Supply Plant Research Articles

Optimal Water Management in Agro-Industrial Districts: An Energy Hub’s Case Study in the Southeast of Spain

In this work, the optimal management of the water grid belonging to a pilot agro-industrial district, based on greenhouse cultivation, is analyzed. Different water supply plants are considered in the district, some of them using renewable energies as power sources, i.e., a solar thermal desalination plant and a nanofiltration facility powered up by a photovoltaic field. Moreover, the trade with the water public utility network is also taken into account. As demanding agents, a greenhouse and an office building are contemplated. Due to the different water necessities, demand profiles, and the heterogeneous nature of the different plants considered as supplier agents, the management of the whole plant is not trivial. In this way, an algorithm based on the energy hubs approach, which takes into account economic terms and the optimal use of the available resources in its formulation, is proposed for the pilot district with a cropping area of 616 m2. Simulation results are provided in order to evidence the benefits of the proposed technique in two cases: Case 1 considers the flexible operation of the desalination plant, whereas in Case 2 the working conditions are forced to equal the plant’s maximum capacity (Case 2). A flexible operation results in a weekly improvement of 4.68% in profit, an optimized use of the desalination plant, and a reduction of the consumption of water from the public grid by 58.1%.

Progress in international best estimate plus uncertainty analysis methodologies

In 1988, following decades of nuclear safety research (USNRC, 1988a), the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) in 1988 amended its regulations (USNRC, 1988b) to allow the use of best-estimate evaluation models for the analyses of the loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) in a light water reactors (LWRs). This was followed by similar action by other national nuclear safety authorities. Until this time, LOCA evaluation models applied a strict set of deterministic rules (see (USNRC, 2000)) that specified conservative models and assumptions to be applied simultaneously. This placed implicit restrictions on plant operations, limiting the nuclear industry’s ability to innovate and apply experience gained for the benefit of their customers. The rule change presented the opportunity for a variety of benefits, from simple procedural and operational flexibility to more significant power uprates.In response to this regulatory paradigm shift, the nuclear power industry has since advanced the nuclear-thermal-hydraulic systems analysis capability for a broad spectrum of technical issue resolution applications. Today these industry stakeholders include the major nuclear fuel and plant suppliers (e.g., Westinghouse, GEH, Framatome, MHI, etc.), their utility customers, the advanced and small modular reactor (SMR) design organizations, safety and regulatory authorities, industry advocate organizations such the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the European Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and dedicated research institutions such as the U.S. DOE and the academic community. To preserve their position on the leading edge, these stakeholders have maintained continuous modeling and simulation development efforts to serve their customers and sponsors.Of particular note is the ongoing activity in new plant design reviews: both plant suppliers and national safety and regulatory authorities are challenging their analysts to demonstrate greater fidelity and reliability in code prediction of realistic design and safety margins. Research pertaining to this objective has focused on the expanded use of best-estimate-plus-uncertainty (BEPU) analysis methodologies (i.e., beyond LOCA), modern numerical methods, multi-physics/multi-scale component modeling (including computational fluid dynamics), and physics-based risk models. This paper reviews the emergence of BEPU analysis methods, their applications, their adaptations among nuclear states, and the insights revealed from the past two decades of use in the nuclear industry.

Mortuary management and public health

Mortuary is the place where autopsy of human beings where death due to unnatural circumstances is conducted. An attempt has been made by the investigators to conduct a study related to the standards of present mortuaries and to address the requirement for future challenges. A total of 16 autopsy centres were selected for the study during the period 2018–2019. This study is based on the available information provided from different mortuaries. Three teaching hospitals, five area hospitals and eight rural hospitals were selected. Post-mortem examination in Telangana state are done in designated hospitals run by the Government only. Teaching hospital mortuaries are provided with relatively good facilities like sanitation, permanent water supply, waste disposal and incineration plants as compared to area hospitals and rural hospitals. Menace of rodents is seen in all mortuaries present in teaching hospitals, area hospitals and rural hospitals. Addiction to alcohol is frequently seen among mortuary workers and even among the doctors. Number of post-mortem examinations in teaching hospitals is higher compared to area and rural hospitals. There are several areas in mortuaries, which are prone to producing infections and foul smells. As the bodies start decomposing, the foul smell increases and hence bacteria are also abundant in these areas. Extensive biological waste is produced. Maggots and other insects, all add to the poor conditions within mortuaries. All together the atmosphere in and around mortuary is poor and renovation of mortuaries is the need of the day.

Improvement of removal efficiency of water supply plant by using polyelectrolyte type LT-22 with alum

Abstract This study examined the effect of using the industrial coagulant of Polyelectrolyte type LT-22 and comparing it with the use of alum. A series of Jar tests were performed on raw water of 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) using different doses of alum and fixed doses of industrial coagulant of Polyelectrolyte. The final turbidity and pH were measured after sedimentation. The results showed that the use of the Polyelectrolyte with alum is better than the use of alum alone, and adding of the Polyelectrolyte to alum is more effective at 80 NTU, as compared with the use of alum alone. The results of using the Polyelectrolyte with alum gave similar results when using the alum alone at 10 NTU. The rate of decrease in pH when using the polyelectrolyte with alum was higher than when using alum alone. The use of the Polyelectrolyte with alum also created clear large-sized flocculants that are easy to settle at the end of the slow mixing period, that is, after 30 min.

English

English

Taking Advantage of Voluntary Associations of Municipalities for Financing Public Investment Project

Due to the settlement structure of the Czech Republic which is quite extensive, there is a large number of small municipalities on its territory, which do not have the possibility to finance larger investment projects aiming at the development of their area. Therefore, it is important, if not essential, for such municipalities to join into associations with other municipalities. The article deals with the characteristics of possible forms of inter-municipal cooperation with a more detailed focus on taking advantage of voluntary associations of municipalities. The data from the municipal association register shows that a substantial part of municipal associations was created for the purpose of building drinking water supply, sewerage systems or waste water treatment plants. Although this purpose is still up-to-date, the aim of this article is to show how to take advantage of the associations of municipalities also for other investment projects and to propose an optimal way of financing. The main aim of this article is to find out if it is possible to take advantage of the associations of municipalities for financing investment activities of municipalities. Furthermore, based on the analysis of the current state of the register of associations municipalities in the Czech Republic, it tries to propose optimal ways of financing such activities. Based on the analysis of several investment projects financing in municipalities, the research evaluates whether joining of municipalities into voluntary associations and the implementation of construction works via these associations is generally beneficial for them. The resulting proposal described in the article can serve municipalities as a well-arranged guide to the organization and financing of their investment plans.

Climatic factors determine the yield and quality of Honghe flue-cured tobacco

Flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is a major cash crop in Yunnan, China, and the yield, chemical components, and their proportions decide the quality of tobacco leaves. To understand the effects of environmental factors (soil and climatic factors) on the yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco and determine the main regulating factors, we selected three flue-cured tobacco cultivars [K326, Yunyan87 (Yun87), and Honghuadajinyuan (Hongda)] grown in the Honghe Tobacco Zone. Indices related to yield and economic traits, chemical component properties, soil physical and chemical properties, and climatic factors at different planting sites, were evaluated. We used variance analysis, correlation analysis, and redundancy analysis (RDA) in this study. The results showed that the yield and chemical component properties of flue-cured tobacco, except for the number of left leaves and plant total sugar (PTS) content, were significantly correlated with climatic factors. Particularly, the yield increased in drier and sunnier weather. In terms of the carbon supply capacity, PTS, petroleum ether (PPE), and starch contents (PS) were higher under high-altitude and high-latitude climatic conditions, whereas for the nitrogen supply capacity, plant nitrogen (PTN) and nicotine (PN) contents improved under low-altitude and low-latitude climatic conditions. PTS, reducing sugar (PRS), potassium (PTK), chlorine (PCL), and PPE contents were negatively related to soil clay content, soil pH, and soil organic matter, whereas PRS and PTK contents were positively correlated with alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN). According to RDA, the soil clay, AN, available phosphorus (AP), and soil chlorine content (SCL) strongly affected the quality of flue-cured tobacco. The quality of the K326 and Yun87 cultivars was mostly influenced by moisture, whereas the quality of the Hongda cultivar was mostly affected by temperature. In conclusion, compared with soil properties, climatic factors more significantly affect the yield and quality of Honghe flue-cured tobacco leaves.

МАТЕМАТИЧНА МОДЕЛЬ УСТАНОВКИ ТЕПЛОПОСТАЧАННЯ ЯК ОБ’ЄКТА ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ ТА АВТОМАТИЗАЦІЇ

Solar energy is widely used in cases where the inaccessibility of other energy sources in combination with a sufficient amount of solar radiation justifies it economically. With the help of a system of solar collectors, you can significantly reduce energy costs for hot water supply and heating. In addition, the use of this system helps reduce CO2 emissions. The potential of solar energy in Ukraine is quite high. According to the climatic conditions of our region, solar activity is slightly lower than in the southern regions, so the use of flat solar collectors, which use both direct and scattered solar radiation, is effective for our region. The use of heat collectors in the home for water supply and heating of small areas is economically feasible, as it does not require significant costs. Heat supply plants using non-traditional energy sources are promising in terms of fuel savings and reduction of harmful effects on the environment. To increase the service life, economical use of heat and fuel, efficient operation of the installation requires the use of automation. The article considers the development of a mathematical model of a heat supply installation based on a solar collector. For automated control of the heat supply installation, it is necessary to know the properties of this installation as a whole and its individual elements. For this purpose, models of individual elements of the heat supply installation in a linear approximation are considered. The solar collector is conditionally divided into two parts. The model of the ground heat exchanger is developed. Also e battery models and consumer premises. The given matrices of elements of installation of heat supply are united in the uniform system of matrices. The obtained results allow estimating in advance efficiency of their use and economic attractiveness.

A review on integrated nutrient management an approach to sustainability

Organic manures are used traditionally to supply plant nutrients. The volume of organic fertilizers is high they are bulky in nature so, there are many problems in application of these fertilizes which forces farmers to use synthetic fertilizers. Using organic fertilizers helps to recycle the organic waste. The end product which is obtained from organic waste can provides nutrients in a efficient manner and also improves conditions of the soil. Because synthetic fertilizers which are currently in the use may not fulfil or maintain the quality of soil needs for sustainable agriculture. By applying all essential nutrients through synthetic fertilizers can degrades the quality and health of the soil which directly responsible for unsustainable yields. So, to improve the nutrient supply in integrated nutrient management system chemical fertilizers and organic manures should be combined together for best outputs. To maintain the soil fertility and proper soil health balanced application of organic and inorganic nutrient is required. Through integrated management sustainability in agricultural productivity should be achived. By using Integrated nutrient management on yield components of crops is very important for guarantee of food security. Integrated nutrient management or supply focus at maintening the fertility of soil and nutrient supply for plants to an optimum level in relation to sustain the desired crop productivity by optimizing the all sources of plant nutrients with the help of integrated nutrient management which can also includes other aspects like; maintainence or enhancement of soil productivity by using chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers in a balanced manner. Different types of organic materials such as bio compost, FYM, green manures, vermicompost, crop residues, industrial wastes, composts, animal manures.

Evaluation Method Of Important Nodes Of Water Supply Network Under Terrorist Attack

Aiming at the problem of urban water supply network protection under terrorist attack, a new comprehensive value evaluation method for important nodes of water supply network is proposed. Combined with the characteristics of terrorist attacks, Epanet and Aloha were used to simulate the changes in the efficiency of the water supply network and the consequences of secondary disasters after the node was destroyed, and a comprehensive value evaluation model based on the node’s own value, system value and indirect value was constructed. Taking an urban water supply network in Hubei Province as an example, the results can get the following conclusions: ①Compared with the buried water pipeline, the water supply plant as the source of the urban water supply network is the key target of terrorists; ②the calculation results show the comprehensive value of different water plants The gap is huge, and the comprehensive value of water plant 3 is nearly 5 times that of water plant 4; ③ the greater the comprehensive value of the water plant, the greater the terrorist attack revenue and the higher the probability of attack. Therefore, when responding to terrorist attacks, the comprehensive value should be High water plants provide more protection resources.

Experimental and numerical investigations of water hammer analysis in pipeline with two different materials and their combined configuration

Water conductor system in hydro power plants experience water hammer or hydraulic transient events regularly and may cause damage of civil and mechanical components. Recently developed viscoelastic pipes such as Glass Reinforced Fibre Plastic (GRP) have been started in use to replace metallic pipes in hydro power and water supply plants. However, studies on combinations of metallic-viscoelastic pipeline behaviour for water hammer conditions are limited especially for varied diameter and combinations of different pipe materials. In this paper, the response of water hammer pressure in metallic-viscoelastic pipeline is investigated experimentally and numerically. Two different pipe materials i.e. Mild Steel (MS) and GRP and their metallic-viscoelastic pipe configuration was used to investigate and analyze the water hammer pressure generation and compared with pressure developed in single material pipeline. An experimental setup was designed and fabricated to carry out the water hammer test. The numerical simulation was carried out by using the method of characteristics (MOC). The GRP pipeline was found more effective to reduce the water hammer pressure and a combination of GRP + MS pipeline (GRP for initial reach having low pressure and MS for later reach having high pressure) in the plants, where GRP pipeline alone cannot be used due to manufacturing limitations of pressure and size, can be used to reduce transient pressure in the water conductor system.

Plant-archaea relationships: a potential means to improve crop production in arid and semi-arid regions.

Crop production in arid and semi-arid regions of the world is limited by several abiotic factors, including water stress, temperature extremes, low soil fertility, high soil pH, low soil water-holding capacity, and low soil organic matter. Moreover, arid and semi-arid areas experience low levels of rainfall with high spatial and temporal variability. Also, the indiscriminate use of chemicals, a practice that characterizes current agricultural practice, promotes crop and soil pollution potentially resulting in serious human health and environmental hazards. A reliable and sustainable alternative to current farming practice is, therefore, a necessity. One such option includes the use of plant growth-promoting microbes that can help to ameliorate some of the adverse effects of these multiple stresses. In this regard, archaea, functional components of the plant microbiome that are found both in the rhizosphere and the endosphere may contribute to the promotion of plant growth. Archaea can survive in extreme habitats such as areas with high temperatures and hypersaline water. No cases of archaea pathogenicity towards plants have been reported. Archaea appear to have the potential to promote plant growth, improve nutrient supply and protect plants against various abiotic stresses. A better understanding of recent developments in archaea functional diversity, plant colonizing ability, and modes of action could facilitate their eventual usage as reliable components of sustainable agricultural systems. The research discussed herein, therefore, addresses the potential role of archaea to improve sustainable crop production in arid and semi-arid areas.

Resource Heterogeneity, Not Resource Quantity, Plays an Important Role in Determining Tree Species Diversity in Two Species-Rich Forests

There is still considerable debate about the relative importance of resource heterogeneity and resource quantity in the maintenance of species diversity in a community. The resource heterogeneity hypothesis proposes that spatial heterogeneity of limiting resources and inter-specific differences in resource requirements will determine species richness. In contrast, the resource quantity hypothesis predicts that average resource supply rates contribute to species richness by their effects on plant density and stochastic population dynamics. However, the evaluation of the two hypotheses in observational studies is associated with a major methodological challenge as average resource supply rate often covaries with resource heterogeneity. Using a novel approach derived from the relationships between average resource supply rate, resource heterogeneity (calculated as the standard deviation of environmental factors) and plant density in the resource hypotheses, we evaluated the relative importance of resource quantity and resource heterogeneity with a variation partitioning model in Gutianshan (GTS) forest plot, China and Barro Colorado Island (BCI) forest plot, central Panama. We found that resource quantity explained much less of the variation in species richness than resource heterogeneity in both of GTS and BCI (44.5% vs 4.9% in GTS and 20.4% vs 0.8% in BCI at the 20×20 m scale, 57.5% vs 3.4% in GTS at the 40×40 m scale and 34.5% vs 2.6% in BCI at the 50×50 m scale). We also found that resource heterogeneity governed species richness in GTS, whereas spatial processes dominated species diversity in BCI. Moreover, most of the effect of resource heterogeneity and resource quantity on species richness overlapped with that of spatial processes. This result indicates that most effects of resources could also be explained by spatial processes, such as dispersal limitation. Therefore, resource heterogeneity and spatial processes, but not resource quantity played an important role in determining species diversity in these two old-growth forests. This is in contrast to the results of several manipulative studies, which found that resource quantity governed species diversity when one or a limited number of resources were considered. This suggests that the processes determining species richness along ecological gradients are complicated and determined by the interaction of various processes.

МАЙБУТНЄ СУДНОБУДУВАННЯ У СВІТІ

In this article, we will look at the problems and their solutions in the future of shipbuilding in the world. ABB Ability ™ solutions help combat plastic pollution in the world's oceans. ABB has improved control systems by using a new generation of human-machine interface. ABB will become a supplier of power plants for the new generation of Genting Source cruise liners. MN100: ABB.

Local Green Power Supply Plants Based on Alcohol Regenerative Gas Turbines: Economic and Environmental Aspects

Growing economies need green and renewable energy. Their financial development can reduce energy consumption (through energy-efficient technologies) and replace fossil fuels with renewable ones. Gas turbine engines are widely used in transport and industry. To improve their economic attractiveness and to reduce harmful emissions, including greenhouse gases, alternative fuels and waste heat recovery technologies can be used. A promising direction is the use of alcohol and thermo-chemical recuperation. The purpose of this study is to estimate the economic efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions of an alcohol-fueled regenerative gas turbine engine with thermo-chemical recuperation. The carbon dioxide emissions have been determined using engine efficiency, fuel properties, as well as life cycle analysis. The engine efficiency was maximized by varying the water/alcohol ratio. To evaluate steam fuel reforming for a certain engine, a conversion performance factor has been suggested. At the optimal water/methanol ratio of 3.075 this technology can increase efficiency by 4% and reduce tank-to-wake emission by 80%. In the last 6 months of 2019, methanol prices were promising for power and cogeneration plants in remote locations. The policy recommendation is that local authorities should pay attention to alcohol fuel and advanced turbines to curb the adverse effects of burning petroleum fuel on economic growth and the environment.

Economic, Environmental and Social Gains of the Implementation of Artificial Intelligence at Dam Operations toward Industry 4.0 Principles

Due to the increasing demand for water supply of urban areas, treatment and supply plants are becoming important to ensure availability and quality of this essential resource for human health. Enabling technologies of Industry 4.0 have the potential to improve performances of treatment plants. In this paper, after reviewing contributions in scientific literature on I4.0 technologies in dam operations, a study carried out on a Brazilian dam is presented and discussed. The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the economic, environmental, and social advantages achieved through the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in dam operations. Unlike automation that just respond to commands, AI uses a large amount of data training to make computers able to take the best decision. The current study involved a company that managed six reservoirs for treatment systems supplying water to almost ten million people at the metropolitan area of São Paulo City. Results of the study show that AI adoption could lead to economic gain in figures around US$ 51,000.00 per year, as well as less trips between sites and less overtime extra costs on the main operations. Increasing gates maneuvers agility result in significant environmental gains with savings of about 4.32 billion L of water per year, enough to supply 73,000 people. Also, decreasing operational vehicle utilization results in less emissions. Finally, the AI implementation improved the safety of dam operations, resulting in social benefits such as the flood risk mitigation in cities and the health and safety of operators.

Synthesis of highly structured spherical Ag@Pt core-shell NPs using bio-analytes for electrocatalytic Pb(II) sensing

This research work is taken up to synthesize highly crystalline and ordered Ag@PtNPs core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) via a bio-inspired route using Psidium guajava leaves-extract with high ascorbic acid equivalent (284 /100 g fresh leaves). A short microwave exposure (900 W and 300 s) led to a quick formation of AgNPs-seed (25.7 nm avg). The seed was then subjected for a rapid growth (240 s) of Pt-shell (4.55 nm) which was synergized by bio-extract and microwave irradiation forming Ag@PtNPs. The graphite electrode was surface-modified using these NPs for electrocatalytic sensing of Pb(II) by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The electron transfer resistance of bare graphite was reduced by 1.2, 26, and 2.9 folds, respectively, with PtNPs, AgNPs, and Ag@PtNPs modification. The sensitivity of Ag@PtNPs/graphite electrode for Pb(II) sensing calculated against the electroactive area was about 4.5 and 20.2 folds higher than PtNPs/graphite and AgNPs/graphite electrodes at −0.43 V vs. Ag/AgCl and pH 5. The limit of detection was as low as 0.8 nM. The response of the sensor (max. 1.98 % variation in peak current) was almost invariant in the presence of co-ions (Cd(II), Cu(II) and Hg(II) from 0.25 to 10 μM). The sensor it could effectively determine Pb(II) from environmental water samples collected from river, domestic supply and sewage treatment plant.

Tweaking Photosynthesis: FNR-TROL Interaction as Potential Target for Crop Fortification.

Photosynthesis not only supplies plants with needed energy for growth and nutrient storage, but links light-to-chemical energy conversion with redox regulatory networks of the entire cell. By modulating photosynthetic electron flow, plants can adapt to constantly changing light and environmental conditions. Different mechanisms direct electrons formed during light reactions to either energy-conserving or energy-dissipating pathways. Recently described dynamic interactions of the flavoenzyme ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR) with protein TROL represent elegant molecular switch that can partition electrons downstream of photosystem I. FNR-TROL bifurcation can control energy transfer to either linear flow, which results in NADPH production, or to the rapid electron sink that efficiently prevents reactive oxygen species propagation. Plant genome editing of TROL represents an unexploited alley for improvement of plant stress and defense responses, productivity, and eventually agricultural yield.

Hot water treatment: an effective method for disinfecting Castanea sativa mill. dormant scions against Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu.

The Asian chestnut gall wasp (ACGW) Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu is the most severe pest of the genus Castanea worldwide. After its arrival in Europe, the insect dispersed rapidly from Italy to other European countries, as well as spreading over long distances within each country because of the unintentional transport of infested chestnut material owing to the fact that infestation inside the dormant buds is visually undetectable. Hot water treatment (HWT) has been tested in terms of pest and diseases control in propagation processes with a wide range of plant material and species, including the Asian chestnut Castanea mollissima cv 'Qing'. Taking into account the different thermal tolerances of plant species, an experiment to disinfect Castanea sativa scions from ACGW by HWT was performed. The effects of the immersion of dormant scions for 10min at two water temperatures (49 and 52 °C), with and without a previous period of water hydration, were tested. A 10min soak at 49 °C was effective in killing ACGW larvae while retaining an excellent percentage of successful grafts. The pre-HWT hydration stage did not influence the success of the treatment. Positive shoot growth was also recorded after HWT. We report for the first time the effectiveness of a simple and environmentally friendly protocol based on hot water for the disinfection of European chestnut (C. sativa) scions against D. kuriphilus. This will enable nurseries to supply plants free from this pest, preventing the insect dispersion, which will have a positive socio-economic impact to the chestnut tree sector. Also positive environmental impact will be favoured as gall wasp proliferation will decrease. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Reliability, Availability and Maintainability Analysis to Improve the Operational Performance of Soft Water Treatment and Supply Plant

The purpose of this paper is to provide results for reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) measures to improve the operational performance of a soft water treatment and supply plant (SWTS-Plant) through the illustrative case study. RAM analysis of SWTS plant installed in a high-rise society ABC, Jaipur was performed. The descriptive analysis of time to failure and repair has been made along with trend analysis and goodness-of-fit test. The best fitted distributed and parameters have been identified from the existing theoretical distributions using the maintenance data of ABC plant. Reliability and maintainability measures also calculated for the entire plant. It is observed that (i) the plant availability decline from 97.96% to 92.67% (ii) failures of five subsystems dominant with 81.5 % failures and (iii) average failure rate is 937.4 minutes. This study will be supportive to identify the occurring complications in the plant.