First results of ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared measurements of the H2O total column in the atmosphere over West Siberia

The first results of the water vapour total column (WVTC) Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) measurements carried out over West Siberia (near Tomsk) in the framework of the combined experiment (22 May 2012) are presented. Direct solar radiation spectra with high spectral resolution were recorded by ground-based FTIR spectrometer Bruker IFS-125M. New spectral intervals (the advantage of this spectral band is that observations could be performed without cooling the interferometer’s detector) were tested and then used to retrieve the H₂O total columns in the atmosphere by SFIT2 v3.92. Ground-based measurements of the WVTC and aerosol optical thickness in the atmosphere were carried out by means of the automated sun photometers (SP series). Sun photometer and FTIR observations were performed under clear-sky conditions. During this study, we compared data obtained from ground-based remote sensing systems to the results of infrared atmospheric sounding interferometer (IASI) MetOP-A satellite measurements and airborne measurements with the use of the Tu-134 aircraft laboratory. Comparison shows that FTIR observations could give reasonable agreements with sun photometer data within 1%. This value is less than the combined error (1.2%) of both techniques. The average values of total H₂O obtained for three measurement systems were as follows: 1.50 and 1.49 g cm^–2 for the Fourier spectrometer and sun photometer, respectively, and 1.84 g cm^–2 for IASI.     

Application of high-speed IR thermography to study boiling of liquids

A method for studying local and integral characteristics of heat transfer at pool boiling on a thinfilm heater using a high-speed thermal-imaging camera is described. Experiments have been carried out at pool boiling of saturated ethanol with a heat flux as high as 40 W/cm². A 1-μm-thick indium?tin oxide (ITO) film sputtered on a 0.4-mm-thick sapphire substrate by the vapor deposition method was used as a heater. Based on simultaneous measurements of the temperature field distribution at the back side of the ITO film using an IR thermal-imaging camera in combination with visual recording of vapor bubble growth and departure directly on the heater surface, it is possible to judge the temperature field evolution under individual vapor bubbles, the nucleation site density and the nucleation frequency, as well as the time of bubble growth and departure during boiling.     

Procedure and results of seismic investigations into causes of landslides in permafrost rocks

The article focuses on seismic monitoring of causes of landslides. Such studies are of great importance in open pit mining in permafrost rocks. Extensive mining-induced impact in combination with natural thawing of permafrost as a consequence of the planet warming may end in catastrophe. The authors describe a procedure for plotting velocity profiles of seismic waves along slopes in the presence of extremely contrast discontinuities conditioned by permafrost rocks. The presented approach enables studying slip surfaces of landslides and detecting potential failure zones where wave velocities are lower due to extensive jointing. The processed field data obtained in the area near Chagan-Uzun settlement in Kosh-Agach district of the Republic of Altai are reported.     

Procedure and evidence of seismic research into physical properties of cohesive soils

The article puts forward a procedure to determine structure and physical properties of nearsurface cohesive soil based on seismic surveying. The backbone of the approach is the use of distribution of P- and S-waves obtained from combination of the seismic refraction technique modification and the multichannel surface wave analysis. The recovery of the physical properties uses correlation dependences. The authors give an example of field data processing. The field research covered a section of a motor road where groundwater level is determined and zones subjected to washout and deformation are detected.     

Experience gained with development of the instrumentation and control system for the PGU-410 power unit at the Krasnodar cogeneration station on the basis of the tornado-n distributed control system

The development of the instrumentation and control system for the PGU-410 power unit at the Krasnodar cogeneration station is discussed. Problems encountered in designing the process control system of a complex facility are considered, in particular, the need to integrate local control systems. Special attention is paid to the importance of setting up a united control area at such facilities.     

Modern computerized automation systems for thermal power engineering and prospects for their future development

The possibility of using the Ethernet network as a network for the lower (controller) level of a computerized automation system is considered. A new term “distributed (multicore) control environment” is introduced. The architecture of an Ethernet-based distributed control environment is described and an example of its implementation in the Tornado-N computerized automation system is given.     

Experimental Investigation and Mathematical Modeling of a Coaxial Tubular Apparatus for Steam Methane Conversion

A tubular steam methane conversion apparatus containing a coaxial insert coated with a nickel–chromium catalyst by thermal gas deposition was experimentally studied and mathematically modeled. By solving the inverse problem, the parameters of the kinetic function of the steam–methane reaction were found. The efficiency of the coaxial tubular apparatus was shown to considerably exceed the efficiencies of its modern industrial analogs, namely, the PPR-600 and PPR-1360 furnaces and the Kellog tubular reactor.     

Influence of Vibroseismic Field on the Thermal and Filtration Processes in Bituminous Reservoir

Results are considered for the in-situ investigations into complex effect produced by thermal and vibroseismic fields on the physical processes in the reservoir of native bitumen.