Impact of the River Maine Drainage Scheme on Hydro-Power Generation

A comparison is made between pre- and post-drainage scheme river flows recorded on the River Maine, Co. Antrim. A method of using five-year reference periods has been applied to the mean daily flows to smooth and eliminate, as far as possible, variations due to climatic changes.
Any loss of energy production which might have been due to changes in river flow was examined for turbine installations at a factory at Cullybackey. The quantities of usable water, and hence potential energy production, were calculated for each of the post-scheme five-year periods and compared with a pre-scheme five-year reference period. Any potential loss was then represented by a depreciation factor. It was found that no measurable loss of potential energy production has occurred on the River Maine in the post-scheme period.     

The creation of the incapable social tenant in Flanders,Belgium. An appraisal

As long as the social rented sector housed traditional families and the allocation procedures were rather loose, there was little commotion about the sector. A combination of a change in family structures, economic changes, and the strengthening of allocation procedures in favour of those most in need did change perceptions. Marginalisation and ghettoisation, especially of high-rise social housing estates, became buzzwords. This paper deals with the causes of these changes and with their implications. The marginalisation discourse calls for enlarging the target groups and estate-specific allocation procedures (to obtain a `social mix'). It illustrates a profound desire to diminish the number of ethnic minorities, single parents, single-person households and all kinds of people with a weak income profile who gain access to social rental housing. Furthermore, this discourse is reaching a crescendo: after it was started in the early 1990s by staff members of local social housing companies, it passed through the union of the social housing companies, the umbrella organisation of the sector, and parliament, reaching its greatest momentum so far in early 2002 when it was adopted by the Flemish housing minister. The counterpoint to this negative discourse is the high degree of satisfaction among social tenants, as observed in a study carried out in 1999. In our paper we will try to explain the background of these opposing trends and the possible consequences for the social rental housing in general and for tenants in particular.     

电站设备评价认证系统数据库的设计研究

介绍了电站设备评价认证系统数据库设计研究的内容,讨论了数据库设计的过程,重点进行了数据库设计的需求分析。     

The Effect of Energy-Supply and Performance Indicators on the Performance of Traction-Resource Management Centers

Russian Electrical Engineering - This paper presents the results of a study of the effect of the characteristics of the traction power-supply system on the indicator of the energy supply of...     

Diagnostics of Multioperation Processes Using Basic Cells of Digital Homogeneous Structures

Russian Electrical Engineering - The cells of homogeneous digital structures designed for multioperation process diagnostics are considered in the form of graphic models. Digital circuits and...     

Impact of a pulse corona discharge on the formation of hydrogen peroxide in different types of water

Using an example of detecting hydrogen peroxide the article showed the possibility of generation of highly active radicals in various types of water (high-resistance, distilled and tap) in their treatment by a pulse positive corona discharge. The article has established the impact of the conditions for the formation of plasma, time of treatment and temperature of the solution at the output of hydrogen peroxide and also for the change of some physicochemical properties of investigated water samples.     

A hybrid approach to detect crack parameters using measured natural frequencies in thin walled angle section steel beams

Present study outlines a hybrid approach using Finite Element Method (FEM)–Response Surface Method (RSM)–Genetic Algorithm (GA) to predict the crack parameters, namely crack position and crack depth ratio with the help of only the measured natural frequencies of cracked thin walled beams. Numerical experimental trials of cracked beams have been conducted based on design of experiment (DOE) approach using an improved Finite element model. The improvement has been achieved by consideration of warping stiffness in cracked angle section beam. Thereafter, regression analysis has been conducted to construct Response Surface Function (RSF). Optimum crack parameters were then calculated using GA by minimizing an objective function which has been formed as the root mean square (RMS) of the residuals between RSFs and measured frequencies. Results of the study indicate that, the proposed approach performs with excellent accuracy and it does not require the response of an uncracked beam as benchmark information.     

Development of a thermal scheme for a cogeneration combined-cycle unit with an SVBR-100 reactor

At present, the prospects for development of district heating that can increase the effectiveness of nuclear power stations (NPS), cut down their payback period, and improve protection of the environment against harmful emissions are being examined in the nuclear power industry of Russia. It is noted that the efficiency of nuclear cogeneration power stations (NCPS) is drastically affected by the expenses for heat networks and heat losses during transportation of a heat carrier through them, since NPSs are usually located far away from urban area boundaries as required for radiation safety of the population. The prospects for using cogeneration power units with small or medium power reactors at NPSs, including combined-cycle units and their performance indices, are described. The developed thermal scheme of a cogeneration combined-cycle unit (CCU) with an SBVR-100 nuclear reactor (NCCU) is presented. This NCCU should use a GE 6FA gasturbine unit (GTU) and a steam-turbine unit (STU) with a two-stage district heating plant. Saturated steam from the nuclear reactor is superheated in a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG) to 560–580°C so that a separator–superheater can be excluded from the thermal cycle of the turbine unit. In addition, supplemental fuel firing in HRSG is examined. NCCU effectiveness indices are given as a function of the ambient air temperature. Results of calculations of the thermal cycle performance under condensing operating conditions indicate that the gross electric efficiency η _{el NCCU} ^gr of = 48% and N _{el NCCU} ^gr = 345 MW can be achieved. This efficiency is at maximum for NCCU with an SVBR-100 reactor. The conclusion is made that the cost of NCCU installed kW should be estimated, and the issue associated with NCCUs siting with reference to urban area boundaries must be solved.     

Test facility for investigation of heat transfer of promising coolants for the nuclear power industry

The results are presented of experimental investigations into liquid metal heat transfer performed by the joint research group consisting of specialist in heat transfer and hydrodynamics from NIU MPEI and JIHT RAS. The program of experiments has been prepared considering the concept of development of the nuclear power industry in Russia. This concept calls for, in addition to extensive application of water-cooled, water-moderated (VVER-type) power reactors and BN-type sodium cooled fast reactors, development of the new generation of BREST-type reactors, fusion power reactors, and thermonuclear neutron sources. The basic coolants for these nuclear power installations will be heavy liquid metals, such as lead and lithium-lead alloy. The team of specialists from NRU MPEI and JIHT RAS commissioned a new RK-3 mercury MHD-test facility. The major components of this test facility are a unique electrical magnet constructed at Budker Nuclear Physics Institute and a pressurized liquid metal circuit. The test facility is designed for investigating upward and downward liquid metal flows in channels of various cross-sections in a transverse magnetic field. A probe procedure will be used for experimental investigation into heat transfer and hydrodynamics as well as for measuring temperature, velocity, and flow parameter fluctuations. It is generally adopted that liquid metals are the best coolants for the Tokamak reactors. However, alternative coolants should be sought for. As an alternative to liquid metal coolants, molten salts, such as fluorides of lithium and beryllium (so-called FLiBes) or fluorides of alkali metals (so-called FLiNaK) doped with uranium fluoride, can be used. That is why the team of specialists from NRU MPEI and JIHT RAS, in parallel with development of a mercury MHD test facility, is designing a test facility for simulating molten salt heat transfer and hydrodynamics. Since development of this test facility requires numerical predictions and verification of numerical codes, all examined configurations of the MHD flow are also investigated numerically.