Developing low-carbon concrete technology at Dundee

Ongoing work with the Mineral Product Association (MPA), UK Quality Ash Association(UKQAA), Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering (SRPe) Innovate UK’s KnowledgeTransfer Partnership (KTP), Rock Solid Processing and Historic Environment Scotland isfocused on the development and performance of low-carbon binders and aggregates forconcrete. Separately, the CTU facilities and analytical skills are helping shape maintenancestrategies for historic palaces and abbeys

Developing low-carbon concrete technology at Dundee

Ongoing work with the Mineral Product Association (MPA), UK Quality Ash Association(UKQAA), Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering (SRPe) Innovate UK’s KnowledgeTransfer Partnership (KTP), Rock Solid Processing and Historic Environment Scotland isfocused on the development and performance of low-carbon binders and aggregates forconcrete. Separately, the CTU facilities and analytical skills are helping shape maintenancestrategies for historic palaces and abbeys

Small wind turbine augmentation: Experimental investigations of shrouded- and twin-rotor wind turbine systems

An increase in the efficiency of Small Wind Turbines (SWTs) by aerodynamic optimisation of the blade geometry is limited (low Reynolds number influence). Solutions such as the Diffuser-Augmented Wind Turbine (DAWT) and the twin-rotor systems are of increasing interest. A diffuser promotes an increase in the wind mass flow rate through the turbine, whereas an auxiliary rotor enables extraction of the wind kinetic energy in the wake. The paper summarizes the measurements of wind turbine systems performance conducted at the Institute of Turbomachinery, Lodz University of Technology (IMP TUL). The research incorporated a spectrum of wind turbine configurations for open and shrouded, single- and twin-rotor systems. The objective was to compare the performance of the same rotor in different configurations. The influence of a low Reynolds number flow on the rotor performance is also discussed and quantified. The study shows that, while augmenting the wind turbine performance (as much as twofold increase), shrouding rises significantly the rotor loading. A remedy for that may be an application of the second rotor. Although it provides a rather modest efficiency increase (11–13% for the unshrouded-, 4–5% for shrouded turbine), it allows loads to be distributed more evenly on turbines

Small Wind Turbines: Specification, Design, and Economic Evaluation

In this work, we consider various aspects of small wind turbines’ (SWTs) design and operation. First, an extensive literature study is presented by considering SWTs specification, market statistics, the smart grid, and the prosumer concepts as well as the most important parameters affecting the efficiency of wind turbines. Then, both the literature review and series of coupled numerical simulations investigating impact of the chosen design solutions on small wind turbine operation are performed. It allowed objective evaluation of different design approaches, which in turn enabled the systematic identification of actual limitations as well as the opportunities for specific design solutions of SWTs: horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs); the rotor position in relation to the tower (upwind vs. downwind); and diffusor-augmented wind turbine (DAWT). Additionally, an economic evaluation is carried with the use of an advanced numerical Weather Research & Forecasting (WRF) model. It is shown that auxiliary power generation using privately owned SWTs can be an economically viable option. Finally, a set of design goals for future SWTs is formulated based on the performed numerical analyses

Phytol: A review of biomedical activities

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (Auguist 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policyPhytol (PYT) is a diterpene member of the long-chain unsaturated acyclic alcohols. PYT and some of its derivatives, including phytanic acid (PA), exert a wide range of biological effects. PYT is a valuable essential oil (EO) used as a fragrance and a potential candidate for a broad range of applications in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry. There is ample evidence that PA may play a crucial role in the development of pathophysiological states. Focusing on PYT and some of its most relevant derivatives, here we present a systematic review of reported biological activities, along with their underlying mechanism of action. Recent investigations with PYT demonstrated anxiolytic, metabolism-modulating, cytotoxic, antioxidant, autophagy- and apoptosis-inducing, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, and antimicrobial effects. PPARs- and NF-κB-mediated activities are also discussed as mechanisms responsible for some of the bioactivities of PYT. The overall goal of this review is to discuss recent findings pertaining to PYT biological activities and its possible applications

Numerical simulation methodologies for design and development of Diffuser-Augmented Wind Turbines – analysis and comparison

Different numerical computation methods used to develop a methodology for fast, efficient, reliable design and comparison of Diffuser-Augmented Wind Turbine (DAWT) geometries are presented. The demand for such methods is evident, following the multitude of geometrical parameters that influence the flow character through ducted turbines. The results of the Actuator Disk Model (ADM) simulations will be confronted with a simulation method of higher order of accuracy, i.e. the 3D Fully-resolved Rotor Model (FRM) in the rotor design point. Both will be checked for consistency with the experimental results measured in the wind tunnel at the Institute of Turbo-machinery (IMP), Lodz University of Technology (TUL). An attempt to find an efficient method (with a compromise between accuracy and design time) for the flow analysis pertinent to the DAWT is a novel approach presented in this paper