Design, commissioning and performance of a device to vary the turbulence in a recirculating flume

Ambient turbulent flow structures are one of the key drivers that will determine the rate of wake recovery downstream of tidal turbines. For second and third generation arrays or farms such a parameter is critical for the determination of inter-device spacing and the optimisation of energy extraction per unit surface area. At present offshore flow characterisation is dominated by seabed or surface-mounted diverging-beam acoustic Doppler profilers that whilst having a good spatial capture cannot characterise turbulent flow structures to the same accuracy as single point converging laboratory-scale velocimeters. So a paradox presently exists: We can measure the (mean) flow characteristics at real tidal energy sites but lack the ability to accuracy ascertain high-frequency flow characteristic at discrete spatial locations. This is possible at laboratory-scale with convergent-beam devices but as we do not know the real site conditions replication at small-scale can only be approximated. To date there has been few laboratory studies where the ambient flow turbulence has been varied. The standard method is to generate turbulence from a static structure such as a grid. Here we have developed an articulated rig that has the ability to oscillate cylindrical members along two axes in the flow upstream of tidal turbine models. Initial results presented in this paper show the effect upon the ambient flow that the turbulence-generating rig can impose and the effects upon wake dissipation for varying levels of turbulent length and time scales. Also the formation and insistence of turbulent structures shed from the device are reported. As expected increasing ambient turbulence intensity serves to dissipate the turbine wake more rapidly and whilst we cannot directly relate these laboratory flow characteristics to full-scale tidal energy sites at present it is hoped that offshore measurement technology and that of laboratory replication can converge so that device performance prediction can be performed at smaller-scale and at a corresponding lower cost to the technology

Performance quantification of tidal turbines subjected to dynamic loading

The behaviour of Tidal Stream Turbines (TST) in the dynamic flow field caused by waves and rotor misalignment to the incoming flow (yaw) is currently poorly understood. The dynamic loading applied to the turbine could drive the structural design of the power capture and support subsystems, device size and its proximity to the water surface and sea bed. In addition, the strongly bi directional nature of the flow encountered at many tidal energy sites may lead to devices omitting yaw drives; accepting the additional dynamic loading associated with rotor misalignment and reduced power production in return for a reduction in capital cost. For such a design strategy it is imperative to quantify potential unsteady rotor loads so that the TST device design accommodates the inflow conditions and avoids an unacceptable increase in maintenance action or, more seriously, suffers sudden structural failure. The experiments presented as part of this work were conducted using a 1:20th scale 3-bladed horizontal axis TST at a large towing tank facility. The turbine had the capability to measure rotor thrust and torque, blade root strain, azimuthal position and speed. The maximum outof- plane bending moment was found to be as much as 9.5 times the in-plane bending moment, within the range of experiments conducted. A maximum loading range of 175% of the median out-of-plane bending moment and 100% of the median in-plane bending moment was observed for a turbine test case with zero yaw, scaled wave height of 2m and intrinsic wave period of 12.8s. A Blade Element Momentum (BEM) numerical model has been developed and modified to account for wave motion and yawed flow effects. This model includes a new dynamic inflow correction which is shown to be in close agreement with the measured experimental loads. The gravitational component was significant to the experimental in-plane blade bending moment and was included in the BEM model. Steady yaw loading on an individual blade was found to be negligible in comparison to wave loading (for the range of experiments conducted), but becomes important for the turbine rotor as a whole, reducing power capture and rotor thrust

Further nomenclature and chemical notes on Pseudocyphellaria in New Zealand

Nomenclatural notes on the following taxa are provided: Pseudocyphellaria billardierii, P. carpoloma, P. faveolata, P. rufovirescens and P. subvariabilis. Detailed chemical profiles are given for all described species of Pseudocyphellaria in New Zealand. Pseudocyphellaria ardesiaca, P. degelii, P. durietzii, P. fimbriata, P. fimbriatoides, P. gretae, P. knightii, P. maculata and P. sericeofulva spp. nov. are described for the first time

Determinação da concentração alveolar mínima do isofluorano em catetos (Tayassu tajacu)

A anestesia inalatória vem sendo amplamente difundida na medicina veterinária, no entanto seu uso em animais selvagens ainda é restrito, não sendo observado nenhum estudo referente à sua utilização na espécie Tayassu tajacu. O objetivo da pesquisa foi determinar a concentração alveolar mínima (CAM) do isofluorano em catetos e apresentar os efeitos desta administração sobre as variáveis hemodinâmicas e respiratórias, como também a qualidade da recuperação anestésica. Utilizou-se 10 animais, machos, com idade variando de 1 a 3 anos oriundos do Centro de Multiplicação de Animais Silvestres da Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Brasil. Todos os animais tiveram anestesia induzida com 7mg.kg-1 de propofol e posteriormente foram conectados a circuito anestésico com isofluorano e oxigênio 100%. O estímulo noceptivo supramáximo adotado foi pinçamento interdigital, o qual era realizado após 15 minutos de espera para cada concentração de isofluorano fornecida. Ao ser observada resposta negativa frente ao estímulo a concentração era reduzida em 20%, quando verificada resposta positiva o estímulo era cessado, calculando-se a partir daí o valor da CAM. Observou-se dados quantitativos e qualitativos referentes à recuperação. Utilizou-se o teste de normalidade de Shapiro Wilk e de homogeneidade de variânica de Levene, as variáveis avaliadas foram submetidas à One Way ANOVA-RM para medidas repetidas, seguidas por Teste Tukey, sendo os dados expressos em média e desvio padrão. A CAM do isofluorano foi de 2,4%, sendo a CAM cirúrgica igual a 3,5%. Observou-se ação depressiva do isofluorano sobre a pressão arterial, frequência cardíaca e respiratória quando comparada a média dessas variáveis para animais acordados, entretanto durante a manutenção anestésica mantiveram-se estáveis. Observou-se acidose metabólica no período pré-anestésico o qual foi compensado após a realização da anestesia inalatória. A recuperação anestésica foi tranquila e rápida. Concluiu-se que a CAM do isofluorano para catetos foi maior que a observada em espécies afins. O isofluorano pode ser utilizado nesta espécie, sendo considerado seguro e eficaz. A recuperação dos animais após anestesia com isofluorano foi livre de excitação

A search for resonances decaying into a Higgs boson and a new particle X in the XH → qqbb final state with the ATLAS detector

A search for heavy resonances decaying into a Higgs boson (H) and a new particle (X) is reported, utilizing 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data at collected during 2015 and 2016 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The particle X is assumed to decay to a pair of light quarks, and the fully hadronic final state is analysed. The search considers the regime of high XH resonance masses, where the X and H bosons are both highly Lorentz-boosted and are each reconstructed using a single jet with large radius parameter. A two-dimensional phase space of XH mass versus X mass is scanned for evidence of a signal, over a range of XH resonance mass values between 1 TeV and 4 TeV, and for X particles with masses from 50 GeV to 1000 GeV. All search results are consistent with the expectations for the background due to Standard Model processes, and 95% CL upper limits are set, as a function of XH and X masses, on the production cross-section of the resonance

Quantifying wave and yaw effects on a scale tidal stream turbine

The behaviour of Tidal Stream Turbines (TST) in the dynamic flow field caused by waves and rotor misalignment to the incoming flow (yaw) is currently unclear. The dynamic loading applied to the turbine could drive the structural design of the power capture and support subsystems, device size and its proximity to the water surface and sea bed. In addition, the strongly bi-directional nature of the flow encountered at many tidal energy sites may lead to devices omitting yaw drives; accepting the additional dynamic loading associated with rotor misalignment and reduced power production in return for a reduction in device capital cost. Therefore it is imperative to quantify potential unsteady rotor loads so that the TST device design accommodates the inflow conditions and avoids an unacceptable increase in maintenance action or, more seriously, suffers sudden structural failure. The experiments presented in this paper were conducted using a 1:20th scale 3-bladed horizontal axis TST at a large towing tank facility. The turbine had the capability to measure rotor thrust and torque whilst one blade was instrumented to acquire blade root strain, azimuthal position and rotational speed all at high frequency. The maximum out-of-plane bending moment was found to be as much as 9.5 times the in-plane bending moment. A maximum loading range of 175% of the median out-of-plane bending moment and 100% of the median in-plane bending moment was observed for a turbine test case with zero rotor yaw, scaled wave height of 2 m and intrinsic wave period of 12.8 s. A new tidal turbine-specific Blade-Element Momentum (BEM) numerical model has been developed to account for wave motion and yawed flow effects. This model includes a new dynamic inflow correction which is shown to be in close agreement with the measured experimental loads. The gravitational component was significant to the experimental in-plane blade bending moment and was also included in the BEM model. Steady loading on an individual blade at positive yaw angles was found to be negligible in comparison to wave loading (for the range of experiments conducted), but becomes important for the turbine rotor as a whole, reducing power capture and rotor thrust. The inclusion of steady yaw effects (using the often-applied skewed axial inflow correction) in a BEM model should be neglected when waves are present or will result in poor load prediction reflected by increased loading amplitude in the 1P (once per revolution) phase

Studies of a scale tidal turbine in close proximity to waves

The understanding of wave-current interaction is of increasing interest in the field of coastal and offshore engineering. An area where wave-current interaction is likely to be an important factor is in the development of Marine Current Energy Converters (MCECs). Little has been done to investigate the behaviour of MCECs in unsteady flow caused by wave motion and close proximity of the device to the structure. The additional forces applied to the blades through the action of the waves could very well dictate the structural design of blades as well as the proximity to the water surface. The forces applied to the blades from waves will not be perpendicular to the blades as with marine currents. The forces will be composed of a more complex circular motion. This repeating oscillation will place additional strain on blades, but if the magnitude of this can be quantified it may permit optimised MCEC devices to be placed nearer to the sea surface allowing manufactures to use larger blade diameters to maximise energy extractio

Multi-method characterization of low-level radioactive waste at two Sandia National Laboratories environmental restoration sites

This paper discusses the application of multiple characterization methods to radioactive wastes generated by the Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM) Environmental Restoration (ER) Project during the excavation of buried materials at the Classified Waste Landfill (CWLF) and the Radioactive Waste Landfill (RWL). These waste streams include nuclear weapon components and other refuse that are surface contaminated or contain sealed radioactive sources with unknown radioactivity content. Characterization of radioactive constituents in RWL and CWLF waste has been problematic, due primarily to the lack of documented characterization data prior to burial. A second difficulty derives from the limited information that ER project personnel have about weapons component design and testing that was conducted in the early days of the Cold War. To reduce the uncertainties and achieve the best possible waste characterization, the ER Project has applied both project-specific and industry-standard characterization methods that, in combination, serve to define the types and quantities of radionuclide constituents in the waste. The resulting characterization data have been used to develop waste profiles for meeting disposal site waste acceptance criteria

Geological and hydrochemical sensitivity of the eastern United States to acid precipitation

A new analysis of bedrock geology maps of the eastern US constitutes a simple model for predicting areas which might be impacted by acid precipitation and it allows much greater resolution for detecting sensitivity than has previously been available for the region. Map accuracy has been verified by examining current alkalinities and pH's of waters in several test states, including Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Virginia and North Carolina. In regions predicted to be highly sensitive, alkalinities in upstream sites were generally low. Many areas of the eastern US are pinpointed in which some of the surface waters, especially upstream reaches, may be sensitive to acidification. Pre-1970 data were compared to post-1975 data, revealing marked declines in both alkalinity and pH of sensitive waters of two states tested, North Carolina, where pH and alkalinity have decreased in 80% of 38 streams and New Hampshire, where pH in 90% of 49 streams and lakes has decreased since 1949. These sites are predicted to be sensitive by the geological map on the basis of their earlier alkalinity values. The map is to be improved by the addition of a soils component