Water-saving strategies for irrigation agriculture in Saudi Arabia

Agriculture policy changes in Saudi Arabia are investigated by water footprint (WF) assessment. WF is calculated with the model SPARE:WATER for 3758 irrigated sites. The WF of agriculture areas (WF_area, km³ yr^?1) has decreased (–17%) since the year 2000 to 13.84 km³ yr^?1 (2011), which is mainly caused by the reduction of cropland by –33%. Nevertheless, water consumption per field has increased about 16%, which can be attributed to the cultivation of fodder crops (+12%). A scenario analysis revealed that a shifting cropping pattern towards less fodder crops reduces WF_area by –15%, and implementing improved irrigation technology leads to a combined reduction of up to 32%     

黑河综合遥感联合试验涡动相关通量数据处理及产品分析黑河综合遥感联合试验涡动相关通量数据处理及产品分析

涡动相关通量数据的处理及质量控制是保证各涡动观测台站数据质量的重要步骤。“黑河综合遥感联合试验”(Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research,WATER)从2007年底到现在连续观测积累了大量涡动相关通量观测资料。使用经过改进的EdiRe软件对盈科站、阿柔站和关滩站3个站点的原始涡动数据进行预处理和质量控制。通过异常值及野值点剔除、倾斜修正、超声虚温修正、时间滞后校正、频率响应修正和空气密度效应修正（WPL修正）等基本处理生成Level\|1数据产品;再通过大气状态平稳性检验、总体湍流特征检验以及湍流通量统计特征分析等初步质量控制,生成Level\|2数据产品。以盈科绿洲站2009年7月份涡动相关数据为例,着重介绍涡动相关数据处理过程中各校正方法的重要性及不同校正方法对湍流通量计算的贡献。结果表明：超声虚温修正后感热通量比修正前减少约7.7%;时间滞后校正后潜热通量和CO²通量分别增加了3.9%、2.7%;频率响应修正后感热通量、潜热通量及CO2通量分别增加了2.7%、10.5%、11.6%;WPL修正后潜热通量增加了1.7%,CO²通量减少了9.8%。最后将Campbell实时处理结果与Level\|1产品及Level\|2产品进行对比分析,并对黑河流域各涡动站做了总体数据精度评价,阿柔站数据质量最好,盈科站次之,关滩站较差。
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Multiple water barriers: alternative to assessment of fuel assemblies during accident conditions of transport

Abstract

Packages for the transport of radioactive material have to comply with national and/or international regulations. These regulations are widely based on the requirements set forth by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the 'Regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material'. In this framework, packages to transport fuel assemblies (including spent fuel assemblies) have to meet the requirements for packages containing fissile material. In accident conditions of transport, the applicant for the package design approval has to show that the package remains subcritical taking due account of the status of the contents in these conditions. In most cases, considering water ingress in the package, it is not possible to assume that the fissile material included in the fuel assemblies is dispersed in the package with the most severe conceivable distribution regarding criticality. In order to alleviate this difficulty, during the last years, we have provided a significant better knowledge of the conditions of the fuel assemblies to be transported. This was part of the Fuel Integrity Project, whose progress was regularly reported during PATRAM 2001 and PATRAM 2004 Symposia. However, for packages which encounter a large g-load during accident conditions of transport and/or which contain spent fuel assemblies with very high burn-up, it can be difficult to demonstrate that the fuel assemblies are not significantly damaged. Then, to make the criticality assessment considering water inleakage into the flask and a large release of fissile material within its cavity will not allow meeting the subcriticality criteria. For that reason, for our package designs, which use a gas and not water as an internal coolant and which fall into that category, the author has decided to take credit of the possibilities provided by the subparagraph 677 (b) of the Regulations. This paragraph allows not taking into account water in the package, provided that the package exhibits 'multiple high standard water barriers'. The paper describes the author's experience with the implementation of this paragraph. Two different cases are considered: either a double vessel, or a double lid. It will be explained when each of these solutions is implemented, and give examples of package designs with such features, as well as the approvals which were granted for these designs in various countries.     

Formation of spherical nanocrystalline silicon carbide via carbothermal reduction of water glass and sugar

Abstract

A simple method was developed to synthesise spherical nanocrystalline silicon carbide via carbothermal reduction of water glass and sugar. The overall process is composed of three steps: the preparation of spray dried precursors, carbonisation of the precursors and carbothermal reduction. The precursors and products were characterised by XRD, infrared, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, SEM and TEM. The results show that carbothermal reduction of the precursors could be completed at 1500°C for 2 h. The as prepared product is spherical nanocrystalline β-SiC powders with the diameter about 13·6 nm and the BET specific areas of 17 m² g^–1. In addition, the powder is of high purity, because sodium oxide in the precursor could be eliminated by the escape of sodium at high temperature.     

Corrosion Behavior of Ti60 Alloy Coated with a Solid NaCl Deposit in O2 Plus Water Vapor at 500-700°C

The corrosion behavior of Ti60 has been studiedin oxygen containing water vapor at500-700^°C, with and without a solid NaCldeposit on the surface. No measurable corrosion of theTi60 alloy was observed in atmospheres without NaCl.Corrosion of Ti60 was accelerated in the presence ofNaCl because of the formation of a nonprotectiveTiO₂ oxide scale; the corrosion of Ti60 issignificantly aggravated due to the synergistic effect ofNaCl and water vapor. When the temperature was increasedup to the melting point of NaCl, the corrosion of Ti60coated with NaCl both in air-NaCl and inO₂-NaCl plus water vapor became more severe. Amechanism to explain the effect of water vapor and NaClon the corrosion of Ti60 is proposed.     

Stress corrosion cracking behaviour of 2091 Al—Li alloy in sulphate and chloride containing solutions

Abstract

The stress corrosion cracking resistance of 2091 Al—Li alloy in underaged, and in peak aged condition was investigated in chloride solutions with or without sulphate addition using both the static load technique and the slow strain rate technique. It is shown that the underaged material is more resistant than peak aged material. Sulphate additions to chloride solutions increase the stress corrosion cracking susceptibility. Metallographic cross-section observations show the simultaneous occurrence of other kinds of corrosion: generalised. corrosion, pitting corrosion, intergranular corrosion, and exfoliation corrosion. It appears that stress corrosion cracking susceptibility increases as the extent of intergranular corrosion decreases.     

Corrosion protection properties of new UV curable waterborne urethane acrylic coatings

Abstract

Looking to the development of sustainable and low impact chemical technologies, water based paints offer significant advantage especially for in field applications, where the problem of solvent emission is really stringent. Some water based coatings are represented by alkyd and epoxy paints, capable of cross-linking either by auto-oxidation or with polyamines. Polyurethane aqueous dispersions are finding wide acceptance due to their better durability, adhesion and mechanical properties. The research presented here describes the design, application and characterisation of well defined model structures of waterborne UV curing coatings. The waterborne resins used in this work are segmented anionomeric polyurethanes functionalised with acrylic end groups: they were prepared from polytetramethylene glycol, isophorone diisocyanate, dimethylol propionic acid, and hydroxyethylacrylate. The preliminary results concerning the corrosion protection properties of the new UV curable waterborne coatings applied onto metallic substrates are very promising and were obtained by using electrochemical techniques. Water uptake is the critical process determining the corrosion performance. In particular the necessity to formulate the coating starting from higher molecular weight polytetramethylene glycol for good barrier properties is evident from the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data.     

Initiation of SCC in nickel base alloys in primary PWR environment: studies at Studsvik since mid 1980s

Abstract

Investigations on initiation of primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) in alloys 600 and 690 in simulated primary pressurised water reactor (PWR) environments, carried out since 1985, are reviewed. A large number of tests, mostly on reverse U bend specimens, some from steam generator tubes from operating PWRs, have been conducted for periods up to 33 000 h (4 years). Most exposures were at 365 or 330°C in either high purity water with hydrogen addition or simulated primary water (representing beginning of cycle conditions). Parameters investigated include: material (composition, heat treatment (mill annealed or thermally treated), carbide distribution, yield strength, grain size, etc.), environmental (hydrogen content, boron–lithium–pH, zinc) and experimental environment control techniques. Although the PWSCC mechanism has yet to be fully explained, these studies provide an overview of important parameters for crack initiation. The present review aims to survey the evidence for PWSCC initiation in nickel base alloys. It is concluded that, within the normal range for operating PWRs, the influence of dissolved hydrogen on initiation is small. However, a weak maximum in crack growth rate is observed at 15–25 ml H₂/kg H₂O; a corresponding minimum in crack initiation time has not been confirmed but cannot be excluded. It is concluded that hydrogen must be reduced to well below 10 ml H₂/kg H₂O to achieve significant benefits. Increasing the Li content from 2–2·5 to 3·5 ppm is shown to reduce crack initiation time by 30–50%. Lithium in the range 2·2–7·5 ppm has little effect on crack growth rate at ～1200 ppm B. Boron appears to have little influence on crack initiation or growth.     

梁山好汉与企业管理之道

从分析《水浒传》中表现的农民起义队伍的不少重要思想及治军手段入手,论述梁山好汉与当今企业管理之道的联系与对应点。     

Indication of Chromium Oxide Hydroxide Evaporation During Oxidation of 304L at 873 K in the Presence of 10% Water Vapor

The oxidation of type 304L stainless steel wasinvestigated at 873 K in the presence of O₂and O₂ + 10% H₂O. Oxidation timevaried between 1 and 672 hr. The oxidized samples wereinvestigated by a number of surface-analytical techniques includinggrazing-angle XRD, SEM/EDX, auger spectroscopy, SIMS andXPS. Oxidation in dry oxygen results in the formation acorundum-type oxide (Me₂O₃) withadditional formation of spinel oxides after prolonged exposure. Theoxide layer contained mainly chromium, with smalleramounts of Fe and Mn. Oxidation in the presence of watervapor results in an oxide that contains more Fe and less Cr, the outer part of the oxide beingdepleted in Cr. In the presence of water vapor, a massloss is detected after prolonged exposure. We show thatthe mass loss is caused by chromium evaporation. The volatile species is suggested to beCrO₂(OH)₂.