Optimised anaerobic treatment of house-sorted biodegradable waste and slaughterhouse waste in a high loaded half technical scale digester.

Anaerobic co-digestion of organic wastes from households, slaughterhouses and meat processing industries was optimised in a half technical scale plant. The plant was operated for 130 days using two different substrates under organic loading rates of 10 and 12 kgCOD.m(-3).d(-1). Since the substrates were rich in fat and protein components (TKN: 12 g.kg(-1) the treatment was challenging. The process was monitored on-line and in the laboratory. It was demonstrated that an intensive and stable co-digestion of partly hydrolysed organic waste and protein rich slaughterhouse waste can be achieved in the balance of inconsistent pH and buffering NH4-N. In the first experimental period the reduction of the substrate COD was almost complete in an overall stable process (COD reduction >82%). In the second period methane productivity increased, but certain intermediate products accumulated constantly. Process design options for a second digestion phase for advanced degradation were investigated. Potential causes for slow and reduced propionic and valeric acid degradation were assessed. Recommendations for full-scale process implementation can be made from the experimental results reported. The highly loaded and stable codigestion of these substrates may be a good technical and economic treatment alternative.     

Condition assessment of unshielded aged power and control cables byelectrical techniques

Experience with electrical diagnostic and high-potential tests, performed at the terminals of unshielded cables in older nuclear and thermal plants is presented. The three basic types of cable-low- and high-voltage power cables, control cables and instrumentation cables-that are important to the reliable operation of a generating station and large industrial plants are described, and their aging mechanisms are indicated. Dielectric testing of unshielded cables, the effect of grounding, field testing of station cables, and insulation characterization at low frequencies are discussed     

Evolution of BET internal surface area in glassy carbon powder during thermal oxidation

It is demonstrated that glassy carbon powder can be thermochemically activated. During activation, a film with open pores is created on the glassy carbon particles. This film has a large internal surface area, which is accessible to liquids and gases. A simple model for the evolution of the internal surface area in glassy carbon powder during thermochemical gas-phase oxidation is also presented and compared with experimental data. Experimental results are in qualitative agreement with the model. We found that a sharp particle size distribution is desirable with regard to potential technical applications.     

Finite element analysis of loaded structures at very high temperatures

At very high temperatures loaded metallic structures undergo creep deformations. The generated creep strains are connected with stress relaxations, stress redistributions and/or progressive deformations.In mainly load controlled situations the behaviour of the material can be described by a nonlinear viscous flow law (Norton power law).A stress-deformation analysis of complex structures can be carried out by finite element codes in which the mentioned constitutive equation is implemented. The code PERMAS-VISCOUS was used to analyse the stress state of a notched tension bar and the deformation behaviour of a tube under external pressure undergoing a creep collapse. The relation to experimental findings is also given.     

Data to frequency mappings in various MSK schemes

Minimum shift keying (MSK) is a digital modulation scheme which is suited to demanding applications requiring good bandwidth efficiency and error performance. It can be regarded as continuous phase frequency shift keying (CPFSK) with two signalling frequencies. In general, there is no unique mapping from the input data polarity to the particular signalling frequency during a given bit interval. The simplest formulation maps zeros of the data (marks) to the lower frequency, and ones (spaces) to the higher frequency. Other formulations of MSK employ more complex mappings. The article summarises the most commonly encountered mappings, then shows how to convert from one formulation to another by manipulating the input or output data. It is, therefore, possible to establish communication between different MSK modems employing different formulations of MSK by simple processing of the data     

Zum Spannungsrißkorrosionsverhalten rekristallisierter Bleche der AlLi-Legierung 8090-T81

On the stress corrosion cracking behaviour of recrystallized 8090-T81 Sheets The stress corrosion cracking behaviour of a recrystallized sheet of the Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr alloy 8090-T81 was studied performing accelerated tests under constant deformation, constant load, and slow strain rate conditions. The used electrolytes were an aqueous 3.5% NaCl solution, an aqueous solution of 2% NaCl + 0.5% Na₂CrO₄ at pH = 3, and synthetic seawater according to ASTM D1141. Alternately immersed in 3.5% NaCl solution according to ASTM G44 the investigated alloy was found to be susceptible to stress corrosion cracking was not promoted by continuous immersion in aerated 3.5% NaCl solution, 3.5% NaCl solution saturated with carbon dioxide, and in acid chromate inhibited 2% NaCl solution. Using the slow strain rate technique with continuously immersed flat tensile specimens stress corrosion cracking was only observed in synthetic seawater. Under specific environmental conditions hydrogen embrittlement can occur in the investigated material.     

Sequence‐Specific Molecular Lithography Towards DNA‐Templated Electronics

Recent advances in the realization of individual molecular‐scale devices [1,2] highlight the integration of individual devices into large‐scale functional circuits as the major challenge. DNA‐programmed assembly is a promising avenue in that direction due to the large amount of information that can be coded into the molecules and the ability to translate that information into physical constructs [3]. Large‐scale DNA‐templated electronics require, however, complex manipulation of double‐stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules, as well as patterning of the electrical properties instilled to them by, e.g., metallization. To that end, sequence‐specific molecular lithography on single DNA molecules has been developed [4]. This was achieved by harnessing the exquisite homologous recombination process of the RecA protein. Sequence‐specific patterning of the metal coating of DNA molecules, localization of arbitrary labeled molecular objects at any desired dsDNA address without prior modifications, and generation of molecularly accurate stable dsDNA‐dsDNA junctions are demonstrated. The information encoded in the DNA molecules directs the lithographic process in analogy to the masks used in conventional microelectronics. The RecA protein provides the assembling capabilities, as well as the resist function.