Pulverized coal combustion application of laser-based temperature sensing system using computed tomography : Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (CT-TDLAS)

The investigation of combustion phenomena in pulverized coal flames is significant for combustion optimization related to energy conservation and emission reduction. Real-time two dimensional (2D) temperature and concentration distributions play an important role for combustion analysis. The non-contact and fast response 2D temperature and concentration distribution measurement method was developed in this study. The method is based on a combination of computed tomography (CT) and tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS). The accuracy evaluation of developed 32-path CT-TDLAS demonstrated its feasibility of 2D temperature measurement. 32-path CT-TDLAS was applied to CH4 and 5 kg/h coal combustion fields for 2D temperature measurement. The time-series 2D temperature distribution in coal combustion furnace was measured using 32-path CT-TDLAS measurement cell with kHz time resolution. The transient temperature field of combustion flame directly reflects the combustion mode and combustion stability. The measurement results demonstrate its applicability of CT-TDLAS to various types of combustor, especially the combustion fields with coal and ash particles. CT-TDLAS method with kHz response time enables the real-time 2D temperature measurement to be applicable for combustion analysis

Detection Improvement of Unburned Carbon Content in Fly Ash Flow Using LIBS with a Two-Stage Cyclone Measurement System

Fly ash contents can be considered as a basis for optimal and stable boiler combustion control and fly ash quality control in power plant, especially the unburned carbon in fly ash. The real-time and quantitative measurement of contents in fly ash was studied using a constructed two-stage cyclone measurement system and detected using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS) technique. The surrounding gas effect, such as CO2 effect on unburned carbon content, was studied comprehensively in this paper. The CO2 effect was eliminated using this proposed combination method of two-stage cyclone measurement system and LIBS with 1ns pulse-width laser according to the efficient gas-particle separation and the controlled laser-induced plasma processes of particle flow. The quantitative analysis was improved using the plasma temperature correction method with the intensity ratio of the emission pair from magnesium as a plasma temperature indicator. The measurement of unburned carbon content in fly ash with temperature correction method presented the concordant results analyzed by chemical analysis method. It is demonstrated the feasibility and improved detection ability for the real-time measurement of fly ash contents in power plant

Improved Measurement Characteristics of Elemental Compositions Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Rapid detection of coal and fly ash is significant to improve the efficiency of thermal power plants and reduce environmental pollution. Given its fast response, high sensitivity, real-time, and noncontact features, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has a great potential for on-line measurement in these applications. The direct measurement of particles and gases using LIBS was studied, and the method was shown to be effective for this application

Unburned carbon measurement in fly ash using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with short nanosecond pulse width laser

The unburned carbon in fly ash is one of the important factors for the boiler combustion condition. Controlling the unburned carbon in fly ash is beneficial for fly ash recycle and to improve the combustion efficiency of the coal. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technology has been applied to measure the fly ash contents due to its merits of non-contact, fast response, high sensitivity, and real-time measurement. In this study, experimental measurements have been adopted for fly ash flows with the surrounding gases of N2 and CO2, while the CO2 concentration varified to evaluate the CO2 effect on the unburned carbon signal from fly ash powder. Two kinds of pulse width lasers, 6ns and 1ns, were separately adopted to compare the influence of laser pulse width. Results showed that compared with 6ns pulse width laser, plasma temperature was lower and had less dependence on delay time when using 1ns pulse width laser, and spectra had more stable background. By using 1ns pulse width laser, the emission signal from surrounding CO2 also decreased because of the less surrounding gas breakdown. The solid powder breakdown signals also became more stable when using 1ns pulse width laser. So it is demonstrated that 1ns pulse width laser has the merits for fly ash flow measurement using LIBS

Successful treatment of severe accidental hypothermia with cardiac arrest for a long time using cardiopulmonary bypass - report of a case

Accidental hypothermia is defined as an unintentional decrease in body temperature to below 35°C, and cases in which temperatures drop below 28°C are considered severe and have a high mortality rate. This study presents the case of a 57-year-old man discovered drifting at sea who was admitted to our hospital suffering from cardiac arrest. Upon admittance, an electrocardiogram indicated asystole, and the patient's temperature was 22°C. Thirty minutes of standard CPR and external rewarming were ineffective in raising his temperature. However, although he had been in cardiac arrest for nearly 2 h, it was decided to continue resuscitation, and a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was initiated. CPB was successful in gradually rewarming the patient and restoring spontaneous circulation. After approximately 1 month of rehabilitation, the patient was subsequently discharged, displaying no neurological deficits. The successful recovery in this case suggests that CPB can be considered a useful way to treat severe hypothermia, particularly in those suffering from cardiac arrest

Two dimensional temperature measurement characteristics in pulverized coal combustion field by computed tomography-tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy

Two dimensional temperature and concentration distributions are important parameters for pulverized coal combustion used for power plant to understand the combustion field and develop the high efficient combustion technologies. However, it is difficult to measure two dimensional temperature and concentration in pulverized coal combustion field using conventional measurement technologies because pulverized coal combustion produces lots of dust and strong emission from its frame. This paper focused on the application of two dimensional temperature distribution measurement method based on the combination of computed tomography and tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy using absorption spectra of water vapor at 1388nm and 1343nm, which show the better characteristics of spatial-temporal resolution, fast response, high sensitivity, self-calibration and optical accessibility compared with thermocouples and other laser diagnostics. Accuracy of temperature measurement using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy was improved by applying the corrected spectroscopic database. Computed tomography reconstruction accuracy of 16 laser-paths configuration was evaluated, which presented the consistent temperature between assumed and reconstructed distributions. This computed tomography-tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy was successfully applied to pulverized coal flame for two dimensional temperature measurement with 1 ms temporal resolution for time-series two dimensional temperature measurement. The pulverized coal flame temperature distribution was compared to Methane-Air flame to demonstrate its feasibility and rationality due to the main heat release produced by methane fuel. It is verified the applicability to various types of combustor, especially the pulverized coal combustion field. It will be benefit for optimal operation control and combustion efficiency improvement by combustion organization or new design of combustion system

Association between vascular endothelial dysfunction and stroke incidence in the general Japanese population: Results from the tohoku medical megabank community-based cohort study

Background: Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) measures vascular endothelial function by evaluating the vasodilatory response of blood vessels to increased blood flow. Nevertheless, the association between FMD and stroke incidence in a general population remains unclear. This study investigated the association between vascular endothelial function and stroke incidence in the general Japanese population. Methods: Based on cohort data from the Tohoku Medical Megabank Community-based Cohort Study, participants aged ≥18 years were recruited from Iwate Prefecture, with the final sample comprising 2952 subjects. Results: The FMD level was 0.5%–27.1%, with a median of 5.0% (interquartile, 4.2%–11.3%). The mean follow-up period was 5.5 ± 1.8 years (range, 0.6–6.9 years). After dividing the participants into two subgroups according to the median FMD value, a multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusting for gender, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, estimated glomerular filtration rate, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and hemoglobin A1c revealed that a lower FMD value was strongly associated with incidences of total stroke (hazard ratio[HR] = 2.13, 95% confidence interval[CI] = 1.48–3.07, p < 0.001), ischemic stroke (HR = 3.33, 95%CI = 2.00–5.52, p < 0.001), nonlacunar stroke (HR = 2.77, 95%CI = 1.49–5.16, p = 0.001), and lacunar stroke (HR = 5.12, 95%CI = 1.74–16.05, p = 0.003). Conclusions: This study showed that a low FMD value might reflect vascular endothelial dysfunction and then was associated with ischemic stroke incidence in the general Japanese population, suggesting that FMD can be used as a tool to identify future stroke risk