An integrated reconfigurable control and self-organizing communication framework for community resilience microgrids

CRMs can effectively share distributed energy resources of multiple owners and enhance resilient electricity supply in communities during disruptions. However, in contrast to single-entity microgrids, CRMs present a unique structure and bring new challenges for operations and control, which can often be interrupted due to cascaded failures in interconnected electrical/communication components. An installation in Potsdam, New York, incorporates some control/communication solutions for resilient and economic operation of CRMs.     

The chaotic behavior among the oil prices, expectation of investors and stock returns: TAR-TR-GARCH copula and TAR-TR-TGARCH copula

This paper has two aims. The first one is to investigate the existence of chaotic structures in the oil prices, expectations of investors and stock returns by combining the Lyapunov exponent and Kolmogorov entropy, and the second one is to analyze the dependence behavior of oil prices, expectations of investors and stock returns from January 02, 1990, to June 06, 2017. Lyapunov exponents and Kolmogorov entropy determined that the oil price and the stock return series exhibited chaotic behavior. TAR-TR-GARCH and TAR-TR-TGARCH copula methods were applied to study the co-movement among the selected variables. The results showed significant evidence of nonlinear tail dependence between the volatility of the oil prices, the expectations of investors and the stock returns. Further, upper and lower tail dependence and comovement between the analyzed series could not be rejected. Moreover, the TAR-TR-GARCH and TAR-TR-TGARCH copula methods revealed that the volatility of oil price had crucial effects on the stock returns and on the expectations of investors in the long run.     

The effect of carbon dioxide during the desulfurization of flue gas with Mardin–Mazıdagı phosphate rock

The effects of temperature, CO₂ concentration and particle size on simultaneous calcination/sulfation of Mardin–Maz?dag? phosphate rock in fluidized-bed reactor were investigated. For this, a raw sample was exposed to calcination and sulfation processes in a fluidized-bed reactor to determine the effects of parameters by using a model gas mixture similar to the flue gas composition. The calcination ratio increased with increasing temperature and decreasing particle size, but decreased with increasing CO₂ concentration. In sulfation process, however, sulphate conversion ratio increased with increasing CO₂ ratio and decreased with decreasing particle size. The sulfation reaction is well represented by the shrinking core model and can be divided into two regions with different rate controlling step. For low conversions, the controlling step was found to be chemical reaction at the interface, but the diffusion through the product layer for high conversion. The activation energies for the chemical reaction at the interface and diffusion through the product layer cases were calculated as 100 and 296 kJ mol^?1, respectively.     

Core-crosslinking as a pathway to develop inherently antibacterial polymeric micelles

Positively charged polymeric materials have been an alternative to combat bacteria as they exhibit inherently antibacterial potency via bacteria membrane disruption. In this study, we report facile preparation of positively charged core-crosslinked polymeric micelles with inherent antibacterial properties. Spherical micelles were prepared by self-assembling of poly(4-vinylpyridine)-b-(oligoethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate) copolymer in aqueous solution. Herein, quaternization reaction was utilized for the first time to core crosslink the micelles through the pyridine rings utilizing their hydrophobic core and thus resulting positively charged nanostructures. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results identified that the micelles have an average hydrodynamic diameter of 114 nm with a polydispersity index ranging between 0.105 and 0.114. The electrophoretic light scattering (ELS) measurements demonstrated that the micelles have zeta potential values ranging from +38 to +63 mV. It was evident from both ELS and DLS results that the micelles in solution exhibit long-term stability as the samples were able to maintain their size and charge even after a year of storage. Further, the micelles exhibited inherently antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and furthermore, this antibacterial efficacy was sustained over a period of 1 year. These stable core-crosslinked micelles are proposed to have great potential as antibacterial materials for long-term applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48393.     

Developing centrifugal spun thermally cross-linked gelatin based fibrous biomats for antibacterial wound dressing applications

Fibrous materials obtained from natural polymers, such as gelatin, have been used in medical applications due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Herein, free-standing durable fibrous gelatin biomats with antibacterial activity were developed via a simple, low cost and fast production route, centrifugal spinning, and subsequent thermal crosslinking. After a series of preliminary experiments, droplet−/bead-free porous biomats with fine fibers, 3.41 ± 1.8 μm in diameter, were fabricated. Subsequently, antimicrobial biomats were produced by adding AgNO₃ into the production solution. X-ray diffractometer and energy dispersive X-ray results showed Ag NPs existing as AgCl in the biomats, which could be attributed to chemical reaction between the Ag NPs and residual Cl in the impure gelatin. Later, both the neat-gelatin and Ag-gelatin biomats were thermally crosslinked at 170°C to gain stability against water. Although the Ag addition reduced ultimate tensile strength by half, from 881 to 495 kPa, the crosslinked biomats were robust enough to be used for wound dressing applications. They were also found to be highly breathable, with the air permeability of 256 and 81.2 mm/s, respectively. The biomats showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The results show that the free-standing fibrous-gelatin-based biomats produced is applicable for wound dressing applications.     

Modeling of simultaneous heat and mass transfer during convective oven ring cake baking

The convective oven ring cake baking process was investigated experimentally and numerically as a simultaneous heat and mass transfer process. The mathematical model described previously by the authors for cup cake baking was modified to simulate ring cake baking. The heat and mass transfer mechanisms were defined by Fourier’s and Fick’s second laws, respectively. The implicit alternating direction finite difference technique was used for the numerical solution of the representative model. Prior to the utilization of the developed model in predicting the temperature and moisture profiles for ring cake baking, the results of the numerical model were compared with analytical results involving only heat or mass transfer with constant thermo-physical properties. Excellent agreement was observed. The numerical temperature and moisture contents predicted by the model were compared with the experimental profiles. They agreed generally reasonably well with the experimental temperature and moisture profiles.     

Effect of Steam Baking on Acrylamide Formation and Browning Kinetics of Cookies

Abstract: Effects of baking method and temperature on surface browning and acrylamide concentration of cookies were investigated. Cookies were baked in natural and forced convection and steam‐assisted hybrid ovens at 165, 180, and 195 °C and at different times. For all oven types, the acrlyamide concentration and surface color of cookies increased with increasing baking temperature. Significant correlation was observed between acrylamide formation and browning index, BI, which was calculated from Hunter L, a, and b color values, and it showed that the BI may be considered as a reliable indicator of acrylamide concentration in cookies. Acrylamide formation and browning index in cookies were considered as the first‐order reaction kinetics and the reaction rate constants, k, were in the range of 0.023 to 0.077 (min^?1) and 0.019 to 0.063 (min^?1), respectively. The effect of baking temperature on surface color and acrylamide concentration followed the Arrhenius type of equation, with activation energies for acrylamide concentration as 6.87 to 27.84 kJ/mol; for BI value as 19.54 to 35.36 kJ/mol, for all oven types. Steam‐assisted baking resulted in lower acrylamide concentration at 165 °C baking temperature and lower surface color for all temperatures. Steam‐assisted baking is recommended as a healthy way of cooking providing the reduction of harmful compounds such as acrylamide for bakery goods, at a minimal level, while keeping the physical quality. Practical Application: The kinetics of acrylamide formation and browning of cookies will possibly allow definition of optimum baking temperatures and times at convectional and steam‐assisted baking ovens. The kinetic model can be used by developing baking programs that can automatically control especially a new home‐scale steam‐assisted hybrid oven producing healthy products, for the use of domestic consumers.     

W‐Based Atomic Laminates and Their 2D Derivative W1.33C MXene with Vacancy Ordering

Structural design on the atomic level can provide novel chemistries of hybrid MAX phases and their MXenes. Herein, density functional theory is used to predict phase stability of quaternary i‐MAX phases with in‐plane chemical order and a general chemistry (W_2/3M²_1/3)₂AC, where M² = Sc, Y (W), and A = Al, Si, Ga, Ge, In, and Sn. Of over 18 compositions probed, only two—with a monoclinic C2/c structure—are predicted to be stable: (W_2/3Sc_1/3)₂AlC and (W_2/3Y_1/3)₂AlC and indeed found to exist. Selectively etching the Al and Sc/Y atoms from these 3D laminates results in W_1.33C‐based MXene sheets with ordered metal divacancies. Using electrochemical experiments, this MXene is shown to be a new, promising catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction. The addition of yet one more element, W, to the stable of M elements known to form MAX phases, and the synthesis of a pure W‐based MXene establishes that the etching of i‐MAX phases is a fruitful path for creating new MXene chemistries that has hitherto been not possible, a fact that perforce increases the potential of tuning MXene properties for myriad applications.