Energy and economic evaluation of cooling,heating, and power systems based on primary energy

Cooling, Heating, and Power (CHP) systems have the potential to make better use of fuels than other technologies because of their ability to increase the overall thermal energy efficiency. Feasibility of CHP systems is generally driven by economic savings. In addition, economic evaluation of CHP systems is based on site energy use and cost, which could lead to misleading conclusions about energy savings. Since energy savings from CHP systems only occurs in primary energy, the objective of this investigation is to demonstrate that feasibility of CHP systems should be performed based on primary energy savings followed by economic considerations. This paper also evaluates the effect of the power generation unit (PGU) efficiency over the primary energy reduction when a CHP system is utilized. The advantages of operating CHP systems under a primary energy operational strategy, such as the proposed Building Primary Energy Ratio (BPER) strategy, are also discussed. Results show that for some cases economic savings are attained without the corresponding primary energy savings. However, the use of the BPER operational strategy guarantees better energy performance regardless of economic savings. Regarding to the PGU efficiency, an increase of the efficiency reduces the primary energy use more than proportionally. For example, increasing the PGU efficiency from 0.25 to 0.35 (increase of 40%) can reduce the primary energy use from 5.4% to 16% (increase of 200%).     

Diborane–tetraborane conversion in C60 vesicles—a theoretical study

Diborane–tetraborane conversion in a C₆₀ cage is theoretically considered by using AM1-RHF type semiempirical quantum chemical approach. Molecular orbital characteristics of some endohedrally boron hydride doped C₆₀ composite systems are investigated and the likeliness of diborane–tetraborane conversion in a C₆₀ vesicle for the purpose of hydrogen storage is discussed.     

Structural characterization of a new “core-shell” zeolite overgrowth system: faujasite on micro sized EMT-crystals

The nature of a new zeolite overgrowth has been characterized. Two overgrown samples were studied. Each sample was made up of the phases faujasite and EMT. By Rietveld refinement of the powder patterns the structure of both phases including the distribution of cations in the overgrowth was determined as well as the weight fractions of the phases in both samples. The growth of FAU crystals on the surface of EMT crystals is epitactic, as shown by HRSEM images. The epitaxial relation is [111]_FAU//[001]_EMT, (-110)_FAU//(110)_EMT. The true atomic interfacial model of the interface between faujasite and EMT is still subject of further studies.     

A New Neuro-Fuzzy Classifier with Application to On-Line Face Detection and Recognition

In this paper, we propose a neuro-fuzzy classifier (NEFCAR) that utilizes positive and negative rules with different rule importances to create the decision boundaries between different classes. The locally unsupervised and globally supervised training technique is adopted. The decision-based and approximation-based strategies are combined to provide a suitable amount of training for each training pattern. The reinforced and anti-reinforced learning rules are given with different weighting so that the training can be efficient and can reach convergence quickly. Moreover, NEFCAR can easily provide the confidence measure of each classification decision. Therefore, the rejection algorithm can be implemented in a straightforward manner. Noise tolerant training is conducted to improve the generalization performance and the confidence measure is adopted to avoid overtraining. The proposed classifier is applied to two applications. The first one is the Fisher iris data classification, and the second one is an on-line face detection and recognition application. Good classification results are obtained in both applications. In the on-line face detection and recognition system, two NEFCAR's are utilized: a two-class and a multi-class NEFCAR's are adopted to detect the face and recognize the face, respectively. The color of skin and the motion information are taken into consideration heuristically to improve the effectiveness of the face location algorithm.     

Toxicity assessment upon augmented biostimulation source to indigenous rhizobium Cupriavidus taiwanensis

This novel-attempt study used chemostat pulse technique (CPT) and transient dynamics of dissolved oxygen (DO) in CSTR to quantify stimulating or inhibitory effects of augmented nutrient sources in the presence of phenol upon Cupriavidus taiwanensis R186. With injected augmented nutrients, phenol degradation performance of R186 was directly dependent on combined toxicity between phenol and the augmented substrate and the biodegradability of phenol. The findings indicated that although phenol was toxic to R186, all augmented nutrient sources still exhibited stimulating effects to bacterial growth of R186 in the presence of phenol. The simulating rankings of augmented nutrients were (1) at 200 mg/L, acetic acid>gluconic acid>yeast extract>glycerol>phenol alone, (2) at 1000 mg/L, gluconic acid>acetic acid>glycerol>yeast extract>phenol alone. This stimulating effect clearly suggested that this combined toxicity was antagonistic. It was also revealed that transient responses of DO seemed to be in parallel with the findings from CPT. It was thus concluded that substrate consumption patterns would play the most significant role in biostimulation to cultures with dual energy sources. This study can help uncover the mysteries of optimal biostimulation for phenol degradation as proposed in previous studies. In addition, this study directly provided a kinetic model to quantify the relative stimulation ranking of augmented nutrients in the presence of phenol for practical bioremediation.     

TiO2/石墨烯复合光催化剂的制备及其吸附与光催化降解性能

近年来,利用石墨烯独特的电学性质及高比表面积对一些材料进行修饰,制备性能更好的复合新材料成为材料学研究热点.本研究利用氧化还原法制备石墨烯,并进一步采用水热法制备TiO2/石墨烯(GN)纳米复合光催化剂.采用TEM,XRD,BET,UV-Vis DRS等对所制备的纳米复合材料进行表征.实验研究表明:随着石墨烯含量的增加,制备的复合材料光响应区域扩大,比表面积增加.研究证明TiO2/石墨烯对亚甲基蓝(MB)有更好的吸附及光催化降解效果.经计算,在室温下,pH =8时,P25-10％ GN对MB的饱和吸附量为50 mg/g.     

The disclosure of an Android smartphone’s digital footprint respecting the Instant Messaging utilizing Skype and MSN

As Android Operating System (OS) for mobile computing devices become one of the major trends, the utilization of smartphones set the record for global users and they are taking advantages of the contemporary Instant Messaging (IM) as a convenient tool to communicate with global users in real time because of its competitive rate, high availability, robust reliability, and agile mobility. Undoubtedly, as IM has gradually become one of the channels to commit the cybercrime, the digital evidence collection, analysis, and preservation of the non-volatile data from the Random Access Memory (RAM) of the computing device in terms of cyber trails that were unknowingly left on the crime scene. Hence, this research conducts the design of the experiments to fulfill the essence of contribution of the paper. The Skype Chat and MSN are the popular IM tools, which are widely utilized in contemporary digital era. This paper provides a generic paradigm for the digital forensics specialists and law enforcement agencies to ponder if similar situations are faced.     

An auto-alignment vision system with three-axis motion control mechanism

In this study a specially designed three-axis motion control mechanism was applied to an auto-alignment vision system. During the automated production process, the fed-in position of the object usually involves a small, but non-negligible rotational (θ-directional) error in addition to x- and y-directional errors. An analytic algorithm is employed to calculate the relationship between the rotational center (original position) of the motion control mechanism and the relative coordinates obtained by two CCD cameras. With the Δx, Δy and Δθ determined, the automatic motion control mechanism can make rotational and translational movements along the three axes (X, Y1, and Y2) accordingly to compensate for the difference in position and orientation, thus achieving accurate alignment. Results from over hundreds of experimental runs are deemed reproducible within ±5 μm, proving that this design is feasible. Moreover, with the proposed design, the height of the three-axis motion control platform can be reduced from 300–400 mm to less than 120 mm, making it more compact.     

Study of using ANFIS to the prediction in the bore-expanding process

This paper develops a forward model and inverse model for the adaptive network fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to the prediction in the sheet bore-expanding process. After using the dynamic finite element method to establish the basic database under various working conditions, an efficient rule database and optimal distribution of membership function will be constructed from the hybrid-learning algorithm of ANFIS. As a verification of this system, the deformed circle hole diameter D is compared between ANFIS, FEM, and experimental results. In the forward model, it is proved that ANFIS can efficiently predict the deformed circle hole diameter D successfully from the database constructed by punch radius R_P, die radius R_D, and initial circle hole diameter D₀. In the inverse model, the initial circle hole diameter D₀ is predicted to obtain a desired target deformed circle hole diameter D after forming. From this forward and inverse investigation, the ANFIS is proved to supply a useful optimal soft computing approach in the forming category .