Wind energy resource assessment for five locations in Saudi Arabia

The analysis of recently collected wind data at five sites in Saudi Arabia namely, Dhulum, Arar, Yanbu, Gassim and Dhahran is presented. The five sites represent different geographically and climatologically conditions. The data collected over a period spanned between 1995 and 2002 with different collection periods for each site. Daily, monthly and frequency profiles of the wind speed at the sites showed that Dhulum and Arar sites have higher wind energy potential with annual wind speed average of 5.7 and 5.4 m/s and speeds higher than 5 m/s for 60 and 47% of the time, respectively. The two sites are candidates for remote area wind energy applications. The costal site's, i.e. Yanbu and Dhahran wind speed data indicated that the two sites have lower annual wind speed averages and wind blows at speed higher than 5 m/s during afternoon hours. That makes the two sites candidates for grid connected wind systems for electrical load peak shaving. The data of Gassim site showed that the site has the lowest wind energy potential compared to the others. The annual energy produced by a Nordex N43 wind machine is estimated to be 1080, 990, 730, 454 and 833 MWh for Dhulum, Arar, Yanbu, Gassim and Dhahran, respectively. The analysis showed that the estimated annual energy produced by the machine based on 10 min averaged data is 2.5% higher than the estimated energy based on 30 min averaged data.     

有机盐聚合醇氯化钾钻井液的应用

霍尔果斯背斜构造极其复杂,内应力极高,地层倾角大,断层、破碎带多,并存在高低压互层;安集海河组的灰绿色软泥岩水化严重并具有粘弹塑性.该区块重点探井霍003井三开、四开井段选用有机盐聚合醇氯化钾钻井液,同时为保证钻井液在高密度下（2.55 g/cm^3）具有好的流变性,使用活化铁矿粉、活化重晶石加重.应用结果表明,由于采用了强抑制和多元封堵的措施,该钻井液具有良好的流变性和较强的携带能力,钻进中曾携带出重2.8 kg和5.1kg的大掉块;滤失量低,泥饼质量好,封堵能力强,造壁能力强,减轻了井下阻卡程度;有良好的储层保护能力;在室内研究的基础上,经过现场合理使用和维护钻井液,霍003井提高了机械钻速,缩短了钻井周期,井身质量优于邻井.指出在高密度下,未选出适合有机盐聚合醇氯化钾钻井液的稀释剂,钻井液流动性较差.     

An Investigation of Milk Powders Produced by a Laboratory-Scale Spray Dryer

A mini spray dryer has been used to investigate morphological changes that occur to milk particles during the spray drying process. We have found that the mini spray dryer is ideal for such investigations, because phenomena such as skin and vacuole formation in particles can be analyzed without the added complication of particle agglomeration, which only occurs in much larger spray dryers where particle number concentrations are higher. We have confirmed observations made by various researchers that the bulk density of spray-dried milk powder is greatly affected by the drying temperature, due to the strong influence of the latter on the porosity of the particles. In addition, we have attempted to explain observations made by various workers that fat accumulates preferentially at the surface of a particle during drying by postulating that fluid fat is transported towards the surface, via a network of cracks and pores, by the development of a vacuole overpressure which is also responsible for the inflation of the particle. Finally, we have shown that milk powders can be spray dried a second time, by reconstitution with water, with no change to the thermodynamic characteristics of the resultant powder. Thus, milk concentrates for spray drying research can be prepared from already-spray-dried milk powders rather than using the more arduous evaporation method to concentrate unprocessed milk.     

Comments on the shortcomings of predicting the precision of Cavalieri volume estimates based upon assumed measurement functions

It is well known that the estimation of an object's volume by means of serial cross-sections, the so-called Cavalieri method, yields an unbiased estimate. But by itself it provides no means by which to estimate how precise this estimate is unless the shape of the volume is fully known beforehand. This knowledge can only be partially determined from the serial section information that is collected. Methods have been developed that claim to surmount this difficulty by using the serial section data to create a mathematical model of the volume's shape properties. The model then is used to estimate (predict) the precision of the volume estimate (its CE) from the single set of data available. Unfortunately, the theory underlying the model is flawed and so the model itself amounts to no more than an unsubstantiated guess about the shape of the volume. Therefore, the precision of the volume estimates that one obtains from the method is only as good as the model and this cannot be ascertained from the single set of acquired data. In this letter I explain the inadequacies of the modelling method. I suggest that it be used only with caution, if at all. Instead I suggest two alternative ways to predict the CE, one that is based upon a rule-of-thumb approach to the object's shape, and another that is based upon spectral analysis of the measurement function and that is easy to implement with available computer software.     

SPECTRAL DENSITY ESTIMATION FROM NONLINEARLY OBSERVED DATA

Abstract. The estimation of the spectral density function of a stationary Gaussian process at the input of an instantaneous nonlinearity is considered when the nonlinearity is known and a finite set of observations of the output process is given. A class of spectral estimates is considered and their quadratic-mean consistency is established; precise asymptotic expressions for their bias and covariance are derived and their asymptotic normality is obtained.     

Variations in Spectral Slope in Lake Taihu,a Large Subtropical Shallow Lake in China

Spectral slope (S), describing the exponential decrease of the absorption spectrum over a given wavelength range, is an important parameter in the study of of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dynamics, and also an essential input parameter in remote sensing models. Furthermore, S is often used as a proxy for CDOM composition, including the ratio of fulvic to humic acids and molecular weight. The relative broad range in S values reported in the literature can be explained by the different spectral ranges and fitting methods used. A single exponential model is used to fit the S values for 17 investigations involving 458 samples in Lake Taihu from January to October in 2004. The average S value was 15.18 ± 1.39 μm⁻¹ for the range of 280–500 nm, which fell within the range reported in the literature. The frequency distribution of S value basically obeyed a normal distribution. Significant differences in S values between summer and other seasons showed that phytoplankton degradation was one of the important sources of CDOM in summer, whereas CDOM mainly came from the river input in other seasons. Furthermore, the estimated S value decreased with increasing wavelength range used in regression. The maximum and minimum values derived from the regression were 17.89 ± 1.25 μm⁻¹ and 13.62 ± 2.11 μm⁻¹ for the wavelength ranges of 280–380 nm and 400–500 nm, respectively, a decrease of 23.9%. S values significantly decreased with the increase of CDOM absorption coefficients. CDOM absorption coefficients could be more appropriately estimated from exponential model introducing the variation of S with absorption coefficients, making them useful for a remote sensing bio-optical model of Lake Taihu. DOC-specific absorption coefficient a*(λ) and the parameter M describing molecular size of the humic molecules could also be used as a proxy for the sources and types of CDOM. A general relationship was found between S and a*(λ), and M values. S increased with the decrease of DOC-specific absorption coefficient and the increase of M corresponding to the decrease of molecular weight.     

Describing metal surfaces and nanostructures with orbital-free density functional theory

Orbital-free density functional theory (OF-DFT) can be made to scale linearly with sample size, allowing thousands of atoms to be treated explicitly with quantum mechanics. State-of-the-art kinetic energy density functionals and ion–electron pseudopotentials are used to obtain accurate structural property predictions for nanoparticles, nanowires, extended surfaces, and nanoindentation of simple metals.     

Response of captive lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) to different housing conditions: Testing the aggression-density and coping models.

Several studies have suggested that primates react differently to spatial reduction. In this article, the authors tested some general hypotheses on primate response to spatial reduction by studying the Apenheul lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla; Apeldoorn, the Netherlands). The frequency of conflicts did not greatly change between the 2 housing settings, thus not supporting the density- aggression model. Indoor, gorillas performed touching behavior more often and increased their level of reconciliation. These findings support the coping model. Indoor, the gorillas also maintained broader interindividual distances by increasing the levels of sitting alone, avoidance, and dismissing behaviors. In conclusion, the Apenheul gorillas modified selectively the distribution of some patterns typical of their behavioral repertoire in response to a high-density condition. Both avoidance and coping tactics were used, thus revealing high levels of behavioral flexibility in this species. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unconventional Charge Density Wave Arising from Electron–Phonon Interaction

We report of a theoretical study on quasi-one dimensional unconventional charge density wave (UCDW) driven by electron–phonon interaction. Within mean field theory, we find that the wavevector dependence of the coupling leads to a momentum dependent single particle gap on the Fermi surface. The presence of small energy single particle excitations around the gap nodes significantly changes the optical conductivity compared to the conventional CDW result. In addition to that, the collective phase excitation arising from fluctuation of the order parameter leads to further qualitative changes of the conductivity and results in an effective mass that is nonmonotonic in temperature.      

低松装密度水雾化铜粉工艺的研究

本文研究了氧化 还原法生产铜粉的新工艺 ,该工艺是通过氧化还原将水雾化铜粉加以表面改性 ,形成海绵状的粉末 ,显著降低水雾化铜粉的松装密度 ,这种铜粉既具有电解铜粉低的松装密度 ,又具有水雾化铜粉高的流动性。讨论了氧化时间、氧化温度对铜粉松装密度的影响。本工艺是一种新型环保、节能、可替代电解法生产铜粉的先进工艺