Power Plant Economic Analysis: Maximizing Lifecycle Profitability by Simulating Preliminary Design Solutions of Steam-Cycle Conditions

Many existing financial models for power plants chose a design based on the maximum thermal efficiency excluding the operational (OPEX) and capital (CAPEX) cost variations of technical factors. These factors are often fixed because including them in financial assessments can be burdensome and it is assumed that maximum efficiency equals maximum profit. However, this assumption may not always be right. Through 19,440 power plant steam-cycle design solutions and their associated OPEX and CAPEX, this study found the eighth most thermally-efficient solution to be $1.284 M more profitable than the traditional thermally-optimized design solution. As such, this paper presents a model incorporating technical factors through parametric estimation by minimizing the burden on decision makers. While this may reduce precision, it allows for quick cost assessments across differing design solutions. The data for model development was collected from a Korean-constructed, operational 600 MW coal-fired power plant in the Philippines. Using the Thermoflex software, nearly all design configurations' heat rate outputs are simulated. Profitability is then optimized based on the resultant design configuration's impact on revenue and CAPEX and OPEX costs. The simulation inputs included variables found to be most impactful on the steam generated power efficiency per existing literature. Lastly, the model includes an assessment of cost impacts among recent environmental regulations by incorporating carbon tax costs and a sensitivity analysis. The economic analysis model discussed in this paper is non-existent in current literature and will aid the power-plant project investment industry through their project feasibility analyses.112sciescopu

Diversity and Survival of Macrofauna associated with a Non-Native Foundational Species

Through globalization and increased anthropogenic movement, many non-native foundation species have established across the world. These foundation species have impacted ecological communities in myriad of ways, including but not limited to reducing native biodiversity, changing biogeochemistry, and altering physical environment. Marine macroalgae, or seaweeds, are one of the major groups of foundational species in coastal habitats throughout the world. Seaweeds play vital roles as ecosystem engineers by provide valuable habitat for macrofauna and protect their associated communities from thermal stress. Many seaweeds around the world’s coastlines are also non-native, and some species have transformed native habitat by bringing novel structural complexity. The red seaweed Gracilara vermiculophylla, native to northwestern Pacific, has invaded much of the temperate estuarine ecosystems in Northern Hemisphere. Along the U.S. East Coast, this seaweed has physically transformed soft-sediment habitats by providing complex three-dimensional structure, thus providing refuge, shelter, and microhabitats for native macroinvertebrates. I approached this study with three chapters to understand 1) the biogeographic patterns of free-living and parasitic macroinvertebrates associated with G. vermiculophylla along the U.S. east coast, 2) survivability of macroinvertebrate in habitats with G. vermiculophylla presence coupled with rising seawater temperatures, and 3) comparisons of macroinvertebrate diversity between G. vermiculophylla and the native foundational species, seagrasses. For the first chapter, I sampled G. vermiculophylla thalli, its associated free-living and parasitic macroinvertebrates, and the abiotic environmental parameters along the U.S. east coast, from South Carolina to New Hampshire in May-August 2019, spanning across three biogeographic regions. Using Generalized Linear Mixed Model, I found that biogeographic region, site, G. vermiculophylla biomass, and the interaction of biogeographic region with G. vermiculophylla appeared in top models for free-living macroinvertebrates’ response variables (abundance, richness, and diversity). For parasitic invertebrates, I found that according to Generalized Linear Models, G. vermiculophylla biomass was the predictor appearing top performing model for parasitic prevalence and richness, while biogeographic region was the sole predictor in a top performing model for parasitic diversity. For the second chapter, from February-March 2021 I conducted a lab experiment with Ilyanassa obsoleta snail on its survivability in habitats with G. vermiculophylla presence and rising seawater temperature, with focus on North Carolina. The eastern mudsnail Ilyanassa obsoleta co-occurs with G. vermiculophylla throughout much of the east coast, and highly abundant, making this invertebrate an ideal study organism. I tested survivability of I. obsoleta at three seawater temperatures (27, 32, and 36 oC) in two habitat treatments (with and without G. vermiculophylla) for three weeks, two trials each. I found that I. obsoleta mortality was greatest in 36 oC, followed by 32 and 27 oC. I also found that mortality of I. obsoleta was higher in G. vermiculophylla habitat treatment than without the seaweed, and found that infected I. obsoleta perished faster at higher temperatures. Furthermore, we found that oxygen diminished faster in habitats with G. vermiculophylla at higher temperatures, which suggests that the interaction of non-native seaweed and seawater temperature rise can possibly create anoxic conditions. For the final chapter, I collected free-living macroinvertebrates associated with the non-native foundational species (G. vermiculophylla) and native foundational species (seagrasses) that co-occurs in North Carolina coastlines. Seagrasses play critical role as primary producers in coastlines and provide valuable habitat for many macroinvertebrates. North Carolina coastlines are unique because it is the only region in the western Atlantic coast where two species of seagrasses, the eelgrass (Zostera marina) and shoalgrass (Halodule wrightii) co-occur. I sampled multiple replicates of G. vermiculophylla thalli, fronds of seagrasses, and their associated macroinvertebrates from May-July 2021. Overall, I found that macroinvertebrate abundances were higher in the non-native G. vermiculophylla than seagrasses. Within seagrass species comparisons, I found that macroinvertebrate richness was higher in Z. marina than H. wrightii suggesting that some seagrasses may provider habitats of higher quality. Along the U.S. East Coast, G vermiculophylla can accommodate diverse assemblage of macroinvertebrates. Patterns of macroinvertebrates may vary depending on the G. vermiculophylla biomass and biogeographic regions. However, G. vermiculophylla may be capable of generating habitats with low-oxygen levels with high seawater temperature, thereby potentially harming native macroinvertebrates in environments with thermal stress. Finally, G. vermiculophylla may accommodate greater abundances of macroinvertebrates than native foundational species, but it is important to recognize that seaweeds and seagrasses serve different roles in coastal ecosystems. As G. vermiculophylla continues to transform coastal habitats, it is important to continue monitoring macroinvertebrate to better understand how these communities and other organisms in the coastal food web are affected by this foundational non-native species

Putative cell adhesion membrane protein Vstm5 regulates neuronal morphology and migration in the central nervous system

During brain development, dynamic changes in neuronal membranes perform critical roles in neuronal morphogenesis and migration to create functional neural circuits. Among the proteins that induce membrane dynamics, cell adhesion molecules are important in neuronal membrane plasticity. Here, we report that V-set and transmembrane domain-containing protein 5 (Vstm5), a cell-adhesion-like molecule belonging to the Ig superfamily, was found in mouse brain. Knock-down of Vstm5 in cultured hippocampal neurons markedly reduced the complexity of dendritic structures, as well as the number of dendritic filopodia. Vstm5 also regulates neuronal morphology by promoting dendritic protrusions that later develop into dendritic spines. Using electroporationin utero, we found that Vstm5 overexpression delayed neuronal migration and induced multiple branches in leading processes during corticogenesis. These results indicate that Vstm5 is a new cell-adhesion-like molecule and is critically involved in synaptogenesis and corticogenesis by promoting neuronal membrane dynamics.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTNeuronal migration and morphogenesis play critical roles in brain development and function. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that V-set and transmembrane domain-containing protein 5 (Vstm5), a putative cell adhesion membrane protein, modulates both the position and complexity of central neurons by altering their membrane morphology and dynamics. Vstm5 is also one of the target genes responsible for variations in patient responses to treatments for major depressive disorder. Our results provide the first evidence that Vstm5 is a novel factor involved in the modulation of the neuronal membrane and a critical element in normal neural circuit formation during mammalian brain development.</jats:p