Graphical Analysis of the Performance of Venturi Scrubbers for Particle Abatement. Part I: Rapid Collection Efficiency Evaluation

Several factors need to be better determined in order to predict the climatic impacts of a nuclear war. These include (a) the amount of fuel burned, (b) the emission factor for smoke, (c) the optical properties of smoke, and (d) the amount of smoke removed in precipitation. This last factor combines the need to predict both the dynamic processes taking place in large-area fires and the microphysical processes that create precipitation and lead to the capture and removal of smoke. Estimates for the amount of smoke removed in precipitation have ranged from less than 2% to more than 90%. The reasons for these discrepancies in prediction will be reviewed. Two of the more recent and more complete calculations appear to be consistent with scavenging values in the range from 10% to 30%. We show, however, that these predictions have not considered several scavenging pathways that must be included for a complete analysis. Thus, we argue, based on estimates by the NRC in 1985, that the fraction of smoke removed by precipitation could range from 10% to 90%.     

Active Community Environments and Health: The Relationship of Walkable and Safe Communities to Individual Health

The literature suggests that individuals will be healthier if they live in Active Community Environments that promote exercise and activity. Two key elements of such environments are walkability and safety. Examining data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, 1988-1994 and using a multilevel analysis, we found that individuals who live in counties that are more walkable and have lower crime rates tended to walk more and to have lower body mass indices (BMIs) than people in less walk-able and more crime-prone areas, even after controlling for a variety of individual variables related to health. Among lifelong residents of an area, lesser walk-ability and more crime were also associated with respondents reporting weight-related chronic illness and lower ratings of their own health. The effect of high crime rates was substantially stronger for women than for men, and taking this interaction into account eliminated gender differences in walking, BMI, weight-related chronic conditions, and self-reported poor health. The results suggest that to promote activity and health, planners should consider community walkability, crime prevention, and safety.     

Method for Estimating Size-Specific Particulate Emission Inventories

Increasing evidence on the detrimental health effects of suspended fine particulates has prompted the introduction of new ambient air quality standards for particles with diameters smaller than 2.5 and∕or 10 μm and has created the need for size-specific inventories. To address this need, “generic” cumulative weight fraction data have been fitted with lognormal particle size distributions, and the resulting mean diameter dm and standard deviation σg values compiled for many sources of practical interest. In addition, nomographs are developed for assessing the mass fraction of particles with diameters <2.5, 6, 10, 15, and 30 μm as a function of the applicable dm and σg. The above data and tools allow easy extension of total particulate matter emission inventories for uncontrolled sources into size-specific ones. Supplemented with published typical efficiencies of control systems in the ranges 0–2.5, 2.5–6, and 6–10 μm, they also allow easy compilation of approximate size-specific inventories for controlled sources. In addition, used in conjunction with graphical models for selected control systems that predict the total efficiency and lognormal size distribution of penetrating particles, they offer a unique rigorous approach for size-specific inventories from controlled sources.     

Prediction of Size Distribution of Particles Penetrating Dry Cyclone Separators

The efficiency of cyclones varies widely with the size of particles and complex mathematic formulations are used for predicting the collection efficiency of a single particle size. Numerical integration of the latter, in conjunction with the appropriate in each case input particle size distribution, or direct use of nomographs if lognormal input particle size distribution can be assumed, yields the overall efficiency. In either case, no information is available regarding the size distribution of the penetrating particles. As shown in this paper, lognormal input particle size distributions yield lognormal output particle size distributions. Based on this and on the analysis of functional relations, a set of nomographs is developed directly yielding the mean diameter and standard deviation of penetrating particles as a function of the input particle size distribution parameters and key cyclone design and operating conditions. The above set the stage for the rigorous computation of the size-specific emissions from cyclones and the overall and size-specific efficiencies of secondary control systems that may follow. This analysis is in line with current trends, which, on the basis of health considerations, place emphasis on the size-specific rather than on the overall particle emissions.     

Extraction and analysis of multiple periodic motions in video sequences

The analysis of periodic or repetitive motions is useful in many applications, such as the recognition and classification of human and animal activities. Existing methods for the analysis of periodic motions first extract motion trajectories using spatial information and then determine if they are periodic. These approaches are mostly based on feature matching or spatial correlation, which are often infeasible, unreliable, or computationally demanding. In this paper, we present a new approach, based on the time- frequency analysis of the video sequence as a whole. Multiple periodic trajectories are extracted and their periods are estimated simultaneously. The objects that are moving in a periodic manner are extracted using the spatial domain information. Experiments with synthetic and real sequences display the capabilities of this approach.     

Methodology for Performance Evaluation of Dust Control Systems with an Application to Electrostatic Precipitators

A general methodology is presented that enables rigorous estimation of the total collection efficiency and the size distribution of particles penetrating dust control systems. This methodology assumes lognormal inlet particle-size distributions and can be used with fractional efficiency formulations that predict, under such conditions, lognormal outlet particle-size distributions. Multimodal inlet particle distributions can be accommodated additively. This methodology is applied to Electrostatic Precipitator Systems (ESPs), with the Nobrega et al. (2004) Nobrega, S. W., Falaguasta, M. C. R. and Coury, J. R. 2004. A Study of a Wire-Plate Electrostatic Precipitator Operating in the Removal of Polydispersed Particles. Braz. J. Chem. Eng., 21(2): 275–284. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] model selected for predicting their fractional efficiencies. For ease of use, a graphical solution has been developed for the Nobrega et al. fractional efficiency relations, but its availability is not a prerequisite for the application of the general methodology. For the latter, the fractional efficiencies corresponding to three particle diameters need to be estimated and this can be done either graphically or numerically using the model of Nobrega et al. or any other fractional efficiency formulation of interest.

Fine particles emerge as the most important pollutant worldwide in terms of human health, creating thus the need for credible particle size-specific inventories. In line with the above, a generic and rigorous method, capable of producing size-specific emission estimates from uncontrolled and controlled sources, has been developed (Economopoulou and Economopoulos 2001 Economopoulou, A. A. and Economopoulos, A. P. 2001. Method for Estimating Size-Specific Particulate Emission Inventories. J. Environ. Eng., ASCE, 127: 1139–1148. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). For controlled sources, this method relies on the development of easy to use models that predict the total efficiency and the lognormal size distribution of particles penetrating the control systems used. Such models have already been developed for dry cyclone separators (Economopoulou and Economopoulos 2002a Economopoulou, A. A. and Economopoulos, A. P. 2002a. Rapid Performance Evaluation and Optimal Sizing of Dry Cyclone Separators. J. Environ. Eng., ASCE, 128: 275–285. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2002b Economopoulou, A. A. and Economopoulos, A. P. 2002b. Size Distribution of Particles Penetrating Dry Cyclone Separators. J. Environ. Eng., ASCE, 128: 919–928. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and venturi scrubbers (Economopoulou and Harrison 2007a Economopoulou, A. A. and Harrison, R. M. 2007a. Graphical Analysis of the Performance of Venturi Scrubbers for Particle Abatement. Part I: Rapid Collection Efficiency Evaluation. Aerosol Sci. Technol., 41: 51–62. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 2007b Economopoulou, A. A. and Harrison, R. M. 2007b. Graphical Analysis of the Performance of Venturi Scrubbers for Particle Abatement. Part II: Size Distribution of Penetrating Particles. Aerosol Sci. Technol., 41: 63–74. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The present methodology extends the use of the inventory methodology to ESP-controlled sources and, in addition, it provides a generalized basis for covering other types of control systems with any fractional efficiency formulation considered appropriate.