Do Intermittent Renewables Threaten the Electricity Supply Security?

Around the globe, intermittent renewable energies in the form of wind and solar power are on the rise. Their subsidization can be seen as a market intervention, which may deter optimal investment. Thus, this study tests the effect of renewable energies on investment in conventional electricity generation technologies. We estimate a dynamic investment model for 14 European economies for the period 2004–2016 and find a non-negligible negative impact of intermittent renewables on investment in peak-load capacity (mainly gas), while base-load (particularly coal) plants are unaffected. However, the production flexibility of gas-fired plants represents a particularly vital function to balance the supply intermittency of wind and solar. Thus, dispatchable conventional power plants are still necessary to back the system under scarcity events, such as unfavorable weather conditions during high electricity demand. Policymakers should be aware of the adverse effects of RES on investment in peak-load plants and may consider a redesign of the current system, for example by introducing capacity markets.     

基于ABAUQS-Matlab对42CrMo钢表面感应淬火奥氏体化参数的研究

目的 确定42CrMo钢感应淬火过程的奥氏体相变动力学参数，并验证其可靠性。方法 根据不同加热速率下42CrMo钢奥氏体膨胀曲线，基于经典JMAK（Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov）模型和Kissinger方法，确定了42CrMo钢奥氏体化相变动力学的参数。建立ABAQUS局部移动式感应淬火模型，选取淬火区域加热过程中点的温度变化曲线作为验证奥氏体化模型的对象。基于Scheil法则和JMAK相变动力学模型，采用文中求解得到的奥氏体化参数，采用Matlab对42CrMo连续转变过程离散为每个时间间隔的等温相变并求解，并对照相关学者采用的扩展解析动力学模型和JAMK模型，加以验证。结果 根据上述方法，得到的42CrMo奥氏体相变动力学参数为：激活能Q为2.04×106 J/mol，指前因子lnk0的值取230.78，Avrami指数n取0.427。将淬火加热过程离散为数量很大的均匀时间间隔，并以求解的动力学模型在每个间隔内进行对应温度条件下奥氏体体积分数的求解并顺次叠加，以模拟得到的奥氏体转变时间和转变温度等作为依据，该模型有良好的表现性。结论 对42CrMo非等温且加热速度不恒定的连续奥氏体转变过程，JAMK模型拟合表现良好，采用文中求解的参数组对表面感应淬火的奥氏体转变历程进行仿真预测是可行的。     

Effect of Fe/Zn ratio in composite catalyst for synthesizing polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers

Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODE_n) are extremely effective diesel additives to reduce soot formation during combustion. We introduce a series of Fe-Zn composite solid acid catalysts (SO₄²⁻/xFe₂O₃-yZnO), for the condensation reaction of methanol and paraformaldehyde (PF) with a cheap and feasible route to efficiently synthesize PODE_n. These catalysts were characterized by different characterization techniques, namely BET, XRD, SEM, EDS, FTIR, and NH₃-TPD and the results showed that Fe/Zn molar ratios strongly influenced the physicochemical characteristics of catalysts, thus affecting the methanol conversion and PODE_1-6 and PODE_3-6 selectivity. Accordingly, the methanol conversion was decreased and the selectivity of PODE_3-6 was increased after increasing the Zn molar content. Comparatively, SO₄²⁻/Fe₂O₃-2ZnO exhibited superior catalytic activity among the various investigated catalysts due to the high acid density of strong acid sites. The optimal reaction conditions were observed to be at a 3.0 wt% catalyst loading (catalyst/reactant mass ratio), 2.5 hours ours of reaction time, a reaction temperature of 403 K, and a molar ratio of 3:1 of CH₂O to methanol, achieving a high selectivity of 99.09% PODE_1-6 and 28.23% PODE_3-6 with 55.16% methanol conversion during the reaction.     

溶解氧变化对阴极极化下10Ni5CrMo钢氢脆敏感性的影响

摘要：为研究溶解氧质量浓度对10Ni5CrMo钢在阴极极化条件下氢脆敏感性影响规律，对10Ni5CrMo钢进行了阴极极化下的电化学交流阻抗谱测试﹑并采用慢应变速率拉伸实验和断口分析方法研究了海水中溶解氧质量浓度变化和不同阴极极化下10Ni5CrMo钢的氢脆敏感性。结果表明：溶解氧质量浓度变化对10Ni5CrMo钢强度几乎没有影响；同一溶解氧质量浓度下，随极化电位负移，断裂时间、伸长率、断面收缩率明显降低，氢脆系数增加，氢脆敏感性显著提高，极化电位达到-1000mV时，氢脆系数已超过安全区允许的最高值25%，进入危险区；同一极化电位下，随着海水中溶解氧质量浓度减少，材料塑性变差，断裂时间、伸长率和断面收缩率不断降低，氢脆系数增加，氢脆敏感性提高。     

盐浴软氮化42CrMo的摩擦学性能分析

对42CrMo进行盐浴软氮化处理,分析盐浴软氮化处理对42CrMo试样硬度的影响,研究不同润滑条件下42CrMo试样的摩擦学性能,分析其摩擦磨损机制。结果表明:盐浴软氮化处理过的42CrMo的平均硬度为HV747.33,约是未处理基体的(HV310)的2.5倍;在其他条件相同时,随载荷的增加,干摩擦条件下42CrMo的摩擦因数先增加后减小,边界润滑和油润滑条件下的摩擦因数不断增加;42CrMo在干摩擦条件下的摩擦因数、表面磨痕深度和磨损量均要明显高于边界润滑和油润滑条件下;在干摩擦条件下42CrMo的磨损机制为严重的黏着磨损和塑性变形,边界润滑条件下42CrMo表面磨损减缓,有轻微犁沟;油润滑条件下42CrMo表面为磨粒磨损,无明显变形。     

Trajectories of knowledge economy in SSA and MENA countries

In the first critical assessment of knowledge economy dynamic paths in Africa and the Middle East, but for a few exceptions, we find overwhelming support for diminishing cross-country disparities in knowledge-based economy dimensions. The paper employs all the four components of the World Bank's Knowledge Economy Index (KEI): economic incentives, innovation, education, and information infrastructure. The main finding suggests that sub-Saharan African (SSA) and the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries with low levels of KE dynamics and catching-up their counterparts of higher KE levels. We provide the speeds of integration and time necessary to achieve full (100%) integration. Policy implications are also discussed.     

Simple monopoly price theory in a spatial market

One of main conclusions drawn by prior studies is that in a spatial market, the shape of the demand function can fully determine whether one simple pricing policy is superior to another either on the basis of the firm’s preference or social desirability while there is one assumption that is generally stipulated, namely, that the fixed market area assumption under which the market area is exogenously determined and remains the same under alternative pricing policies. In order to fully understand the impact of a demand function, this paper attempts to reexamine the relative economic advantages between two simple spatial pricing policies in a world with variable market area, that is, the market area is endogenously determined the price charged. We show that the fixed market area assumption is valid only where demand is linear, but no longer holds where demand is nonlinear. Moreover, and more importantly, we show that in a world with variable market area, some conclusions drawn by prior studies on the relative economic benefits of two pricing policies cannot remain valid. The main conclusion of this paper is that even the relative economic benefits of two simple spatial pricing policies is concerned, the impact of economic space is significant.

Influence of highway construction projects on economic development: an empirical assessment

The evaluation of transportation projects has traditionally been made by assessing changes in travel time, vehicle operating cost, and safety. The broader, long-term effects on economic development (job, income and business growth) are a concern of transportation planners and decision makers, but have often been overlooked due to the lack of a reliable impact-estimation methodology and/or data. This paper presents a quantitative tool that can be used at the project-development phase to estimate the economic-development impacts of different types of highway construction projects. Using data from Indiana, we develop models that can be used to estimate the effects of geographic location, accessibility, and other factors on the economic-development impacts of highway construction projects. Our models can also be used as a basis for programming and ranking a wide variety of highway construction projects.     

超掺粉煤灰混凝土在大体积混凝土工程中的应用研究

对超掺粉煤灰混凝土在大体积混凝土中的应用进行研究，探讨了超掺粉煤灰混凝土的配制措施，超掺粉煤灰混凝土应用后期42d强度值为混凝土抗压强度值，大体积混凝土施工技术措施，并得出超掺粉煤灰混凝土在大体积混凝土工程中应用的施工技术措施。     

42CrMo钢激光淬火组织和硬度的研究

采用YLS-3000型光纤激光器对42CrMo钢进行表面熔凝淬火处理,通过金相显微镜、扫描电镜及维氏硬度计的观察与检测,分析淬硬层组织、硬度、深度及其与激光工艺参数之间的相互关系。结果表明,淬硬层深度随激光功率的增大和扫描速度的降低而增大,随激光功率的减小和扫描速度的增加而减小,而硬度的变化不大。激光熔凝淬火后表层出现深约0.3 mm的熔化区,其硬度比内侧稍低,淬硬层深度可达2 mm以上,硬度约为660HV,但熔化区域中心会出现不均匀的变形,进行熔凝淬火时需预留0.2 mm的加工余量。