基于跨临界CO2热泵的茶叶生产能源系统负荷削减潜力

乡村产业中的化石能源设备逐渐被电能技术替代，引起了乡村负荷波动增大、部分时段产生集中高负荷的问题。为了解决以上问题，将低品位清洁能源应用至乡村的茶叶生产中，针对烘茶全过程的工艺要求提出了跨临界CO₂热泵烘茶技术；并以某茶叶生产乡村为对象，对其代表台区的全年日用电量及产茶日负荷进行了分析，得出采用CO₂热泵烘茶后其负荷得到大幅度削减，整体可降低至原负荷的39.6%~46.8%，峰值负荷与平时负荷的比值由原本的13.6降至5.4~6.2。跨临界CO₂热泵应用至农产品生产中可有效缓解乡村供电压力。     

Structural and electrical studies of excessively Sm2O3 substituted soft PZT nanoceramics

The solid solution of Pb_1-x Sm_2x/3 (Zr_0.6 Ti_0.4) O₃ ceramics with x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 was prepared via the high-energy ball milling technique. Further, the effect of excessive Sm₂O₃ substitution at Pb-site on structural, dielectric, and dc-conductivity properties was studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that all samples were crystallized with perovskite and pyrochlore diphase form. Excess Sm³⁺ substitution in the PZT system increases the pyrochlore volume fraction from 5 to 20% and induces a structural phase transition from rhombohedral to a tetragonal structure. The microstructural study by TEM and SEM indicated that the particles were spherical with an average size of 43–55 nm. The frequency and temperature-dependent dielectric constant for all compositions was carried out and it is obtained that the dielectric constant decreases with Sm³⁺ content. The phase transition temperature first decreases up to x = 0.2 and then increases for the higher concentration of samarium. The dc-conductivity studies revealed that all samples showed an unusual mixed TCR effect (both positive and negative temperature coefficient of resistance). Such properties of the studied samples indicate that the material is suitable for potential applications in thermistors, and temperature sensors of the automotive, and petroleum industries.     

Influence of Ni ion site occupancy on laser induced third harmonic generation (THG) studies in Li2SO4–MgO–P2O5 amorphous system

Glasses of the composition Li₂SO₄–MgO–P₂O₅ mixed with varied contents (0.2–1.0 mol%) of nickel oxide were synthesized. Various spectroscopic investigations have indicated gradual growing proportions of O_h Ni²⁺ ions in the host glass. IR spectral results, in particular, have clearly demonstrated an increased degree of structural disorder of the glass nerwork with increased content of NiO. The intensity of third harmonic generation (THG) component of probing beam viz., Nd:YAG laser (λ = 1064 nm and power density J = 0–200 J/m²) induced due to the interaction of inherent dipoles with the incident laser beam, exhibited an increasing trend with increase of nickel oxide concentration up to 0.8 mol%. Analysis of the results of these studies indicated that Li₂SO₄–MgO–P₂O₅ glass samples doped with optimal content of NiO (~ 0.8 mol%) are more favorable for achieving intense THG beam with low phonon losses. Hence, such glasses may be considered as useful for optoelectronic devices. On the other hand, the samples doped with NiO content greater than 0.8 mol%, the Ni²⁺ ions seemed to prefer (revealed by optical absorption and IR spectroscopy studies) tetrahedral occupancy in the glass matrix and enhance the degree of the polymerization of the glass matrix; such increased order of polymerization of the glass matrix appears to be a hindrance for accomplishing higher intensity of THG signal due to large phonon losses. These results were found to be in concurrence with the inferences from other studies that include electrical properties, positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy and mechanical properties.     

Optimization of structural,electrical, and magnetic properties of ytterbium substituted W-type hexaferrite for multi-layer chip inductors

The rare earth (Yb³⁺) substituted W-type hexagonal ferrites with composition CaPb_2-xYb_xFe₁₆O₂₇ (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) were synthesized by a facile and cost-effective sol-gel auto combustion method with post heat treatment. The synthesized hexagonal ferrites were characterized by a variety of analytical techniques, and an impedance analyzer was used to investigate the effects of Ytterbium on structural, magnetic, spectral and dielectric properties. The relationship between their impedance, structure and dielectric properties was investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns verify the presence of single-phase W-type hexagonal ferrites. Physical properties such as D_bulk (bulk density), D_xrd (X-ray density), and P (porosity) of the CaPb_2-xYb_xFe₁₆O₂₇ W-type hexagonal ferrites were calculated. The bulk density of all the samples was decreased, and X-ray intensity was increased with the Ytterbium replacement in the W-type hexaferrite. By adding Yb³⁺ ions, the lattice parameters, cell volume and X-ray density were reduced due to the substitution of ytterbium with smaller ionic radii compared to the lead ion with large ionic radii. The AC-conductivity was increased from (1.523 × 10^?5 to 6.699 × 10^?5) Ωcm^?1. The dielectric constant and tangent loss was found to decrease substantially. The magnetic properties were found to enhance by the substitution of Yb³⁺. The low coercivity value of Yb³⁺ substituted W-type hexagonal ferrites are suitable for magnetic recording media operated at a high-frequency regime. The enhancement of electrical, dielectric and magnetic characteristics suggests these materials as promising for multi-layer chip inductors (MLCIs) circuit applications.     

恒湿文物展柜用吸附式空气取水方法

博物馆恒湿文物展柜的湿度控制至关重要，为实现展柜的自动恒湿功能，本文基于吸附式空气取水原理，提出了一种将环境水汽自动补充至恒湿文物展柜系统水箱的方法，并搭建了相应的小型空气取水装置，证明了该方法的可行性；同时，构建了传热传质耦合的空气取水装置数学模型，在获取环境温湿度对装置取水量的影响规律后，分析加热功率和吸附床结构对装置单位能耗取水量的影响；此外，为便于装置的后期推广应用，提出了两个基于吸附床高度和直径的量纲为1参数。结果表明：进口空气的温度对取水量影响较小，但进口空气的湿度对取水量影响较明显，取水量随着湿度增加而增加；加热功率存在最优值，单位能耗取水量随着加热功率先增大后减小；在当前几何参数组合下，两个量纲为1参数η=2、β=4时，装置的单位能耗取水量最高。     

Chitosan Microspheres as Carriers for pH‐Indicating Species in Corrosion Sensing

Chitosan microspheres containing bromocresol green, cresol red, and phenolphthalein for corrosion detection, through pH change, are synthesized in order to be used in protective coatings for aluminium alloys. Microspheres containing corrosion detection species are characterized morphologically (SEM) and physico‐chemically (FTIR, TGA). Release studies (UV–vis) are performed in corrosion‐promoting conditions (pH, NaCl), and detection studies by immersion in media associated with corrosion activity while microspheres' sensing activity is evaluated visually. Electrochemical characterization of AA2024 substrates in the presence of chitosan spheres is performed to understand material performance, and a color change is observed as a result of local pH increase in cathodic areas when corrosion takes place. These findings can be correlated with the results from release studies and seem a promising approach for corrosion sensing purposes, not only because pH increase is possible to detect due to corrosion, but also because chitosan is considered an environmentally friendly material.     

Twenty-five years of total antioxidant capacity measurement of foods and biological fluids: merits and limitations

This review summarises 25 years of investigations on antioxidants research in foods and biological fluids and critically analyses the merits and limitations of using the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) measurement in the metabolomic era. An enormous bulk of knowledge was produced regarding the antioxidant capacity of foods and large TAC databases were developed. A direct link between a food TAC value and any health benefit is erroneous and has led to several cases of consumer deception. However, the striking epidemiological evidence associating a high dietary TAC with some disease prevention and the availability of well-constructed TAC databases deserve attention and must be taken into account to establish the usefulness of measuring TAC in both foods and biological samples. The in vivo TAC measurement, usually performed in plasma, is influenced by many external factors, such as dietary habits, as well as environmental and behavioural factors, which are integrated towards homeostatic control by fine physiological mechanisms with high inter-individual variability. Therefore, plasma TAC cannot be considered as a unique biomarker of individual antioxidant status. However, the combined evaluation of plasma TAC with known markers of disease, individual metabolism, inflammation and genetics, as well as with markers of gut microbiota composition and activity, may lead to the identification of populations that are more responsive to food/diet TAC. In this framework, the appropriate use of TAC measurement both in food and in vivo can still provide support for the interpretation of complex phenomena and be a tool for sample screening when making a quick decision toward in-depth research investigations. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Improved district heating network operation by the integration of high-temperature heat pumps

Biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plants connected to district heating networks are a very good opportunity to increase the share of renewable sources into energy systems. Frequently, important consumers are connected to ensure a stable base heat demand throughout the year but they often have higher requirements in terms of temperature (i.e. steam), which involves a high level of temperature in the district heating network during the whole year and high levels of heat losses in the network. This contribution presents the possibility to decrease the level of temperature at which the district heating network operates and to use high-temperature heat pumps connected locally at the consumption point to produce steam when it is required. An investigation of the global design and integration through thermodynamic simulation models is realised for the University of Liège district heating network. This study is intended to determine the heat pump coefficient of performance and, therefore, to assess the balance between the savings in terms of heat losses and the additional heat pump electricity consumption.     

Report on inaugural workshop RSA ReHi-Network ‘Interdisciplinary connections between history & regional studies’*

The RSA Research Network on Regional Economic and Policy History (ReHi) aims to investigate the role of the historic perspective on regional studies through a series of events. During the inaugural two-day workshop, held in London in April 2017, the participants highlighted historical methodologies and approaches that establish a common thread in the various regional disciplines. They defined interdisciplinary connections that need to be addressed to overcome the discontinuous dialogue among researchers of regional studies and history. The research papers that were presented at the conference focused on improving methodologies, analysing economic strategies, developing techniques, and understanding policy development. The workshop aimed at establishing the foundation for a common research framework to improve the scientific debate and provide impact on regional policy regulations.     

Novel Positive Allosteric Modulators of µ Opioid Receptor—Insight from In Silico and In Vivo Studies

Opioids are the drugs of choice in severe pain management. Unfortunately, their use involves serious, potentially lethal side effects. Therefore, efforts in opioid drug design turn toward safer and more effective mechanisms, including allosteric modulation. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations in silico and ‘writhing’ tests in vivo were used to characterize potential allosteric mechanism of two previously reported compounds. The results suggest that investigated compounds bind to μ opioid receptor in an allosteric site, augmenting action of morphine at subeffective doses, and exerting antinociceptive effect alone at higher doses. Detailed analysis of in silico calculations suggests that first of the compounds behaves more like allosteric agonist, while the second compound acts mainly as a positive allosteric modulator.