On-line estimation of kinetic parameters in anaerobic digestion using observer-based estimators and multiwavelength fluorometry.

Observer-based estimators (OBE) were used for estimation of state variables and kinetic parameters in an anaerobic digestion (AD) process. A simplified first-order model with time-varying kinetic parameters was used to design an OBE for kinetic parameter estimation. This approach was validated on a laboratory-scale anaerobic reactor equipped with a multiwavelength fluorometer for on-line measurements of COD and VFA concentrations in the reactor effluent. The proposed estimators provide continuous adjustment of kinetic parameters and can be used for predictions of state variables between samples acquisition and during sensor failure.     

Co-digestion of ruminal content and blood from slaughterhouse industries: influence of solid concentration and ammonium generation.

At the present time, organic solid wastes from industries and agricultural activities are considered to be promising substrates for biogas production via anaerobic digestion. Moreover solids stabilisation is required before reutilization or disposal. Slaughterhouses are among the most important industries in Uruguay and produce 150,000 tons of ruminal content (RC) and 30,000 tons of blood per year. In order to determine the influence of the solids and blood contents, the ammonia inhibition and the inoculum adaptation co-digestion batch tests were performed. A set of experiences with TS concentration of 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% and different ratios of RC/blood were carried out using an inoculum from an UASB reactor. In all experiences fast blood hydrolisation was observed. A higher methane production was detected in the experiences with higher TS content. However, the fraction of solids degradation was lower in these experiences. A plateau in the biogas production was found. The free ammonia level, which was above the reported inhibitory levels, could explain this behaviour. After the inhibition period the biogas production restarted probably due to the biomass acclimatisation to the ammonia. In order to determine the inoculum adaptation a new experiment was performed. The inoculum used was the sludge coming from the first set of experiences. Based upon batch tests a 3.5 m3 pilot reactor was designed and started up. Ammonia inhibition was avoided by the start-up strategy and in two weeks the biogas production was 3.5 m3/d. The VS stabilisation with a solid retention time of 20 days was of 43%. The pilot reactor working at steady state had a TS concentration of 3-4% with a ratio of RC/blood of 10:1 at the entrance.     

Optimal control of the effects from industrial transportation on the environment

The paper discusses optimal control of ecosystem state for observation of a generalized monotonically varying random parameter. A model is proposed for the controlled vector random process, whose components are assigned acceptable ranges and the observations are performed discretely. __________ Translated from Khimicheskoe i Neftegazovoe Mashinostroenie, No. 6, pp. 40–44, June, 2006.     

软交换与3G网络互通关键技术分析

就软交换网络和WCDMAR4网络互通的关键技术进行了分析和探讨，并借此提出了对互通节点的技术要求。     

Design of a retention tank: comparison of stormwater quality models with various levels of complexity.

Stormwater quality simulation models are useful tools for the design and management of sewer systems. Modelling results are highly sensitive to experimental data used for calibration. This sensitivity is examined for three modelling approaches of various complexities (site mean concentration approach, event mean concentration approach and build-up, washoff and transport modelling approach) applied to a typical case study (design of a dry detention tank), accounting for the variability of calibration data and their effect on simulation results. Calibrated models with different calibration data sets were used to simulate 3 years of rainfall with different retention tank specific volumes. Annual pollutant load interception efficiencies were determined. Simulations results revealed (i) that there is no advantage in using the EMC model compared to the SMC model and (ii) that the BWT model resulted in higher design ratios than those given by the SMC/hydraulic approach. For both EMC and BWT models, using an increasing number n of events for calibration leads to narrower confidence intervals for the design ratios. It is crucial for design ratios to account for successive storm events in chronological order and to account for the maximum allowable flow to be transferred to the downstream WWTP.     

Note on B-splines, wavelet scaling functions, and Gabor frames

Let g be a continuous, compactly supported function on such that the integer translates of g constitute a partition of unity. We show that the Gabor system (g,a,b), with window g and time-shift and frequency-shift parameters a,b>0 has no lower frame bound larger than 0 if b=2,3,... and a>0. In particular, (g,a,b) is not a Gabor frame if g is a continuous, compactly supported wavelet scaling function and if b=2,3,... and a>0. We give an example for our result for the case that g=B/sub 1/, the triangle function supported by [-1,1], by showing pictures of the canonical dual corresponding to (g,a,b) where ab=1/4 and b crosses the lines N=2,3,.     

Methods of Verifying Continuous Automatic Belt Weighers: State and Prospects

The basic methods of verifying continuous automatic belt weighers are described. A comparative analysis of these methods on the basis of experimental studies is made and ways of implementing the results in industry are recommended.     

Managing Fashion Goods Inventories: Dynamic Recourse for Retailers with Outlet Stores

The proliferation of both online and bricks and mortar outlet stores underscores the observation that secondary markets are readily accessible to retailers of short-life-cycle products. These secondary markets provide recourse channels for retailers to sell excess inventory of out-of-favor items at reduced prices when overstocking occurs in a primary market. We study the problem of determining when a retailer should terminate its primary selling season by selling remaining inventory on a secondary market. The retailer has a single opportunity to procure prior to a primary selling season consisting of multiple periods. Demand in each period is random, but correlated. At the end of each period, any remaining inventory incurs a holding cost. Then, based upon the current level of inventory and the cumulative demand-to-date, the retailer decides either to terminate the primary selling season by selling all or part of the remaining inventory on a secondary market, or to extend the current primary selling season by another period. We develop structural properties of the optimal policy for determining when to terminate the primary selling season, and we develop corresponding implications for procurement.     

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of silver thin films for future interconnects by direct liquid injection system

Deposition of Ag films by direct liquid injection-metal organic chemical vapor deposition (DLI-MOCVD) was chosen because this preparation method allows precise control of precursor flow and prevents early decomposition of the precursor as compared to the bubbler-delivery. Silver(I)-2,2-dimethyl-6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-3,5-octanedionato-triethylphosphine [Ag(fod)(PEt₃)] as the precursor for Ag CVD was studied, which is liquid at 30 °C. Ag films were grown on different substrates of SiO₂/Si and TiN/Si. Argon and nitrogen/hydrogen carrier gas was used in a cold wall reactor at a pressure of 50–500 Pa with deposition temperature ranging between 220 °C and 350 °C. Ag films deposited on a TiN/Si diffusion barrier layer have favorable properties over films deposited on SiO₂/Si substrate. At lower temperature (220 °C), film growth is essentially reaction-limited on SiO₂ substrate. Significant dependence of the surface morphology on the deposition conditions exists in our experiments. According to XPS analysis pure Ag films are deposited by DLI-MOCVD at 250 °C by using argon as carrier gas.     

Popular biorthogonal wavelet filters via a lifting scheme and its application in image compression

A technique using a lifting scheme is presented for constructing compactly supported wavelets whose coefficients are composed of free variables locating in an interval. An efficient approach-based wavelet for image compression is developed by selecting the coefficients of the 9-7 wavelet filter and associated lifting scheme. Furthermore, the rationalised coefficients wavelet filter that can be implemented with simple integer arithmetic is achieved and its characteristic is close to the well known original irrational coefficients 9-7 wavelet filters developed by A. Cohen et al. (Commun. Pure Appl. Maths., vol.45, no.1, p.485-560, 1992). To reduce the computational cost of image coding applications further, an acceleration technique is proposed for the lifting steps. Software and hardware simulations show that the new method has very low complexity, and simultaneously preserves the high quality of the compressed image.