On the use of 2-D coding techniques for ECG signals.

This paper discusses the convenience of using two-dimensional (2-D) coding techniques for the compression of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. These signals present a very clear periodicity that can be exploited by the use of a 2-D time/frequency transform to decorrelate it as much as possible. A brief theoretical approach is given to justify the use of this technique, and a comparison is made between a 2-D and a one-dimensional (1-D) uniform quantization scenarios. The influence of the error as well as the frame size on the estimation of the fundamental period is studied.     

The impacts of a GTL plant on Brazil's oil products supply and refinery expansion

This paper assesses the impacts of a GTL plant on the expansion of Brazil's oil refining segment. The GTL plant (50,000 bpd) was sized to start up operations in 2015, producing diesel and naphtha through the indirect route (FT-synthesis). This plant will consume the non-associated natural gas production from the recent discoveries at the Santos Basin (around 419 Bm³), and the associated gas production from the Campos Basin. Both basins are located in the Southeast of Brazil, the most populated, rich and industrialized region of the country. Two different criteria for refinery expansion were simulated in order to meet oil product demand scenarios. Findings show that depending on the refinery expansion criteria considered GTL will play a fundamental hole to meet the oil product demand forecast to Brazil in the next 10 years.     

Infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopic studies of silica, [(Cp)2ZrCl2] and trimethylaluminum interactions

Infrared and UV–vis studies of metallocene immobilization on silica are reported here. The results have indicated changes in the Zr coordination sphere of metallocene depending on the immobilization route used. The reaction of [(Cp)₂ZrCl₂] with silica formed [(Cp)₂ZrCl]⁺[SiO]⁻ species. The same metallocene, reacting with TMA modified silica, formed monomethylated and dimethylated species by the substitution of chloro for methyl ligands, stabilized on the surface by interaction with “MAO-like” species (methylaluminoxane, MAO). These monomethylated and dimethylated cationic zirconium species are the active centers for the polymerization reaction. Different order of TMA addition in the silica modification step generated surface species of a similar nature, differing in their relative quantities. The highest amount of these active species was obtained when the support was added to the TMA solution rather than adding the TMA solution to the silica support. This was the most significant parameter affecting catalytic activity in ethylene polymerization.     

Coupling GIS with Hydrologic and Hydraulic Flood Modelling

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been recognised as a powerful means to integrate and analyse data from various sources in the context of comprehensive floodplain management. As part of this comprehensive approach to floodplain management, it is very important to be able to predict the consequences of different scenarios in terms of flooded areas and associated risk. Hydrologic and hydraulic modelling plays a crucial role and there is much to gain in incorporating these modelling capabilities in GIS. This is still a rather complex task and research is being done on the full integration of these models. Interfacing between these models and GIS may be a very efficient way of overcoming the difficulties and getting very good results in terms of engineering practice. This paper presents results based on the use of Intergraph GIS coupled with Idrisi GIS. Using these two systems substantially increased the flexibility of using GIS as a tool for flood studies. A lumped (XSRAIN) and a distributed (OMEGA) hydrologic models were used to simulate flood hydrographs. The well known HEC-2 Hydraulic model was used to compute flooded areas. These models were applied in the Livramento catchment with very good results. The computation of flooded areas for different flood scenarios, and its representation in GIS, can be used in the assessment of affected property and associated damages. This is a very useful GIS-based approach to floodplain management.     

Stabilization of Cubic Zirconia with Manganese Oxide

A directionally solidified eutectic (DSE) of MnO-ZrO₂ has been investigated using a variety of electron optical techniques. It is found that considerable MnO goes into ZrO₂ to form a substitutional solid solution. About 14 wt% of MnO is soluble in ZrO₂ close to the eutectic temperature. The solubility of ZrO₂ in MnO, however, is quite low, less than 0.50 wt%. Electron diffraction experiments indicate that ZrO₂ (MnO) has the cubic fluorite structure. Diffuse scattering, similar to other cubic zirconias (e.g., CaO, MgO stabilized zirconia), is also observed in manganese-stabilized zirconia. Diffuse scattering indicates the presence of oxygen vacancies and thus confirms the defect nature of the fluorite structure. Electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS) fine structure analysis of the Mn L₂₃ edge provided clear evidence that Mn is present as Mn²⁺ in Mn-stabilized cubic ZrO₂.     

State multiplicity in CSTR-separator-recycle polymerisation systems

This article continues earlier work (Comput. Chem. Eng. 24 (2000) 209) concerning the design and control of isothermal reactor-separator-recycle systems. The multiplicity behaviour of six reaction systems of increasing complexity, from one-reactant, first-order reaction to chain-growth polymerisation, is investigated. Below a critical value of the plant Damkohler number, Da<Da^cr, the only steady state involves infinite flow rates. Feasible steady states become possible if the critical value is exceeded, Da>Da^cr. For one-reaction systems, one stable steady state is born at a transcritical bifurcation. For consecutive-reaction systems, including polymerisation, a fold bifurcation can lead to two feasible steady states. Moreover, the transcritical bifurcation is destroyed when two reactants are involved. If the gel-effect is included, a maximum of four steady states are possible. When multiple steady states exist, the achievable conversion is constrained by the instability of the low-conversion branch. This has practical importance for polymerisation systems when the radicals’ quasi-steady state assumption is not valid or the gel effect is significant.     

Flexible polymer composite electromagnetic crystals

The dielectric properties of a ceramic powder (BaTiO₃) filled thermoplastic elastomer (EPDM TPE) were investigated for use in a flexible electromagnetic crystal. Materials were produced that had a high dielectric constant (approximately 9) and low loss tangent (less than 0.01). Materials were extruded and injection molded so as to povide low‐cost processing. Mechanical and electromagnetic test results showed the effect of processing conditions on the final quality of the composite. The shear rate during processing and the number of mixing cycles were found to affect the final material characteristics significantly. An electromagnetic crystal woven from extruded rods showed good reflectivity in the 10–15 GHz region.     

Sol-gel preparation of a di-ureasil electrolyte doped with lithium perchlorate

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) synthesized by the sol-gel process and designated as di-ureasils have been prepared through the incorporation of lithium perchlorate, LiClO₄, into the d-U(2000) organic-inorganic hybrid network. Electrolytes with lithium salt compositions of n (where n indicates the number of oxyethylene units per Li⁺ ion) between ∞ and 0.5 were characterized by conductivity measurements, cyclic voltammetry at a gold microelectrode, thermal analysis and Fourier transform Raman (FT-Raman) spectroscopy. The conductivity results obtained suggest that this system offers a quite significant improvement over previously characterized analogues doped with lithium triflate [S.C. Nunes, V. de Zea Bermudez, D. Ostrovskii, M.M. Silva, S. Barros, M.J. Smith, R.A. Sá Ferreira, L.D. Carlos, J. Rocha, E. Morales, J. Electrochem. Soc. 152 (2) (2005), A429]. “Free” perchlorate ions, detected in all the samples examined, are identified as the main charge carriers in the sample that yields the highest room temperature conductivity (n = 20). In the di-ureasils with n ≤ 10 ionic association is favoured and the ionic conductivity drops.