FEASIBILITY OF CROSS-FLOW MICROFILTRATIONFOR COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS

Combined sewer overflows contribute high levels of suspended solids, pathogenic microorganisms, oxygen-demanding compounds and other pollutants into the receiving stream [US EPA, 2001]. The level of pollution coupled with regulatory pressure is challenging communities to find feasible treatment alternatives. Microfiltration may be a preferred treatment alternative. The feasibility of cross-flow microfiltration for the treatment of a dilute primary sewage effluent simulating combined sewer overflow wastewater was investigated. Ceramic membranes of various pores sizes (0.05 - 5.0 um) were tested at the bench and field scale to understand the impact of operating conditions on the permeate water quality and flux rate. A 0.2 um membrane operated with a 1.8 m/s cross flow velocity, a transmembrane pressure less than 2.1 bar and a backpulse frequency of 60 seconds were selected as the preferred operating conditions. The 0.2 um membrane consistently met water quality objectives for fecal coliforms, E Coli, enterococci, BOD5 and SS. The steady state flux rates are impacted by the feed suspended solids concentration and temperature, and an understanding of these parameters is critical to commercial scale design

Study of the microstructure of the grade 91 steel after more than 100.000h of creep exposure at 600°C

International audienceThis paper presents results on the evolution of microstructure (both matrix and precipitates) of an ASME Grade 91 steel that has been creep tested for 113,431 h at 600 °C under a load of 80 MPa. The microstructure was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and revealed chromium rich M23C6 carbides, MX-type precipitates, Laves phases and modified Z-phases. Only a small amount of modified Z-phase was found. In order to quantify coarsening of precipitates and growth of new phases during creep, the size distributions of the identified precipitates were determined by analysis of TEM images. In addition to this, the size distribution of Laves phases was determined by image analysis of scanning electron micrographs. Substructure modifications and creep damage were investigated on cross sections of the creep specimen using Electron Backscatter Diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy

Long term aging effect on the creep strength of the T92 steel

International audienceCreep strength loss of T92 steel after long-term creep exposure at 600°C and 650°C is partially due to a thermal aging of the steel during the first part of the test. In order to quantify the effect of long-term aging on the creep strength loss, creep tests were conducted at 600 and 650°C on T92 steel thermally aged for 10,000h at the same temperature and on as-received T92 steel. Laves phases precipitates were found after thermal aging at 600°C and 650°C with an average equivalent diameter of about 200nm and of about 350nm, respectively. No significant change in hardness and in the matrix substructure as revealed by electron backscatter diffraction occurred during aging. For stresses higher than 170MPa at 600°C and higher than 110MPa at 650°C the time to rupture is four times lower in the aged steels compared to the as-received steel, this is correlated to a secondary creep rate four times higher for the aged specimens compared to that of the as-received steel. Creep tests conducted at 650°C under lower stresses revealed a creep lifetime only twice lower after aging

Transitions in subduction zone properties align with long-term topographic growth (Cascadia, USA)

Simple mechanical models of the earthquake cycle assume that interseismic elastic deformation is recovered during earthquakes, closing the strain budget of steady and episodic slip on the deep and shallow subduction interfaces, respectively. However, elevated topography in the forearc high requires that some deformation is not recovered over each elastic cycle. Here, we compare constraints on deformation over decadal to million-year timescales to disentangle contributions from elastic (recoverable) and inelastic (unrecoverable) deformation within the Olympic Mountains of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Over timescales of 103 – 106 yrs, elevated topography, permanent deformation, and denudation (from thermochronometry and cosmogenic nuclide data) accumulate in an area adjacent, but not identical, to the maximum in geodetically observed reduced vertical velocity and surface upwarping over tens of years. The domains of geodetic and geomorphic maximum uplift occur over a 20-60 km wide zone overlying the up-dip limits of the zone of conditional frictional stability at the subduction interface. We attribute geologic-scale orogenesis, accumulation of topography and advection of rocks in the active orogen to unrecoverable deformation as stress is relayed up-dip through parts of the subduction interface and dissipated in the overriding plate

Body-wave tomographic imaging of the Turkana Depression: Implications for rift development and plume-lithosphere interactions

The Turkana Depression, a topographically-subdued, broadly-rifted zone between the elevated East African and Ethiopian plateaus, disrupts the N–S, fault-bounded rift basin morphology that characterizes most of the East African Rift. The unusual breadth of the Turkana Depression leaves unanswered questions about the initiation and evolution of rifting between the Main Ethiopian and Eastern rifts. Hypotheses explaining the unusually broad, low-lying area include superposed Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifting and a lack of mantle lithospheric thinning and dynamic support. To address these issues, we have carried out the first body-wave tomographic study of the Depression’s upper mantle. Seismically-derived temperatures at 100 km depth exceed petrological estimates, suggesting the presence of mantle melt, although not as voluminous as the Main Ethiopian Rift, contributes to velocity anomalies. A NW–SE-trending high wavespeed band in southern Ethiopia at urn:x-wiley:15252027:media:ggge22580:ggge22580-math-0001200 km depth is interpreted as refractory Proterozoic lithosphere which has likely influenced the localization of both Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifting. At urn:x-wiley:15252027:media:ggge22580:ggge22580-math-0002100 km depth below the central Depression, a single localized low wavespeed zone is lacking. Only in the northernmost Eastern Rift and southern Lake Turkana is there evidence for focused low wavespeeds resembling the Main Ethiopian Rift, that bifurcate below the Depression and broaden approaching southern Ethiopia further north. These low wavespeeds may be attributed to melt-intruded mantle lithosphere or ponded asthenospheric material below lithospheric thin-spots induced by the region's multiple rifting phases. Low wavespeeds persist to the mantle transition zone suggesting the Depression may not lack mantle dynamic support in comparison to the two plateaus

The development of multiple phases of superposed rifting in the Turkana Depression, East Africa: evidence from receiver functions

The Turkana Depression in Eastern Africa separates the elevated plateaus of East Africa to the south and Ethiopia-Yemen to the north. It remains unclear whether the Depression lacks dynamic mantle support, or if the entire East Africa region is dynamically supported and the Depression compensated isostatically by thinned crust. Also poorly understood is how Miocene-Recent extension has developed across the Depression, connecting spatially separated magmatic rift zones in Ethiopia and Kenya. Receiver function analysis is used to constrain Moho depth and bulk-crustal V P /V S ratio below new seismograph networks in the Depression, and on the northern Tanzania craton. Crustal thickness is ∼40 km below northern Uganda and 30–35 km below southern Ethiopia, but 20–30 km below most of the Depression, where mass-balance calculations reveal low elevations can be explained adequately by crustal thinning alone. Despite the fact that magmatism has occurred for 45 Ma across the Depression, more than 15 Ma before East African Rift (EAR) extension initiated, bulk crustal V P /V S across southern Ethiopia and the Turkana Depression (∼1.74) is similar to that observed in areas unaffected by Cenozoic rifting and magmatism. Evidence for voluminous lower crustal intrusions and/or melt, widespread below the Ethiopian rift and Ethiopian plateau to the north, is therefore lacking. These observations, when reviewed in light of high stretching factors (β ≤ 2.11), suggest Cenozoic extension has been dominated until recently by faulting and plate stretching, rather than magma intrusion, which is likely an incipient process, operating directly below seismically-active Lake Turkana. Early-stage EAR basins to the west of Lake Turkana, with associated stretching factors of β ≈ 2, formed in crust only moderately thinned during earlier rifting episodes. Conversely, ∼23 km-thick crust beneath the Kino Sogo Fault Belt (KSFB) has small offset faults and thin sedimentary strata, suggesting almost all of the observed stretching occurred in Mesozoic times. Despite the KSFB marking the shortest path between focused extensional zones to the north and south, seismicity and GPS data show that modern extension is localized below Lake Turkana to the west. Failed Mesozoic rift zones, now characterized by thinned crust and relatively refractory mantle lithosphere, are being circumnavigated, not exploited by EAR rifting

The stabilizing role of itinerant ferromagnetism in inter-granular cohesion in iron

We present a simple, general energy functional for ferromagnetic materials based upon a local spin density extension to the Stoner theory of itinerant ferromagnetism. The functional reproduces well available ab initio results and experimental interfacial energies for grain boundaries in iron. The model shows that inter-granular cohesion along symmetric tilt boundaries in iron is dependent upon strong magnetic structure at the interface, illuminates the mechanisms underlying this structure, and provides a simple explanation for relaxation of the atomic structure at these boundaries.Comment: In review at Phys. Rev. Lett. Submitted 23 September 1997; revised 16 March 199

Pre-seismic, co-seismic and post-seismic displacements associated with the Bhuj 2001 earthquake derived from recent and historic geodetic data

The 26th January 2001 Bhuj earthquake occurred in the Kachchh Rift Basin which has a long history of major earthquakes. Great Triangulation Survey points (GTS) were first installed in the area in 1856-60 and some of these were measured using Global Positioning System (GPS) in the months of February and July 2001. Despite uncertainties associated with repairs and possible reconstruction of points in the past century, the re-measurements reveal pre-seismic, co-seismic and post-seismic deformation related to Bhuj earthquake. More than 25 M-strain contraction north of the epicenter appears to have occurred in the past 140 years corresponding to a linear convergence rate of approximately 10 mm/yr across the Rann of Kachchh. Motion of a single point at Jamnagar 150 km south of the epicenter in the 4 years prior to the earthquake, and GTS-GPS displacements in Kathiawar suggests that pre-seismic strain south of the epicenter was small and differs insignificantly from that measured elsewhere in India. Of the 20 points measured within 150 km of the epicenter, 12 were made at existing GTS points which revealed epicentral displacements of up to 1 m, and strain changes exceeding 30 M-strain. Observed displacements are consistent with reverse co-seismic slip. Re-measurements in July 2001 of one GTS point (Hathria) and eight new points established in February reveal post-seismic deformation consistent with continued slip on the Bhuj rupture zone

Impact of age norms and stereotypes on managers' hiring decisions of retirees

Purpose -Our study investigates the role of managers in the re-employment of early retirees and asks what the effect is of managers’ age norms and stereotypes on managers’ employment decisions. Design/methodology/approach- A combination of a factorial study and a survey was conducted. First, information on the age norms and stereotypes was collected. Secondly, profiles of hypothetical retired job applicants were presented to the employers, who were asked to make a specific hiring decision. The information collected during both studies was combined in the analysis and multilevel models were estimated. Findings -The results indicate that higher age norms result in a higher propensity to hire an early retiree. Stereotypes, by contrast, do not influence managers’ decisions. Early retirees’ chances for re-employment are also related to their own circumstances (physical appearance and relevant experience) and organisational forces, as they are hired when organisations face labour force shortages. Research limitation / implications – with the use of vignettes study we deal with hypothetical hiring situation. Originality value- Although the effect of age norms and age stereotypes has been often suggested, not much empirical evidence was presented to support this notion. Our study estimates the effect of age norms and stereotypes on hiring decision. key words: bridge employment; early retirees; age norms; age stereotypes; multilevel models.

Instability of the rhodium magnetic moment as origin of the metamagnetic phase transition in alpha-FeRh

Based on ab initio total energy calculations we show that two magnetic states of rhodium atoms together with competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange interactions are responsible for a temperature induced metamagnetic phase transition, which experimentally is observed for stoichiometric alpha-FeRh. A first-principle spin-based model allows to reproduce this first-order metamagnetic transition by means of Monte Carlo simulations. Further inclusion of spacial variation of exchange parameters leads to a realistic description of the experimental magneto-volume effects in alpha-FeRh.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.