Comparative life cycle assessment (LCA): Conventional TES system versus alternative steel slag-based TES system for CSP plants

Treballs Finals del Màster d’Energies Renovables i Sostenibilitat Energètica, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona. Curs: 2022-2023. Tutors: Alejandro Calderón Díaz, Adela SvobodovaThere is a demand for alternative thermal energy storage (TES) materials to support the global deployment of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. These materials should fulfil specific criteria concerning technical, economic, and ecological performance. This research work focuses on the comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant that utilizes Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel slag as a thermal energy storage material in a thermocline configuration, compared to a conventional CSP plant that uses molten salts. The study aims to evaluate the potential environmental impacts and identify opportunities for sustainability improvement in CSP plants technology. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in the material inventory demand and in the overall environmental impact for the scenarios where the thermocline configuration was chosen. The thermocline TES system showcases notable reductions in the following environmental impact indicators: a) “Damage to the resources availability” and b) “Global warming potential”. Thus, the study highlights the potential of using steel slag to improve the sustainability of CSP plants, while revalorising materials that other case could finish in a landfill. The research and analysis performed indicate that the use of steel slag as a thermal storage material is technically feasible and it has the potential to increase the environmental and economic sustainability, as this material is abundant, energy efficient and sustainable enough for industrial scale applications. In fact, the use of steel slag as TES material could contribute positively to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through: including cleaner energy solutions, promoting innovation in green power generation, responsible managing of resources, and mitigating the climate chang

Development of a high-performance W-band duplexer for plasma diagnosis using a single band with dual circular polarization

Discrepancia entre la información que aparece en el artículo que indica que el copyright es de Elsevier, y la información que aparece en la página de la revista y en el Copyright Clearance Center que indican © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V., así como que el artículo está publicado en Open Access under a Creative Commons licenceThis work presents the design and experimental validation of a high performance, compact, waveguide duplexer operating from 91.5 to 96.5 GHz for its integration in diverse W-band microwave equipment as in plasma diagnosis applications. It uses a single frequency band, with two signals discriminated by different orthogonal circular polarization, which is generated by means of a septum orthomode transducer (OMT) polarizer. Moreover, this component is optimized loaded with the horn antenna for improving the overall system performance. It is explained how these two components are integrated into a very compact duplexer, designed using efficient numerical algorithms. The manufacturing process by mean of high precision milling, and including electrical discharge machining (EDM) has led to excellent performances. The measured return loss level and isolation are higher than 30 dB, and the insertion loss level is below 0.3 dB. Finally, the key parameter in this device, which reflects the symmetry in the manufacturing process, i.e., the axial ratio, is lower than 0.6 dB for both polarizations, an excellent result showing the potential of the presented designThis work was supported by the Spanish government under grants (ADDMATE) TEC2016-76070-C3-1/2-R (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Spain, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional: AEI/FEDER/UE) and the program of Comunidad de Madrid, Spain S2013/ICE-3000 (SPADERADARCM

Rigorous analysis of the parallel plate waveguide: From the transverse electromagnetic mode to the surface plasmon polariton

This is the accepted version of the following article: K. S. Reichel, N. Sakoda, R. Mendis, D. M. Mittleman, Evanescent wave coupling in terahertz waveguide arrays, Optics Express, 2013, 21, 14, 17249, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2011RS004838/fullThis paper presents an analysis of the parallel plate waveguide, based on a hybrid mode formulation. The nonideal metallic conductors of the waveguide are treated as a media characterized by an equivalent permittivity. The frequencies of interest in the presented analysis are at the terahertz band (from 300 GHz to 30 THz), and appropriate models are used for the correct characterization of metallic conductors at these frequencies. The behavior of the electromagnetic field of the fundamental mode is studied in a wide frequency range. At low frequencies (microwave regime) the fundamental mode is the well-known transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode; as frequency increases, the electromagnetic field changes significantly and a surface wave or surface plasmon polariton (SPP) behavior is observed at the highest frequencies of the terahertz band. This paper shows a unified formulation that explains this transformation in the electromagnetic field behavior.This work has been partially supported by the Spanish government program TEC2010–17795, the CONSOLIDER CSD2008–00068, and a PhD grant from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Development of duplex real-time PCR for the detection of WSSV and PstDV1 in cultivated shrimp

BACKGROUND: The White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and Penaeus stylirostris penstyldensovirus 1 (previously named Infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus-IHHNV) are two of the most important viral pathogens of penaeid shrimp. Different methods have been applied for diagnosis of these viruses, including Real-time PCR (qPCR) assays. A duplex qPCR method allows the simultaneous detection of two viruses in the same sample, which is more cost-effective than assaying for each virus separately. Currently, an assay for the simultaneous detection of the WSSV and the PstDV1 in shrimp is unavailable. The aim of this study was to develop and standardize a duplex qPCR assay for the simultaneous detection of the WSSV and the PstDV1 in clinical samples of diseased L. vannamei. In addition, to evaluate the performance of two qPCR master mixes with regard to the clinical sensitivity of the qPCR assay, as well as, different methods for qPCR results evaluation. RESULTS: The duplex qPCR assay for detecting WSSV and PstDV1 in clinical samples was successfully standardized. No difference in the amplification of the standard curves was observed between the duplex and singleplex assays. Specificities and sensitivities similar to those of the singleplex assays were obtained using the optimized duplex qPCR. The analytical sensitivities of duplex qPCR were two copies of WSSV control plasmid and 20 copies of PstDV1 control plasmid. The standardized duplex qPCR confirmed the presence of viral DNA in 28 from 43 samples tested. There was no difference for WSSV detection using the two kits and the distinct methods for qPCR results evaluation. High clinical sensitivity for PstDV1 was obtained with TaqMan Universal Master Mix associated with relative threshold evaluation. Three cases of simultaneous infection by the WSSV and the PstDV1 were identified with duplex qPCR. CONCLUSION: The standardized duplex qPCR was shown to be a robust, highly sensitive, and feasible diagnostic tool for the simultaneous detection of the WSSV and the PstDV1 in whiteleg shrimp. The use of the TaqMan Universal Master Mix and the relative threshold method of data analysis in our duplex qPCR method provided optimal levels of sensitivity and specificity

Low-cost manufacturing by fused filament fabrication of microwave waveguide passive devices for space applications

Presentación en poster de impresión 3D de guias de onda

Novel dual-band single circular polarization antenna feeding network for satellite communications

In this paper a novel dual-band single circular polarization antenna feeding network for satellite communications is presented. The novel antenna feed chain1 is composed of two elements or subsystems, namely a diplexer and a bi-phase polarizer. In comparison with the classic topology based on an orthomode transducer and a dual-band polarizer, the proposed feed chain presents several advantages, such as compactness, modular design of the different components, broadband operation and versatility in the subsystems interconnection. The design procedure of this new antenna feed configuration is explained. Different examples of antenna feeding networks at 20/30 GHz are presented. It is pointed out the excellent results obtained in terms of isolation and axial ratio

Jacalones y permisos: la instalación de cinematógrafos entre 1898-1904

Explica la instalación de los cines ambulantes en las plazuelas de la ciudad de México en el periodo señalado. Se trata de los "jacalones", construcciones de madera y lona parecidas a las carpas circenses. La información procede del Archivo Histórico del Ex-Ayuntamiento de la ciudad de México. El entonces Ayuntamiento concedía los permisos de instalación a los nuevos empresarios de cine, siempre y cuando satisficieran ciertos requisitos reglamentarios y pagaran un gravamen. Pese a ser hoy prácticamente desconocidos, los peticionarios locales lograron que el cine se difundiera entre la gente del pueblo y no quedara confinado a los ámbitos de la aristocracia y la clase media porfirianas. Aquí se hace su relación y se comentan algunas de las circunstancias en que instalaron sus cinematógrafosThe text explains the installation of itinerant movies in the small squares of Mexico City, in the years indicated. They were knowned as the Jacalones (from "jacal", mexican rustic cabin), wtxxi and canvas buildings, similar as circus tents. The information prtx eeds from the Archivo Histórico del Ex-Ayuntamiento de la ciudad de Mexico. Tire former Ayuntamiento gave the licences to the new movie managers, under certains requeriments and the pay of a tribute. Eventhough they are practically unknown at the present time, their labor in the Jacalones achieve the spreading of cinema to the common people and, in these way, the invention scapes from the exclusive precints of Porfirian aristocracy and medium classes public. Tírese text includes a list of the jacalones and information about the particular conditions in which they were installed

El efecto del nivel de proteína y lípidos sobre la acción dinámica específica y la excreción postprandial en sub-adultos del camarón blanco Litopenaeus vannamei

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of 4 levels of dietary protein (20, 30, 40 and 50%) and lipids (2, 4, 8 and 16%) on the magnitude and duration of specific dynamic action (SDA) and postprandial nitrogen excretion in the subadult white shrimpLitopenaeus vannameiusing computer-controlled metabolic chambers (continuous-flow respirometer). We determined the oxygen consumption rate at 1 h intervals until the postprandial oxygen consumption rate returned to the pre-feeding level. Shrimp fed all the diets had significantly higher respiration rates after feeding due to the SDA. Oxygen consumption, the SDA coefficient and the SDA magnitude increased notably with increasing dietary protein content. Shrimp fed the 20% protein diet had the lowest levels of pre- and post-feeding respiration and the smallest SDA. A significant change in the SDA coefficient relative to each lipid level was not demonstrable. Additionally, nitrogenous excretion increased with an increase of dietary protein but not with an increase of lipid level. By estimating the SDA of subadults, the response to standard metabolic rate (SMR) was lower than that reported for juveniles and postlarva white shrimp

Herbage Accumulation and Mass in Massai Grass Plots Mixed with Forage Peanut and Fertilized with Nitrogen

The objective of this work was to evaluate herbage accumulation and mass during the growing season of Massai grass mixed with peanut forage and fertilized with nitrogen. The work was carried out at Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 11/2021 to 03/2022. A randomized block experimental design was used, in plots of Massai grass Megathyrsus maximus, in a factorial arrangement, with seven replications. Four treatments formed by the combination of the presence or absence of Archis pintoi and nitrogen fertilization (0 and 50 kg ha-1 of N). Canopy heights of the plots were evaluated weekly and when they reached values of about 50 cm two samples were collected and the total herbage accumulation and mass were calculated. The treatments without nitrogen fertilization and legume had the lowest herbage accumulation and mass (5,080 and 2,060 kg ha-1 of DM, respectively), when compared to the plots that had nitrogen fertilization and legume. The treatments with or without legume but with nitrogen fertilization had the same herbage accumulation and mass (9,775 and 2,630 kg ha-1 of DM, respectively). Thus, the presence of the legume resulted in greater herbage accumulation and mass in relation to those plots without legume and nitrogen fertilization. However, when nitrogen fertilization was performed no additive effect with the presence of the legume was observed, indicating that the nitrogen fertilization somehow inhibited the benefit of the legume on forage production. So, based on the short-term results obtained, the use of nitrogen fertilization or the use of forage peanuts should be done separately