A glass frit-sealed dye solar cell module with integrated series connections

As the dye solar cell (DSC) technology progresses from laboratory-scale to large-area applications, long-term stability is one major obstacle. Especially for large-area DSC modules, stability is often a matter of hermetic sealing both between cells and for the whole module. Here we suggest glass frit as sealing material. Glass frit is thermally, mechanically and chemically very stable and can be applied via screen printing.DSC modules of 30×30 cm² with a glass frit as primary sealing material have been produced.It was shown that glass frit is applicable for the upscaling of the DSC technology to large areas. The thermal stability of the glass frit sealing and the integrated series connections was verified in a thermal cycling from −40 to 80 °C.The colouration process has been scaled up to 30×30 cm² by pumping the dye solution through the module using only two filling holes. By heating the module to 70 °C the filling of the module with electrolytes based on high viscous ionic liquids was demonstrated.     

Lipophilic Extractives in Populus × euramericana “Guariento” Stemwood and Bark

Abstract

The lipophilic extractives in stemwood and bark from three different heights of Populus × euramericana “Guariento” were analyzed. The bark samples, especially from 4 and 8 meters height, contained much more extractives than the stemwood samples. The lipophilic extractives identified by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) were composed of five component groups (i.e. triglycerides, steryl esters, free fatty acids, sterols, and free fatty alcohols both in the stemwood and bark). Besides ferulic acid esters, α-amyrin and its esters, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid esters of fatty alcohols were also identified in the stemwood and bark. Small amounts of alkanes and oligomeric or polymeric material with higher molar mass than triglycerides were present only in the bark. Glycerides, mainly triglycerides, were the largest component group of the lipophilic extractives. The high proportion of short-chain fatty acids released after alkaline hydrolysis are beneficial when removing pitch particles or fatty acid soaps by dispersing and washing during pulping and papermaking.     

AlMnFeSi合金退火过程中的微观组织及力学性能的演变

通过2种不同的均匀化热处理及随后的冷轧,使一种3xxx系模型合金获得不同尺寸和分布的弥散析出相,并使铝基体含有不同含量的Mn。系统研究不同均匀化热处理组织和冷轧变形量对退火过程中模型合金的回复与再结晶行为的影响。根据实验结果,绘制出弥散析出相和再结晶过程的相互作用时间-温度-转变曲线（TTT）。TTT曲线显示固溶体中Mn的含量和弥散析出相的颗粒密度对软化行为有强烈的影响。在再结晶退火过程中或再结晶退火之前析出的高密度、细小、弥散析出相显著阻碍软化过程,并形成粗大的再结晶组织。在没有细小、稠密的弥散相影响下的再结晶退火,可以获得均匀、细小的等轴晶。而且,弥散析出相对再结晶过程的阻碍作用取决于再结晶过程的持续时间和弥散析出相的数量。在持续时间长的再结晶过程中,细小、稠密的弥散相对再结晶有着强烈的影响,而在其他情况下影响则有限。不管再结晶过程中是否受到弥散相析出的影响,在再结晶退火之前已经存在于组织中的细小、稠密的弥散相（平均尺寸0.1μm）也会导致再结晶退火之后形成粗大的再结晶组织。     

Protection of Teleost Fish against Infectious Diseases through Oral Administration of Vaccines: Update 2021

Immersion and intraperitoneal injection are the two most common methods used for the vaccination of fish. Because both methods require that fish are handled and thereby stressed, oral administration of vaccines as feed supplements is desirable. In addition, in terms of revaccination (boosting) of adult fish held in net pens, oral administration of vaccines is probably the only feasible method to obtain proper protection against diseases over long periods of time. Oral vaccination is considered a suitable method for mass immunization of large and stress-sensitive fish populations. Moreover, oral vaccines may preferably induce mucosal immunity, which is especially important to fish. Experimental oral vaccine formulations include both non-encapsulated and encapsulated antigens, viruses and bacteria. To develop an effective oral vaccine, the desired antigens must be protected against the harsh environments in the stomach and gut so they can remain intact when they reach the lower gut/intestine where they normally are absorbed and transported to immune cells. The most commonly used encapsulation method is the use of alginate microspheres that can effectively deliver vaccines to the intestine without degradation. Other encapsulation methods include chitosan encapsulation, poly D,L-lactide-co-glycolic acid and liposome encapsulation. Only a few commercial oral vaccines are available on the market, including those against infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), Spring viremia carp virus (SVCV), infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) and Piscirickettsia salmonis. This review highlights recent developments of oral vaccination in teleost fish.     

New interdigital design for large area dye solar modules using a lead‐free glass frit sealing

A new interdigital design for large area dye solar modules is developed for an area of 30×30 cm². This design requires fewer holes in the glass substrate for electrolyte filling, than the conventional strip design. A complete manufacturing process of this module—ranging from screen printed layers to semi‐automated colouring and electrolyte filling—in a laboratory‐scale baseline is illustrated. As primary sealing method, a durable glass frit sealing is used. It is shown, that the lead (Pb) content present in many glass frit powders contaminates the catalytic platinum electrode during the sintering process, resulting in a lowering of the fill factor. A screen printable lead‐free glass frit paste is developed, which solves this problem. Long term stability tests are presented on 2·5 cm² dye solar cells, which have been completely sealed with glass frit. In consecutively performed accelerated ageing tests under 85°C in the dark (about 1400 h) and continuous illumination with visible light (1 sun, about 1700 h), a 2·5 cm² dye solar cell with an electrolyte based on propylmethylimidazolium iodide showed an overall degradation of less than 5% in conversion efficiency. In a subsequently performed thermal cycling test (−40°C to +85°C, 50 cycles) a 2·5 cm² dye solar cell with the same electrolyte composition also showed only a slight degradation of less than 5% in conversion efficiency. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of competitive adsorption on the rate of diffusion

Evidence is presented that the apparent diffusion coefficient of one penetrant can be increased by competition from another penetrant for the same adsorption sites in polyester. The competition is governed by the relative diffusivities of the penetrants and their affinities for the adsorption sites.     

Thermobaric stratification in very deep Norwegian freshwater lakes

Thermobaric stratification was investigated in very deep lakes of elongated shape. We considered the spring time configuration when large freshwater lakes may have their deepest recirculation. In five very deep freshwater lakes in Norway, profiles were measured in spring 2006 with multiparameter probes. Temperature profiles confirmed thermobaric stratification in all of these lakes, i.e. the temperature profiles crossed the 4 °C line and thus were affected by pressure effects on the temperature of maximum density. Electrical conductance was low in all of the investigated lakes, and vertical gradients were too small to play a role in the density stratification. In all lakes, deep water was well supplied with oxygen. Three out of five lakes showed a temperature gradient close to Eklund's stability theorem. However, the remaining two lakes clearly opposed the theorem. Bottom temperatures were more closely related to lake length than their maximum depths. Oxygen saturation profiles documented recent intensive gas exchange with the atmosphere. They agree well with the possible formation of deep water from density driven flows at horizontal temperature gradients close to 4 °C.     

Optimization of metallurgical variables in fracture prevention

The effect of metallurgical variables on the two most important crack growth mechanisms - stable crack growth by environmentally assisted cyclic crack growth and unstable crack growth by cleavage - in light water reactor pressure vessel steels is evaluated. The analyses are based on micromechanisms of fracture and sensitivity analysis, when applicable. Metallurgical variables considered are non-metallic inclusions and carbides as well as other parameters through their effects on yield strength and other mechanical properties.