A quasi-resonant quadratic boost converter using a single resonant network

This paper presents a quadratic boost converter using a single quasi-resonant network to reach soft commutation. A resonant inductor, a resonant capacitor, and an auxiliary switch form the resonant network and the main switch operates in a zero-current-switching way. A complete analysis of this converter is presented. According to the simulation and experimental results, this quadratic boost converter provides a larger conversion ratio than that provided by the conventional boost converter (for a given duty ratio D), and presents optimum performance, which operates with soft-switch commutation using a single resonant network.     

Mutagenicity of ambient aerosol collected in an urban and industrial area of The Netherlands

To investigate the influence of the densely populated and heavily industrialized Rijnmond area of The Netherlands on the genotoxicity of the ambient aerosol, aerosol samples were collected at locations within the area, and at a coastal region located upwind. The mutagenicity of extracts of the samples was compared in the Salmonella/microsome test. The dependence of the effects on sampling time and on sampling location was investigated with the aid of a series of simple mathematical models. These models were also used to estimate the increase in mutagenicity above background levels at the sites in the Rijnmond area due to emissions within that area. Application of the models showed that the clear and significant increases are not merely a result of the additions of mutagens emitted, but that possibly interactions between sampling time- and location-dependent factors play a role. Comparison of the results obtained with the different Ames-test variants (different strains, with and without liver homogenate) indicate that the conclusions concerning the time and location dependence of the effect were not dependent on the variant used.     

Thermal conductivity of argon in the temperature range 107 to 423 K

The thermal conductivity of argon between 107 and 425 K has been measured in a transient hot-wire instrument. The results in the limit zero density have been employed to assess the accuracy of the instrument using exact kinetic theory expressions and has been found to be better than ±0.5%. The data at elevated densities are employed to examine the applicability of the modified Enskog theory in the gaseous phase and the hard-sphere theory in the liquid phase.Paper presented at the Ninth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 24–27, 1985, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.