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Plant-Derived Carbon Sources for Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Southern California
No full textAnaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) has been optimized and adopted as an organic alternative to chemical fumigation by strawberry growers in California. The ASD process relies on mixing labile carbon sources into the soil to generate chemical, physical, and microbiological changes aiding suppression of the soil-borne pathogens and enhancing fruit production. Continued ASD adoption is hindered by the increasing cost of rice bran, currently the most widely used carbon source. To address this need and to find suitable and economical alternative carbon sources, we conducted field evaluations of locally produced or sourced plant-based products. ASD with incorporated grass-sod clippings spent grain and coffee grounds from one supplier provided a 47% to 83% increase in fruit yields compared to untreated soil, but coffee grounds from a different supplier decreased strawberry yields. Carbon, nitrogen, and their ratios had important impacts on the efficacy of ASD with coffee grounds and grape pomace. ASD with wheat midds at 20 t/ha provided strawberry yields similar to chloropicrin-fumigated soil while substituting 30% of rice bran carbon rate with on-site grown cereal cover crop biomass resulted in yields similar to the full rate of rice bran but at a reduced cost. As we continue exploring cost-effective methods of soil disinfestation, we utilize ASD integrated with other pest management tools, such as the use of resistant cultivars and crop rotation for sustainable production
Efficacy of Different Forms of Green Manure Crops to Reduce Verticillium dahliae in Different Soils
Get PDFThe efficacy of green manure crops to reduce the number of Verticillium dahliae microsclerotia in different soils was investigated. Green manures tested were Indian mustard with a high glucosinolate content and sorghum-sudangrass as biocidal plants, and Indian mustard with a low glucosinolate content and rye as non-biocidal plants. The green manure plants were applied in fresh, dried, and ensilaged form. When applied as fresh plants, the glucosinolate content determining the biocidal activity of Indian mustard was only important in loam soil but not in sandy loam soil. In the latter soil, the non-biocidal rye had significantly higher efficacy than the Indian mustard. Volatiles released by fresh and dried, but not ensilaged, Indian mustard with a high glucosinolate content strongly decreased the number of living V. dahliae microsclerotia. When the same green manure crops were added to sandy loam and clay loam soil, the effect of the high glucosinolate content Indian mustard in fresh and dried form disappeared, whereas the ensilaged green manure crops had the highest efficacy. This effect was based on the increase of the soil microbial activity and the Streptomyces population size, which were negatively correlated with the number of living V. dahliae microsclerotia in the soil
Research on Investment Strategy and Evaluation Mechanism of Power Enterprises Considering Local Development Characteristics
Get PDFThe investment in developing industries with local characteristics is an essential link in the industrial investment chain of power enterprises. Reasonably selecting industries worthy of investment will significantly improve the income of power enterprises. Firstly, this paper constructs an investment project benefit evaluation system including economic benefit indicators and social environment indicators. Secondly, the combination of the analytic hierarchy process and grey correlation method is used to determine the index weight, and the comprehensive evaluation method is used to calculate the score of each index. Finally, the corresponding investment proportion allocation model is established to calculate the relevant industries worthy of investment
On the Dimensionless Absorption Heat Pump Widespread
Get PDFClimate change has a huge challenge to 2050. Some renewable energies can be installed to reduce CO2 production. Unfortunately, the photovoltaic systems, wind energy, and ocean energy devices do not have direct thermal applications. These systems are useful for people’s electricity consumption. Absorption heat pumps (AHP) are thermal devices for increasing the temperature level from an energy source at medium temperature level, such as plane solar collectors, to another energy sink. The main problem with design, power calculations and device construction is a lack of education about this technology, which is more complex than compression heat pumps but with 90 % less electric energy consumption that would be supplied by photovoltaic cells. This paper shows an approximation for future engineers designing several absorption heat pumps to avoid global warming beyond the Paris Agreement. Future engineers should be encouraged to analyze this technology with this first and basic approach
Modified Presplit Blast Design and its Implementation to Control Near Field Blast Vibrations
Get PDFThe development of urban infrastructure projects like metro rail projects in the major cities in India is one of the challenging tasks due to several site construction and operating constraints. These rapid transit systems (RTS) are conceived to minimise traffic congestion by providing commuters with fast and efficient transportation alternatives. One such project is the Phase-II of the ongoing Bangalore Underground Metrorail Project. The design and construction of the metro rail project require sound engineering judgment and field experience on envisaged strata conditions along the proposed route alignment.
The important factors that govern the excavation cycle depend on Rock mass material properties, efficient blast design and construction performance. All these considerations needs to be evaluated for achieving safe, cost-effective excavation design layouts. Proper blast design and safe blasting operations play a key role in achieving good fragmentation, minimising over break and equipment downtime. Site-specific innovative methods on controlled blasting techniques are being experimented with and demonstrated to minimise the ground vibrations. The major challenge lies with the design of efficient and smooth wall blasting techniques to safeguard the old heritage buildings and other subsurface structures and utilities.
Thermodynamic and Exergetic Analysis of the Allam Cycle
Get PDFThis paper presents the study on the current developments of oxy-combustion thermodynamic cycles, which use the CO2 produced by combustion within the cycle itself without releases into the atmosphere. This is the cause of the attention paid to this type of technology and which makes these cycles one of the avant-gardes of power plants. In particular, this study focuses on the analysis of the Allam cycle with the aim of evaluating its performance and therefore investigating whether it may be an alternative to the series of CO2 control technologies. In this paper, a first principle efficiency of 54.6% and a second principle efficiency of 55.7% are estimated, confirming the outstanding prospect of the NET Power cycle
Thermal Diffusivity of Ti3C2Tx@C Nanocoils
Get PDFTi3C2Tx MXene is an emerging 2D material with excellent electrical and electrochemical properties. Carbon Nanocoil (CNC) is a quasi 1D material with unique helical morphology, which shows remarkable advantages in mechanical and electromagnetic properties. In this work, we designed a Ti3C2Tx@C nanocoil (CMNC) by coating Ti3C2Tx flakes on the surface of CNC for better application performance. The thermophysical properties of single CMNCs were investigated using a transient eletrothermall (TET) technique. The average room temperature thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity of CMNCs were measured to be 8×10-6 m2/s and 15.6 W/m K, which are one order of magnitude higher than those of CNCs, due to successful coating of MXene on the surface of CNC. However, enhancement of electrical properties brought by MXene coating is much smaller than those of thermal properties. Variable temperature characterization from 298 to 334 K reveals an increasing trend of thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity with temperature increasing, which is attributed to the interaction and heat transfer between MXene and CNCs. MXene coating provides better thermal management performance for practical applications of CNCs, such as wave absorbing
VOC and CO Removals by Perovskite Type Nanocatalysts Supported on Commercial Substrates
Get PDFIn this research, it was tried to choose a kind of perovskite catalyst with optimized formulation La0.8Sr0.2Co0.66Fe0.34O3 to remove air pollutants. This perovskite catalyst stabilized on the various supports such as alumina and ZSM-5 with the sol-gel synthesis technique and ceramic monolith by dip-coating method. Four different catalysts by variable weight percentage including PE-Al 10%, PE-Al 20%, PE-Al 30%, and PE-Al 40% were prepared by sol-gel synthesis technique. In this work, the XRD technique was used to confirm the formation of perovskite catalysts’ crystalline phases on the supports. As a result, XRD patterns revealed the formation of the perovskite phase onto the alumina and zeolite supports. Activity tests of these four catalysts were examined in the catalytic oxidation of Toluene and CO using an experimental setup consisting of a tubular flow reactor at the temperature 280-400°C and 100-400°C for the toluene and CO removal systems, respectively. According to the results of the catalysts’ activity test, the alumina supported with 40% w/w perovskite catalyst showed the best performance, and its activity was similar to the activity of the bulk catalyst (over 95% conversion of toluene at about 290°C). For the coated catalysts on a ceramic monolith, the complete removal of carbon monoxide at 50°C was lower than the powdered form. Results from the activity test in a toluene removal system that show coating of the bulk and supported catalysts on ceramic monolith; have an essential impact on the activity test of these catalysts.
Permeability Prediction and Validation Using Static and Dynamic Data of Sandstone Reservoir in Weizhou Oilfield, Beibuwan Basin, China
Get PDFPermeability is one of the key parameters in reservoir property studies. The existing well log interpretation models could not predict the permeability accurately due to the complexity and ambiguity of well logging curves, and the prediction results may demonstrate significant contradictions with the production data. Based on the comprehensive analysis of cores, well logs, laboratory tests, and thin section observations, we take the first member of Liushagang Formation (L1) in Weizhou 11-1N Oil Field as the target, and select median grain size, porosity, and resistivity to establish a multiple nonlinear regression interpretation model of permeability. The accuracy and applicability of this model is validated by the laboratory test data and oil production performance. This permeability interpretation model is easy and practical to operate. Furthermore, it bridges the geological characteristics and the production performance
Fabrication and Characterization of Thin-Film SOFC Supported by Microchannel-Structured Zirconia Substrate for Direct Methane Operation
Get PDFNi-cermet anode demonstrates excellent catalytic activity and electrical conductivity but suffers from carbon deposition issue. To utilize Ni-cermet anode while preventing carbon deposition, a synergic strategy is employed to design anode electrode. In particular, Zr is incorporated into Ce0.8Sm0.2O2-δ lattice to tailor oxygen storage and catalytic properties of Ni-Ce0.8-xSm0.2ZrxO2-δ anode for improving electrochemical oxidizations of various fuel species. An inert thick YSZ microtubular substrate with radially well-aligned microchannels open at the inner surface is used to support multi thin functional layers of solid oxide cell, i.e., Ni current collector, Ni-Ce0.8-xSm0.2ZrxO2-δ anode, YSZ/SDC electrolyte, and LSCF cathode. The thick YSZ substrate is able to inhibit the ratio of fuel to product gases in the thin anode functional layer, which favors the prevention of carbon buildup in the thin anode layer when synergistically combined with Ni-Ce0.8-xSm0.2ZrxO2-δ anode material. The microchannels embedded in the YSZ substrate can also avoid too much dilutions of the fuel in the anode functional layer. The cell is fabricated and tested with both hydrogen and methane as the fuel. A short-term test is conducted with methane as fuel and good stability is obtained. The fundamental mechanisms for the prevention of carbon buildup in anode functional layer are also discussed