The Dynamic Bending Properties of Textile Fibres and the Effects of Temperature and Humidity Thereon

The dynamic bending properties of dry wool, silk, Fibrolane, ramie, Fortisan, acetate fibre, Tricel, two types of Acrilan and polypropylene were investigated in vacuo, over a temperature range of -7

The stimulus control of local enclosures and barriers over head direction and place cell spatial firing

This research was supported by a grant to P.A.D. and E.R.W. from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/P002455/1).Objective: Head direction cell and place cell spatially tuned firing is often anchored to salient visual landmarks on the periphery of a recording environment. What is less well understood is whether structural features of an environment, such as orientation of a maze sub-compartment or a polarising barrier, can likewise control spatial firing. Method: We recorded from 54 head direction cells in the medial entorhinal cortex and subicular region of male Lister Hooded rats while they explored an apparatus with four parallel or four radially-arranged compartments (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2, we recorded from 130 place cells (in Lister- and Long-Evans Hooded rats) and 30 head direction cells with 90° rotations of a cue card and a barrier in a single environment (Experiment 2). Results: We found that head direction cells maintained a similar preferred firing direction across four separate maze compartments even when these faced different directions (Experiment 1). However, in an environment with a single compartment, we observed that both a barrier and a cue card exerted comparable amounts of stimulus control over head direction cells and place cells (Experiment 2). Conclusion: The maintenance of a stable directional orientation across maze compartments suggests that the head direction cell system has the capacity to provide a global directional reference that allows the animal to distinguish otherwise similar maze compartments based on the compartment’s orientation. A barrier is, however, capable of controlling spatially tuned firing in an environment in which it is the sole polarising feature.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Modelling of a low temperature differential Stirling Engine.

Abstract: A full theoretical model of a low temperature difference Stirling engine is developed in this paper.The model, which starts from the first principles, gives a full differential description of the major componentsof the engine: the behaviour of the gas in the expansion and the compression spaces; the behaviour of thegas in the regenerator; the dynamic behaviour of the displacer and the power piston/flywheel assembly. Asmall fully instrumented the engine is used to validate the model. The theoretical model is in goodagreement with the experimental data and describes well all features exhibited by the engine

Solar application for Drying Woodchip in Scotland.

A novel solar dryer for drying woodchip has been developed in Scotland. In this paper, designs and performance of both solar collector and dryer have been presented separately. Woodchip drying performance has been analysed for a range of temperatures (10ºC to 51ºC) and flow rates (70m³/h to 280m³/h). Page model has been used for modelling the drying curves as a function of temperatures and drying velocities.The thermal solar system considered consisted of a solar collector based on the transpired plate type and a small 10We PV panel unit employed to run a 5We fan. The performance of the system is presented in terms of air flow rate and temperature increments as a function of irradiance levels.Keywords: Solar air heating, solar dryer, woodchi

Solar application for Drying Woodchip in Scotland.

A novel solar dryer for drying woodchip has been developed in Scotland. In this paper, designs and performance of both solar collector and dryer have been presented separately. Woodchip drying performance has been analysed for a range of temperatures (10ºC to 51ºC) and flow rates (70m³/h to 280m³/h). Page model has been used for modelling the drying curves as a function of temperatures and drying velocities.The thermal solar system considered consisted of a solar collector based on the transpired plate type and a small 10We PV panel unit employed to run a 5We fan. The performance of the system is presented in terms of air flow rate and temperature increments as a function of irradiance levels.Keywords: Solar air heating, solar dryer, woodchi