Peru's ancient water systems can help protect communities from shortages caused by climate change

Water is essential for human life, but in many parts of the world water supplies are under threat from more extreme, less predictable weather conditions due to climate change. Nowhere is this clearer than in the Peruvian Andes, where rising temperatures and receding glaciers forewarn of imminent water scarcity for the communities that live there.Throwing money and resources into engineering projects does not always guarantee success when trying to combat the effects of climate change and protect vulnerable communities. But the marriage of ancient and modern technologies offers promising solutions to the threat of water scarcity in Peru, and places like it all across the world.Fil: Conlon, Susan. University of Bristol; Reino UnidoFil: Lane, Kevin John. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Arqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Design and Approach of a Storm Runoff Investigation at Selected South Carolina Department of Transportation Maintenance Yards

2010 S.C. Water Resources Conference - Science and Policy Challenges for a Sustainable Futur

Impacts on the Electrical System Economics from Critical Design Factors of Wave Energy Converters and Arrays

It is expected that ultimately, like offshore wind farms, electrical systems will make up to a quarter of the overall Capex of wave farms. This is a significant element of cost and consideration must be taken in the design of both individual wave energy converters (WECs) and arrays of WECs to ensure that these costs can be minimised. In a worst case scenario design decisions could increase the cost of the electrical system by several orders and ultimately make the technology uncompetitive. This paper outlines the impacts on the cost of the electrical system arising from design factors of WECs and WEC arrays or wave farms. The paper uses a cost model to examine the impact to the cost of WEC array electrical systems caused by changing of key design factors. The design factors examined include WEC unit rating, capacity factor, interface to the electrical network, array spacing, export voltage, array design, site selection, export distance, and WEC dynamic response. All of these design factors have an impact on the economics of the electrical system and hence the economics of the wave farm as a whole. The paper concludes that there are some critical design choices which should be avoided if a cost-effective wave farm is to be established. It is also concluded that some design choices could ultimately reduce the overall Capex of WEC arrays enhancing their competiveness

Evaluation of Four Structural Best Management Practices for Highway Runoff in Beaufort and Colleton Counties, South Carolina, 2005-2006

2008 S.C. Water Resources Conference - Addressing Water Challenges Facing the State and Regio

The Domestic and Export Market for Large Scale Wave Energy in Ireland and the Economics of Export Transmission

Ireland is on track to meet its 2020 renewable energy targets with over 2 GW of onshore wind installed in the all island market as of 2013, and a multiple of this capacity in various stages of planning and development. It is currently unclear how much of this potential capacity will ultimately be installed but it has become clear that the wind industry in Ireland will change focus to export opportunities post 2020. This presents some interesting challenges for wave energy in Ireland. There is some early activity in the installation of wave farms off the west coast of Ireland and it is evident that the potential resource is extremely large. This wave resource is concentrated on the west coast of Ireland, remote of domestic load centres and export markets. To fully exploit this resource the wave energy industry may ultimately depend on the export market opportunity due to limited domestic demand. This paper examines the domestic potential for wave energy penetration and the benefits this may bring. It is concluded that there is a potential domestic market for wave energy in Ireland with the right conditions, although this market may be limited. Ultimately it is concluded that large scale wave energy may require a transmission route to an export market and this will be challenging and expensive, requiring the use o

Phase I study of single agent NIZ985, a recombinant heterodimeric IL-15 agonist, in adult patients with metastatic or unresectable solid tumors

BACKGROUND: NIZ985 is a recombinant heterodimer of physiologically active interleukin (IL-)15 and IL-15 receptor alpha. In preclinical models, NIZ985 promotes cytotoxic lymphocyte proliferation, killing function, and organ/tumor infiltration, with resultant anticancer effects. In this first-in-human study, we assessed the safety, pharmacokinetics, and immune effects of NIZ985 in patients with metastatic or unresectable solid tumors. METHODS: Single agent NIZ985 dose escalation data are reported from a phase I dose escalation/expansion study of NIZ985 as monotherapy. Adult patients (N=14) received 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 or 4 µg/kg subcutaneous NIZ985 three times weekly (TIW) for the first 2 weeks of each 28-day cycle, in an accelerated 3+3 dose escalation trial design. IL-15 and endogenous cytokines were monitored by ELISA and multiplexed electrochemiluminescent assays. Multiparameter flow cytometry assessed the frequency, phenotype and proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Preliminary antitumor activity was assessed by overall response rate (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors V.1.1). RESULTS: As of March 2, 2020, median treatment duration was 7.5 weeks (range 1.1-77.1). Thirteen patients had discontinued and one (uveal melanoma) remains on treatment with stable disease. Best clinical response was stable disease (3 of 14 patients; 21%). The most frequent adverse events (AEs) were circular erythematous injection site reactions (100%), chills (71%), fatigue (57%), and fever (50%). Treatment-related grade 3/4 AEs occurred in six participants (43%); treatment-related serious AEs (SAEs) in three (21%). The per-protocol maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Pharmacokinetic accumulation of serum IL-15 in the first week was followed by significantly lower levels in week 2, likely due to more rapid cytokine consumption by an expanding lymphocyte pool. NIZ985 treatment was associated with increases in several cytokines, including interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-18, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10, and tumor necrosis factor-β, plus significant induction of cytotoxic lymphocyte proliferation (including natural killer and CD8 CONCLUSIONS: Subcutaneous NIZ985 TIW was generally well tolerated in patients with advanced cancer and produced immune activation paralleling preclinical observations, with induction of IFN-γ and proliferation of cytotoxic lymphocytes. Due to delayed SAEs at the two highest dose levels, administration is being changed to once-weekly in a revised protocol, as monotherapy and combined with checkpoint inhibitor spartalizumab. These alterations are expected to maximize the potential of NIZ985 as a novel immunotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02452268

Protection of DVR against short circuit faults at the load side

An additional control scheme has been proposed in this paper for a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR), to protect it against load short circuit conditions. When overcurrents occur in the distribution system, under the proposed scheme the DVR reverses its injected voltage polarity so as to minimise the current flow. The detection method is based on impedance measurement feedback. The advantage of the scheme is that no additional over current device or protection is required for the DVR and it is easy to implement. The proposed control scheme has been validated through simulation

Maximising Value of Electrical Networks for Wave Energy Converter Arrays

Currently there are the beginnings of a commercial wave energy industry and the ultimate ambition will be to deploy Wave Energy Converters (WECs) in arrays, or wave farms, in a similar fashion to offshore wind. These arrays will require electrical networks to collect and export the generated electrical power to shore and onto the electrical grid. For large scale wind farms the inter-array and export electrical networks can represent more than 20% of the project’s capital expenditure. Submarine power cables account for a large proportion of this cost. The same is expected to be the same for WEC arrays. This paper investigates strategies to reduce the cost of WEC array electrical networks by maximising the value of the network. The paper explores the possibility of underrating and dynamically rating the electrical array and export cable systems for WEC arrays in order to assess the cost savings that can be made. This paper will also look at a simulated WEC array power output time series. The aim is to establish whether the electrical equipment, particularly submarine cables, will operate outside its design parameters if under-rated based on maximum continuous current. This paper also investigates the WEC capacity factor effect on the overall economics of the array electrical system. It is concluded that cost savings could be made in the electrical network by utilising one, or a combination of, the outlined strategies. Understanding the potential benefits and applications of these strategies will assist in delivering cost effective WEC arrays in the future

Rating requirements of a unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) for voltage ride through capability enhancement

The problem of voltage ride through capability of fixed speed wind generation as a result of voltage sags is examined by means of a simulation study. The role of a Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC), which provides both shunt and series compensation, in enhancing the ride through capability is investigated under both full and partial voltage restoration. Results of a study to identify the minimum rating requirements to ensure stability are presented

Resource-induced voltage flicker for wave energy converters – assessment tools

For wave energy converters, the input resource has a typical period of 5–20 s depending on the site location and dominant seastates. Wave energy converters generally produce mechanical power twice per wave cycle and therefore depending on the storage available, the electrical power output has half the period of the input resource. These regular power changes induce a voltage change at the point of connection (POC) which is proportional to the amplitude of the power change and at the same frequency. Therefore the coupling of the input resource to the output power of a wave energy converter will cause voltage flicker at the POC, which may exceed the permitted limits under specific conditions. This study establishes the nature of the flicker issue from wave energy converters. Some practical tools for the evaluation of flicker from a device are introduced. These tools are suitable for early stage flicker assessment to assist in the design process only. They are not meant of substitutes for existing codes and standards which are outlined in this study. This study concludes that wave energy converters may exceed flicker emission limits as a result of the coupling of the resource to the output power, and this may be particularly severe when connected to weak grids. Some potential strategies for overcoming this problem are presented also