Poor Water Control Research Articles

Changes in performance and thermal stability of Ni0.8Co0.1Al0.1/graphite batteries with excessive water

AbstractDuring the production process of lithium‐ion batteries, there exists a scenario of excessive water inside the battery due to poor water control in the factory environment. In addition, the battery housing may be damaged by corrosion, external vibration etc., which would cause water to enter the battery. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is little literature to reveal the influencing mechanism related to the above issue. The effects of excessive water on battery performance and safety were discussed. The results show that when the battery absorbs excessive water, the capacity decreases and the self‐discharging rate increases rapidly. The self‐heating temperature of the battery shows an increasing trend. The thermal runaway temperature decreases significantly with the time from self‐heating to thermal runaway dramatically shortened. The thermal stability of the battery deteriorates throughout the reaction process. This is mainly due to the mechanisms by which the water absorbed in the battery reacts with the electrolyte and the electrode material, resulting in the decrease of the electrolyte conductivity and the corrosion of the electrode material, as well as the thickening of the Solid Electrolyte Interface film and the accumulation of impurities. The findings are of positive significance in demonstrating the quantitative relationship between excessive water and the performance and safety of batteries. Also, it can add to the understanding of the complex scenarios of battery spontaneous failure, which is vital for solving battery self‐thermal runaways.

Analysis of Soil Texture, Furrow Geometry, and Infiltration Rate for Improving Water Application Efficiency

Soil texture, furrow geometry, and infiltration rate are the main characteristics for improving water application efficiency. Substantial amounts of diverted irrigation water are often lost because of poor water control, inefficient irrigation conveyance systems, poor on-farm water management, or poor application practices. Field experiments were conducted on three farm plots within the command area for water availability and accessibility under the Melka Hida small-scale irrigation scheme in the West Guji Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia. The physical characteristics of soil, including depth, particle distribution, textural classification, bulk density, field capacity, and permanent wilting point, were studied and the results are presented. Furrow parameters including slope, width, length, and shape geometry were measured. The cumulative infiltration and infiltration rates were also recorded. The results show that irrigation application efficiency ranged from 57 to 64% with an average of 61%, indicating that about 40% of the applied water was not used by crops. The storage efficiency ranged from 79.6 to 81.6% with an average of 80%. Soil moisture measurements showed that crops were water stressed during the experimental period. Application efficiency decreased with increasingly steep slopes and cutoff times, greater applied depth, and high inflow rate in the study area. Unavailability of irrigation water control structure, weakness of water users’ associations, and maintenance of furrows and steep slopes were observed as the major causes of inefficient water management in the Melka Hida irrigation scheme.

Effect of fertilizer deep placement with urea supergranule on nitrogen use efficiency of irrigated rice in Sourou Valley (Burkina Faso)

The loss of nitrogen (N) can be very high in rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields, particularly in the irrigated rice cropping systems with very poor water control. Previous studies have reported very low (30 %) fertilizer N use efficiency by broadcasting in irrigated cropping systems. The effect of fertilizer N (prilled urea—PU) and briquettes—urea supergranules (USG) on rice yield performance and nutrient uptake was investigated in West Africa. Field experiments were carried out in Sourou valley in Burkina Faso in the wet season of 2012 and dry season of 2013. PU was broadcast applied and USG were point-placed deeply into the soil at 5–7 cm using the same fertilizer N rates (52 kg N ha−1) and two different rice varieties (FKR 19 and NERICA 62N). The results indicate that Fertilizer Deep Placement (FDP) significantly increased grain yields, particularly in the wet season as compared with broadcasting. The FDP applied to NERICA 62N produced the highest tillers and panicles numbers, leading to more yields. In wet season, FDP significantly increased agronomic efficiency by 39.43 % over PU and physiological efficiency by 24.23 %. In the dry season, differences in the average nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) between FDP and PU were not significant. The studies suggest that FDP is genotype and season-specific, and that it can be used by farmers to improve NUE and increase grain yields in the irrigated rice cropping system. Further investigations are underway to understand seasonal and genetic effect on FDP performance.

The effect of increasing gravel cover on forest roads for reduced sediment delivery to stream crossings

AbstractDirect sediment inputs from forest roads at stream crossings are a major concern for water quality and aquatic habitat. Legacy road–stream crossing approaches, or the section of road leading to the stream, may have poor water and grade control upon reopening, thus increasing the potential for negative impacts to water quality. Rainfall simulation experiments were conducted on the entire running surface area associated with six reopened stream crossing approaches in the south‐western Virginia Piedmont physiographic region, USA. Event‐based surface run‐off and associated total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations were compared among a succession of gravel surfacing treatments that represented increasing intensities of best management practice (BMP) implementation. The three treatments were no gravel (10–19% cover), low gravel (34–60% cover), and high gravel (50–99% cover). Increased field hydraulic conductivity was associated with maximized surface cover and ranged from 7.2 to 41.6, 11.9 to 46.3, and 16.0 to 58.6 mm h−1 respectively for the no gravel, low gravel, and high gravel treatments. Median TSS concentration of surface run‐off for the no gravel treatment (2.84 g l−1) was greater than low gravel (1.10 g l−1) and high gravel (0.82 g l−1) by factors of 2.6 and 3.5 respectively. Stream crossing approaches with 90–99% surface cover had TSS concentrations below 1 g l−1. Reducing the length of road segments that drain directly to the stream can reduce the costs associated with gravel surfacing. This research demonstrates that judicious and low‐cost BMPs can ameliorate poor water control and soil erosion associated with reopening legacy roads. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluation of Water Sources for Sawah Management in the Restoration of Degraded Lowlands and Sustainable Rice Production in Southeastern Nigeria

Agricultural productivity in Nigeria fluctuates, mainly because the country’s agriculture is rain-fed and subsistence farmers rely on the rain as the main backbone of farming in the country. Consequently, traditional water management systems in the lowlands rice production in Ebonyi State that is regarded as a major rice producing State in Nigeria who also rely on the rain, are characterized by the fact that farmers focus on storage of water in the rice field, without any possibility to divert water from one place to another. In an attempt to arrest the declining productivity of the inland valley soils in these zones due to poor water control and fertility management, four different organic sources, including the control (Rice husk; Rice husk ash; Poultry droppings at 10 t/ha and NPK 20:10:10 at 400 kg/ha and 0 t ha -1 ) were used in three different water sources (sawah types) (rain-fed, pump-fed and spring-fed sawah) in two inland valleys in southeastern Nigeria to evaluate their effects on some soil properties and rice grain yield. Sawah is generally described as a controlled water management in the field where the soil is expected to be puddle, leveled and bunded in order to impound water provided by rain water or by rise in the level of a river in an inland valley. A split- plot in a randomized complete block design was used to asses the two factors at different levels. Three sources of water (sawah types); rain-fed sawah, spring type and pump type constituted main plot, while the amendments, that constituted the sub- plots were applied as follows: 10 tha -1 rice husk (RH); 10 tha -1 of rice husk ash; 10 tha -1 of poultry droppings; 400 kgha -1 of N.P.K. 20:10:10 and 0 tha -1 (control). The treatments were replicated three times in each of the subplots. The results of the study showed that the soil pH was significantly improved by different water types in the two locations. As the pH was improved statistically upon by different soil amendments in the two sites, the interaction of water sources and amendments only significantly improved the pH in Ikwo location. The results also indicated that soil organic carbon and total nitrogen were positively influenced in the two locations by both the different water sources and amendments. The result shows a significant improvement on the CEC by both factors in Ikwo site. It was also recorded that available phosphorous were positively improved by different water sources and amendments in different forms in the two locations. The result equally indicated that rice grain yiled was positvely increased in both locations by the studied factors.

Successful treatment of icodextrin-single peritoneal dialysis for refractory nephrotic syndrome induced by idiopathic membranous nephropathy.

The patient was a 76-year-old male who developed nephrotic syndrome. Idiopathic membranous nephropathy was diagnosed by renal biopsy and clinical findings. The patient had been refractory to predonisolone and cyclosporine A therapies, and overhydration recurred repeatedly during the clinical course. One year after an initial hospitalization, he had to be hospitalized a second time because of overhydration. During the hospitalization, he underwent fluid removal by the extracorporeal ultrafiltration method (ECUM), as his response to diuretics was too weak to permit the control of cardiac insufficiency. The ECUM alleviated his overhydration, but no remission of nephrotic syndrome was achieved. The patient was then discharged temporarily, but overhydration developed again 2 months later. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) using an overnight dwell of a single dose of icodextrin was initiated to obtain stable fluid removal. This promptly alleviated the refractory subcutaneous edema, and type I incomplete remission of nephrotic syndrome was achieved about 2weeks after the start of PD. The patient could be withdrawn from the PD therapy 4months later. Subsequently, the urinary volume was maintained and the serum creatinine level was stabilized at about 2mg/dl. In our patient, the protein leakage into the drainage was small enough to permit remission of the nephrotic syndrome with stable fluid removal. On this basis, we believe that PD using icodextrin is considered as one of the options for the treatment of refractory nephrotic syndrome with poor water control.

The pH response of the InP/liquid ammonia interface at 223 K: A pure nernstian behavior

Liquid ammonia (NH 3 liq.) provides an original electrochemical environment onto semiconductors electrodes (SC). Its particular interest is that water influences can be neglected in opposition to a lot of non-aqueous other solvents. Fundamentals electrochemistries of the SC are related to the energy diagram of the interface. In this paper it is established into NH 3 liq., on both types, on p- and n-InP by flat band potential ( V fb) measurements. The V fb are determined over the whole range of pH that reaches 33 pH units in this non-aqueous solvent. InP exhibits a pure nernstian behavior with a specific 44 mV/pH slope at 223 K. This is particular compare to the “under nernstian” dependency, observed in water onto InP. The actual band positions are related to the initial chemical state of the InP surface, since oxide free surfaces and thin native oxide covered surfaces differ slightly. Reproducible contrasted results from the acid–base equilibrium, which is supported by the V fb according to the pH, for singular interfacial chemistry. This aspect is confirmed by XPS measurements performed before and after InP immersion into NH 3 liq. They establish the perfect stability of the initial chemical composition of the semiconducting surface in contact with NH 3 liq. whatever its pH conditions. NH 3 liq. appears as an inert solvent which is able to create an acid–base equilibrium onto InP surfaces. Each InP surface chemistry support its own linear V fb vs. pH variation. In NH 3 liq., the poor water control on the building of the Helmholtz layer is well shown by the perfect V fb alignment position from the intermediated pH buffered solution obtained from the addition of tetraethyl ammonium hydroxide ((Et) 4N +,OH −) dissolved in water (20%).

Water management practices for sustainable rice production in Nigeria

The importance of rice in Nigeria is no longer the question but rather how can we meet the growing demand, reduce import and be self-sufficient. Consumption per capita jumped from 2.9 kg (1970/74) to 24.1 kg (1995/99). Our production figure increased by 6 times within the period to 3.27 million tons but our importation figure by 1998 stood at 1 million tons accounting for one third of the total import for West Africa. By 1999 area harvested from rice stood at 2.2 million hectares of which 65% was from rainfed lowland. However our yield average is 1.5 t/ha. There are 55 high yielding varieties for various ecologies officially released and another 6 NERICA varieties in the pipeline for upland areas. The lowland elite varieties with good management could yield up to 6 tons per ha. But these potentials are never achieved on farmers’ field because of poor water control system and bad soil management. This is why a renewed call for a concerted effort needs to be made for a better water and soil management practices referred to in this paper as *Sawah System and better policies.

Synthesis of Systems Diagnosis

Summary Rice-wheat systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains may seem simple, but in reality they are enormously complex, with numerous productivity and sustainability problems, each embedded in a web of interactions. By unraveling and understanding these interactions, and harnessing their power, scientists working with the Rice-Wheat Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains are fostering sustainable improvements in system productivity. Rice-wheat system problems include late sowing, low water and nutrient use efficiency, groundwater depletion (in some areas) or waterlogging and poor water control (in other areas), salinity and sodicity (in defined locales) and the build-up of problem weeds and possibly of pests and diseases. The low soil fertility scenario is due to the increasing micronutrient deficiencies, widening NPK ratios or imbalanced fertilizer use, and decreased use of organic sources of nutrients. At first glance, these problems seem random and unrelated but in fact, many of them are closely linked th...

Fate of nitrogen fertilizer applied to lowland rice on a Sulfic Tropaquept

A field experiment was conducted on an acid sulfate soil in Thailand to determine the effect of N fertilization practices on the fate of fertilizer-N and yield of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.). A delayed broadcast application of ammonium phosphate sulfate (16-20-0) or urea was compared with basal incorporation of urea, deep placement of urea as urea supergranules (USG), and amendment of urea with a urease inhibitor. Deep placement of urea as USG significantly reduced floodwater urea- and ammoniacal-N concentrations following N application but did not reduce N loss, as determined from an15N balance, in this experiment where runoff loss was prevented. The urease inhibitor, phenyl phosphorodiamidate (PPD), had little effect on floodwater urea- and ammoniacal-N, and it did not reduce N loss. The floodwater pH never exceeded 4.5 in the 7 days following the first N applications, and application of 16-20-0 reduced floodwater pH by 0.1 to 0.3 units below the no-N control. The low floodwater pH indicated that ammonia volatilization was unimportant for all the N fertilization practices. Floodwater ammoniacal-N concentrations following application of urea or 16-20-0 were greater on this Sulfic Tropaquept than on an Andaqueptic Haplaquoll with near neutral pH and alkaline floodwater. The prolonged, high floodwater N concentrations on this Sulfic Tropaquept suggested that runoff loss of applied N might be a potentially serious problem when heavy rainfall or poor water control follow N fertilization. The unaccounted-for15N in the15N balances, which presumably represented gaseous N losses, ranged from 20 to 26% of the applied N and was unaffected by urea fertilization practice. Grain yield and N uptake were significantly increased with applied N, but grain yield was not significantly affected by urea fertilization practice. Yield was significantly lower (P = 0.05) for 16-20-0 than for urea; however, this difference in yield might be due to later application of P and hence delayed availability of P in the 16-20-0 treatment.

体重管理不良な症例の検討 心理社会的側面からの検討

体重管理不良な症例の心理社会的問題について検討した. 維持透析患者のうち平均体重増加率が6%以上の患者6名を体重管理不良群 (不良群) とし, この不良群と同じ透析条件でかつ平均増加率が4%以下の患者14名を体重管理良好群 (良好群) とした. 平均透析期間, 平均年齢に差はなく, 生化学値にも顕著な差はなかった.50項目からなる調査紙を用いて社会的環境状態, 透析に対する理解度を測定し, 心理的状態の測定にはY-G検査, 内田クレペリン検査, CAS検査 (一部下位尺度) を用いて両群を比較検討した.結果は, 1) 不良群は社会的役割, 家族関係ともに満たされた状態にはなく, とくに家族関係は良好群より有意に不良と考えられた. 2) 透析に対する理解力は不良群において良好群より劣っていた. 3) Y-G検査分類では不良群と良好群において特異な分類上の傾向はなかった. 4) 内田クレペリン検査では不良群の平均作業量は良好群より有意に少なく (不良群=D段階), 知的能力の問題を示唆された. また両群とも初頭努力がやや少なくとっつきの悪さが考えられた. 5) CAS心理検査では, 不良群は自己規制しにくく, フラストレーション耐性が弱いことが示唆された.以上より, 体重管理不良な症例では, これら心理社会的要因が相乗し, 積極的な透析生活への適応力が弱められていると考えられた.

Irrigation practices: peasant-farming settlement schemes and traditional cultures

Science has been highly successful in soil conditioning, plant breeding, and in pest and disease control, but has not yet turned its full attention to making the best use of water for irrigation. As water becomes scarcer worldwide so the need for more efficient water use becomes a necessity for peasant agriculture. It is to this theme that this paper principally addresses itself. In SE Asia flooded rice irrigation occupies some 70 Mha and is expanding at such a rate that water is becoming increasingly expensive to provide. In these circumstances there is a need to look critically at the methods of irrigating and growing rice. The practice of transplanting seedlings and whether rice could be grown equally as successfully in non-flooded conditions requires investigation. The way ahead is being provided by the economies forced on farmers who pump water from their own boreholes. Although the Dumoga project in north Sulawesi, Indonesia, has not yet reached the point of farm development where water shortage is a problem, that time will come; and the scientific programme that is already underway in the area (under the auspices of the ‘Project Wallace’ expedition) could usefully be expanded to include the technical and sociological problems involved in water allocation. Similar studies would also benefit hill irrigation in Nepal, Peru, the Philippines and similar mountainous areas. Excessive soil saturation and poor water control are frequent causes of catastrophic landslides and soil loss from erosion. In those arid zones with a tradition of irrigation and access to oil revenues, better water control can be achieved by the introduction of combined manual and electronic control systems. In Iraq, for example, these systems will help to make the best use of the restricted waters of the Euphrates basin. Scientific advance in irrigation methods is more difficult to foresee in the arid sub-Saharan areas, where the adoption of techniques already successfully applied elsewhere is likely to be the prime necessity.

Weed control in direct‐seeded lowland rice under poor water control conditions

Summary:Several herbicides applied singly and in combination were evaluated for weed control and for their effects on crop yield in direct‐seeded lowland rice under poor water management conditions characteristic of the conditions in which lowland rice is grown by most farmers in West Africa. Several herbicides including cyperquat at 3.0 kg/ha, a mixture of cyperquat and 2,4‐D at 2.0 + 0.5 kg/ha, bentazon at 2.0 kg/ha and avirosan satisfactorily controlled sedges in the 3‐year study. Crop yield was consistently high in plots where weeds were controlled with post‐emergence application of MCPA + propanil at 1.0+1.7 kg/ha, propanil + thiobencarb 2.2+1.2 kg/ha, oxadiazon 1.5 kg/ha, bentazon 2.0, granular 2,4‐D at 1.0 kg/ha, and a pre‐emergence application of bifenox at 2.0 kg/ha. Crop yields in plots treated with these herbicides were generally better than with two hand‐weedings.