bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting Using the Olsen Cycle on Relaxor Ferroelectric 8/65/35 PLZT
Authors: Lee Felix , Goljahi Sam , McKinley Ian , Lynch Christopher S. , Pilon Laurent
Published: July 2013

Waste heat can be directly converted into electrical energy by performing the Olsen cycle on pyroelectric materials. The Olsen cycle consists of two isothermal and two isoelectric field processes in the electric displacement versus electric field diagram. This paper reports on the energy harvested by lanthanum doped lead zirconate titanate (8/65/35 PLZT) subjected to the Olsen cycle. The material was alternatively dipped into a cold and a hot silicone oil bath under specified electric fields. A maximum energy density of 770 J/L per cycle corresponding to a power density of 9.6 W/L was obtained for temperatures between 25 and 160°C and electric fields cycled between 0.2 and 4.5 MV/m.
A Novel Procedure for Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting Using Heat Conduction and the Olsen Cycle
Authors: Lee Felix , Navid Ashcon , McKinley Ian , Pilon Laurent
Published: July 2013

Waste heat can be directly converted into electrical energy by performing the Olsen cycle on pyroelectric materials. The Olsen cycle consists of two isothermal and two iso-electric field processes in the displacement versus electric field diagram. This paper reports, for the first time, a procedure to implement the Olsen cycle by alternatively placing a pyroelectric material in thermal contact with a cold and a hot source. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] copolymer thin films with 60/40 VDF/TrFE mole fraction were used. A maximum energy density of 155 J/L per cycle was achieved at 0.066 Hz between 25 and 110°C and electric fields cycled between 200 and 350 kV/cm. This energy density was larger than that achieved by our previous prototypical device using oscillatory laminar convective heat transfer. However, it was lower than the energy density obtained in previous “dipping experiments” consisting of alternatively dipping the samples in cold and hot silicone oil baths. This was attributed to (1) the lower operating temperatures due to the slow thermal response achieved using heat conduction and (2) the smaller electric field spans imposed which was limited by the smaller dielectric strength of air. However, the proposed procedure can readily be implemented into devices.
Nano Filtration and Sensing of Aminoglycosides Using Whispering-Gallery Mode Resonators
Authors: Huang Lei , Guo Zhixiong
Published: July 2013

For the first time optical WGM micro resonator embedded in a microelectrofluidic system with integrated functions in sensing and nano filtration was proposed. Aminoglycosides were considered as the analyte molecules. The filtration process and analyte concentration were traced by measuring the WGM resonance frequency shift. A correlation between the frequency shift, and the analyte feed concentration and the applied voltage gradient was obtained, which reveals a linear relationship between the resonance frequency shift and the analyte concentration and an exponential growth with the applied voltage gradient. The applied voltage gradient influences the filtration capability through its effect on adsorption and desorption processes. The second-order WGM was found to be able to provide a higher sensitivity as compared with the first-order. The WGM sensor was found to function at pico Molar concentration.
A Hybrid Partial Coherence and Geometry Optics Model of Thin Film Optics on Coated Rough Surfaces
Authors: Wu Yuan Ting , Huang Zhi-feng , Hsu Pei-feng , Zhou Huaichun
Published: July 2013

Thermal and optical engineering applications of electromagnetic wave reflectance from rough surfaces include temperature measurement, radiation heating process, etc. Most of the surfaces are random roughness and often with coating material different from the substrate. This paper presented a novel hybrid partial coherence and geometry optics (HPCGO) model to improve the generic geometry optics (GO) method by incorporating a previously developed partial coherence reflectance equation. In this way, HPCGO expands the applicable region of GO model, and largely reduces the computation time of integrating different wavelength results in the regular hybrid model that considers coherence effect only. First, the HPCGO model is validated by more rigorous Maxwell equations solvers, for example, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and integral equation (IE) method. Then, the HPCGO model is applied to study the coherent effect of directional-hemispherical reflectance from coated rough surfaces. It is found the roughness of coated rough surface can cause partial or non-coherent scattered light even if the incident light source is coherent. It also shows the coherence effect reduces with increased incident wave-number bandwidth.
Adhesion and Formation of Microbial Biofilms in Complex Microfluidic Devices
Authors: Kumar Aloke , Karig David , Neethirajan Suresh , Suresh Anil K. , Srijanto Bernadeta R. , Mukherjee Partha P. , Retterer Scott , Doktycz Mitchel J.
Published: July 2013

Shewanella oneidensis is a metal reducing bacterium, which is of interest for bioremediation and clean energy applications. S. oneidensis biofilms play a critical role in several situations such as in microbial energy harvesting devices. Here, we use a microfluidic device to quantify the effects of hydrodynamics on the biofilm morphology of S. oneidensis. For different rates of fluid flow through a complex microfluidic device, we studied the spatiotemporal dynamics of biofilms, and we quantified several morphological features such as spatial distribution, cluster formation and surface coverage. We found that hydrodynamics resulted in significant differences in biofilm dynamics. The baffles in the device created regions of low and high flow in the same device. At higher flow rates, a non-uniform biofilm develops, due to unequal advection in different regions of the microchannel. However, at lower flow rates, a more uniform biofilm evolved. This depicts competition between adhesion events, growth and fluid advection. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that higher production of extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS) occurred at higher flow velocities.
Experimental Studies of Nonisothermal Binary Fluids With Phase Change in Confined Geometries
Authors: Li Yaofa , Chan Benjamin M. , Yoda Minami
Published: July 2013

Evaporative cooling, which exploits the large latent heats associated with phase change, is of interest in a variety of thermal management technologies. Yet our fundamental understanding of thermal and mass transport remains limited. Evaporation and condensation can change the local temperature, and hence surface tension, along a liquid-vapor interface. The resulting thermocapillary stresses are dominant at small length scales in many cases.

For the vast majority of single-component coolants, surface tension decreases as temperature increases, resulting in thermocapillary stresses that drive the liquid away from hot regions, leading to dryout, for example. The direction of flow driven by thermocapillary stresses is therefore consistent with that driven by buoyancy effects due to changes in the liquid density with temperature.

However, a number of binary “self-rewetting fluids,” consisting of water-alcohol mixtures, have surface tensions that increase with temperature, leading to thermocapillary stresses that drive liquid towards hot regions, improving cooling performance. Although not all binary coolants are self-rewetting, all such coolants are subject to solutocapillary stresses, where differential evaporation of the two fluid components leads to changes in local species concentration at the liquid-vapor interface, and hence in surface tension.

Given the lack of general models of thermal and mass transport in nonisothermal two-phase flows, experimental studies of convection in simple fluids and binary alcohol-water mixtures due to evaporation and condensation driven by a horizontal temperature gradient were performed. In these initial studies, both the simple and binary fluids have thermocapillary stresses that drive liquid away from hot regions. However, the binary fluid also has solutocapillary stresses that drive liquid towards hot regions. Particle-image velocimetry (PIV) is used to nonintrusively measure the velocity and temperature fields in a layer of liquid a few mm in depth in a 1 cm × 1 cm × 4.85 cm sealed and evacuated cuvette heated on one end and cooled on the other end.
Numerical Simulation on Heat Transfer in a Novel Combined Therapy of Nano-Cryosurgery and RF Hyperthermia
Authors: Deng Zhong-Shan , Liu Jing
Published: July 2013

In this study, a novel combined therapy of nano-cryosurgery and RF induced nano-hyperthermia was proposed, with the purpose of improving tumor treatment efficacy. To better understand the mechanisms of enhancement on freezing and heating by introducing magnetic nanoparticles with high thermal conductivity during the combined therapy of nano-cryosurgery and RF hyperthermia, a series of numerical investigations were performed. The results indicate that the combined therapy of nano-cryosurgery and RF hyperthermia can serve as an applicable way to flexibly control the size and shape of lethal freezing/heating areas, which will help selectively ablate the target tissue and then optimize the thermal treatment process for tumor.
Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop During Condensation of Ammonia in Microchannels
Authors: Fronk Brian M. , Garimella Srinivas
Published: July 2013

An experimental investigation of condensation heat transfer and pressure drop of ammonia flowing through a single, circular, microchannel (D = 1.435 mm) was conducted. The use of ammonia in thermal systems is attractive due to its high latent heat, favorable transport properties, zero ozone depletion (ODP), and zero global warming potential (GWP). At the same time, microchannel condensers are also being adopted to increase heat transfer performance to reduce component size and improve energy efficiency. While there is a growing body of research on condensation of conventional refrigerants (i.e., R134a, R404A, etc.) in microchannels, there are few data on condensation of ammonia at the microscale. Ammonia has significantly different fluid properties than synthetic HFC and HCFC refrigerants. For example, at Tsat = 60°C, ammonia has a surface tension 3.2 times and an enthalpy of vaporization 7.2 times greater than those of R134a. Thus, models validated with data for synthetic refrigerants may not predict condensation of ammonia with sufficient accuracy.

The test section consisted of a stainless steel tube-in-tube heat exchanger with ammonia flowing through a microchannel inner tube and cooling water flowing through the annulus in counterflow. A high flow rate of water was maintained to provide an approximately isothermal heat sink and to ensure the condensation thermal resistance dominated the heat transfer process. Data were obtained at mass fluxes of 75 and 150 kg m−2 s−1, multiple saturation temperatures, and in small quality increments (Δx∼15–25%) from 0 to 1. Trends in heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops are discussed and the results are used to assess the applicability of models developed for both macro and microscale geometries for predicting the condensation of ammonia.
Microjet Impingement Boiling on a Structured-Porous Surface
Authors: Zhao Zenghui , Peles Yoav , Jensen Michael K.
Published: July 2013

Using single/multiple layers of highly conductive metallic wire mesh screen bonded to a plain heat transfer base surface, the two-phase heat transfer performance of a microjet impinging onto a porous coated copper surface was studied. Experiments were conducted at three different flow rates of water under atmospheric pressure. For comparison, experiments of jet impinging on a plain copper surface were also conducted. The results show that a base surface heat flux of 289W/cm2 is reached at a superheat of 7.9K and a jet Reynolds number of 5000 with a four-layer 200-mesh test article. Compared to jet impinging on a plain copper surface under similar working conditions, a 248% performance enhancement is obtained with the porous surface.
Condensation on Superhydrophobic Copper Oxide Nanostructures
Authors: Enright Ryan , Dou Nicholas , Miljkovic Nenad , Nam Youngsuk , Wang Evelyn N.
Published: July 2013

Condensation is an important process in both emerging and traditional power generation and water desalination technologies. Superhydrophobic nanostructures promise enhanced condensation heat transfer by reducing the characteristic size of departing droplets via a surface-tension-driven mechanism [1]. In this work, we investigated a scalable synthesis technique to produce oxide nanostructures on copper surfaces capable of sustaining superhydrophobic condensation and characterized the growth and departure behavior of condensed droplets. Nanostructured copper oxide (CuO) films were formed via chemical oxidation in an alkaline solution. A dense array of sharp CuO nanostructures with characteristic heights and widths of ∼1 μm and ∼300 nm, respectively, were formed. A gold film was deposited on the surface and functionalized with a self-assembled monolayer to make the surfaces hydrophobic. Condensation on these surfaces was then characterized using optical microscopy (OM) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) to quantify the distribution of nucleation sites and elucidate the growth behavior of individual droplets with a characteristic size of ∼1 to 10 μm at low supersaturations. Comparison of the observed behavior to a recently developed model for condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces [2, 3] suggests a restricted regime of heat transfer enhancement compared to a corresponding smooth hydrophobic surface due to the large apparent contact angles demonstrated by the CuO surface.
Growth Dynamics During Dropwise Condensation on Nanostructured Superhydrophobic Surfaces
Authors: Miljkovic Nenad , Enright Ryan , Wang Evelyn N.
Published: July 2013

Condensation on superhydrophobic nanostructured surfaces offers new opportunities for enhanced energy conversion, efficient water harvesting, and high performance thermal management. Such surfaces are designed to be Cassie stable, which minimize contact line pinning and allow for passive shedding of condensed water droplets at sizes smaller than the capillary length. In this work, we investigated in situ water condensation on superhydrophobic nanostructured surfaces using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The “Cassie stable” surfaces consisted of silane coated silicon nanopillars with diameters of 300 nm, heights of 6.1 μm, and spacings of 2 μm, but allowed droplets of distinct suspended (S) and partially wetting (PW) morphologies to coexist. With these experiments combined with thermal modeling of droplet behavior, the importance of initial growth rates and droplet morphology on heat transfer is elucidated. The effect of wetting morphology on heat transfer enhancement is highlighted with observed 6× higher initial growth rate of PW droplets compared to S droplets. Consequently, the heat transfer of the PW droplet is 4–6× higher than that of the S droplet. To compare the heat transfer enhancement, PW and S droplet heat transfer rates are compared to that of a flat superhydrophobic silane coated surface, showing a 56% enhancement for the PW morphology, and 71% degradation for the S morphology. This study provides insight into importance of local wetting morphology on droplet growth rate during superhydrophobic condensation, as well as the importance of designing CB stable surfaces with PW droplet morphologies to achieve enhanced heat transfer during dropwise condensation.
Rapid Transient Thermal Analysis of Three-Dimensional Interconnect Structures Using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Method
Authors: Barabadi Banafsheh , Kumar Satish , Joshi Yogendra K.
Published: July 2013

The increase in the integration of interconnect wiring, as well as the high level of current densities are resulting in increased concerns about hot spot formation due to Joule heating in the metal lines of microprocessors. This temperature rise poses a major challenge in maintaining the quality and reliability of future devices, requiring a focus on physics based approaches for rapid and accurate thermal analysis of interconnect architectures. This work investigates the problem of transient Joule heating in a three-dimensional array of copper interconnects embedded in dielectric layers of SiO2 and Si3N4 using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) as the reduced order modeling approach. The case of natural convection was assumed on the boundaries. For validation, the results were compared with a three-dimensional finite volume model developed in Fluent and good agreements models were observed. While the Fluent model required hours of computational time, the POD based model predictions were achieved within seconds.
Characterization of Lipid Membrane Properties for Tunable Electroporation
Authors: Cho H. Jeremy , Maroo Shalabh C. , Wang Evelyn N.
Published: July 2013

Lipid bilayers form nanopores on the application of an electric field. This process of electroporation can be utilized in different applications ranging from targeted drug delivery in cells to nano-gating membrane for engineering applications. However, the ease of electroporation is dependent on the surface energy of the lipid layers and thus directly related to the packing structure of the lipid molecules. 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) lipid monolayers were deposited on a mica substrate using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique at different packing densities and analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The wetting behavior of these monolayers was investigated by contact angle measurement and molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that an equilibrium packing density of liquid-condensed (LC) phase DPPC likely exists and that water molecules can penetrate the monolayer displacing the lipid molecules. The surface tension of the monolayer in air and water was obtained along with its breakthrough force.
Inhalable Particle Behaviors in Laminar Flows Around Triangular and Circular Cylinders
Authors: Xu Jiyun , Zhang Jian , Mi Jianchun , Wang Hao
Published: July 2013

Attention to inhalable particulate matter (PM10) has increased in recent years due to the growing threat of its pollution to public health. Behaviors of individual particles in various flow fields are of great interest, but few results from direct observation/measurement are available. The present work develops an integral image-based scheme consisting of a microscope, a high-speed CCD camera, a view chamber, a mass flow controller, and an image processing package. This system is used to investigate behaviors of inhalable particles in a laminar flow passing a triangular or circular cylinder. Moreover, numerical simulations are conducted and compared with experiments. The particles are found to follow the laminar fluid flow well, but still with small random fluctuations. When the flow is slow, the fluctuations are more obvious.
The Latest Updates on Waste-to-Energy and Conversion Technologies; Plus Projects Under Development
Authors: Gershman Harvey W. , Hammond Mark
Published: July 2013

Technologies that burn municipal solid waste (MSW) with energy recovery have come a long way in the past 100 years. Although the last new MSW-processing waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities constructed in the United States commenced operations in 1996, recent years have witnessed a renaissance of interest and activity, some of it in traditional mass-burn combustion but more in new conversion technologies. This presentation will provide an update on these renewable energy technologies and highlight several projects under development.
Waste-to-Energy Biogenic Carbon Dioxide Reductions and USEPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Mandate: What Does the Future Hold?
Authors: Maritato Mark C. , Hewes Anne K.
Published: July 2013

On October 30, 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) promulgated the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases (ghg) across virtually every industry sector in the U.S., including Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants, emitting over 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions per year. In conformance with 40CFR part 98, subpart C stationary fuel combustion sources, WTE plants were required to report 2010 CO2 emissions by September 30, 2011, and annually thereafter by March 31st. A key element of this process involves the quarterly collection of flue gas samples for characterization of mean biogenic CO2 content. While this rule is in its infancy, it is clear that the Agency intends to regulate CO2 emissions, especially the anthropogenic fraction, across all industry sectors. Currently, ecomaine’s sample results for its municipal waste combustor (MWC) contain, on average, 60% biogenic carbon with the remaining 40% fraction characterized by anthropogenic carbon. As ecomaine begins to optimize the removal of organic material through stepped up recycling efforts and the phase-in of large-scale composting operations, it is plausible that the biogenic carbon fraction will diminish over time, leaving a growing fraction of the less desirable anthropogenic carbon. Based on USEPA’s 2010 Municipal Solid Waste in the U.S. – 2009 Facts and Figures report (EPA-530R-10-012), the organic fraction of municipal solid waste is approximately 62.5% by weight before recycling. The successful diversion of even 1/2 this material away from ecomaine’s MWC could result in a measurable reduction of biogenic carbon, possibly reversing the biogenic:anthropogenic fraction to 40%:60%. This paper will explore strategies, including Life Cycle Analyses of WTE, recycling, and composting operations that the WTE industry can employ to help frame anthropogenic carbon emissions in a better light and stave off future regulatory sanctions as the climate change debate advances to a new level in the years ahead.
Waste Combustion Technology Developments for Large Scale Plants
Authors: Sohnemann Jens , Schäfers Walter , Main Armin
Published: July 2013

For the waste disposal of urban areas and major cities at the North American market place rather large scale energy from waste (EfW) plants are needed. This implies a mechanical input of approx. 40 Mg/h [39.36 tn l./h] and thermal input by waste per unit of 110 MW [375.3 MBTU/h] and more.

There are basic design criteria that feature large scale EfW plants:

- Layout of boiler with horizontal or vertical orientation of convective part.

- Top or bottom suspension of boiler.

- Flexible design of stoker regarding large throughput figures and heating values of waste with water or air cooled grate bars.

- Design and geometry of combustion furnace in order to optimize the flow pattern.

- Optimization of boiler steel structure: integrated steel structure for boiler and boiler house enclosure.

- Optimization of corrosion protection and maintainability of large scale boilers: cladding versus refractory lining.

- Maintenance aspects of the boiler.

The paper gives information on the pros and cons regarding the design features with special focus on optimized solutions for large scale EfW plants.

For the core component of the combustion system — the grate — Fisia Babcock Environment (FBE) is using forward moving grates as well as roller grates. The moving grate in STEINMÜLLER design, which is used in the great majority of all our plants, has specific characteristics for providing uniform combustion and optimal burnout.

The automatic combustion rate control system is the key component in the combustion process in order to receive good burn out quality in slag and flue gas as well as constant steam production and oxygen content of flue gas. This paper includes a detailed report on a modern control system with focus on a simple and efficient control structure.

Besides these measures regarding the combustion process, this paper also reports about the respective aspects and concepts for the flue gas cleaning systems. In this field the FBE CIRCUSORB® process was presented in previous papers and is now compared with a multistage wet flue gas cleaning system. The latter is relevant in case of very low emission requirements.
Do Odors at a Waste Management Facility Indicate a Risk to Health?
Authors: Zemba Stephen G.
Published: July 2013

Odor control is a frequent issue at facilities that process municipal solid waste. Even waste-to-energy facilities, which are typically operated under “negative pressure,” may be less than 100% effective at preventing the occasional release of odorous emissions. When odors travel off-property to nearby residents and businesses, the tangible exposure often elicits concerns about the specific chemicals responsible for the odor and the potential for the emissions to affect public health. However, because the gaseous compounds that may lead to objectionable off-site odors are generally different than those that might result in adverse health effects, conditions of odor and risk are not as closely linked as is sometimes assumed. While odors can be assessed through personal observations, the assessment of risk requires detailed knowledge of the composition of the emitted gases. The gas produced from the aerobic decay of municipal solid waste contains a different mix of chemicals that are not as well characterized than gas produced from the anaerobic decay of waste in a landfill (which has been analyzed by the U.S. EPA and others). Air samples were recently collected from the tipping floor of a waste-to-energy facility, analyzed for chemical composition, and evaluated for their potential to lead to off-site health risks. The composition of the gas was found to be similar to published data from other MSW handling facilities, and includes both basic hydrocarbons and some EPA-designated Hazardous Air Pollutants. Thirty-two different volatile organic compounds were detected. Ethanol was found to be the most prevalent compound, almost two orders of magnitude greater in concentration than other chemicals. Additional compounds identified in the gas samples include (in order of abundance) methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, sec-butanol, isopentane, acetaldehyde, butane, isopropyl alcohol, limonene, and 1-propanol. A case-specific atmospheric dispersion of the gases was modeled to predict off-site concentrations much smaller than levels known to cause adverse health effects. Based on odor characteristics of the gas, generically extrapolating the study to other settings suggests that short-term odorous conditions due to MSW management facilities (waste-to-energy facilities, transfer stations, etc.) do not typically correspond to significant long-term health risks.
Waste-to-Energy Conversion by Stepwise Liquefaction, Pyrolysis and “Clean Combustion” of Waste Plastics
Authors: Anaraki Saber Talebi , Davies Andrew , Zhuo Chuanwei , Levendis Yiannis A.
Published: July 2013

As petroleum resources are finite, it is imperative to use them wisely in energy conversion applications. Plastics, a petroleum-based product, are widely used in manufacturing disposable products and have created a solid waste issue. Due to their abundant supply, and given their high energy content, their use for power generation is of technological interest. However, whereas waste plastics have found limited use in incineration, such a conventional direct combustion technique is ill-controlled and produces considerable amounts of health-hazardous airborne compounds. Thus, an alternative technology is proposed herein to further address our increasing energy needs and, at the same time, utilize our waste plastics streams in an environmentally-benign manner. More specifically, a multi-step process/device is proposed to accept post-consumer plastics, of various types and shapes, and generate an easily-identifiable form of energy as a final product. To achieve low emissions of products of incomplete combustion, the plastics are liquefied, pyrolyzed, mixed with air, ignited and, finally, burned forming pre-mixed low-emission flames. Combustion is thus indirect, since the solid polymer is not directly burned, instead its gaseous pyrolyzates are burned upon mixing with air. Thereby, combustion is well-controlled and can be complete. A demonstration device has been constructed to convert the internal energy of plastics into clean thermal energy and, eventually to electricity.
An Introduction to the Cascading Water Management System for Sustainable Water Conservation at Waste-to-Energy Facilities
Authors: McLarty Rebecca , Going Valerie , Schauer Raymond
Published: July 2013

Currently, there are 86 communities in the U.S. which employ waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities as a means of high quality solid waste disposal. The WTE process beneficially produces electricity while reducing the volume of landfill waste by up to 90 percent, thereby extending the remaining life of a community’s landfill more than ten-fold. However, the traditional WTE process requires a significant volume of water. This interdependency is often referred to as the “water-energy nexus.”

An innovative approach was needed to optimize water conservation for a new 3,000-ton-per-day (TPD) mass burn WTE facility in Palm Beach County (PBREF2). With this in mind, a cascading water management system (CWMS) was developed that uses alternative water supply sources and a cascading hierarchy of water systems that maximize reuse to meet the new facility’s water needs. The selection of an air-cooled condenser to be used for cooling purposes, instead of the wet cooling systems traditionally in place at these facilities will also significantly reduce the amount of water needed in the overall process.

The WTE facility will be constructed adjacent to an existing 2,000-TPD refuse-derived fuel facility (PBREF1), allowing beneficial reuse of some of the cooling tower blowdown from the RDF facility as a source of supply water in the new facility. The reuse of this process wastewater will conserve clean water sources that otherwise would have to be used as a source of makeup to the new facility, as well as reduce the amount of wastewater disposed through deep-well injection from the RDF facility. Harvested rainwater and industrial supply well water will also be used as alternative sources of supply to the new facility.

The innovative CWMS will maximize reuse and reduce the amount of makeup water needed to the system. As water conservation continues to be of high concern in all areas of the globe, this concept can be applied to other WTE and industrial facilities. This paper will provide an overview of the innovative CWMS that has been designed for the PBREF2 facility.
Rapid Growth of WTE in China: Current Performance and Impediments to Future Growth
Authors: Qiu Ling , Dong Yani , Themelis Nickolas J.
Published: July 2013

China has the largest population (1.33 billion) on Earth and a 2010 GDP of $5.4 trillion. This nation has experienced rapid economic growth in the last decade that has been accompanied by the generation of an enormous amount of municipal solid wastes. From 2000 to 2009, the reported MSW increased by 33% to 157 million tons. This paper presents the current situation in MSW generation, characterization, and means of disposal, based on the results of studies by WTERT (www.wtert.org) in China. The landfills serving the large cities of China are reaching or have already reached full capacity and there is strong government support for the waste to energy (WTE) alternative, resulting in over 90 WTE plants built or under construction. The thermal treatment technologies are based mostly on imported or domestic grate combustion technologies and on fluid bed combustion of shredded wastes. Of particular interest to the WTERT studies have been the Air Pollution Control systems used in Chinese plants and their performance, in particular the dioxin and furan levels attained, in view of continuing public opposition to WTE in Beijing and some other cities. The cities of Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing were visited to examine any obstacles to further expansion of the WTE industry in China. There are extreme differences in the composition of MSW as well as waste management from region to region. It is believed that one of the reasons for public opposition to WTE projects is inadequate transparency as to the emissions of WTE plants. Also, it appears that some WTE facilities tend to cut down costs at the expense of adequate emission control. The paper concludes with discussion of the economics of Chinese WTE plants built in the last six years.
Spectroscopic ellipsometry—A perspective
Authors: Aspnes D. E.
Published: July 2013

Since its initial development in the early 1970s, spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) has become the primary technique for determining optical properties of materials. In addition to the other historic role of ellipsometry, determining film thicknesses, SE is now widely used to obtain intrinsic and structural properties of homogeneous and inhomogeneous materials in bulk and thin-film form, including properties of surfaces and interfaces. Its nondestructive capability for determining critical dimensions has made SE indispensible in integrated-circuits technology. The present work is aimed at those who are unfamiliar with SE but may feel that it could provide useful information in specific situations. Accordingly, the author gives some background and basic theory, and then illustrates capabilities with various applications. Coverage of the topic is necessarily limited, but references to more complete treatments are provided.
Resonant coupling for contactless measurement of carrier lifetime
Authors: Ahrenkiel Richard K.
Published: July 2013

Contactless measurements of the recombination lifetime have become the standard in photovoltaic and electronic materials research, as well as in the associated industries. Fast evaluation is a critical need as well as the need to keep the material under test from becoming contaminated by the measurement apparatus. A technique was developed for measuring the transport properties and recombination kinetics of semiconductors and photoconductors [R. K. Ahrenkiel and S. W. Johnston, Mater. Sci. Eng., B 102, 161172 (2003)]. The primary application of this technique is the measurement of carrier lifetime but carrier mobility can also be linked to the data. The author has named the technique resonance-coupled photoconductive decay and it was developed [R. Ahrenkiel, U.S. patent 5,929,652 (27 July 1999); R. Ahrenkiel and S. Johnston, U.S. patent 6,275,060 (14 August 2001); S. Johnston and R. Ahrenkiel, U.S. patent 6,369,603 (9 April 2002)] at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The technique provides the rapid measurement of recombination lifetimes that are of vital importance to electronic and photovoltaic materials. These measurements are also of value to a wide range of optoelectronic technologies. The operating frequencies of the measurements here are in the range of 420 to 430 MHz. The detection is based on the coupling of a high-Q resonant antenna to the sample. The operating frequency is chosen to be in the range of the resonant frequency so that the real and imaginary parts of the system impedance, Z, are changing rapidly. Here, these changes in Z about the resonance produce high sensitivity to changes in carrier concentration produced by photoexcitation.
Applications of Acceptorless Dehydrogenation and Related Transformations in Chemical Synthesis
Authors: Gunanathan Chidambaram , Milstein David
Published: July 2013

Background

Acceptorless dehydrogenation (AD) reactions can result not only in simple removal of hydrogen gas from various substrates but also, importantly, in surprisingly efficient and environmentally benign (“green”) synthetic methodologies when intermediates resulting from the initial dehydrogenation process undergo further reactions.

Advances

Traditionally, dehydrogenation/oxidation reactions of organic compounds have been performed using stoichiometric amounts of inorganic oxidants, in addition to employing various additives, cocatalysts, and catalytic systems that result in generation of copious stoichiometric, often toxic, waste. Catalytic transfer hydrogenation methods, in which stoichiometric amounts of sacrificial organic acceptor compounds are used, also generate stoichiometric amounts of organic waste. Recent developments in catalysis by metal complexes have resulted in acceptorless dehydrogenation reactions that release hydrogen gas and in related reactions in which dehydrogenation is followed by in situ consumption of the generated hydrogen equivalents and no net hydrogen gas is liberated. These reactions circumvent the need for conventional oxidants or sacrificial acceptors and provide an assortment of applications in organic synthesis, including several methods based on further reactivity of the dehydrogenated intermediate compounds. Moreover, the evolved hydrogen gas is valuable in itself.

Outlook

Further development of new ADs for green, efficient chemical synthesis is expected to be greatly influenced by fundamental organometallic chemistry as a basis for catalyst design. Such processes are highly desirable and are expected to gradually displace elaborate conventional laboratory and industrial synthetic methods. They may also provide opportunities for hydrogen storage cycles, because the dehydrogenation reactions can be reversed under hydrogen pressure using the same catalyst. In general, AD and related dehydrogenative coupling reactions have the potential for redirecting synthetic strategies to the use of sustainable resources, devoid of toxic reagents and deleterious side reactions, with no waste generation.
Loss of Function of the Melanocortin 2 Receptor Accessory Protein 2 Is Associated with Mammalian Obesity
Authors: Asai Masato , Ramachandrappa Shwetha , Joachim Maria , Shen Yuan , Zhang Rong , Nuthalapati Nikhil , Ramanathan Visali , Strochlic David E. , Ferket Peter , Linhart Kirsten , Ho Caroline , Novoselova Tatiana V. , Garg Sumedha , Ridderstråle Martin , Marcus Claude , Hirschhorn Joel N. , Keogh Julia M. , O’Rahilly Stephen , Chan Li F. , Clark Adrian J. , Farooqi I. Sadaf , Majzoub Joseph A.
Published: July 2013

Accessory to Obesity?

Melanocortin receptors are a family of cell membrane receptors that control diverse physiological functions. Mutations in the gene encoding melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) are a cause of familial early-onset obesity.

Asai
et al.

(p.
275
) studied the function of an accessory protein for MC4R signaling, MRAP2, and found that mice genetically deficient in MRAP2 develop severe obesity. Sequencing of
MRAP2
in unrelated, severely obese humans revealed one individual with a clearly disruptive genetic variant, suggesting that
MRAP2
mutations might also be a rare cause of human obesity. In a zebrafish model,

Sebag
et al.

(p.
278
) studied two paralogs of the MRAP2 accessory protein, one of which enhanced MC4R responsiveness to α–melanocyte-stimulating hormone, which regulates feeding and growth.
Lethal Aggression in Mobile Forager Bands and Implications for the Origins of War
Authors: Fry Douglas P. , Söderberg Patrik
Published: July 2013

Ancient Warriors or Murderers?

Some have suggested that the human predilection for war is ancient, perhaps dating back to the emergence of our species, while others maintain that evidence for such early warring is scant. Past studies that looked at nomadic foraging bands as models of early humans and their potential for conflict concluded that war is in our blood.Fry and Söderberg(p.270), however, reexamined the standard cross-cultural sample, the main repository for behavioral data on forage bands, and found little evidence for large-scale conflicts or wars. Instead, the majority of incidences of lethal aggression in these societies were homicides driven by a variety of factors relevant at the individual or family scale.
Enhancing Pluripotency and Lineage Specification
Authors: Xie Wei , Ren Bing
Published: July 2013

The identification of large numbers of human embryonic stem cell enhancers provides a useful tool to study cell fate and disease.
Comment on “Can We Name Earth’s Species Before They Go Extinct?”
Authors: Mora Camilo , Rollo Audrey , Tittensor Derek P.
Published: July 2013

Costello
et al
. (Review, 25 January 2013, p. 413) challenged the common view that many species are disappearing before being described. We suggest that their conclusion is overly optimistic because of a limited selection and interpretation of available evidence that tends to overestimate rates of species description and underestimate the number of species on Earth and their current extinction rate.
Multiscale Design and Integration of Sustainable Building Functions
Authors: Gutierrez Maria Paz , Lee Luke P.
Published: July 2013

Designing systems from nano- to macroscale can optimize the synergistic integration of sustainable energy and waste treatment in buildings.
Isotope Ratios of H, C, and O in CO
2
and H
2
O of the Martian Atmosphere
Authors: Webster Chris R. , Mahaffy Paul R. , Flesch Gregory J. , Niles Paul B. , Jones John H. , Leshin Laurie A. , Atreya Sushil K. , Stern Jennifer C. , Christensen Lance E. , Owen Tobias , Franz Heather , Pepin Robert O. , Steele Andrew ,   the MSL Science Team
Published: July 2013

Mars' Atmosphere from Curiosity

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover that landed on Mars in August last year is designed to study the chemical and isotopic composition of the martian atmosphere.

Mahaffy
et al.

(p.
263
) present volume-mixing ratios of Mars' five major atmospheric constituents (CO
2
, Ar, N
2
, O
2
, and CO) and isotope measurements of
40
Ar/
36
Ar and C and O in CO
2
, based on data from one of SAM's instruments, obtained between 31 August and 21 November 2012.

Webster
et al.

(p.
260
) used data from another of SAM's instruments obtained around the same period to determine isotope ratios of H, C, and O in atmospheric CO
2
and H
2
O. Agreement between the isotopic ratios measured by SAM with those of martian meteorites, measured in laboratories on Earth, confirms the origin of these meteorites and implies that the current atmospheric reservoirs of CO
2
and H
2
O were largely established after the period of early atmospheric loss some 4 billion years ago.
Pandoraviruses: Amoeba Viruses with Genomes Up to 2.5 Mb Reaching That of Parasitic Eukaryotes
Authors: Philippe Nadège , Legendre Matthieu , Doutre Gabriel , Couté Yohann , Poirot Olivier , Lescot Magali , Arslan Defne , Seltzer Virginie , Bertaux Lionel , Bruley Christophe , Garin Jérome , Claverie Jean-Michel , Abergel Chantal
Published: July 2013

Zeus' Revenge

Sediment-dwelling amoebae appear to have an unhappy affinity for huge viruses. Giant icosahedral Mimiviruses with genomes of the order of 1 megabase (Mb) were first identified in Acanthamoeba. Digging into antipodean sediments has once again been fruitful where

Philippe
et al.

(p.
281
; see the cover) discovered some enormous viruses in Acanthamoeba, visible by light microscopy and having genomes up to 2.5 Mb. The Pandoraviruses are phagocytosed by target cells and, after fusing with the phagosome membrane, their contents are released into the cytoplasm where they wreak terrible havoc on its nucleus. These viruses are encased into a tegument-like envelope and lack genes for capsid proteins, and there are no genes for protein translation, adenosine triphosphate generation, or binary fission—confirming their classification as viruses.
Spain's Research Council Approaches Bankruptcy
Authors: Pain Elisabeth
Published: July 2013

Spain's flagship research agency, the Spanish National Research Council, is in deep trouble.
Long-Term Protective Immunity from an Influenza Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Administered with a Microneedle Patch
Authors: Quan Fu-Shi , Kim Yeu-Chun , Song Jae-Min , Hwang Hye Suk , Compans Richard W. , Prausnitz Mark R. , Kang Sang-Moo
Published: July 2013

Skin vaccination with influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) using microneedles has been shown to induce protection similar to or better than that induced by intramuscular immunization. In this study, we examined the long-term protective efficacy of influenza (H1N1 A/PR/8/34) VLPs after skin vaccination using microneedle patches coated with the vaccine. Microneedle vaccination of mice in the skin induced 100% protection against lethal challenge infection with influenza A/PR/8/34 virus 14 months after a single vaccine dose. Influenza virus-specific total IgG response and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers were maintained at high levels for over 1 year after microneedle vaccination. Microneedle vaccination also induced substantial levels of lung IgG and IgA antibody responses, and antibody-secreting plasma cells from spleen and bone marrow, as well as conferring effective control of lung viral loads, resulting in complete protection 14 months after vaccination. These strong and long-lasting immune responses were enabled in part by stabilization of the vaccine by formulation with trehalose during microneedle patch fabrication. Administration of the stabilized vaccine using microneedles was especially effective at enabling strong recall responses measured 4 days after lethal virus challenge, including increased HAI and antibody-secreting cells in the spleen and reduced viral titer and inflammatory response in the lung. The results in this study indicate that skin vaccination with VLP vaccine using a microneedle patch provides long-term protection against influenza in mice.
Description of an Unusual Neisseria meningitidis Isolate Containing and Expressing Neisseria gonorrhoeae-Specific 16S rRNA Gene Sequences
Authors: Walcher Marion , Skvoretz Rhonda , Montgomery-Fullerton Megan , Jonas Vivian , Brentano Steve
Published: July 2013

An apparently rare
Neisseria meningitidis
isolate containing one copy of a
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
16S rRNA gene is described herein. This isolate was identified as
N. meningitidis
by biochemical identification methods but generated a positive signal with Gen-Probe Aptima assays for the detection of
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
. Direct 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the purified isolate revealed mixed bases in signature regions that allow for discrimination between
N. meningitidis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
. The mixed bases were resolved by sequencing individually PCR-amplified single copies of the genomic 16S rRNA gene. A total of 121 discrete sequences were obtained; 92 (76%) were
N. meningitidis
sequences, and 29 (24%) were
N. gonorrhoeae
sequences. Based on the ratio of species-specific sequences, the
N. meningitidis
strain seems to have replaced one of its four intrinsic 16S rRNA genes with the gonococcal gene. Fluorescence
in situ
hybridization (FISH) probes specific for meningococcal and gonococcal rRNA were used to demonstrate the expression of the rRNA genes. Interestingly, the clinical isolate described here expresses both
N. meningitidis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
16S rRNA genes, as shown by positive FISH signals with both probes. This explains why the probes for
N. gonorrhoeae
in the Gen-Probe Aptima assays cross-react with this
N. meningitidis
isolate. The
N. meningitidis
isolate described must have obtained
N. gonorrhoeae
-specific DNA through interspecies recombination.
Invasive Fungal Infection Due to Triadelphia pulvinata in a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Edathodu Jameela , Al-Abdely Hail M. , AlThawadi Sahar , Wickes Brian L. , Thompson Elizabeth H. , Wiederhold Nathan P. , Madrid Hugo , Guarro Josep , Sutton Deanna A.
Published: July 2013

Triadelphia pulvinata
is a rare dematiaceous fungus found in soil. We report the first case of invasive disease in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia who had a bloodstream infection with possibly both lung and brain involvement. Identification was by combined phenotypic features and fungal ribosomal DNA sequence analysis.