Conditions for aggregation of CHP plants in the UK electricity market and exploration of plant size

Combined heat and power (CHP) plants with thermal stores may be suitable for sustainable energy production and the accommodation of fluctuating renewable energy sources. At the moment, in the UK, only a few CHP plants have thermal stores. Previous research has shown that thermal stores can improve the economics of CHP plants in the UK under the current market conditions. However, currently, it is only beneficial for CHP plants to sell their electricity to a third party, a Licensed Electricity Supplier, rather than to sell it directly to the power exchange market at prices which are much higher. If CHP plants aggregate, direct access to the power exchange market can become economically viable hence there is the possibility that thermal stores could further improve the economics of CHP plants under an aggregated electricity dispatch. This work firstly explains the conditions under which such plants could aggregate and act as a large power plant in the UK market, and secondly explores the most economic-size of gas engine and thermal store, in the case of aggregation, using energyPRO software and Excel spreadsheets. The work suggests that direct access to the power exchange market can improve the economics of the CHP plants. The highest Net Present Value (NPV), without heat dissipation, for a CHP plant exporting its electricity to the grid for a community heating load of 20 GW h, is more than £5 m, and is obtained for a 6 MW engine with a 28.2 MW h (900 m³) thermal store. The research suggests that such high electricity prices could make even larger plants more profitable than that; however, this can happen only if some of the produced heat is dissipated.     

Combustion characteristics of fuel droplets with addition of nano and micron-sized aluminum particles

The burning characteristics of fuel droplets containing nano and micron-sized aluminum particles were investigated. Particle size, surfactant concentration, and the type of base fluid were varied. In general, nanosuspensions can last much longer than micron suspensions, and ethanol-based fuels were found to achieve much better suspension than n-decane-based fuels. Five distinctive stages (preheating and ignition, classical combustion, microexplosion, surfactant flame, and aluminum droplet flame) were identified for an n-decane/nano-Al droplet, while only the first three stages occurred for an n-decane/micron-Al droplet. For the same solid loading rate and surfactant concentration, the disruption and microexplosion behavior of the micron suspension occurred later with much stronger intensity. The intense droplet fragmentation was accompanied by shell rupture, which caused a massive explosion of particles, and most of them were burned during this event. On the contrary, for the nanosuspension, combustion of the large agglomerate at the later stage requires a longer time and is less complete because of formation of an oxide shell on the surface. This difference is mainly due to the different structure and characteristics of particle agglomerates formed during the early stage, which is a spherical, porous, and more-uniformly distributed aggregate for the nanosuspension, but it is a densely packed and impermeable shell for the micron suspension. A theoretical analysis was then conducted to understand the effect of particle size on particle collision mechanism and aggregation rate. The results show that for nanosuspensions, particle collision and aggregation are dominated by the random Brownian motion. For micron suspensions, however, they are dominated by fluid motion such as droplet surface regression, droplet expansion resulting from bubble formation, and internal circulation. And the Brownian motion is the least important. This theoretical analysis explains the different characteristics of the particle agglomerates, which are responsible for the different microexplosion behaviors that were observed in the experiments.     

Stability of the Oil-water Emulsion Formed During Amphiphilic Polymer Flooding

The amphiphilic polymer can greatly improve the stability of produced liquid and thus makes it difficult to treat. It is of great necessity to study the stability of amphiphilic polymer flooding O/W crude oil emulsion. O/W crude oil emulsion tends to be more stable with increasing amphiphilic polymer concentration and decreasing holding temperature. Amphiphilic polymer flooding O/W crude oil emulsion is much more stable, especially when polymer concentration is above critical aggregation concentration. Aggregation formed by hydrophobic groups of the amphiphilic polymer is beneficial to the stability of amphiphilic polymer flooding O/W crude oil emulsions.     

UML在水轮机CAD系统分析中的应用研究

介绍了在面向对象的系统分析方法研究中出现的标准建模语言－UML，并结合工程实际，使用UML对水轮机的三维仿真设计系统进行了分析。     

缝洞体系连通性分析——塔北深埋碳酸盐岩研究的一个实例

缝洞型碳酸盐岩是塔北地区哈拉哈塘油田主要储集层,油藏的储渗空间主要为规模不同的洞穴、溶蚀孔隙以及各级裂缝。缝洞连通性是油田勘探开发实践中高效井优选的重要依据,油田勘探开发实践证实,油藏呈现为由洞穴、孔洞和裂缝组成的相互连通的大型缝洞集合体的特征,且紧邻缝洞集合体的油藏开发情况差异非常大,油藏压力、日产量与累积产油量等都不同,给油田的开发带来困难。研究中针对缝洞型储层的强非均质性,提出裂缝强度量化描述、裂缝方向量化描述与动态资料相结合的研究思路与技术方法,通过三维油藏建模技术研究缝洞的连通性以及确定大型缝洞集合体的边界,结合实际生产情况,指导油藏高效开发井组部署。     

An adaptive-weighted two-dimensional data aggregation algorithm for clustered wireless sensor networks

In this paper, an Adaptive-Weighted Time-Dimensional and Space-Dimensional （AWTDSD） data aggregation algorithm for a clustered sensor network is proposed for prolonging the lifetime of the network as well as improving the accuracy of the data gathered in the network. AWTDSD contains three phases： （1） the time-dimensional aggregation phase for eliminating the data redundancy; （2） the adaptive-weighted aggregation phase for further aggregating the data as well as improving the accuracy of the aggregated data; and （3） the space-dimensional aggregation phase for reducing the size and the amount of the data transmission to the base station. AWTDSD utilizes the correlations between the sensed data for reducing the data transmission and increasing the data accuracy as well. Experimental result shows that AWTDSD can not only save almost a half of the total energy consumption but also greatly increase the accuracy of the data monitored by the sensors in the clustered network.     

Role of chirality in olfactory-directed behavior: Aggregation of pine engraver beetles in the genusIps (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

There has been a renaissance of interest in the significance of enantiomeric composition in biological systems. Three chiral monoterpene alcohol aggregation pheromone components (ipsenol, ipsdienol, andcis-verbenol) commonly isolated from engraver beetles (Ips spp.) provide a paradigm for this theme as it relates to olfactory-guided insect behavior. The literature pertaining to this system is reviewed and the effects of the enantiomeric composition of these semiochemicals on theIps spp. community is explored on two trophic levels. Hypotheses generated from the well-studied aggregation pheromone production and response patterns forI. paraconfusus Lanier andI. pini (Say) are generalized to the North American species in the genus. Despite the progress withI. paraconfusus andI. pini, substantial deficiencies exist in our understanding of the role of enantiomeric composition in pheromonal/allomonal effects in different subgeneric groups, in the regulation and mechanisms of stereoselective biosynthesis of the monoterpene alcohols, and in the benefits derived by individual insects that produce relatively large proportions of inactive or interruptive enantiomers with attractive enantiomers.