Steam-based charging-discharging of a PCM heat storage

Latent heat storage and efficient heat transport technology helps to utilize the intermittent solar energy for continuous and near isothermal  applications. However, many latent heat storages face challenges of storage charging, heat retaining, and discharging the stored heat. This paper tries to address the challenges of heat transportation and storage charging-discharging issues. The heat transportation from the receiver over some distance, from outside to the kitchen, is carried out with a stainless pipeline and water as heat transfer fluids. However, the  charging-discharging process is carried by conduction method with the help of fins. In addition, the stored heat is retained for about one-two days by using aerogel insulation. The latent heat is stored in a phase change material (PCM), nitrate salt (mixture of 60% NaNO3 and 40% KNO3), which melts at 222ºC and has 109 J/g specific heat of fusion. The storage has the capacity of storing up to 250ºC heat and supply this heat isothermally during baking in the liquid-solid phase transition. However, the sensible heat stored in the solid and liquid form of the PCM is used to perform additional applications that do not require uniform heat which includes bread baking, kita (large pancake) baking and water boiling. The low thermal conductivity of PCM is enhanced by using extended aluminum fins that are attached to the baking plate and extruded inward to the storage. In this paper, two-phase loop thermosyphon of steam is used to manage the long distance heat transportation required between the receiver (outside) and the storage (inside a house). The steam in the thermosyphon flow has restricted to a maximum working temperature of 250ºC. Steam is selected for its highest heat capacity, availability and stable nature. It carries heat from the collector focus point and condenses in a coiled pipe imbedded in aluminum plate placed on top of the storage. Many fins are solidly attached to this plate to conduct the heat down to the PCM inside the storage during charging. This design configuration avoids pressure development inside the PCM storage and the charging-discharging temperature is recorded in three zones (top, middle and bottom) of the storage. The experimental and numerical results show that the heat transportation, retention and charging-discharging methods are effective.Keywords: Solar energy, PCM storage, Latent heat storage, Two-phase thermosyphon

Numerical and experimental Analysis of Solar Injera Baking with a PCM Heat Storage

Today, many developing countries are using biomass as their primary energy supply. However, this energy affects the environment, health and safety of women and children. In addition, utilization of this energy using traditional cooking stoves is causing indoor air pollution and in turn health problems to millions of people. To overcome such problems, efforts are being made by researchers globally and are suggesting alternative safe energy sources. This paper demonstrates solar cooker with an integrated PCM thermal storage and heat transportation loop system suitable for high temperature applications. The system has designed to address Injera baking application. Injera, a fermented flat bread type, is the most common food type served three to four times a day in Ethiopia. Other countries like Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen also use this food. The storage system has storing capacity of heat up to 2500C and it can retain this heat for about two days. The storage has coupled to a polar mounted concentrator, fixed receiver and used steam heat transfer fluid. The steam circulates naturally between the evaporator and condenser in a closed loop. The paper focuses on indirect charging, simultaneous charging-discharging and discharging of the stored heat for the purpose of Injera baking. The frying pan is a custom-made aluminum plate casted by embedding a 10mm coiled stainless steel steam pipe as heating element. The pan is 500mm in diameter and 30mm thick; and the fins are 20mm in diameter and 140mm long. The fins have immersed into a 20kg PCM, which is coupled to a 1.8m diameter parabolic dish collector. The solar fryer demonstrates Injera baking for average family size. Baking is tested from the stored heat, while storage is charging. A fully charged storage has supplied enough heat to baked average household Injera demands about 19Injeras and additional breads with the remaining heat.Keywords: Solar Injera baking; PCM charging; PCM storage; Solar Injera stove design; Solar cooking; Ethiopia

Intestinal parasitosis and shigellosis among diarrheal patients in Gondar teaching hospital, northwest Ethiopia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diarrheal diseases are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developing world. Understanding the etiologic agents of diarrheal diseases and their association with socio-demographic characteristics of patients would help to design better preventive measures. Thus, this study was aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and enteropathogenic bacteria in diarrheic patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study involving 384 consecutive diarrheal patients who visited Gondar teaching hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia from October 2006 to March 2007 was conducted. Stool specimens were collected and examined for intestinal parasites and enteropathogenic bacteria following standard parasitological and microbiological procedures.</p> <p><b><it>Results</it></b></p> <p>Intestinal parasites were diagnosed in 36.5% of the patients. The most frequently encountered protozoan parasite was <it>Entamoeba histolytica/dispar </it>(7.3%) followed by <it>Giardia lamblia </it>(5.0%), C<it>ryptosporidium parvum </it>(1.8%) and <it>Isospora belli </it>(1.3%). The dominant helminthic parasite identified was <it>Ascaris lumbricoides </it>(5.5%) followed by <it>Strongyloides stercoralis </it>and <it>Schistosoma mansoni </it>(3.1% each), hookworm infection (1.8%), and <it>Hymenolepis </it>species (1.3%). Multiple infections of intestinal parasites were also observed in 6.3% of the patients. Among the enteropathogenic bacteria <it>Shigella </it>and <it>Salmonella </it>species were isolated from 15.6% and 1.6%, respectively, of the patients. <it>Escherichia coli O57:H7 </it>was not found in any of the stool samples tested. Eighty eight percent and 83.3% of the <it>Shigella </it>and <it>Salmonella </it>isolates were resistant to one or more commonly used antibiotics, respectively.</p> <p>Intestinal parasitosis was higher in patients who live in rural area, in patients who were washing their hands after visiting toilet either irregularly with soap and without soap or not at all, in patients who used well and spring water for household consumption, and in patients who had nausea (<it>P </it>< 0.05). Statistically significant associations were also observed between Shigella infections and patients who were using well and spring water for household consumption, and patients who had dysentery and mucoid stool (<it>P </it>< 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The high prevalence of intestinal parasites and <it>Shigella </it>species in diarrheic patients calls for institution of appropriate public health intervention measures to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases. The rational use of antibiotics should also be practiced.</p

Global, regional, and national sex-specific burden and control of the HIV epidemic, 1990-2019, for 204 countries and territories: the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019

Background: The sustainable development goals (SDGs) aim to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Understanding the current state of the HIV epidemic and its change over time is essential to this effort. This study assesses the current sex-specific HIV burden in 204 countries and territories and measures progress in the control of the epidemic. Methods: To estimate age-specific and sex-specific trends in 48 of 204 countries, we extended the Estimation and Projection Package Age-Sex Model to also implement the spectrum paediatric model. We used this model in cases where age and sex specific HIV-seroprevalence surveys and antenatal care-clinic sentinel surveillance data were available. For the remaining 156 of 204 locations, we developed a cohort-incidence bias adjustment to derive incidence as a function of cause-of-death data from vital registration systems. The incidence was input to a custom Spectrum model. To assess progress, we measured the percentage change in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 (threshold >75% decline), the ratio of incident cases to number of people living with HIV (incidence-to-prevalence ratio threshold <0·03), and the ratio of incident cases to deaths (incidence-to-mortality ratio threshold <1·0). Findings: In 2019, there were 36·8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 35·1–38·9) people living with HIV worldwide. There were 0·84 males (95% UI 0·78–0·91) per female living with HIV in 2019, 0·99 male infections (0·91–1·10) for every female infection, and 1·02 male deaths (0·95–1·10) per female death. Global progress in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 was driven by sub-Saharan Africa (with a 28·52% decrease in incident cases, 95% UI 19·58–35·43, and a 39·66% decrease in deaths, 36·49–42·36). Elsewhere, the incidence remained stable or increased, whereas deaths generally decreased. In 2019, the global incidence-to-prevalence ratio was 0·05 (95% UI 0·05–0·06) and the global incidence-to-mortality ratio was 1·94 (1·76–2·12). No regions met suggested thresholds for progress. Interpretation: Sub-Saharan Africa had both the highest HIV burden and the greatest progress between 1990 and 2019. The number of incident cases and deaths in males and females approached parity in 2019, although there remained more females with HIV than males with HIV. Globally, the HIV epidemic is far from the UNAIDS benchmarks on progress metrics. Funding: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Institute on Aging of the NIH

Global, regional, and national sex-specific burden and control of the HIV epidemic, 1990-2019, for 204 countries and territories: the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019

10.1016/S2352-3018(21)00152-1LANCET HIV810E633-E65