ENERGY COUPLING SITES IN THE ELECTRON-TRANSPORT CHAIN OF ZYMOMONAS-MOBILIS

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Investigation of dual varying area flapping actuator of a robotic fish with energy recovery

Autonomous under-water vehicles (AUV) performing a commanded task require to utilize on-board energy sources. At the time when on-board power source runs low during operation, the vehicle (AUV) is forced to abort the mission and to return to a charging station. The present work proposes the technique of an energy recovery from surrounding medium. This effect is studied for dual action actuator movement that obtains energy from fluid. It is realized that a flapping or vibrating actuator can be used for energy extraction phenomenon apart from the non-traditional propulsive technique. In the present work a simple dual flapping actuator that can switch between simple flat plate and perforated plate at extreme end positions (angles) by using an efficient mechatronic mechanism that would help in overcoming viscous forces of the operating medium is extensively studied. The main objective of the present article is to develop a new approach for energy gain and recharge power pack of on-board sources from the surrounding medium and to create a robotic fish that would work autonomously by using unconventional drive along with the possibility of energy restoration by using dual varying area type vibrating actuator. At the time of recharge, the robotic fish would project its tail (actuator) out of water and use surrounding medium (air) to scavenge the energy. All the equations describing the process are formed according to classical laws of mechanics. The mechatronic system is explained and the results obtained are discussed in detail for air as the operating fluid to scavenge energy

Properties of Populus genus veneers thermally modified by two modification methods: wood treatment technology and vacuumthermal treatment

Due to environmental concerns the use of wood materials is becoming more extensive and is causing wood supply shortage, therefore the use of Populus genus wood species with a short rotation period is vital. Populus genus species wood has several shortcomings - it is not durable, has low density and is hygroscopic. Thermal modification is a technology that can be used to improve the situation. In this study aspen (Populus tremula L.) was thermally treated using the Wood Treatment Technology (WTT) device for 50 min at 160 °C (50–160 WTT) and poplar (Populus x canadensis Moench) was vacuum-treated (VT) 120 min at 204 °C (120–204 VT), 120 min/ 214 °C (120–214 VT), 180 min 217 °C (180–217 VT) and 30 min 218 °C (30–218 VT). Mass loss (ML), colour change, density, tensile strength along the fibres, moisture exclusion efficiency and weight loss (WL) after brown rot fungus Coniophora puteana were determined and also light microscopy images were taken. Aspen veneers showed a ML of 5.3% between 120–214 VT (6.2%) and 30–218 VT (4.6%) treatment that coincided with the same mass loss in aspen boards cited in the literature. The highest ML was 8.7% calculated from 180–217 VT, while the lowest ML was 2.9% computed from 120–204 VT. The total colour change ΔE was 44, where lightness parameter L provided the greatest impact that was reduced twice after modification. Tensile strength reduced by 47% in the WTT process and had ~29% reduction in the VT process. The WL after fungus C. puteana was 33% at 50–160 WTT. After VT treatment, WL was 0–2.4%. 120–214 VT and 180–217 VT poplar veneers were the most suitable for plywood production

Analysis of non-stationary flow interaction with simple form objects

ArticleThe paper is devoted to the analysis of a non-stationary rigid body interaction in a fluid flow. Initially, an approximate method for determining the forces due to fluid interaction with the rigid body is offered. For this purpose, the plane movement of a mechanical system with an infinite DOF (degrees of freedom) is reduced to 5 DOF motion: 3 DOF for the body and 2 DOF for the areas of compression and vacuum in fluid flow. Differential equations of non-stationary motion are formed by the laws of classical mechanics. The use of an approximate method has been quantified by computer modelling. The average difference in results was found to be small (< 5%). The analysis of the fluid (air) interaction is carried out for a rigid body of two simple geometries - flat plate and diamond. The results obtained are used to refine the parameters of the proposed approximate method that is addressed in the present study for fluid interaction with the non-stationary rigid body. Theoretical results obtained in the final section are used in the analysis of the movement of prismatic bodies in order to obtain energy from the fluid flow

Analysis of non-stationary flow interaction with simple form objects

ArticleThe paper is devoted to the analysis of a non-stationary rigid body interaction in a fluid flow. Initially, an approximate method for determining the forces due to fluid interaction with the rigid body is offered. For this purpose, the plane movement of a mechanical system with an infinite DOF (degrees of freedom) is reduced to 5 DOF motion: 3 DOF for the body and 2 DOF for the areas of compression and vacuum in fluid flow. Differential equations of non-stationary motion are formed by the laws of classical mechanics. The use of an approximate method has been quantified by computer modelling. The average difference in results was found to be small (< 5%). The analysis of the fluid (air) interaction is carried out for a rigid body of two simple geometries - flat plate and diamond. The results obtained are used to refine the parameters of the proposed approximate method that is addressed in the present study for fluid interaction with the non-stationary rigid body. Theoretical results obtained in the final section are used in the analysis of the movement of prismatic bodies in order to obtain energy from the fluid flow

A 13C NMR study of decomposing logging residues in an Australian hoop pine plantation

Purpose Residue retention is important for nutrient and water economy in subtropical plantation forests. We examined decomposing hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii Ait. Ex D. Don) residues-foliage, branches, and stem wood-to determine the changes in structural chemistry that occur during decomposition. Materials and methods Residues were incubated in situ using 0.05 m2 microplots. We used solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the structural composition of harvest residues in the first 24 months of decomposition. Results and discussion The spectral data for branch and stem residues were generally similar to one another and showed few changes during decomposition. The lignin content of branch and foliage residues decreased during decomposition. When residues were mixed together during decomposition, the O-alkyl fraction of foliage decreased initially then increased up to 24 months, while the alkyl carbon (C) fraction exhibited the opposite pattern. The decomposition of woody hoop pine residues (branch and stem wood) is surprisingly uniform across the major C forms elucidated with 13C NMR, with little evidence of preferential decomposition. When mixed with branch and stem materials, foliage residues showed significant short- and long-term compositional changes. This synergistic effect may be due to the C/N ratio of the treatments and the structure of the microbial decomposer community. Conclusions Twenty-four months of decomposition of hoop pine residues did not result in substantial accumulation of recalcitrant C forms, suggesting that they may not contribute to long-term C sequestration.No Full Tex

Optimization of Energy Extraction Using Definite Geometry Prisms in Airflow

An approximate method for analysis and synthesis of moving rigid bodies (prisms) in the airflow without using numerical methods of space-time programming techniques is described by applying a fluid (air)–rigid solid body interaction concept for engineering applications through a straightforward mathematical model. The interaction of rigid body (prism) and air is encountered in different cases: moving body (prism) in the air; stationary bodies (prism) in the airflow; moving body (prism) in the airflow. The complicated task of rigid body (prism) and air interaction is simplified by using superposition principles, i.e., by taking into account the upstream and downstream rigid body (prism) and air interaction phenomenon, which has been found to be different under varying speeds. Numerical results obtained for various forms of prisms are shown for constant air–speed, where the steady state Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equation is solved by using k-ε realizable turbulence model. A detailed explanation to support the proposed approximate method is given by using numerical results obtained in ANSYS computations. All equations are formed based on laws of classical mechanics; the interaction of viscous forces is neglected in forming the mathematical model. Numerical results for different model prisms are compared and the theoretical results discussed in detail. The mathematical model in the present paper is applicable only to bodies that undergo a rectilinear translation motion. In the final part of the present paper, the proposed method is used in the synthesis and optimization task of energy extraction by considering the motion of a variable parameter prism in the airflow