Application of a Three-dimensional Wind Driven Circulation Model to Assess the Locations of New Drinking Water Intakes in Lake Ontario

A 3D transport model is used to perform a comparative analysis of several potential drinking water intakes located along the northwest shore of Lake Ontario between Toronto and Oshawa. The model is specifically used to assess each intake under both long- and short-term transport of a potential pollutant release from the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and potential and actual pollutant releases from local land sources respectively. A model based on a 500 m grid resolution is calibrated using data collected in the aftermath of the 1992 tritium spill at the Pickering Nuclear Generation Station and subsequently used to simulate long-term transport. A model based on a 100 m grid resolution is verified using drogue studies and used to simulate short-term transport events. Both models are used to assess pollutant levels at each of nine potential intake locations under different wind scenarios and pollutant releases. Field data for the study included water quality and flow measurements from local sewers and rivers, and estimates of pollutant levels from the local waste water treatment plants. This paper describes the model setup for both the long-term and short-term transport models, calibration using field data, long-term transport modeling, short-term transport modeling, and the comprehensive analysis approach used to evaluate the nine potential intake locations proposed. Results indicated that four intakes in particular outperformed other intake locations by maintaining bottom pollutant levels within governmental standards and warning times that exceeded 20 hours.     

Electrically conductive and optically transparent Sb-doped SnO2 STM-probe for local excitation of electroluminescence

We demonstrate that an optically transparent and electrically conductive antimon-doped tin-oxide tip that is prepared in a sol-gel process can be used as a probe for scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), yielding atomic vertical and nanometre lateral resolution. Emission of visible light from the tunnelling junction between gold particles and the tip is observed for bias voltages above 7 V. In contrast to the metallic tips generally used in STM, this tip does not significantly perturb the local optical response. Therefore, the tunnelling induced light can be used to map the optical near-field of surface structures with the tunnel gap acting as highly localised light source for the investigation of near-field enhancement in complex metal structures.     

On the Adjusting of the Dynamic Coefficients of Tilting-Pad Journal Bearings

This paper gives a theoretical and experimental contribution to the problem of active modification of the dynamic coefficients of tilting-pad journal bearings, aiming to increase the damping and stability of rotating systems. The theoretical studies for the calculation of the bearing coefficients are based on the fluid dynamics, specifically on the Reynolds equation, on the dynamics of multibody systems and on some concepts of the hydraulics. The experiments are carried out by means of a test rig specially designed for this investigation. The four pads of such a bearing are mounted on four flexible hydraulic chambers which are connected to a proportional valve. The chamber pressures are changed by means of the proportional valve, resulting in a displacement of the pads and a modification of the bearing gap. By changing the gap, one can adjust the dynamic coefficients of the bearing. With help of an experimental procedure for identifying the bearing coefficients, theoretical and experimental results are compared and discussed. The advantages and the limitation of such hydrodynamic bearings in their controllable form are evaluated with regard to application on the high-speed machines.     

Coiled‐Coil‐Mediated Activation of Oligoarginine Cell‐Penetrating Peptides

A supramolecular approach was undertaken to create functionally activatable cell‐penetrating peptides. Two tetra‐arginines were assembled into an active cell‐penetrating peptide by heterodimerizing leucine zippers. Three different leucine‐zipper pairs were evaluated: activation was found to depend on the association constant of the coiled‐coil peptides. The weaker‐binding peptides required an additional disulfide linkage to induce cell‐penetrating capability, whereas for the most‐stable coiled‐coil no additional stabilization was needed. The latter zipper pair was used to show that the induced formation of the coiled coils allows control over the uptake of an oligoarginine CPP‐conjugated cargo protein.     

Wind turbine condition monitoring based on SCADA data using normal behavior models. Part 1: System description

This paper proposes a system for wind turbine condition monitoring using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Interference Systems (ANFIS). For this purpose: (1) ANFIS normal behavior models for common Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) data are developed in order to detect abnormal behavior of the captured signals and indicate component malfunctions or faults using the prediction error. 33 different standard SCADA signals are used and described, for which 45 normal behavior models are developed. The performance of these models is evaluated in terms of the prediction error standard deviations to show the applicability of ANFIS models for monitoring wind turbine SCADA signals. The computational time needed for model training is compared to Neural Network (NN) models showing the strength of ANFIS in training speed. (2) For automation of fault diagnosis Fuzzy Interference Systems (FIS) are used to analyze the prediction errors for fault patterns. The outputs are both the condition of the component and a possible root cause for the anomaly. The output is generated by the aid of rules that capture the existing expert knowledge linking observed prediction error patterns to specific faults. The work is based on continuously measured wind turbine SCADA data from 18 turbines of the 2 MW class covering a period of 30 months.The system proposed in this paper shows a novelty approach with regard to the usage of ANFIS models in this context and the application of the proposed procedure to a wide range of SCADA signals. The applicability of the set up ANFIS models for anomaly detection is proved by the achieved performance of the models. In combination with the FIS the prediction errors can provide information about the condition of the monitored components.In this paper the condition monitoring system is described. Part two will entirely focus on application examples and further efficiency evaluation of the system.     

Advantages and drawbacks of applying periodic time-variant modal analysis to spur gear dynamics

A simplified torsional model with a reduced number of degrees-of-freedom is used in order to investigate the potential of the technique. A time-dependent gear mesh stiffness function is introduced and expanded in a Fourier series. The necessary number of Fourier terms is determined in order to ensure sufficient accuracy of the results. The method of time-variant modal analysis is applied, and the changes in the fundamental and the parametric resonance frequencies as a function of the rotational speed of the gears, are found. By obtaining the stationary and parametric parts of the time-dependent modes shapes, the importance of the time-varying component relative to the stationary component is investigated and quantified. The method used for calculation and subsequent sorting of the left and right eigenvectors based on a first order Taylor expansion is explained. The advantages and drawbacks of applying the methodology to wind turbine gearboxes are addressed and elucidated.     

Novel homogeneous gel fibers and capillaries from blend of titanium tetrabutoxide and siloxane functionalized ionic liquid

The preparation of ionogels by sol–gel processing has attracted much attention, because the final ceramic materials combine properties of both inorganic matrix (thermal and mechanical stability) and the ionic liquid (ionic conductivity). The aim of this study was to combine different imidazolium based ionic liquids (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [EMIM][BF₄], 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate [BMIM][BF₄], 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [DMIM][BF₄] and 1-methyl-3-[3′-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]imidazolium chloride MTICl) with titanium(IV) butoxide to prepare homogenous hybrid fibers through aqueous sol–gel reaction. The study showed that ionic liquid miscibility with metal alkoxide plays an important role in the preparation of homogenous fibers. Unlike simple imidazolium salts functionalized ionic liquid was dispersed homogenously in fibers, but the main advantage is derived from its chemical structure. New stable ionic liquid can be involved in sol–gel processes through ethoxy groups and as a result it associates with titanium alkoxide network by covalent bonding providing non-leaking ceramic hybrid material. Indirect and direct characterization studies of the product were carried out by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), silicon-29 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (²⁹Si NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopies; also infrared spectra (IR) were recorded. Thermal analyses were performed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).