Optimisation of Aircraft Cost Indices to Reduce Fuel Use

Fuel use in aviation is burdening the industry owing to its expense and worries about carbon dioxide emissions. With limited technological solutions for aircraft, small improvements in fuel efficiency are becoming increasingly important. Cost Index (CI) is a tool which controls the speed of an aircraft and therefore overall fuel use. Although the concept is simple, balancing fuel costs and time-dependent costs it is subject to misuse. This study aims to evaluate how the correct use of CI can affect fuel use and carbon emissions and assess the barriers and measures that are needed in finding the optimal CI value. A range of CI values are modelled for six different aircraft types to assess the difference in flight time and fuel use, before costs are modelled for a B767-300ER. Real aircraft data is used to validate results and provide an insight into the practical flight considerations that are required when using the CI. Results show that although changing CI values may only result in small changes in fuel use of around 1%, when this is applied over a route, an airline and the whole industry the fuel and carbon savings are significant. It is concluded that CI needs to be considered as an important tool and much better understanding of its use is needed along with factors, such as carbon pricing, which will affect its use in the future

Modelling and simulation of a novel Electrical Energy Storage (EES) Receiver for Solar Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) power plants

In this paper, the mathematical modelling of a novel Electrical Energy Storage (EES) Receiver for Solar Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) is presented. The EES receiver is essentially a Heat Collecting Element (HCE) with built in storage in the form of thermal batteries such as the Sodium Sulphur (NaS) battery. The conceptual design and mathematical models describing the operation of the receiver are presented along with important results of model validation. When held under adiabatic conditions (a primary indicator of model validity), results were highly consistent with established PTC, models and with National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, USA) experimental data for existing SCHOTT PTR-70 and Solel UVAC3 receiver tubes, currently being used in existing PTC power plants

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Types of packaging waste from secondary sources (supermarkets) – The situation in the UK

Packaging waste is a contributing factor to the large quantity of waste that is sent to landfill in the UK. This research focuses on waste from the secondary packaging sector in the UK. In particular, supermarkets were investigated as they supply a large section of consumers with their grocery and other requirements and generate high quantities of packaging waste due to the high turnover within the store. In general, supermarkets use either metal cages or wooden pallets to transport products from depot to store. Investigation shows that packaging waste produced when using the wooden pallets is greater than for metal cages but the use of wooden pallets allows for greater versatility when in the store. The type of transit packaging used depends on what the products are initially packaged in and how the supermarket supply chain works. All cardboard and high-grade plastic is recycled but, depending on the facilities at the stores, the low-grade plastic can be recycled as well. This paper details types of packaging used within the supermarket secondary packaging sector and how waste can be reduced. To reduce the amount of packaging waste produced by the supermarkets, the products will have to be wrapped differently by the producers so that less packaging is needed in transit

Tailings management facility topography modelling to identify flow accumulations and pond geometry

Water management is one of the key parameters influencing the stability of a tailings storage facility. Most conventional impoundment failures have occurred because of incorrect water management leading to loss of freeboard and eventual overtopping. These events normally occur during or after storms or when there is a rapid ingress of water into the impoundment (e.g. upstream snow/ice melts). For conventional tailings facilities with uneven beaches a rise in the supernatant pond can cause localised freeboard loss increasing the risk of overtopping. Attempts have been made in the past to try and model the surface of a tailings facility mainly by using photogrammetry and LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR). For thickened and paste storage facilities the low elevation areas of the deposit can be determined to establish future discharge flow paths, areas of acid generating tailings that require cover and the current volume of the tailings that are currently stored. This paper presents a realistic technique that can be used on conventional, thickened and paste tailings facilities to model the topography and accurately determine water and tailings volumes. Using Geographical Information System (GIS) software a conventional tailings impoundment can be modelled to determine available water storage volumes and the areas that have the lowest freeboard and are more susceptible to overtopping

The Path Of Packaging Waste In The Secondary Sector

The secondary packaging sector specified in various UK legislation states that a large sector of secondary packaging originates from supermarkets. This paper examines how supermarkets deal with secondary packaging waste that encourage recycling. Supermarkets generally have a policy to recycle cardboard, paper and plastic. Packaging is returned to a central depot and this is where the recycling or bailing occurs. Each supermarket chain has its own policy on recycling and waste disposal based on Government guidelines. Anecdotal evidence suggests that manufacturers of typical supermarket products take little interest in to what supermarkets do with their secondary packaging. This paper presents the current UK situation as to the path of supermarket packaging waste. Keywords: packaging waste, secondary sector, supermarket, recycling, re-use. 1 Introduction In the UK alone there is in the region of 400 million tonnes of waste (Chameleon Net [1]), produced each year and a quarter of which is from households, commercial and industry. The remainder is made up of construction and demolition wastes, mining and agricultural wastes, sewage sludge and dredge spoils. This is shown in Figure 1. The most favoured option for disposal of waste is to place it in landfill sites. Recently this option has been questioned as to being the best option as available landfill sites are becoming scarce. In 2003 there were around 2,300 landfills (Environment Agency [3]), and each one was in the region of 28,000 hectares, which in perspective is less than 0.2% of the land of England and Wales

A Low Cost Local Level PV Panel Assembly Process Targeted at Rural Energy Supply in Developing Nations

There is a huge potential to utilise solar power in developing nations, however the expensive nature of solar panels is preventing this market growth at the local level. Widely available and low cost materials and methods are imperative for solar panel assembly for rural energy supply if the mass uptake of Photovoltaic (PV) in developing nations is to be realised. In this research a novel and inexpensive assembly for PV panels using commercial silicon PV cells was developed using alternative materials and techniques. The panels were subjected to laboratory testing in Leeds, UK and field testing in Gwalior, India. The materials used for the assembly were polyethylene terepthalate (PET), for encapsulating the solar cell, and polycarbonate (PC) sheet, for the facing and backing of the panel. The aim was to demonstrate that the cheaper encapsulation technique and materials do not affect solar panel efficiency compared to more common ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and glass fabricated panels and commercial solar panels. We are able to show that a solar panel assembled with PET and PC produces similar results in terms of power and efficiency to the standard assembly method using EVA and glass. As well as competing with current panel assembly the solar panels used in this research are cheap and simple to make, making them suitable for rural energy supply

Equipment Selection for High Selective Excavation Surface Coal Mining

The choice of which mining method to use at many large surface coal mines is often dicated by what machinery is available or what experience the mine management can offer. One of the most significant surface coal mines in Turkey is owned and operated by the Turkish National Coal Board, located to the west of the city of Kütahya. The Seyitömer Lignite Enterprise (SLE) extracts low quality coal, the majority of which is supplied to an adjacent power station. The coal seems at SLE contain bands of ash which under normal mining conditions are extracted with the coal. This increases the ash content of the run of mine coal and results in lower efficiency at the power station and financial penalties for SLE. In this paper, therefore, selection of the best possible equipment and production method was identified to achieve high selective mining at SLE. The research found that two different high selective mining methods were suitable for selective excavation of the B3 seam, which were hydraulic excavator and truck and surface miner and truck combinations. It was also found that high selective excavation could provide the desired coal quality at 52% lower costs when the whole process (excavation, transportation, processing, etc.) was considered

Experimental Investigation of Heat Removal Factor in Solar Flat Plate Collector for Various Flow Configurations

This paper reports the performance of a solar flat plate collector for various flow configurations and presents a comparative evaluation. Three cases have been discussed: (i) serpentine flow, (ii) parallel-wall-to-wall flow, and (iii) spiral flow. The heat removal factor (FR) is the ratio of the actual heat transfer to the maximum possible heat transfer through the collector plate. A special case showing the effect of phase change material (PCM) on FR in the case of serpentine is discussed. A sheet-and-tube type collector where the tubes are bonded to the absorber plate by a suitable adhesive is considered. Equations showing the dependence of FR on the fin factor were studied and indoor experiments were conducted to determine the value of FR. Finally, a numerical investigation was done and comparisons were evaluated. Results indicate that when the mass flow rate (⋅m) of water is 1, the value of FR for serpentine and parallel wall-to-wall flow is 0.44 and 0.88, respectively. It was also observed that for the case of PCM, FR is a variable quantity and its value ranges from 0 to 0.28. In this case, FR is a function of the PCM melting and solidifying phases rather than mass flow and is proportional to the melting temperature of the PCM. Also, it is observed that in a conventional water heater with serpentine flow or parallel wall-to-wall flow, the value of FR does not increase significantly beyond a mass flow rate (⋅m) of 4 kg/hr