Developing an energy efficient steam reforming process to produce hydrogen from sulfur-containing fuels

Hydrogen powered fuel cells have the potential to produce electricity with higher efficiency and lower emissions than conventional combustion technology. In order to realize the benefits of a hydrogen fuel cell an efficient method to produce hydrogen is needed. Currently, over 90% of hydrogen is produced from the steam reforming of natural gas. However, for many applications including fuel cell vehicles, the use of a liquid fuel rather than natural gas is desirable. This work investigates the feasibility of producing hydrogen efficiently by steam reforming E85 (85% ethanol/15% gasoline), a commercially available sulfur-containing transportation fuel. A Rh-Pt/SiO2-ZrO2 catalyst has demonstrated good activity for the E85 steam reforming reaction. An industrial steam reforming process is often run less efficiently, with more water and at higher temperatures, in order to prevent catalyst deactivation. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a process that can operate without catalyst deactivation at more energy efficient conditions. In this study, the steam reforming of a sulfur-containing fuel (E85) was studied at near stoichiometric steam/carbon ratios and at 650C, conditions at which catalyst deactivation is normally measured. At these conditions the catalyst was found to be stable steam reforming a sulfur-free E85. However, the addition of low concentrations of sulfur significantly deactivated the catalyst. The presence of sulfur in the fuel caused catalyst deactivation by promoting ethylene which generates surface carbon species (coke) that mask catalytic sites. The amount of coke increased during time on stream and became increasingly graphitic. However, the deactivation due to both sulfur adsorption and coke formation was reversible with air treatment at 650C. However, regenerations were found to reduce the catalyst life. Air regenerations produce exotherms on the catalyst surface that cause structural changes to the catalyst. During regenerations the accessibility of the precious metal particles is reduced which causes the catalyst to deactivate more rapidly during subsequent steam reforming cycles. Changes to the carrier morphology also occur at these conditions. Regenerating the catalyst before significant deactivation is measured can improve the stability of the catalyst. Thus a process with preemptive controlled air regenerations is proposed in order to run a steam reforming process with sulfur containing fuels

Preliminary Assessment of and Lessons Learned in PITCH: an Integrated Approach to Developing Technical Communication Skills in Engineers

The Project to Integrate Technical Communication Habits (PITCH) has been implemented across seven engineering and computer science undergraduate programs starting in fall 2012. The overarching goal of PITCH is to develop written, oral and visual communication skills and professional habits in engineering students. PITCH activities begin in the very first semester and are reinforced and extended through all four years of each program. After three years of progressively more extensive development and deployment, a preliminary assessment of student writing over their first three years in programs was performed. In May 2016 the first cohort of students will have completed the entire sequence of PITCH courses, including senior design. PITCH was designed to include technical memoranda, poster presentations, oral presentations, laboratory reports, proposals, and senior design reports. In addition to text elements, the use of tables and graphics also were addressed. These technical communication products are integrated into specific foundational courses common to several programs, as well as higher-level courses unique to each program. Engineering faculty teaching these courses were progressively trained through workshops conducted over three summers, so in the early years not all instructors teaching these courses had been fully trained. A random sample of students from four programs was selected for the assessment. These students had taken freshman through junior courses with trained instructors, and the assessment was performed based on the PITCH writing assignments they submitted in four courses. Four faculty members and an external consultant involved in the development and deployment of PITCH performed the assessment. Each writing assignment was evaluated through use of a common rubric to see how well students achieved the overall PITCH learning outcomes. The evaluations were done in a series of collective settings with all five evaluators present and each writing assignment was assessed. Student progress through the four courses spanning the first three years of PITCH is quantified and the results are discussed. Also discussed are pedagogical and administrative lessons learned during development and implementation of PITCH to date. PITCH is supported by a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation

Stress-Dependent Enhancement And Impairment Of Retention By Naloxone: Evidence For An Endogenous Opioid-Based Modulatory System Protective Of Memory

The opiate-receptor antagonist naloxone was administered to rats after passive-avoidance training either alone or in combination with forced-swim stress. A retention test revealed that while naloxone enhanced retention when administered alone, it impaired retention when administered in combination with forced-swim stress. The findings provide evidence for a “protective” endogenous opioid-based system that, when not blocked pharmacologically, limits enhancement or impairment of retention under conditions of mild and intense stress, respectively

Agricultural land suitable for cultivation - for a sustainable future

Syftet med studien är att klargöra den brukningsvärda jordbruksmarkens skydd och bevarande ur ett nationellt och hållbart perspektiv inom fysisk samhällsplanering. Den övergripande frågeställningen handlar om vad det finns för problematik när det gäller att bevara eller exploatera jordbruksmark. Särskilt studeras lagstiftningens eventuella hinder, tydlighet och tillämpning. Studien fokuserar på den lagstiftning som berör kommunens fysiska planering. Länsstyrelsen har en rådgivande och övervakande roll över kommunen i samband med planläggning av mark- och vattenområden men har inga befogenheter att informera eller ingripa när det gäller brukningsvärd jordbruksmark. Ett område av nationell betydelse i 3 kap. miljöbalken (MB) behandlas därmed annorlunda av staten än ett område av riksintresse i 3- och 4 kap. MB. Tillvägagångssättet för att klargöra lagstiftning som berör kommunens fysiska planering och länsstyrelsens roll i samband med planläggning av mark och vatten utgörs av en kombinerad rättsdogmatisk metod och rättsociologisk metod. Studien redogör för lägesbilden idag och det som förändrats sedan år 2013, genom intervjuundersökning, enkätundersökning och studier av avgöranden i Mark-och miljööverdomstolen (MÖD) från år 2016 till idag. Resultat från intervju ger förslag på en ändrad plan- och bygglagstiftning som förändrar länsstyrelsens rådgivnings- och tillsynsroll i planprocessen. Prognos framöver är fortsatt exploatering av jordbruksmark. Resultat från studiens enkät visar att kommun och länsstyrelse tror på en minskad exploateringstakt fram till år 2030 av jordbruksmark omkring tätorter. Bostadsbebyggelse är ett väsentligt allmänt intresse och är enligt enkätundersökningen den främsta anledningen till att jordbruksmark exploateras. Resultatet visar en ökad uppmärksamhet på jordbruksmarkens betydelse för livsmedelsproduktion och hållbar utveckling. Förslag från myndigheter på förändrat sätt att värdera jordbruksmark kan bidra till en ökad förståelse över jordbruksmarkens värde och betydelse för att uppnå hållbar utveckling. Enligt studien har förändring av rättsläget sedan år 2016 stärkt jordbruksmarkens bevarandevärde. MÖD konstaterar i studiens undersökta rättsfall: oavsett hur lite eller mycket marken brukas, oavsett klassning och oavsett om det är betes- eller åkermark anses jordbruksmark vara brukningsvärd och därmed inte lämplig att exploatera.The aim of this study is to clarify the agricultural land that is suitable for cultivation and protection from a national and sustainable perspective within physical planning. The general inquiry in this study is whether there is a problem between preserving or developing agricultural land. Studying Swedish legislation, and any potential obstacles, as well as its clarity and applicability have been important to respond to the aim of this study. The study focuses on Swedish legislation that affects municipal physical planning. The County Administrative Board's has a provision of advice- and monitoring role when the municipal wants to plan for use of land- and water areas but has no empowerment to inform or interfere in agricultural land that is suitable for cultivation. Agricultural land is mentioned as an area of "national importance" in the Environmental Code in chapter 3, section 4 but other areas in the same chapter are mentioned as "national interests". This means that the Swedish Government protect the agricultural land differently than the other areas that are mentioned in this chapter. The chosen methods to clarify the Swedish legislation is applied using a legal dogmatic method and a sociology of law method. These methods are used to present Swedish legislation that concerns the municipal physical planning, as well as the County Administrative Board's and their part in monitoring the use of land and water. The study is an overview of the current situation and what has changed since the year of 2013, carried out by conducting a survey, an interview and studying precedents from the Land and Environment Court of Appeal from the year 2016 until present day. The interviews suggest a proposition that a changed Planning and Building Act can alter the municipal and the County Administrative Board's roles and authority regarding regulation and advice in the planning process. The forecast is that agricultural land is going to continue to be developed. The results from the survey indicate that the municipal and the County Administrative Board's believe that the development of agriculture land adjacent to the urban center are going to be reduced by the year of 2030. Housing development is known as a significant national interest and according to the survey it is the main reason to develop agricultural land. The survey result also indicates an increased awareness of agricultural land and the importance for food production and sustainable development. A proposition from authorities to evaluate agricultural land in a different way than before can also contribute to a deeper understanding of agricultural land's value and importance in achieving sustainable development. According to this study the legal postion changed in the year of 2016 which has consolidated the maintenance of agricultural land. The cases in this study from the Land and Environment Court of Appeal mention: no matter how much the agricultural land is being cultivated or not, no matter the classification and no matter if it is pasture or arable land, the agricultural land is suitable for cultivation and therefore not appropriate to develop

Agricultural land suitable for cultivation - for a sustainable future

Syftet med studien är att klargöra den brukningsvärda jordbruksmarkens skydd och bevarande ur ett nationellt och hållbart perspektiv inom fysisk samhällsplanering. Den övergripande frågeställningen handlar om vad det finns för problematik när det gäller att bevara eller exploatera jordbruksmark. Särskilt studeras lagstiftningens eventuella hinder, tydlighet och tillämpning. Studien fokuserar på den lagstiftning som berör kommunens fysiska planering. Länsstyrelsen har en rådgivande och övervakande roll över kommunen i samband med planläggning av mark- och vattenområden men har inga befogenheter att informera eller ingripa när det gäller brukningsvärd jordbruksmark. Ett område av nationell betydelse i 3 kap. miljöbalken (MB) behandlas därmed annorlunda av staten än ett område av riksintresse i 3- och 4 kap. MB. Tillvägagångssättet för att klargöra lagstiftning som berör kommunens fysiska planering och länsstyrelsens roll i samband med planläggning av mark och vatten utgörs av en kombinerad rättsdogmatisk metod och rättsociologisk metod. Studien redogör för lägesbilden idag och det som förändrats sedan år 2013, genom intervjuundersökning, enkätundersökning och studier av avgöranden i Mark-och miljööverdomstolen (MÖD) från år 2016 till idag. Resultat från intervju ger förslag på en ändrad plan- och bygglagstiftning som förändrar länsstyrelsens rådgivnings- och tillsynsroll i planprocessen. Prognos framöver är fortsatt exploatering av jordbruksmark. Resultat från studiens enkät visar att kommun och länsstyrelse tror på en minskad exploateringstakt fram till år 2030 av jordbruksmark omkring tätorter. Bostadsbebyggelse är ett väsentligt allmänt intresse och är enligt enkätundersökningen den främsta anledningen till att jordbruksmark exploateras. Resultatet visar en ökad uppmärksamhet på jordbruksmarkens betydelse för livsmedelsproduktion och hållbar utveckling. Förslag från myndigheter på förändrat sätt att värdera jordbruksmark kan bidra till en ökad förståelse över jordbruksmarkens värde och betydelse för att uppnå hållbar utveckling. Enligt studien har förändring av rättsläget sedan år 2016 stärkt jordbruksmarkens bevarandevärde. MÖD konstaterar i studiens undersökta rättsfall: oavsett hur lite eller mycket marken brukas, oavsett klassning och oavsett om det är betes- eller åkermark anses jordbruksmark vara brukningsvärd och därmed inte lämplig att exploatera.The aim of this study is to clarify the agricultural land that is suitable for cultivation and protection from a national and sustainable perspective within physical planning. The general inquiry in this study is whether there is a problem between preserving or developing agricultural land. Studying Swedish legislation, and any potential obstacles, as well as its clarity and applicability have been important to respond to the aim of this study. The study focuses on Swedish legislation that affects municipal physical planning. The County Administrative Board's has a provision of advice- and monitoring role when the municipal wants to plan for use of land- and water areas but has no empowerment to inform or interfere in agricultural land that is suitable for cultivation. Agricultural land is mentioned as an area of "national importance" in the Environmental Code in chapter 3, section 4 but other areas in the same chapter are mentioned as "national interests". This means that the Swedish Government protect the agricultural land differently than the other areas that are mentioned in this chapter. The chosen methods to clarify the Swedish legislation is applied using a legal dogmatic method and a sociology of law method. These methods are used to present Swedish legislation that concerns the municipal physical planning, as well as the County Administrative Board's and their part in monitoring the use of land and water. The study is an overview of the current situation and what has changed since the year of 2013, carried out by conducting a survey, an interview and studying precedents from the Land and Environment Court of Appeal from the year 2016 until present day. The interviews suggest a proposition that a changed Planning and Building Act can alter the municipal and the County Administrative Board's roles and authority regarding regulation and advice in the planning process. The forecast is that agricultural land is going to continue to be developed. The results from the survey indicate that the municipal and the County Administrative Board's believe that the development of agriculture land adjacent to the urban center are going to be reduced by the year of 2030. Housing development is known as a significant national interest and according to the survey it is the main reason to develop agricultural land. The survey result also indicates an increased awareness of agricultural land and the importance for food production and sustainable development. A proposition from authorities to evaluate agricultural land in a different way than before can also contribute to a deeper understanding of agricultural land's value and importance in achieving sustainable development. According to this study the legal postion changed in the year of 2016 which has consolidated the maintenance of agricultural land. The cases in this study from the Land and Environment Court of Appeal mention: no matter how much the agricultural land is being cultivated or not, no matter the classification and no matter if it is pasture or arable land, the agricultural land is suitable for cultivation and therefore not appropriate to develop

Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures

National audienceWhen interacting with infants, humans often alter their speech and song in ways thought to support communication. Theories of human child-rearing, informed by data on vocal signalling across species, predict that such alterations should appear globally. Here, we show acoustic differences between infant-directed and adult-directed vocalizations across cultures. We collected 1,615 recordings of infant- and adult-directed speech and song produced by 410 people in 21 urban, rural and small-scale societies. Infant-directedness was reliably classified from acoustic features only, with acoustic profiles of infant-directedness differing across language and music but in consistent fashions. We then studied listener sensitivity to these acoustic features. We played the recordings to 51,065 people from 187 countries, recruited via an English-language website, who guessed whether each vocalization was infant-directed. Their intuitions were more accurate than chance, predictable in part by common sets of acoustic features and robust to the effects of linguistic relatedness between vocalizer and listener. These findings inform hypotheses of the psychological functions and evolution of human communication

Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures

When interacting with infants, humans often alter their speech and song in ways thought to support communication. Theories of human child-rearing, informed by data on vocal signalling across species, predict that such alterations should appear globally. Here, we show acoustic differences between infant-directed and adult-directed vocalizations across cultures. We collected 1,615 recordings of infant- and adult-directed speech and song produced by 410 people in 21 urban, rural and small-scale societies. Infant-directedness was reliably classified from acoustic features only, with acoustic profiles of infant-directedness differing across language and music but in consistent fashions. We then studied listener sensitivity to these acoustic features. We played the recordings to 51,065 people from 187 countries, recruited via an English-language website, who guessed whether each vocalization was infant-directed. Their intuitions were more accurate than chance, predictable in part by common sets of acoustic features and robust to the effects of linguistic relatedness between vocalizer and listener. These findings inform hypotheses of the psychological functions and evolution of human communication

Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures.

When interacting with infants, humans often alter their speech and song in ways thought to support communication. Theories of human child-rearing, informed by data on vocal signalling across species, predict that such alterations should appear globally. Here, we show acoustic differences between infant-directed and adult-directed vocalizations across cultures. We collected 1,615 recordings of infant- and adult-directed speech and song produced by 410 people in 21 urban, rural and small-scale societies. Infant-directedness was reliably classified from acoustic features only, with acoustic profiles of infant-directedness differing across language and music but in consistent fashions. We then studied listener sensitivity to these acoustic features. We played the recordings to 51,065 people from 187 countries, recruited via an English-language website, who guessed whether each vocalization was infant-directed. Their intuitions were more accurate than chance, predictable in part by common sets of acoustic features and robust to the effects of linguistic relatedness between vocalizer and listener. These findings inform hypotheses of the psychological functions and evolution of human communication