Ethanol concentration by forward osmosis with solar-regenerated draw solution

Production of fuel-grade ethanol requires removing excess water following fermentation, which is typically performed by an energy intensive distillation process. This paper proposes a simple, low-cost, and scalable alternative method of removing water using forward osmosis. The draw solution is an aqueous brine that is regenerated by solar evaporation. Separation limits of this approach are calculated using the van Laar equation for the non-ideality of the ethanol/water mixture, and experimentally measured activities for aqueous solutions of NaCl, CaCl₂, K₂HPO₄, and K₄P₂O₇. We focus on production of 95%, 50% and 30% (w/w) ethanol solutions as fuel for cooking stoves and homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines, both of which tolerate larger amounts of water in the product. Evaporation-limited production rates are computed using long-term meteorological data for sites in Ethiopia, Thailand, Brazil, and India. These calculations can be used to determine the size requirements necessary for a given daily production rate for any desired ethanol concentration.     

The effect of informal social support: Face-to-face versus computer-mediated communication

Survey data were collected on a military sample to test two main hypotheses about the impact of face-to-face and computer-mediated social support following disruptive life events. We tested two main hypotheses: first, as previous research indicates, the impact of a disruptive life event is partially dependent upon the amount of social support one receives during the time of the event (H1). Second, the type of communication used will further impact the effectiveness of social support in comforting individuals following a negative life event. Results support both hypotheses, indicating that the buffering role of social support following a disruptive life event is not only dependent upon the amount of social support one receives, but is further affected by the type of communication that participants used to receive support. These findings provide support for the buffering hypothesis’ utility in the realm of computer-mediated communication, as well as the application of the cues-filtered-out approach in the mediated social support domain.     

Dispatch strategy and model for hybrid photovoltaic and trigeneration power systems

The advent of small scale combined heat and power (CHP) systems has provided the opportunity for in-house power backup of residential-scale photovoltaic (PV) arrays. These hybrid systems enjoy a symbiotic relationship between components, but have large thermal energy wastes when operated to provide 100% of the electric load. In a novel hybrid system is proposed here of PV-trigeneration. In order to reduce waste from excess heat, an absorption chiller has been proposed to utilize the CHP-produced thermal energy for cooling of PV-CHP system. This complexity has brought forth entirely new levels of system dynamics and interaction that require numerical simulation in order to optimize system design. This paper introduces a dispatch strategy for such a system that accounts for electric, domestic hot water, space heating, and space cooling load categories. The dispatch strategy was simulated for a typical home in Vancouver and the results indicate an improvement in performance of over 50% available when a PV-CHP system also accounts for cooling. The dispatch strategy and simulation are to be used as a foundation for an optimization algorithm of such systems.     

Automated optics inspection analysis for NIF

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a high-energy laser facility comprised of 192 beamlines that house thousands of optics. These optics guide, amplify and tightly focus light onto a tiny target for fusion ignition research and high energy density physics experiments. The condition of these optics is key to the economic, efficient and maximally energetic performance of the laser. Our goal, and novel achievement, is to find on the optics any imperfections while they are tens of microns in size, track them through time to see if they grow and if so, remove the optic and repair the single site so the entire optic can then be re-installed for further use on the laser. This paper gives an overview of the image analysis used for detecting, measuring, and tracking sites of interest on an optic while it is installed on the beamline via in situ inspection and after it has been removed for maintenance. In this way, the condition of each optic is monitored throughout the optic's lifetime.This overview paper will summarize key algorithms and technical developments for custom image analysis and processing and highlight recent improvements. (Associated papers will include more details on these issues.) We will also discuss the use of OI Analysis for daily operation of the NIF laser and its extension to inspection of NIF targets.     

A fundamental study on the relationship between barley cultivar and hordeins in single cultivar beers

The hordein proteins found in beer are not suitable for gluten‐sensitive consumers. Hordeins are storage proteins found in barley and have limited solubility in water. It is not currently known if the nitrogen concentration of barley directly impacts on the hordeins present in beer. In this study a controlled malting on eight barley cultivars was performed and a single cultivar model beer was produced from each. The single cultivar model beers were then examined for differences in content of hordeins. The quality of barley and malt was assessed and the parameters measured were compared with the beer hordeins using a Pearson correlation matrix. The results showed significant differences in the content of beer hordeins, depending on the barley malt used. Correlations between results showed a positive relationship to malt nitrogen and a negative relationship to friability. The results suggest it may be possible to optimize the choice of the barley cultivar and the malting conditions in order to produce a beer low in hordeins. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Influence of inelastic seismic response modeling on regional loss estimation

This study investigates the implications of the use of alternative damage prediction methodologies to correlate ground shaking intensity to socio-economic losses in regional seismic loss analyses. In particular two methodologies are investigated: the over-damped Capacity Spectrum Method (CSM), and a modified version of a Parameterized Fragility Method (PFM) based on dynamic nonlinear analysis to reflect the generalized effects of degradation in hysteretic response. Investigations include comparisons of a variety of structural systems first assuming full hysteresis to minimize the discrepancies in modeling approaches, as well as parametric variations in ground motion intensity and degradation effects. The study culminates with an investigation of the influence of the application of each methodology on regional loss estimates, using a seismic risk analysis performed for the state of South Carolina as a case study, by comparing seismic loss estimates obtained using the over-damped CSM with estimates obtained by application of a modified PFM (MPFM). It is shown that the estimates obtained from the two methodologies are different, and that the over-damped CSM displays increased sensitivity to key analysis parameters relative to the MPFM method both in terms of displacement demands and estimated socio-economic losses.     

Sustaining creativity in the creative archetype: The case of Austin, Texas

Recently, the popular literature on creative industries and the urban creative landscape has been largely dominated by the work of one scholar, Richard Florida. The popularity of Richard Florida’s work has led to a zealous implementation of his creative class thesis by many city officials, policymakers, and urban planners. Recent studies have investigated the impact of creative city implementation in previously working class and industrial cities, but given Florida’s popularity and influence, it is also necessary to evaluate the sustainability of cities touted as creative success stories by Florida and others. This article examines the case of Austin, Texas, seeking to evaluate Florida’s model city in light of recent empirical research. This research suggests that while Austin has witnessed impressive economic prosperity, the “externalities” or unforeseen challenges associated with creative development are equally evident. Further, this research suggests that previously overlooked socio-cultural challenges (e.g. loss of urban cultural character, sense of detachment, over-commercialization) in Austin threaten to potentially undermine the sustainability of this mode of development.     

Structural,Morphological, Opto-Electrical and Photoluminescence Studies of Nanoplate Structured Zn-Doped Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>3</Subscript> Thin Films

Undoped and Zn-doped Sn₂S₃ thin films were fabricated by spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrates kept at 400 °C. All the films exhibited orthorhombic crystal structure with a preferential orientation along the (2 1 1) plane. Nanoplate structures were observed from the SEM images and the presence of Zn in the doped films was confirmed from the EDX spectra. The average optical transmittance of all the films in the visible region was found to be nearly equal to 80 %. Film resistivity initially decreased from 3.27 × 10^?1 to 0.78 × 10^?1 Ω-cm for the Sn₂S₃ thin film doped with 1 wt% Zn concentration and for higher doping concentration it increased. The obtained results showed that the Sn₂S₃ thin film doped with 1 wt% Zn concentration had better physical properties which made them suitable for photovoltaic applications.