Functional Mesoporous Carbon‐Coated Separator for Long‐Life,High‐Energy Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

The lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery is regarded as the most promising rechargeable energy storage technology for the increasing applications of clean energy transportation systems due to its remarkable high theoretical energy density of 2.6 kWh kg^?1, considerably outperforming today's lithium‐ion batteries. Additionally, the use of sulfur as active cathode material has the advantages of being inexpensive, environmentally benign, and naturally abundant. However, the insulating nature of sulfur, the fast capacity fading, and the short lifespan of Li–S batteries have been hampered their commercialization. In this paper, a functional mesoporous carbon‐coated separator is presented for improving the overall performance of Li–S batteries. A straightforward coating modification of the commercial polypropylene separator allows the integration of a conductive mesoporous carbon layer which offers a physical place to localize dissolved polysulfide intermediates and retain them as active material within the cathode side. Despite the use of a simple sulfur–carbon black mixture as cathode, the Li–S cell with a mesoporous carbon‐coated separator offers outstanding performance with an initial capacity of 1378 mAh g^?1 at 0.2 C, and high reversible capacity of 723 mAh g^?1, and degradation rate of only 0.081% per cycle, after 500 cycles at 0.5 C.     

Hindsight ≠ hindsight: Experimentally induced dissociations between hindsight components.

Hindsight bias has recently been conceived of not as a unitary phenomenon but as a conglomerate of 3 separate phenomenological manifestations (“hindsight components”; Blank, Nestler, von Collani, & Fischer, 2008): memory distortions, impressions of foreseeability, and impressions of inevitability. These components are thought to be fundamentally different in nature, to be influenced by different processes, and to serve different functions. This article provides strong evidence for the separate components view and its underlying assumptions by demonstrating theoretically predicted dissociations between the components. In Experiment 1, for example, we used a memory encoding manipulation to specifically influence the amount of hindsight memory distortion but not participants' inevitability impressions. Conversely, varying the number of provided reasons for an event outcome affected inevitability impressions but left memory distortion untouched. Similar results—using different theoretically derived manipulations—were obtained between foreseeability impressions and memory distortions (Experiment 2) and between inevitability and foreseeability impressions (Experiment 3). Theoretical and practical consequences of these results and of the separate components view are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Strain rate sensitivity of closed cell aluminium fly ash foam

With the increasing use of metal foams in various engineering applications, investigation of their dynamic behaviour under varying strain rate is necessary. Closed cell aluminium fly ash foam developed through liquid metallurgy route was investigated for its stress—strain behaviour at different strain rates ranging from 700 s^?1 to 1950 s^?1. The numerical model of split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was simulated using commercially available finite element code Abaqus/Explicit. Validation of numerical simulation was carried out using available experimental and numerical results. Full scale stress—strain curves were developed for various strain rates to study the effect of strain rate on compressive strength and energy absorption. The results showed that the closed cell aluminium fly ash foam is sensitive to strain rate.     

Lab and pilot scale investigations on membrane fouling during the ultrafiltration of surface water

In the combined laboratory and pilot plant investigation powder activated carbon dosing and inline coagulation were investigated for surface water from river Spree. The aim was to understand the fouling behaviour of this raw water and to understand and to identify strategies to minimize the irreversible fouling in this application. Trials with activated carbon showed significant differences in the adsorption of biopolymers on different types of carbon. Whereas the TOC removal was in the same range for both types the coarse carbon type showed very small removal of biopolymers. The effect of different types of coagulants, dosage and pH was investigated in a laboratory filtration set up. Samples were investigated by LC-OCD measurements for fractionation of DOC for raw water, flocculated water and permeate. The removal of biopolymers was possible with iron and alumina salts, however the alumina salts tend to remove humic acids as well and this results in a higher overall DOC removal. In the pilot plant the inline coagulation was investigated under actual site conditions. Whereas the results for the effect of coagulation and DOC removal were confirmed it turned out that aluminium coagulants give a significantly higher increase in differential pressure. The use of ferric coagulants at slightly acidic pH was thus identified as a robust method to achieve a stable performance of the ultrafiltration system at this site.     

Geocoded digital videography for validation of land cover mapping in the Amazon basin

Four Validation Overflights for Amazon Mosaics (VOAM) aerial video surveys have been carried out in the Brazilian Amazon to provide ground verification for mapping of wetland cover with the Global Rain Forest Mapping (GRFM) Project JERS-1 (Japanese Earth Remote Sensing Satellite) mosaics of the Amazon basin. Surveys in 1995 and 1996, acquired with handheld analog camcorders from small aircraft, were timed to imaging of the GRFM low- and high-water mosaics, and limited to within 600 km of Manaus. For the 1997 and 1999 flights, digital camcorder systems were installed in the Bandeirante survey plane operated by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research. The VOAM97 and VOAM99 surveys circumscribed the Brazilian Amazon, documenting ground conditions at resolutions on the order of 1 m (wide-angle format) and 10 cm (zoom format) for wetlands, forests, savannas, and human-impacted areas. Global Positioning System (GPS) information encoded on the video audio track was extracted by mosaicking software that automatically generates geocoded digital mosaics from video clips. On the 1999 survey, a laser altimeter recorded profiles of terrain and vegetation canopy heights. A validation dataset was compiled from the videography for a portion of the GRFM mosaics extending 6° by 4° in longitude and latitude, using randomly selected points along flight lines. Other applications of the VOAM videography include acquisition of ground control points for image geolocation, creation of a high-resolution geocoded mosaic of a forest study area, forest biomass estimation, and rapid assessment of fire damage. Geocoded digital videography provides a cost-effective means of compiling high-resolution validation datasets for land cover mapping in remote, cloud-covered regions.