Geographica: A Benchmark for Geospatial RDF Stores

Geospatial extensions of SPARQL like GeoSPARQL and stSPARQL have recently been defined and corresponding geospatial RDF stores have been implemented. However, there is no widely used benchmark for evaluating geospatial RDF stores which takes into account recent advances to the state of the art in this area. In this paper, we develop a benchmark, called Geographica, which uses both real-world and synthetic data to test the offered functionality and the performance of some prominent geospatial RDF stores

Selective CO Methanation in H₂-Rich Gas for Household Fuel Cell Applications

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are often used for household applications, utilizing hydrogen produced from natural gas from the gas grid. The hydrogen is thereby produced by steam reforming of natural gas followed by a water gas shift (WGS) unit. The H2-rich gas contains besides CO2 small amounts of CO, which deactivates the catalyst used in the PEMFCs. Preferential oxidation has so far been a reliable process to reduce this concentration but valuable H2 is also partly converted. Selective CO methanation considered as an attractive alternative. However, CO2 methanation consuming the valuable H2 has to be minimized. The modelling of selective CO methanation in a household fuel cell system is presented. The simulation was conducted for single and two-stage adiabatic fixed bed reactors (in the latter case with intermediate cooling), and the best operating conditions to achieve the required residual CO content (100 ppm) were calculated. This was done by varying the gas inlet temperature as well as the mass of the catalyst. The feed gas represented a reformate gas downstream of a typical WGS reaction unit (0.5%–1% CO, 10%–25% CO2, and 5%–20% H2O (rest H2))

Investigations into the production of natural fiber reinforcement

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 34).The purpose of this study is to investigate the benefits of adding natural fiber tensile reinforcement to aerated concrete. Concrete is a great composite material which can be created in various proportions and with various materials to alter its strength, density and porosity, amongst other properties. Concrete which is used commonly in construction of columns, beams, and slabs acts well in compression but fails under tension. The common solution is to reinforce the structure in areas where it experiences tension with steel. There are other materials besides steel which also take tension well. Natural fibers for example come in various strengths and types and would create lighter and perhaps more sustainable beam designs. Natural fibers have been used for their availability, workability, and high tensile strengths for centuries. This research discovers how the natural fibers distribute within the mixture and how they affect the aeration of the concrete, as well as how they affect the strength. Multiple samples are cured with different fiber types and in different proportions within the mixture. Furthermore, similar experimentation is conducted to discover an ideal ratio of aggregate to aerated concrete mix. The aggregate gives the concrete greater strength and economy, but could negatively affect the aeration. The various concrete mixes are poured and allowed to cure to maximum strength before indirect tensile tests and compression tests are conducted. The effects of creating smooth aerated concrete molds are also investigated. All experiments conducted are precursory to an ultimate tensile reinforced aerated concrete beam design with an aggregate mix and smooth surfaces.by Leonidia Maria Garbis.S.B