Hotel- Georgia

The State of Georgia modifies the International Building Code through State amendments, to require a fire resistance rating between residential occupancies and all other occupancies. This fire and life safety analysis report will substantiate the necessity for the barrier in a mixed-use hotel occupancy. The first-half of the report addresses the prescriptive-based code requirements, reporting a compliant design was presented. Then the performance portions primary objective was established, maintain a tenable environment for egressing guest room occupants. Three conditions were evaluated to define a tenable environment, carbon monoxide levels, temperature, and visibility limits. Selecting the location of the fire required analyzing the fuel load while referring to Section 5.5 of the Life Safety Code, Design Fire Scenarios. The fire scenario selected was an ultrafast developing fire open to the primary means of egress with the interior doors open. A significant fuel load was located near the area requiring fire resistance separation, the storage room equipped with stacked cushioned chairs. Referencing fire test data the stackable chairs do present an ultrafast developing fire scenario. The storage room opens directly into the corridor serving as the exit access for the guest rooms on the main level. Through hand calculations and fire modeling using NIST’s Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) the report concludes that a barrier must be established or another equivalency must be implemented to provide an acceptable design

Investigation of light source and scattering medium related to vapor-screen flow visualization in a supersonic wind tunnel

Methods for increasing the radiant in light sheets used for vapor screen set-ups were investigated. Both high-pressure mercury arc lamps and lasers were considered. Pulsed operation of the air-cooled 1-kW lamps increased the light output but decreased reliability. An ellipsoidal mirror improved the output of the air-cooled lamps by concentrating the light but increased the complexity of the housing. Water-cooled-4-kW lamps coupled with high-aperture Fresnel lenses provided reasonable improvements over the air-cooled lamps. Fanned laser beams measurements of scattered light versus dew point made in conjunction with successful attempts to control the fluid injection. A number of smoke generators are described and test results comparing smoke and vapor screens are shown. Finally, one test included a periscope system to relay the image to a camera outside the flow

Smoke Aerosol Characterization for Spacecraft Fire Detection Systems

Appropriate design of fire detection systems requires knowledge of both the expected fire signature and the background aerosol levels. Terrestrial fire detection systems have been developed based on extensive study of terrestrial fires. Unfortunately there is no corresponding data set for spacecraft fires and consequently the fire detectors in current spacecraft were developed based upon terrestrial designs. There are a number of factors that affect the smoke particle size distribution in spacecraft fires. In low gravity, buoyant flow is negligible which causes particles to concentrate at the smoke source, increasing their residence time, and increasing the transport time to smoke detectors. Microgravity fires have significantly different structure than those in 1-g which can change the formation history of the smoke particles. Finally the materials used in spacecraft are different from typical terrestrial environments where smoke properties have been evaluated. It is critically important to detect a fire in its early phase before a flame is established, given the fixed volume of air on any spacecraft. Consequently, the primary target for spacecraft fire detection is pyrolysis products rather than soot. This dissertation is a compilation of experimental investigations performed at three different NASA facilities which characterize smoke aerosols from overheating common spacecraft materials. The earliest effort consists of aerosol measurements in low gravity, called the Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment (SAME), and subsequent ground-based testing of SAME smoke in 55-gallon drums with an aerosol reference instrument. The feasibility of the moment method for characterizing smoke from limited data, including the lognormal assumption, is explored. Experiments in low gravity are very rare and expensive, so detailed studies to exploit every possible aspect of the data to increase the science outcome are warranted. Another set of experiments were performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), with additional fuels and an alternate smoke production method. Measurements of these smoke products include mass and number concentration, and a thermal precipitator was designed for this investigation to capture particles for microscopic analysis. Smoke particle morphology and chemical composition are analyzed for various fuels. The final data presented are from NASA’s Gases and Aerosols from Smoldering Polymers (GASP) Laboratory, with selected results focusing on realistic fuel preparations and heating profiles with regards to early detection of smoke. Additional research on ambient air quality in the International Space Station (ISS) is presented which sheds light on background aerosols that may interfere with smoke detection in spacecraft

Effect of inspiratory pressure support on exercise performance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Title: Effect of inspiratory pressure support on exercise performance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Purpose: This study examined the effects of a non-invasive ventilator on submaximal and maximal exercise performance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Fourteen men (66.0 ± 7.4yr) and six women (59.0 ± 7.4yr) with a diagnosis of COPD, a forced expiratory volume! (FEVi) <40%, and the ability to tolerate 12 cmH20 of pressure on a non- invasive ventilator performed two maximal exercise tests on a cycle ergometer, with and without ventilatory assistance prior to exercise. Blood samples, respiratory metabolic measures, heart rate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were obtained throughout each exercise test. Results: Peak work rate (W), total exercise time, and respiratory rate were higher (p<0.05) when exercise was preceded by ventilatory support compared to no support. There was no difference in peak oxygen uptake (V02), carbon dioxide (VC02,), heart rate (HR), minute ventilation (VE), tidal volume (VT), blood lactate or RPE between the two experimental conditions. A total of 12 subjects completed at least 5 stages of the exercise protocol, and their physiological response during exercise with NIV and without NIV were compared. RPE was significantly lower during the first 3 min in the NIV condition than the no NIV condition. Circulating levels of blood lactate were lower (p<0.01) during stage 3 in the NIV than the than no NIV condition. There was no difference in RR, VT, HR, %HR, VE, V 0 2and %V02 between the two experimental conditions during sub maximal exercise. Conclusions: Application of non-invasive ventilatory support prior to exercise improves maximal exercise performance, but has no effect on cardio-metabolic response during submaximal exercise in patients with COPD

Analysis of combustion concepts in a poppet valve two-stroke downsized compression ignition engine designed for passenger car applications

[EN] The research work presented on this thesis has been performed in the framework of the development and optimization of the combustion system of a novel two-stroke CI engine, with a scavenging configuration through poppet-valves, which has been specifically designed for a light-duty vehicle application. The main objective of this investigation is to improve the existing understanding about two-stroke poppet-valves engines, and assess the main relationships between the gas exchange and combustion processes in this type of architecture, with the aim of evaluating their impact on the exhaust emissions formation processes and on final engine efficiency. Then, the performance of this two-stroke engine is going to be optimized while operating in conventional diesel mixing-controlled controlled combustion; and in a second step, two advanced premixed combustion concepts will be evaluated to identify their potential for decreasing NOx and soot emissions compared to CDC as well as its main technological limitations. The methodology proposed on this thesis combines both a theoretical and experimental approach, that allows maximizing the available information about the basic phenomena involved in the various processes under study, while also keeping an efficient optimization approach to reduce as much as possible the number of necessary experimental tests. Additionally, to analyze in detail the physical relationships between the local cylinder gas conditions (such as the oxygen concentration, the combustion temperature and the equivalence ratio) and the formation of exhaust emissions, particularly NOx and soot, it was necessary to develop and setup different theoretical tools to complement and support the experimentally measured trends. To achieve these objectives, the research work has been divided in two sequential stages: first, the conventional diesel combustion is studied and optimized, based on a proper combination of engine settings that have a strong influence over the characteristics of the mixing-controlled combustion; and in a second step, two advanced combustion concepts are implemented and analyzed, the highly-premixed combustion (HPC) of diesel and the partially premixed combustion (PPC) using a fuel with higher resistance to autoignition (in this case it has been used a RON95 gasoline). In this phase of the research, special emphasis has been made to the gasoline PPC concept, since this combustion mode showed the highest potential and most promising results during the initial implementation studies. Accordingly, the last stage of the research was mainly focused on the detailed study of the effect of different injection settings over the characteristics of the gasoline PPC concept. Finally, the main results obtained with the gasoline PPC concept have been compared against the optimized points found in CDC, in regards to the final exhaust emissions levels, specific fuel consumption and indicated efficiency.[ES] El trabajo de investigación presentado en esta tesis doctoral está enmarcado en el desarrollo y optimización del sistema de combustión de un novedoso motor de dos tiempos de encendido por compresión, que presenta una arquitectura de barrido por válvulas en culata, y que ha sido diseñado para aplicaciones de automoción dentro de la gama de coches compactos. El objetivo principal de esta investigación ha consistido en mejorar el conocimiento existente sobre los motores dos tiempos con arquitectura de barrido por válvulas, y a la vez identificar los principales vínculos entre los procesos de renovación de la carga y de combustión, con el fin de cuantificar su impacto sobre la formación de emisiones contaminantes y el rendimiento térmico del motor. Adicionalmente, se desea optimizar las prestaciones de este motor de dos tiempos operando con el proceso de combustión diésel convencional controlada por mezcla, así como evaluar el potencial de distintos conceptos avanzados de combustión de baja temperatura con fase de premezcla extendida, con el fin de reducir los niveles de emisiones contaminantes y mejorar el consumo específico de combustible del motor. La metodología utilizada en esta tesis ha sido concebida combinando un enfoque teórico-experimental, que permite maximizar la información que se puede obtener acerca de los fenómenos físicos involucrados en los diferentes procesos objeto de estudio, y a la vez conservar un enfoque de optimización eficiente reduciendo en la medida de lo posible el número de ensayos experimentales requeridos. Con la finalidad de analizar en detalle la relación que existe entre las condiciones en el cilindro (como lo es la concentración de oxígeno, la temperatura de combustión y el dosado local) y el proceso de formación de emisiones contaminantes, especialmente de NOx y hollín, se desarrollaron y utilizaron distintas herramientas teóricas para complementar y sustentar los comportamientos y tendencias observadas mediante los ensayos experimentales, tanto para el modo de combustión diésel convencional como para los conceptos avanzados de combustión. Para la consecución de dichos objetivos se ha seguido una estructura secuencial en la cual el trabajo de investigación ha sido desarrollado en dos grandes bloques: primero, se analizó y optimizó el proceso de combustión diésel convencional, mediante la combinación adecuada de parámetros de operación del motor que modifican apreciablemente las características del proceso de combustión controlada por mezcla; y segundo, se logró implementar y evaluar el desempeño de dos conceptos avanzados de combustión, específicamente el modo combustión altamente premezclado de tipo HPC utilizando diésel como combustible (acrónimo de "Highly-Premixed Combustion") y el modo de combustión parcialmente premezclada de tipo PPC ("Partially Premixed Combustion") utilizando un combustible con mayor resistencia a la auto-ignición (en este caso se utilizó gasolina de octanaje 95). En esta segunda fase, se hizo énfasis en el análisis del concepto de combustión PPC con gasolina, ya que este arrojó los resultados más prometedores durante la fase inicial de implementación. Consecuentemente, la última etapa de la investigación se centró en el estudio detallado del efecto de distintos parámetros de inyección sobre las características del proceso de combustión de tipo PPC. Finalmente, se ha comparado críticamente dicha operación en modo PPC con los resultados obtenidos operando con el modo de combustión diésel convencional, en cuanto al nivel final de emisiones contaminantes, al consumo de combustible y rendimiento indicado y al desempeño general del motor.[CA] El treball d'investigació presentat en esta tesi està emmarcat en el desenvolupament i optimització del sistema de combustió d'un nou motor dos temps d'encesa per compressió, amb configuració d'escombratge per vàlvules, i que ha estat dissenyat per a aplicacions d'automoció dins de la gamma de cotxes compactes. L'objectiu principal d'esta investigació ha consistit a millorar el coneixement existent sobre els motors dos temps amb configuració d'escombratge per vàlvules, així com també identificar els principals vincles entre els processos de renovació de la càrrega i de combustió, a fi de quantificar el seu impacte sobre la formació d'emissions contaminants i el rendiment tèrmic del motor. Addicionalment, es desitja optimitzar les prestacions d'este nou motor operant amb el mode convencional de combustió dièsel per difusió, així com avaluar el potencial de noves maneres de combustió de baixa temperatura amb fase de premescla extesa, per a controlar el nivell d'emissions i el consum de combustible. La metodologia utilitzada en esta tesi s'ha plantejat des d'un punt de vista teóric experimental, que permet maximitzar la informació que es pot obtindre sobre els fenòmens basics involucrats en els diferents processos objecte d'estudi, i al mateix temps conservar un enfocament d'optimització eficient reduïnt en la mesura del possible el nombre d'proves experimentals requerit. Amb la finalitat d'analitzar en detall la relació que existeix entre les condicions en el cilindre (com ho és la concentració d'oxigen, la temperatura de combustió i el dosatge local) i el procés de formació d'emissions contaminants, especialment de NOx i sutge, es van desenvolupar i van utilitzar distintes eines teòriques per a complementar i sustentar els comportaments i tendències observades per mitjà dels assajos experimentals, tant per al mode de combustió dièsel convencional com per als conceptes avançats de combustió. Per a abordar eixe objectiu, s'ha seguit una estructura seqüencial, en la qual el treball d'investigació s'ha desenvolupat en en dos grans blocs: en primer lloc, es va analitzar i va optimitzar el procés de combustió dièsel convencional, per mitjà de la combinació adequada de paràmetres d'operació del motor que modifiquen apreciablement les característiques del procés de combustió controlada per difusió; i en segon lloc, es va aconseguir implementar i avaluar les prestacions de dos conceptes avançats de combustió de baixa temperatura premesclats, específicament el mode combustió altament premesclat HPC (acrònim de "Highly-Premixed Combustion") utilitzant dièsel com a combustible i el mode de combustió parcialment premesclat PPC ("Partially Premixed Combustion") utilitzant un combustible amb major resistència a l'autoignició (en aquest cas s'ha utilitzat gasolina d'octanatge 95). En esta segona etapa, es va fer èmfasi en l'anàlisi del concepte de combustió PPC amb gasolina, ja que aquest va presentar els resultats més prometedors durant la fase inicial d'implementació. Conseqüentment, l'última etapa de la investigació es va centrar en l'estudi detallat de l'efecte de distints paràmetres d'injecció sobre les característiques del mode de combustió PPC. Finalment, s'ha comparat críticament la dita operació en mode PPC amb els resultats obtinguts operant amb el mode de combustió dièsel convencional, quant al nivell final d'emissions contaminants, al consum de combustible i rendiment indicat, i a les prestacions generals del motor.De Lima Moradell, DA. (2016). Analysis of combustion concepts in a poppet valve two-stroke downsized compression ignition engine designed for passenger car applications [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/68502TESI

Langley aerospace test highlights, 1985

The role of the Langley Research Center is to perform basic and applied research necessary for the advancement of aeronautics and space flight, to generate new and advanced concepts for the accomplishment of related national goals, and to provide research advice, technological support, and assistance to other NASA installations, other government agencies, and industry. Significant tests which were performed during calendar year 1985 in Langley test facilities, are highlighted. Both the broad range of the research and technology activities at the Langley Research Center and the contributions of this work toward maintaining United States leadership in aeronautics and space research, are illustrated. Other highlights of Langley research and technology for 1985 are described in Research and Technology-1985 Annual Report of the Langley Research Center

Spray Development, Flow Interactions and Wall Impingement in a Direct-Injection Spark-Ignition Engine

Levels of liquid fuel impingement on in-cylinder surfaces in direct injection spark ignition engines have typically been higher than those in port-fuel injection engines due to in-cylinder injection and higher injection pressures. The result is typically an increase in the levels of un-burned hydrocarbons and smoke emissions which reduce the potential fuel economy benefits associated with direct injection engines. Although different injection strategies can be used to reduce these effects to some extent, full optimisation of the injection system and combustion process is only possible through improved understanding of spray development that can be obtained from optical engine investigations under realistic operating conditions. To this extent, the spray formation from a centrally mounted multi-hole injector was studied in a single-cylinder optical direct-injection spark-ignition engine under part-load conditions (0.5 bar intake plenum pressure) at 1500 RPM. A high-speed camera and laser illumination were used to obtain Mie-scattering images of the spray development on different in-cylinder planes for a series of consecutive engine cycles. The engine temperature was varied to reflect cold-start (20 °C) and fully warm (90 °C) engine conditions. A multi-component fuel (commercial gasoline) and a single-component fuel (iso-octane) were both tested and compared to investigate the effects of fuel properties on spray formation and wall impingement. An experimental arrangement was also developed to detect in-cylinder liquid fuel impingement using heat flux sensors installed on the cylinder liner. Two different injection strategies were tested; a typical single-injection strategy in the intake stroke to promote homogeneous mixture formation, as well as a triple-injection strategy around the same timing to assess the viability of using multiple-injection strategies to reduce wall impingement and improve mixture preparation. A sweep of different locations around the cylinder bore revealed the locations of highest fuel impingement levels which did not correspond directly to the nominal spray plume trajectories as a result of spray-flow interactions. These results were analysed in conjunction with the observed effects from the parallel imaging investigation. Copyright © 2007 SAE International

A study of mixture formation in a lean burn research engine using laser fluorescence imaging

Lean burn in spark-ignition engines offers a significant efficiency advantage compared with stoichiometric operation. The lean operation is restricted by increasing cyclic fluctuation in torque. In order to make use of the efficiency advantage and meet the mandatory emission standards the lean operation limit has to be further extended. This requires particular control of the mixing of fuel and air. To study the effect of mixture formation on cyclic variability and to provide quantitative information on the mixing of air and fuel planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) was developed and applied to an operating SI engine. The method is based on imaging the fluorescence of a fluorescent marker (3-pentanone) mixed with the fuel (iso-octane). 3-pentanone was found to have similar vaporisation characteristics to those of iso-octane as well as low absorption and suitable spectral properties. The technique was applied to an one-cylinder SI engine with a cylinder head configuration based on the Honda VTEC-E lean burn system. The mixture formation process during the inlet and compression stroke could be described by measuring the average fuel concentration in four planes, between 0.7 and 15.2 mm below the spark plug, in a section of the cylinder orthogonal to the cylinder axis. The results showed that for 4-valve pent-roof cylinder head systems with swirl inlet flows, fuel impinging on the cylinder wall opposite to the inlet valves has a major influence on the mixture formation process. In order to quantify the cyclic variability in the mixture formation process and its contribution to cyclic variability in combustion the fuel concentration in a plane near the spark plug was measured on a large number of cycles. It could be shown, that the fuel concentration in a small region close to the spark plug has a dominating effect on the subsequent pressure development for lean mixtures. Variations in the mixture concentration in the vicinity of the spark plug contribute significantly to cyclic variations in combustion. In order to address the issue of nonuniformity in residual gas concentration prior to ignition a laser induced fluorescence method was developed to measure nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in the unburned charge in the same one-cylinder research engine. Measurements of average and instantaneous NO concentrations revealed, that the residual gas is not homogeneously mixed with the air and that significant cyclic variations in the local residual gas concentration exist

Indoor acids and bases.

Numerous acids and bases influence indoor air quality. The most abundant of these species are CO2 (acidic) and NH3 (basic), both emitted by building occupants. Other prominent inorganic acids are HNO3 , HONO, SO2 , H2 SO4 , HCl, and HOCl. Prominent organic acids include formic, acetic, and lactic; nicotine is a noteworthy organic base. Sources of N-, S-, and Cl-containing acids can include ventilation from outdoors, indoor combustion, consumer product use, and chemical reactions. Organic acids are commonly more abundant indoors than outdoors, with indoor sources including occupants, wood, and cooking. Beyond NH3 and nicotine, other noteworthy bases include inorganic and organic amines. Acids and bases partition indoors among the gas-phase, airborne particles, bulk water, and surfaces; relevant thermodynamic parameters governing the partitioning are the acid-dissociation constant (Ka ), Henry's law constant (KH ), and the octanol-air partition coefficient (Koa ). Condensed-phase water strongly influences the fate of indoor acids and bases and is also a medium for chemical interactions. Indoor surfaces can be large reservoirs of acids and bases. This extensive review of the state of knowledge establishes a foundation for future inquiry to better understand how acids and bases influence the suitability of indoor environments for occupants, cultural artifacts, and sensitive equipment