base? Or a customer relationship strategy falters just because it was the wrong thing to do with that given customer? This article presents the six pack model, a tool that makes growth profitable and predictable....... Not all customers can and should grow – thus a firm needs to classify its customers in order to implement the right customer strategy....

Secure hemostasis in transhiatal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer with gauze packing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hirahara Noriyuki

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Transhiatal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer implies blind manipulation of the intrathoracic esophagus. We report a secure hemostatic method with gauze packing in transhiatal esophagectomy. Methods The gauze-packing technique is utilized for hemostasis just after removal of the thoracic esophagus during transhiatal esophagectomy. After confirming cancer-free margins, the abdominal esophagus and cervical esophagus are transected. A vein stripper is inserted into the oral-side stump of the esophagus and led to exit from the abdominal-side stump of the esophagus. The vein stripper and the oral stump of the esophagus are affixed by silk thread. A polyester tape is then affixed to the vein stripper, as the polyester tape is left in the posterior mediastinum after removal of the esophagus toward the abdominal side. The polyester tape on the cervical side is ligated with gauze and the polyester tape is removed toward the abdominal side. The oral stump of gauze and new additional gauze are affixed. As the first gauze is pulled out from the abdominal side, the second gauze gets drawn from the cervical wound into the mediastinum. The posterior mediastinum is finally packed with gauze and possible bleeding at this site undergoes a complete astriction. The status of hemostasis with the gauze packing is checked by an observation of color and bloodstain on the gauze. Results Between January 2005 and February 2012, 13 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer underwent a transhiatal esophagectomy with the gauze-packing hemostatic technique. Hemostasis at the posterior mediastinum was performed successfully and quickly in all cases with this method, requiring up to four pieces of gauze for a complete hemostasis. Median required time for hemostasis was 1219 (range 1896 to 1293 seconds and estimated blood loss was 20.4 (range 15 to 25 ml during gauze packing. Conclusions Our technique could minimize bleeding after the removal of the

Imaging of body packing: errors and medico-legal issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Reginelli, Alfonso; Russo, Anna; Urraro, Fabrizio; Maresca, Duilia; Martiniello, Ciro; D'Andrea, Alfredo; Brunese, Luca; Pinto, Antonio

2015-10-01

Body packing is the ingestion or insertion in the human body of packed illicit substances. Over the last 20 years, drug smuggling has increased global and new means of transport of narcotics have emerged. Among these, the most frequent one is the gastrointestinal tract: from mouth to anus, vagina, and ears. Cocaine is one of the most traded drugs, followed by heroin. Condoms, latex gloves, and balloons are typically used as drug packets for retention in the body. There are different radiologic modalities to detect illicit drugs in body packing: Plain radiography, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, and magnetic resonance. Current protocols recommend the use of radiography to confirm packet retention and, in case of doubt, the use of abdominal CT scan with reduced mAs. In case of packet rupture, catastrophic effects can occur. Management of patients carrying packets of drugs is a recurrent medico-legal problem. To improve diagnostic accuracy and prevent hazardous complications, radiologists and emergency physicians should be familiar with radiologic features of body packing. The radiologist plays both a social and a medico-legal role in their assessment, and it should not be limited only to the identification of the packages but must also provide accurate information about their number and their exact location. In this review, we focus on diagnostic errors and medico-legal issues related to the radiological assessment of body packers.

A novel thermal management system for improving discharge/charge performance of Li-ion battery packs under abuse

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Shashank; Kapoor, Ajay; Shen, Weixiang

2018-02-01

Parasitic load, which describes electrical energy consumed by battery thermal management system (TMS), is an important design criterion for battery packs. Passive TMSs using phase change materials (PCMs) are thus generating much interest. However, PCMs suffer from low thermal conductivities. Most current thermal conductivity enhancement techniques involve addition of foreign particles to PCMs. Adding foreign particles increases effective thermal conductivity of PCM-systems but at expense of their latent heat capacity. This paper presents an alternate approach for improving thermal performance of PCM-based TMSs. The introduced technique involves placing battery cells in a vertically inverted position within the battery-pack. It is demonstrated through experiments that inverted cell-layout facilitates build-up of convection current in the pack, which in turn minimises thermal variations within the PCM matrix by enabling PCM mass transfer between the top and the bottom regions of the battery pack. The proposed system is found capable of maintaining tight control over battery cell temperature even during abusive usage, defined as high-rate repetitive cycling with minimal rest periods. In addition, this novel TMS can recover waste heat from PCM-matrix through thermoelectric devices, thereby resulting in a negative parasitic load for TMS.

School meal sociality or lunch pack individualism?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Sidse Schoubye; Holm, Lotte; Baarts, Charlotte

2015-01-01

the social life of a school class, and how these arrangements involve strategies of both inclusion and exclusion. Two types of school meals are compared in the intervention study: a hot meal based on Nordic ingredients and the normal Danish school meal arrangement in which children bring lunch packs...... to school. The study discusses commensality by examining and comparing lunchtime interactions within the same group of children in the two contrasting meal situations. The results fail to confirm the conventional view that shared meals have greater social impacts and benefits than eating individualized...... foods. The article argues that the social entrepreneurship involved in sharing individual lunch packs might even outweigh some of the benefits of shared meals where everyone is served the same food....

Experimental investigation on flow patterns of gas-liquid two-phase upward flow through packed channel with spheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Nan; Sun Zhongning; Zhao Zhongnan

2011-01-01

Experiments of visualized two-phase upward flow were conducted in the packed channel, which filled with 3, 5, 8 mm in diameter of glass sphere respectively. The gas superficial velocity ranges from 0.005 to 1.172 m/s. The liquid superficial velocity ranges from 0.004 to 0.093 m/s. Four representative flow patterns were observed as bubbly flow, cluster flow, liquid-pulse flow and churn-pulse flow, and corresponding flow pattern maps were also presented. It is found that the pulse flow region is dominant. The comparisons of flow pattern map between packed channel and non-packed channel show that the bubbly flow region in packed channel is narrower than that of non-packed channel due to the packing. The comparisons of flow pattern maps for three different packing sizes show that the cluster flow region expands with the increase of the packing diameter. In the low liquid superficial velocity, the cluster flow directly changes to churn-pulse flow in the packed channel with 8 mm packing. (authors)

Horizontal single-trip gravel pack and selective simulation system for deep water extended reach wells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pineda, Francisco [BJ Services Company, Houston, TX (United States); Vilela, Alvaro; Montanha, Roberto; Acosta, Marco; Farias, Rodrigo [BJ Services do Brasil Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2004-07-01

Most of the reservoirs located in the deep water and ultra-deep water offshore South America are described as unconsolidated sandstone that require sand control on both producers and water injection wells. Horizontal Open Hole Gravel Pack completions are the preferred method of development. If completing heavy oil reservoirs, there is a necessity of longer horizontal open hole sections. Low fracture gradients may limit the length of gravel pack in the open hole section because of the pressure increase during the Beta wave proppant deposition phase. This system allows the gravel pack assembly to be installed and the gravel pack to be pumped during the alpha and beta wave deposition phases without the limitation of high pressures that could fracture the well. The benefits of the Horizontal Single-Trip Gravel Pack and Selective Stimulation System (HSTSSS) using the differential valve include the ability to complete longer horizontal intervals, valuable rig-time savings and, efficient mechanical diversion of the stimulation fluid. This paper outlines the application of the HSTSSS system using a differential valve to complete a horizontal well in offshore deep waters. The need for a differential valve is primarily in horizontal gravel packing operations when normal circulating rates and pressures around the open hole would exceed formation break down pressure. The valve is intended to be easily spaced out and run in the wash pipe. At a predetermined differential pressure the valve opens and the return flow path distance around the bottom of the tailpipe is shortened, thus reducing back pressure preventing filter cake damage without slowing the pump rate. In addition the said valve has to close to allow the selective stimulation to take place. Economic considerations along with completion efficiencies are especially important on deep water, subsea completions. The utilization of differential valves allows completion of extended-reach open hole wells and/or low fracture

Percolation behavior of tritiated water into a soil packed bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Honda, T.; Katayama, K.; Uehara, K.; Fukada, S. [Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka (Japan); Takeishi, T. [Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Motooka Nishi-ku, Fukuoka (Japan)

2015-03-15

A large amount of cooling water is used in a D-T fusion reactor. The cooling water will contain tritium with high concentration because tritium can permeate metal walls at high temperature easily. A development of tritium handling technology for confining tritiated water in the fusion facility is an important issue. In addition, it is also important to understand tritium behavior in environment assuming severe accidents. In this study, percolation experiments of tritiated water in soil packed bed were carried out and tritium behavior in soil was discussed. Six soil samples were collected in Hakozaki campus of Kyushu University. These particle densities were of the same degree as that of general soils and moisture contents were related to BET surface area. For two soil samples used in the percolation experiment of tritiated water, saturated hydraulic conductivity agreed well with the estimating value by Creager. Tritium retention ratio in the soil packed bed was larger than water retention. This is considered to be due to an effect of tritium sorption on the surface of soil particles. The isotope exchange capacity estimated by assuming that H/T ratio of supplied tritiated water and H/T ratio of surface water of soil particle was equal was comparable to that on cement paste and mortar which were obtained by exposure of tritiated water vapor. (authors)

Percolation behavior of tritiated water into a soil packed bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honda, T.; Katayama, K.; Uehara, K.; Fukada, S.; Takeishi, T.

2015-01-01

A large amount of cooling water is used in a D-T fusion reactor. The cooling water will contain tritium with high concentration because tritium can permeate metal walls at high temperature easily. A development of tritium handling technology for confining tritiated water in the fusion facility is an important issue. In addition, it is also important to understand tritium behavior in environment assuming severe accidents. In this study, percolation experiments of tritiated water in soil packed bed were carried out and tritium behavior in soil was discussed. Six soil samples were collected in Hakozaki campus of Kyushu University. These particle densities were of the same degree as that of general soils and moisture contents were related to BET surface area. For two soil samples used in the percolation experiment of tritiated water, saturated hydraulic conductivity agreed well with the estimating value by Creager. Tritium retention ratio in the soil packed bed was larger than water retention. This is considered to be due to an effect of tritium sorption on the surface of soil particles. The isotope exchange capacity estimated by assuming that H/T ratio of supplied tritiated water and H/T ratio of surface water of soil particle was equal was comparable to that on cement paste and mortar which were obtained by exposure of tritiated water vapor. (authors)

The effect of deformation on two-phase flow through proppant-packed fractured shale samples: A micro-scale experimental investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Arshadi, Maziar; Zolfaghari, Arsalan; Piri, Mohammad; Al-Muntasheri, Ghaithan A.; Sayed, Mohammed

2017-07-01

We present the results of an extensive micro-scale experimental investigation of two-phase flow through miniature, fractured reservoir shale samples that contained different packings of proppant grains. We investigated permeability reduction in the samples by conducting experiments under a wide range of net confining pressures. Three different proppant grain distributions in three individual fractured shale samples were studied: i) multi-layer, ii) uniform mono-layer, and iii) non-uniform mono-layer. We performed oil-displacing-brine (drainage) and brine-displacing-oil (imbibition) flow experiments in the proppant packs under net confining pressures ranging from 200 to 6000 psi. The flow experiments were performed using a state-of-the-art miniature core-flooding apparatus integrated with a high-resolution, X-ray microtomography system. We visualized fluid occupancies, proppant embedment, and shale deformation under different flow and stress conditions. We examined deformation of pore space within the proppant packs and its impact on permeability and residual trapping, proppant embedment due to changes in net confining stress, shale surface deformation, and disintegration of proppant grains at high stress conditions. In particular, geometrical deformation and two-phase flow effects within the proppant pack impacting hydraulic conductivity of the medium were probed. A significant reduction in effective oil permeability at irreducible water saturation was observed due to increase in confining pressure. We propose different mechanisms responsible for the observed permeability reduction in different fracture packings. Samples with dissimilar proppant grain distributions showed significantly different proppant embedment behavior. Thinner proppant layer increased embedment significantly and lowered the onset confining pressure of embedment. As confining stress was increased, small embedments caused the surface of the shale to fracture. The produced shale fragments were

Wrap-Attack Pack: Product Packaging Exercise

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung Hwan; Hoffman, K. Douglas

2016-01-01

Although many marketing courses discuss traditional concepts pertaining to product strategy, concepts specifically relating to packaging are often glossed over. This exercise, "Wrap-Attack Pack," teaches students about the utilitarian and hedonic design elements of packaging. More specifically, the primary objective is to creatively…

Solution Coating of Superior Large-Area Flexible Perovskite Thin Films with Controlled Crystal Packing

KAUST Repository

Li, Jianbo

2017-05-08

Solution coating of organohalide lead perovskites offers great potential for achieving low-cost manufacturing of large-area flexible optoelectronics. However, the rapid coating speed needed for industrial-scale production poses challenges to the control of crystal packing. Herein, this study reports using solution shearing to confine crystal nucleation and growth in large-area printed MAPbI3 thin films. Near single-crystalline perovskite microarrays are demonstrated with a high degree of controlled macroscopic alignment and crystal orientation, which exhibit significant improvements in optical and optoelectronic properties comparing with their random counterparts, spherulitic, and nanograined films. In particular, photodetectors based on the confined films showing intense anisotropy in charge transport are fabricated, and the device exhibits significantly improved performance in all aspects by one more orders of magnitude relative to their random counterparts. It is anticipated that perovskite films with controlled crystal packing may find applications in high-performance, large-area printed optoelectronics, and solar cells.

Solution Coating of Superior Large-Area Flexible Perovskite Thin Films with Controlled Crystal Packing

KAUST Repository

Li, Jianbo; Liu, Yucheng; Ren, Xiaodong; Yang, Zhou; Li, Ruipeng; Su, Hang; Yang, Xiaoming; Xu, Junzhuo; Xu, Hua; Hu, Jian-Yong; Amassian, Aram; Zhao, Kui; Liu, Shengzhong Frank

2017-01-01

Solution coating of organohalide lead perovskites offers great potential for achieving low-cost manufacturing of large-area flexible optoelectronics. However, the rapid coating speed needed for industrial-scale production poses challenges to the control of crystal packing. Herein, this study reports using solution shearing to confine crystal nucleation and growth in large-area printed MAPbI3 thin films. Near single-crystalline perovskite microarrays are demonstrated with a high degree of controlled macroscopic alignment and crystal orientation, which exhibit significant improvements in optical and optoelectronic properties comparing with their random counterparts, spherulitic, and nanograined films. In particular, photodetectors based on the confined films showing intense anisotropy in charge transport are fabricated, and the device exhibits significantly improved performance in all aspects by one more orders of magnitude relative to their random counterparts. It is anticipated that perovskite films with controlled crystal packing may find applications in high-performance, large-area printed optoelectronics, and solar cells.

The impact of cigarette pack shape, size and opening: evidence from tobacco company documents.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotnowski, Kathy; Hammond, David

2013-09-01

To use tobacco industry documents on cigarette pack shape, size and openings to identify industry findings on associations with brand imagery, product attributes, consumer perceptions and behaviour. Internal tobacco industry research and marketing documents obtained through court disclosure contained in the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library were searched using keywords related to pack shapes, sizes and opening methods. The search identified 66 documents related to consumer research and marketing plans on pack shape, size and openings, drawn from 1973 to 2002. Industry research consistently found that packs that deviated from the traditional flip-top box projected impressions of 'modern', 'elegant' and 'unique' brand imagery. Alternative pack shape and openings were identified as an effective means to communicate product attributes, particularly with regard to premium quality and smooth taste. Consumer studies consistently found that pack shape, size and opening style influenced perceptions of reduced product harm, and were often used to communicate a 'lighter' product. Slim, rounded, oval and booklet packs were found to be particularly appealing among young adults, and several studies demonstrated increased purchase interest for tobacco products presented in novel packaging shape or opening. Evidence from consumer tracking reports and company presentations indicate that pack innovations in shape or opening method increased market share of brands. Consumer research by the tobacco industry between 1973 and 2002 found that variations in packaging shape, size and opening method could influence brand appeal and risk perceptions and increase cigarette sales. © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

The performance of a trickle-bed reactor packed with a Pt/SDBC catalyst mixture for the CECE process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paek, Seungwoo; Ahn, Do-Hee; Choi, Heui-Joo; Kim, Kwang-Rag; Lee, Minsoo; Yim, Sung-Paal; Chung, Hongsuk; Song, Kyu-Min; Sohn, Soon Hwan

2007-01-01

The combined electrolysis and catalytic exchange (CECE) process with a hydrophobic catalyst is a very effective method to remove small quantities of tritium from light or heavy wastewater streams because of its high separation factor and mild operating conditions. A hydrophobic platinum/styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer (Pt/SDBC) catalyst which was developed for the liquid-phase catalytic exchange (LPCE) column of the Wolsong tritium removal facility (WTRF) has been tested in a trickle bed reactor for the design of the CECE process. An experimental apparatus has been built for the testing of the catalyst at various temperatures and gas velocities. The catalyst column was packed with a mixture of a hydrophobic catalyst and a hydrophilic packing (Dixon gauze ring) to improve the liquid distribution and vapor/liquid transfer area. Many tests have been carried out at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to measure the activity of the catalyst, K y a (1 s -1 ), under various operating conditions. K y a increases with the hydrogen flow rates in the range of 0.4-1.6 m s -1 at STP. The height of the catalyst column was determined from these K y a values according to the reaction temperatures and hydrogen flow rates

The performance of a trickle-bed reactor packed with a Pt/SDBC catalyst mixture for the CECE process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paek, Seungwoo [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 150 Deokjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-353 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: swpaek@kaeri.re.kr; Ahn, Do-Hee; Choi, Heui-Joo; Kim, Kwang-Rag; Lee, Minsoo; Yim, Sung-Paal; Chung, Hongsuk [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 150 Deokjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-353 (Korea, Republic of); Song, Kyu-Min; Sohn, Soon Hwan [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, 103-16 Munji-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-380 (Korea, Republic of)

2007-10-15

The combined electrolysis and catalytic exchange (CECE) process with a hydrophobic catalyst is a very effective method to remove small quantities of tritium from light or heavy wastewater streams because of its high separation factor and mild operating conditions. A hydrophobic platinum/styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer (Pt/SDBC) catalyst which was developed for the liquid-phase catalytic exchange (LPCE) column of the Wolsong tritium removal facility (WTRF) has been tested in a trickle bed reactor for the design of the CECE process. An experimental apparatus has been built for the testing of the catalyst at various temperatures and gas velocities. The catalyst column was packed with a mixture of a hydrophobic catalyst and a hydrophilic packing (Dixon gauze ring) to improve the liquid distribution and vapor/liquid transfer area. Many tests have been carried out at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to measure the activity of the catalyst, K{sub y}a (1 s{sup -1}), under various operating conditions. K{sub y}a increases with the hydrogen flow rates in the range of 0.4-1.6 m s{sup -1} at STP. The height of the catalyst column was determined from these K{sub y}a values according to the reaction temperatures and hydrogen flow rates.

Influence of packing density and surface roughness of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes on adhesive properties of gecko-inspired mimetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bingan; Zhong, Guofang; Oppenheimer, Pola Goldberg; Zhang, Can; Tornatzky, Hans; Esconjauregui, Santiago; Hofmann, Stephan; Robertson, John

2015-02-18

We have systematically studied the macroscopic adhesive properties of vertically aligned nanotube arrays with various packing density and roughness. Using a tensile setup in shear and normal adhesion, we find that there exists a maximum packing density for nanotube arrays to have adhesive properties. Too highly packed tubes do not offer intertube space for tube bending and side-wall contact to surfaces, thus exhibiting no adhesive properties. Likewise, we also show that the surface roughness of the arrays strongly influences the adhesion properties and the reusability of the tubes. Increasing the surface roughness of the array strengthens the adhesion in the normal direction, but weakens it in the shear direction. Altogether, these results allow progress toward mimicking the gecko's vertical mobility.

Bisindeno-annulated pentacenes with exceptionally high photo-stability and ordered molecular packing: Simple synthesis by a regio-selective Scholl reaction

KAUST Repository

Naibi Lakshminarayana, Arun; Chang, Jingjing; Luo, Jie; Zheng, Bin; Huang, Kuo-Wei; Chi, Chunyan

2015-01-01

Bisindeno-annulated pentacenes 3a and 3b were synthesized by a simple regio-selective, FeCl3-mediated Scholl reaction from the corresponding 6,13-diaryl pentacene precursors. The fusion of two indeno-units dramatically changes the electronic properties and chemical reactivity of pentacene and the obtained compounds exhibited exceptionally high photo-stability in the solution, with a half-life time of 11.2 (3a) and 32.0 (3b) days under ambient light and air conditions. Ordered molecular packing with a small π-π stacking distance was observed in the single crystals of 3a and 3b. Our research provides a promising strategy to access stable higher order acenes with controlled molecular order. This journal is

Volatile Removal Assembly Flight Experiment and KC-135 Packed Bed Experiment: Results and Lessons Learned

Science.gov (United States)

Holder, Donald W.; Parker, David

2000-01-01

The Volatile Removal Assembly (VRA) is a high temperature catalytic oxidation process that will be used as the final treatment for recycled water aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The multiphase nature of the process had raised concerns as to the performance of the VRA in a microgravity environment. To address these concerns, two experiments were designed. The VRA Flight Experiment (VRAFE) was designed to test a full size VRA under controlled conditions in microgravity aboard the SPACEHAB module and in a 1 -g environment and compare the performance results. The second experiment relied on visualization of two-phase flow through small column packed beds and was designed to fly aboard NASA's microgravity test bed plane (KC-135). The objective of the KC-135 experiment was to understand the two-phase fluid flow distribution in a packed bed in microgravity. On Space Transportation System (STS) flight 96 (May 1999), the VRA FE was successfully operated and in June 1999 the KC-135 packed bed testing was completed. This paper provides an overview of the experiments and a summary of the results and findings.

Polyhedral charge-packing model for blood pH changes in disease ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

packing pH zone' (From pH = 7.30, for tetrahedral, to pH = 7.65 for dodecahedral packing), which lies in the neighborhood of the well known physiological pH range. Literature is cited in support of pH 7.65 as the extreme upper limit of tolerable ...

Bacteriological evaluation of refrigerated vacuum and air-packed chicken fillets treated with irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mantilla, Samira P.S.; Santos, Erica B.; Mano, Sergio B.; Franco, Robson M.; Vital, Helio C.

2009-01-01

Chicken meat is a nutritious food, rich in essential aminoacids and much appreciated by a large fraction of the population. However, it is also highly perishable, typically having a shelf life of 5 to 7 days in refrigeration, depending on the initial microbiological load. Irradiation has been efficiently used to improve safety and extend the shelf lives of many meat products. Its use in combination with refrigeration and exclusion of oxygen is known to greatly enhance the sanitary quality of meat. This work investigated the bacteriological effects of radiation doses of 0; 2.0 and 3.0 kGy on vacuum- and air-packed chicken fillets kept at 1 deg C for up to 18 days. Bacteriological analyses that included enumerating and counting indicated that both the lag phase of the bacterial growth and the shelf life of the samples increased with dose. It was observed that exposure to 3.0 kGy extended the initial 5-day shelf life of the air-packed fillets to 10 days while prolonging to 12 days the shelf life of the vacuum-packed ones. Among the species of bacteria monitored, the lactic bacteria were found to be the most resistant to gamma radiation while coliforms were the most sensitive. (author)

Conservation implications for the Himalayan wolf Canis (lupus) himalayensis based on observations of packs and home sites in Nepal

OpenAIRE

Werhahn, G; Kusi, N; Sillero-Zubiri, C; Macdonald, DW

2017-01-01

We provide insights into pack composition and den site parameters of the Himalayan wolf Canis (lupus) himalayensis based on observations of free-ranging wolves in three study areas in Nepal. We combine this with a social survey of the local Buddhist communities regarding human–carnivore conflict, to draw inferences for conservation practice in the Nepalese Himalayas. We recorded eight wolf packs (with an average composition of two adults and three pups), and found five home sites in high-alti...

Catalytic biofilms on structured packing for the production of glycolic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xuan Zhong; Hauer, Bernhard; Rosche, Bettina

2013-02-01

While structured packing modules are known to be efficient for surface wetting and gas-liquid exchange in abiotic surface catalysis, this model study explores structured packing as a growth surface for catalytic biofilms. Microbial biofilms have been proposed as self-immobilized and self-regenerating catalysts for the production of chemicals. A concern is that the complex and dynamic nature of biofilms may cause fluctuations in their catalytic performance over time or may affect process reproducibility. An aerated continuous trickle-bed biofilm reactor system was designed with a 3 L structured packing, liquid recycling and pH control. Pseudomonas diminuta established a biofilm on the stainless steel structured packing with a specific surface area of 500 m2 m-3 and catalyzed the oxidation of ethylene glycol to glycolic acid for over two months of continuous operation. A steady-state productivity of up to 1.6 gl-1h-1 was achieved at a dilution rate of 0.33 h-1. Process reproducibility between three independent runs was excellent, despite process interruptions and activity variations in cultures grown from biofilm effluent cells. The results demonstrate the robustness of a catalytic biofilm on structured packing, despite its dynamic nature. Implementation is recommended for whole-cell processes that require efficient gas-liquid exchange, catalyst retention for continuous operation, or improved catalyst stability.

Ammonia, Total Reduced Sulfides, and Greenhouse Gases of Pine Chip and Corn Stover Bedding Packs.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiehs, Mindy J; Brown-Brandl, Tami M; Parker, David B; Miller, Daniel N; Berry, Elaine D; Wells, James E

2016-03-01

Bedding materials may affect air quality in livestock facilities. Our objective in this study was to compare headspace concentrations of ammonia (NH), total reduced sulfides (TRS), carbon dioxide (CO), methane (CH), and nitrous oxide (NO) when pine wood chips ( spp.) and corn stover ( L.) were mixed in various ratios (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, and 100% pine chips) and used as bedding with manure. Air samples were collected from the headspace of laboratory-scaled bedded manure packs weekly for 42 d. Ammonia concentrations were highest for bedded packs containing 0, 10, and 20% pine chips (equivalent to 501.7, 502.3, and 502.3 mg m, respectively) in the bedding mixture and were lowest when at least 80% pine chips were used as bedding (447.3 and 431.0 mg m, respectively for 80 and 100% pine chip bedding). The highest NH concentrations were observed at Day 28. The highest concentration of TRS was observed when 100% pine chips were used as bedding (11.4 µg m), with high concentrations occurring between Days 7 and 14, and again at Day 35. Greenhouse gases were largely unaffected by bedding material but CH and CO concentrations increased as the bedded packs aged and NO concentrations were highly variable throughout the incubation. We conclude that a mixture of bedding material that contains 30 to 40% pine chips may be the ideal combination to reduce both NH and TRS emissions. All gas concentrations increased as the bedded packs aged, suggesting that frequent cleaning of facilities would improve air quality in the barn, regardless of bedding materials used. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Control of polymer-packing orientation in thin films through synthetic tailoring of backbone coplanarity

KAUST Repository

Chen, Mark S.

2013-10-22

Controlling solid-state order of π-conjugated polymers through macromolecular design is essential for achieving high electronic device performance; yet, it remains a challenge, especially with respect to polymer-packing orientation. Our work investigates the influence of backbone coplanarity on a polymer\\'s preference to pack face-on or edge-on relative to the substrate. Isoindigo-based polymers were synthesized with increasing planarity by systematically substituting thiophenes for phenyl rings in the acceptor comonomer. This increasing backbone coplanarity, supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations of representative trimers, leads to the narrowing of polymer band gaps as characterized by ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Among the polymers studied, regiosymmetric II and TII polymers exhibited the highest hole mobilities in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), while in organic photovoltaics (OPVs), TBII polymers that display intermediate levels of planarity provided the highest power conversion efficiencies. Upon thin-film analysis by atomic force microscropy (AFM) and grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD), we discovered that polymer-packing orientation could be controlled by tuning polymer planarity and solubility. Highly soluble, planar polymers favor face-on orientation in thin films while the less soluble, nonplanar polymers favor an edge-on orientation. This study advances our fundamental understanding of how polymer structure influences nanostructural order and reveals a new synthetic strategy for the design of semiconducting materials with rationally engineered solid-state properties. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Molecular packing in 1-hexanol-DMPC bilayers studied by molecular dynamics simulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, U.R.; Peters, Günther H.j.; Westh, P.

2007-01-01

The structure and molecular packing density of a “mismatched” solute, 1-hexanol, in lipid membranes of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) was studied by molecular dynamics simulations. We found that the average location and orientation of the hexanol molecules matched earlier experimental data...... on comparable systems. The local density or molecular packing in DMPC–hexanol was elucidated through the average Voronoi volumes of all heavy (non-hydrogen) atoms. Analogous analysis was conducted on trajectories from simulations of pure 1-hexanol and pure (hydrated) DMPC bilayers. The results suggested...... of the alcohol upon partitioning and an even stronger loosening in the packing of the lipid. Furthermore, analysis of Voronoi volumes along the membrane normal identifies a distinctive depth dependence of the changes in molecular packing. The outer (interfacial) part of the lipid acyl chains (up to C8...

Growth of Vanadium Carbide by Halide-Activated Pack Diffusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandes, Frederico Augusto Pires; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin; Dahl, Kristian Vinter

The present work investigates growth of vanadium carbide (VC) layers by the pack diffusion method on a Vanadis 6 tool steel. The VC layers were produced by pack diffusion at 1000°C for 1, 4 and 16 hours. The VC layers were characterized with optical and electron microscopy, Vickers hardness tests...... and X-ray diffraction. Homogeneous VC mono-phase layers with Vickers hardness of more than 2400 HV were obtained. Hardening and tempering of the vanadized Vanadis 6 steel did not affect the VC layers....

Solid-State Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure from a Sawdust-Bedded Pack Barn: Moisture Responses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eunjong Kim

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Bedded pack manure has long been considered an unsuitable feedstock for conventional anaerobic digestion systems due to its high solids content. However, solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD provides an opportunity to generate methane from such high-solids feedstocks. This study was conducted to determine the influence of moisture content on the digestion of bedded pack dairy manure using SS-AD. Mixtures of sawdust bedding and dairy manure were prepared with moisture contents (MCs of 70, 76, and 83% and digested at 37 °C for 85 days. The performance of digesters containing manure at 83% MC was 1.3 to 1.4-fold higher than that of digesters containing 70% MC manure in terms of volatile solids (VS reduction and biogas production. VS reduction rates were 55 to 75% and cumulative methane yield ranged from 64 to 90 NmL (gVS−1. These values are lower than those from SS-AD of fresh manure and this is likely due to the partial decomposition of biodegradable materials during the two to three-month period before the manure was removed from the barn. However, in terms of efficient management of farm odors and providing a renewable energy source for heating, SS-AD of bedded pack manure offers a potential alternative to the conventional composting systems currently in use.

Accumulation of BSA in Packed-bed Microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Summers, Samantha; Hu, Chuntian; Hartman, Ryan

2012-11-01

Alzheimers and Parkinsons are two diseases that are associated with protein deposition in the brain, causing loss of either cognitive or muscle functioning. Protein deposition diseases are considered progressive diseases since the continual aggregation of protein causes the patient's symptoms to slowly worsen over time. There are currently no known means of treatment for protein deposition diseases. Our goal is to understand the potential for packed-bed microfluidics to study protein accumulation. Measurement of the resistance to flow through micro-scale packed-beds is critical to understanding the process of protein accumulation. Aggregation in bulk is fundamentally different from accumulation on surfaces. Our study attempts to distinguish between either mechanism. The results from our experiments involving protein injection through a microfluidic system will be presented and discussed. Funding received by NSF REU Grant 1062611.

A CFD model for biomass combustion in a packed bed furnace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karim, Md. Rezwanul [Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122 (Australia); Department of Mechanical & Chemical Engineering, Islamic University of Technology, Gazipur 1704 (Bangladesh); Ovi, Ifat Rabbil Qudrat [Department of Mechanical & Chemical Engineering, Islamic University of Technology, Gazipur 1704 (Bangladesh); Naser, Jamal, E-mail: jnaser@swin.edu.au [Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC 3122 (Australia)

2016-07-12

Climate change has now become an important issue which is affecting environment and people around the world. Global warming is the main reason of climate change which is increasing day by day due to the growing demand of energy in developed countries. Use of renewable energy is now an established technique to decrease the adverse effect of global warming. Biomass is a widely accessible renewable energy source which reduces CO{sub 2} emissions for producing thermal energy or electricity. But the combustion of biomass is complex due its large variations and physical structures. Packed bed or fixed bed combustion is the most common method for the energy conversion of biomass. Experimental investigation of packed bed biomass combustion is difficult as the data collection inside the bed is challenging. CFD simulation of these combustion systems can be helpful to investigate different operational conditions and to evaluate the local values inside the investigation area. Available CFD codes can model the gas phase combustion but it can’t model the solid phase of biomass conversion. In this work, a complete three-dimensional CFD model is presented for numerical investigation of packed bed biomass combustion. The model describes the solid phase along with the interface between solid and gas phase. It also includes the bed shrinkage due to the continuous movement of the bed during solid fuel combustion. Several variables are employed to represent different parameters of solid mass. Packed bed is considered as a porous bed and User Defined Functions (UDFs) platform is used to introduce solid phase user defined variables in the CFD. Modified standard discrete transfer radiation method (DTRM) is applied to model the radiation heat transfer. Preliminary results of gas phase velocity and pressure drop over packed bed have been shown. The model can be useful for investigation of movement of the packed bed during solid fuel combustion.

The new generation of packing materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malikov, T.S.; Dzhonmurodov, A.S.; Usmanova, S.R.; Teshaev, Kh.I.; Mukhidinov, Z.K.

2016-01-01

Present article is devoted to new generation of packing materials. The methods of extraction and investigation of component composition and properties of whey protein, zein, carboxymethylcellulose, hyaluronic acid and pectins were elaborated in order to further application them in pharmaceutical industry as composite materials and for capsulation of medicines.

The silent salesman: an observational study of personal tobacco pack display at outdoor café strips in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wakefield, Melanie A; Zacher, Meghan; Bayly, Megan; Brennan, Emily; Dono, Joanne; Miller, Caroline; Durkin, Sarah J; Scollo, Michelle M

2014-07-01

We sought to determine the relative frequency and nature of personal display of cigarette packs by smokers in two Australian cities where 30% front-of-pack and 90% back-of-pack health warnings have been used since 2006 and comprehensive tobacco marketing restrictions apply. An observational study counted patrons, active smokers and tobacco packs at cafés, restaurants and bars with outdoor seating. Pack orientation and use of cigarette cases were also noted. Overall, 18954 patrons, 1576 active smokers and 2153 packs were observed, meaning that one out of every 12.0 patrons was actively smoking, and one of every 8.8 patrons displayed a pack. Packs were more frequently observed in lower socio-economic neighbourhoods, reflecting the higher prevalence of smoking in those regions. Packs were displayed less often in venues where children were present, suggesting a greater tendency not to smoke around children. Most packs (81.4%) were oriented face-up, permitting prominent brand display. Only 1.5% of observed packs were cigarette cases, and 4.2% of packs were concealed by another item, such as a phone or wallet. Tobacco packs are frequently seen on table-tops in café strips, providing many opportunities for other patrons and passers-by to be incidentally exposed to cigarette brand names and imagery. Use of cigarette cases is rare, suggesting that smokers eventually habituate to pictorial warnings on branded packs and/or find repeated decanting of each newly purchased branded pack into a case to be inconvenient. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Ceramic breeder pebble bed packing stability under cyclic loads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Chunbo, E-mail: chunbozhang@fusion.ucla.edu [Fusion Science and Technology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States); Ying, Alice; Abdou, Mohamed A. [Fusion Science and Technology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States); Park, Yi-Hyun [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • The feasibility of obtaining packing stability for pebble beds is studied. • The responses of pebble bed to cyclic loads have been presented and analyzed in details. • Pebble bed packing saturation and its applications are discussed. • A suggestion is made regarding the improvement of pebbles filling technique. - Abstract: Considering the optimization of blanket performance, it is desired that the bed morphology and packing state during reactor operation are stable and predictable. Both experimental and numerical work are performed to explore the stability of pebble beds, in particular under pulsed loading conditions. Uniaxial compaction tests have been performed for both KIT’s Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} and NFRI’s Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebble beds at elevated temperatures (up to 750 °C) under cyclic loads (up to 6 MPa). The obtained data shows the stress-strain loop initially moves towards the larger strain and nearly saturates after a certain number of cyclic loading cycles. The characterized FEM CAP material models for a Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} pebble bed with an edge-on configuration are used to simulate the thermomechanical behavior of pebble bed under ITER pulsed operations. Simulation results have shown the cyclic variation of temperature/stress/strain/gap and also the same saturation trend with experiments under cyclic loads. Therefore, it is feasible for pebble bed to maintain its packing stability during operation when disregarding pebbles’ breakage and irradiation.

Evaluation of a Novel BEV Concept Based on Fixed and Swappable Li-Ion Battery Packs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barreras, Jorge Varela; Pinto, Claudio; de Castro, Ricardo

2016-01-01

-based ownership models to distribute the cost of the large battery pack over the vehicle lifetime. A methodology is proposed for the analysis and evaluation of the proposed concept in comparison with a direct owned nonswappable single-pack BEV, proving that significant improvements on city fuel economy (up to 14......In this paper, a novel battery electric vehicle (BEV) concept based on a small fixed and a big swappable Li-ion battery pack is proposed in order to achieve longer range, lower initial purchase priceand lower energy consumption at short ranges. For short ranges, the BEV is only powered...... by the relatively small-fixed battery pack, without the large swappable battery pack. In this way, the mass of the vehicle is reduced and, therefore, the energy consumed per unit distance is improved. For higher ranges, the BEV is powered by both battery packs. This concept allows the introduction of subscription...

THE INTEGRATED LAYOUT DECISIONS FOR AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF PACKING SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Volodin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available On many industrial objects regulators of pressure are used. Following initial data are necessary for proper selection of a regulator and calculation of throughput: a working environment, entrance and target pressure, expense, temperature of a working environment, accuracy of regulation, a class of tightness, diameter of the pipeline, type of accession, constructional materials, external or internal registration of target pressure, protection against excess of pressure.The decision of this problem is closely connected with the proved choice of types of the process equipment, wide automation of technological processes, introduction of new technical decisions, use of necessary means of the control over realization of problems of complex mechanization of technological operations. In article the analysis of work of the functional module of a vertical multiline automatic packing machine on the basis of a proportional regulator of pressure «CAMOZZI» with realization of a feedback by means of an analog signal of regulator МХ-PRO [1-3] is lead. The drive of the holder for a rolled material has been tested on proportional management of position of the directing rollers used on a technological site of supply and regulation of a tension of a tape of a roll of a packing material at formation of packing.Results on use as the operating module of regulator МХ-PRO for management of a drive of the holder for a roll of a material in view of a course and pressure in a pneumatic system are received. Carried out researches provide the way to raise operational properties of a transportation system of supply of a packing material for technological processes of packing modules at the food enterprises.

Inulinase production in a packed bed reactor by solid state fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dilipkumar, M; Rajamohan, N; Rajasimman, M

2013-07-01

In this work, production of inulinase was carried out in a packed bed reactor (PBR) under solid state fermentation. Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus was used to produce the inulinase using pressmud as substrate. The parameters like air flow rate, packing density and particle size were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to maximize the inulinase production. The optimum conditions for the maximum inulinase production were: air flow rate - 0.82 L/min, packing density - 40 g/L and particle size - 0.0044 mm (mesh - 14/20). At these optimized conditions, the production of inulinase was found to be 300.5 unit/gram of dry substrate (U/gds). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CORRELATION BETWEEN POLYMER PACKING AND GAS TRANSPORT PROPERTIES FOR CO2/N2 SEPARATION IN GLASSY FLUORINATED POLYIMIDE MEMBRANE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. C. TAN

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Gas separation performance of a membrane highly hinges on its physical properties. In this study, the interplay between polymer packing of a membrane and its gas transport behaviours (permeability and selectivity was investigated through a series of 6FDA-DAM:DABA (3:2 polyimide membranes with different polymer compactness. The chemical structure and the polymer packing of the resulting membrane were characterized using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR and packing density measurement, respectively. CO2/N2 separation efficiency of the membrane was evaluated at 25oC with feed pressure up to 6 bar. N2 permeability was found to rely on the membrane’s packing density, which signified its greater dependence on molecular sieving. In contrast, sorption showed a more vital role in determining the CO2 permeability. In this work, the membrane with a final thickness of 97±2 µm had successfully surpassed the Robeson’s 2008 upper bound plot with a CO2 permeability of 83 Barrer and CO2/N2 selectivity of 97 at 3 bar permeation.

Imaging phospholipid conformational disorder and packing in giant multilamellar liposome by confocal Raman microspectroscopy