Current and future water issues in the Oldman River Basin of Alberta, Canada.

Long-term trends in alpine and prairie snow pack accumulation and melt are affecting streamflow within the Oldman River Basin in southern Alberta, Canada. Unchecked rural and urban development also has contributed to changes in water quality, including enhanced microbial populations and increased waterborne pathogen occurrence. In this study we look at changing environment within the Oldman River Basin and its impact on water quality and quantity. The cumulative effects include a decline in net water supplies, and declining quality resulting in increased risk of disease. Our data indicates that decreases in the rate of flow of water can result in sedimentation of bacterial contaminants within the water column. Water for ecosystems, urban consumption, recreation and distribution through irrigation is often drawn from waterholding facilities such as dams and weirs, and concern must be expressed over the potential for contaminate build-up and disproportionate potential of these structures to pose a risk to human and animal health. With disruption of natural flow rates for water resulting from environmental change such as global warming and/or human intervention, increased attention needs to be paid to use of best management practices to protect source water supplies.     

Highly resistant dispensing nozzles based on zirconium dioxide for profiled CBCM. Part 1. Structure and physicomechanical properties of materials based on zirconium dioxide for producing CBCM dispensing nozzles

Technology is developed for preparing refractory components made of partially stabilized zirconium dioxide using an isostatic compaction press. Technology is provided for manufacturing dispensing nozzles using combined and separately stabilized zirconium dioxide, and also indices of the refractories obtained and imported materials are compared. __________ Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 3, pp. 127–131, March 2008.     

A light refractory concrete for thermal insulation

Compositions have been developed for nonshrinking vibrocast thermally insulating light refractory concretes with densities of 1.0, 1.3, 1.5, and 1.8 g/cm³ for temperatures of use up to 1400°C. The structure and properties have been examined for the concrete of density 1.3 g/cm³. __________ Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 4, pp. 29–32, April, 2008.     

Total and Fractional Performance of Granular Dust Traps in Refractory Production

Methods are proposed for designing interpolation models for the preliminary determination and subsequent forecasting of general and fractional breakthrough coefficients for dust used with granular filters, as employed in energy-saving and high-performance dust trapping from technological gases and ventilation discharges in refractory production. The models are supplied with nomograms, which makes them widely suitable for experts working in environmental protection at refractory-producing organizations. The main factors are identified that influence the performance. The results are of interest to experts in related areas of industry such as building materials and engineering ceramics and so on. Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 4, pp. 64–67, April, 2008.     

Granular-structure chromium-bearing refractories: Properties and uses

Results are presented on the corrosion resistance of chromium-bearing refractories of granular structure acted on by corrosive molten slags, metals, and glasses. It is possible to recommend these refractories to customers for particular conditions of use. Chromium-bearing refractories increase the working lives of furnaces considerably. __________ Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 1, pp. 55–61, January, 2008.     

Aggregate stability of ZrO2 aqueous sols in electrolyte solutions

The aggregate stability of submicron and nanosized ZrO₂ aqueous sols of different origins and different dispersities at pH 3–10 in the KCl concentration range 10^?3–10^?1 M is investigated by flow ultramicroscopy and photometry. The results obtained are analyzed in the framework of the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory and the Muller-Martynov theory of reversible aggregation. The extension of boundary layers of water near the surface of the ZrO₂ particles is estimated.     

Study of the microstructure of ceramics from different producers used for protecting precious metal thermocouples

Results are provided for a study of the microstructure of ceramics from four different producers by means of a scanning electron microscope and x-ray microanalysis. Results show that ceramic specimens often do not correspond to claimed parameters. The main disadvantages are ceramic structural inhomogeneity, presence of phases of a different nature, intergranular pores and cracks, and alkali impurities. The ceramics of only one producer correspond to the main parameters for this class, and this is provided by high production technology and starting material quality. Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 7, pp. 31–35, July 2008.     

汽车显示器架构中的外部和内部接口及其整合选型

描述汽车显示器架构中的外部和内部接口及整合选型方案.     

Noise–Power Optimization of Incremental Data Converters

Incremental data converters (IDCs) are useful in instrumentation and measurement applications, where low-frequency analog signals need to be converted into digital form with high accuracy and low power dissipation. They are particularly well suited for applications where a single analog-digital converter is multiplexed between many channels. This paper proposes an exact design methodology for IDCs, which optimizes the signal-to-noise ratio of the converter under practical design constraints. The process also allows the designer to apportion the noise budget in an arbitrary manner between thermal and quantization noise. The design process is illustrated by an example which describes the optimization of a third-order multiplexed IDC.