bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heating and Cooling Feasibility of Absorption Heat Pumps Driven by Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors: An Energy and Economic Analysis
Authors: Noro Marco
Published: May 2022

Thermal compression-driven heat pump plants usually use solar collectors only providing direct heating when possible and low-temperature (but higher than outside air) cold sources for the heat pump evaporator otherwise. At the same time, solar collectors drive absorption chillers only during summer. In this paper, the possibility of employing evacuated tube collectors to drive an absorption heat pump that operates in summer as a chiller was evaluated from both energy and economic points of view. The ground and solar energy at low temperature were used as cold sources. The ground can be recharged by the cooling of the absorber/condenser in the summer and by solar energy during the mid-seasons. The yearly operation analysis in two different climates here proposed also considered also the utilization of suitable storage capabilities varying the size of the ground probes, solar field, and Generator Tank. A primary energy ratio of 4.75 in a cold and cloudy climate and of 5.9 in a warmer and clearer sky climate was obtained in the best plant configuration. An economic analysis on the actual investment costs was presented. The final evaluation considered a cost reduction on the basis of recent price lists available on the Asian market.
Musical Heritage as a Means of Sustainable Development: Perceptions in Students Studying for a Degree in Primary Education
Authors: Martínez-Rodríguez Marta , Hernández-de la Cruz José Manuel , Aso Borja , Ciriza Carlos D.
Published: May 2022

Education is an essential vehicle for valuing cultural legacy, and musical heritage is a part of that cultural legacy that we must protect as it is one of the main areas of intangible cultural heritage, a reflection of cultural diversity, and a conveyor of meaning, and social, cultural, and economic values contributing to sustainable development. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to evaluate the perception students studying for the Degree in Primary Education at the University of Zaragoza and the Autonomous University of Madrid have of the value, significance, and importance of the sustainability of musical cultural heritage. This non-experimental and descriptive research is based on the statistical descriptive method, with a sample of n = 202 preservice teachers. A questionnaire consisting of fifteen items was designed and validated as a data collection instrument. The data analysis shows differences in the analyzed categories and points to the need to take action to solve them. It also reveals the importance students attach to musical cultural heritage, to including it in the curricula of the various educational stages, and to the need to protect it as an essential requirement for sustainable development.
Digitisation of Existing Water Facilities: A Framework for Realising the Value of Scan-to-BIM
Authors: Suprun Emiliya , Mostafa Sherif , Stewart Rodney A. , Villamor Harold , Sturm Katrin , Mijares Alex
Published: May 2022

Building information modelling (BIM) has been implemented in many utility-based organisations worldwide, and it has proved to provide substantial cost- and time-saving benefits and improved performance and asset management especially during the operations and maintenance (O&M) phase. BIM adoption and implementation success rely on the accurate asset information stored in BIM models, mainly for existing assets. However, the asset information stored in asset management systems is often inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, duplicated or missing. Capturing the accurate as-is conditions of existing buildings has become feasible with the recent advancement of point cloud from 3D laser-scanning, resulting in a shift from ‘as-designed’ BIM to ‘as-constructed’ BIM. The potential benefits of using as-constructed BIM models for facility operations are compelling. This paper identifies the cost and benefit elements of the scan-to-BIM process as part of a case study research project at a water treatment plant (WTP) in South East Queensland, Australia. The paper develops association mapping between the cost and benefit elements for relevant stakeholders and identifies the critical asset information for effectively managing the WTP case selected. Furthermore, the paper investigates the impact of various levels of detail (LOD) and levels of information (LOI) on BIM applications depending on the project and asset requirements. Finally, this paper presents a framework that water asset owners and stakeholders can utilise to obtain value from investing in scan-to-BIM for existing facilities.
Green Construction Grade Evaluation of Large Channels Based on Uncertain AHP-Multidimensional Cloud Model
Authors: Ma Qiang , Lu Linfang , Li Qingfu , Wang Zhipeng
Published: May 2022

(1) Background. With the increasing national investment in infrastructure in recent years, water conservancy construction has been developed rapidly, which has greatly improved people’s living standards, but at the same time, the damage to the environment and the waste of resources caused by construction is becoming more and more obvious. In the prospect of sustainable development, the application of a complete set of green construction evaluation system is imminent. (2) Methods. This paper takes the green construction of large channels as the research object, takes the Green Building Evaluation Standard (GB/T 50378-2019) as the guideline, takes the control items of “safety and durability, health and comfort, resource saving, environmental livability, improvement and innovation” in the Standard as the construction reference system, and combines the construction characteristics of water conservancy projects. It determines the evaluation index and carries out green construction grade evaluation by uncertain AHP (hierarchical analysis)-multidimensional cloud model. (3) Results. The green construction grade evaluation of large channels was carried out with the example, and the final green construction grade evaluation result of “three stars” was obtained. (4) Conclusions. The evaluation results are consistent with the traditional AHP (hierarchical analysis)-cloud model, but the evaluation model proposed in this paper takes into account the fuzziness, randomness and correlation among the evaluation factors, which is more in line with the actual situation. It plays a guiding role for the green construction of large channels.
Assessing Land Use Efficiencies and Land Quality Impacts of Renewable Transportation Energy Systems for Passenger Cars Using the LANCA® Method
Authors: Uusitalo Ville , Horn Rafael , Maier Stephanie D.
Published: May 2022

Targets to reduce global warming impacts of the transportation sector may lead to increased land use and negative land quality changes. The aim of this paper is to implement the Land Use Indicator Calculation in Life Cycle Assessment (LANCA®) model to assess land quality impacts and land use efficiencies (concerning occupation and transformation) of different example renewable transport energy systems for passenger cars. In addition, the land use impacts are normalized according to the Soil Quality Index building on LANCA® and included in the environmental footprint. The assessment is based on information from GaBi life cycle assessment software databases and on literature. Functional unit of the model is to provide annual drive of 18,600 km for a passenger car in the EU. The analysis includes examples of biomass, electricity, electricity to fuels and fossil-based energy systems. Our findings confirm previous research that biomass-based transport energy systems have risks to lead to significantly higher land occupation and transformation impacts than do fossil oil or electricity-based ones. According to the LANCA® model, methane from Finnish wood and German corn has the highest impacts on filtration and the physicochemical filtration reduction potential. Sugarcane ethanol and palm oil diesel systems, on the other hand, lead to the highest erosion potential. Electricity-based transportation energy systems appear to be superior to biomass-based ones from the perspectives of land occupation, land transformation, and soil quality impacts for the selected examples. Land quality impacts should be taken into account when developing and expanding renewable transportation energy systems. The paper shows that the LANCA® method is applicable for the assessment of transport systems in order to provide extended information on environmental sustainability, which should be included more often in future analysis. However, it can be challenging to interpret underlaying assumptions, especially when aggregated information is used from databases.
In-Stream Marine Litter Collection Device Location Determination Using Bayesian Network
Authors: Battawi Abdullah , Mallon Ellie , Vedral Anthony , Sparks Eric , Ma Junfeng , Marufuzzaman Mohammad
Published: May 2022

Increased generation of waste, production of plastics, and poor environmental stewardship has led to an increase in floating litter. Significant efforts have been dedicated to mitigating this globally relevant issue. Depending on the location of floating litter, removal methods would vary, but usually include manual cleanups by volunteers or workers, use of heavy machinery to rake or sweep litter off beaches or roads, or passive litter collection traps. In the open ocean or streams, a common passive technique is to use booms and a collection receptacle to trap floating litter. These passive traps are usually installed to intercept floating litter; however, identifying the appropriate locations for installing these collection devices is still not fully investigated. We utilized four common criteria and fifteen sub-criteria to determine the most appropriate setup location for an in-stream collection device (Litter Gitter—Osprey Initiative, LLC, Mobile, AL, USA). Bayesian Network technology was applied to analyze these criteria comprehensively. A case study composed of multiple sites across the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coast was used to validate the proposed approach, and propagation and sensitivity analyses were used to evaluate performance. The results show that the fifteen summarized criteria combined with the Bayesian Network approach could aid location selection and have practical potential for in-stream litter collection devices in coastal areas.
Reservoir Operation Sequence- and Equity Principle-Based Multi-Objective Ecological Operation of Reservoir Group: A Case Study in a Basin of Northeast China
Authors: Wu Xu , Shen Xiaojing , Wei Chuanjiang , Xie Xinmin , Li Jianshe
Published: May 2022

The sequence of reservoir operations has a profound influence on the regulation and storage capacity of reservoir groups to effectively utilise the natural water inflow and external water transfer in the basin, especially for reservoir groups with water supply tasks. This study establishes the reservoir operation sequence (ROS) of four reservoir group modes, aiming at national economic and ecological water consumption, constructs a model of ROS-based multi-objective ecological operation of the reservoir group, and uses the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) method to optimise the solution. Analysing the results of the three schemes in two scenarios at the Yinma River Basin (YRB) indicates that after the Central Jilin Water Supply Project is put into operation, not only will the production and living water be effectively improved, but also the ecological water in the basin. Then, we compared the optimisation results of different water supply sequences in series and parallel reservoirs, which illustrates that the ROS of the four modes formulated in this research is the optimal water supply sequence.
The Interface between the Brand of Higher Education and the Influencing Factors
Authors: Brzaković Aleksandar , Brzaković Tomislav , Karabašević Darjan , Popović Gabrijela , Činčikaitė Renata
Published: May 2022

The world is changing faster than ever before. Continuous changes are also affecting the higher education sector. The number of programs on offer is growing, attraction strategies are changing, and the branding and positioning of higher education institutions are gaining significance. The growing influence of social networks on personal choice cannot be ignored. Of the world’s population, 57% uses social networks and spends an average of 2.5 h a day on them. The most popular social network, Facebook, has up to 2.9 billion active users every month. Therefore, the questions arise as to which factors influence one or another consumer choice, how social networks contribute to brand awareness, and what impact brand has on the higher education sector. After systematic and comparative analysis of concepts published in the scientific literature, the analysis of brand, brand promotion concepts, and factors that increase brand awareness is performed. This study seeks to determine whether and to what extent individual factors influencing student motivation and social networking influence the distinctiveness of a higher education institution brand and how factors influencing student motivation and social networking affect the distinctiveness of higher education institutions’ brands in general. The results of this study can help higher education institutions to develop their own plans, strategies, and good practices. Research methods: systematic and comparative analysis of concepts and methods published in the scientific literature, mathematical and statistical methods, statistical processing, and expert survey.
Surfactants for Electrophoretic Deposition of Polyvinylidene Fluoride–Silica Composites
Authors: Wang Zhengzheng , Zhitomirsky Igor
Published: May 2022

This investigation is motivated by the numerous advantages of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) for the fabrication of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and composite coatings and the various applications of such coatings. It is demonstrated that gallic acid (GA), caffeic acid (CFA), cholic acid (CA) and 2,3,4 trihydroxybenzoic acid (THB) can be used as charging and dispersing agents for the EPD of PVDF. The deposition yield of PVDF increases in the following order: THB < CFA < CA < GA. Test results indicate that the chemical structure of the dispersants exerts influence on the deposition efficiency. Potentiodynamic and impedance spectroscopy studies show the corrosion protection properties of PVDF coatings. GA is used for the co-EPD of PVDF with nanosilica and micron-size silica. The silica content in the composite coatings is varied by the variation of silica content in the suspensions. The ability to use GA as a charging and dispersing agent for the co-EPD of materials of different types paves the way for the fabrication of advanced organic–inorganic composites using EPD.
Measuring Road Transport Sustainability Using MCDM-Based Entropy Objective Weighting Method
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Le Tran Quynh , Chang Kuei-Hu , Dang Thanh-Tuan
Published: May 2022

Road haulage solutions are incredibly adaptable, having the capacity to link domestically and internationally. Road transportation offers a greener, more efficient, and safer future through sophisticated technology. Symmetry and asymmetry exist widely in industrial applications, and logistics and supply chains are no exception. The multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model is considered as a complexity tool to balance the symmetry between goals and conflicting criteria. This study can assist stakeholders in understanding the current state of transportation networks and planning future sustainability measures through the MCDM approach. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate and compare the sustainable development of existing road transportation systems to determine whether any of them can be effectively developed in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The integrated entropy–CoCoSo approach for evaluating the sustainability of road transportation systems is introduced, and the framework process is proposed. The entropy method defines the weight of the decision criteria based on the real data. The advantage of the entropy method is that it reduces the subjective impact of decision-makers and increases objectivity. The CoCoSo method is applied for ranking the road transportation sustainability performance of OECD countries. Our findings revealed the top three countries’ sustainability performance: Japan, Germany, and France. These are countries with developed infrastructure and transportation services. Iceland, the United States, and Latvia were in the last rank among countries. This approach helps governments, decision-makers, or policyholders review current operation, benchmark the performance of other countries and devise new strategies for road transportation development to achieves better results.
Quasi-Synchronization and Quasi-Uniform Synchronization of Caputo Fractional Variable-Parameter Neural Networks with Probabilistic Time-Varying Delays
Authors: Ye Renyu , Wang Chen , Shu Axiu , Zhang Hai
Published: May 2022

Owing to the symmetry between drive–response systems, the discussions of synchronization performance are greatly significant while exploring the dynamics of neural network systems. This paper investigates the quasi-synchronization (QS) and quasi-uniform synchronization (QUS) issues between the drive–response systems on fractional-order variable-parameter neural networks (VPNNs) including probabilistic time-varying delays. The effects of system parameters, probability distributions and the order on QS and QUS are considered. By applying the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional approach, Hölder’s inequality and Jensen’s inequality, the synchronization criteria of fractional-order VPNNs under controller designs with constant gain coefficients and time-varying gain coefficients are derived. The obtained criteria are related to the probability distributions and the order of the Caputo derivative, which can greatly avoid the situation in which the upper bound of an interval with time delay is too large yet the probability of occurrence is very small, and information such as the size of time delay and probability of occurrence is fully considered. Finally, two examples are presented to further confirm the effectiveness of the algebraic criteria under different probability distributions.
Algebraic Analysis of Zero-Hopf Bifurcation in a Chua System
Authors: Huang Bo , Niu Wei , Xie Shaofen
Published: May 2022

This article first studies the stability conditions of a Chua system depending on six parameters. After, using the averaging method, as well as the methods of the Gröbner basis and real solution classification, we provide sufficient conditions for the existence of three limit cycles bifurcating from a zero-Hopf equilibrium of the Chua system. As we know, this last phenomena is first found. Some examples are presented to verify the established results.
Topological Study of 6.82 D Carbon Allotrope Structure
Authors: Gnanaraj Leena Rosalind Mary , Ganesan Deepa
Published: May 2022

Carbonallotropes are widely available and can be found in the atmosphere, the earth’s crust, and in living creatures in myriad forms. Allotropes are also used in several fields, including for medicinal and biological applications, due to their intriguing properties such as low resistance, high electron mobility, abnormal quantum hall effect, unconventional superconductivity in graphene, and so on. The theoretical analysis of carbon allotropes can hence be quite useful as it leads to a better understanding of the nature and behavior of these ubiquitous materials and also opens the door for even better applications. The objective of this research is to theoretically analyze the 6.82 carbon allotrope by using four kinds of vertex degree based (VDB) topological indices (Tis), namely VDB multiplicative topological indices, VDB indices using M-Polynomial, VDB entropy measures, and irregularity indices. This analysis will extend the current body of knowledge available for this allotrope and help future researchers in the synthesis of new allotropes.
Loop Order Analysis of Weft-Knitted Textiles
Authors: Kapllani Levi , Amanatides Chelsea , Dion Genevieve , Breen David E.
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we describe algorithms that perform loop order analysis of weft-knitted textiles, which build upon the foundational TopoKnit topological data structure and associated query functions. During knitting, loops of yarn may be overlayed on top of each other and then stitched together with another piece of yarn. Loop order analysis aims to determine the front-to-back ordering of these overlapping loops, given a stitch pattern that defines the knitted fabric. Loop order information is crucial for the simulation of electrical current, water, force, and heat flow within functional fabrics. The new algorithms are based on the assumption that stitch instructions are executed row-by-row and for each row the instructions can be executed in any temporal order. To make our algorithms knitting-machine-independent, loop order analysis utilizes precedence rules that capture the order that stitch commands are executed when a row of yarn loops are being knitted by a two-bed flat weft knitting machine. Basing the algorithms on precedence rules allows them to be modified to adapt to the analysis of fabrics manufactured on a variety of knitting machines that may execute stitch commands in different temporal orders. Additionally, we have developed visualization methods for displaying the loop order information within the context of a TopoKnit yarn topology graph.
Simultaneous Determination of Aflatoxins and Benzo(a)pyrene in Vegetable Oils Using Humic Acid-Bonded Silica SPE HPLC–PHRED–FLD
Authors: Yuan Di , Zhang Liangxiao , Ma Fei , Li Peiwu
Published: May 2022

In the present work, a rapid, accurate, and cost-effective method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of aflatoxins and benzo(a)pyrene in lipid matrices, using solid-phase extraction (SPE) via humic acid-bonded silica (HAS) sorbents, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photochemical post-column reactor fluorescence spectroscopy (HPLC–PHRED–FLD) analysis. The major parameters of extraction efficiency and HPLC–PHRED–FLD analysis were investigated and this method was fully validated. The limits of quantification and the limits of detection were 0.05–0.30 and 0.01–0.09 µg kg−1, respectively. The recoveries were 66.9%–118.4% with intra-day and inter-day precision less than 7.2%. The results of 80 oil samples from supermarkets indicated a high occurrence of BaP, and most of concentrations were within the requirements of EU and China food safety regulations. This is the first utilization of HAS–SPE HPLC–PHRED–FLD to simultaneously analyze the occurrence of aflatoxins and benzo(a)pyrene in vegetable oils.
Occurrence, Serotypes and Virulence Characteristics of Shiga-Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Goats on Communal Rangeland in South Africa
Authors: Malahlela Mogaugedi N. , Cenci-Goga Beniamino T. , Marufu Munyaradzi C. , Fonkui Thierry Y. , Grispoldi Luca , Etter Eric , Kalake Alan , Karama Musafiri
Published: May 2022

Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli is a foodborne pathogen commonly associated with human disease characterized by mild or bloody diarrhea hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. This study investigated the occurrence of STEC in fecal samples of 289 goats in South Africa using microbiological culture and PCR. Furthermore, 628 goat STEC isolates were characterized by serotype (O:H) and major virulence factors by PCR. STEC was found in 80.2% (232/289) of goat fecal samples. Serotyping of 628 STEC isolates revealed 63 distinct serotypes including four of the major top seven STEC serogroups which were detected in 12.1% (35/289) of goats: O157:H7, 2.7% (8/289); O157:H8, 0.3%, (1/289); O157:H29, 0.3% (1/289); O103:H8, 7.6% (22/289); O103:H56, 0.3% (1/289); O26:H2, 0.3% (1/289); O111:H8, 0.3% (1/289) and 59 non-O157 STEC serotypes. Twenty-four of the sixty-three serotypes were previously associated with human disease. Virulence genes were distributed as follows: stx1, 60.6% (381/628); stx2, 72.7% (457/628); eaeA, 22.1% (139/628) and hlyA, 78.0% (490/628). Both stx1 and stx2 were found in 33.4% (210/628) of isolates. In conclusion, goats in South Africa are a reservoir and potential source of diverse STEC serotypes that are potentially virulent for humans. Further molecular characterization will be needed to fully assess the virulence potential of goat STEC isolates and their capacity to cause disease in humans.
HIV UTR, LTR, and Epigenetic Immunity
Authors: Zhang Jielin , Crumpacker Clyde
Published: May 2022

The duel between humans and viruses is unending. In this review, we examine the HIV RNA in the form of un-translated terminal region (UTR), the viral DNA in the form of long terminal repeat (LTR), and the immunity of human DNA in a format of epigenetic regulation. We explore the ways in which the human immune responses to invading pathogenic viral nucleic acids can inhibit HIV infection, exemplified by a chromatin vaccine (cVaccine) to elicit the immunity of our genome—epigenetic immunity towards a cure.
Kyrieleis Arteriolitis Associated with Acute Retinal Necrosis Due to Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Secondary to Herpetic Encephalitis
Authors: Makri Olga E. , Tsekouras Iasonas K. , Leonidou Leonidia , Kagkelaris Konstantinos , Kozobolis Vassilios , Georgakopoulos Constantinos D.
Published: May 2022

We report the case of a 52-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with acute retinal necrosis in her left eye secondary to herpes simplex virus type 1 encephalitis for which she had been hospitalized four months before. Treatment with intravitreal foscarnet and intravenous acyclovir was promptly commenced followed by the addition of oral prednisolone. PCR analysis of aqueous humor detected HSV type 1 DNA. The condition responded to therapy with partial resolution of intraocular inflammation and improvement of visual acuity, but the presence of Kyrieleis plaques was observed two weeks after the initiation of treatment, when five intravitreal foscarnet injections had been administered. The patient was switched to oral therapy with valacyclovir, and 10 weeks after commencing treatment, the patient’s left eye was free of inflammation, having achieved a BCVA of 20/20. Oral steroid treatment was gradually tapered off, and the patient was instructed to remain on prophylactic antiviral therapy. Kyrieleis arteriolitis is an uncommon finding in the context of acute retinal necrosis. As far as we are aware, we report the first case of Kyrieleis arteriolitis in acute retinal necrosis secondary to viral encephalitis and the second one presenting Kyrieleis plaques in acute retinal necrosis caused by herpes simplex virus type 1. Prior reports of cases of Kyrieleis arteriolitis in acute retinal necrosis are also presented.
Microfacies and Reservoir Connectivity of Shore Sandbar, Southern Indus Basin, Pakistan
Authors: Dong Yuwen , Satti Iftikhar , Chen Xu
Published: May 2022

Shore sand bar reservoirs have attracted much attention as one of the target intervals with the greatest potential for petroleum exploration and development in marine sedimentary basins. Nevertheless, due to lack of effective research methods, it is difficult to analyze the rapid lateral change and heterogeneity in a sand bar reservoir, which has a major impact on the efficient petroleum development that seriously restricts the rolling evaluation and efficient development of sand-bar reservoirs. In this study, based on integrated analysis of cores, thin sections, logging, 3D seismic data, production test and dynamic data, through a combination analysis of drilling and seismic interpretation data—the petromineral composition, microfacies and reservoir connectivity of the shore sand bar in the southern Indus basin are investigated, which is used for the fine description of the sandbar reservoir. The results show that the shore sand bar is located in a relatively high-energy shore sedimentary environment, which is conducive to forming a favorable lithologic reservoir. Four sedimentary microfacies types are identified, including center bar, bar edge, inter bar and local mudstone interbeds. The sandbar microfacies are changed rapidly, and different microfacies types overlap each other, especially the inter bar and local mudstone interbeds that overlap and intersect in the center bar and bar edge, which significantly reduces the internal reservoir connectivity as well as intensifying the heterogeneity of the sandbar reservoir. The sandbar reservoir is not connected transversely, the physical properties are changing rapidly, and the sandbar reservoir is cut into several relatively independent oil reservoirs.
Possibilities and Challenges of Wastewater Reuse—Planning Aspects and Realized Examples
Authors: Bauer Sonja , Wagner Martin
Published: May 2022

Population growth and climate change has a huge impact on water availability. To ensure a secure water supply, water-reuse concepts and its implementation are gaining more and more importance. Additionally, water saving potentials to optimize the drinking and water reuse availability have to be considered. However, limited spatial planning opportunities and missing regulation to provide treated wastewater according to the “fit-for-purpose” principle are often hindering its application. Some countries, such as the USA or Singapore, have been leading the way for decades in implementing water-reuse concepts and in treating wastewater for potable and non-potable reuse. The wastewater treatment technologies are currently providing solutions for an adequate provision of reclaimed water. Consequently, the opportunities for water reuse are given, but the challenge is largely in the implementation, which becomes necessary in water-scarce regions. This perspective is thus presenting the current possibilities and challenges of wastewater reuse with respect to existing examples of implementations but also shows the need for action in the future. The relevance of this topic is also underlined in particular by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially Goal 6 which is related to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”.
Fe0-Supported Anaerobic Digestion for Organics and Nutrients Removal from Domestic Sewage
Authors: Bakari Omari , Njau Karoli , Noubactep Chicgoua
Published: May 2022

Results from different research suggest that metallic iron (Fe0) materials enhance anaerobic digestion (AD) systems to remove organics (chemical oxygen demand (COD)), phosphorus and nitrogen from polluted water. However, the available results are difficult to compare because they are derived from different experimental conditions. This research characterises the effects of Fe0 type and dosage in AD systems to simultaneously remove COD and nutrients (orthophosphate (PO43−), ammonium (NH4+), and nitrate (NO3−)) Lab-scale reactors containing domestic sewage (DS) were fed with various Fe0 dosages (0 to 30 g/L). Batch AD experiments were operated at 37 ± 0.5 °C for 76 days; the initial pH value was 7.5. Scrap iron (SI) and steel wool (SW) were used as Fe0 sources. Results show that: (i) SW performed better than SI on COD and PO43− removal (ii) optimum dosage for the organics and nutrients removal was 10 g/L SI (iii) (NO3− + NH4+) was the least removed pollutant (iv) maximum observed COD, PO43− and NO3− + NH4+ removal efficiencies were 88.0%, 98.0% and 40.0% for 10 g/L SI, 88.2%, 99.9%, 25.1% for 10 g/L SW, and 68.9%, 7.3% and 0.7% for the reference system. Fe0-supported AD significantly removed the organics and nutrients from DS.
Failure of the Downstream Shoulder of Rockfill Dams Due to Overtopping or Throughflow
Authors: Monteiro-Alves Ricardo , Toledo Miguel Á. , Moran Rafael , Balairón Luis
Published: May 2022

This paper presents the results of an extensive laboratory set of tests aimed to study the failure of the downstream shoulder of highly permeable rockfill subjected to overflow. The experimental research comprised testing 114 physical models by varying the following elements: (i) the median size of the uniform gravels (7 to 45 mm); (ii) the configuration of the dam, i.e., upstream and downstream shoulders and crest or just the downstream shoulder; (iii) the dam height (from 0.2 to 1 m), (iv) the crest length (from 0.4 to 2.5 m), (v) the downstream slope (from 1 to 3.5 H:V), (vi) the type of impervious element (i.e., central core, upstream face, and no impervious element). The tests allowed us to identify two failure mechanisms, slumping and particle dragging. In addition, the downstream slope was observed to be one of the most important variables in this parametric study, as it influenced the pore water pressures inside the dam, the failure discharge, and the occurrence of one or the other mechanism of failure.
Synergistic Effects of Calcium Peroxide and Fe3O4@BC Composites on AVS Removal, Phosphorus and Chromium Release in Sediments
Authors: Li Yintian , Huang Yanchun , Wang Xueying , Gou Ge , Liu Chao , Li Jun , He Yuxin , Li Naiwen
Published: May 2022

Black odorous sediment pollution in urban areas has received widespread attention, especially pollution caused by acidified volatile sulfide (AVS), phosphorus and heavy metals. In this study, an Fe3O4@BC composite was fabricated by the coprecipitate method of Fe3O4 and biochar (BC) and was mixed with calcium peroxide (CP) for sediment pollution treatment. The results showed that the AVS removal rate could reach 52.8% in the CP+Fe3O4@BC system and −18.1% in the control group on the 25th day. AVS was removed in the following three ways: AVS could be oxidized with oxygen produced by CP; H2O2 produced from CP also could be activated by Fe2+ to generate hydroxyl radicals that have strong oxidation properties to oxidize AVS; AVS could also be removed by bacterial denitrification. As for phosphorus, total phosphorus (TP) content in overlying water remained at 0.1 mg/L after CP and Fe3O4@BC were added. This is due to the conversion of NH4Cl-P and Fe/Al-P into Ca-P in sediments, which inhibited the release of phosphorus. Simultaneously, the release and migration of heavy metal chromium (Cr) were slowed, as demonstrated by the results (the acid extractable and reducible states of Cr in the sediment decreased to 0.58% and 0.97%, respectively). In addition, the results of the high-throughput genetic test showed the total number of microorganisms greatly increased in the CP+Fe3O4@BC group. The abundance of Sulfurovum increased while that of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRBs) was inhibited. Furthermore, the abundance of denitrifying bacteria (Dechlorominas, Acinetobacter and Flavobacterium) was increased. In brief, our study showed the synergistic effect of Fe3O4@BC composites and CP had a remarkable effect on the urban sediment treatment, which provides a new way to remove sediment pollution.
Groundwater and Urban Planning Perspective
Authors: Radutu Alina , Luca Oana , Gogu Constantin Radu
Published: May 2022

An analysis of 17 Romanian cities’ Urban General Plans showed that urban planning documents do not satisfactorily rely on groundwater information. The associated hydrogeological supporting studies include only general recommendations. However, they should include specifications to improve water-balance and detail the need to implement monitoring systems to monitor groundwater levels. The studies do not recommend special construction measures to be implemented for future infrastructure elements and do not include maps delimiting the particular geotechnical and hydrogeological characteristics. A study conducted on an urban river corridor using satellite remote sensing and a methodology characterizing the chosen zone clearly shows a major concordance between the groundwater level and vertical displacements. In addition, the presence of urban anthropogenic strata associated with the groundwater level fluctuations showed amplified vertical displacements of the ground when compared to the areas where the natural deposits exist. The methodology combines subsidence occurrence, land-cover changes, hydrogeological, geological, and hydrological characteristics, climatic aspects, the location, the extension of old quarries, and the last 100 years of topographical changes. These observations emphasize the need for accurate studies to properly discriminate between phenomena and processes generating subsidence, which must be used systematically to support the general urban plans of cities as the documentation of future developments.
Using Stable Isotopes to Assess Groundwater Recharge and Solute Transport in a Density-Driven Flow-Dominated Lake–Aquifer System
Authors: Valiente Nicolas , Dountcheva Iordanka , Sanz David , Gómez-Alday Juan José
Published: May 2022

Saline lakes are mostly located in endorheic basins in arid and semi-arid regions, where the excess of evaporation over precipitation promotes the accumulation of salts on the surface. As the salinity of these lakes increases, their mass balance changes, and biogeochemical processes may be intensified. In that sense, Pétrola Lake (SE Spain) is a terminal lake located in an endorheic basin with elevated anthropic pressure, mainly derived from agricultural inputs and wastewater discharge. The goal of this study was to evaluate the interaction between groundwater and saline water from Pétrola Lake to improve our knowledge of groundwater recharge processes by density-driven flow (DDF) in terminal lakes. A combination of hydrochemical (chloride concentration) and stable isotope (δ18OH2O and δ2HH2O) data were used. In order to test the conceptual model, a simple numerical experiment was performed using a one-dimensional column that represents the relationship between the lake and the aquifer incorporating the variable density coupling control in solute migration. The isotopic composition of 190 groundwater and surface water samples collected between September 2008 and July 2015 provides a regression line (δ2HH2O = 5.0·δ18OH2O − 14.3‰, R2 = 0.95) consistent with dominant evaporation processes in the lake. The DDF towards the underlying aquifer showed a strong influence on the mixing processes between the groundwater and surface water. Nevertheless, groundwater chemistry at different depths beneath the lake remains almost constant over time, suggesting an equilibrium between DDF and regional groundwater flow (RGF). Modelling isotope changes allowed inferring the temporal pattern of saline water recharge, coinciding with the summer season when water loss through evaporation is most significant. Consequently, the transport of solutes suitable for chemical reactions is then feasible to deeper zones of the aquifer.
An Inductor-Based and Capacitor-Free Bipolar Pulse Converter with Overvoltage Protection
Authors: Xu Jianzhi , Yang Xingjian , Zhao Hui , Qiu Jian , Liu Kefu
Published: May 2022

The inductor-based and capacitor-free bipolar pulse converter can be applied to electric vehicle charging and realize an efficient and reliable charging-control strategy. Inductor-based converters can avoid the converter failure caused by the failure of energy storage capacitors and improve the reliability. An overvoltage protection scheme based on active clamping topology is used to protect this converter when the load impedance is too large. This overvoltage protection can take effect in an extremely short time (~50 ns) with little energy wasted. Furthermore, mathematical analyses of the proposed topology are presented and simulations based on LTspice are made, showing the feasibility and reliability of this circuit. Moreover, calculation of the power loss on MOSFETs is presented. A 201 W prototype converter with an efficiency of 83% is presented, and experimental results show that the converter can work reliably. This manuscript also proves the feasibility and application prospect of using this current-source-based converter for EV charging.
Effect of Different Types of Electric Drive Units on the Energy Consumption of Heavy Commercial Electric Vehicles
Authors: Yildirim Metin , Kurt Serpil
Published: May 2022

The increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in the transportation industry, especially for efficient battery–electric trucks, has led to an increase in studies on the efficiency or energy consumption of commercial vehicles. In this paper, average energy consumption was investigated in terms of the effect of different transmission types in vehicle models considering three routes, and the effect of the number of gears on energy consumption for each transmission type was analyzed. Target performance specifications and packaging were also evaluated. The optimal design could be identified in terms of transmission type, the number of gears, vehicle performance, and packaging. Vehicle models with two types of electric drive units (EDUs) were developed in a MATLAB/Simulink environment. Driving cycles were obtained from collected road load data of municipal, intercity, and regional areas operated by heavy-duty trucks using nCode software. The battery model was developed based on the electric circuit network (ECN) modeling technique. The main research purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of multispeed and multimodal EDUs and the number of gears on the energy consumption of heavy commercial electric vehicles from actual road conditions in Turkey. The three-speed EDU was the optimal design, providing 7.83, 7.26, and 7.21% less energy consumption on the three routes, compared with three-mode electric drive units. Consequently, the energy consumption difference was 7.5% for combined real road conditions.
Simulative Investigation of the Risk of Smearing Damage for a WT Gearbox Roller Bearing during Rotor-Induced Excitations
Authors: Euler Jan , Jacobs Georg , Röder Julian , Bosse Dennis
Published: May 2022

Wind turbine drivetrains can be subjected to highly dynamic loading conditions caused by grid faults, power converter faults and dynamic wind excitations. These loading conditions can cause additional wear and possibly damage their components. Some of the most critical components in the mechanical drivetrain are its bearings. High-speed shaft bearings are especially prone to failure. Smearing is one possible damage pattern for these bearings. Previous studies observed a highly increased smearing risk caused by generator-induced torque excitations. In contrast, this study focuses on rotor-induced torque excitations and investigates the resulting smearing risk. The goal is to ascertain the general damage potential stemming from rotor-induced excitations for high-speed shaft bearings regarding smearing. To this end, a detailed bearing model was integrated into a validated multibody simulation of a research nacelle which was operated on a test bench. A smearing criterion was used to evaluate the smearing risk. Multiple sinusoidal rotor-induced torque excitations were investigated. The resulting smearing risk is highly dependent on the excitation amplitude and frequency, with higher amplitudes resulting in a greater smearing risk. Regarding frequency, only excitations with frequencies close to the system’s first torsional eigenfrequency result in a significantly increased smearing risk. In general, the determined amplitudes and frequencies of rotor-induced torque excitations, necessary to cause a significant increase in smearing risk, are unlikely to occur in the field and therefore are of lesser importance to the high-speed shaft bearings than generator-induced torque excitations.
IMPLEMENTATION OF SMART IRRIGATION SYSTEM ON CARROT PLANTATION USING INTERNET OF THINGS
Authors: Perangin-Angin Despaleri , - Yoga Tri Nugraha , - Evta Indra , Turnip Mardi , Situmorang Andreas , Sitompul Daniel Ryan Hamonangan , - Ruben
Published: May 2022

Agriculture is one of the main sectors in Karo Regency, North Sumatra. One of the commodities produced by farmers in Karo Regency is carrot. The inability of farmers to control soil moisture may cause crop damage to a lack of productivity. This research aims to create a monitoring & control system that is integrated with the website to make it easier for farmers to prevent problems that occur. The method used in the research is the design, installation, monitoring, and deactivation. The results obtained from this research are that farmers can now monitor the field conditions in real-time using a web-based monitoring & control system.
Implementasi Data Mining Clustering Data Valuasi Ekspor Kertas Indonesia Menggunakan Algoritma K-Means
Authors: Pooja Netiya , Saputra Muhardi , Aisyah Siti , Juanta Palma
Published: May 2022

Indonesia merupakan salah satu negara pengekspor ke negara-negara maju dan berkembang. Eksportir bertujuan untuk memperoleh keuntungan demi menunjang perekonomian dan kemakmuran masyarakat. Jurnal ini membahas tentang penerapan data mining clustering pada nilai ekspor kertas berdasarkan pelabuhan asal di Indonesia menggunakan algoritma K-Means. Data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah data valuasi ekspor kertas dari tahun Januari 2014 sampai Juni 2021 yang diambil dari publikasi Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS). Data akan diolah dengan melakukan clustering dalam 3 cluster yaitu cluster ekspor dengan nilai tinggi, nilai ekspor sedang dan nilai ekspor rendah. Sehingga nantinya dapat diperoleh informasi cluster pelabuhan-pelabuhan yang menghasilkan transaksi ekspor kertas yang tinggi. Juga akan menghasilkan informasi cluster pelabuhan-pelabuhan yang berada di kategori menengah untuk dikembangkan atau diperdayakan oleh badan terkait di pemerintahan maupun perusahaan-perusahaan dibidang manufaktur kertas dan logistic. Diharapkan pelabuha-pelabuhan yang memiliki potensial ini bisa diperdayakan untuk membantu meningkatkan kegiatan ekspor kertas dari Indonesia. Proses clustering akan dihitung menggunakan tools RapidMiner yang merupakan salah satu tools terkemuka dalam bidang data mining.
Implementasi Metode Selection Sort Dalam Sistem Repository Skripsi
Authors: Banjarnahor Jepri , Bawamenewi Deskarya , Tanoto Carvin , NK Nababan Marlince
Published: May 2022

Abstrak Sistem informasi repository Universitas Prima Indonesia pada saat ini masih menggunakan sistem manual, yakni pada proses pendistribusian nya yang masih harus datang ke perpustakaan dalam mengakses skripsi hasil penelitian alumni. Oleh sebab itu dibutuhkan manajemen repositori yang baik. Tujuan perancangan system informasi repository ini untuk mempermudah mahasiswa untuk mengakses secara online skripsi dari hasil penelitian alumni kampus Universitas Prima Indonesia. Pengembangan sistem informasi ini menggunakan metode Selection Sort. Pada tahap analisa dan perancangannya menggunakan pemodelan Unified Modeling Language. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara langsung dengan mahasiswa dan bagian Perpustakaan, dari hasil pengumpulan data tersebut didapatkan informasi prosedur yang sedang berjalan dan kendala yang dihadapi oleh mahasiswa dan bagian Perpustakaan Universitas Prima Indonesia, kemudian data tersebut dianalisa dan digunakan sebagai informasi untuk merancang sistem. Proses perancangan sistem dilakukan dengan menggunakan bahasa pemrograman PHP dan database MySQL dan metode Bubble Sort  dengan hasil penelitian ini adalah berupa rancangan sistem informasi repository skripsi berbasis web yang dapat memudahkan mahasiswa di dalam mengakses skripsi alumni Universitas Prima Indonesia.