Reliable in the long run? Petroleum policy and long-term oil supplier reliability

Accelerating oil import dependence in energy consuming nations highlights the importance of having energy supplies at sufficient levels and at stable and reasonable prices. Consequently, it is crucial that oil exporters realize their full production potential. Current debates on energy security are often focused on short-term risks e.g. sudden disruptions due to wars, domestic instability, etc. However, when it comes to assessing oil supplier reliability it is equally important to assess their longer term ability and willingness to deliver oil to the global market. This study analyzes the effects of petroleum investment policies on crude oil production trends in 14 major oil producing countries (2000–2010) by focusing on the political–institutional frameworks that shape the investment conditions for the upstream oil sector. Our findings indicate that countries with less favorable oil sector frameworks systematically performed worse than countries with investor friendly and privatized sectors. The findings indicate that assessments based on remaining reserves and planned production capacities alone could inflate expectations about future oil supplies in a world where remaining crude reserves are located in countries with unfavorable investment frameworks.     

Effect of Particles Content on Microstructure,Mechanical Properties,and Electrochemical Behavior of Aluminum-Based Hybrid Composite Processed by Accumulative Roll Bonding Process

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - Effect of B4C/SiC particles content on the microstructure, deformation, and electrochemical behavior of aluminum-based hybrid composite processed by...     

Coordinated scheduling of a single machine with sequence-dependent setup times and time-window constraints

In this paper we consider the selection and scheduling of several jobs on a single machine with sequence-dependent setup times and strictly enforced time-window constraints on the start times of each job. We demonstrate how to develop network-based algorithms to sustain the desired work in process (WIP) profile in a manufacturing environment. Short-term production targets are used to coordinate decentralised local schedulers and to make the objectives of specific areas in line with the chain objectives. A wide range of test problems with two different network structures are simulated. The effectiveness, efficiency, and robustness of the proposed algorithms are analysed and compared with an exhaustive search approach.     

The influence of different knowledge workers on innovation strategy and product development performance in small and medium-sized enterprises

Despite significant interest on the topic of knowledge workers, the understanding of how they influence certain aspects of firm innovativeness remains limited. In particular, while different types of knowledge workers exist, their particular synergistic effects on new and improved product development within smaller firms has received less attention. Drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV), we posit that innovation strategy plays an instrumental role in linking the effects of knowledge workers, thereby leading to greater product development outcomes from different types of knowledge workers. Moreover, some suggest that beyond a certain point, there is a diminishing return to increasing the proportion of knowledge workers in an organisation; however, the basis of this finding is within larger firms. This study investigates whether high-level (e.g. engineers and scientists) and low-level (e.g. technicians and machine operators) knowledge workers exert varying effects on performance in terms of new and improved product development. Data from 205 small and medium-sized high-tech manufacturing firms provide support that distinguishing among types of knowledge workers is important given that they impact new and improved product development differently. Furthermore, innovation strategy plays a synergistic role, positively mediating the effects of different types of knowledge workers on innovation outcomes.     

印尼褐煤无黏结剂型煤自燃与燃烧特性研究

在内辊式高压型煤机上将一种印度尼西亚褐煤压制成高强度的无黏结剂型煤,对其比表面积、孔容积和表面官能团进行分析,测定了型煤的相对着火温度和绝热氧化升温速率,研究了其热解和燃烧行为特性.结果表明,印尼褐煤在干燥和高压成型过程中,发生了孔的收缩和崩塌,特别是微孔收缩程度要更大一些;干燥和成型过程中有羟基、羰基和羧基含氧官能团的分解;经过提质处理后,褐煤的自燃着火倾向降低,热解和燃烧反应性降低.     

Fermentation, degradation and microbial nitrogen partitioning for three forage colour phenotypes within anthocyanidin-accumulating Lc-alfalfa progeny

BACKGROUND: Alfalfa has the disadvantage of having a rapid initial rate of protein degradation, which results in pasture bloat, low efficiency of protein utilisation and excessive nitrogen (N) pollution into the environment for cattle. Introducing a gene that stimulates the accumulation of monomeric/polymeric anthocyanidins might reduce the ruminal protein degradation rate (by fixing protein and/or direct interaction with microbes) and additionally reduce methane emission. The objectives of this study were to evaluate in vitro fermentation, degradation and microbial N partitioning of three forage colour phenotypes (green, light purple‐green (LPG) and purple‐green (PG)) within newly developed Lc‐progeny and to compare them with those of parental green non‐transgenic (NT) alfalfa. RESULTS: PG‐Lc accumulated more anthocyanidin compared with Green‐Lc (P < 0.05), with LPG‐Lc intermediate. Volatile fatty acids and potentially degradable dry matter (DM) and N were similar among the four phenotypes. Gas, methane and ammonia accumulation rates were slower for the two purple‐Lc phenotypes compared with NT‐alfalfa (P < 0.05), while Green‐Lc was intermediate. Effective degradable DM and N were lower in the three Lc‐phenotypes (P < 0.05) compared with NT‐alfalfa. Anthocyanidin concentration was negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with gas and methane production rates and effective degradability of DM and N. CONCLUSION: The Lc‐alfalfa phenotypes accumulated anthocyanidin. Fermentation and degradation parameters indicated a reduced rate of fermentation and effective degradability for both purple anthocyanidin‐accumulating Lc‐alfalfa phenotypes compared with NT‐alfalfa. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Optically- and thermally-responsive programmable materials based on carbon nanotube-hydrogel polymer composites

A simple approach is described to fabricate reversible, thermally- and optically responsive actuators utilizing composites of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) loaded with single-walled carbon nanotubes. With nanotube loading at concentrations of 0.75 mg/mL, we demonstrate up to 5 times enhancement to the thermal response time of the nanotube-pNIPAM hydrogel actuators caused by the enhanced mass transport of water molecules. Additionally, we demonstrate the ability to obtain ultrafast near-infrared optical response in nanotube-pNIPAM hydrogels under laser excitation enabled by the strong absorption properties of nanotubes. The work opens the framework to design complex and programmable self-folding materials, such as cubes and flowers, with advanced built-in features, including tunable response time as determined by the nanotube loading.     

Shake Table Studies of a Concrete Bridge Pier Utilizing Pipe-Pin Two-Way Hinges

Pipe-pin two-way hinge details were recently developed by California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to eliminate moments while transferring shear and axial loads from integral bridge bent caps to reinforced concrete bridge columns. The hinges consist of a steel pipe that is anchored in the column with an extended segment into the cap beam. There is no specific design guideline for these hinges, and the current design method is primeval and only controls shear failure of the steel pipe. In this study, a rational method is proposed on the basis of the possible limit states to obtain the lateral capacity of these hinges. To validate the proposed method, a large-scale two-column bridge pier model utilizing pipe-pin hinges was tested on a shake table. The model was subjected to increasing levels of one of the Sylmar-Northridge 1994 earthquake records. A comprehensive analytical modeling of the pier was also performed using OpenSees; for this purpose, a macro model was developed for pipe-pin hinges in this study. The experimental results confirmed that the hinges designed on the basis of the proposed guideline remain elastic with no damage. The good correlation between the analytical and experimental data indicated that the macro model and other modeling assumptions were appropriate.     

Kinetics of catalytic steam gasification of bitumen coke

The catalytic steam gasification of coke from Athabasca bitumen was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis using K₂CO₃ and Na₂CO₃ as catalysts, both of which reduced the activation energy of the reaction considerably to 1.2 × 10⁵ J mol⁻¹ and 1.3 × 10⁵ J mol⁻¹, respectively, down from 2.1 × 10⁵ J mol⁻¹ for the uncatalyzed reaction. The reaction rates varied with the partial pressure of steam between 60 kPa and 85 kPa consistent with a Langmuir-Hinshelwood model, but a first order equation was also sufficient given the low partial pressures. The initial rate of gasification of the coke particles correlated linearly with the estimated external surface area of the particles, as expected from a surface reaction involving a non-porous solid. The initial reaction rate increased with increasing the catalyst loading up to 2.4 (mol potassium)/kg. A portion of the catalyst penetrated into the coke, as confirmed by secondary ion mass spectroscopy analysis, where it could not promote the reaction with steam. This result was consistent with a small increase observed in the reaction rate at low catalyst loading. The shrinking core model was successful in predicting the rates at higher conversions from the initial rate data, despite increases in BET surface area with conversion.