Feasibility study thin glasses for greenhouse roof designs

In this study, the feasibility of the application of flexible thin glass in greenhouses was investigated. With the development of thin but very strong glass plates like for mobile phones, new possibilities are being created for new greenhouse roof designs, the usage in multi-layered glass roof give possibilities for high-insulation greenhouse coverings. Flexible thin glass is a tempered glass. While standard tempered glass goes through a thermal process, this is a chemical process, which makes the glass five times stronger, creating the possibility of thickness reduction and bending. By adding nanocoatings the reflection can be reduced and the light transmission can be increased. Multi-layered greenhouse roofs can be created, resulting in a higher light transmission than currently available multilayer polycarbonate (PC) sheets, but also a higher transmission than today’s insulating double glass. The study shows that such glass combinations lead to an additional 20% energy savings based on heat demand for Phalaenopsis. Thin glasses are particularly strong and can also be used in curved form. This makes new greenhouse roof designs with these glasses possible. Especially the low weight offers advantages here. Important mechanical aspects and bottlenecks for the use in greenhouses have been mapped out. Due to limitations in today’s available dimensions and high prices, the use of thin glass in greenhouses will be further away in the futur

Post-breakage behaviour of laminated glass in structural applications

Firstly is introduced what the post-breakage behaviour of laminated safety glass is, and why it's important to can model it for designing structural glass elements. A general description of post-breakage behaviour and the different possible mechanisms leading to failure are presented. We then focus on the mechanical properties of the interlayer material, more specifically in the perspective to model its behaviour at large strain up to break. Typical results of standard uniaxial tensile tests on SGP samples (SentryGlas (R) Plus, interlayer of DuPont de Nemours) are shortly presented, and we then explain why those are insufficient to calibrate numeric material models to use in finite elements softwares. Finally perspectives for further experimental investigation with aiming to calibrate material models are presented

Draining Sustainable Profit Fase 2: laboratoriumexperimenten betreffende benutting van drainwater voor het kweken van algen voor oesterteelt

Drainwater dat vrij komt in de glastuinbouw bevat zouten en voedingsstoffen die bij lozing een belasting op de watersystemen geven, hetgeen lozingsheffingen met zich meebrengt en waardoor tevens waardevolle nutriënten verloren gaan. De uitdaging van het reduceren van de milieubelasting ligt in het hergebruiken van de nutriënten, waardoor een kostenpost kan worden omgezet in een renderende reststroom. Het (beperkte) zoutgehalte (3 promille of in geconcentreerde vorm 12 promille) van het drainwater maakt het water mogelijk geschikt voor de kweek van brakwater (en adaptieve mariene) algensoorten. Hierdoor worden waardevolle nutriënten onttrokken en wordt de anorganische belasting van het drainwater lager. Het gekweekte algenproduct kan geschikt zijn voor een aanvullende teelt van een aquacultuurproduct zoals schelpdieren, deze kunnen aan elkaar gekoppeld worden. Aangezien dergelijke mogelijkheden nieuw zijn, bestaan er nog een aantal onbekende factoren, zoals het selecteren van geschikte soorten algen voor kweek, de voedingswaarde van de oester en voedselveiligheidsrisico’s. Deze parameters zijn aan de hand van een desk studie gekoppeld aan laboratorium experimenten onderzocht

Influence of temperature on post-breakage behaviour of laminated glass beams: experimental approach

The assessment of the post-breakage performances of laminated glass elements used in construction need to take into account the sensitivity to the temperature of the mechanical behaviour and properties of the product, in particular of the interlayer material. A general problem statement and an overview of different experimental approaches are firstly presented. Then results of specific orientation tests on pre-cracked laminated glass beams with a stiff interlayer of DuPont carried at three different temperatures (23, 45 and 60°C) are presented and commented. A comparison of the mechanical behaviour at the different temperatures is done, aiming to give a comprehensive order of magnitude of the sensitivity to temperature of the post-breakage behaviour observed during the tests

KB-WOT Quality assurance acoustics: overview and protocols 2008 version

The quality of IMARES' acoustic surveys proved quite unstable in recent years despite extra effort in this field to bring this instability down. The amount of involved scientists in acoustics has been small compared to demersal survey work. Therefore scientific standards of acoustic surveys are relatively low compared resulting in poor standardisation and minimal transparency. Highly specialised technical work made it even more difficult to exchange scientists within IMARES and the quality of acoustic surveys proved to be very sensitive to loss or change in personnel. This situation improved drastically in 2008 when more scientists got involved in acoustic projects and more effort was put in standardisation