Conversion Kit Research Articles

Abstract 3804: Comprehensive comparison of bisulfite conversion kits: A guide for optimal sensitivity and specificity of circulating cell-free DNA methylation-based biomarkers

Abstract Analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a promising approach for non-invasive detection of human cancer. The approach has wide-spread applications including early detection of disease in asymptomatic individuals, residual disease detection and disease monitoring. A challenge for the clinical utilization of cfDNA is the small fragment size of cfDNA and the limited amount of cfDNA present in blood. For detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) highly sensitive methods for cfDNA detection e.g. targeted sequencing and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) target tumor specific mutations or DNA methylation alterations. Detection of methylation-based biomarkers requires that cfDNA is bisulfite converted prior to biomarker detection, which is known to be associated with some loss of cfDNA. Yet, surprisingly few efforts have focused on ensuring high cfDNA bisulfite conversion (BSC) efficiency and -recovery, and few commercial kits are especially designed for this purpose. In this study we aimed to find a BSC method suited for cfDNA methylation biomarker research, with high BS conversion efficiency and minimum loss of cfDNA, in order to increase the amount of cfDNA template available for downstream analysis. We studied 13 different methods for BSC and examined both the recovery and the BSC efficiency using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and ddPCR. A significant variation in DNA recovery was observed between the 13 methods tested using both high and low molecular weight DNA templates. Especially five kits performed consistently well on all DNA templates tested, as evaluated by qPCR and PAGE. As the lengths of cfDNA is 146-167 base pairs, only methods that are able to recover fragments of this lengths is suitable for cfDNA pipelines. Results showed that few methods enabled recovery of DNA fragments ≤ 150 base pairs. However, three kits showed a higher amount of 150 base pair fragments compared to the other methods tested. In a clinical setting it is expected that the target cfDNA compose only a minor fraction of the total cfDNA in plasma. Thus, the five best performing kits were tested using ddPCR on serial dilutions of leucocyte DNA fragmented to ~ 150bp to mimic cfDNA. The best performing kit had a recovery of 69% of the initial input compared to only 13% for the poorest performing kit. Collectively, our comprehensive comparison hereby guide which BS conversion methods are suited for cfDNA methylation-based biomarker pipelines. Citation Format: Sarah Ø. Jensen, Mai-Britt W. Ørntoft, Jesper B. Bramsen, Torben F. Ørntoft, Claus L. Andersen. Comprehensive comparison of bisulfite conversion kits: A guide for optimal sensitivity and specificity of circulating cell-free DNA methylation-based biomarkers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3804. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3804

Group dynamics and the role of ICT in the life cycle analysis of community of practice-based product development: a case study

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the dynamics of a community of practice (CoP) through a case study of eCars – Now! They offer open-source blueprints of the electric conversion kits globally. The authors analysed the CoP by considering its entire life cycle, starting from the motives for its establishment, through its active performance, up to the current stage, where the members need to decide whether the community will remain viable. Particular attention was paid to the group dynamics and issues that seemed relevant to the change in dynamics which determine whether a CoP maintains its vitality or dissipates.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative case study was chosen as the research strategy (Yin, 1984) to answer the research question and understand the target phenomenon of the CoP by analysing textual data. This particular case was chosen because of its unusual revelatory value for the case CoP which aims at creating a tangible innovation by using a platform that normally aims at intangible problem-solving (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007). In the data collection, the authors used method and researcher triangulation (Patton, 1990).FindingsLife cycle analysis revealed four themes that explained the change in the group dynamics and the dispersal of the community: differentiation and dispersal of interests, growth that resulted in role differentiation, virtuality in community development and inclusion of investors. The themes were all related to the fact that the case community operated with not only knowledge, but also with a tangible product. Therefore, the tangibility of a problem to be solved seems to play a pivotal role in a CoP’s operations and dynamics and, in part, also explains the changing role of information and communications technology (ICT) in the process.Research limitations/implicationsHowever, this paper identified also different ways to characterize community participation, which was also relevant from group dynamics point of view. Thus, the topic should be studied further. Group dynamics in general, as it relates to the success of CoPs, should be also investigated further. Additional studies should implement the inclusion of external resources in the community. Further research is also needed to investigate tangible and intangible outcomes achieved through CoPs. Much of the available research was conducted over short periods; prolonged interactions in a CoP context could show different results.Practical implicationsIn conclusion, at the beginning of the life cycle of the eCars community, ICT played a significant role. It helped increase awareness of the community in the first place and enabled people to join in, which thus enabled the community to evolve. When the operations evolved and the life cycle progressed, both the physical meeting place as well as personal interaction and communication became emphasized and much more important. In the maturing stage, the role of ICT, and especially social media, is the essential part of the community.Social implicationsThis analysis suggests that at the early stage of a community, the plans can be somewhat random, even utopian, but when the community evolves, this uncertainty can become a problem. First, it affects achieving the actual, and in this case, concrete results. Second, uncertainty and unclarity dampen enthusiasm and motivation, which are of utmost importance due to the voluntary participation. This paper also concludes that when the operations evolved and the life cycle progressed, both the physical meeting place as well as personal interaction and communication became increasingly important.Originality/valueThis paper argues that the ideological basis for this kind of community should be openness. All information should be available for everyone who registers to the community platform on the internet. This community was working in the mindset of open innovation. Technical documentation and all other material were available for everyone in the community’s wiki pages, which attracted a lot of people who were delighted by eCars. Many advisors delivered technical information and good advice to the practitioners of the community through the platform. The hang arounds were also very well-informed in this stage regarding how the core group was working.

Regulation of steroid-5-alpha-reductase 2 (SRD5A2) in human prostate by epigenetic modifications.

204 Background: 5-alpha reductase type 2 (SRD5A2), an enzyme that is critical for prostatic development and growth. We have found that many aging prostate tissues do not express the enzyme. We previously showed that expression of SRD5A2 is not static and epigenetic modulations by DNA methyltransferase and pro-inflammatory cytokines play important roles in silencing of SRD5A2. Here we wished to define the methylation pattern and identify specific CpG dinucleotides that are methylated in the SRD5A2promoter region. Methods: Ninety six prostate samples from patients were obtained by transurethral resection of prostate (TURP). Methylation of SRD5A2 promoter was assessed using Methylated CpG Island Recovery Assay (MIRA). Bisulfide conversion of Genomic DNA was performed using Epimark bisulfide conversion kit. Primers for bisulfide sequencing were designed using MethPrimer software and bisulfide sequencing was performed using 3730XL DNA Sequencers. Binding of histone demethylase to promoter DNA was analyzed by ChiP assay. Results: We randomly selected 3 TURP samples with methylated SRD5A2 promoters and 3 TURP samples with un-methylated SRD5A2 promoters, and then bisulfide conversion and sequencing were performed to verify the methylation pattern of CpG dinucleotides on SRD5A2 promoter. We found that bisulfide sequencing analysis of SRD5A2 promoter was consistent with MIRA analysis. To further analyze the mediators of SRD5A2 promoter region, we show that TNF-alpha up-regulates expression of Snail protein, which is a central regulator of both DNA methylation and histone methylation, and increases the binding of H3K9me to SRD5A2promoter region, but not H3K27me or H4K20me. Conclusions: Methylation of SRD5A2 promoter, which is regulated by DNMT1, proinflammatory cytokines and the histone methylase, H3K9me, accounts for suppression of SRD5A2 in many adult human prostate tissues. Bisulfide conversion and sequencing confirm and focus the specified CpG dinucleotides that are methylated enabling us to evaluate mechanisms and patterns of SRD5A2 promoter methylation in order to study the functional significance of SRD5A2 methylation. Grant support: NIH/R01 DK091353.

Spazia-HPP: Hybrid Plug-in for Small Vehicle

The Spazia-HPP project proposes a conversion kit called Hybrid Power Pack (HPP) [5] for common microcar; it was installed on a prototype called “Spazia”, a typical quadricycle of the category L6e. It has an internal combustion engine, which allows you to turn common microcar into parallel hybrid thermal – electric vehicle.The aim is to promote a system of easy installation, which increase acceleration by 20% and reduces fuel consumption by almost 25% compared to a traditional Diesel quadricycle. The results are obtained by testing on a chassis dynamometer at the research centre ENEA Casaccia (Rome).

Performance and emission testing of a bi-fuel outboard spark-ignition engine

With the increasing concern about the future availability of gasoline and continuously stringent engine emission regulatory standards, the need for an alternative to gasoline as a primary engine fuel is becoming increasingly important. One proposed alternative is to use natural gas due to its availability, low cost, and generally reduced engine emissions. However, due to volumetric efficiency losses, the conversion of a standard spark-ignition engine originally operating on gasoline to run on natural gas has been shown to produce considerable power reductions. Additionally, improperly tuned natural gas conversion kits could potentially increase certain emissions’ quantities compared to gasoline. This work reports the results of an experiment designed to characterize the performance and emissions of a commonly used gasoline outboard boat motor converted to run on natural gas. Reported are the comparisons between gasoline and natural gas for the widely used engine operating parameters for gauging engine performance related to power output and harmful emissions, including oxides of nitrogen, unburned hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide, for comparison of the two test fuels. The results indicate that operation on natural gas greatly reduces harmful hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions at the cost of reduced engine power output and potentially increased oxides of nitrogen emissions.

Designing a Prototype LPG Injection Electronic Control Unit for a Carburetted Gasoline Engine

In this study, the originally carburetted gasoline engine was converted to gas-phase liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) injection engine by using an after market LPG conversion kit's components except the electronic control unit (ECU). Instead of after market LPG injection ECU, the ECU which was designed considering the effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI), was used for controlling injection. The designed ECU was tested in terms of EMI while the engine was being run and it was detected that the EMI noises could be suppressed as possible by taken measures. Designed ECU was used in performance tests at different engine conditions and the results obtained with LPG injection were compared with the results obtained with LPG carburetion. According to the performance test results, LPG injection ECU designed in this study could help to achieve low exhaust emissions and high engine performance.

천연가스 개조 승용차에 대한 실험적 연구(2) - 분사 시스템 평가

Abstract : In the previous study, several problems were observed in a NG conversion vehicle, which were fail of air-fuel ratio closed loop control, aggravated fuel economy, increased harmful emission and declined roadability. It was provisionally supposed that the mismatch of injection system with the engine caused these performance deterioration. In this context, the characteristics of fuel injection system of commercial conversion kit for NG were investigated experimentally varying the engine speed, fuel rail pressure and volume. The results are as follows; The injection quantity decreases as the engine speed increases due to the extremely small rail volume of the presenting system and flow rate of No. 2 injector are always lower than that of the other ones regardless of the speed under the dynamic operation condition. Furthermore the existing system does not meet the required fuel quantity for the normal engine operation over 3000 RPM. On the other hands, the large rail volume systems ease and/or eliminate the difference of injection quantity between the injectors according to the speed variation, however, these systems decrease injection flow rate and still cannot supply sufficient fuel. Finally, suitable combination of the higher rail pressure and the larger rail volume might be a solution about these problems.

Evaluation of Performance and Emission of SI Engine Fuelled with CNG at Low and High Load Condition

Abstract An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the performance and emission of spark ignition (SI) engine fuelled with CNG at low and high load condition. This study is the series activity of research, design and development of conversion kit for gas fuelled vehicle in the author laboratory. The SI engine that used in this study is Honda L15A, four cylinders, 1,497 cm 3 using electronic control unit. Three different fuel system namely standard gasoline fuel system, commercially CNG conversion kit and proposed CNG conversion kit designed by Research Centre for Electrical Power and Mechatronics–Indonesian Institute of Sciences, all of them utilized with fuel injection system and electronic control unit were used in this study. The test was conducted on the 25% and 80% throttle opening position with engine speed over 4,800 rpm. The results show that the maximum brake power at 25% throttle opening position of SI engine using commercially CNG conversion kit (19.00 kW) is almost same with SI engine using proposed CNG conversion kit (19.68 kW), while for 80% throttle opening position the maximum brake power of SI engine using proposed CNG conversion kit (38.67 kW) is higher than commercially CNG conversion kit (34.29 kW). The emission of CO and HC at 80% throttle opening position is lower than at 25% throttle opening position for both of SI engine using commercially and proposed CNG conversion kit.

Development and testing of a multi-fuel micro-CHP conversion kit

This paper describes the development of a kit for converting a spark-ignition engine installed on small-size generators in order to allow their functioning with multiple fuels, with particular reference to low-boiling-point fuels. The kit can be easily added to technological systems which have been on the market for a long time. In addition, depending on the local conditions of use, operation in cogeneration is also possible, which increases the total efficiency of such generators. The solution developed is technically simple, robust, reliable and versatile, since it can be fed with different fuels, and it can be used both for grid-connected and off-grid applications, with particular reference to the developing Countries. The results of the first phase of technical development of the system and the experimental tests carried out with LPG and bioethanol are hereby presented. They attest the feasibility of using the conversion kit in a commercial power unit and they demonstrate that the actual performances are broadly consistent with the calculated results. The overall efficiency (electric and thermal) of the prototype system reaches a value close to 40% in conditions of rated load, almost doubling the generation efficiency of the system before its conversion. Any further developments of the research will be dedicated to better investigate also the environmental and economic aspects of the kit in different operating contexts, as well as to test other suitable fuels.

Abstract 3557: Epigenetic modulation of microRNA-363 in human papillomavirus-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) of the oropharynx has significantly increased in recent decades, despite decreasing rates of tobacco and alcohol-related HNSCC. HPV-positive HNSCC is often characterized as a distinct malignancy due to unique epidemiological features and improved prognoses compared with HPV-negative HNSCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate mRNA translation and decay. Altered miRNA signatures have been identified in numerous types of solid tumors, including HNSCC, but their functional consequences are largely unknown. Our studies show that miR-363 is significantly overexpressed in HPV-positive compared to HPV-negative HNSCC patient tumors and cell lines and that the HPV-16 E6 oncoprotein positively modulates miR-363 expression. We hypothesize that the HPV-16 E6 oncoprotein upregulates miR-363 at the epigenetic level by decreasing miR-363 promoter methylation. The Illumina Genome Analyzer miRNA Sequencing and Illumina HiSeq 2000 miRNA Sequencing platforms were utilized to assess miRNA levels in HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. miR-363 levels in HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors were compared to their respective paired normal tissue samples. The Applied Biosystems Cells-to-CpG Bisulfite Conversion Kit was employed to investigate the methylation status of the miR-363 promoter in HNSCC cell lines. Our analysis of 280 (35 HPV-positive, 245 HPV-negative) TCGA HNSCC patient tumors identified a 3.36-fold increase in miR-363 in HPV-positive compared to HPV-negative tumors (p<0.0001). While matched HPV-positive tumor and paired normal samples indicate miR-363 overexpression in tumor tissues, additional samples are necessary to increase the power and statistical significance of the study. Bisulfite conversion methylation-specific PCR demonstrates that HPV-positive cell lines are unmethylated at the miR-363 promoter whereas HPV-negative cell lines generally possess methylated profiles. Cell proliferation, soft agar colony formation, migration, and invasion functional assays following transient and stable transfection with premiR-363 or microRNA-363 inhibitor are in progress to assess HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC phenotypes. Our overall goal is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying HPV-associated cancers, to identify specific pathways perturbed by HPV, and to develop improved prognostic biomarkers and targeted therapies for HNSCC. Citation Format: Bhavana S. Vangara, Parvez Akhtar, Jennifer R. Grandis, Saleem A. Khan. Epigenetic modulation of microRNA-363 in human papillomavirus-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3557. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3557

PERFORMANCE AIDING OF MOTORCYCLES USING HYBRID TECHNOLOGY

Rising fuel prices is a major issue faced by the vehicle owners today. Electric vehicles has been introduced in the market but they have not been successful due to various problems like low power output, long charging time, unreliability etc. We hope to solve these problems by the application of hybrid technology. We are designing a hybrid conversion kit which can be implemented on factory made motorcycles for improving their efficiency and performance. Designing a hybrid motorcycle and bringing it into the market can be difficult, but designing a conversion kit, which can be fitted on any motorcycle (old or new), has a higher opportunity in the market. In this kit, we are including a Brushless DC Motor which can be fitted inside the front tyre. We are also designing a user-friendly interface which allows the user to select the modes of operation which are : Engine only, Motor only or both the motor and engine(hybrid). The microcontroller in the kit senses the variables in the system and decides on the mode of running as per the predefined criteria. This kit allows the user to obtain all the characteristics of both the electric motor and the internal-combustion engine. The power output and the efficiency of the vehicle can be considerably increased using this technology.

CONVERSION OF AN ORDINARY N BICYCLE INTO AN ELECTRIC BIKE AND RELATED RESEARCH / DVIRAČIO PERDARYMAS Į ELEKTRINĮ IR JO TYRIMAS

An electric bicycle as a transport and leisure vehicle is expected to have a promising future. Currently, he market offers a great choice of factory electric bicycles and conversion kits to remake an ordinary bicycle into an electric bike. Also, the increasing number of electric vehicles is determined by the reduction in costs for manufacturing of batteries and an evolution in battery technology. This article presents the implementation of an electric bike by selecting the “Golden Motor Technology” company’s electric front wheel conversion kit MagicPie3 and 16 cell 10Ah LiFePO4 battery. After installation of the engine and other components, experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance characteristics of the electric bike and check the manufacturer’s specifications. Elektriniams dviračiams, kaip transporto ir laisvalaikio praleidimo priemonėms, prognozuojamos geros perspektyvos. Šiuo metu rinkoje yra didelis pasirinkimas gamyklinių elektrinių dviračių ir adaptavimo komplektų paprastam dviračiui perdaryti į elektrinį. Elektrinių transporto priemonių gausėjimą lemia tobulėjančios ir pingančios maitinimo elementų technologijos bei gamyba. Straipsnyje aprašoma, kaip dviratį perdaryti į elektrinį pasirinkus „Golden Motor Technology“ kompanijos 26 colių skersmens priekinio elektrinio rato adaptavimo komplektą MagicPie3 ir 16 celių 10 Ah LiFePO4 bateriją. Sumontavus variklį ir kitus komponentus atlikti eksperimentai, siekiant įvertinti technines elektrinio dviračio charakteristikas ir patikrinti gamintojo nurodytas specifikacijas.

Molecular Biology Techniques Q&A

Molecular Biology Techniques Q&A

Identification of FOXM1‐induced epigenetic markers for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Epigenetic reprogramming of the methylome has been implicated in all stages of cancer evolution. It is now well accepted that cancer cells exploit epigenetic reprogramming, a mechanism that regulates stem/progenitor cell renewal and differentiation, to promote cancer initiation and progression. The oncogene FOXM1 has been implicated in all major forms of human cancer. We have recently shown that aberrant upregulation of FOXM1 orchestrated a DNA methylation signature that mimics the cancer methylome landscape, from which we have identified a number of FOXM1-induced epigenetic markers. Differential promoter methylation and gene expression in clinical specimens were measured using commercially available bisulfite conversion kits and absolute quantitative PCR, respectively. Here, we investigated 8 FOXM1-induced differentially methylated genes, SPCS1, FLNA, CHPF, GLT8D1, C6orf136, MGAT1, NDUFA10, and PAFAH1B3, using human head and neck tissue specimens donated by 2 geographically independent patient cohorts from Norway and the United Kingdom. Two genes (GLT8D1 and C6orf136) were found to be differentially expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Using methylation-specific quantitative PCR, we confirmed that the promoters of GLT8D1 and C6orf136 were hypo- and hypermethylated, respectively, in HNSCC tissues. Given that epigenetic change precedes gene expression, methylation status of candidate genes identified from this study may represent a signature of premalignancy, rendering them potentially useful predictive biomarkers for precancer screening and/or therapeutic targets for cancer prevention.

Investigating the Impacts of Retrofitted CNG Vehicles on Air Pollutant Emissions in Tehran

The present study was conducted to investigate the impacts of retrofitted CNG vehicles on air pollutant emissions in Tehran over a 20 years period using available statistical data, precise automobile tests, data analysis, and LEAP Software. The obtained results revealed an increase in air pollutant emissions including CO (equal to 1030.77 thousand tons), NO x (equal to 1030.77 thousand tons), THC (269.02 thousand tons) and CO 2 (equal to 38.43 thousand tons) resulting from utilizing retrofitted CNG vehicles within the studied period. Considering the obtained results, if the current trend of producing retrofitted CNG vehicles continues, a total cost of 435 million USD will impose on the environment, annually. According to the emission test results, by implementing retrofitted CNG vehicles policy, a higher emission rate of dual-fuel vehicles will be expected compared to their petrol-fueled counterparts. This is due to poor quality of the policy implementation such the use of substandard conversion kits and old technology of retrofit technologies.

Vegetable Oils of Soybean, Sunflower and Tung as Alternative Fuels for Compression Ignition Engines

This paper deals with the use of straight vegetable oil as fuel for compression ignition engine applied to distributed electric generation. It was studied three typical oils from southern of the Brazil, soybean oil, sunflower oil and tung oil. For this purpose it was designed and assembled a conversion kit that allows the use of the selected oils directly in the engine. The kit preheats the fuel to a temperature where their physical properties, mainly viscosity, reaches the diesel oil levels. This kit is electronic controlled and it was used standardized measurements of some physical properties of the fuels, for the design of their control software. The straight vegetables oils, its blends 50/50 v/v with petrodiesel fuel and neat petrodiesel fuel were tested in dynamometer bench. It was obtained results of brake power, torque, specific fuel consumption and emissions as function of the rotation of the engine. The discussions about the results in terms of efficiency first law showed the technical feasibility of the using of straight vegetable oils and the effectiveness of the developed conversion kits.

OP196: HPV-16 and CDKN2A hypermethylation in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Purpose Human papillomaviruses have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a subset of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Some high risk HPV types, especially HPV 16 and 18, and epigenetic silencing of cancer-related genes have been correlated with the genesis of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). The aim of this work was to investigate the incidence of HPV infection and its correlation with methylation status of CDKN2A in OSCC. Material and methods The samples consisted of 45 paraffin-embedded or fresh specimens of OSCC. Demographic and risk factors exposure information were collected during the patient interview and clinical information was obtained through medical chart reviews. HPV DNA was detected by nested PCR (external primers MY09/MY11 and internal primers GP5/GP6). All reactions included HPV positive and negative controls, as well as a no-template and beta-globin controls. HPV genotype was determined by direct sequencing of PCR fragments and GeneBank BLAST alignment. For methylation assessment, sodium bisulfite modification of DNA (270 ng) was performed using the methylSEQrTM Bisulfite Conversion Kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA). The modified DNA was used as template for methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) using primers specific to methylated and un-methylated sequences. Statistical analyses of associations between variables were performed by the Fisher’s exact test ( p Results HPV (subtype 16) was detected in three out of 45 patients (6%). Promoter hypermethylation of the CDKN2A gene was observed in 24.4% of the cases. Statistical analysis showed an association trend between CDKN2A methylation and nodal involvement ( p = 0.079). Conclusions This study suggesting that methylation of CDKN2A in OSCCs is a potential predictive marker of malignant transformation, independent of HPV infection. Financial Support: CAPES, CNPq and FAPES.

Hybrid Conversion Kit Applied to Public Transportation: a Taxi Case Solution

This paper reports the development procedure of an internal combustion engine vehicle to a hybrid one by using a conversion kit. It was taken as a benchmark a massive transportation vehicle used as taxi and located in Mexico City. Firstly, it is presented a brief review about hybrid vehicles architectures, after that are selected three possible configurations which are analyzed and compared between them. Finally, it is selected the most suitable configuration in terms of gasoline reduction and economic payback.

Wood chipping performance of a modified forager

The authors tested a 409 kW forager turned into an industrial chipper through a special conversion kit. Conversion was temporary, and the forager could be returned to its original occupation with one day of work. The converted forager proved as effective as a dedicated chipper of the same power. Net chipping productivity varied between 25 and 33 green t h−1. Productivity was highest with poplar tops and lowest with pine tops. Fuel consumption ranged from 1.6 to 1.8 l green t−1. Fuel consumption did not change with tree species, but increased significantly with knife wear. Temporary conversion allowed a better depreciation of the invested capital and resulted in a 25% reduction of unit chipping cost. The converted forager proved an ideal solution wherever the production of wood chips was a complementary business within the scope of a larger agricultural economy. In technical terms, this machine offered the combined advantages of road-capability and good off-road mobility, allowing low-cost independent relocation and effective in-field chipping.

Studies of performance and emission characteristics of compressed natural gas fuelled S.I. engine and developing CNG conversion kit

Studies of performance and emission characteristics of compressed natural gas fuelled S.I. engine and developing CNG conversion kit