Development of Analytical Tool for Energy Audit of Cogeneration plant (ATEAC)

Energy audit and management of a plant can be considered as a systematic approach to maintain the performance of a plant at high efficiency. The tedious task of energy audit of a cogeneration plant can be undertaken by aid of the analytical method which represents the working principles of the respective equipment used in a plant. The performance of the plant can be inefficient due to energy misusage and energy lost and hence, identifying the operating parameters that cause energy losses and misusage can be the technique for management of a cogeneration plant. This research discusses an analytical method for energy audit of an existing cogeneration plant in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP). The analytical models were developed for the gas turbine engine, heat recovery steam generator, steam absorption chiller, air cooled chiller, cooling tower, and thermal energy storage. The study involves the investigation of the energy lost and imbalances within the systems which degrade the performance of the cogeneration plant. The models were defined based on the principles of thermodynamics, mass and energy balance. The analytical models were implemented using Matlab7.1 and the results were validated to that of the actual operating data. The results show that the analytical models developed are able to represent the operating principles of all the systems in the plant. It was found that the performance of the plant is not at optimum operation due to losses in the components of the plant. The energy loss in the sub-systems of the cogeneration plant is found to be 35.23%. The energy loss in the components of steam absorption chiller is 77.15% of the total energy lost inside the components. The energy loss in air cooled chiller is found to be 70.6% of the total energy loss. The energy losses in the cooling tower due to evaporated mass and convection heat transfer are 5.41% and 94.6% respectively. The energy losses in the thermal energy storage are found to be 5-22.4% of the total energy lost in thermal energy storage. The analytical models also enable strategies for optimization of the plant. Reduction in the amount of losses can be observed when selected operating parameters are changed. It was found that by decreasing the inlet temperature to the air compressor by 1-1.5 K, the net work of the turbine increases by 0.11-0.2%. In the air cooled chiller condenser, the energy loss can be decreased by 5.74-7.3% when the inlet air temperature is decreased by 1-1.5 K. In the cooling tower, the energy lost by evaporated mass can be decreased by 1.01-1.5% at the same inlet air temperature. The analytical model can be used as a tool for energy audit and management of the cogeneration plant. The energy conservation can be identified by quantifying the percentages of energy losses in each component. The performance of the cogeneration plant can be maintained at optimum by monitoring the operating parameters at optimum levels

Development of Analytical Tool for Energy Audit of Cogeneration plant (ATEAC)

Energy audit and management of a plant can be considered as a systematic approach to maintain the performance of a plant at high efficiency. The tedious task of energy audit of a cogeneration plant can be undertaken by aid of the analytical method which represents the working principles of the respective equipment used in a plant. The performance of the plant can be inefficient due to energy misusage and energy lost and hence, identifying the operating parameters that cause energy losses and misusage can be the technique for management of a cogeneration plant. This research discusses an analytical method for energy audit of an existing cogeneration plant in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP). The analytical models were developed for the gas turbine engine, heat recovery steam generator, steam absorption chiller, air cooled chiller, cooling tower, and thermal energy storage. The study involves the investigation of the energy lost and imbalances within the systems which degrade the performance of the cogeneration plant. The models were defined based on the principles of thermodynamics, mass and energy balance. The analytical models were implemented using Matlab7.1 and the results were validated to that of the actual operating data. The results show that the analytical models developed are able to represent the operating principles of all the systems in the plant. It was found that the performance of the plant is not at optimum operation due to losses in the components of the plant. The energy loss in the sub-systems of the cogeneration plant is found to be 35.23%. The energy loss in the components of steam absorption chiller is 77.15% of the total energy lost inside the components. The energy loss in air cooled chiller is found to be 70.6% of the total energy loss. The energy losses in the cooling tower due to evaporated mass and convection heat transfer are 5.41% and 94.6% respectively. The energy losses in the thermal energy storage are found to be 5-22.4% of the total energy lost in thermal energy storage. The analytical models also enable strategies for optimization of the plant. Reduction in the amount of losses can be observed when selected operating parameters are changed. It was found that by decreasing the inlet temperature to the air compressor by 1-1.5 K, the net work of the turbine increases by 0.11-0.2%. In the air cooled chiller condenser, the energy loss can be decreased by 5.74-7.3% when the inlet air temperature is decreased by 1-1.5 K. In the cooling tower, the energy lost by evaporated mass can be decreased by 1.01-1.5% at the same inlet air temperature. The analytical model can be used as a tool for energy audit and management of the cogeneration plant. The energy conservation can be identified by quantifying the percentages of energy losses in each component. The performance of the cogeneration plant can be maintained at optimum by monitoring the operating parameters at optimum levels

Soluble receptor for AGE in diabetic nephropathy and its progression in Finnish individuals with type 1 diabetes

Aims/hypothesis Activation of the receptor for AGE (RAGE) has been shown to be associated with diabetic nephropathy. The soluble isoform of RAGE (sRAGE) is considered to function as a decoy receptor for RAGE ligands and thereby protects against diabetic complications. A possible association between sRAGE and diabetic nephropathy is still, however, controversial and a more comprehensive analysis of sRAGE with respect to diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes is therefore warranted. Methods sRAGE was measured in baseline serum samples from 3647 participants with type 1 diabetes from the nationwide multicentre Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy (FinnDiane) Study. Associations between sRAGE and diabetic nephropathy, as well as sRAGE and diabetic nephropathy progression, were evaluated by regression, competing risks and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. The non-synonymous SNP rs2070600 (G82S) was used to test causality in the Mendelian randomisation analysis. Results Baseline sRAGE concentrations were highest in participants with diabetic nephropathy, compared with participants with a normal AER or those with microalbuminuria. Baseline sRAGE was associated with progression from macroalbuminuria to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the competing risks analyses, but this association disappeared when eGFR was entered into the model. The SNP rs2070600 was strongly associated with sRAGE concentrations and with progression from macroalbuminuria to ESRD. However, Mendelian randomisation analysis did not support a causal role for sRAGE in progression to ESRD. Conclusions/interpretations RAGE is associated with progression from macroalbuminuria to ESRD, but does not add predictive value on top of conventional risk factors. Although sRAGE is a biomarker of diabetic nephropathy, in light of the Mendelian randomisation analysis it does not seem to be causally related to progression from macroalbuminuria to ESRD.Peer reviewe

Supplementary data for the article: Apostolovic, D.; Sánchez-Vidaurre, S.; Waden, K.; Curin, M.; Grundström, J.; Gafvelin, G.; Cirkovic Velickovic, T.; Grönlund, H.; Thomas, W. R.; Valenta, R.; et al. The Cat Lipocalin Fel d 7 and Its Cross-Reactivity with the Dog Lipocalin Can f 1. Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2016, 71 (10), 1490–1495. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.12955

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1111/all.12955]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2337]Related to accepted version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3650

Dog saliva - an important source of dog allergens

Background Allergy to dog (Canis familiaris) is a worldwide common cause of asthma and allergic rhinitis. However, dander extract in routine diagnostics is not an optimal predictor of IgE-mediated dog allergy. Our objective was to evaluate saliva as an allergen source for improved diagnostics of allergy to dog. Methods IgE-binding proteins in dog saliva and dander extract were analysed by immunoblot and mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using pooled or individual sera from dog-allergic patients (n=13). Sera from 59 patients IgE positive to dander and 55 patients IgE negative to dander but with symptoms to dog were analysed for IgE against saliva and dander by ELISA. Basophil stimulation with dog saliva and dander extract was measured by flow cytometry among three dog-allergic patients. Additionally, IgE-binding protein profiles of saliva from different breeds were investigated by immunoblot. Results Greater number and diversity of IgE-binding proteins was found in saliva compared to dander extract and varied among dog breeds. In saliva, Can f 1, 2, 3 and 6 were identified but also four new saliva allergen candidates. The majority of the 59 dog danderpositive sera (n=44) were IgE positive to dog saliva. Among patients IgE negative to dander, but with symptoms to dog, 20% were IgE positive to saliva. The biological activity of saliva was confirmed by basophil degranulation. Conclusions Dog saliva is an allergen source for improved diagnostics of dog allergy. The IgE-binding protein profile of saliva from different dogs varies.Supplementary material: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3488

The Presence and Severity of Chronic Kidney Disease Predicts All-Cause Mortality in Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify clinical features associated with premature mortality in a large contemporary cohort of adults with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy (FinnDiane) study is a national multicenter prospective follow-up study of 4,201 adults with type 1 diabetes from 21 university and central hospitals, 33 district hospitals, and 26 primary health care centers across Finland. RESULTS: During a median 7 years of follow-up, there were 291 deaths (7%), 3.6-fold (95% CI 3.2-4.0) more than that observed in the age- and sex-matched general population. Excess mortality was only observed in individuals with chronic kidney disease. Individuals with normoalbuminuria showed no excess mortality beyond the general population (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] 0.8, 95% CI 0.5-1.1), independent of the duration of diabetes. The presence of microalbuminuria, macroalbuminuria, and end-stage kidney disease was associated with 2.8, 9.2, and 18.3 times higher SMR, respectively. The increase in mortality across each stage of albuminuria was equivalent to the risk conferred by preexisting macrovascular disease. In addition, the glomerular filtration rate was independently associated with mortality, such that individuals with impaired kidney function, as well as those demonstrating hyperfiltration, had an increased risk of death. CONCLUSIONS: An independent graded association was observed between the presence and severity of kidney disease and mortality in a large contemporary cohort of individuals with type 1 diabetes. These findings highlight the clinical and public health importance of chronic kidney disease and its prevention in the management of type 1 diabetes

Effect of Parental Type 2 Diabetes on Offspring With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE—The purpose of this study was to study the association between a parental history of type 2 diabetes and the metabolic profile as well as the presence of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes complications in patients with type 1 diabetes