Baselines for carbon emissions in the Indian and Chinese power sectors: Implications for international carbon trading

The study examines the dynamics of carbon emissions baselines of electricity generation in Indian states and Chinese provinces in the backdrop of ongoing electricity sector reforms in these countries. Two Indian states—Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, and three Chinese provinces–Guangdong, Liaoning and Hubei have been chosen for detailed analysis to bring out regional variations that are not captured in aggregate country studies. The study finds that fuel mix is the main driver behind the trends exhibited by the carbon baselines in these five cases. The cases confirm that opportunities exist in the Indian and Chinese electricity sectors to lower carbon intensity mainly in the substitution of other fuels for coal and, to a lesser extent, adoption of more efficient and advanced coal-fired generation technology. Overall, the findings suggest that the electricity sectors in India and China are becoming friendlier to the global environment. Disaggregated analysis, detailed and careful industry analysis is essential to establishing a power sector carbon emissions baseline as a reference for CDM crediting. However, considering all the difficulties associated with the baseline issue, our case studies demonstrate that there is merit in examining alternate approaches that rely on more aggregated baselines.     

Methodology for Analyzing Strain States During <Emphasis Type="Italic">In Situ</Emphasis> Thermomechanical Cycling in Individual Lead-Free Solder Joints Using Synchrotron Radiation

To examine how a lead-free solder joint deforms in a thermal cycling environment, both the elastic and plastic stress and strain behavior must be understood. Methods to identify evolution of the internal strain (stress) state during thermal cycling are described. A slice of a package containing a single row of solder joints was thermally cycled from 0°C to 100°C with a period of about 1 h with concurrent acquisition of transmission Laue patterns using synchrotron radiation. These results indicated that most joints are single crystals, with some being multicrystals with no more than a few Sn grain orientations. Laue patterns were analyzed to estimate local strains in different crystal directions at different temperatures during a thermal cycle. While the strains perpendicular to various crystal planes all vary in a similar way, the magnitude of strain varies. The specimens were subsequently given several hundred additional thermal cycles and measured again to assess changes in the crystal orientations. These results show that modest changes in crystal orientations occur during thermal cycling.     

Technology standards-setting in the US wireless telecommunications industry: A study of three generations of digital standards development

This article focuses on the evolution of technology standards-setting in the US wireless telecommunications industry during the decades of the 1980s and 1990s. The purpose of this exploratory study is to understand and model the organizational process and environmental influences employed to develop three generations (i.e. second generation (2.0) Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), second generation (2.5) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and third generation (3.0) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA)) of de jure US wireless digital telecommunications standards. Through the use of a multi-case study approach, the research study focuses on inter-organizational strategic cooperation among wireless telecommunications firms proposing competitive technology designs in the standard development process. Based on data collected in these three case studies, wireless standard development models are “mapped” for the TDMA, CDMA and WCDMA technologies. Moreover, a generic, conceptual wireless technology standard development model is “mapped”, a further refinement of an earlier seminal model of telecommunications standard-setting. Finally, conclusions are reached, with both theoretical and practical implications, and suggested areas of future research (in the form of a set of research hypotheses) are presented.     

A low-noise fixed-tuned 300-360-GHz sub-harmonic mixer using planar Schottky diodes

This letter presents the design and fabrication of a low-noise fixed-tuned 300-360-GHz sub-harmonic mixer, featuring an anti-parallel pair of planar Schottky diodes fabricated by the University of Virginia and flip-chipped onto a suspended quartz-based microstrip circuit. The mixer exhibits a double side band (DSB) equivalent noise temperature lower than 900K over 18% of bandwidth (300-360-GHz), with 2 to 4.5mW of local oscillator (LO) power. At room temperature, a minimum DSB mixer noise temperature of 700K and conversion losses of 6.3dB are measured at 330GHz.     

A novel simultaneous unipolar multispectral integrated technology approach for HgCdTe IR detectors and focal plane arrays

In the last few years Rockwell has developed a novel simultaneous unipolar multispectral integrated HgCdTe detector and focal plane array technology that is a natural and relatively straightforward derivative of our baseline double layer planar heterostructure (DLPH) molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) technology. Recently this technology was awarded a U.S. patent. This simultaneous unipolar multispectral integrated technology (SUMIT) shares the high performance characteristics of its DLPH antecedent. Two color focal plane arrays with low-10¹³ cm⁻²s⁻¹ background limited detectivity performance (BLIP D^*) have been obtained for mid-wave infrared (MWIR, 3–5 m) devices at T>130 K and for long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8–10 m) devices at T∼80 K.     

Damage thresholds at metal surfaces for short pulse IR lasers

Measurements of damage to metal surfaces induced by intense nanosecond pulses of IR radiation are reported. Single-shot damage thresholds of Cu, stainless steel, molybdenum, and aluminum surfaces have been measured for various angles of incidence and the predicted increase in damage thresholds for grazing incidence optical components have been experimentally verified for the first time at 10 μm. In addition multiple-shot damage tests have been performed and practical lifetime curves for Cu mirrors have been established. The results are compared with existing theoretical models and shown to be in general agreement.     

Size determination of shriveled and wrinkled soybeans

Drought stress created shriveled and wrinkled (S/W) soybeans in the 1988 soybean crop. Seven lots of 1988 soybeans were examined to validate the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) definition of S/W. Lots were subdivided into sized fractions with both slotted and round-hole screens. Shriveled and wrinkled soybeans were found in all size fractions, whether those fractions were determined by a slotted or a round-hole screen. None of the size fractions adequately isolated or characterized S/W soybeans. The FGIS definition of shriveled and wrinkled does not sonsider larger wrinkled soybeans, but only shriveled soybeans passing through a 10/64″ by 3/4″ slotted screen. The most accurate determination of S/W soybeans can be made by examining the entire soybean sample, not a sized fraction.     

Electrochemical oxidation of acidic Alberta coal slurries

The electrochemical oxidation of four different types of Alberta coals of bituminous and subbituminous rank have been studied in 1 M H₂SO₄ slurries at 90°C under potentiostatic conditions at an applied potential of 1.0 V with respect to RHE. Two particle sizes (>200 and <60 mesh) were used to determine the rate constant for the electrochemical oxidation of coal mediated by Fe³⁺. Two rate constants,k _c.1, andk _c.2, representing initial (0-6 h) and subsequent (6–24 h) stages of electrochemical oxidation of coal, respectively, were observed. A correlation between the rate constants and the fixed carbon content (rank) of the coals was drawn. Gas chromatographic analysis of the gaseous oxidation products indicated the production of carbon dioxide. The rate and current efficiency for this production was determined as a function of electrolysis time with the rate of production reaching a steady-state level after a few hours of electrolysis. Possible mechanisms, for the oxidation of coal are discussed, based on structural and functional group models.     

Farbication of Optically Transparent Lead Magnesium Niobate Polycrystalline Ceramics Using Hot Isostatic Pressing

The physical, dielectric, and optical properties of hot isostatically pressed lead magnesium niobate polycrystalline ceramics modified with 1/2 mol% La₂O₃, Pb_{1–3/2 x} La _x □ _{x /2}-(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃, have been investigated. Methods used to characterize the ceramics included determination of the dielectric permittivity, optical transmittance, and refractive index dispersion. The materials exhibited relaxor ferroelectric type behavior with a peak dielectric constant K > 14000 and average T _c ∼−35°C. Various sintering, hot isostatic pressing, and annealing conditions were examined to produce highly dense and optically transparent materials. Through the use of hot isostatic pressing, densities more than 99.5% theoretical and transmittance greater than 50% at 633-nm wavelength were obtained. Hot isostatic pressing technique appears to be a good alternative to hot uniaxial pressing without the associated problem of PbO volatility, reactivity with the pressure vessel, and geometrical constraints.