Lead acid battery storage configurations for improved availablecapacity

Battery storage is a crucial element in alternative energy and electric vehicle systems. Three battery storage configurations: a conventional; a parallel; and a dual, were analyzed for both shallow cycle and deep cycle lead-acid batteries to determine if capacity improvement is achievable. Daily profiles for the weekly irradiance, daily loads, and ambient temperature are simulated. Cycle tests were performed monthly to determine the effect each configuration had on the available battery capacity. Results for each battery type differ. Available capacity was improved using the parallel configuration with shallow cycle batteries and the dual configuration with deep cycle batteries     

Galactolipase and chilling sensitivity of plants

We assessed the effects of a dietary protein restriction (5% vs. 20% casein in diet) initiated at conception and imposed during the first 2 weeks of rat gestation on postnatal brain development. At the end of the malnutrition period, protein-restricted animals exhibited significantly smaller fetal body weight and brain cortical thickness than controls. At birth and thereafter, body weight was normalized in the progeny. Similarly, brain weight and cytoarchitecture were normal in postnatal animals. In contrast, we observed, during the first 2 postnatal weeks, several abnormalities of brain development which affected all the studied areas for most of the studied parameters: (i) delayed astrocytogenesis as shown by a reduced GFAP staining; (ii) delayed production of hyaluronan in the extracellular matrix studied with binding of biotinylated hyaluronectin; (iii) abnormal neuronal differentiation as shown by reduced expression of MAP-5 and increased expression of MAP-1; (iv) abnormal synaptogenesis as shown by the increased expression of synaptophysin in the basal ganglia; (v) decreased programmed cell death. In adult prenatally protein-restricted animals, all the above parameters were normalized excepted MAP-1 labeling which remained high. In addition, we observed slight alterations of the ventilatory response to hypoxia in adult animals. The present study demonstrates that early protein malnutrition during embryonic development induces multiple, transient alterations of brain development. However, the almost complete normalization in adults of brain architecture and differentiation as well as our physiological data strongly suggest a remarkable plasticity of the developing brain following an early aggression.     

A complementary modelling approach to manage uncertainty of computationally expensive models.

The fact that the models applied in the 'water domain' are far from reality can be attributed to many reasons. In this context, a systematic analysis of uncertainties reflected by the model error can provide insight into the level of confidence in the model results and how to approach estimation of optimal model parameters. This paper discusses the four commonly used approaches for estimation of model parameters and suggests that an alternative complementary modelling approach should be considered in cases where the traditional model calibration gives limited results and particularly in cases where the computationally expensive models are concerned. It treats uncertainty as modelling the total discrepancy between the model and physical process. The proposed approach combines the results from a physically-based model and Support Vector Machine model into the final solution.     

Electrocoagulation technique in enhancing COD and suspended solids removal to improve wastewater quality.

This paper presents a preliminary study for the removal of COD and suspended solids in wastewater treatment by combining magnetic field and electrocoagulation (EC) technology. The experiments were carried out using batch apparatus and setup in the static method. Batch experiments with two monopolar iron (Fe) plate anodes and cathodes were employed as electrodes. Wastewater samples were prepared from milk powder with an initial COD of 1,140 mgL(-1) and suspended solids of 1,400 mgL(-1) and acidic conditions were employed (pH approximately 3). DC current was varied from 0.5-0.8 A and operating times were between 30 and 50 min. The results show that the effluent wastewater was very clear (turbidity approximately 9 NTU) and its quality exceeded the direct discharge standard. The suspended solids and COD removal efficiencies were as high as 30.6 and 75.5%, respectively. In addition, the experimental results also show that the electrocoagulation could neutralise the pH of wastewater.     

A Device for Measurements of Dielectric Characteristics of Liquid Crystalline Materials, Solid Substances, and Their Melts

The device developed allows one to measure the dielectric characteristics of solid substances and their melts at frequencies of 20–20000 Hz and in a wide temperature range of 20–250°C. The measured temperature dependencies of the dielectric permittivities of several molecular and liquid crystals (stilbene, diphenyl, naphthalene, cholesterylpelargonate, and 8OCB) are presented.     

TEM study of PLZT ceramics

The microscopic structures of PLZT(7.9/70/30 and x/65/35, x = 7 or 8) ceramics were studied by means of transmission electron microscopy. The presence of micro-regions in PLZTs was first verfied.     

The effect of large strains on ageing of a filled elastomer

Strain endurance experiments on a filled elastomer were performed at several temperatures. It was found that superimposed prestraining accelerated the ageing process. This process was caused by microstructural changes in the elastomer. In order to evaluate the mechanical properties of a filled elastomer it is necessary to take into consideration not only the ageing effects but also the loading history.     

Analysis of the Safety of the Burial Grounds of Decontamination Waste of Chernobyl Origin in the Territory of Belarus

Unsatisfactory conditions of storage of decontamination waste (DW) in the storages formed in the territory of Belarus after the Chernobyl accident require the evaluation of the level of protection of the environment and population. The potential hazard of the decontamination waste burial grounds (DWBGs) has been evaluated based on the use of a generalized multichamber model that was verified by comparing the calculation results and the results obtained by the American (GW SCREEN) model. The characteristics of the 24 largest and most hazardous DWBGs are given and the evaluations of their safety are presented. The zones of influence of these storages, whose size varies from 100 to 330 m, have been determined. The reliability of the prediction evaluation of a possible hazardous radioactive contamination of water near the storages has been verified using the Dudichi DWBG as an example.     

Solution of the Inverse Problems of Scattering of Electromagnetic Fields by Elongated Defects

We formulate the inverse problem of scattering of electromagnetic fields by thin defects and analyze numerical algorithms used for its solution. It is shown that, in the two-dimensional case, the shape of a thin defect is completely determined by the scattered field given on a certain curve for a fixed value of the wave number. For the solution of the inverse scattering problem, we propose to use the procedure of iterative regularization based on the gradient methods. We deduce expressions for the Fréchet derivative of the operator of direct scattering problem with Dirichlet conditions imposed on the surface of a scatterer.