Shielding gas effect on the structure of variable polarity GMA weldbrazed joints of galvanised sheets

The article presents the course and results of tests aimed to determine the effect of shielding gas on the shape of a weldbraze and on the structure of weldbrazed joints made of thin galvanised sheets. Test joints were made using innovative VP GMA weldbrazing utilising variable current and voltage waveforms. The tests involved the use of 3 types of shielding gases and mixtures, i.e. Ar, Ar + 1% O2 and Ar + 18% CO2, and required macro and microscopic metallographic examination of overlay brazes and weldbrazed joints. The tests conducted have revealed that the use of mixtures containing active gases, and CO2 in particular, increases the heat input of a weldbrazing process, improves the wettability of sheets and the geometry of weldbrazes, yet it also favours greater coat damage in the joining area and causes partial melting of workpieces

Ecological condition of water in Rega river in the area of Gryfice, Poland

Biomonitoring of the Rega River and its affluent - "Gryfice A" Canal, which are passing through Gryfice, was conducted in 2009. For this purpose six sites were chosen. Two of them were situated on the affluent of the river, and the others on the main stream of the river. All of the measurement sites were within the administrative boundary of Gryfice city. Thirty samples were taken overall. Five from each site. The analysis concerned of taxonomic affiliation, quantity and biomass of identified organisms. Based on the research results, the ecological condition of the investigated watercourses was established. In this study indices were used: TBI (Trent Biotic Index), the BMWP-PL index (Biological Monitiring Working Party which has been adapted to the Polish conditions), the EPT index (Ephemeroptera, Plectoptera, Trichoptera). The ecological condition of the watercourses oscillated between very good to satisfactory, depending on the site and indicator which were used. The best water quality, according to the indexes used, appeared on the first and second sites, where the determined state was very good. The worst results appeared at the sixth site. The dominating conditions of water on this site were moderate and poor. The lowest value of EPT index was reached on the sixth site and the highest one on the fourth site. Conducting the constant biomonitoring of the waters is necessary for describing the level of anthropopression. Also, it gives the bases for the water reclamation. It is also very important, because all countries of the European Union are obliged to reach at least good ecological state of surface water by 2015

Electric motor buses in zeroemission public transport

Niniejszy artykuł dotyczy problematyki związanej z wykorzystania pojazdów elektrycznych w zeroemisyjnym transporcie publicznym. Przedstawiono w nim wybrane dokumenty oraz akty prawne dotyczące wprowadzenia autobusów z napędem alternatywnym w komunikacji miejskiej. Zaprezentowano korzyści środowiskowe bezpośrednio wynikające z ich eksploatacji oraz problematykę dotyczącą konieczności rozbudowy infrastruktury elektroenergetycznej wymaganej do ładowania akumulatorów pojazdów tego typu. Szczególną uwagę poświęcono analizie poszczególnych układów funkcjonalnych wchodzących w skład bateryjnego autobusu elektrycznego wykorzystywanego w transporcie publicznym. Podsumowanie niniejszego artykułu stanowi analiza wykorzystania zeroemisyjnego transportu publicznego w jednym z polskich miast.The aim of this article is to present issues related to use electric vehicles in zeroemission public transport. The first section shows documents and legal acts concerning the introduction of alternative drive buses in public transport. The article presents environmental benefits directly resulting from electric bus operation and issues related to the need to develop the power infrastructure required to charge batteries of this type of vehicles. The next section shows analysis of the functional systems in the battery electric buses. The summary of the article presents analysis of use of zeroemission public transport in one of the Polish cities

Forecasting of groundwater inflow into underground mine workings with implementation of modified hydrogeological analogy method and GIS

W artykule przedstawiono przykład modyfikacji uproszczonej metody prognozowania dopływu wód do kopalń podziemnych. Podstawą zaproponowanego rozwiązania jest metoda polegająca na określeniu wartości wskaźnika zawodnienia jednostkowego (q A go ) tj. dopływu, który przypada na jednostkę powierzchni rozciętej wyrobiskami górniczymi (Rogoż, 2012). Proponowana modyfikacja związana jest z analizą zmienności dopływów do wyrobisk górniczych wraz z upływem czasu od momentu wykonania wyrobisk oraz strefowej zmienności charakteru dopływów w obrębie jednej kopalni. W artykule omówiono zagadnienia związane z prowadzeniem obliczeń w oparciu o dwuwymiarowy model wyrobisk górniczych (o uproszczonej geometrii) z wykorzystaniem darmowego oprogramowania geoinformacyjnego. Proces określania i prognozowania dopływu do wyrobisk górniczych zobrazowano za pomocą hipotetycznego modelu wyrobisk górniczych kopalni umiejscowionej na fikcyjnym złożu. Punktem wyjścia do opracowania prezentowanej metody były doświadczenia autorów związane z analizą wyników pomiarów rzeczywistych dopływów oraz obliczeniami prognozowanych dopływów do wyrobisk górniczych jednej z kopalń KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. na obszarze monokliny przedsudeckiej.The article presents an example of forecasting the inflow of water to underground mine workings with implementation of modified simplified method of hydrogeological analogy. The basis of the proposed solution is the method based on the determination of the value of the mine-water inflow index (q A mination ), which represents a unit of mining excavations area (Rogoż, 2012). The proposed modification is related to the analysis of the variability of inflow to mining workings with the passage of time from the moment excavations are made and the zonal variability of the nature of tributaries within one mine. The article discusses issues related to calculations based on a two-dimensional model of mining excavations (with simplified geometry) using free geoinformation software. The process of determining and forecasting the inflow to mine workings was depicted by means of a hypothetical model of mining excavations located in a fictional deposit. The starting point for the development of the presented method was the authors experience with the analysis of actual inflows and forecasting the tributaries in one of the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. mines which is located at the Fore-Sudetic Monocline

Cross-sectional survey of selected enteric viruses in Polish turkey flocks between 2008 and 2011

Abstract Background Enteric diseases are an important health problem for the intensive poultry industry, resulting in considerable economic losses. Apart from such microbiological agents associated with enteritis as bacteria and parasites, a lot of research has been recently conducted on viral origin of enteric diseases. However, enteric viruses have been identified in intestinal tract of not only diseased but also healthy poultry, so their role in enteritis is still unclear. The present study aimed at determination of the prevalence of four enteric viruses, namely astrovirus, coronavirus, parvovirus and rotavirus in meat-type turkey flocks in Poland as well as at statistical evaluation of the occurrence of the studied viruses and their relationships with the health status and the age of birds. Two hundred and seven flocks of birds aged 1-20 weeks originating from different regions of the country were investigated between 2008 and 2011. Clinical samples (10 individual faecal swabs/flock) were duly processed and examined using molecular methods targeting the conservative regions of viral genomes: RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene of astrovirus, non-structural 1 gene of parvovirus, non-structural protein 4 gene of rotavirus, and 5′ untranslated region fragment of turkey coronavirus. Different statistical methods (i.e. the independence chi-square test, the correspondence analysis and the logistic regression model) were used to establish any relationships between the analyzed data. Results Overall, 137 (66.2%, 95% CI: 59.3-72.6) of the 207 turkey flocks sampled were infected with one or more enteric viruses. Among the 137 flocks, 74 (54%, 95% CI: 45.3-62.6) were positive for one virus, whereas 54 (39.4%, 9 5% CI: 31.2-48.1) and 9 (6.6%, 95% CI: 3.1-12.1) were co-infected with two or three different enteric viruses, respectively. No flock was simultaneously infected with all four viruses studied. The prevalence of astrovirus infection was 44.9% (95% CI: 38.0-52.0), parvovirus 27.5% (95% CI: 21.6-34.2), rotavirus 18.8% (95% CI: 13.8-24.8), and coronavirus 9.7% (95% CI: 6.0-14.5). Young turkeys aged 1-4 weeks old had the highest (82.1%, 95% CI:71.7-89.8) prevalence of viral infection. Applied statistical methods have indicated the dependence of rotavirus infection as well as the co-infection with multiple viruses and the health status of turkeys. Furthermore, our results statistically confirm that especially young birds are susceptible to infection with rotavirus and astrovirus. Conclusions The study demonstrated the presence of astrovirus, coronavirus, parvovirus and rotavirus infections in Polish turkey farms. These viruses were detected in both healthy and diseased birds. However, the presented results provide valuable feedback which could help to evaluate the role of some enteric viruses in the etiology of enteritis in turkey

Spectroscopic Investigation of Oil Pollution on the Surface and at Various Depths of the Odra River

Wskazano na postępujący proces degradacji środowiska naturalnego Morza Bałtyckiego i rzeki Odry, wynikający z przedostających się do akwenów produktów ropopochodnych. Wskazano na obszar objęty pomiarami oraz metodykę prowadzenia badań. Na podstawie wieloletnich pomiarów podano uśrednione wyniki zaolejenia na powierzchni wód estuarium Odry. Przeprowadzono sondażowe badania rozkładu pionowego zanieczyszczeń olejowych wody w wybranych punktach estuarium Odry.The process of progressive degradation of natural environment of the Baltic Sea and the Odra River caused by oil products has been presented. The authors describe the examined area and measurement techniques. The mean values of oil contamination of the Odra River superficial layer have been calculated on the basis of measurements carried out for many years. Besides, the distribution of the oil pollution of water in the perpendicular cross-section at selected points of the Odra River has been presented