Effect of inlet valve timing and water blending on bioethanol HCCI combustion using forced induction and residual gas trapping

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Fuel. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2007 Elsevier B.V.It has been shown previously that applying forced induction to homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion of bioethanol with residual gas trapping, results in a greatly extended engine load range compared to normal aspiration operation. However, at very high boost pressures, very high cylinder pressure rise rates develop. The approach documented here explores two ways that might have an effect on combustion in order to lower the maximum pressure rise rates and further improve the emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx); inlet valve timing and water blending. It was found that there is an optimal inlet valve timing. When the timing was significantly advanced or retarded away from the optimal, the combustion phasing could be retarded for a given lambda (excess air ratio). However, this would result in higher loads and lower lambdas for a given boost pressure, with possibly higher NOx emissions. Increasing the water content in ethanol gave similar results as the non-optimal inlet valve timing

Application of exhaust gas fuel reforming in diesel and homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines fuelled with biofuels

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Energy. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2007 Elsevier B.V.This paper documents the application of exhaust gas fuel reforming of two alternative fuels, biodiesel and bioethanol, in internal combustion engines. The exhaust gas fuel reforming process is a method of on-board production of hydrogen-rich gas by catalytic reaction of fuel and engine exhaust gas. The benefits of exhaust gas fuel reforming have been demonstrated by adding simulated reformed gas to a diesel engine fuelled by a mixture of 50% ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) and 50% rapeseed methyl ester (RME) as well as to a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine fuelled by bioethanol. In the case of the biodiesel fuelled engine, a reduction of NOx emissions was achieved without considerable smoke increase. In the case of the bioethanol fuelled HCCI engine, the engine tolerance to exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) was extended and hence the typically high pressure rise rates of HCCI engines, associated with intense combustion noise, were reduced

Valuing indigenous biodiversity in the freshwater environment

Biosecurity incursion response decisions require timely, high quality information involving science and economics. The value of the impact on indigenous biodiversity is a key aspect of the economics typically involving cost-benefit analysis. The hypothetical incursion of Biosecurity New Zealand’s top priority weed hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) in a typical New Zealand lake (Lake Rotoroa otherwise known as Hamilton Lake) elicits dollar values of impacts on indigenous biodiversity in a freshwater environment. Using the stated preference tool, Choice Modelling, the experimental design was maximised for efficiency of Willingness to Pay (WTP) estimation. The survey method of community meetings of four population samples at varying distances to the incursion site is a cross between a mail survey and an individual interview survey. Results show an efficient design with minimal sample size and biodiversity attributes that have values statistically different from zero but not statistically different between locations.Non-market valuation, biosecurity, biodiversity, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use,

Weight Management: It’s Effect in the Prevention of Obesity Related Illnesses

While the world is focusing on global hunger and malnutrition, another ugly “monster” has emerged – OBESITY, a new form of malnutrition, has surfaced as an urgent challenge affecting several countries. The issue of obesity has received a great deal of attention over the past few decades. Rising obesity rates are a major concern worldwide. The study aims to determine the effect of weight management in the prevention of chronic illnesses acquired from obesity of laboratory high school students. The study made use of purposive sampling of One Hundred laboratory high school students using questionnaire is the main instrument in data gathering. It is noted that the students practice healthy lifestyles and preventions to health problems. The respondents should be into physical activities and embrace properly balanced diet since it shows that these have a relationship in the prevention of health problems

Contact inhibition of locomotion and mechanical cross-talk between cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion determines the pattern of junctional tension in epithelial cell aggregates

We generated a computational approach to analyze the biomechanics of epithelial cell aggregates, either island or stripes or entire monolayers, that combines both vertex and contact-inhibition-of-locomotion models to include both cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion. Examination of the distribution of cell protrusions (adhesion to the substrate) in the model predicted high order profiles of cell organization that agree with those previously seen experimentally. Cells acquired an asymmetric distribution of basal protrusions, traction forces and apical aspect ratios that decreased when moving from the edge to the island center. Our in silico analysis also showed that tension on cell-cell junctions and apical stress is not homogeneous across the island. Instead, these parameters are higher at the island center and scales up with island size, which we confirmed experimentally using laser ablation assays and immunofluorescence. Without formally being a 3-dimensional model, our approach has the minimal elements necessary to reproduce the distribution of cellular forces and mechanical crosstalk as well as distribution of principal stress in cells within epithelial cell aggregates. By making experimental testable predictions, our approach would benefit the mechanical analysis of epithelial tissues, especially when local changes in cell-cell and/or cell-substrate adhesion drive collective cell behavior.Comment: 39 pages, 8 Figures. Supplementary Information is include

PICKLEBALL SPORT SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES: THE PHILIPPINE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS CONTEXT

Abstract Pickleball sports which is considered as an innovative sport, described as a combination of ping-pong, tennis, and badminton, and is considered a popular racquet sport played by individuals of all ages has a great acceptance level from the PE teachers and PE students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines. However, it is unknown if these HEIs are able to sustain the sport within their institutions, thus, this study is conducted to determine the strategies in sustaining and propagating the sport. This research drew on the same set of respondents (N = 30 PEteachers, N = 280 PEstudents) from the determination of acceptance level. The profile variables of the two groups are determined, to measure the strategies to sustain the sports, weighted means are assessed using a 4-point Likert scale, analysis of variances was done to test differences using the weighted means as based scores, with profile variables as factors. The mean analyses showed that both PE teachers and students assessed strongly agree the strategies to sustain the sport in terms of curriculum inclusion, involvement opportunities, sports commitment, and leisure satisfaction. The test of variances showed that PE students’ strategies to sustainability in terms of curriculum inclusion are statistically significantly varies with their (gender, ages, and readiness), involvement opportunities varies with their (gender and readiness), sports commitment varies with their (age and readiness), and leisure satisfaction varies with their readiness. However, the PE teachers’ strategies to sustain was linked to sports commitment that statistically significantly varies with their ages. The following findings highlight that pickleball sport’s players and enthusiasts can propagate the sport within their institutions

Heavy metal concentration (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn) in clam, Polymesoda erosa collected from intertidal area of Tok Bali and Kuala Kemasin, Kelantan.

Present paper focused on determination of heavy metal concentrations in the different parts of a mangrove clam, Polymesoda erosa (Family:Corbiculidea) (Figure 1) collected from Tok Bali and Kuala Kemasin, Kelantan (Figure 2). Both places are known as fishing village where no direct pollution are observed besides receiving domestic waste from the nearby villages (Table 1). The clam, P. erosa is a large and fleshy bivalve that attains a shell length of up to 11 cm (Gimin et al., 2004) and it is reported in the literature that the clam is capable to accumulate high concentrations of heavy metals from the ambient water (Modassir, 2000). This allows its use as a potential biomonitor of metal bioavailabilities in the coastal area since biomonitor facilitates comparison of metal bioavailabilities over space and time besides offering easily analysed integrated measures of the ecologically significant fraction of ambient metals in the habitat (Phillips and Rainbow, 1993; Rainbow, 1995; Rainbow and Blackmore, 2001)

Electric vehicle charging at telco base station and bidirectional charging at hillslope descent technical-commercial cost-benefit study and scheduling-reservation system

© 2018 IEEE. Installing grid-connected photovoltaics (GCPV) at telecommunication company (Telco) base stations along highways, and providing electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities at strategic locations such as highway-side base stations offers a synergistic solution to both 1) displacing engine emissions using electricity from a renewable energy source, and 2) providing more highway EV charging stations for long distance EV driving. Strategically placed hillslope EV discharge stations would also offer EV users travelling downhill for long distances to sell their EV battery energy obtained from regenerative braking to the grid, freeing up the needed battery capacity to continue downhill with regenerative braking rather than losing it due to an already fully charged battery. This paper explores potential cost-benefits for investments in (i) highway-side Telco base stations with GCPV systems and EV charging stations as an additional source of revenue, and (ii) investments in EV discharge stations along hillslopes for EV users to sell battery energy from regenerative braking. The methodology used to gauge annual demand of new EV charge stations was by observation of existing highway-side EV charge station usage rates, estimating growth of EVs and charge stations, and reference to existing literature on EV charging tariffs, local electricity costs, and sizing/costing electrical equipment needed for the base station upgrade. To verify discharge kWh calculations from downhill descent regenerative braking, a downhill test drive of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) was done. To discourage non-charging EVs remaining parked at charger units, a design framework involving remote charger unit monitoring, reservation, messaging and automated financial incentives is also presented

MCP-1: A potential target for diabetic microvascular complications?

MCP-1 is a potent chemokine with the ability to mobilize and stimulate leucocytes, especially monocytes and macrophages. It is increasingly recognized as an important player in the inflammatory process that is diabetic nephropathy. In this article, we describe its role in inducing renal injury by outlining key studies in animal models and clinical studies of diabetic nephropathy, its association with diabetic retinopathy, as well as its potential use as a prognostic biomarker and as a therapeutic target in the clinical setting