Drought influence over radial growth of Mexican conifers inhabiting mesic and xeric sites

Drought is a major constraint of forest productivity and tree growth across diverse habitat types. In this study, we investigated the drought responses of four conifer species growing within two locations of differing elevation and climatic conditions in northern Mexico. Two species were selected at a mesic site (Cupressus lusitanica Mill., Abies durangensis Martínez) and the other two species were sampled at a xeric site (Pinus engelmannii Carr., Pinus cembroides Zucc.). Using a dendrochronological approach, we correlated the radial-growth series of each species and the climatic variables. All study species positively responded to wet-cool conditions during winter and spring. Despite the close proximity of species at a mesic site, A. durangensis had high responsiveness to hydroclimatic variability, but C. lusitanica was not responsive. At the xeric site, P. engelmannii and P. cembroides were very responsive to drought severity, differentiated only by the longer time scale of the response to accumulated drought of P. engelmannii. The responsiveness to hydroclimate and drought of these tree species seems to be modulated by site conditions, or by the functional features of each species that are still little explored. These findings indicate that differentiating between mesic and xeric habitats is a too coarse approach in diverse forests with a high topographic heterogeneity.Fil: Pompa García, Marín. Universidad Juárez; MéxicoFil: González Cásares, Marcos. Universidad Juárez; MéxicoFil: Acosta Hernández, Andrea C.. Universidad Juárez; MéxicoFil: Camarero, Jesús Julio. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología; EspañaFil: Rodriguez Catón, Milagros Rocío. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; Argentin

Modelling and assessment of the combined technical impact of electric vehicles and photovoltaic generation in radial distribution systems

Photovoltaics (PVs) provide new opportunities for radial distribution systems (RDSs) that feed electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs). However, the accurate assessment of the combined technical impact is problematic because of the uncertainties of sources/loads. In previous research, we developed a technique to assess the impact of generation. This new study presents a general analytical technique (GAT) that evaluates the combined impact for an extended time frame. Specifically, the GAT effectively assesses the fulfilment of technical requirements for weekly RDS operating variables as specified in regulations. As our main objective is to improve the assessment accuracy of the EV and PV interaction in RDSs, the weekly assessment was extended to a one-year time period, during which it is possible to capture the total uncertainty. Also, correlation of input variables is handled. The computational cost of the GAT is lower than that associated with Monte-Carlo simulation, which is used to confirm the GAT accuracy. Although the results focus on an RDS located in Spain, GAT is applicable to any RDS and is scalable to different penetration levels. The numerical results show the impact of different correlated and non-correlated case studies on the voltage profile, apparent power flow in lines, and real loss

Creencias adultas sobre la memoria infantil

Setenes Jornades de Foment de la Investigació de la FCHS (Any 2001-2002)El objetivo de este trabajo es identificar las ideas previas que una muestra de estudiantes universitarios tienen sobre diferentes aspectos del funcionamiento de la memoria infantil. Para ello, hemos elaborado un cuestionario que aborda distintos aspectos relacionados con el desarrollo de la memoria en los niños. Dicho cuestionario ha sido pasado a 70 estudiantes de la Universitat Jaume I. En general, los resultados indican un acierto cercano al 30% del conjunto de los ítems presentados, realizando predicciones particularmente correctas sobre el funcionamiento de la metamemoria y el fenómeno de la amnesia infantil. Sin embargo, no sucede lo mismo con el desarrollo estratégico y con el funcionamiento temprano de la memoria

Concepciones implícitas sobre el desarrollo infantil

Setenes Jornades de Foment de la Investigació de la FCHS (Any 2001-2002)Partiendo del trabajo de Martí, E. et al. (1994) “ Ideas previas de una población universitaria sobre el desarrollo infantil” hemos realizado un estudio descriptivo para identificar las concepciones implícitas del conocimiento que tienen estudiantes universitarios sobre el desarrollo infantil. La muestra estaba constituida por 111 estudiantes de la Universitat Jaume I, con una media de edad de 19 años. Mediante un cuestionario hemos analizado el nivel de conocimientos sobre las edades en las que se adquieren distintos logros del calendario evolutivo. En el cuestionario se consideraban tres áreas del desarrollo: El desarrollo motor y perceptivo, el desarrollo cognitivo y lingüístico, y el desarrollo social y de la personalidad. En general, los resultados indican la existencia de un desajuste entre sus creencias y el desarrollo real de los niños, mostrando un conocimiento más ajustado en el área cognitivo-lingüística que en el resto de las áreas analizadas

Efficient Day-Ahead Dispatch of Photovoltaic Sources in Monopolar DC Networks via an Iterative Convex Approximation

The objective of this research is to propose an efficient energy management system for photovoltaic (PV) generation units connected to monopolar DC distribution networks via convex optimization while considering a day-ahead dispatch operation scenario. A convex approximation is used which is based on linearization via Taylor’s series expansion to the hyperbolic relations between voltages and powers in the demand nodes. A recursive solution methodology is introduced via sequential convex programming to minimize the errors introduced by the linear approximation in the power balance constraints. Numerical results in the DC version of the IEEE 33-bus grid demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed convex model when compared to different combinatorial optimization methods, with the main advantage that the optimal global solution is found thanks to the convexity of the solution space and the reduction of the error via an iterative solution approach. Different objective functions are analyzed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed iterative convex methodology (ICM), which corresponds to technical (energy losses reduction), economic (energy purchasing and maintenance costs), and environmental (equivalent emissions of CO (Formula presented.) to the atmosphere in conventional sources) factors. The proposed ICM finds reductions of about (Formula presented.) in daily energy losses, (Formula presented.) in energy purchasing and operating costs, and (Formula presented.) in CO (Formula presented.) emissions when compared to the benchmark case in the DC version of the IEEE 33-bus grid. All numerical validations were carried out in the MATLAB programming environment using the SEDUMI and SDPT3 tools for convex programming and our own scripts for metaheuristic methods. © 2023 by the authors

A Discrete-Continuous PSO for the Optimal Integration of D-STATCOMs into Electrical Distribution Systems by Considering Annual Power Loss and Investment Costs

Currently, with the quick increase in global population, the energetic crisis, the environmental problematic, and the development of the power electronic devices generated the need to include new technologies for supporting and potentiating electrical distributions systems; Distribution Static Compensators (D-STATCOMs) are highly used for this task due to the advantages that this technology presents: reduction in power loss, operation costs, and chargeability of branches, among others. The possibility to include this kind of technology within the electrical system has shown the need to develop efficient methodologies from the point of view of quality solution, repeatability and processing times by considering operation and investment costs as well as the technical conditions of the electrical grids under a scenario of variable power demand and then representing the real operation of the electrical grid. With the aim to propose a solution for this requirement, this paper presents a new Discrete-Continuous Particle Swarm Optimization (DCPSO) algorithm to solve the problem of the optimal integration of D-STATCOMs into Electrical Distribution Systems (EDSs). In this case, the objective function is the minimization of annual operating costs by using a weighted mono-objective function composed of the annual power loss and the investment cost and by including all constraints associated with the operation of an EDS in a distributed reactive compensation environmentinside the mathematical formulation. In order to evaluate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed solution method, this study implemented two tests systems (i.e., 33- and 69-bus), as well as four comparison methods, and different considerations related to the inclusion of D-STATCOMs in the EDSs. Furthermore, for evaluating the repeatability of the solution obtained by each solution methods used, each algorithm was executed 100 times in Matlab software. The results obtained demonstrated that the proposed DCPSO/HSA methodology achieved the best trade-off between solution quality and processing time, with low standard deviation values for EDSs of any size

Can solar tower plants withstand the operational flexibility of combined cycle plants?

The aim of this work is to investigate the level of reliability of a 100 MWe solar tower plant operating as a load-following plant using actual operational data of combined cycle power plants. Despite the low cost, the steam generator has been identified as the main cause of unavailability of solar tower plants due to fatigue failures of tube-to-tubesheet joints, which can lead to steam/water leakage into the heat transfer fluid circuit, putting the plant performance at risk. A methodology based on the ASME code and EN standards is proposed to predict the fatigue failures of critical welded points of the steam generator, such as tube-to-tubesheet joints and other T-joints. The results show that the forced outages due to failures of the steam generator lead to an energy penalty that ranges over 230-453 GWh over the plant lifetime. The associated annual degradation rate ranges over 0.123-0.244%. Three tube leakage repair strategies are compared: tube-to-tubesheet weld crack repair, tube plugging and tube plugging with steam generator replacement. The latter strategy was shown to be the best practice because the lowest levelized cost of energy was obtained. In addition, the design of heat exchangers with a minimum of 20% extra area is highly recommended to not compromise the plant operation due to tube plugging. Last, the load-following operation of the solar tower plant increases the levelized cost of energy by approximately 1.6% in the case of tube repair and approximately 0.8% in the case of tube plugging with steam generator replacement.This research is partially funded by the Spanish government under the project RTI2018-096664-B-C21 (MICINN/FEDER, UE) and the fellowship "Programa de apoyo a la realización de proyectos interdisciplinares de I + D para jóvenes investigadores de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid 2019-2020" under the project ZEROGASPAIN-CM-UC3M (2020/00033/001)

Valorization of Tomato Processing by-Products: Fatty Acid Extraction and Production of Bio-Based Materials

A method consisting of the alkaline hydrolysis of tomato pomace by-products has been optimized to obtain a mixture of unsaturated and polyhydroxylated fatty acids as well as a non-hydrolysable secondary residue. Reaction rates and the activation energy of the hydrolysis were calculated to reduce costs associated with chemicals and energy consumption. Lipid and non-hydrolysable fractions were chemically (infrared (IR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS)) and thermally (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)) characterized. In addition, the fatty acid mixture was used to produce cutin-based polyesters. Freestanding films were prepared by non-catalyzed melt-polycondensation and characterized by Attenuated Total Reflected-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), DSC, TGA, Water Contact Angles (WCA), and tensile tests. These bio-based polymers were hydrophobic, insoluble, infusible, and thermally stable, their physical properties being tunable by controlling the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and oxygen in the reaction. The participation of an oxidative crosslinking side reaction is proposed to be responsible for such modifications.Andalusian Regional Government P11-TEP-7418Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2015-65246-R and AGL2017-83036-RFondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) AGL2015-65246-R and AGL2017-83036-

Regioisomerism in cationic sulfonyl-substituted [Ir(C^N)2(N^N)]+ complexes: its influence on photophysical properties and LEC performance

In a series of regioisomeric [Ir(C^N) 2 (bpy)] + complexes containing methylsulfonyl groups on the cyclometallating ligands, the influence of the substitution position on photophysical, electrochemical and LEC device properties is investigated

Influence of curing conditions on recycled aggregate concrete

This paper presents the results of a study of permeability and its influence on the durability of recycled concrete exposed to an aggressive environment. Recycled concretes with 20%, 50% and 100% in weight ofrecycled aggregate and 24 effective w/c ratios have been exposed directly to a marine environment. Control specimens cured in a humidity chamber have been also tested in order to compare the influence of the curing environment. The durability of recycled aggregate concretes exposed to aggressive conditions decreases in terms of permeability, as the results show. However, the influence of the environment on the recycled concrete also depends on the quality of the cement paste. The differences between the control and the exposed concrete are lower for low water/cement (w/c) ratios. The lower capillarity obtained in the new cement paste of the recycled concretes with low w/c ratios isolates the porosity of the recycled aggregate, increasing the durability but with a rise in the cement content.The authors wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of the Environment for the funding of this research. The results contained herein have been achieved under the RECNHOR Project (funded by the Spanish Ministry of Environment) and under the CLEAM Project (funded by the Spanish Centre for Industrial Technology Development, CDTI), Code 3.2-358/200 5/3-B, led by the Economic InterestGrouping CLEAM-CENIT, AIE (Acciona, Dragados, Ferrovial, FCC,Sioux, OHL and Sacyr) and SMEs Informatica 68, Quilosa and Martinez Segovia and associates