Comparison of a district heating system operation based on actual data – Omsk city,Russia, case study*

A district heating (DH) system in the Russian city of Omsk has been considered as a case study. This study is based on the data set of temperature and demand recorded over two-year operation of the DH system. We provide an insight on how the heat demand profile is met by the control framework. The paper quantifies the DH system performance by using heat load curves, maximum, minimum and average values of temperature, paving the way for a modelling approach. Central heating process in Omsk in 2017 was generally smoother than in 2016, while peak values are also lower. In 2017, its supply temperature was about 5°C closer to the control curve. The dispersion of the points was reduced between 2016 and 2017, especially at higher outdoor temperatures. Further lowering annual and peak heat demand, which are respectively 4% and 9% lower in 2017 should be a priority in future.     

The Effect of Titanium, Zirconium and Tin on the Growth of Diatom Synedra Acus and Morphology of Its Silica Valves

The effect of three Group IV metals (titanium, zirconium and tin) on the growth, morphology and chemical composition of the freshwater diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians (Kützing) Skabichevsky was studied and compared with germanium. The elements in their highest oxidation states were introduced into the culture medium in the form of hydroxides. Germanium was found to be toxic at ??5?mol. % of the total Ge-Si content in the culture medium. In the presence of other elements, a slight decrease in the cell division rate was observed independent of the element within 1?C15% content interval. The analysis of the obtained biomass and silica valves revealed the presence of all the added elements within the cells. However, only germanium was incorporated into the valves in considerable amounts. S. acus cultivation with the addition of 5% Group IV elements resulted in cells having the following aberrations in the structure of the silica valves: changes in valve shape, thickening of valves, alterations of the areolae rows, irregularity or absence of the areolae and a decrease in the mechanical strength of valves. Moreover, the effect of Group IV elements on silica formation was simulated in vitro using a synthetic polymer bearing polyamine and phosphate groups found in silaffines (proteins from diatom frustules). The studied elements were observed to provoke the formation of unstable silica particles in solution. We propose that the observed effects of germanium, titanium, zirconium and tin on diatom growth and structure are due to uncontrollable silica condensation.     

Charge Migration in Organic Materials: Can Propagating Charges Affect the Key Physical Quantities Controlling Their Motion?

Charge migration is a ubiquitous phenomenon with profound implications throughout many areas of chemistry, physics, biology, and materials science. The long-term vision of designing functional materials with tailored molecular-scale properties has triggered an increasing quest to identify prototypical systems where truly molecular conduction pathways play a fundamental role. Such pathways can be formed due to the molecular organization of various organic materials and are widely used to discuss electronic properties at the nanometer scale. Here, we present a computational methodology to study charge propagation in organic molecular stacks at nano and sub-nanoscales and exploit this methodology to demonstrate that moving charge carriers strongly affect the values of the physical quantities controlling their motion. The approach is also expected to find broad application in the field of charge migration in soft matter systems.     

Structure and Properties of High-Temperature Multilayer Hybrid Material Based on Vanadium Alloy and Stainless Steel

The present work is devoted to the development of new structural composite material having the unique complex of properties for operating in ultrahard conditions that combine high temperatures, radiation, and aggressive environments. A new three-layer composite tube material based on vanadium alloy (V-4Ti-4Cr) protected by stainless steel (Fe-0.2C-13Cr) has been obtained by co-extrusion. Mechanism and kinetics of formation as well as structure, composition, and mechanical properties of “transition” area between vanadium alloy and stainless steel have been studied. The transition area (13- to 22-µm thick) of the diffusion interaction between vanadium alloy and steel was formed after co-extrusion. The microstructure in the transition area was rather complicated comprising different grain sizes in components, but having no defects or brittle phases. Tensile strength of the composite was an average 493 ± 22 MPa, and the elongation was 26 ± 3 pct. Annealing at 1073 K (800 °C) increased the thickness of transition area up to 1.2 times, homogenized microstructure, and slightly changed mechanical properties. Annealing at 1273 K (1000 °C) further increased the thickness of transition area and also lead to intensive grain growth in steel and sometimes to separation between composite components during tensile tests. Annealing at 1073 K (800 °C) is proposed as appropriate heat treatment after co-extrusion of composite providing balance between diffusion interaction thickness and microstructure and monolithic-like behavior of composite during tensile tests.

     

Structure–properties investigations in hydrophilic nanocomposites based on polyurethane/poly(2–hydroxyethyl methacrylate) semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks and nanofiller densil for biomedical application

Nanocomposites based on sequential semi–interpenetrating polymer networks (semi–IPNs) of crosslinked polyurethane and linear poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) filled with 1–15 wt % of nanofiller densil were prepared and investigated. Nanofiller densil used in an attempt to control the microphase separation of the polymer matrix by polymer–filler interactions. The morphology (SAXS, AFM), mechanical properties (stress–strain), thermal transitions (DSC) and polymer dynamics (DRS, TSDC) of the nanocomposites were investigated. Special attention has been paid to the raising of the hydration properties and the dynamics of water molecules in the nanocomposites in the perspective of biomedical applications. Nanoparticles were found to aggregate partially for higher than 3 and 5 wt % filler loading in semi–IPNs with 17 and 37 wt % PHEMA, respectively. The results show that the good hydration properties of the semi–IPN matrix are preserved in the nanocomposites, which in combination with results of thermal and dielectric techniques revealed also the existence of polymer–polymer and polymer–filler interactions. These interactions results also in the improvement of physical and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites in compare with the neat matrix. The improvement of mechanical properties in combination with hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of nanocomposites are promising for use these materials for biomedical application namely as surgical films for wound treatment and as material for producing the medical devises. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43122.     

The Effect of La2O3 Addition on Sol–Gel Derived Mullitization

Monophasic gel with stoichiometric 3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂ composition and gels with 0.99, 1.96, and 2.91 mol% La₂O₃ added were sol–gel derived. The crystallization path, structure evolution, microstructure, and morphology of calcined premullite powders and sintered ceramic bodies have been investigated as a function of La₂O₃ content and sintering temperature. In addition to mullite, spinel phase at about 980°C, and α‐alumina at above 1000°C were determined; however, neither La₂O₃ nor La‐related compounds had crystallized. The La₂O₃ predominately incorporated into the glassy phase, enhanced with La₂O₃ level, which affected both mullite structure and composition, as confirmed by electron microscopy, Rietveld structure refinement, determination of unit cell parameters, electron microscopy, and achieved density of the sintered bodies. Increased thermal treatment changes the alumina/silica ratio in mullite (towards 3:2 below 1200°C, and toward 2:1 above), and decreases the mullite/amorphous ratio. Sintered dense ceramic bodies revealed a positive densification effect and increased sinterability as a result of the lanthanum‐induced increase in glassy phase.     

Preparation of polymeric nanocapsules via nano-sized poly(methoxydiethyleneglycol methacrylate) colloidal templates

Polymeric nanocapsules are attractive devices with a number of potential applications. In the present contribution we describe a method for nanocapsule preparation which is based on the formation of nanosized templates (mesoglobules, prepared from thermo-responsive poly(methoxydiethyleneglycol methacrylate)s, PDEGMA). These mesoglobules were coated with a cross-linked shell formed by pseudo-seeded radical polymerization of either N-isopropylacrylamide or 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate in the presence of a cross-linking agent. Dissolution and removal of templates were achieved by extensive dialysis against water at temperatures below the LCST of PDEGMA. The obtained nanocapsules were visualized by transmission electron microscopy and their dimensions were determined by dynamic light scattering. The differences in the morphology of the nanocapsules were attributed to the different structures of the cross-linked membranes.     

Material properties and fire test results

Five material properties commonly used to describe the fire behavior of solids were evaluated as sole explanatory variables for four small‐scale fire tests with pass/fail outcomes by using a physically based probabilistic (phlogistic) burning model. The phlogistic model describes the likelihood of passing vertical Bunsen burner tests and a regulatory heat release rate test reasonably well over a wide range of material properties, as deduced from the correlation coefficient and mean deviation of the predicted and measured values. Of the thermal, combustion, and fire properties examined, the best predictors of the likelihood of passing the fire tests of this study were the heat of combustion of the sample, the heat release capacity, and the heat release parameter. The relative merits and drawbacks of qualitative (threshold) and quantitative (probabilistic) approaches to predicting fire test results using thermal and combustion properties are discussed. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.