Analysis of high temperature steam oxidation of superheater steels used in coal fired boilers

The present work compares the behaviour of four steels: (T23, T92, T347HFG, Super304H) in the temperature range 600–750 °C. This study focuses on the analysis of the oxidation kinetics in terms of mass change, metal loss and thickness change of the selected materials. In order to understand the differences in oxidation rates between the selected steels, the impact of chromium and the alloying elements were considered in this work. The obtained results show that the impact of alloying elements differs with exposure conditions and importance of the synergy effect

Impact specimen geometry on T23 and TP347HFG steels behaviour during steam oxidation at harsh conditions

Ferritic T23 steel and austenitic TP347HFG steel have been studied with an emphasis on understanding the impact of specimen geometry on their steam oxidation behaviour. The selected materials were tested over a wide range of temperatures from 600 to 750°C. The tests were carried out in 100% steam conditions for 1000 hours. The tests indicated that the ‘curved-shaped’ specimens show slower mass gain, scale ticking and void nucleation rates than ‘bridge-shaped’ specimens (with flat and convex surfaces combined). Furthermore, a bridge TP347HFG sample showed the formation of lower amount of flaky oxide at 750°C.We would like to acknowledge the support of The Energy Programme, which is a Research Councils UK cross council initiative led by EPSRC and contributed to by ESRC, NERC, BBSRC and STFC, and specifically the Supergen initiative (Grants GRyS86334y01 and EPyF029748) and the following companies; Alstom Power Ltd., Doosan Babcock, E.ON, National Physical Laboratory, Praxair Surface Technologies Ltd, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce plc, RWE npower, Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd. and Tata Steel, for their valuable contributions to the project

Julia 2010: The caretaker election

This book provides a comprehensive coverage of one of Australia’s most historic elections, which produced a hung parliament and a carefully crafted minority government that remains a heartbeat away from collapse, as well as Australia’s first elected woman Prime Minister and the Australian Greens’ first lower house Member of Parliament. The volume considers the key contextual and possibly determining factors, such as: the role of leadership and ideology in the campaign; the importance of state and regional factors (was there evidence of the two or three speed economy at work?); and the role of policy areas and issues, including the environment, immigration, religion, gender and industrial relations. Contributors utilise a wide range of sources and approaches to provide comprehensive insights into the campaign. This volume notably includes the perspectives of the major political groupings, the ALP, the Coalition and the Greens; and the data from the Australian Election Survey. Finally we conclude with a detailed analysis of those 17 days that it took to construct a minority party government

Legal And Ethical Implications Of The Foreign Outsourcing Of Tax Return Preparation

In recent years, the outsourcing of tax preparation to foreign service providers has grown substantially. The benefits of outsourcing include lower costs and obtaining additional assistance during the busy tax season. However, some have raised both legal and ethical questions regarding this process. Arguments against the practice include problems related to ensuring confidentially of the information transmitted and the inability to adequately supervise personnel in foreign locations. This paper explores the legal concerns and ethical questions regarding outsourcing in light of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Internal Revenue Service requirements, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant’s Code of Professional Conduct. In addition, the paper summarizes the most recent pronouncement of the AICPA on the subject

The application of time-series MODIS NDVI profiles for the acquisition of crop information across Afghanistan

We investigated and developed a prototype crop information system integrating 250 m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data with other available remotely sensed imagery, field data, and knowledge as part of a wider project monitoring opium and cereal crops. NDVI profiles exhibited large geographical variations in timing, height, shape, and number of peaks, with characteristics determined by underlying crop mixes, growth cycles, and agricultural practices. MODIS pixels were typically bigger than the field sizes, but profiles were indicators of crop phenology as the growth stages of the main first-cycle crops (opium poppy and cereals) were in phase. Profiles were used to investigate crop rotations, areas of newly exploited agriculture, localized variation in land management, and environmental factors such as water availability and disease. Near-real-time tracking of the current years’ profile provided forecasts of crop growth stages, early warning of drought, and mapping of affected areas. Derived data products and bulletins provided timely crop information to the UK Government and other international stakeholders to assist the development of counter-narcotic policy, plan activity, and measure progress. Results show the potential for transferring these techniques to other agricultural systems

The Role Of Activity-Base Costing In The Development Of Segmented Financial Statements: An Examination

The recent financial crisis has brought into question a number of the qualities and characteristics of current financial reporting practices. One of the areas in question is that of reporting segmental information in relation to “paper” gains and losses. In this paper, Activity is divided between economic and financial activities. We bring to the fore some of the historical sources of the principles on which segmental reporting is based, and then propose an alternative reporting scheme along the lines of activity-based costing. The advantages and shortcomings of the proposed system are examined and the implications of the use of the system are discussed

Functional characterisation of G protein-coupled receptors

Characterisation of receptors can involve either assessment of their ability to bind ligands or measure receptor activation as a result of agonist or inverse agonist interactions. This review focuses on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), examining techniques that can be applied to both receptors in membranes and after solubilisation. Radioligand binding remains a widely used technique, although there is increasing use of fluorescent ligands. These can be used in a variety of experimental designs, either directly monitoring ligand itself with techniques such as fluorescence polarisation or indirectly via resonance energy transfer (fluorescence/Forster resonance energy transfer, FRET and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, BRET). Label free techniques such as isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) are also increasingly being used. For GPCRs, the main measure of receptor activation is to investigate the association of the G protein with the receptor. The chief assay measures the receptor-stimulated binding of GTP or a suitable analogue to the receptor. The direct association of the G protein with the receptor has been investigated via resonance energy techniques. These have also been used to measure ligand-induced conformational changes within the receptor; a variety of experimental techniques are available to incorporate suitable donors and acceptors within the receptor

Survey and monitoring of opium poppy and wheat in Afghanistan: 2003-2009

An integrated application of remote-sensing technology was devised and applied in Afghanistan during 2003–2009 providing critical information on cereal and poppy cultivation and poppy eradication. The results influenced UK and international policy and counter-narcotics actions in Afghanistan