Techno-economic assessment of two novel feeding systems for a dry-feed gasifier in an IGCC plant with Pd-membranes for CO2 capture

This study focuses on the application of Pd-based membranes for CO[subscript 2] capture in coal fueled power plants. In particular, membranes are applied to Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle with two innovative feeding systems. In the first feeding system investigated, CO[subscript 2] is used both as fuel carrier and back-flushing gas for the candle filters, while in the second case N[subscript 2] is the fuel carrier, and CO[subscript 2] the back-flushing gas. The latter is investigated because current dry feed technology vents about half of the fuel carrier, which is detrimental for the CO[subscript 2] avoidance in the CO[subscript 2] case. The hydrogen separation is performed in membrane modules arranged in series; consistently with the IGCC plant layout, most of the hydrogen is separated at the pressure required to fuel the gas turbine. Furthermore, about 10% of the overall hydrogen permeated is separated at ambient pressure and used to post-fire the heat recovery steam generator. This layout significantly reduces membrane surface area while keeping low efficiency penalties. The resulting net electric efficiency is higher for both feeding systems, about 39%, compared to 36% of the reference Selexol-based capture plant. The CO[subscript 2] avoidance depends on the type of feeding system adopted, and its amount of vented gas; it ranges from 60% to 98%. From the economic point of view, membrane costs are significant and shares about 20% of the overall plant cost. This leads in the more optimistic case to a CO[subscript 2] avoidance cost of 35 €/t[subscript CO2], which is slightly lower than the reference case.Seventh Framework Programme (European Commission) (Grant agreement no. 241342

The ALICE Transition Radiation Detector: Construction, operation, and performance

The Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) was designed and built to enhance the capabilities of the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). While aimed at providing electron identification and triggering, the TRD also contributes significantly to the track reconstruction and calibration in the central barrel of ALICE. In this paper the design, construction, operation, and performance of this detector are discussed. A pion rejection factor of up to 410 is achieved at a momentum of 1 GeV/c in p-Pb collisions and the resolution at high transverse momentum improves by about 40% when including the TRD information in track reconstruction. The triggering capability is demonstrated both for jet, light nuclei, and electron selection. (c) 2017 CERN for the benefit of the Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

Measurement of the flavour-specific CP-violating asymmetry as sl in B0s decays

The CP  -violating asymmetry is studied using semileptonic decays of and mesons produced in pp   collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC, exploiting a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1. The reconstructed final states are , with the particle decaying in the ϕπ± mode. The yields are summed over and initial states, and integrated with respect to decay time. Data-driven methods are used to measure efficiency ratios. We obtain , where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic

Controversy and consensus on the management of elevated sperm DNA fragmentation in male infertility: A global survey, current guidelines, and expert recommendations

Purpose Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) has been associated with male infertility and poor outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The purpose of this study was to investigate global practices related to the management of elevated SDF in infertile men, summarize the relevant professional society recommendations, and provide expert recommendations for managing this condition. Materials and Methods An online global survey on clinical practices related to SDF was disseminated to reproductive clinicians, according to the CHERRIES checklist criteria. Management protocols for various conditions associated with SDF were captured and compared to the relevant recommendations in professional society guidelines and the appropriate available evidence. Expert recommendations and consensus on the management of infertile men with elevated SDF were then formulated and adapted using the Delphi method. Results A total of 436 experts from 55 different countries submitted responses. As an initial approach, 79.1% of reproductive experts recommend lifestyle modifications for infertile men with elevated SDF, and 76.9% prescribe empiric antioxidants. Regarding antioxidant duration, 39.3% recommend 4–6 months and 38.1% recommend 3 months. For men with unexplained or idiopathic infertility, and couples experiencing recurrent miscarriages associated with elevated SDF, most respondents refer to ART 6 months after failure of conservative and empiric medical management. Infertile men with clinical varicocele, normal conventional semen parameters, and elevated SDF are offered varicocele repair immediately after diagnosis by 31.4%, and after failure of antioxidants and conservative measures by 40.9%. Sperm selection techniques and testicular sperm extraction are also management options for couples undergoing ART. For most questions, heterogenous practices were demonstrated. Conclusions This paper presents the results of a large global survey on the management of infertile men with elevated SDF and reveals a lack of consensus among clinicians. Furthermore, it demonstrates the scarcity of professional society guidelines in this regard and attempts to highlight the relevant evidence. Expert recommendations are proposed to help guide clinicians

Electroweak measurements in electron–positron collisions at w-boson-pair energies at lep

Contains fulltext : 121524.pdf (preprint version ) (Open Access

Searches for violation of lepton flavour and baryon number in tau lepton decays at LHCb

Searches for the lepton flavour violating decay τ−→μ−μ+μ−τ−→μ−μ+μ− and the lepton flavour and baryon number violating decays sourceτ−→p¯μ+μ− and τ−→pμ−μ−τ−→pμ−μ− have been carried out using proton–proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−11.0 fb−1, taken by the LHCb experiment at s=7 TeV. No evidence has been found for any signal, and limits have been set at 90%90% confidence level on the branching fractions: B(τ−→μ−μ+μ−)<8.0×10−8B(τ−→μ−μ+μ−)<8.0×10−8, B(τ−→p¯μ+μ−)<3.3×10−7 and B(τ−→pμ−μ−)<4.4×10−7B(τ−→pμ−μ−)<4.4×10−7. The results for the τ−→p¯μ+μ− and τ−→pμ−μ−τ−→pμ−μ− decay modes represent the first direct experimental limits on these channels

Pion reabsorption in heavy-ion collisions interpreted in terms of the #DELTA# capture process

We have measured energy-differential cross sections for #pi#&quot;0 production in &quot;3&quot;6Ar+&quot;1&quot;9&quot;7Au collisions at 95 MeV/u. From an analysis of spectral features due to pion final-state interactions we have estimated the cross section of the capture process #DELTA#+N#-&gt;#N+N in the center-of-mass energy range #sq root#s#approx =#2.05-2.25 GeV. Within the frame of BUU calculations, our results support the extension of the detailed-balance principle to broad-width resonances. (orig.)23 refs.SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RO 801(95-67) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Evidence for stopping in heavy-ion collisions from a study of hard-photon source velocities

SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RO 801(94-19) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Investigation of polar and azimuthal distributions of subthreshold pions at intermediate energies

SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RO 801(94-20) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman