Ozone Air Purifiers: Can They Improve Asthma Symptoms?

MedlinePlus

... and cleaner. However, ozone generators don't actually filter out the small particles that trigger asthma. Inhaling ... air — but they may generate unwanted ozone. Air filters that remove small particles — such as high-efficiency ...

Recirculating Thermocatalytic Air Purifier for Collective Protection

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

stearothermophilus (Bs) spores, which are generally accepted to be more heat resistant than anthrax spores. The results for the Bg and Bs spore...7 who performed thermal deactivation tests using Bg spores in a different reactor geometry. Shankle’s data imply complete sterilization of Bg...400 CFM Catalytic Air Purifier Model, Book 2: Effects of Heat Transfer and Flow on Thermal Sterilization . CB-67-2738-12.2, Physical Protection

High efficiency novel window air conditioner

DOE PAGES

Bansal, Pradeep

2015-07-24

This paper presents the technical development of a high efficiency window air conditioner. In order to achieve higher energy efficiency ratio (EER), the original capacity of the R410A unit was downgraded by replacing the original compressor with a lower capacity but higher EER compressor, while all heat exchangers and the chassis from the original unit were retained. The other subsequent major modifications included – the AC fan motor being replaced with a brushless high efficiency electronically commuted motor (ECM) motor, the capillary tube being replaced with a needle valve to better control the refrigerant flow and refrigerant set points, andmore » R410A being replaced with drop-in environmentally friendly binary mixture of R32 (85% molar concentration)/R125 (15% molar concentration). All these modifications resulted in significant EER enhancement of the modified unit.« less

High efficiency novel window air conditioner

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bansal, Pradeep

This paper presents the technical development of a high efficiency window air conditioner. In order to achieve higher energy efficiency ratio (EER), the original capacity of the R410A unit was downgraded by replacing the original compressor with a lower capacity but higher EER compressor, while all heat exchangers and the chassis from the original unit were retained. The other subsequent major modifications included – the AC fan motor being replaced with a brushless high efficiency electronically commuted motor (ECM) motor, the capillary tube being replaced with a needle valve to better control the refrigerant flow and refrigerant set points, andmore » R410A being replaced with drop-in environmentally friendly binary mixture of R32 (85% molar concentration)/R125 (15% molar concentration). All these modifications resulted in significant EER enhancement of the modified unit.« less

Fabrication of Simple Indoor Air Haze Purifier using Domestic Discarded Substances and Its Haze Removal Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhou; Cao, Haoshu; Zhao, Shuang

2018-01-01

Based on the concept of circular economy, discarded plastic bottles stuffed with discarded cotton, clothing and sofa cushion were used as pre-filter to remove big particles (dust and coal dust) in air and 4 L tap water in discarded plastic bottle was worked as an absorbing medium to dissolve the water soluble ions in air (SO4 2-, NO3-, NH4+, Cl- and Ca2+). Moreover, the internet control design was used in this homemade indoor air haze purifier to achieve the performance of remote control and intelligent management. The experimental results showed that this indoor air haze purifier can effectively reduce the level of indoor air haze and the air quality after 20 minutes treatment is higher than that of two commercial well-known air haze purifier

Air Purifiers Eliminate Pathogens, Preserve Food

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

NASA-funded researchers produced an ethylene reduction device for a plant growth unit. KES Science & Technology Inc., a Kennesaw, Georgia-based company specializing in sustaining perishable foods, licensed the ethylene scrubbing technology. KES partnered with Akida Holdings, of Jacksonville, Florida, which now markets the NASA-developed technology as AiroCide. According to the company, it is the only air purifier that completely destroys airborne bacteria, mold, fungi, mycotoxins, viruses, volatile organic compounds (like ethylene), and odors. What?s more, the devices have no filters that need changing and produce no harmful byproducts, such as the ozone created by some filtration systems.

High Efficiency Room Air Conditioner

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bansal, Pradeep

This project was undertaken as a CRADA project between UT-Battelle and Geberal Electric Company and was funded by Department of Energy to design and develop of a high efficiency room air conditioner. A number of novel elements were investigated to improve the energy efficiency of a state-of-the-art WAC with base capacity of 10,000 BTU/h. One of the major modifications was made by downgrading its capacity from 10,000 BTU/hr to 8,000 BTU/hr by replacing the original compressor with a lower capacity (8,000 BTU/hr) but high efficiency compressor having an EER of 9.7 as compared with 9.3 of the original compressor. However,more » all heat exchangers from the original unit were retained to provide higher EER. The other subsequent major modifications included- (i) the AC fan motor was replaced by a brushless high efficiency ECM motor along with its fan housing, (ii) the capillary tube was replaced with a needle valve to better control the refrigerant flow and refrigerant set points, and (iii) the unit was tested with a drop-in environmentally friendly binary mixture of R32 (90% molar concentration)/R125 (10% molar concentration). The WAC was tested in the environmental chambers at ORNL as per the design rating conditions of AHAM/ASHRAE (Outdoor- 95F and 40%RH, Indoor- 80F, 51.5%RH). All these modifications resulted in enhancing the EER of the WAC by up to 25%.« less

42 CFR 84.170 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... inhalation pressure to draw the ambient air through the air-purifying filter elements (filters) to remove... classified into three series, N-, R-, and P-series. The N-series filters are restricted to use in those workplaces free of oil aerosols. The R- and P-series filters are intended for removal of any particulate that...

42 CFR 84.170 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... inhalation pressure to draw the ambient air through the air-purifying filter elements (filters) to remove... classified into three series, N-, R-, and P-series. The N-series filters are restricted to use in those workplaces free of oil aerosols. The R- and P-series filters are intended for removal of any particulate that...

42 CFR 84.170 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... inhalation pressure to draw the ambient air through the air-purifying filter elements (filters) to remove... classified into three series, N-, R-, and P-series. The N-series filters are restricted to use in those workplaces free of oil aerosols. The R- and P-series filters are intended for removal of any particulate that...

42 CFR 84.170 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... inhalation pressure to draw the ambient air through the air-purifying filter elements (filters) to remove... classified into three series, N-, R-, and P-series. The N-series filters are restricted to use in those workplaces free of oil aerosols. The R- and P-series filters are intended for removal of any particulate that...

42 CFR 84.170 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... inhalation pressure to draw the ambient air through the air-purifying filter elements (filters) to remove... classified into three series, N-, R-, and P-series. The N-series filters are restricted to use in those workplaces free of oil aerosols. The R- and P-series filters are intended for removal of any particulate that...

Transparent air filter for high-efficiency PM2.5 capture.

PubMed

Liu, Chong; Hsu, Po-Chun; Lee, Hyun-Wook; Ye, Meng; Zheng, Guangyuan; Liu, Nian; Li, Weiyang; Cui, Yi

2015-02-16

Particulate matter (PM) pollution has raised serious concerns for public health. Although outdoor individual protection could be achieved by facial masks, indoor air usually relies on expensive and energy-intensive air-filtering devices. Here, we introduce a transparent air filter for indoor air protection through windows that uses natural passive ventilation to effectively protect the indoor air quality. By controlling the surface chemistry to enable strong PM adhesion and also the microstructure of the air filters to increase the capture possibilities, we achieve transparent, high air flow and highly effective air filters of ~90% transparency with >95.00% removal of PM2.5 under extreme hazardous air-quality conditions (PM2.5 mass concentration >250 μg m(-3)). A field test in Beijing shows that the polyacrylonitrile transparent air filter has the best PM2.5 removal efficiency of 98.69% at high transmittance of ~77% during haze occurrence.

Transparent air filter for high-efficiency PM2.5 capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chong; Hsu, Po-Chun; Lee, Hyun-Wook; Ye, Meng; Zheng, Guangyuan; Liu, Nian; Li, Weiyang; Cui, Yi

2015-02-01

Particulate matter (PM) pollution has raised serious concerns for public health. Although outdoor individual protection could be achieved by facial masks, indoor air usually relies on expensive and energy-intensive air-filtering devices. Here, we introduce a transparent air filter for indoor air protection through windows that uses natural passive ventilation to effectively protect the indoor air quality. By controlling the surface chemistry to enable strong PM adhesion and also the microstructure of the air filters to increase the capture possibilities, we achieve transparent, high air flow and highly effective air filters of ~90% transparency with >95.00% removal of PM2.5 under extreme hazardous air-quality conditions (PM2.5 mass concentration >250 μg m-3). A field test in Beijing shows that the polyacrylonitrile transparent air filter has the best PM2.5 removal efficiency of 98.69% at high transmittance of ~77% during haze occurrence.

Photocatalytic performance of electrospun CNT/TiO2 nanofibers in a simulated air purifier under visible light irradiation.

PubMed

Wongaree, Mathana; Chiarakorn, Siriluk; Chuangchote, Surawut; Sagawa, Takashi

2016-11-01

The photocatalytic treatment of gaseous benzene under visible light irradiation was developed using electrospun carbon nanotube/titanium dioxide (CNT/TiO 2 ) nanofibers as visible light active photocatalysts. The CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning CNT/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) solution followed by the removal of PVP by calcination at 450 °C. The molar ratio of CNT/TiO 2 was fixed at 0.05:1 by weight, and the quantity of CNT/TiO 2 loaded in PVP solution varied between 30 and 60 % wt. CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers have high specific surface area (116 m 2 /g), significantly higher than that of TiO 2 nanofibers (44 m 2 /g). The photocatalytic performance of the CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers was investigated by decolorization of 1 × 10 -5  M methylene blue (MB) dye (in water solution) and degradation of 100 ppm gaseous benzene under visible light irradiation. The 50-CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers (calcined CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers fabricated from a spinning solution of 50 % wt CNT/TiO 2 based on PVP) had higher MB degradation efficiency (58 %) than did other CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers and pristine TiO 2 nanofibers (15 %) under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation of gaseous benzene under visible light irradiation on filters made of 50-CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers was carried out in a simulated air purifier system. Similar to MB results, the degradation efficiency of gaseous benzene by 50-CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers (52 %) was higher than by other CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers and pristine TiO 2 nanofibers (18 %). The synergistic effects of the larger surface area and lower band gap energy of CNT/TiO 2 nanofibers were presented as strong adsorption ability and greater visible light adsorption. The CNT/TiO 2 nanofiber prepared in this study has potential for use in air purifiers to improve air treatment efficiency with less energy.

Removal efficiency of water purifier and adsorbent for iodine, cesium, strontium, barium and zirconium in drinking water.

PubMed

Sato, Itaru; Kudo, Hiroaki; Tsuda, Shuji

2011-01-01

The severe incident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has caused radioactive contamination of environment including drinking water. Radioactive iodine, cesium, strontium, barium and zirconium are hazardous fission products because of the high yield and/or relatively long half-life. In the present study, 4 pot-type water purifiers and several adsorbents were examined for the removal effects on these elements from drinking water. Iodide, iodate, cesium and barium were removed by all water purifiers with efficiencies about 85%, 40%, 75-90% and higher than 85%, respectively. These efficiencies lasted for 200 l, which is near the recommended limits for use of filter cartridges, without decay. Strontium was removed with initial efficiencies from 70% to 100%, but the efficiencies were slightly decreased by use. Zirconium was removed by two models, but hardly removed by the other models. Synthetic zeolite A4 efficiently removed cesium, strontium and barium, but had no effect on iodine and zirconium. Natural zeolite, mordenite, removed cesium with an efficiency as high as zeolite A4, but the removal efficiencies for strontium and barium were far less than those of zeolite A4. Activated carbon had little removal effects on these elements. In case of radioactive contamination of tap water, water purifiers may be available for convenient decontamination of drinking water in the home.

A highly efficient strategy to determine genotypes of genetically-engineered mice using genomic DNA purified from hair roots.

PubMed

Otaño-Rivera, Víctor; Boakye, Amma; Grobe, Nadja; Almutairi, Mohammed M; Kursan, Shams; Mattis, Lesan K; Castrop, Hayo; Gurley, Susan B; Elased, Khalid M; Boivin, Gregory P; Di Fulvio, Mauricio

2017-04-01

Genotyping of genetically-engineered mice is necessary for the effective design of breeding strategies and identification of mutant mice. This process relies on the identification of DNA markers introduced into genomic sequences of mice, a task usually performed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Clearly, the limiting step in genotyping is isolating pure genomic DNA. Isolation of mouse DNA for genotyping typically involves painful procedures such as tail snip, digit removal, or ear punch. Although the harvesting of hair has previously been proposed as a source of genomic DNA, there has been a perceived complication and reluctance to use this non-painful technique because of low DNA yields and fear of contamination. In this study we developed a simple, economic, and efficient strategy using Chelex® resins to purify genomic DNA from hair roots of mice which are suitable for genotyping. Upon comparison with standard DNA purification methods using a commercially available kit, we demonstrate that Chelex® efficiently and consistently purifies high-quality DNA from hair roots, minimizing pain, shortening time and reducing costs associated with the determination of accurate genotypes. Therefore, the use of hair roots combined with Chelex® is a reliable and more humane alternative for DNA genotyping.

The surface activity of purified ocular mucin at the air-liquid interface and interactions with meibomian lipids.

PubMed

Millar, Thomas J; Tragoulias, Sophia T; Anderton, Philip J; Ball, Malcolm S; Miano, Fausto; Dennis, Gary R; Mudgil, Poonam

2006-01-01

Ocular mucins are thought to contribute to the stability of the tear film by reducing surface tension. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of different mucins and hyaluronic acid (HA) alone and mixed with meibomian lipids on the surface pressure at an air-liquid interface. A Langmuir trough and Wilhelmy balance were used to measure and compare the surface activity of bovine submaxillary gland mucin (BSM), purified BSM, purified bovine ocular mucin and HA, and mixtures of these with meibomian lipids, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylglycerol. Their appearance at the surface of an air-buffer interface was examined using epifluorescence microscopy. Purified ocular mucin had no surface activity even at concentrations that were 100 times more than normally occur in tears. By contrast, commercial BSM caused changes to surface pressure that were concentration dependent. The surface pressure-area profiles showed surface activity with maximum surface pressures of 12.3-22.5 mN/m depending on the concentration. Purified BSM showed no surface activity at low concentrations, whereas higher concentrations reached a maximum surface pressure of 25 mN/m. HA showed no surface activity, at low or high concentrations. Epifluorescence showed that the mucins were located at the air-buffer interface and changed the appearance of lipid films. Purified bovine ocular mucin and HA have no surface activity. However, despite having no surface activity in their own right, ocular mucins are likely to be present at the surface of the tear film, where they cause an increase in surface pressure by causing a compression of the lipids (a reorganization of the lipids) and alter the viscoelastic properties at the surface.

PTR-MS assessment of photocatalytic and sorption-based purification of recirculated cabin air during simulated 7-h flights with high passenger density.

PubMed

Wisthaler, Armin; Strøm-Tejsen, Peter; Fang, Lei; Arnaud, Timothy J; Hansel, Armin; Märk, Tilmann D; Wyon, David P

2007-01-01

Four different air purification conditions were established in a simulated 3-row 21-seat section of an aircraft cabin: no air purifier; a photocatalytic oxidation unit with an adsorptive prefilter; a second photocatalytic unit with an adsorptive prefilter; and a two-stage sorption-based air filter (gas-phase absorption and adsorption). The air purifiers placed in the cabin air recirculation system were commercial prototypes developed for use in aircraft cabin systems. The four conditions were established in balanced order on 4 successive days of each of 4 successive weeks during simulated 7-h flights with 17 occupants. Proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry was used to assess organic gas-phase pollutants and the performance of each air purifier. The concentration of most organic pollutants present in aircraft cabin air was efficiently reduced by all three units. The photocatalytic units were found to incompletely oxidize ethanol released by the wet wipes commonly supplied with airline mealsto produce unacceptably high levels of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde.

Characterization and isolation of highly purified porcine satellite cells

PubMed Central

Ding, Shijie; Wang, Fei; Liu, Yan; Li, Sheng; Zhou, Guanghong; Hu, Ping

2017-01-01

Pig is an important food source and an excellent system to model human diseases. Careful characterization of the swine skeletal muscle stem cells (satellite cells) will shed lights on generation of swine skeletal muscle disease model and efficient production of porcine meat for the food industry. Paired box protein 7 (Pax7) is a highly conserved transcription factor shared by satellite cells from various species. However, the sequence of Pax7 has not been characterized in pig. The lack of method to isolate highly purified satellite cells hinders the thorough characterization of the swine satellite cells. Here we found molecular markers for swine satellite cells and revealed that the porcine satellite cells were heterogeneous in various pieces of skeletal muscle. We further developed a method to isolate highly purified satellite cells directly from porcine muscles using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. We next characterized the proliferation and differentiation abilities of isolated satellite cells in vitro; and found that long-term culturing of satellite cells in vitro led to stemness loss. PMID:28417015

Improvement of Linde Kryotechnik's internal purifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decker, Lutz; Meier, Albert; Wilhelm, Hanspeter

2014-01-01

With the recent shortage in supply of helium, recovery solutions have experienced a new focus with a tendency to recover streams with higher impurity content. This development calls for purifier systems operating efficiently and with low impact on liquefaction capacity for helium streams with impurity levels in the percentage range. Linde Kryotechnik has answered this demand by improving the performance of its purifier technology. Since 1983, its standardized helium liquefiers of the L- and former TCF-series type contain an internal purifier which already allows efficient impurity removal with minimized space demand. Along with a line dryer to absorb humidity, it is designed to remove air impurities up to 5 mol%. However, with increasing impurity level, liquefaction capacity reduced significantly being furthermore restricted to an upper level of approx. 180 l/h and continuous purification became limited in time. With the current redesign of this purifier, the impact on liquefaction capacity is now minimized without any limitation within the capacity range of the L-series plants. Continuous purification is hence ensured beyond previous maximum impurity content. This paper provides the key design changes and the achievable performance, which has been verified in the recent L-series plants delivered to customers.

The feasibility of an air purifier and secondhand smoke education intervention in homes of inner city pregnant women and infants living with a smoker.

PubMed

Rice, Jessica L; Brigham, Emily; Dineen, Rebecca; Muqueeth, Sadiya; O'Keefe, Gena; Regenold, Stephanie; Koehler, Kirsten; Rule, Ana; McCormack, Meredith; Hansel, Nadia N; Diette, Gregory B

2018-01-01

Secondhand smoke (SHS) and other air pollutants adversely affect the health of pregnant women and infants. A feasibility study aimed at reducing air pollution in homes of pregnant women or infants living with a smoker was completed. In collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, women ≥ 18 years of age and either pregnant nonsmokers, or post-partum (any smoking status) with an infant age 0-12 months were recruited. Homes had at least one smoker. Intervention included two air purifiers and secondhand smoke education. Outcomes included feasibility, change in fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), air nicotine, and salivary cotinine pre- and post-intervention. Fifty women were enrolled (mean age 27 years, 92% African American, 71% single, 94% Medicaid eligible, 34% reported smoking) and 86% completed the study. Of the 50 women, 32 had infants and 18 were pregnant at time of enrollment. Post- intervention, 70% of participants reported smokers were less likely to smoke indoors, and 77% had at least one air purifier turned on at the final visit. Participant satisfaction was high (91%) and 98% would recommend air purifiers. Indoor PM 2.5 was significantly decreased (P < 0.001). Salivary cotinine was significantly decreased for non-smoking women (P < 0.01) but not infants, and no significant change in air nicotine occurred (P = 0.6). Air purifiers with SHS education is a feasible intervention in homes of women and infants. These data demonstrate reduction in indoor PM 2.5 and salivary cotinine in non-smoking adults. Air purifiers are not an alternative for smoking cessation and a home/ car smoking ban. Smoking cessation should be strongly encouraged for all pregnant women, and nonsmoking mothers with infants should be counseled to completely avoid SHS exposure. This study provides support for a future intervention evaluating clinical endpoints. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

High Efficiency Variable Speed Versatile Power Air Conditioning System for Military Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

MOBILITY (P&M) MINI-SYMPOSIUM AUGUST 21-22, 2013 - TROY , MICHIGAN High efficiency variable speed versatile power air conditioning system for...power draw was measured using a calibrated Watt meter. The schematic of the setup is shown in Figure 5 and the setup is shown in Figure 6. Figure...Rocky Research environmental chamber. Cooling Capacity was directly measured in Btu/hr or Watts via measuring the Air flow velocity and the air

Development of intelligent monitoring purifier for indoor PM 2.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Guanting; Zhu, Rong; Guo, Jiangwei; Wei, Yongqing

2018-03-01

The particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) refers to tiny particles or droplets in the air that are two and one half microns or less in width. PM2.5 is an air pollutant that is a concern for people’s health when levels in air are high. The intelligent monitoring purifier was developed to detect indoor PM2.5 concentration before and after purification and the monitoring data could be displayed on the LCD screen, displaying different color patterns according to the concentrations. Through the Bluetooth transport module, real-time values could also display on the mobile phone and voice broadcast PM2.5 concentration level in the air. When PM2.5 concentration is higher than the setting threshold, the convection fan rotation and the speed can be remote controlled with mobile phone through the Bluetooth transport. Therefore, the efficiency and scope of the purification could be enhanced and further better air quality could be achieved.

42 CFR 84.179 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...; filter identification. 84.179 Section 84.179 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH...-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification. (a) The respirator manufacturer, as part of the application for certification, shall specify the filter series and the filter efficiency level (i.e., “N95...

42 CFR 84.179 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...; filter identification. 84.179 Section 84.179 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH...-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification. (a) The respirator manufacturer, as part of the application for certification, shall specify the filter series and the filter efficiency level (i.e., “N95...

42 CFR 84.179 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...; filter identification. 84.179 Section 84.179 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH...-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification. (a) The respirator manufacturer, as part of the application for certification, shall specify the filter series and the filter efficiency level (i.e., “N95...

42 CFR 84.179 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...; filter identification. 84.179 Section 84.179 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH...-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification. (a) The respirator manufacturer, as part of the application for certification, shall specify the filter series and the filter efficiency level (i.e., “N95...

42 CFR 84.179 - Non-powered air-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...; filter identification. 84.179 Section 84.179 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH...-purifying particulate respirators; filter identification. (a) The respirator manufacturer, as part of the application for certification, shall specify the filter series and the filter efficiency level (i.e., “N95...

Cardiopulmonary Benefits of Reducing Indoor Particles of Outdoor Origin: a Randomized Double-Blind Crossover Trial of Air Purifiers

PubMed Central

Chen, Renjie; Zhao, Ang; Chen, Honglei; Zhao, Zhuohui; Cai, Jing; Wang, Cuicui; Yang, Changyuan; Li, Huichu; Xu, Xiaohui; Ha, Sandie; Li, Tiantian; Kan, Haidong

2017-01-01

Background Indoor exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from outdoor sources is a major health concern, especially in highly polluted developing countries, such as China. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of indoor air purification on the improvement of cardiopulmonary health in these areas. Objectives To evaluate whether a short-term indoor air purifier intervention improves cardiopulmonary health. Methods We conducted a randomized double-blind crossover trial among 35 healthy college students in Shanghai, China in 2014. These students lived in dormitories that were randomized into 2 groups and alternated the use of true or sham air purifiers for 48 h with a 2-week washout interval. We measured 14 circulating biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation and vasoconstriction, lung function, blood pressure (BP), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). We applied linear mixed-effect models to evaluate the effect of the intervention on health outcome variables. Results On average, air purification resulted in a 57% reduction in PM2.5 concentration from 96.2 to 41.3 μg/m3 within hours of operation. Air purification was significantly associated with decreases in geometric means of several circulating inflammatory and thrombogenic biomarkers, including 17.5% in monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, 68.1% in interleukin-1β, 32.8% in myeloperoxidase and 64.9% in soluble CD40 ligand. Further, systolic BP, diastolic BP, and FeNO were significantly decreased by 2.7%, 4.8%, and 17.0% in geometric mean, respectively. The impacts on lung function and vasoconstriction biomarkers were beneficial, but not statistically significant. Conclusion This intervention study demonstrated clear cardiopulmonary benefits of indoor air purification among young, healthy adults in a Chinese city with severe ambient particulate air pollution. (Intervention Study on the Health Impact of Air Filters in Chinese Adults; NCT02239744) PMID:26022815

Cardiopulmonary benefits of reducing indoor particles of outdoor origin: a randomized, double-blind crossover trial of air purifiers.

PubMed

Chen, Renjie; Zhao, Ang; Chen, Honglei; Zhao, Zhuohui; Cai, Jing; Wang, Cuicui; Yang, Changyuan; Li, Huichu; Xu, Xiaohui; Ha, Sandie; Li, Tiantian; Kan, Haidong

2015-06-02

Indoor exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from outdoor sources is a major health concern, especially in highly polluted developing countries such as China. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of indoor air purification on the improvement of cardiopulmonary health in these areas. This study sought to evaluate whether a short-term indoor air purifier intervention improves cardiopulmonary health. We conducted a randomized, double-blind crossover trial among 35 healthy college students in Shanghai, China, in 2014. These students lived in dormitories that were randomized into 2 groups and alternated the use of true or sham air purifiers for 48 h with a 2-week washout interval. We measured 14 circulating biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation, and vasoconstriction; lung function; blood pressure (BP); and fractional exhaled nitric. We applied linear mixed-effect models to evaluate the effect of the intervention on health outcome variables. On average, air purification resulted in a 57% reduction in PM2.5 concentration, from 96.2 to 41.3 μg/m3, within hours of operation. Air purification was significantly associated with decreases in geometric means of several circulating inflammatory and thrombogenic biomarkers, including 17.5% in monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, 68.1% in interleukin-1β, 32.8% in myeloperoxidase, and 64.9% in soluble CD40 ligand. Furthermore, systolic BP, diastolic BP, and fractional exhaled nitrous oxide were significantly decreased by 2.7%, 4.8%, and 17.0% in geometric mean, respectively. The impacts on lung function and vasoconstriction biomarkers were beneficial but not statistically significant. This intervention study demonstrated clear cardiopulmonary benefits of indoor air purification among young, healthy adults in a Chinese city with severe ambient particulate air pollution. (Intervention Study on the Health Impact of Air Filters in Chinese Adults; NCT02239744). Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation

Improving Best Air Conditioner Efficiency by 20-30% through a High Efficiency Fan and Diffuser Stage Coupled with an Evaporative Condenser Pre-Cooler

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parker, Danny S; Sherwin, John R; Raustad, Richard

2014-04-10

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) conducted a research project to improve the best residential air conditioner condenser technology currently available on the market by retrofitting a commercially-available unit with both a high efficiency fan system and an evaporative pre-cooler. The objective was to integrate these two concepts to achieve an ultra-efficient residential air conditioner design. The project produced a working prototype that was 30% more efficient compared to the best currently-available technologies; the peak the energy efficiency ratio (EER) was improved by 41%. Efficiency at the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) standard B-condition which is used to estimate seasonalmore » energy efficiency ratio (SEER), was raised from a nominal 21 Btu/Wh to 32 Btu/Wh.« less

Summary of efficiency testing of standard and high-capacity high-efficiency particulate air filters subjected to simulated tornado depressurization and explosive shock waves

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, P.R.; Gregory, W.S.

1985-04-01

Pressure transients in nuclear facility air cleaning systems can originate from natural phenomena such as tornadoes or from accident-induced explosive blast waves. This study was concerned with the effective efficiency of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters during pressure surges resulting from simulated tornado and explosion transients. The primary objective of the study was to examine filter efficiencies at pressure levels below the point of structural failure. Both standard and high-capacity 0.61-m by 0.61-m HEPA filters were evaluated, as were several 0.2-m by 0.2-m HEPA filters. For a particular manufacturer, the material release when subjected to tornado transients is the samemore » (per unit area) for both the 0.2-m by 0.2-m and the 0.61-m by 0.61-m filters. For tornado transients, the material release was on the order of micrograms per square meter. When subjecting clean HEPA filters to simulated tornado transients with aerosol entrained in the pressure pulse, all filters tested showed a degradation of filter efficiency. For explosive transients, the material release from preloaded high-capacity filters was as much as 340 g. When preloaded high-capacity filters were subjected to shock waves approximately 50% of the structural limit level, 1 to 2 mg of particulate was released.« less

High Efficiency Liquid-Desiccant Regenerator for Air Conditioning and Industrial Drying

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andrew Lowenstein

2005-12-19

Over 2 quads of fossil fuels are used each year for moisture removal. This includes industrial and agricultural processes where feedstocks and final products must be dried, as well as comfort conditioning of indoor spaces where the control of humidity is essential to maintaining healthy, productive and comfortable working conditions. Desiccants, materials that have a high affinity for water vapor, can greatly reduce energy use for both drying and dehumidification. An opportunity exists to greatly improve the competitiveness of advanced liquid-desiccant systems by increasing the efficiency of their regenerators. It is common practice within the chemical process industry to usemore » multiple stage boilers to improve the efficiency of thermal separation processes. The energy needed to regenerate a liquid desiccant, which is a thermal separation process, can also be reduced by using a multiple stage boiler. In this project, a two-stage regenerator was developed in which the first stage is a boiler and the second stage is a scavenging-air regenerator. The only energy input to this regenerator is the natural gas that fires the boiler. The steam produced in the boiler provides the thermal energy to run the second-stage scavenging-air regenerator. This two-stage regenerator is referred to as a 1?-effect regenerator. A model of the high-temperature stage of a 1?-effect regenerator for liquid desiccants was designed, built and successfully tested. At nominal operating conditions (i.e., 2.35 gpm of 36% lithium chloride solution, 307,000 Btu/h firing rate), the boiler removed 153 lb/h of water from the desiccant at a gas-based efficiency of 52.9 % (which corresponds to a COP of 0.95 when a scavenging-air regenerator is added). The steam leaving the boiler, when condensed, had a solids concentration of less than 10 ppm. This low level of solids in the condensate places an upper bound of about 6 lb per year for desiccant loss from the regenerator. This low loss will not

Microfluidic Air Sampler for Highly Efficient Bacterial Aerosol Collection and Identification.

PubMed

Bian, Xiaojun; Lan, Ying; Wang, Bing; Zhang, Yu Shrike; Liu, Baohong; Yang, Pengyuan; Zhang, Weijia; Qiao, Liang

2016-12-06

The early warning capability of the presence of biological aerosol threats is an urgent demand in ensuing civilian and military safety. Efficient and rapid air sample collection in relevant indoor or outdoor environment is a key step for subsequent analysis of airborne microorganisms. Herein, we report a portable battery-powered sampler that is capable of highly efficient bioaerosol collection. The essential module of the sampler is a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chip, which consisted of a 3-loop double-spiral microchannel featuring embedded herringbone and sawtooth wave-shaped structures. Vibrio parahemolyticus (V. parahemolyticus) as a model microorganism, was initially employed to validate the bioaerosol collection performance of the device. Results showed that the sampling efficacy reached as high as >99.9%. The microfluidic sampler showed greatly improved capturing efficiency compared with traditional plate sedimentation methods. The high performance of our device was attributed to the horizontal inertial centrifugal force and the vertical turbulence applied to airflow during sampling. The centrifugation field and turbulence were generated by the specially designed herringbone structures when air circulated in the double-spiral microchannel. The sawtooth wave-shaped microstructure created larger specific surface area for accommodating more aerosols. Furthermore, a mixture of bacterial aerosols formed by V. parahemolyticus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli was extracted by the microfluidic sampler. Subsequent integration with mass spectrometry conveniently identified the multiple bacterial species captured by the sampler. Our developed stand-alone and cable-free sampler shows clear advantages comparing with conventional strategies, including portability, easy-to-use, and low cost, indicating great potential in future field applications.

42 CFR 84.1143 - Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general. 84.1143 Section 84.1143 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF...

42 CFR 84.1143 - Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general. 84.1143 Section 84.1143 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF...

42 CFR 84.1143 - Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general. 84.1143 Section 84.1143 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF...

42 CFR 84.1143 - Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general. 84.1143 Section 84.1143 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF...

42 CFR 84.1143 - Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dust, fume, and mist air-purifying filter tests; performance requirements; general. 84.1143 Section 84.1143 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF...

Gas stream purifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adam, Steven J.

1994-01-01

A gas stream purifier has been developed that is capable of removing corrosive acid, base, solvent, organic, inorganic, and water vapors as well as particulates from an inert mixed gas stream using only solid scrubbing agents. This small, lightweight purifier has demonstrated the ability to remove contaminants from an inert gas stream with a greater than 99 percent removal efficiency. The Gas Stream Purifier has outstanding market and sales potential in manufacturing, laboratory and science industries, medical, automotive, or any commercial industry where pollution, contamination, or gas stream purification is a concern. The purifier was developed under NASA contract NAS9-18200 Schedule A for use in the international Space Station. A patent application for the Gas Stream Purifier is currently on file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Determination of ethane, pentane and isoprene in exhaled air--effects of breath-holding, flow rate and purified air.

PubMed

Lärstad, M A E; Torén, K; Bake, B; Olin, A-C

2007-01-01

Exhaled ethane, pentane and isoprene have been proposed as biomarkers of oxidative stress. The objectives were to explore whether ethane, pentane and isoprene are produced within the airways and to explore the effect of different sampling parameters on analyte concentrations. The flow dependency of the analyte concentrations, the concentrations in dead-space and alveolar air after breath-holding and the influence of inhaling purified air on analyte concentrations were investigated. The analytical method involved thermal desorption from sorbent tubes and gas chromatography. The studied group comprised 13 subjects with clinically stable asthma and 14 healthy controls. Ethane concentrations decreased slightly, but significantly, at higher flow rates in subjects with asthma (P = 0.0063) but not in healthy controls. Pentane levels were increased at higher flow rates both in healthy and asthmatic subjects (P = 0.022 and 0.0063 respectively). Isoprene levels were increased at higher flow rates, but only significantly in healthy subjects (P = 0.0034). After breath-holding, no significant changes in ethane levels were observed. Pentane and isoprene levels increased significantly after 20 s of breath-holding. Inhalation of purified air before exhalation resulted in a substantial decrease in ethane levels, a moderate decrease in pentane levels and an increase in isoprene levels. The major fractions of exhaled ethane, pentane and isoprene seem to be of systemic origin. There was, however, a tendency for ethane to be flow rate dependent in asthmatic subjects, although to a very limited extent, suggesting that small amounts of ethane may be formed in the airways.

Washable antimicrobial polyester/aluminum air filter with a high capture efficiency and low pressure drop.

PubMed

Choi, Dong Yun; Heo, Ki Joon; Kang, Juhee; An, Eun Jeong; Jung, Soo-Ho; Lee, Byung Uk; Lee, Hye Moon; Jung, Jae Hee

2018-06-05

Here, we introduce a reusable bifunctional polyester/aluminum (PET/Al) air filter for the high efficiency simultaneous capture and inactivation of airborne microorganisms. Both bacteria of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis were collected on the PET/Al filter with a high efficiency rate (∼99.99%) via the electrostatic interactions between the charged bacteria and fibers without sacrificing pressure drop. The PET/Al filter experienced a pressure drop approximately 10 times lower per thickness compared with a commercial high-efficiency particulate air filter. As the Al nanograins grew on the fibers, the antimicrobial activity against airborne E. coli and S. epidermidis improved to ∼94.8% and ∼96.9%, respectively, due to the reinforced hydrophobicity and surface roughness of the filter. Moreover, the capture and antimicrobial performances were stably maintained during a cyclic washing test of the PET/Al filter, indicative of its reusability. The PET/Al filter shows great potential for use in energy-efficient bioaerosol control systems suitable for indoor environments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of an ozone-generating air purifier on indoor secondary particles in three residential dwellings.

PubMed

Hubbard, H F; Coleman, B K; Sarwar, G; Corsi, R L

2005-12-01

The use of indoor ozone generators as air purifiers has steadily increased over the past decade. Many ozone generators are marketed to consumers for their ability to eliminate odors and microbial agents and to improve health. In addition to the harmful effects of ozone, recent studies have shown that heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions between ozone and some unsaturated hydrocarbons can be an important source of indoor secondary pollutants, including free radicals, carbonyls, carboxylic acids, and fine particles. Experiments were conducted in one apartment and two detached single-family dwellings in Austin, TX, to assess the effects of an ozone generator on indoor secondary organic aerosol concentrations in actual residential settings. Ozone was generated using a commercial ozone generator marketed as an air purifier, and particle measurements were recorded before, during, and after the release of terpenes from a pine oil-based cleaning product. Particle number concentration, ozone concentration, and air exchange rate were measured during each experiment. Particle number and mass concentrations increased when both terpenes and ozone were present at elevated levels. Experimental results indicate that ozone generators in the presence of terpene sources facilitate the growth of indoor fine particles in residential indoor atmospheres. Human exposure to secondary organic particles can be reduced by minimizing the intentional release of ozone, particularly in the presence of terpene sources. Past studies have shown that ozone-initiated indoor chemistry can lead to elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter, but have generally been completed in controlled laboratory environments and office buildings. We explored the effects of an explicit ozone generator marketed as an air purifier on the formation of secondary organic aerosol mass in actual residential indoor settings. Results indicate significant increases in number and mass concentrations for particles <0

Effectiveness of air purifier on health outcomes and indoor particles in homes of children with allergic diseases in Fresno, California: A pilot study.

PubMed

Park, Hye-Kyung; Cheng, Kai-Chung; Tetteh, Afua O; Hildemann, Lynn M; Nadeau, Kari C

2017-05-01

Epidemiologic studies indicate that indoor air pollution is correlated with morbidity caused by allergic diseases. We evaluated the effectiveness of reducing the levels of indoor fine particulate matter <2.5 micrometer diameter (PM 2.5 ) in Fresno, California using air purifiers on health outcomes in children with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis. The active group (with air purifiers) and the control group consisted of eight houses each. Air purifiers were installed in the living rooms and bedrooms of the subjects in the active group during the entire 12-week study duration. Childhood asthma control test, peak flow rate monitoring, and nasal symptom scores were evaluated at weeks 0, 6, and 12. At 12 weeks, the active group showed a trend toward an improvement of childhood asthma control test scores and mean evening peak flow rates, whereas the control group showed deterioration in the same measures. Total and daytime nasal symptoms scores significantly reduced in the active group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). The average indoor PM 2.5 concentrations reduced by 43% (7.42 to 4.28 μg/m 3 ) in the active group (p = 0.001). Intervention with air purifiers reduces indoor PM 2.5 levels with significant improvements in nasal symptoms in children with allergic rhinitis in Fresno.

Effect of an ozone-generating air-purifying device on reducing concentrations of formaldehyde in air

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esswein, E.J.; Boeniger, M.F.

1994-02-01

Formaldehyde, an air contaminant found in many indoor air investigations, poses distinct occupational exposure hazards in certain job categories (e.g., mortuary science) but is also of concern when found or suspected in office buildings and homes. A variety of air-purifying devices (APDs) are currently available or marketed for application to reduce or remove concentrations of a variety of indoor air pollutants through the use of ozone as a chemical oxidant. An investigation was conducted to determine if concentrations of formaldehyde similar to those found in industrial hygiene evaluations of funeral homes could be reduced with the use of an ozone-generatingmore » APD. An ozone-generating APD was placed in an exposure chamber and formaldehyde-containing embalming solution was allowed to evaporate naturally, creating peak and mean chamber concentrations of 2.5 and 1.3 ppm, respectively. Continuous-reading instruments were used to sample for formaldehyde and ozone. Active sampling methods were also used to sample simultaneously for formaldehyde and a possible reactant product, formic acid. Triplicate measurements were made in each of three evaluations: formaldehyde alone, ozone alone, and formaldehyde and ozone combined. Concentrations of formaldehyde were virtually identical with and without 0.5 ppm ozone. No reduction in formaldehyde concentration was found during a 90-minute evaluation using ozone at this concentration with peak and average concentrations of approximately 2.5 and 1.3 ppm formaldehyde, respectively. The results of this investigation suggest that the use of ozone is ineffective in reducing concentrations of formaldehyde. Because ozone has demonstrated health hazards, and is a regulated air contaminant in both the occupational and ambient environment, the use of ozone as an air purification agent in indoor air does not seem warranted. 25 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Air filtration in the free molecular flow regime: a review of high-efficiency particulate air filters based on carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Li, Peng; Wang, Chunya; Zhang, Yingying; Wei, Fei

2014-11-01

Air filtration in the free molecular flow (FMF) regime is important and challenging because a higher filtration efficiency and lower pressure drop are obtained when the fiber diameter is smaller than the gas mean free path in the FMF regime. In previous studies, FMF conditions have been obtained by increasing the gas mean free path through reducing the pressure and increasing the temperature. In the case of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with nanoscale diameters, it is possible to filtrate in the FMF regime under normal conditions. This paper reviews recent progress in theoretical and experimental studies of air filtration in the FMF regime. Typical structure models of high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) air filters based on CNTs are introduced. The pressure drop in air filters operated in the FMF regime is less than that predicted by the conventional air filtration theory. The thinnest HEPA filters fabricated from single-walled CNT films have an extremely low pressure drop. CNT air filters with a gradient nanostructure are shown to give a much better filtration performance in dynamic filtration. CNT air filters with a hierarchical structure and an agglomerated CNT fluidized bed air filter are also introduced. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for the application of CNTs in air filtration are discussed. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Highly ordered and ultra-long carbon nanotube arrays as air cathodes for high-energy-efficiency Li-oxygen batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Ruimin; Fan, Wugang; Guo, Xiangxin; Dong, Shaoming

2016-02-01

Carbonaceous air cathodes with rational architecture are vital for the nonaqueous Li-O2 batteries to achieve large energy density, high energy efficiency and long cycle life. In this work, we report the cathodes made of highly ordered and vertically aligned carbon nanotubes grown on permeable Ta foil substrates (VACNTs-Ta) via thermal chemical vapour deposition. The VACNTs-Ta, composed of uniform carbon nanotubes with approximately 240 μm in superficial height, has the super large surface area. Meanwhile, the oriented carbon nanotubes provide extremely outstanding passageways for Li ions and oxygen species. Electrochemistry tests of VACNTs-Ta air cathodes show enhancement in discharge capacity and cycle life compared to those made from short-range oriented and disordered carbon nanotubes. By further combining with the LiI redox mediator that is dissolved in the tetraethylene dimethyl glycol based electrolytes, the batteries exhibit more than 200 cycles at the current density of 200 mA g-1 with a cut-off discharge capacity of 1000 mAh g-1, and their energy efficiencies increase from 50% to 82%. The results here demonstrate the importance of cathode construction for high-energy-efficiency and long-life Li-O2 batteries.

Effect of occupant behavior and air-conditioner controls on humidity in typical and high-efficiency homes

DOE PAGES

Winkler, Jon; Munk, Jeffrey; Woods, Jason

2018-04-01

Increasing insulation levels and improved windows are reducing sensible cooling loads in high-efficiency homes. This trend raises concerns that the resulting shift in the balance of sensible and latent cooling loads may result in higher indoor humidity, occupant discomfort, and stunted adoption of high-efficiency homes. This study utilizes established moisture-buffering and air-conditioner latent degradation models in conjunction with an approach to stochastically model internal gains. Building loads and indoor humidity levels are compared for simulations of typical new construction homes and high-efficiency homes in 10 US cities. The sensitivity of indoor humidity to changes in cooling set point, air-conditioner capacity,more » and blower control parameters are evaluated. The results show that high-efficiency homes in humid climates have cooling loads with a higher fraction of latent loads than the typical new construction home, resulting in higher indoor humidity. Reducing the cooling set point is the easiest method to reduce indoor humidity, but it is not energy efficient, and overcooling may lead to occupant discomfort. Eliminating the blower operation at the end of cooling cycles and reducing the cooling airflow rate also reduce indoor humidity and with a smaller impact on energy use and comfort.« less

Effect of occupant behavior and air-conditioner controls on humidity in typical and high-efficiency homes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winkler, Jon; Munk, Jeffrey; Woods, Jason

Increasing insulation levels and improved windows are reducing sensible cooling loads in high-efficiency homes. This trend raises concerns that the resulting shift in the balance of sensible and latent cooling loads may result in higher indoor humidity, occupant discomfort, and stunted adoption of high-efficiency homes. This study utilizes established moisture-buffering and air-conditioner latent degradation models in conjunction with an approach to stochastically model internal gains. Building loads and indoor humidity levels are compared for simulations of typical new construction homes and high-efficiency homes in 10 US cities. The sensitivity of indoor humidity to changes in cooling set point, air-conditioner capacity,more » and blower control parameters are evaluated. The results show that high-efficiency homes in humid climates have cooling loads with a higher fraction of latent loads than the typical new construction home, resulting in higher indoor humidity. Reducing the cooling set point is the easiest method to reduce indoor humidity, but it is not energy efficient, and overcooling may lead to occupant discomfort. Eliminating the blower operation at the end of cooling cycles and reducing the cooling airflow rate also reduce indoor humidity and with a smaller impact on energy use and comfort.« less

High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter Generation, Characterization, and Disposal Experiences at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coffey, D. E.

2002-02-28

High Efficiency Particulate Air filtration is an essential component of the containment and ventilation systems supporting the research and development activities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. High Efficiency Particulate Air filters range in size from 7.6cm (3 inch) by 10.2 cm (4 inch) cylindrical shape filters to filter array assemblies up to 2.1 m (7 feet) high by 1.5 m (5 feet) wide. Spent filters are grouped by contaminates trapped in the filter media and become one of the components in the respective waste stream. Waste minimization and pollution prevention efforts are applied for both radiological and non-radiological applications.more » Radiological applications include laboratory hoods, glove boxes, and hot cells. High Efficiency Particulate Air filters also are generated from intake or pre-filtering applications, decontamination activities, and asbestos abatement applications. The disposal avenues include sanitary/industrial waste, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Toxic Substance Control Act, regulated waste, solid low-level waste, contact handled transuranic, and remote handled transuranic waste. This paper discusses characterization and operational experiences associated with the disposal of the spent filters across multiple applications.« less

A method of batch-purifying microalgae with multiple antibiotics at extremely high concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jichang; Wang, Song; Zhang, Lin; Yang, Guanpin; Zhao, Lu; Pan, Kehou

2016-01-01

Axenic microalgal strains are highly valued in diverse microalgal studies and applications. Antibiotics, alone or in combination, are often used to avoid bacterial contamination during microalgal isolation and culture. In our preliminary trials, we found that many microalgae ceased growing in antibiotics at extremely high concentrations but could resume growth quickly when returned to an antibiotics-free liquid medium and formed colonies when spread on a solid medium. We developed a simple and highly efficient method of obtaining axenic microalgal cultures based on this observation. First, microalgal strains of different species or strains were treated with a mixture of ampicillin, gentamycin sulfate, kanamycin, neomycin and streptomycin (each at a concentration of 600 mg/L) for 3 days; they were then transferred to antibiotics-free medium for 5 days; and finally they were spread on solid f/2 media to allow algal colonies to form. With this method, five strains of Nannochloropsis sp. (Eustigmatophyceae), two strains of Cylindrotheca sp. (Bacillariophyceae), two strains of Tetraselmis sp. (Chlorodendrophyceae) and one strain of Amphikrikos sp. (Trebouxiophyceae) were purified successfully. The method shows promise for batch-purifying microalgal cultures.

Improving indoor air quality through botanical air filtration in energy efficient residences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newkirk, Daniel W.

According to the U.S. EPA, the average American spends 90% of their time indoors where pollutants are two to five times more prevalent than outside. The consequences of these pollutants are estimated to cost the U.S. 125 billion dollars in lost health and productivity. Background literature suggests botanical air filtration may be able to solve this problem by leveraging the natural ability of plants to purify indoor air. By improving indoor air quality, energy consumption can also be reduced by bringing in less outside air to dilute contaminants within the space. A botanical air filter, called the Biowall, was designed and grown aeroponically in a sealed environmental chamber. Precise measurements of air temperature, air humidity, air quality and energy consumption were made under various lighting levels, plant species and watering strategies to optimize its performance. It was found to reduce indoor air pollutants 60 percent and has the potential to reduce heating and cooling energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent.

High-Performing Polycarbazole Derivatives for Efficient Solution-Processing of Organic Solar Cells in Air.

PubMed

Burgués-Ceballos, Ignasi; Hermerschmidt, Felix; Akkuratov, Alexander V; Susarova, Diana K; Troshin, Pavel A; Choulis, Stelios A

2015-12-21

The application of conjugated materials in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) is usually demonstrated in lab-scale spin-coated devices that are processed under controlled inert conditions. Although this is a necessary step to prove high efficiency, testing of promising materials in air should be done in the early stages of research to validate their real potential for low-cost, solution-processed, and large-scale OPVs. Also relevant for approaching commercialization needs is the use of printing techniques that are compatible with upscaling. Here, solution processing of organic solar cells based on three new poly(2,7-carbazole) derivatives is efficiently transferred, without significant losses, to air conditions and to several deposition methods using a simple device architecture. High efficiencies in the range between 5.0 % and 6.3 % are obtained in (rigid) spin-coated, doctor-bladed, and (flexible) slot-die-coated devices, which surpass the reference devices based on poly[N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT). In contrast, inkjet printing does not provide reliable results with the presented polymers, which is attributed to their high molecular weight. When the device area in the best-performing system is increased from 9 mm(2) to 0.7 cm(2), the efficiency drops from 6.2 % to 5.0 %. Photocurrent mapping reveals inhomogeneous current generation derived from changes in the thickness of the active layer. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Simultaneous purifying of Hg0, SO2, and NOx from flue gas by Fe3+/H2O2: the performance and purifying mechanism.

PubMed

Xing, Yi; Li, Liuliu; Lu, Pei; Cui, Jiansheng; Li, Qianli; Yan, Bojun; Jiang, Bo; Wang, Mengsi

2018-03-01

Hg 0 , SO 2 , and NOx result in heavily global environmental pollution and serious health hazards. Up to now, how to efficiently remove mercury with SO 2 and NOx from flue gas is still a tough task. In this study, series of high oxidizing Fenton systems were employed to purify the pollutants. The experimental results showed that Fe 3+ /H 2 O 2 was more suitable to purify Hg 0 than Fe 2+ /H 2 O 2 and Cu 2+ /H 2 O 2. The optimal condition includes Fe 3+ concentration of 0.008 mol/L, Hg 0 inlet concentration of 40 μg/m 3 , solution temperature of 50 °C, pH of 3, H 2 O 2 concentration of 0.7 mol/L, and O 2 percentage of 6%. When SO 2 and NOx were taken into account under the optimal condition, Hg 0 removal efficiency could be enhanced to 91.11% while the removal efficiency of both NOx and SO 2 was slightly declined, which was consistent to the analysis of purifying mechanism. The removal efficiency of Hg 0 was stimulated by accelerating the conversion of Fe 2+ to Fe 3+ , which resulted from the existence of SO 2 and NOx. The results of this study suggested that simultaneously purifying Hg 0 , SO 2 , and NOx from flue gas is feasible.

Electrospun Magnetic Nanoparticle-Decorated Nanofiber Filter and Its Applications to High-Efficiency Air Filtration.

PubMed

Kim, Juyoung; Chan Hong, Seung; Bae, Gwi Nam; Jung, Jae Hee

2017-10-17

Filtration technology has been widely studied due to concerns about exposure to airborne dust, including metal oxide nanoparticles, which cause serious health problems. The aim of these studies has been to develop mechanisms for the continuous and efficient removal of metal oxide dusts. In this study, we introduce a novel air filtration system based on the magnetic attraction force. The filtration system is composed of a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-decorated nanofiber (MNP-NF) filter. Using a simple electrospinning system, we fabricated continuous and smooth electrospun nanofibers with evenly distributed Fe 3 O 4 MNPs. Our electrospun MNP-NF filter exhibited high particle collection efficiency (∼97% at 300 nm particle size) compared to the control filter (w/o MNPs, ∼ 68%), with a ∼ 64% lower pressure drop (∼17 Pa) than the control filter (∼27 Pa). Finally, the filter quality factors of the MNP-NF filter were 4.7 and 11.9 times larger than those of the control filter and the conventional high-efficiency particulate air filters (>99% and ∼269 Pa), respectively. Furthermore, we successfully performed a field test of our MNP-NF filter using dust from a subway station tunnel. This work suggests that our novel MNP-NF filter can be used to facilitate effective protection against hazardous metal oxide dust in real environments.

Comparison of cutting efficiencies between electric and air-turbine dental handpieces.

PubMed

Choi, Charlson; Driscoll, Carl F; Romberg, Elaine

2010-02-01

Dentistry is gravitating toward the increased use of electric handpieces. The dental professional should have sufficient evidence to validate the switch from an air-turbine handpiece to an electric handpiece. However, there is little research quantifying the cutting efficiency of electric and air-turbine handpieces. Studies that do quantify cutting efficiency typically do so with only a single material. The purpose of this study was to compare the cutting efficiency of an electric handpiece and an air-turbine handpiece, using various materials commonly used in dentistry. Seven materials: Macor (machinable glass ceramic), silver amalgam, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, high noble metal alloy, noble metal alloy, and base metal alloy, were each cut with a bur 220 times; 110 times with an electric handpiece, and 110 times with an air-turbine handpiece. The weight difference of the material was calculated by subtracting the weight of the material after a cut from the weight of the material before the cut. The cutting efficiency was calculated by dividing the weight difference by the duration of the cut (g/s). Data were analyzed by a 2-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test (alpha=.05). The electric handpiece cut more efficiently than the air-turbine handpiece (F=3098.9, P<.001). In particular, the high noble metal alloy, silver amalgam, and Macor were cut more efficiently with the electric handpiece (0.0383 +/-0.0002 g/s, 0.0260 +/-0.0002 g/s, and 0.0122 +/-0.0002 g/s, respectively) than with the air-turbine handpiece (0.0125 +/-0.0002 g/s, 0.0142 +/-0.0002 g/s, and 0.008 +/-0.0002 g/s, respectively). The electric handpiece is more efficient at cutting various materials used in dentistry, especially machinable glass ceramic, silver amalgam, and high noble alloy, than the air-turbine handpiece.

Preparation and analysis of zero gases for the measurement of trace VOCs in air monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Englert, Jennifer; Claude, Anja; Demichelis, Alessia; Persijn, Stefan; Baldan, Annarita; Li, Jianrong; Plass-Duelmer, Christian; Michl, Katja; Tensing, Erasmus; Wortman, Rina; Ghorafi, Yousra; Lecuna, Maricarmen; Sassi, Guido; Sassi, Maria Paola; Kubistin, Dagmar

2018-06-01

Air quality observations are performed globally to monitor the status of the atmosphere and its level of pollution and to assess mitigation strategies. Regulations of air quality monitoring programmes in various countries demand high-precision measurements for harmful substances often at low trace concentrations. These requirements can only be achieved by using high-quality calibration gases including high-purity zero gas. For volatile organic compound (VOC) observations, zero gas is defined as being hydrocarbon-free and can be, for example, purified air, nitrogen or helium. It is essential for the characterisation of the measurement devices and procedures, for instrument operation as well as for calibrations. Two commercial and one self-built gas purifiers were tested for their VOC removal efficiency following a standardised procedure. The tested gas purifiers included one adsorption cartridge with an inorganic media and two types of metal catalysts. A large range of VOCs were investigated, including the most abundant species typically measured at air monitoring stations. Both catalysts were able to remove a large range of VOCs whilst the tested adsorption cartridge was not suitable to remove light compounds up to C4. Memory effects occurred for the adsorption cartridge when exposed to higher concentration. This study emphasises the importance of explicitly examining a gas purifier for its intended application before applying it in the field.

THE PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF HIGHLY PURIFIED ASCORBIC ACID OXIDASE

PubMed Central

Powers, Wendell H.; Lewis, Stanley; Dawson, Charles R.

1944-01-01

1. A method is described for the preparation of a highly purified ascorbic acid oxidase containing 0.24 per cent copper. 2. Using comparable activity measurements, this oxidase is about one and a half times as active on a dry weight basis as the hitherto most highly purified preparation described by Lovett-Janison and Nelson. The latter contained 0.15 per cent copper. 3. The oxidase activity is proportional to the copper content and the proportionality factor is the same as that reported by Lovett-Janison and Nelson. 4. When dialyzed free of salt, the blue concentrated oxidase solutions precipitate a dark green-blue protein which carries the activity. This may be prevented by keeping the concentrated solutions about 0.1 M in Na2HPO4. 5. When highly diluted for activity measurements the oxidase rapidly loses activity (irreversibly) previous to the measurement, unless the dilution is made with a dilute inert protein (gelatin) solution. Therefore activity values obtained using such gelatin-stabilized dilute solutions of the oxidase run considerably higher than values obtained by the Lovett-Janison and Nelson technique. 6. The effect of pH and substrate concentration on the activity of the purified oxidase in the presence and absence of inert protein was studied. PMID:19873382

Air transportation energy efficiency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, L. J.

1977-01-01

The energy efficiency of air transportation, results of the recently completed RECAT studies on improvement alternatives, and the NASA Aircraft Energy Efficiency Research Program to develop the technology for significant improvements in future aircraft were reviewed.

Antimicrobial nanoparticle-coated electrostatic air filter with high filtration efficiency and low pressure drop.

PubMed

Sim, Kyoung Mi; Park, Hyun-Seol; Bae, Gwi-Nam; Jung, Jae Hee

2015-11-15

In this study, we demonstrated an antimicrobial nanoparticle-coated electrostatic (ES) air filter. Antimicrobial natural-product Sophora flavescens nanoparticles were produced using an aerosol process, and were continuously deposited onto the surface of air filter media. For the electrostatic activation of the filter medium, a corona discharge electrification system was used before and after antimicrobial treatment of the filter. In the antimicrobial treatment process, the deposition efficiency of S. flavescens nanoparticles on the ES filter was ~12% higher than that on the pristine (Non-ES) filter. In the evaluation of filtration performance using test particles (a nanosized KCl aerosol and submicron-sized Staphylococcus epidermidis bioaerosol), the ES filter showed better filtration efficiency than the Non-ES filter. However, antimicrobial treatment with S. flavescens nanoparticles affected the filtration efficiency of the filter differently depending on the size of the test particles. While the filtration efficiency of the KCl nanoparticles was reduced on the ES filter after the antimicrobial treatment, the filtration efficiency was improved after the recharging process. In summary, we prepared an antimicrobial ES air filter with >99% antimicrobial activity, ~92.5% filtration efficiency (for a 300-nm KCl aerosol), and a ~0.8 mmAq pressure drop (at 13 cm/s). This study provides valuable information for the development of a hybrid air purification system that can serve various functions and be used in an indoor environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioinspired Ultralight Inorganic Aerogel for Highly Efficient Air Filtration and Oil-Water Separation.

PubMed

Zhang, Yong-Gang; Zhu, Ying-Jie; Xiong, Zhi-Chao; Wu, Jin; Chen, Feng

2018-04-18

Inorganic aerogels have been attracting great interest owing to their distinctive structures and properties. However, the practical applications of inorganic aerogels are greatly restricted by their high brittleness and high fabrication cost. Herein, inspired by the cancellous bone, we have developed a novel kind of hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanowire-based inorganic aerogel with excellent elasticity, which is highly porous (porosity ≈ 99.7%), ultralight (density 8.54 mg/cm 3 , which is about 0.854% of water density), and highly adiabatic (thermal conductivity 0.0387 W/m·K). Significantly, the as-prepared HAP nanowire aerogel can be used as the highly efficient air filter with high PM 2.5 filtration efficiency. In addition, the HAP nanowire aerogel is also an ideal candidate for continuous oil-water separation, which can be used as a smart switch to separate oil from water continuously. Compared with organic aerogels, the as-prepared HAP nanowire aerogel is biocompatible, environmentally friendly, and low-cost. Moreover, the synthetic method reported in this work can be scaled up for large-scale production of HAP nanowires, free from the use of organic solvents. Therefore, the as-prepared new kind of HAP nanowire aerogel is promising for the applications in various fields.

High efficient OLED displays prepared with the air-gapped bridges on quantum dot patterns for optical recycling

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyo-Jun; Shin, Min-Ho; Kim, Joo-Suc; Kim, Se-Eun; Kim, Young-Joo

2017-01-01

An optically efficient structure was proposed and fabricated to realize high brightness organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays based on a white OLED prepared with the air-gapped bridges on the quantum dot (QD) patterns. Compared with a conventional white OLED display, in our experiments, the optical intensity of the proposed OLED display shows the enhancement of 58.2% in the red color and 16.8% in the green color after applying the air-gapped bridge structure on QD patterns of 20 wt% concentration. This enhancement comes from the two facts that the QD patterns downconvert unnecessary blue or blue/green light to the required green or red light and the air-gapped bridges increase the color conversion efficiency of QDs by optical recycling using total internal reflection (TIR) at the interface. In addition, the color gamut of the proposed OLED display increases from 65.5 to 75.9% (NTSC x, y ratio) due to the narrow emission spectra of QDs. PMID:28211516

High efficient OLED displays prepared with the air-gapped bridges on quantum dot patterns for optical recycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyo-Jun; Shin, Min-Ho; Kim, Joo-Suc; Kim, Se-Eun; Kim, Young-Joo

2017-02-01

An optically efficient structure was proposed and fabricated to realize high brightness organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays based on a white OLED prepared with the air-gapped bridges on the quantum dot (QD) patterns. Compared with a conventional white OLED display, in our experiments, the optical intensity of the proposed OLED display shows the enhancement of 58.2% in the red color and 16.8% in the green color after applying the air-gapped bridge structure on QD patterns of 20 wt% concentration. This enhancement comes from the two facts that the QD patterns downconvert unnecessary blue or blue/green light to the required green or red light and the air-gapped bridges increase the color conversion efficiency of QDs by optical recycling using total internal reflection (TIR) at the interface. In addition, the color gamut of the proposed OLED display increases from 65.5 to 75.9% (NTSC x, y ratio) due to the narrow emission spectra of QDs.

High efficient OLED displays prepared with the air-gapped bridges on quantum dot patterns for optical recycling.

PubMed

Kim, Hyo-Jun; Shin, Min-Ho; Kim, Joo-Suc; Kim, Se-Eun; Kim, Young-Joo

2017-02-17

An optically efficient structure was proposed and fabricated to realize high brightness organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays based on a white OLED prepared with the air-gapped bridges on the quantum dot (QD) patterns. Compared with a conventional white OLED display, in our experiments, the optical intensity of the proposed OLED display shows the enhancement of 58.2% in the red color and 16.8% in the green color after applying the air-gapped bridge structure on QD patterns of 20 wt% concentration. This enhancement comes from the two facts that the QD patterns downconvert unnecessary blue or blue/green light to the required green or red light and the air-gapped bridges increase the color conversion efficiency of QDs by optical recycling using total internal reflection (TIR) at the interface. In addition, the color gamut of the proposed OLED display increases from 65.5 to 75.9% (NTSC x, y ratio) due to the narrow emission spectra of QDs.

Ligand interaction with the purified serotonin transporter in solution and at the air/water interface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faivre, V.; Manivet, P.; Callaway, J.C.

2000-06-01

The purified serotonin transporter (SERT) was spread at the air/water interface and the effects both of its surface density and of the temperature on its interfacial behavior were studied. The recorded isotherms evidenced the existence of a stable monolayer undergoing a lengthy rearrangement. SERT/ligand interactions appeared to be dependent on the nature of the studied molecules. Whereas an unrelated drug (chlorcyclizine) did not bind to the spread SERT, it interacted with its specific ligands. Compared to heterocyclic drugs, for which binding appeared to be concentration-dependent, a 'two-site' mechanism was evidenced for pinoline and imipramine.

High-efficiency particulate air filter test stand and aerosol generator for particle loading studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arunkumar, R.; Hogancamp, Kristina U.; Parsons, Michael S.; Rogers, Donna M.; Norton, Olin P.; Nagel, Brian A.; Alderman, Steven L.; Waggoner, Charles A.

2007-08-01

This manuscript describes the design, characterization, and operational range of a test stand and high-output aerosol generator developed to evaluate the performance of 30×30×29cm3 nuclear grade high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters under variable, highly controlled conditions. The test stand system is operable at volumetric flow rates ranging from 1.5to12standardm3/min. Relative humidity levels are controllable from 5%-90% and the temperature of the aerosol stream is variable from ambient to 150°C. Test aerosols are produced through spray drying source material solutions that are introduced into a heated stainless steel evaporation chamber through an air-atomizing nozzle. Regulation of the particle size distribution of the aerosol challenge is achieved by varying source solution concentrations and through the use of a postgeneration cyclone. The aerosol generation system is unique in that it facilitates the testing of standard HEPA filters at and beyond rated media velocities by consistently providing, into a nominal flow of 7standardm3/min, high mass concentrations (˜25mg/m3) of dry aerosol streams having count mean diameters centered near the most penetrating particle size for HEPA filters (120-160nm). Aerosol streams that have been generated and characterized include those derived from various concentrations of KCl, NaCl, and sucrose solutions. Additionally, a water insoluble aerosol stream in which the solid component is predominantly iron (III) has been produced. Multiple ports are available on the test stand for making simultaneous aerosol measurements upstream and downstream of the test filter. Types of filter performance related studies that can be performed using this test stand system include filter lifetime studies, filtering efficiency testing, media velocity testing, evaluations under high mass loading and high humidity conditions, and determination of the downstream particle size distributions.

High-efficiency particulate air filter test stand and aerosol generator for particle loading studies.

PubMed

Arunkumar, R; Hogancamp, Kristina U; Parsons, Michael S; Rogers, Donna M; Norton, Olin P; Nagel, Brian A; Alderman, Steven L; Waggoner, Charles A

2007-08-01

This manuscript describes the design, characterization, and operational range of a test stand and high-output aerosol generator developed to evaluate the performance of 30 x 30 x 29 cm(3) nuclear grade high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters under variable, highly controlled conditions. The test stand system is operable at volumetric flow rates ranging from 1.5 to 12 standard m(3)/min. Relative humidity levels are controllable from 5%-90% and the temperature of the aerosol stream is variable from ambient to 150 degrees C. Test aerosols are produced through spray drying source material solutions that are introduced into a heated stainless steel evaporation chamber through an air-atomizing nozzle. Regulation of the particle size distribution of the aerosol challenge is achieved by varying source solution concentrations and through the use of a postgeneration cyclone. The aerosol generation system is unique in that it facilitates the testing of standard HEPA filters at and beyond rated media velocities by consistently providing, into a nominal flow of 7 standard m(3)/min, high mass concentrations (approximately 25 mg/m(3)) of dry aerosol streams having count mean diameters centered near the most penetrating particle size for HEPA filters (120-160 nm). Aerosol streams that have been generated and characterized include those derived from various concentrations of KCl, NaCl, and sucrose solutions. Additionally, a water insoluble aerosol stream in which the solid component is predominantly iron (III) has been produced. Multiple ports are available on the test stand for making simultaneous aerosol measurements upstream and downstream of the test filter. Types of filter performance related studies that can be performed using this test stand system include filter lifetime studies, filtering efficiency testing, media velocity testing, evaluations under high mass loading and high humidity conditions, and determination of the downstream particle size distributions.

Transparent Nanofibrous Mesh Self-Assembled from Molecular LEGOs for High Efficiency Air Filtration with New Functionalities.

PubMed

Singh, Varun Kumar; Ravi, Sai Kishore; Sun, Wanxin; Tan, Swee Ching

2017-02-01

Alarming levels of particulate matter pollution in air pose a serious health threat in several countries, therefore intriguing a strong need for an economic and a viable technology of air filtration. Current air purification technology is rather expensive with certain types even having the risk of emitting hazardous by-products. The authors have developed a multifunctional air filter inspired from the nasal hairs possessing an ability to specifically trap/exhale the foreign particles and allergens while still letting the air flow. This design is achieved by introducing different functionalities at different dimensional scale employing a bottom-up approach starting with an organic molecule which is further self-organized to form nanoparticles and ultimately to a nanofibrous mesh. While the molecular building block inherently possesses the property of shielding Ultraviolet (UV) rays, the nanofibrous mesh built up from it aids in trapping the particulate matter while maintaining good air flow. By controlling the concentration of the organic molecule, the formation of fibers has been enabled in the nanoscale regime to obtain high particle-capture possibilities. The self-assembled nanofibrous filter thus designed has achieved a high filtration efficiency of ≈90% for the PM 2.5 particle in congruence with the ability to block the harmful UV radiations. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Purifying synthetic high-strength wastewater by microalgae chlorella vulgaris under various light emitting diode wavelengths and intensities

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The high-strength wastewater is now well known as a threat to the natural water since it is highly possible to arouse water eutrophication or algal blooms. The effects of various light emitting diode wavelengths and intensities on the microalgae biological wastewater treatment system was studied in this research. The various nutrient removals and economic efficiencies represented similar variation trends, and these variations under both high C and N loading treatments were similar too. The order for microalgae C. vulgaris reproduction in terms of dry weight and nutrient removal efficiency both were red > white > yellow > blue, under high carbon and nitrogen loading treatments, indicating that the red light was the optimum light wavelength. Furthermore, considering the optimal light intensity in terms of nutrient removal efficiency was 2500 and 2000 μmol/m2•s, while in terms of economic efficiency was 1000, 1500 and 2000 μmol/m2•s. Therefore, the optimum light intensity was found to be 2000 μmol/m2•s. In addition, the optimal experimental illumination time was determined as 120 h. The Chlorella vulgaris microalgae biological wastewater treatment system utilized in this research was able to purify the high-strength carbon and nitrogen wastewater effectively under optimum light wavelength and intensity. PMID:24499586

Application of acoustic agglomeration to enhance air filtration efficiency in air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) systems.

PubMed

Ng, Bing Feng; Xiong, Jin Wen; Wan, Man Pun

2017-01-01

The recent episodes of haze in Southeast Asia have caused some of the worst regional atmospheric pollution ever recorded in history. In order to control the levels of airborne fine particulate matters (PM) indoors, filtration systems providing high PM capturing efficiency are often sought, which inadvertently also results in high airflow resistance (or pressure drop) that increases the energy consumption for air distribution. A pre-conditioning mechanism promoting the formation of particle clusters to enhance PM capturing efficiency without adding flow resistance in the air distribution ductwork could provide an energy-efficient solution. This pre-conditioning mechanism can be fulfilled by acoustic agglomeration, which is a phenomenon that promotes the coagulation of suspended particles by acoustic waves propagating in the fluid medium. This paper discusses the basic mechanisms of acoustic agglomeration along with influencing factors that could affect the agglomeration efficiency. The feasibility to apply acoustic agglomeration to improve filtration in air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) systems is investigated experimentally in a small-scale wind tunnel. Experimental results indicate that this novel application of acoustic pre-conditioning improves the PM2.5 filtration efficiency of the test filters by up to 10% without introducing additional pressure drop. The fan energy savings from not having to switch to a high capturing efficiency filter largely outstrip the additional energy consumed by the acoustics system. This, as a whole, demonstrates potential energy savings from the combined acoustic-enhanced filtration system without compromising on PM capturing efficiency.

Application of acoustic agglomeration to enhance air filtration efficiency in air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) systems

PubMed Central

Xiong, Jin Wen; Wan, Man Pun

2017-01-01

The recent episodes of haze in Southeast Asia have caused some of the worst regional atmospheric pollution ever recorded in history. In order to control the levels of airborne fine particulate matters (PM) indoors, filtration systems providing high PM capturing efficiency are often sought, which inadvertently also results in high airflow resistance (or pressure drop) that increases the energy consumption for air distribution. A pre-conditioning mechanism promoting the formation of particle clusters to enhance PM capturing efficiency without adding flow resistance in the air distribution ductwork could provide an energy-efficient solution. This pre-conditioning mechanism can be fulfilled by acoustic agglomeration, which is a phenomenon that promotes the coagulation of suspended particles by acoustic waves propagating in the fluid medium. This paper discusses the basic mechanisms of acoustic agglomeration along with influencing factors that could affect the agglomeration efficiency. The feasibility to apply acoustic agglomeration to improve filtration in air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) systems is investigated experimentally in a small-scale wind tunnel. Experimental results indicate that this novel application of acoustic pre-conditioning improves the PM2.5 filtration efficiency of the test filters by up to 10% without introducing additional pressure drop. The fan energy savings from not having to switch to a high capturing efficiency filter largely outstrip the additional energy consumed by the acoustics system. This, as a whole, demonstrates potential energy savings from the combined acoustic-enhanced filtration system without compromising on PM capturing efficiency. PMID:28594862

FRACTIONAL AEROSOL FILTRATION EFFICIENCY OF IN-DUCT VENTILATION AIR CLEANERS

EPA Science Inventory

The filtration efficiency of ventilation air cleaners is highly particle-size dependent over the 0.01 to 3 μm diameter size range. Current standardized test methods, which determine only overall efficiencies for ambient aerosol or other test aerosols, provide data of limited util...

Cardiorespiratory responses of air filtration: A randomized crossover intervention trial in seniors living in Beijing: Beijing Indoor Air Purifier StudY, BIAPSY.

PubMed

Shao, Danqing; Du, Yipeng; Liu, Shuo; Brunekreef, Bert; Meliefste, Kees; Zhao, Qian; Chen, Jie; Song, Xiaoming; Wang, Meng; Wang, Juan; Xu, Hongbing; Wu, Rongshan; Wang, Tong; Feng, Baihuan; Lung, Candice Shih-Chun; Wang, Xian; He, Bei; Huang, Wei

2017-12-15

In this Beijing Indoor Air Purifier StudY (BIAPSY), we conducted a randomized crossover intervention trial in a panel of 35 non-smoking senior participants with free-living, with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Portable air filtration units were randomly allocated to active-(filter in) for 2weeks and sham-mode (filter out) for 2weeks in the households. We examined the differences in indoor air pollutant concentrations in 20 study homes and a suite of cardio-respiratory biomarker levels in study participants between filtration modes, with and without adjustment for potential confounders. Following active filtration, we observed significant reductions from 60±45 to 24±15μg/m 3 in ten-day averages of indoor PM 2.5 and reductions from 3.87±1.65 to 1.81±1.19m -1 .10 -5 in ten-day averages of indoor BC, compared to sham-mode filtration. The major components of indoor PM 2.5 , including water soluble organics, NO 3 - , SO 4 2- , Zn 2+ , Pb 2+ and K + , were also reduced significantly by 42% to 63%. However, following active filtration, we only observed significant reductions on systemic inflammation measured as of IL-8 at 58.59% (95% CI: -76.31, -27.64) in the total group of participants and 70.04% (95% CI: -83.05, -47.05) in the subset of COPD patients, with adjustments. We were not able to detect improvements on lung function, blood pressure, and heart rate variability, following short-term intervention of two-week active air filtration. In conclusion, our results showed that indoor air filtration produced clear improvement on indoor air quality, but no demonstrable changes in the cardio-respiratory outcomes of study interest observed in the seniors living with real-world air pollution exposures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Field Demonstration of a High-Efficiency Packaged Rooftop Air Conditioning Unit at Fort Gordon, Augusta, GA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Armstrong, Peter R.; Sullivan, Gregory P.; Parker, Graham B.

2006-03-31

As part of a larger program targeting the market transformation of packaged rooftop air conditioning, five high-efficiency rooftop air conditioning products were selected in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the Unitary Air Conditioner (UAC) Technology Procurement (http://www.pnl.gov/uac). In February 2003, Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia was chosen as the demonstration site. With the goal of validating the field performance and operation of one of the awarded products, a 10-ton high-efficiency packaged rooftop unit (RTU) manufactured by Global Energy Group (GEG) was installed at Fort Gordon in October 2003. Following equipment installation, power metering, air- and refrigerant-sidemore » instrumentation was installed on the GEG RTU and a 4-year old typical-efficiency 20-ton RTU manufactured by AAON . The GEG and AAON units were instrumented identically and operated May through July, 2005, to observe performance under a range of conditions. Based on the data collected as part of this demonstration, the GEG equipment performed at least 8% better in stage-1 (single compressor running) cooling and at least 16% better in stage-2 (both compressors running) than the baseline AAON equipment. Performance comparisons are based on what we call application EER normalized to equivalent specific fan power. The full-load, specific-fan-power-normalized application EERs at ARI design conditions were 10.48 Btu/Wh for the GEG and 9.00 Btu/Wh for the baseline machine. With a cost premium of nearly 50%, and slightly higher maintenance costs, the life-cycle cost analysis shows that the GEG technology pays for itself--a positive net-present value (NPV)--only in climates and buildings with long cooling seasons. Manufacture of this equipment on a larger scale can be expected to reduce costs to the point where it is more broadly cost-effective. The assumed 10-ton baseline and new-technology unit costs are $3824.00 and $5525.00 respectively. If the new technology cost is

Research into acetone removal from air by biofiltration using a biofilter with straight structure plates

PubMed Central

Baltrėnas, Pranas; Zagorskis, Alvydas; Misevičius, Antonas

2015-01-01

The biological air treatment method is based on the biological destruction of organic compounds using certain cultures of microorganisms. This method is simple and may be applied in many branches of industry. The main element of biological air treatment devices is a filter charge. Tests were carried out using a new-generation laboratory air purifier with a plate structure. This purifier is called biofilter. The biofilter has a special system for packing material humidification which does not require additional energy inputs. In order to extend the packing material's durability, it was composed of thermally treated birch fibre. Pollutant (acetone) biodegradation occurred on thermally treated wood fibre in this research. According to the performed tests and the received results, the process of biodestruction was highly efficient. When acetone was passed through biofilter's packing material at 0.08 m s−1 rate, the efficiency of the biofiltration process was from 70% up to 90%. The species of bacteria capable of removing acetone vapour from the air, i.e. Bacillus (B. cereus, B. subtilis), Pseudomonas (P. aeruginosa, P. putida), Stapylococcus (S. aureus) and Rhodococcus sp., was identified in this study during the process of biofiltration. Their amount in the biological packing material changed from 1.6 × 107 to 3.7 × 1011 CFU g−1. PMID:26019659

Research into acetone removal from air by biofiltration using a biofilter with straight structure plates.

PubMed

Baltrėnas, Pranas; Zagorskis, Alvydas; Misevičius, Antonas

2015-03-04

The biological air treatment method is based on the biological destruction of organic compounds using certain cultures of microorganisms. This method is simple and may be applied in many branches of industry. The main element of biological air treatment devices is a filter charge. Tests were carried out using a new-generation laboratory air purifier with a plate structure. This purifier is called biofilter. The biofilter has a special system for packing material humidification which does not require additional energy inputs. In order to extend the packing material's durability, it was composed of thermally treated birch fibre. Pollutant (acetone) biodegradation occurred on thermally treated wood fibre in this research. According to the performed tests and the received results, the process of biodestruction was highly efficient. When acetone was passed through biofilter's packing material at 0.08 m s -1 rate, the efficiency of the biofiltration process was from 70% up to 90%. The species of bacteria capable of removing acetone vapour from the air, i.e. Bacillus ( B. cereus , B. subtilis ), Pseudomonas ( P. aeruginosa , P. putida ), Stapylococcus ( S. aureus ) and Rhodococcus sp., was identified in this study during the process of biofiltration. Their amount in the biological packing material changed from 1.6 × 10 7 to 3.7 × 10 11 CFU g -1 .

Advantages for passengers and cabin crew of operating a gas-phase adsorption air purifier in 11-h simulated flights.

PubMed

Strøm-Tejsen, P; Zukowska, D; Fang, L; Space, D R; Wyon, D P

2008-06-01

Experiments were carried out in a three-row, 21-seat section of a simulated aircraft cabin installed in a climate chamber to evaluate the extent to which passengers' perception of cabin air quality is affected by the operation of a gas-phase adsorption (GPA) purification unit. A total of 68 subjects, divided into four groups of 17 subjects took part in simulated 11-h flights. Each group experienced four conditions in balanced order, defined by two outside air supply rates (2.4 and 3.3 l/s per person), with and without the GPA purification unit installed in the recirculated air system, a total of 2992 subject-hours of exposure. During each flight the subjects completed questionnaires five times to provide subjective assessments of air quality, cabin environment, intensity of symptoms, and thermal comfort. Additionally, the subjects' visual acuity, finger temperature, skin dryness, and nasal peak flow were measured three times during each flight. Analysis of the subjective assessments showed that operating a GPA unit in the recirculated air provided consistent advantages with no apparent disadvantages. Operating a gas-phase adsorption (GPA) air purifier unit in the recirculated air in a simulated airplane cabin provided a clear and consistent advantage for passengers and crew that became increasingly apparent at longer flight times. This finding indicates that the expense of undertaking duly blinded field trials on revenue flights would be justified.

Derivation of highly purified cardiomyocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells using small molecule-modulated differentiation and subsequent glucose starvation.

PubMed

Sharma, Arun; Li, Guang; Rajarajan, Kuppusamy; Hamaguchi, Ryoko; Burridge, Paul W; Wu, Sean M

2015-03-18

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have become an important cell source to address the lack of primary cardiomyocytes available for basic research and translational applications. To differentiate hiPSCs into cardiomyocytes, various protocols including embryoid body (EB)-based differentiation and growth factor induction have been developed. However, these protocols are inefficient and highly variable in their ability to generate purified cardiomyocytes. Recently, a small molecule-based protocol utilizing modulation of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling was shown to promote cardiac differentiation with high efficiency. With this protocol, greater than 50%-60% of differentiated cells were cardiac troponin-positive cardiomyocytes were consistently observed. To further increase cardiomyocyte purity, the differentiated cells were subjected to glucose starvation to specifically eliminate non-cardiomyocytes based on the metabolic differences between cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes. Using this selection strategy, we consistently obtained a greater than 30% increase in the ratio of cardiomyocytes to non-cardiomyocytes in a population of differentiated cells. These highly purified cardiomyocytes should enhance the reliability of results from human iPSC-based in vitro disease modeling studies and drug screening assays.

A Controlled Design of Ripple-Like Polyamide-6 Nanofiber/Nets Membrane for High-Efficiency Air Filter.

PubMed

Zhang, Shichao; Liu, Hui; Zuo, Fenglei; Yin, Xia; Yu, Jianyong; Ding, Bin

2017-03-01

The filtration capacity of fibrous media for airborne particles is restricted by their thick diameter, low porosity, and limited frontal area. The ability to solve this problem would have broad technological implications for various air filtration applications; despite many past efforts, it remains a great challenge to achieve. Herein, a facile and scalable strategy to fabricate the ripple-like polyamide-6 nanofiber/nets (PA-6 NF/N) air filter via combining electrospinning/netting technique with receiving substrate design is demonstrated. This proposed approach allows the scaffold filaments to orderly embed into 2D PA-6 nanonets layer with Steiner-tree structures and nanoscale diameter of ≈20 nm, resulting in the ripple-like membrane with extremely small pore size, highly porous structure, and hugely extended frontal surface, by facilely adjusting its pleat span and pleat pitch. These unique structural advantages enable the ripple-like PA-6 NF/N filter to filtrate the ultrafine particles with high removal efficiency of 99.996%, low air resistance of 95 Pa, and robust quality factor of >0.11 Pa -1 ; using its superlight weight of 0.9 g m -2 and physical sieving manner. This approach has the potentialities to give rise to a novel generation of filter media displaying enhanced filtration capacity for various applications thanks to their nanoscale features and designed macrostructures. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Influence of a highly purified senna extract on colonic epithelium.

PubMed

van Gorkom, B A; Karrenbeld, A; van Der Sluis, T; Koudstaal, J; de Vries, E G; Kleibeuker, J H

2000-01-01

Chronic use of sennoside laxatives often causes pseudomelanosis coli. A recent study suggested that pseudomelanosis coli is associated with an increased colorectal cancer risk. A single high dose of highly purified senna extract increased proliferation rate and reduced crypt length in the sigmoid colon compared to historical controls. To evaluate in a controlled study the effects of highly purified senna extract on cell proliferation and crypt length in the entire colon and on p53 and bcl-2 expression. Addition of a senna extract to colonic lavage was studied in 184 consecutive outpatients. From 32 randomised patients, 15 with sennosides (Sen), 17 without (NSen), biopsies were taken. Proliferative activity was studied in 4 areas of the colon, using 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labelling and immunohistochemistry (labelling index, LI). Expression of p53 and bcl-2 in the sigmoid colon was determined immunohistochemically. Crypts were shorter in Sen than in NSen in the transverse and sigmoid colon. LI was higher in Sen than in NSen in the entire colon. No difference in p53 expression was seen. Bcl-2 expression was higher in both groups when crypts were shorter and/or proliferation was increased. Sennosides induce acute massive cell loss probably by apoptosis, causing shorter crypts, and increased cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis to restore cellularity. These effects may reflect the mechanism for the suggested cancer-promoting effect of chronic sennoside use. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

Carbon-oxygen reaction efficiency in air gap switch with graphite electrodes under high current pulse discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Hongyu; Li, Lee; Peng, Ming-yang; Xiong, Jiaming; Wu, Haibo; Yu, Bin

2017-12-01

In order to reduce the effect of residual carbon on the insulation performance, after the GW-hundreds kiloampere graphite-electrode switch turning on, the chemical kinetics of the carbon-oxygen reaction is analyzed. The capacitive pulsed experimental circuit is used to reconstruct the actual condition of high power and high current discharge. The carbon-oxygen reaction efficiency is analyzed using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and a flue gas analyzer. The research shows that the gas products include NOX, O3, CH4, and COX. Through the quantitative analysis, the conversion efficiency of COX increases with the augment of the accumulated transferred charge, and the change law of the CO generation efficiency has an extreme value. With the corresponding calculation and the observation of the scanning electron microscope, it is found that most of the carbon consumed from the graphite electrodes is converted to amorphous elemental carbon, and the insufficiency of the carbon-oxygen reaction leads to the problem of carbon residue, for 20%-45% of elemental carbon is not oxidized. The size of amorphous elemental carbon is about several micrometers to tens micrometers by the analysis of metallographic microscope. In the condition of compressed air, changing the amount of transferred charge is helpful to improve the carbon-oxygen reaction efficiency and inhibit the problem of carbon residue.

Water Purifiers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Technology developed to purify the water aboard manned spacecraft has led to a number of spinoff applications. One of them is the Ambassador line of bacteriostatic water treatment systems, which employ high grade, high absorption media to inhibit bacteria growth and remove the medicinal taste and odor of chlorine. Company President, Ray Ward, originally became interested in the technology because of the "rusty" taste of his water supply.

Bacterial communities in commercial aircraft high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters assessed by PhyloChip analysis.

PubMed

Korves, T M; Piceno, Y M; Tom, L M; Desantis, T Z; Jones, B W; Andersen, G L; Hwang, G M

2013-02-01

Air travel can rapidly transport infectious diseases globally. To facilitate the design of biosensors for infectious organisms in commercial aircraft, we characterized bacterial diversity in aircraft air. Samples from 61 aircraft high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters were analyzed with a custom microarray of 16S rRNA gene sequences (PhyloChip), representing bacterial lineages. A total of 606 subfamilies from 41 phyla were detected. The most abundant bacterial subfamilies included bacteria associated with humans, especially skin, gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, and with water and soil habitats. Operational taxonomic units that contain important human pathogens as well as their close, more benign relatives were detected. When compared to 43 samples of urban outdoor air, aircraft samples differed in composition, with higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and Gammaproteobacteria lineages in aircraft samples, and higher relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Betaproteobacteria lineages in outdoor air samples. In addition, aircraft and outdoor air samples differed in the incidence of taxa containing human pathogens. Overall, these results demonstrate that HEPA filter samples can be used to deeply characterize bacterial diversity in aircraft air and suggest that the presence of close relatives of certain pathogens must be taken into account in probe design for aircraft biosensors. A biosensor that could be deployed in commercial aircraft would be required to function at an extremely low false alarm rate, making an understanding of microbial background important. This study reveals a diverse bacterial background present on aircraft, including bacteria closely related to pathogens of public health concern. Furthermore, this aircraft background is different from outdoor air, suggesting different probes may be needed to detect airborne contaminants to achieve minimal false alarm rates. This study also indicates that aircraft HEPA filters could be used

Photovoltaic performance of TiO2 electrode adsorbed with gardenia yellow purified by nonionic polymeric sorbent in dye-sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Kwon, Oh Oun; Kim, Eui Jin; Lee, Jae Hyeok; Kim, Tae Young; Park, Kyung Hee; Kim, Sang Yook; Suh, Hwa Jin; Lee, Hyo Jung; Lee, Jae Wook

2015-02-05

To improve the photovoltaic conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), TiO2 electrode adsorbed with gardenia yellow purified by nonionic polymeric sorbent was successfully formulated on nanoporous TiO2 surface. Adsorption and desorption properties of crude gardenia yellow solution on a macroporous resin, XAD-1600, were investigated to purify gardenia yellow because of its strong adsorption and desorption abilities as well as high selectivity. To this end, adsorption equilibrium and kinetic data were measured and fitted using adsorption isotherms and kinetic models. Adsorption and desorption breakthrough curves in a column packed with XAD-1600 resin was obtained to optimize the separation process of gardenia yellow. The photovoltaic performance of the photo-electrode adsorbed with the crude and purified gardenia yellow in DSSCs was compared from current-voltage measurements. The results showed that the photovoltaic conversion efficiency was highly dependent on how to separate and purify gardenia yellow as a photosensitizer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mold occurring on the air cleaner high-efficiency particulate air filters used in the houses of child patients with atopic dermatitis.

PubMed

Kim, Seong Hwan; Ahn, Geum Ran; Son, Seung Yeol; Bae, Gwi-Nam; Yun, Yeo Hong

2014-09-01

Fungi are the known sources of irritation associated with atopic diseases (e.g., asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema). To quantitatively estimate their presence in the indoor environment of atopic dermatitis-inflicted child patient's houses (ADCPHs), the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters installed inside the air cleaners of three different ADCPHs were investigated for the presence of mold. The air cleaner HEPA filters obtained from the three different ADCPHs were coded as HEPA-A, -B, and -C, respectively, and tested for the presence of mold. The colony forming units (CFUs) corresponding to the HEPA-A, -B, and -C filters were estimated to be 6.51 × 10(2) ± 1.50 × 10(2) CFU/cm(2), 8.72 × 10(2) ± 1.69 × 10(2) CFU/cm(2), and 9.71 × 10(2) ± 1.35 × 10(2) CFU/cm(2), respectively. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Trichoderma, and other fungal groups were detected in the 2,494 isolates. The distribution of these fungal groups differed among the three filters. Cladosporium was the major fungal group in filters HEPA-A and -C, whereas Penicillium was the major fungal group in the filter HEPA-B. Nine fungal species, including some of the known allergenic species, were identified in these isolates. Cladosporium cladosporioides was the most common mold among all the three filters. This is the first report on the presence of fungi in the air cleaner HEPA filters from ADCPHs in Korea.

Mold Occurring on the Air Cleaner High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters Used in the Houses of Child Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

PubMed Central

Kim, Seong Hwan; Ahn, Geum Ran; Son, Seung Yeol; Bae, Gwi-Nam

2014-01-01

Fungi are the known sources of irritation associated with atopic diseases (e.g., asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema). To quantitatively estimate their presence in the indoor environment of atopic dermatitis-inflicted child patient's houses (ADCPHs), the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters installed inside the air cleaners of three different ADCPHs were investigated for the presence of mold. The air cleaner HEPA filters obtained from the three different ADCPHs were coded as HEPA-A, -B, and -C, respectively, and tested for the presence of mold. The colony forming units (CFUs) corresponding to the HEPA-A, -B, and -C filters were estimated to be 6.51 × 102 ± 1.50 × 102 CFU/cm2, 8.72 × 102 ± 1.69 × 102 CFU/cm2, and 9.71 × 102 ± 1.35 × 102 CFU/cm2, respectively. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Trichoderma, and other fungal groups were detected in the 2,494 isolates. The distribution of these fungal groups differed among the three filters. Cladosporium was the major fungal group in filters HEPA-A and -C, whereas Penicillium was the major fungal group in the filter HEPA-B. Nine fungal species, including some of the known allergenic species, were identified in these isolates. Cladosporium cladosporioides was the most common mold among all the three filters. This is the first report on the presence of fungi in the air cleaner HEPA filters from ADCPHs in Korea. PMID:25346608

Enhanced optoelectronic quality of perovskite films with excess CH3NH3I for high-efficiency solar cells in ambient air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yunhai; Lv, Huiru; Cui, Can; Xu, Lingbo; Wang, Peng; Wang, Hao; Yu, Xuegong; Xie, Jiangsheng; Huang, Jiabin; Tang, Zeguo; Yang, Deren

2017-05-01

Solution-processed polycrystalline perovskite films contribute critically to the high photovoltaic performance of perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs). The inevitable electronic trap states at grain boundaries and intrinsic defects such as metallic lead (Pb0) and halide vacancies in perovskite films cause serious carrier recombination loss. Furthermore, the film can easily decompose into PbI2 in a moist atmosphere. Here, we introduce a simple strategy, through a small increase in methylammonium iodide (CH3NH3I, MAI), molar proportion (5%), for perovskite fabrication in ambient air with ˜50% relative humidity. Analysis of the morphology and crystallography demonstrates that excess MAI significantly promotes grain growth without decomposition. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy shows that no metallic Pb0 exists in the perovskite film and the I/Pb ratio is improved. A time-resolved photoluminescence measurement indicates efficient suppression of non-radiative recombination in the perovskite layer. As a result, the device yields improved power conversion efficiency from 14.06% to 18.26% with reduced hysteresis and higher stability under AM1.5G illumination (100 mW cm-2). This work strongly provides a feasible and low-cost way to develop highly efficient PSCs in ambient air.

Purified silicon production system

DOEpatents

Wang, Tihu; Ciszek, Theodore F.

2004-03-30

Method and apparatus for producing purified bulk silicon from highly impure metallurgical-grade silicon source material at atmospheric pressure. Method involves: (1) initially reacting iodine and metallurgical-grade silicon to create silicon tetraiodide and impurity iodide byproducts in a cold-wall reactor chamber; (2) isolating silicon tetraiodide from the impurity iodide byproducts and purifying it by distillation in a distillation chamber; and (3) transferring the purified silicon tetraiodide back to the cold-wall reactor chamber, reacting it with additional iodine and metallurgical-grade silicon to produce silicon diiodide and depositing the silicon diiodide onto a substrate within the cold-wall reactor chamber. The two chambers are at atmospheric pressure and the system is open to allow the introduction of additional source material and to remove and replace finished substrates.

The use of high-efficiency particulate air-filter respirators to protect hospital workers from tuberculosis. A cost-effectiveness analysis.

PubMed

Adal, K A; Anglim, A M; Palumbo, C L; Titus, M G; Coyner, B J; Farr, B M

1994-07-21

After outbreaks of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proposed the use of respirators with high-efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA respirators) as part of isolation precautions against tuberculosis, along with a respiratory-protection program for health care workers that includes medical evaluation, training, and tests of the fit of the respirators. Each HEPA respirator costs between $7.51 and $9.08, about 10 times the cost of respirators currently used. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis using data from the University of Virginia Hospital on exposure to patients with tuberculosis and rates at which the purified-protein-derivative (PPD) skin test became positive in hospital workers. The costs of a respiratory-protection program were based on those of an existing program for workers dealing with hazardous substances. During 1992, 11 patients with documented tuberculosis were admitted to our hospital. Eight of 3852 workers (0.2 percent) had PPD tests that became positive. Five of these conversions were believed to be due to the booster phenomenon; one followed unprotected exposure to a patient not yet in isolation; the other two occurred in workers who had never entered a tuberculosis isolation room. These data suggest that it will take more than one year for the use of HEPA respirators to prevent a single conversion of the PPD test. Assuming that one conversion is prevented per year, however, it would take 41 years at out hospital to prevent one case of occupationally acquired tuberculosis, at a cost of $1.3 million to $18.5 million. Given the effectiveness of currently recommended measures to prevent nosocomial transmission of tuberculosis, the addition of HEPA respirators would offer negligible protective efficacy at great cost.

An isopropanol-assisted fabrication strategy of pinhole-free perovskite films in air for efficient and stable planar perovskite solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Ziqiu; Zhu, Menghua; Li, Xin; Dong, Cunku

2017-09-01

As a promising photovoltaic device, perovskite solar cells have attracted numerous attention in recent years, where forming a compact and pinhole-free perovskite film in air is of great importance. Herein, we evaluate highly efficient and air stable planar perovskite solar cells in air (relative humidity over 50%) with the modified two-step sequential deposition method by adjusting the CH3NH3I (MAI) concentrations and regulating the crystallization process of the perovskite film. The optimum MAI concentration is 60 mg mL-1 in isopropanol. With a planar structure of FTO/TiO2/MAPbI3/spiro-OMeTAD/Au, the efficient devices composed of compact and pinhole-free perovskite films are constructed in air, achieving a high efficiency of up to 15.10% and maintaining over 80% after 20 days storing without any encapsulation in air. With a facile fabrication process and high photovoltaic performance, this work represents a promising method for fabricating low-cost, highly efficient and stable photovoltaic device.

An efficient process for obtaining prebiotic oligosaccharides derived from lactulose using isomerized and purified whey permeate.

PubMed

Sabater, Carlos; Olano, Agustín; Prodanov, Marin; Montilla, Antonia; Corzo, Nieves

2017-12-01

One of the most promising uses of whey permeate (WP) is the synthesis of prebiotic oligosaccharides. Herein, commercial WP was submitted to chemical isomerization catalysed by sodium borate at an alkaline pH and subsequent purification using anion-exchange resins to remove boron. Subsequently, purified mixtures were used to synthesize prebiotic oligosaccharides using β-galactosidase from Bacillus circulans. Isomerization of concentrated WP (200 g L -1 lactose) gave rise to levels of lactulose up to 155.5 g L -1 after 30 min of reaction (molar ratio of boron/lactose, 1/1; pH 12; 70 °C). Boron was removed from the isomerized WP (IWP) using the combination of a strong acid (IR-120, H + ) and a weak base (IRA-743) anion-exchange resins, reducing its level to <1 ppm, without loss of lactulose. During the transglycosylation reaction of purified IWP (lactose/lactulose ratio, 1/2.4) maximum content of prebiotic compounds was achieved, i.e. 690 g kg -1 WP after 3 h of reaction. This study shows that combined chemical-enzymatic reactions together with the purification of IWP results in an efficient synthesis of prebiotic oligosaccharides. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

CMOS Amperometric ADC With High Sensitivity, Dynamic Range and Power Efficiency for Air Quality Monitoring.

PubMed

Li, Haitao; Boling, C Sam; Mason, Andrew J

2016-08-01

Airborne pollutants are a leading cause of illness and mortality globally. Electrochemical gas sensors show great promise for personal air quality monitoring to address this worldwide health crisis. However, implementing miniaturized arrays of such sensors demands high performance instrumentation circuits that simultaneously meet challenging power, area, sensitivity, noise and dynamic range goals. This paper presents a new multi-channel CMOS amperometric ADC featuring pixel-level architecture for gas sensor arrays. The circuit combines digital modulation of input currents and an incremental Σ∆ ADC to achieve wide dynamic range and high sensitivity with very high power efficiency and compact size. Fabricated in 0.5 [Formula: see text] CMOS, the circuit was measured to have 164 dB cross-scale dynamic range, 100 fA sensitivity while consuming only 241 [Formula: see text] and 0.157 [Formula: see text] active area per channel. Electrochemical experiments with liquid and gas targets demonstrate the circuit's real-time response to a wide range of analyte concentrations.

Molecular approaches towards development of purified natural products and their structurally known derivatives as efficient anti-cancer drugs: current trends.

PubMed

Saha, Santu Kumar; Khuda-Bukhsh, Anisur Rahman

2013-08-15

Several natural products and their derivatives, either in purified or structurally identified form, exhibit immense pharmacological and biological properties, some of them showing considerable anticancer potential. Although the molecular mechanisms of action of some of these products are yet to be elucidated, extensive research in this area continues to generate new data that are clinically exploitable. Recent advancement in molecular biology, high throughput screening, biomarker identifications, target selection and genomic approaches have enabled us to understand salient interactions of natural products and their derivatives with cancer cells vis-à-vis normal cells. In this review we highlight the recent approaches and application of innovative technologies made to improve quality as well as efficiency of structurally identified natural products and their derivatives, particularly in small molecular forms capable of being used in "targeted therapies" in oncology. These products preferentially involve multiple mechanistic pathways and overcome chemo-resistance in tumor types with cumulative action. We also mention briefly a few physico-chemical features that compare natural products with drugs in recent natural product discovery approaches. We further report here a few purified natural products as examples that provide molecular interventions in cancer therapeutics to give the reader a glimpse of the current trends of approach for discovering useful anticancer drugs. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pilot study of high-performance air filtration for classroom applications.

PubMed

Polidori, A; Fine, P M; White, V; Kwon, P S

2013-06-01

A study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of three air purification systems in reducing the exposure of children to air contaminants inside nine classrooms of three Southern California schools. Continuous and integrated measurements were conducted to monitor the indoor and outdoor concentrations of ultrafine particles (UFPs), fine and coarse particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10 , respectively), black carbon (BC), and volatile organic compounds. An heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC)-based high-performance panel filter (HP-PF), a register-based air purifier (RS), and a stand-alone air cleaning system (SA) were tested alone and in different combinations for their ability to remove the monitored pollutants. The combination of a RS and a HP-PF was the most effective solution for lowering the indoor concentrations of BC, UFPs, and PM2.5 , with study average reductions between 87% and 96%. When using the HP-PF alone, reductions close to 90% were also achieved. In all cases, air quality conditions were improved substantially with respect to the corresponding baseline (preexisting) conditions. Data on the performance of the gas-absorbing media included in the RS and SA unit were inconclusive, and their effectiveness, lifetime, costs, and benefits must be further assessed before conclusions and recommendations can be made. The installation of effective air filtration devices in classrooms may be an important mitigation measure to help reduce the exposure of school children to indoor pollutants of outdoor origin including ultrafine particles and diesel particulate matter, especially at schools located near highly trafficked freeways, refineries, and other important sources of air toxics. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

High Technology Centrifugal Compressor for Commercial Air Conditioning Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruckes, John

2006-04-15

R&D Dynamics, Bloomfield, CT in partnership with the State of Connecticut has been developing a high technology, oil-free, energy-efficient centrifugal compressor called CENVA for commercial air conditioning systems under a program funded by the US Department of Energy. The CENVA compressor applies the foil bearing technology used in all modern aircraft, civil and military, air conditioning systems. The CENVA compressor will enhance the efficiency of water and air cooled chillers, packaged roof top units, and other air conditioning systems by providing an 18% reduction in energy consumption in the unit capacity range of 25 to 350 tons of refrigeration Themore » technical approach for CENVA involved the design and development of a high-speed, oil-free foil gas bearing-supported two-stage centrifugal compressor, CENVA encompassed the following high technologies, which are not currently utilized in commercial air conditioning systems: Foil gas bearings operating in HFC-134a; Efficient centrifugal impellers and diffusers; High speed motors and drives; and System integration of above technologies. Extensive design, development and testing efforts were carried out. Significant accomplishments achieved under this program are: (1) A total of 26 builds and over 200 tests were successfully completed with successively improved designs; (2) Use of foil gas bearings in refrigerant R134a was successfully proven; (3) A high speed, high power permanent magnet motor was developed; (4) An encoder was used for signal feedback between motor and controller. Due to temperature limitations of the encoder, the compressor could not operate at higher speed and in turn at higher pressure. In order to alleviate this problem a unique sensorless controller was developed; (5) This controller has successfully been tested as stand alone; however, it has not yet been integrated and tested as a system; (6) The compressor successfully operated at water cooled condensing temperatures Due to

Influence of thermodynamic mechanism of inter- facial adsorption on purifying air-conditioning engineering under intensification of electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yun-Yu

2016-12-01

As a kind of mass transfer process as well as the basis of separating and purifying mixtures, interfacial adsorption has been widely applied to fields like chemical industry, medical industry and purification engineering in recent years. Influencing factors of interfacial adsorption, in addition to the traditional temperature, intensity of pressure, amount of substance and concentration, also include external fields, such as magnetic field, electric field and electromagnetic field, etc. Starting from the point of thermodynamics and taking the Gibbs adsorption as the model, the combination of energy axiom and the first law of thermodynamics was applied to boundary phase, and thus the theoretical expression for the volume of interface absorption under electric field as well as the mathematical relationship between surface tension and electric field intensity was obtained. In addition, according to the obtained theoretical expression, the volume of interface absorption of ethanol solution under different electric field intensities and concentrations was calculated. Moreover, the mechanism of interfacial adsorption was described from the perspective of thermodynamics and the influence of electric field on interfacial adsorption was explained reasonably, aiming to further discuss the influence of thermodynamic mechanism of interfacial adsorption on purifying air-conditioning engineering under intensification of electric field.

Highly efficient coupler for dielectric slot waveguides and hybrid plasmonic waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jiyao; Ohtera, Yasuo; Yamada, Hirohito

2018-05-01

A compact, highly efficient optical coupler for dielectric slot waveguides and hybrid plasmonic waveguides based on transition layers (air slot grooves) was investigated. The power-coupling efficiency of 75% for the direct coupling case increased to 90% following the insertion of an intermediate section. By performing time-averaged Poynting vector analysis, we successfully separated the factors of transmission, reflection, and radiation at the coupler interface. We found that the insertion of optimal air grooves into the coupler structure contributed to the improvement of coupling performance. The proposed compact structure is characterized by a high transmission efficiency, low reflection, small length, and broad-band spectrum response.

Modelling the global efficiency of dissolved air flotation.

PubMed

Leppinen, D M; Dalziel, S B; Linden, P F

2001-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the efficiency of dissolved air flotation is affected by the size of bubbles and particles. The rise speed of bubble/particle agglomerates is modelled as a function of bubble and particle size, while the kinematics of the bubble attachment process is modelled using the population balance approach adopted by Matsui, Fukushi and Tambo. It is found that flotation, in general, is enhanced by the use of larger particles and larger bubbles. In particular, it is concluded that for the ultra-high surface loading rates of 25 m/hr or more planned for future flotation tanks, bubble size will have to be increased by a factor of two over the size currently employed in many facilities during dissolved air flotation.

Efficiency of an air curtain as an anti-insect barrier: the honey bee as a model insect.

PubMed

Kairo, Guillaume; Pioz, Maryline; Tchamitchian, Sylvie; Pelissier, Michel; Brunet, Jean-Luc; Belzunces, Luc P

2018-05-28

Vector-borne diseases are of high concern for human, animal and plant health. In humans, such diseases are often transmitted by flying insects. Flying insects stop their flight when their kinetic energy cannot compensate for the wind speed. Here, the efficiency of an air curtain in preventing insects from entering a building was studied using the honey bee as a model. Bees were trained to visit a food source placed in a building. The air curtain was tested with strongly motivated bees, when the visiting activity was very high. Airflow velocity was modulated by setting an air curtain device at different voltages. At the nominal voltage, the anti-insect efficiency was 99.9 ± 0.2% compared with both the number of bees at a given time in the absence of the air curtain and the number of bees before the activation of the air curtain. The efficiency decreased as the airflow velocity decreased. The results show that an air curtain operating at an airflow velocity of 7.5 m/sec may prevent a strong flyer with high kinetic energy, such as the honey bee, from entering a building. Thus, air curtains offer an alternative approach for combating vector-borne diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Efficient Ex Vivo Engineering and Expansion of Highly Purified Human Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Populations for Gene Therapy.

PubMed

Zonari, Erika; Desantis, Giacomo; Petrillo, Carolina; Boccalatte, Francesco E; Lidonnici, Maria Rosa; Kajaste-Rudnitski, Anna; Aiuti, Alessandro; Ferrari, Giuliana; Naldini, Luigi; Gentner, Bernhard

2017-04-11

Ex vivo gene therapy based on CD34 + hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) has shown promising results in clinical trials, but genetic engineering to high levels and in large scale remains challenging. We devised a sorting strategy that captures more than 90% of HSC activity in less than 10% of mobilized peripheral blood (mPB) CD34 + cells, and modeled a transplantation protocol based on highly purified, genetically engineered HSCs co-infused with uncultured progenitor cells. Prostaglandin E 2 stimulation allowed near-complete transduction of HSCs with lentiviral vectors during a culture time of less than 38 hr, mitigating the negative impact of standard culture on progenitor cell function. Exploiting the pyrimidoindole derivative UM171, we show that transduced mPB CD34 + CD38 - cells with repopulating potential could be expanded ex vivo. Implementing these findings in clinical gene therapy protocols will improve the efficacy, safety, and sustainability of gene therapy and generate new opportunities in the field of gene editing. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Facile and Scalable Fabrication of Highly Efficient Lead Iodide Perovskite Thin-Film Solar Cells in Air Using Gas Pump Method.

PubMed

Ding, Bin; Gao, Lili; Liang, Lusheng; Chu, Qianqian; Song, Xiaoxuan; Li, Yan; Yang, Guanjun; Fan, Bin; Wang, Mingkui; Li, Chengxin; Li, Changjiu

2016-08-10

Control of the perovskite film formation process to produce high-quality organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite thin films with uniform morphology, high surface coverage, and minimum pinholes is of great importance to highly efficient solar cells. Herein, we report on large-area light-absorbing perovskite films fabrication with a new facile and scalable gas pump method. By decreasing the total pressure in the evaporation environment, the gas pump method can significantly enhance the solvent evaporation rate by 8 times faster and thereby produce an extremely dense, uniform, and full-coverage perovskite thin film. The resulting planar perovskite solar cells can achieve an impressive power conversion efficiency up to 19.00% with an average efficiency of 17.38 ± 0.70% for 32 devices with an area of 5 × 2 mm, 13.91% for devices with a large area up to 1.13 cm(2). The perovskite films can be easily fabricated in air conditions with a relative humidity of 45-55%, which definitely has a promising prospect in industrial application of large-area perovskite solar panels.

High-efficiency and air-stable P3HT-based polymer solar cells with a new non-fullerene acceptor

PubMed Central

Holliday, Sarah; Ashraf, Raja Shahid; Wadsworth, Andrew; Baran, Derya; Yousaf, Syeda Amber; Nielsen, Christian B.; Tan, Ching-Hong; Dimitrov, Stoichko D.; Shang, Zhengrong; Gasparini, Nicola; Alamoudi, Maha; Laquai, Frédéric; Brabec, Christoph J.; Salleo, Alberto; Durrant, James R.; McCulloch, Iain

2016-01-01

Solution-processed organic photovoltaics (OPV) offer the attractive prospect of low-cost, light-weight and environmentally benign solar energy production. The highest efficiency OPV at present use low-bandgap donor polymers, many of which suffer from problems with stability and synthetic scalability. They also rely on fullerene-based acceptors, which themselves have issues with cost, stability and limited spectral absorption. Here we present a new non-fullerene acceptor that has been specifically designed to give improved performance alongside the wide bandgap donor poly(3-hexylthiophene), a polymer with significantly better prospects for commercial OPV due to its relative scalability and stability. Thanks to the well-matched optoelectronic and morphological properties of these materials, efficiencies of 6.4% are achieved which is the highest reported for fullerene-free P3HT devices. In addition, dramatically improved air stability is demonstrated relative to other high-efficiency OPV, showing the excellent potential of this new material combination for future technological applications. PMID:27279376

Quantitative measurement of IgE antibodies to purified allergens using streptavidin linked to a high-capacity solid phase.

PubMed

Erwin, Elizabeth A; Custis, Natalie J; Satinover, Shama M; Perzanowski, Matthew S; Woodfolk, Judith A; Crane, Julian; Wickens, Kristin; Platts-Mills, Thomas A E

2005-05-01

Commercially available assays for IgE antibody provide results in international units per milliliter for many allergen extracts, but this is not easily achieved with purified or novel allergens. To develop assays for IgE antibody suitable for purified or novel allergens by using a commercially available immunosorbent. Streptavidin coupled to a high-capacity immunosorbent (CAP) was used to bind biotinylated purified allergens from mite (Der p 1 and Der p 2), cat (Fel d 1), and dog (Can f 1). Assays for IgE antibody to these allergens were performed on sera from children (asthma and control) as well as adults with atopic dermatitis. The results were validated by serial dilution of sera with high and low levels of IgE antibody and were quantitated in international units per milliliter by using a standard curve. Values for IgE antibody to Der p 1, Der p 2, and Fel d 1 correlated with values obtained with the allergen extracts (r2 = 0.80, 0.84, and 0.95, respectively; P < .001 in each case). Furthermore, the values for IgE antibody in sera from children with high exposure to mite and cat allergens demonstrated 10-fold higher levels of IgE antibody to Der p 1 and Der p 2 than to Fel d 1 (P < .001). The streptavidin immunosorbent technique provides a new method for quantifying IgE antibody to purified proteins. The results provide evidence about the high quantities of IgE antibody to purified inhalant allergens in patients with atopic dermatitis. In addition, the results demonstrate major differences in IgE antibodies specific for mite and cat allergens among children with high exposure to both allergens.

Research on the technical requirements standards of high efficiency precipitator in power industries for assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Huang; Ling, Lin; Jun, Guo; Jianguo, Li; Yongzhong, Wang

2017-11-01

Facing the increasingly severe situation of air pollution, China are now positively promoting the evaluation of high efficiency air pollution control equipments and the research of the relative national standards. This paper showed the significance and the effect of formulating the technical requirements of high efficiency precipitator equipments for assessment national standards in power industries as well as the research thoughts and principle of these standards. It introduce the qualitative and quantitative evaluation requirements of high efficiency precipitators using in power industries and the core technical content such as testing, calculating, evaluation methods and so on. The implementation of a series of national standards is in order to lead and promote the production and application of high efficiency precipitator equipments in the field of the prevention of air pollution in national power industries.

Co3O4 nanoparticles decorated carbon nanofiber mat as binder-free air-cathode for high performance rechargeable zinc-air batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bing; Ge, Xiaoming; Goh, F. W. Thomas; Hor, T. S. Andy; Geng, Dongsheng; Du, Guojun; Liu, Zhaolin; Zhang, Jie; Liu, Xiaogang; Zong, Yun

2015-01-01

An efficient, durable and low cost air-cathode is essential for a high performance metal-air battery for practical applications. Herein, we report a composite bifunctional catalyst, Co3O4 nanoparticles-decorated carbon nanofibers (CNFs), working as an efficient air-cathode in high performance rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZnABs). The particles-on-fibers nanohybrid materials were derived from electrospun metal-ion containing polymer fibers followed by thermal carbonization and a post annealing process in air at a moderate temperature. Electrochemical studies suggest that the nanohybrid material effectively catalyzes oxygen reduction reaction via an ideal 4-electron transfer process and outperforms Pt/C in catalyzing oxygen evolution reactions. Accordingly, the prototype ZnABs exhibit a low discharge-charge voltage gap (e.g. 0.7 V, discharge-charge at 2 mA cm-2) with higher stability and longer cycle life compared to their counterparts constructed using Pt/C in air-cathode. Importantly, the hybrid nanofiber mat readily serves as an integrated air-cathode without the need of any further modification. Benefitting from its efficient catalytic activities and structural advantages, particularly the 3D architecture of highly conductive CNFs and the high loading density of strongly attached Co3O4 NPs on their surfaces, the resultant ZnABs show significantly improved performance with respect to the rate capability, cycling stability and current density, promising good potential in practical applications.An efficient, durable and low cost air-cathode is essential for a high performance metal-air battery for practical applications. Herein, we report a composite bifunctional catalyst, Co3O4 nanoparticles-decorated carbon nanofibers (CNFs), working as an efficient air-cathode in high performance rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZnABs). The particles-on-fibers nanohybrid materials were derived from electrospun metal-ion containing polymer fibers followed by thermal carbonization

Preparation of Fiber Based Binder Materials to Enhance the Gas Adsorption Efficiency of Carbon Air Filter.

PubMed

Lim, Tae Hwan; Choi, Jeong Rak; Lim, Dae Young; Lee, So Hee; Yeo, Sang Young

2015-10-01

Fiber binder adapted carbon air filter is prepared to increase gas adsorption efficiency and environmental stability. The filter prevents harmful gases, as well as particle dusts in the air from entering the body when a human inhales. The basic structure of carbon air filter is composed of spunbond/meltblown/activated carbon/bottom substrate. Activated carbons and meltblown layer are adapted to increase gas adsorption and dust filtration efficiency, respectively. Liquid type adhesive is used in the conventional carbon air filter as a binder material between activated carbons and other layers. However, it is thought that the liquid binder is not an ideal material with respect to its bonding strength and liquid flow behavior that reduce gas adsorption efficiency. To overcome these disadvantages, fiber type binder is introduced in our study. It is confirmed that fiber type binder adapted air filter media show higher strip strength, and their gas adsorption efficiencies are measured over 42% during 60 sec. These values are higher than those of conventional filter. Although the differential pressure of fiber binder adapted air filter is relatively high compared to the conventional one, short fibers have a good potential as a binder materials of activated carbon based air filter.

Absence of TGF-β Receptor Activation by Highly Purified hCG Preparations.

PubMed

Koistinen, Hannu; Hautala, Laura; Koli, Katri; Stenman, Ulf-Håkan

2015-12-01

Recently, several LH/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptor-independent activities for hCG have been described, including activation of the TGF-β receptor (TGFβR) by hyperglycosylated hCG and stimulation of trophoblast invasion. Because the hCG concentrations used in these studies have been rather high, reflecting physiological hCG levels in pregnancy, even a minor contamination with growth factors, which act at very low concentrations, may be significant. Several commercial hCG preparations have been found to contain significant amounts of epidermal growth factor (EGF), which we also confirmed here. Furthermore, we found that some hCG preparations also contain significant amounts of TGF-β1. These hCG preparations were able to activate ERK1/2 in JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells or TGFβR in mink lung epithelial cells transfected with a reporter gene for TGFβR activation. No such activation was found with highly purified hCG or its free β-subunit (hCGβ), irrespective of whether they were hyperglycosylated or not. Taken together, our results suggest that the growth factor contaminations in the hCG preparations can cause activation of TGFβR and, at least in JEG-3 cells, MAPK signaling. This highlights the importance to carefully control for potential contaminations and that highly purified hCG preparations have to be used for biological studies.

Absence of TGF-β Receptor Activation by Highly Purified hCG Preparations

PubMed Central

Hautala, Laura; Koli, Katri; Stenman, Ulf-Håkan

2015-01-01

Recently, several LH/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptor-independent activities for hCG have been described, including activation of the TGF-β receptor (TGFβR) by hyperglycosylated hCG and stimulation of trophoblast invasion. Because the hCG concentrations used in these studies have been rather high, reflecting physiological hCG levels in pregnancy, even a minor contamination with growth factors, which act at very low concentrations, may be significant. Several commercial hCG preparations have been found to contain significant amounts of epidermal growth factor (EGF), which we also confirmed here. Furthermore, we found that some hCG preparations also contain significant amounts of TGF-β1. These hCG preparations were able to activate ERK1/2 in JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells or TGFβR in mink lung epithelial cells transfected with a reporter gene for TGFβR activation. No such activation was found with highly purified hCG or its free β-subunit (hCGβ), irrespective of whether they were hyperglycosylated or not. Taken together, our results suggest that the growth factor contaminations in the hCG preparations can cause activation of TGFβR and, at least in JEG-3 cells, MAPK signaling. This highlights the importance to carefully control for potential contaminations and that highly purified hCG preparations have to be used for biological studies. PMID:26495869

Efficient Removal of Retained Intracardiac Air Utilizing Buoyancy.

PubMed

Orihashi, Kazumasa

2016-12-01

Retained intracardiac air has been an important issue in cardiac surgery. Although echo visualization has allowed detection of air and guided deairing procedures, adequate air removal is not always attained. Actually it has been attempted in each surgeon's manner without solid standard or evidence. Basically buoyancy is responsible for air retention as well as difficult deairing. This paper is aimed to present the author's current measures of deairing, which turn this property of air into efficient removal, as test bed for discussion on this long-standing but pending issue. Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Purifying Nanomaterials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, Ching-Cheh (Inventor); Hurst, Janet (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A method of purifying a nanomaterial and the resultant purified nanomaterial in which a salt, such as ferric chloride, at or near its liquid phase temperature, is used to penetrate and wet the internal surfaces of a nanomaterial to dissolve impurities that may be present, for example, from processes used in the manufacture of the nanomaterial.

Improving distillation method and device of tritiated water analysis for ultra high decontamination efficiency.

PubMed

Fang, Hsin-Fa; Wang, Chu-Fang; Lin, Chien-Kung

2015-12-01

It is important that monitoring environmental tritiated water for understanding the contamination dispersion of the nuclear facilities. Tritium is a pure beta radionuclide which is usually measured by Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC). The average energy of tritum beta is only 5.658 keV that makes the LSC counting of tritium easily be interfered by the beta emitted by other radionuclides. Environmental tritiated water samples usually need to be decontaminated by distillation for reducing the interference. After Fukushima Nucleaer Accident, the highest gross beta concentration of groundwater samples obtained around Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station is over 1,000,000 Bq/l. There is a need for a distillation with ultra-high decontamination efficiency for environmental tritiated water analysis. This study is intended to improve the heating temperature control for better sub-boiling distillation control and modify the height of the container of the air cooling distillation device for better fractional distillation effect. The DF of Cs-137 of the distillation may reach 450,000 which is far better than the prior study. The average loss rate of the improved method and device is about 2.6% which is better than the bias value listed in the ASTM D4107-08. It is proven that the modified air cooling distillation device can provide an easy-handling, water-saving, low cost and effective way of purifying water samples for higher beta radionuclides contaminated water samples which need ultra-high decontamination treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 721.10575 - 1-Propanone, 1,1'-(oxydi-4,1-phenylene)bis[2-hydroxy-2-methyl-.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...), R100, or P100 filters. (B) NIOSH-certified air-purifying, tight-fitting full-face respirator equipped with N100 (if oil aerosols absent), R100, or P100 filters. (C) NIOSH-certified powered air-purifying respirator equipped with a loose-fitting hood or helmet and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters...

40 CFR 721.10575 - 1-Propanone, 1,1'-(oxydi-4,1-phenylene)bis[2-hydroxy-2-methyl-.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...), R100, or P100 filters. (B) NIOSH-certified air-purifying, tight-fitting full-face respirator equipped with N100 (if oil aerosols absent), R100, or P100 filters. (C) NIOSH-certified powered air-purifying respirator equipped with a loose-fitting hood or helmet and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters...

Atomic Layer Deposition of TiO2 for a High-Efficiency Hole-Blocking Layer in Hole-Conductor-Free Perovskite Solar Cells Processed in Ambient Air.

PubMed

Hu, Hang; Dong, Binghai; Hu, Huating; Chen, Fengxiang; Kong, Mengqin; Zhang, Qiuping; Luo, Tianyue; Zhao, Li; Guo, Zhiguang; Li, Jing; Xu, Zuxun; Wang, Shimin; Eder, Dominik; Wan, Li

2016-07-20

In this study we design and construct high-efficiency, low-cost, highly stable, hole-conductor-free, solid-state perovskite solar cells, with TiO2 as the electron transport layer (ETL) and carbon as the hole collection layer, in ambient air. First, uniform, pinhole-free TiO2 films of various thicknesses were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. Based on these TiO2 films, a series of hole-conductor-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with carbon as the counter electrode were fabricated in ambient air, and the effect of thickness of TiO2 compact film on the device performance was investigated in detail. It was found that the performance of PSCs depends on the thickness of the compact layer due to the difference in surface roughness, transmittance, charge transport resistance, electron-hole recombination rate, and the charge lifetime. The best-performance devices based on optimized TiO2 compact film (by 2000 cycles ALD) can achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of as high as 7.82%. Furthermore, they can maintain over 96% of their initial PCE after 651 h (about 1 month) storage in ambient air, thus exhibiting excellent long-term stability.

A cost-efficiency and health benefit approach to improve urban air quality.

PubMed

Miranda, A I; Ferreira, J; Silveira, C; Relvas, H; Duque, L; Roebeling, P; Lopes, M; Costa, S; Monteiro, A; Gama, C; Sá, E; Borrego, C; Teixeira, J P

2016-11-01

When ambient air quality standards established in the EU Directive 2008/50/EC are exceeded, Member States are obliged to develop and implement Air Quality Plans (AQP) to improve air quality and health. Notwithstanding the achievements in emission reductions and air quality improvement, additional efforts need to be undertaken to improve air quality in a sustainable way - i.e. through a cost-efficiency approach. This work was developed in the scope of the recently concluded MAPLIA project "Moving from Air Pollution to Local Integrated Assessment", and focuses on the definition and assessment of emission abatement measures and their associated costs, air quality and health impacts and benefits by means of air quality modelling tools, health impact functions and cost-efficiency analysis. The MAPLIA system was applied to the Grande Porto urban area (Portugal), addressing PM10 and NOx as the most important pollutants in the region. Four different measures to reduce PM10 and NOx emissions were defined and characterized in terms of emissions and implementation costs, and combined into 15 emission scenarios, simulated by the TAPM air quality modelling tool. Air pollutant concentration fields were then used to estimate health benefits in terms of avoided costs (external costs), using dose-response health impact functions. Results revealed that, among the 15 scenarios analysed, the scenario including all 4 measures lead to a total net benefit of 0.3M€·y(-1). The largest net benefit is obtained for the scenario considering the conversion of 50% of open fire places into heat recovery wood stoves. Although the implementation costs of this measure are high, the benefits outweigh the costs. Research outcomes confirm that the MAPLIA system is useful for policy decision support on air quality improvement strategies, and could be applied to other urban areas where AQP need to be implemented and monitored. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Highly Efficient and Selective Photooxidation of Sulfur Mustard Simulant by a Triazolobenzothiadiazole-Moiety-Functionalized Metal-Organic Framework in Air.

PubMed

Zhang, Wen-Qiang; Cheng, Ke; Zhang, He; Li, Qiu-Yan; Ma, Zheng; Wang, Zixuan; Sheng, Jialing; Li, Yinwei; Zhao, Xinsheng; Wang, Xiao-Jun

2018-04-16

A photoactive triazolobenzothiadiazole (TBTD)-conjugated terphenyldicarboxylate (TPDC) linker was introduced into a porous and robust UiO-68 isoreticular zirconium metal-organic framework (denoted as UiO-68-TBTD) by the de novo synthetic approach of mixed TPDC struts. Under blue-light-emitting-diode irradiation, UiO-68-TBTD can serve as a heterogeneous photocatalyst for the highly efficient and selective oxidation of a sulfur mustard simulant (2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide) to the corresponding much less toxic sulfoxide product, with a half-life of only 3 min in the open air atmosphere.

29 CFR 1910.134 - Respiratory protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... impact and penetration. High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter means a filter that is at least 99... as a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, or an air-purifying respirator equipped with a... frequency of respirator use (including use for rescue and escape); (C) The expected physical work effort; (D...

29 CFR 1910.134 - Respiratory protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... impact and penetration. High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter means a filter that is at least 99... as a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, or an air-purifying respirator equipped with a... frequency of respirator use (including use for rescue and escape); (C) The expected physical work effort; (D...

29 CFR 1910.134 - Respiratory protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... impact and penetration. High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter means a filter that is at least 99... as a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, or an air-purifying respirator equipped with a... frequency of respirator use (including use for rescue and escape); (C) The expected physical work effort; (D...

Subsurface Thermal Energy Storage for Improved Heating and Air Conditioning Efficiency

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-21

This project involved a field demonstration of subsurface thermal energy storage for improving the geothermal heat pump air conditioning efficiency... geothermal heat pump systems, undesirable heating of the ground may occur. This demonstration was performed at the MCAS, Beaufort, SC, where several...buildings with geothermal heat pump systems were exhibiting excessively high ground loop temperatures. These buildings were retrofitted with dry fluid

Converting Constant Volume, Multizone Air Handling Systems to Energy Efficient Variable Air Volume Multizone Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-26

1 FINAL REPORT Converting Constant Volume, Multizone Air Handling Systems to Energy Efficient Variable Air Volume Multizone...Systems Energy and Water Projects Project Number: EW-201152 ERDC-CERL 26 October 2017 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...16 3.2.1 Energy Usage (Quantitative

High Efficiency Variable Speed Versatile Power Air Conditioning System

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-08

Design concept applicable for wide range of HVAC and refrigeration systems • One TXV size can be used for a wide range of cooling capacity...versatility, can run from AC and DC sources Cooling load adaptive, variable Speed Fully operable up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY...ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 High Efficiency HVAC &R Technology

Slip-Effect Functional Air Filter for Efficient Purification of PM2.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xinglei; Wang, Shan; Yin, Xia; Yu, Jianyong; Ding, Bin

2016-10-01

Fabrication of air filtration materials (AFM) that allow air to easily flow through while retaining particles is a significant and urgent need due to the harmful airborne particulate matter pollution; however, this is still a challenging research area. Herein, we report novel slip-effect functional nanofibrous membranes with decreased air resistance (reduction rate of 40%) due to the slip flow of air molecules on the periphery of nanofibers. This was achieved through careful control over the diameters of electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibers and aperture size of fiber assembly. Fiber assembly with 86% of fiber diameters between 60-100 nm was found to be most effective for slip flow, as these diameters are close to the mean free path of air molecules (65.3 nm). Significantly, an equilibrium factor τ = df/d2 has been introduced to elucidate the effect of distance of adjacent fibers on the drag force of airflow. Furthermore, the most effective aperture size (>3.5 μm) for slip-effect has been determined. Ultimately, the new material displayed low air resistance of 29.5 Pa, high purification efficiency of 99.09%, good transmittance of 77%, and long service life. The successful fabrication of such materials can facilitate the development of high-performance AFMs for various applications.

Decontamination Efficiencies of Pot-Type Water Purifiers for 131I, 134Cs and 137Cs in Rainwater Contaminated during Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster

PubMed Central

Higaki, Shogo; Hirota, Masahiro

2012-01-01

Rainwater was contaminated by a large release of radionuclides into the environment during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. It became a matter of concern for Japan when several water purification plants detected 131I contamination in the drinking water. In the present study, the decontamination efficiency of two easily obtainable commercial water purifiers were examined for rainwater contaminated with 131I, 134Cs and 137Cs. The water purifiers removed 94.2–97.8% of the 131I and 84.2–91.5% of the 134Cs and 137Cs after one filtration. Seven filtrations removed 98.2–99.6% of the 131I and over 98.0% of the 134Cs and 137Cs. From a practical perspective, over the fourth filtrations were not needed because of no significant improvements after the third filtration. PMID:22615935

High-throughput liquid-absorption air-sampling apparatus and methods

DOEpatents

Zaromb, Solomon

2000-01-01

A portable high-throughput liquid-absorption air sampler [PHTLAAS] has an asymmetric air inlet through which air is drawn upward by a small and light-weight centrifugal fan driven by a direct current motor that can be powered by a battery. The air inlet is so configured as to impart both rotational and downward components of motion to the sampled air near said inlet. The PHTLAAS comprises a glass tube of relatively small size through which air passes at a high rate in a swirling, highly turbulent motion, which facilitates rapid transfer of vapors and particulates to a liquid film covering the inner walls of the tube. The pressure drop through the glass tube is <10 cm of water, usually <5 cm of water. The sampler's collection efficiency is usually >20% for vapors or airborne particulates in the 2-3.mu. range and >50% for particles larger than 4.mu.. In conjunction with various analyzers, the PHTLAAS can serve to monitor a variety of hazardous or illicit airborne substances, such as lead-containing particulates, tritiated water vapor, biological aerosols, or traces of concealed drugs or explosives.

Experimental investigations of aeration efficiency in high-head gated circular conduits.

PubMed

Cihat Tuna, M; Ozkan, Fahri; Baylar, Ahmet

2014-01-01

The primary purpose of water aeration is to increase the oxygen saturation of the water. This can be achieved by using hydraulic structures because of substantial air bubble entrainment at these structures. Closed conduit aeration is a particular instance of this. While there has been a great deal of research on air-demand ratio within closed conduit, very little research has specifically addressed aeration efficiency of closed conduit. In the present work an experimental study was conducted to investigate the aeration efficiency of high-head gated circular conduits. Results showed that high-head gated circular conduits were effective for oxygen transfer. The effects of Froude number and ratio of the water cross-sectional flow area to the conduit cross-sectional area on aeration efficiency were particularly significant, whereas the effect of conduit length was only moderate. Further, a design formula for the aeration efficiency was presented relating the aeration efficiency to ratio of water cross-sectional flow area to conduit cross-sectional area and Froude number. The obtained results will be useful in future modeling processes and aid the practicing engineer in predicting aeration efficiency for design purposes.

Converting Constant Volume, Multizone Air Handling Systems to Energy Efficient Variable Air Volume Multizone Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-26

30. Energy Information Agency Natural Gas Price Data ..................................................................................... 65 Figure...different market sectors (residential, commercial, and industrial). Figure 30. Energy Information Agency Natural Gas Price Data 7.2.3 AHU Size...1 FINAL REPORT Converting Constant Volume, Multizone Air Handling Systems to Energy Efficient Variable Air Volume Multizone

Effect of air flow on tubular solar still efficiency

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background An experimental work was reported to estimate the increase in distillate yield for a compound parabolic concentrator-concentric tubular solar still (CPC-CTSS). The CPC dramatically increases the heating of the saline water. A novel idea was proposed to study the characteristic features of CPC for desalination to produce a large quantity of distillate yield. A rectangular basin of dimension 2 m × 0.025 m × 0.02 m was fabricated of copper and was placed at the focus of the CPC. This basin is covered by two cylindrical glass tubes of length 2 m with two different diameters of 0.02 m and 0.03 m. The experimental study was operated with two modes: without and with air flow between inner and outer tubes. The rate of air flow was fixed throughout the experiment at 4.5 m/s. On the basis of performance results, the water collection rate was 1445 ml/day without air flow and 2020 ml/day with air flow and the efficiencies were 16.2% and 18.9%, respectively. Findings The experimental study was operated with two modes: without and with air flow between inner and outer tubes. The rate of air flow was fixed throughout the experiment at 4.5 m/s. Conclusions On the basis of performance results, the water collection rate was 1445 ml/day without air flow and 2020 ml/day with air flow and the efficiencies were 16.2% and 18.9%, respectively. PMID:23587020

Effect of air flow on tubular solar still efficiency.

PubMed

Thirugnanasambantham, Arunkumar; Rajan, Jayaprakash; Ahsan, Amimul; Kandasamy, Vinothkumar

2013-01-01

An experimental work was reported to estimate the increase in distillate yield for a compound parabolic concentrator-concentric tubular solar still (CPC-CTSS). The CPC dramatically increases the heating of the saline water. A novel idea was proposed to study the characteristic features of CPC for desalination to produce a large quantity of distillate yield. A rectangular basin of dimension 2 m × 0.025 m × 0.02 m was fabricated of copper and was placed at the focus of the CPC. This basin is covered by two cylindrical glass tubes of length 2 m with two different diameters of 0.02 m and 0.03 m. The experimental study was operated with two modes: without and with air flow between inner and outer tubes. The rate of air flow was fixed throughout the experiment at 4.5 m/s. On the basis of performance results, the water collection rate was 1445 ml/day without air flow and 2020 ml/day with air flow and the efficiencies were 16.2% and 18.9%, respectively. THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WAS OPERATED WITH TWO MODES: without and with air flow between inner and outer tubes. The rate of air flow was fixed throughout the experiment at 4.5 m/s. On the basis of performance results, the water collection rate was 1445 ml/day without air flow and 2020 ml/day with air flow and the efficiencies were 16.2% and 18.9%, respectively.

Chapter 22: Compressed Air Evaluation Protocol. The Uniform Methods Project: Methods for Determining Energy Efficiency Savings for Specific Measures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurnik, Charles W; Benton, Nathanael; Burns, Patrick

Compressed-air systems are used widely throughout industry for many operations, including pneumatic tools, packaging and automation equipment, conveyors, and other industrial process operations. Compressed-air systems are defined as a group of subsystems composed of air compressors, air treatment equipment, controls, piping, pneumatic tools, pneumatically powered machinery, and process applications using compressed air. A compressed-air system has three primary functional subsystems: supply, distribution, and demand. Air compressors are the primary energy consumers in a compressed-air system and are the primary focus of this protocol. The two compressed-air energy efficiency measures specifically addressed in this protocol are: High-efficiency/variable speed drive (VSD) compressormore » replacing modulating, load/unload, or constant-speed compressor; and Compressed-air leak survey and repairs. This protocol provides direction on how to reliably verify savings from these two measures using a consistent approach for each.« less

Discussion on Boiler Efficiency Correction Method with Low Temperature Economizer-Air Heater System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ke, Liu; Xing-sen, Yang; Fan-jun, Hou; Zhi-hong, Hu

2017-05-01

This paper pointed out that it is wrong to take the outlet flue gas temperature of low temperature economizer as exhaust gas temperature in boiler efficiency calculation based on GB10184-1988. What’s more, this paper proposed a new correction method, which decomposed low temperature economizer-air heater system into two hypothetical parts of air preheater and pre condensed water heater and take the outlet equivalent gas temperature of air preheater as exhaust gas temperature in boiler efficiency calculation. This method makes the boiler efficiency calculation more concise, with no air heater correction. It has a positive reference value to deal with this kind of problem correctly.

EER, COP, and the Second Law Efficiency for Air Conditioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leff, Harvey S.; Teeters, William D.

1978-01-01

Describes the relationship existing between coefficient of performance (COP) and energy efficiency ratio (EER) in air conditioning units and introduces new efficiency parameters measured relative to the energy extracted from the primary energy source. (SL)

A novel carbon black graphite hybrid air-cathode for efficient hydrogen peroxide production in bioelectrochemical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Nan; An, Jingkun; Zhou, Lean; Li, Tian; Li, Junhui; Feng, Cuijuan; Wang, Xin

2016-02-01

Carbon black and graphite hybrid air-cathode is proved to be effective for H2O2 production in bioelectrochemical systems. The optimal mass ratio of carbon black to graphite is 1:5 with the highest H2O2 yield of 11.9 mg L-1 h-1 cm-2 (12.3 mA cm-2). Continuous flow is found to improve the current efficiency due to the avoidance of H2O2 accumulation. In the biological system, the highest H2O2 yield reaches 3.29 mg L-1h-1 (0.079 kg m-3day-1) with a current efficiency of 72%, which is higher than the abiotic system at the same current density. H2O2 produced in this system is mainly from the oxygen diffused through this air-cathode (>66%), especially when a more negative cathode potential is applied (94% at -1.0 V). This hybrid air-cathode has advantages of high H2O2 yield, high current density and no need of aeration, which make the synthesis of H2O2 more efficient and economical.

Slip-Effect Functional Air Filter for Efficient Purification of PM2.5

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xinglei; Wang, Shan; Yin, Xia; Yu, Jianyong; Ding, Bin

2016-01-01

Fabrication of air filtration materials (AFM) that allow air to easily flow through while retaining particles is a significant and urgent need due to the harmful airborne particulate matter pollution; however, this is still a challenging research area. Herein, we report novel slip-effect functional nanofibrous membranes with decreased air resistance (reduction rate of 40%) due to the slip flow of air molecules on the periphery of nanofibers. This was achieved through careful control over the diameters of electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibers and aperture size of fiber assembly. Fiber assembly with 86% of fiber diameters between 60–100 nm was found to be most effective for slip flow, as these diameters are close to the mean free path of air molecules (65.3 nm). Significantly, an equilibrium factor τ = df/d2 has been introduced to elucidate the effect of distance of adjacent fibers on the drag force of airflow. Furthermore, the most effective aperture size (>3.5 μm) for slip-effect has been determined. Ultimately, the new material displayed low air resistance of 29.5 Pa, high purification efficiency of 99.09%, good transmittance of 77%, and long service life. The successful fabrication of such materials can facilitate the development of high-performance AFMs for various applications. PMID:27748419

Water Purifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The Floatron water purifier combines two space technologies - ionization for water purification and solar electric power generation. The water purification process involves introducing ionized minerals that kill microorganisms like algae and bacteria. The 12 inch unit floats in a pool while its solar panel collects sunlight that is converted to electricity. The resulting current energizes a specially alloyed mineral electrode below the waterline, causing release of metallic ions into the water. The electrode is the only part that needs replacing, and water purified by the system falls within EPA drinking water standards.

High efficiency aqueous and hybrid lithium-air batteries enabled by Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 ceramic anode-protecting membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safanama, Dorsasadat; Adams, Stefan

2017-02-01

Due to their extremely high specific energy, rechargeable Li-air batteries could meet the demand for large-scale storage systems to integrate renewable sources into the power grid. Li-air batteries with aqueous catholytes with high solubility of discharge products have a higher potential to reach their slightly lower theoretical limits in practical devices. In this work, we demonstrate aqueous and hybrid Li-air batteries with NASICON-type Li1+xAxGe2-x(PO4)3 ceramic as anode-protecting membrane. The LAGP ceramic pellets with room temperature conductivity >10-4 S cm-1 are synthesized by melt quenching and subsequently annealed based on our optimized heat treatment cycle. Hybrid Li-air batteries are assembled by sandwiching LAGP membranes between Li-anode chamber and catholyte solutions (of various pH values) with CNT/Pt as air-cathode. When the two electron reduction mechanism prevails, overpotentials below 0.2 V are achieved for currents up to 0.07 mA cm-2 leading to energy efficiencies exceeding 98%.

Comparative study of disinfectants for use in low-cost gravity driven household water purifiers.

PubMed

Patil, Rajshree A; Kausley, Shankar B; Balkunde, Pradeep L; Malhotra, Chetan P

2013-09-01

Point-of-use (POU) gravity-driven household water purifiers have been proven to be a simple, low-cost and effective intervention for reducing the impact of waterborne diseases in developing countries. The goal of this study was to compare commonly used water disinfectants for their feasibility of adoption in low-cost POU water purifiers. The potency of each candidate disinfectant was evaluated by conducting a batch disinfection study for estimating the concentration of disinfectant needed to inactivate a given concentration of the bacterial strain Escherichia coli ATCC 11229. Based on the concentration of disinfectant required, the size, weight and cost of a model purifier employing that disinfectant were estimated. Model purifiers based on different disinfectants were compared and disinfectants which resulted in the most safe, compact and inexpensive purifiers were identified. Purifiers based on bromine, tincture iodine, calcium hypochlorite and sodium dichloroisocyanurate were found to be most efficient, cost effective and compact with replacement parts costing US$3.60-6.00 for every 3,000 L of water purified and are thus expected to present the most attractive value proposition to end users.

High efficiency cabin air filter in vehicles reduces drivers' roadway particulate matter exposures and associated lipid peroxidation

PubMed Central

Shu, Shi; Lin, Yan; She, Jianwen; Ip, Ho Sai Simon; Qiu, Xinghua; Zhu, Yifang

2017-01-01

Commuters who spend long hours on roads are exposed to high levels of traffic related air pollutants (TRAPs). Despite some well-known multiple adverse effects of TRAPs on human health, limited studies have focused on mitigation strategies to reduce these effects. In this study, we measured fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations inside and outside 17 taxis simultaneously while they were driven on roadways. The drivers’ urinary monohydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations just before and right after the driving tests were also determined. Data were collected under three driving conditions (i.e. no mitigation (NM), window closed (WC), and window closed plus using high efficiency cabin air filters (WC+HECA)) for each taxi and driver. The results show that, compared to NM, the WC+HECA reduced in-cabin PM2.5 and UFP concentrations, by 37% and 47% respectively (p < 0.05), whereas the reductions on PAH exposures were insignificant. Although nonsignificant, a reduction of 17% was also observed in the drivers’ urinary MDA under WC+HECA. The MDA concentrations were found to be significantly associated with the in-cabin PM2.5 and UFP concentrations, suggesting the reduction of the drivers’ lipid peroxidation can be at least partially attributed to the PM2.5 and UFP reduction by WC+HECA. Overall, these results suggest HECA filters have potential to reduce particle levels inside taxis and protect drivers’ health. PMID:29176859

High efficiency cabin air filter in vehicles reduces drivers' roadway particulate matter exposures and associated lipid peroxidation.

PubMed

Yu, Nu; Shu, Shi; Lin, Yan; She, Jianwen; Ip, Ho Sai Simon; Qiu, Xinghua; Zhu, Yifang

2017-01-01

Commuters who spend long hours on roads are exposed to high levels of traffic related air pollutants (TRAPs). Despite some well-known multiple adverse effects of TRAPs on human health, limited studies have focused on mitigation strategies to reduce these effects. In this study, we measured fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations inside and outside 17 taxis simultaneously while they were driven on roadways. The drivers' urinary monohydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations just before and right after the driving tests were also determined. Data were collected under three driving conditions (i.e. no mitigation (NM), window closed (WC), and window closed plus using high efficiency cabin air filters (WC+HECA)) for each taxi and driver. The results show that, compared to NM, the WC+HECA reduced in-cabin PM2.5 and UFP concentrations, by 37% and 47% respectively (p < 0.05), whereas the reductions on PAH exposures were insignificant. Although nonsignificant, a reduction of 17% was also observed in the drivers' urinary MDA under WC+HECA. The MDA concentrations were found to be significantly associated with the in-cabin PM2.5 and UFP concentrations, suggesting the reduction of the drivers' lipid peroxidation can be at least partially attributed to the PM2.5 and UFP reduction by WC+HECA. Overall, these results suggest HECA filters have potential to reduce particle levels inside taxis and protect drivers' health.

Health and efficiency in trimix versus air breathing in compressed air workers.

PubMed

Van Rees Vellinga, T P; Verhoeven, A C; Van Dijk, F J H; Sterk, W

2006-01-01

The Western Scheldt Tunneling Project in the Netherlands provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of trimix usage on the health of compressed air workers and the efficiency of the project. Data analysis addressed 318 exposures to compressed air at 3.9-4.4 bar gauge and 52 exposures to trimix (25% oxygen, 25% helium, and 50% nitrogen) at 4.6-4.8 bar gauge. Results revealed three incidents of decompression sickness all of which involved the use of compressed air. During exposure to compressed air, the effects of nitrogen narcosis were manifested in operational errors and increased fatigue among the workers. When using trimix, less effort was required for breathing, and mandatory decompression times for stays of a specific duration and maximum depth were considerably shorter. We conclude that it might be rational--for both medical and operational reasons--to use breathing gases with lower nitrogen fractions (e.g., trimix) for deep-caisson work at pressures exceeding 3 bar gauge, although definitive studies are needed.

Efficient purification and concentration of viruses from a large body of high turbidity seawater.

PubMed

Sun, Guowei; Xiao, Jinzhou; Wang, Hongming; Gong, Chaowen; Pan, Yingjie; Yan, Shuling; Wang, Yongjie

2014-01-01

Marine viruses are the most abundant entities in the ocean and play crucial roles in the marine ecological system. However, understanding of viral diversity on large scale depends on efficient and reliable viral purification and concentration techniques. Here, we report on developing an efficient method to purify and concentrate viruses from large body of high turbidity seawater. The developed method characterizes with high viral recovery efficiency, high concentration factor, high viral particle densities and high-throughput, and is reliable for viral concentration from high turbidity seawater. Recovered viral particles were used directly for subsequent analysis by epifluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and metagenomic sequencing. Three points are essential for this method:•The sampled seawater (>150 L) was initially divided into two parts, water fraction and settled matter fraction, after natural sedimentation.•Both viruses in the water fraction concentrated by tangential flow filtration (TFF) and viruses isolated from the settled matter fraction were considered as the whole viral community in high turbidity seawater.•The viral concentrates were re-concentrated by using centrifugal filter device in order to obtain high density of viral particles.

Biocompatibility evaluation of HDPE-UHMWPE reinforced β-TCP nanocomposites using highly purified human osteoblast cells.

PubMed

Shokrgozar, M A; Farokhi, M; Rajaei, F; Bagheri, M H A; Azari, Sh; Ghasemi, I; Mottaghitalab, F; Azadmanesh, K; Radfar, J

2010-12-15

Biocompatibility of β-TCP/HDPE-UHMWPE nanocomposite as a new bone substitute material was evaluated by using highly purified human osteoblast cells. Human osteoblast cells were isolated from bone tissue and characterized by immunofluorescence Staining before and after purification using magnetic bead system. Moreover, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase production, cell attachment, calcium deposition, gene expression, and morphology of osteoblast cells on β-TCP/HDPE-UHMWPE nanocomposites were evaluated. The results have shown that the human osteoblast cells were successfully purified and were suitable for subsequent cell culturing process. The high proliferation rate of osteoblast cells on β-TCP/HDPE-UHMWPE nanocomposite confirmed the great biocompatibility of the scaffold. Expression of bone-specific genes was taken place after the cells were incubated in composite extract solutions. Furthermore, osteoblast cells were able to mineralize the matrix next to composite samples. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that cells had normal morphology on the scaffold. Thus, these results indicated that the nanosized β-TCP/HDPE-UHMWPE blend composites could be potential scaffold, which is used in bone tissue engineering. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Basic concepts for the design of high-efficiency single-junction and multibandgap solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fan, J. C. C.

1985-01-01

Concepts for obtaining practical solar-cell modules with one-sun efficiencies up to 30 percent at air mass 1 are now well understood. Such high-efficiency modules utilize multibandgap structures. To achieve module efficiencies significantly above 30 percent, it is necessary to employ different concepts such as spectral compression and broad-band detection. A detailed description of concepts for the design of high-efficiency multibandgap solar cells is given.

New, Efficient, and Reliable Air Electrode Material for Proton-Conducting Reversible Solid Oxide Cells.

PubMed

Huan, Daoming; Shi, Nai; Zhang, Lu; Tan, Wenzhou; Xie, Yun; Wang, Wanhua; Xia, Changrong; Peng, Ranran; Lu, Yalin

2018-01-17

Driven by the demand to minimize fluctuation in common renewable energies, reversible solid oxide cells (RSOCs) have drawn increasing attention for they can operate either as fuel cells to produce electricity or as electrolysis cells to store electricity. Unfortunately, development of proton-conducting RSOCs (P-RSOCs) faces a major challenge of poor reliability because of the high content of steam involved in air electrode reactions, which could seriously decay the lifetime of air electrode materials. In this work, a very stable and efficient air electrode, SrEu 2 Fe 1.8 Co 0.2 O 7-δ (SEFC) with layer structure, is designed and deployed in P-RSOCs. X-ray diffraction analysis and High-angle annular dark-filed scanning transmission electron microscopy images of SEFC reveal that Sr atoms occupy the center of perovskite slabs, whereas Eu atoms arrange orderly in the rock-salt layer. Such a special structure of SEFC largely depresses its Lewis basicity and therefore its reactivity with steam. Applying the SEFC air electrode, our button switches smoothly between both fuel cell and electrolysis cell (EC) modes with no obvious degradation over a 135 h long-term test under wet H 2 (∼3% H 2 O) and 10% H 2 O-air atmospheres. A record of over 230 h is achieved in the long-term stability test in the EC mode, doubling the longest test that had been previously reported. Besides good stability, SEFC demonstrates great catalytic activity toward air electrode reactions when compared with traditional La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ air electrodes. This research highlights the potential of stable and efficient P-RSOCs as an important part in a sustainable new energy power system.

Substantial Air Quality and Climate Co-benefits Achievable Now with Industrial Efficiency Improvements in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauzerall, D. L.; Peng, W.; Wagner, F.; Yang, J.

2016-12-01

China is the world's top carbon emitter and suffers from severe air pollution. It has recently made commitments to improve air quality and peak its carbon emissions by 2030. Here we examine near-term air quality and implications for CO2 emissions of various sector-based policies in China that are widely discussed and technically plausible for immediate implementation. For each sector, we consider the effect of a 20% increase in the installation rate of available air pollution control devices, along with the following sector-specific policies. Power sector (POW): 80% replacement of small coal power plants with larger more efficient ones; Industry sector (IND): 20% improvement in energy efficiency; Transport sector (TRA): replacement of high emitters with average vehicle fleet emissions; and Residential sector (RES): replacement of 20% of coal-based stoves with those using liquefied petroleum gas. We conduct an integrated assessment using the air pollution model WRF-Chem and epidemiological concentration-response relationships to evaluate a 2015 base case and various counterfactual scenarios. We find that the IND scenario would reduce both the total national air-pollution-related deaths and carbon emissions the most of the four sectorial scenarios examined. Benefits of addressing the industrial sector remain large even when efficiency improvements are smaller than 20%. Moreover, we find that simultaneously implementing all the measures in all four sectors (combined, COMB) leads to slightly larger air quality and health benefits than obtained by summing the benefits achieved from the four sectorial scenarios individually. This is because nonlinearity in atmospheric chemistry leads to a larger reduction in fine particulate concentrations when emissions from all sectors are reduced simultaneously. The resulting lower concentrations imply a lower position on the concave human premature mortality relative risk curve with fewer associated deaths. While much effort has

Transfection Studies with Colloidal Systems Containing Highly Purified Bipolar Tetraether Lipids from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius.

PubMed

Engelhardt, Konrad H; Pinnapireddy, Shashank Reddy; Baghdan, Elias; Jedelská, Jarmila; Bakowsky, Udo

2017-01-01

Lipid vectors are commonly used to facilitate the transfer of nucleic acids into mammalian cells. In this study, two fractions of tetraether lipids from the archaea Sulfolobus acidocaldarius were extracted and purified using different methods. The purified lipid fractions polar lipid fraction E (PLFE) and hydrolysed glycerol-dialkyl-nonitol tetraether (hGDNT) differ in their structures, charge, size, and miscibility from conventional lipids. Liposomes were prepared by mixing tetraether lipids with cholesterol (CH) and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) resulting in stable vectors for gene delivery. Lipoplexes were prepared by complexation of liposomes with a luciferase expressing plasmid (pCMV-luc) at certain nitrogen-to-phosphorus (N/P) ratios and optimised for the transient transfection of ovarian adenocarcinoma cells (SK-OV-3). Complexation efficacy was investigated by gel-red fluorescence assay. Biophysical properties, like size, surface charge, and morphology, were investigated by differential light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM), respectively, revealing structural differences between liposomes and lipoplexes. A range of stable transfecting agents containing tetraether lipids were obtained by incorporating 5 mol% of tetraether lipids. Lipoplexes showed a decrease in free gel-red with increasing N/P ratios indicating efficient incorporation of plasmid DNA (pDNA) and remarkable stability. Transfection experiments of the lipoplexes revealed successful and superior transfection of SK-OV-3 cell line compared to the commercially available DOTAP and branched polyethyleneimine (25 kDa bPEI).

Transfection Studies with Colloidal Systems Containing Highly Purified Bipolar Tetraether Lipids from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

PubMed Central

Pinnapireddy, Shashank Reddy; Baghdan, Elias; Jedelská, Jarmila

2017-01-01

Lipid vectors are commonly used to facilitate the transfer of nucleic acids into mammalian cells. In this study, two fractions of tetraether lipids from the archaea Sulfolobus acidocaldarius were extracted and purified using different methods. The purified lipid fractions polar lipid fraction E (PLFE) and hydrolysed glycerol-dialkyl-nonitol tetraether (hGDNT) differ in their structures, charge, size, and miscibility from conventional lipids. Liposomes were prepared by mixing tetraether lipids with cholesterol (CH) and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) resulting in stable vectors for gene delivery. Lipoplexes were prepared by complexation of liposomes with a luciferase expressing plasmid (pCMV-luc) at certain nitrogen-to-phosphorus (N/P) ratios and optimised for the transient transfection of ovarian adenocarcinoma cells (SK-OV-3). Complexation efficacy was investigated by gel-red fluorescence assay. Biophysical properties, like size, surface charge, and morphology, were investigated by differential light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM), respectively, revealing structural differences between liposomes and lipoplexes. A range of stable transfecting agents containing tetraether lipids were obtained by incorporating 5 mol% of tetraether lipids. Lipoplexes showed a decrease in free gel-red with increasing N/P ratios indicating efficient incorporation of plasmid DNA (pDNA) and remarkable stability. Transfection experiments of the lipoplexes revealed successful and superior transfection of SK-OV-3 cell line compared to the commercially available DOTAP and branched polyethyleneimine (25 kDa bPEI). PMID:28239294

Bismuth Oxysulfide and Its Polymer Nanocomposites for Efficient Purification

PubMed Central

Luo, Yidong; Qiao, Lina; Wang, Huanchun; Lan, Shun; Shen, Yang; Lin, Yuanhua; Nan, Cewen

2018-01-01

The danger of toxic organic pollutants in both aquatic and air environments calls for high-efficiency purification material. Herein, layered bismuth copper oxychalcogenides, BiCuSO, nanosheets of high photocatalytic activity were introduced to the PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride). The fibrous membranes provide an easy, efficient, and recyclable way to purify organic pollutant. The physical and photophysical properties of the BiCuSO and its polymer composite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron spin resonance (EPR). Photocatalysis of Congo Red reveals that the BiCuSO/PVDF shows a superior photocatalytic activity of a 55% degradation rate in 70 min at visible light. The high photocatalytic activity is attributed to the exposed active {101} facets and the triple vacant associates VBi‴VO••VBi‴. By engineering the intrinsic defects on the surface of bismuth oxysulfide, high solar-driven photocatalytic activity can be approached. The successful fabrication of the bismuth oxysulfide and its polymer nanocomposites provides an easy and general approach for high-performance purification materials for various applications. PMID:29562701

Relationships between the Efficiencies of Photosystems I and II and Stromal Redox State in CO2-Free Air 1

PubMed Central

Harbinson, Jeremy; Foyer, Christine H.

1991-01-01

The responses of the efficiencies of photosystems I and II, stromal redox state (as indicated by NADP-malate dehydrogenase activation state), and activation of the Benson-Calvin cycle enzymes ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase to varying irradiance were measured in pea (Pisum sativum L.) leaves operating close to the CO2 compensation point. A comparison of the relationships among these parameters obtained from leaves in air was made with those obtained when the leaves were maintained in air from which the CO2 had been removed. P700 was more oxidized at any measured irradiance in CO2-free air than in air. The relationship between the quantum efficiencies of the photosystems in CO2-free air was distinctly curvilinear in contrast to the predominantly linear relationship obtained with leaves in air. This nonlinearity may be consistent with the operation of cyclic electron flow around photosystem I because the quantum efficiency of photosystem II was much more restricted than the quantum efficiency of photosystem I. In CO2-free air, measured NADP-malate dehydrogenase activities varied considerably at low irradiances. However, at high irradiance the activity of the enzyme was low, implying that the stroma was oxidized. In contrast, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities tended to increase with increasing electron flux through the photosystems. Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activity remained relatively constant with respect to irradiance in CO2-free air, with an activation state 50% of maximum. We conclude that, at the CO2 compensation point and high irradiance, low redox states are favored and that cyclic electron flow may be substantial. These two features may be the requirements necessary to trigger and maintain the dissipative processes in the thylakoid membrane. PMID:16668401

Efficient and reusable polyamide-56 nanofiber/nets membrane with bimodal structures for air filtration.

PubMed

Liu, Bowen; Zhang, Shichao; Wang, Xueli; Yu, Jianyong; Ding, Bin

2015-11-01

Nanofibrous media that both possess high airborne particle interception efficiency and robust air permeability would have broad technological implications for areas ranging from individual protection and industrial security to environmental governance; however, creating such filtration media has proved extremely challenging. Here we report a strategy to construct the bio-based polyamide-56 nanofiber/nets (PA-56 NFN) membranes with bimodal structures for effective air filtration via one-step electrospinning/netting. The PA-56 membranes are composed of completely covered two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin (∼20 nm) nanonets which are optimized by facilely regulating the solution concentration, and the bonded scaffold fibers constructed cavity structures which are synchronously created by using the CH3COOH inspiration. With integrated properties of small aperture, high porosity, and bonded scaffold, the resulting PA-56 NFN membranes exhibit high filtration efficiency of 99.995%, low pressure drop of 111 Pa, combined with large dust holding capacity of 49 g/m(2) and dust-cleaning regeneration ability, for filtrating ultrafine airborne particles in the most safe manner involving sieving principle and surface filtration. The successful synthesis of PA-56 NFN medium would not only make it a promising candidate for air filtration, but also provide new insights into the design and development of nanonet-based bimodal structures for various applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of high pressure processing on activity and structure of soluble acid invertase in mango pulp, crude extract, purified form and model systems.

PubMed

Li, Renjie; Wang, Yongtao; Ling, Jiangang; Liao, Xiaojun

2017-09-15

The effects of high pressure processing (HPP) on the activity of soluble acid invertase (SAI) in mango pulp, crude extract, purified SAI and purified SAI in model systems (pectin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), sugars and pH 3-7) were investigated. The activity of SAI in mango pulp was increased after HPP, and that in crude extract stayed unchanged. The activity of purified SAI was decreased after HPP at 45 and 50°C. Pectin exhibited a concentration-dependent protection for purified SAI against HPP at 50°C/600MPa for 30min. Pectin that had an esterification degree (DE) of 85% exhibited a greater protection than pectin that had a DE of 20-34%. BSA, acidic pH (3-6) and sucrose also exhibited protection for purified SAI against HPP. HPP at 50°C/600MPa for 30min disrupted the secondary structure and tertiary structure of purified SAI, but no aggregation of purified SAI was observed after HPP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficient Conversation: The Talk between Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmons, James L.

Two-way radio communications between air traffic controllers using radar on the ground to give airplane pilots instructions are of interest within the developing framework of the sociology of language. The main purpose of air traffic control language is efficient communication to promote flight safety. This study describes the standardized format…

High Efficiency, Transparent, Reusable, and Active PM2.5 Filters by Hierarchical Ag Nanowire Percolation Network.

PubMed

Jeong, Seongmin; Cho, Hyunmin; Han, Seonggeun; Won, Phillip; Lee, Habeom; Hong, Sukjoon; Yeo, Junyeob; Kwon, Jinhyeong; Ko, Seung Hwan

2017-07-12

Air quality has become a major public health issue in Asia including China, Korea, and India. Particulate matters are the major concern in air quality. We present the first environmental application demonstration of Ag nanowire percolation network for a novel, electrical type transparent, reusable, and active PM2.5 air filter although the Ag nanowire percolation network has been studied as a very promising transparent conductor in optoelectronics. Compared with previous particulate matter air filter study using relatively weaker short-range intermolecular force in polar polymeric nanofiber, Ag nanowire percolation network filters use stronger long-range electrostatic force to capture PM2.5, and they are highly efficient (>99.99%), transparent, working on an active mode, low power consumption, antibacterial, and reusable after simple washing. The proposed new particulate matter filter can be applied for a highly efficient, reusable, active and energy efficient filter for wearable electronics application.

Ultralow mode-volume photonic crystal nanobeam cavities for high-efficiency coupling to individual carbon nanotube emitters

PubMed Central

Miura, R.; Imamura, S.; Ohta, R.; Ishii, A.; Liu, X.; Shimada, T.; Iwamoto, S.; Arakawa, Y.; Kato, Y. K.

2014-01-01

The unique emission properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes are attractive for achieving increased functionality in integrated photonics. In addition to being room-temperature telecom-band emitters that can be directly grown on silicon, they are ideal for coupling to nanoscale photonic structures. Here we report on high-efficiency coupling of individual air-suspended carbon nanotubes to silicon photonic crystal nanobeam cavities. Photoluminescence images of dielectric- and air-mode cavities reflect their distinctly different mode profiles and show that fields in the air are important for coupling. We find that the air-mode cavities couple more efficiently, and estimated spontaneous emission coupling factors reach a value as high as 0.85. Our results demonstrate advantages of ultralow mode-volumes in air-mode cavities for coupling to low-dimensional nanoscale emitters. PMID:25420679

Tailoring Mechanically Robust Poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) Nanofiber/nets for Ultrathin High-Efficiency Air Filter

PubMed Central

Zhang, Shichao; Liu, Hui; Yin, Xia; Li, Zhaoling; Yu, Jianyong; Ding, Bin

2017-01-01

Effective promotion of air filtration applications proposed for fibers requires their real nanoscale diameter, optimized pore structure, and high service strength; however, creating such filter medium has proved to be a tremendous challenge. This study first establishes a strategy to design and fabricate novel poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) nanofiber/nets (PMIA NF/N) air filter via electrospinning/netting. Our strategy results in generation of a bimodal structure including a scaffold of nanofibers and abundant two-dimensional ultrathin (~20 nm) nanonets to synchronously construct PMIA filters by combining solution optimization, humidity regulation, and additive inspiration. Benefiting from the structural features including the true nanoscale diameter, small pore size, high porosity, and nets bonding contributed by the widely distributed nanonets, our PMIA NF/N filter exhibits the integrated properties of superlight weight (0.365 g m−2), ultrathin thickness (~0.5 μm), and high tensile strength (72.8 MPa) for effective air filtration, achieving the ultra-low penetration air filter level of 99.999% and low pressure drop of 92 Pa for 300–500 nm particles by sieving mechanism. The successful synthesis of PMIA NF/N would not only provide a promising medium for particle filtration, but also develop a versatile platform for exploring the application of nanonets in structural enhancement, separation and purification. PMID:28074880

Tailoring Mechanically Robust Poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) Nanofiber/nets for Ultrathin High-Efficiency Air Filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shichao; Liu, Hui; Yin, Xia; Li, Zhaoling; Yu, Jianyong; Ding, Bin

2017-01-01

Effective promotion of air filtration applications proposed for fibers requires their real nanoscale diameter, optimized pore structure, and high service strength; however, creating such filter medium has proved to be a tremendous challenge. This study first establishes a strategy to design and fabricate novel poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) nanofiber/nets (PMIA NF/N) air filter via electrospinning/netting. Our strategy results in generation of a bimodal structure including a scaffold of nanofibers and abundant two-dimensional ultrathin (~20 nm) nanonets to synchronously construct PMIA filters by combining solution optimization, humidity regulation, and additive inspiration. Benefiting from the structural features including the true nanoscale diameter, small pore size, high porosity, and nets bonding contributed by the widely distributed nanonets, our PMIA NF/N filter exhibits the integrated properties of superlight weight (0.365 g m-2), ultrathin thickness (~0.5 μm), and high tensile strength (72.8 MPa) for effective air filtration, achieving the ultra-low penetration air filter level of 99.999% and low pressure drop of 92 Pa for 300-500 nm particles by sieving mechanism. The successful synthesis of PMIA NF/N would not only provide a promising medium for particle filtration, but also develop a versatile platform for exploring the application of nanonets in structural enhancement, separation and purification.

Efficiency of different air filter types for pig facilities at laboratory scale.

PubMed

Wenke, Cindy; Pospiech, Janina; Reutter, Tobias; Truyen, Uwe; Speck, Stephanie

2017-01-01

Air filtration has been shown to be efficient in reducing pathogen burden in circulating air. We determined at laboratory scale the retention efficiency of different air filter types either composed of a prefilter (EU class G4) and a secondary fiberglass filter (EU class F9) or consisting of a filter mat (EU class M6 and F8-9). Four filter prototypes were tested for their capability to remove aerosol containing equine arteritis virus (EAV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), bovine enterovirus 1 (BEV), Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP), and Staphylococcus (S.) aureus from air. Depending on the filter prototype and utilisation, the airflow was set at 1,800 m3/h (combination of upstream prefilter and fiberglass filter) or 80 m3/h (filter mat). The pathogens were aerosolized and their concentration was determined in front of and behind the filter by culture or quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Furthermore, survival of the pathogens over time in the filter material was determined. Bacteria were most efficiently filtered with a reduction rate of up to 99.9% depending on the filter used. An approximately 98% reduction was achieved for the viruses tested. Viability or infectivity of APP or PRRSV in the filter material decreased below the detection limit after 4 h and 24 h, respectively, whereas S. aureus was still culturable after 4 weeks. Our results demonstrate that pathogens can efficiently be reduced by air filtration. Consequently, air filtration combined with other strict biosecurity measures markedly reduces the risk of introducing airborne transmitted pathogens to animal facilities. In addition, air filtration might be useful in reducing bioaerosols within a pig barn, hence improving respiratory health of pigs.

Room temperature infrared imaging sensors based on highly purified semiconducting carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Wei, Nan; Zhao, Qingliang; Zhang, Dehui; Wang, Sheng; Peng, Lian-Mao

2015-04-21

High performance infrared (IR) imaging systems usually require expensive cooling systems, which are highly undesirable. Here we report the fabrication and performance characteristics of room temperature carbon nanotube (CNT) IR imaging sensors. The CNT IR imaging sensor is based on aligned semiconducting CNT films with 99% purity, and each pixel or device of the imaging sensor consists of aligned strips of CNT asymmetrically contacted by Sc and Pd. We found that the performance of the device is dependent on the CNT channel length. While short channel devices provide a large photocurrent and a rapid response of about 110 μs, long channel length devices exhibit a low dark current and a high signal-to-noise ratio which are critical for obtaining high detectivity. In total, 36 CNT IR imagers are constructed on a single chip, each consists of 3 × 3 pixel arrays. The demonstrated advantages of constructing a high performance IR system using purified semiconducting CNT aligned films include, among other things, fast response, excellent stability and uniformity, ideal linear photocurrent response, high imaging polarization sensitivity and low power consumption.

A Novel High Energy Density Rechargeable Hybrid Sodium-Air Cell with Acidic Electrolyte.

PubMed

Kang, Yao; Su, Fengmei; Zhang, Qingkai; Liang, Feng; Adair, Keegan R; Chen, Kunfeng; Xue, Dongfeng; Hayashi, Katsuro; Cao, Shan Cecilia; Yadegari, Hossein; Sun, Xueliang

2018-06-22

Low cost, high energy density and highly efficient devices for energy storage have long been desired in our society. Herein, a novel high energy density hybrid sodium-air cell was fabricated successfully based on acidic catholytes. Such a hybrid sodium-air cell possess a high theoretical voltage of 3.94 V, capacity of 1121 mAh g-1, and energy density of 4418 Wh kg-1. Firstly, the buffering effect of an acidic solution was demonstrated, which provides relatively long and stable cell discharge behaviours. Secondly, the catholyte of hybrid sodium-air cells were optimized systematically from the solutions of 0.1 M H3PO4 + 0.1 M Na2SO4 to 0.1 M HAc + 0.1 M NaAc, and it was found that the cells with 0.1 M H3PO4 + 0.1 M Na2SO4 displayed maximum power density of 34.9 mW cm-2. The cell with 0.1 M H3PO4 + 0.1 M Na2SO4 displayed higher discharge capacity of 896 mAh g-1. Moreover, the fabricated acidic hybrid sodium-air cells exhibited stable cycling performance in ambient air, and they delivered a low voltage gap around 0.3 V when the current density is 0.13 mA cm-2, leading to a high energy efficiency up to 90%. Therefore, the present study provides new opportunities to develop highly cost-effective energy storage technologies.

Fabrication of highly efficient ZnO nanoscintillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Procházková, Lenka; Gbur, Tomáš; Čuba, Václav; Jarý, Vítězslav; Nikl, Martin

2015-09-01

Photo-induced synthesis of high-efficiency ultrafast nanoparticle scintillators of ZnO was demonstrated. Controlled doping with Ga(III) and La(III) ions together with the optimized method of ZnO synthesis and subsequent two-step annealing in air and under reducing atmosphere allow to achieve very high intensity of UV exciton luminescence, up to 750% of BGO intensity magnitude. Fabricated nanoparticles feature extremely short sub-nanosecond photoluminescence decay times. Temperature dependence of the photoluminescence spectrum within 8-340 K range was investigated and shows the absence of visible defect-related emission within all temperature intervals.

Efficient polymer light-emitting diode with air-stable aluminum cathode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbaszadeh, D.; Wetzelaer, G. A. H.; Doumon, N. Y.; Blom, P. W. M.

2016-03-01

The fast degradation of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) in ambient conditions is primarily due to the oxidation of highly reactive metals, such as barium or calcium, which are used as cathode materials. Here, we report the fabrication of PLEDs using an air-stable partially oxidized aluminum (AlOx) cathode. Usually, the high work function of aluminum (4.2 eV) imposes a high barrier for injecting electrons into the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the emissive polymer (2.9 eV below the vacuum level). By partially oxidizing aluminum, its work function is decreased, but not sufficiently low for efficient electron injection. Efficient injection is obtained by inserting an electron transport layer of poly[(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-alt-(benzo[2,1,3]thiadiazol-4,8-diyl)] (F8BT), which has its LUMO at 3.3 eV below vacuum, between the AlOx cathode and the emissive polymer. The intermediate F8BT layer not only serves as a hole-blocking layer but also provides an energetic staircase for electron injection from AlOx into the emissive layer. PLEDs with an AlOx cathode and F8BT interlayer exhibit a doubling of the efficiency as compared to conventional Ba/Al PLEDs, and still operate even after being kept in ambient atmosphere for one month without encapsulation.

Efficiency of different air filter types for pig facilities at laboratory scale

PubMed Central

Wenke, Cindy; Pospiech, Janina; Reutter, Tobias; Truyen, Uwe

2017-01-01

Air filtration has been shown to be efficient in reducing pathogen burden in circulating air. We determined at laboratory scale the retention efficiency of different air filter types either composed of a prefilter (EU class G4) and a secondary fiberglass filter (EU class F9) or consisting of a filter mat (EU class M6 and F8-9). Four filter prototypes were tested for their capability to remove aerosol containing equine arteritis virus (EAV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), bovine enterovirus 1 (BEV), Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP), and Staphylococcus (S.) aureus from air. Depending on the filter prototype and utilisation, the airflow was set at 1,800 m3/h (combination of upstream prefilter and fiberglass filter) or 80 m3/h (filter mat). The pathogens were aerosolized and their concentration was determined in front of and behind the filter by culture or quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Furthermore, survival of the pathogens over time in the filter material was determined. Bacteria were most efficiently filtered with a reduction rate of up to 99.9% depending on the filter used. An approximately 98% reduction was achieved for the viruses tested. Viability or infectivity of APP or PRRSV in the filter material decreased below the detection limit after 4 h and 24 h, respectively, whereas S. aureus was still culturable after 4 weeks. Our results demonstrate that pathogens can efficiently be reduced by air filtration. Consequently, air filtration combined with other strict biosecurity measures markedly reduces the risk of introducing airborne transmitted pathogens to animal facilities. In addition, air filtration might be useful in reducing bioaerosols within a pig barn, hence improving respiratory health of pigs. PMID:29028843

Fluorometric Method for Determining the Efficiency of Spun-Glass Air Filtration Media

PubMed Central

Sullivan, James F.; Songer, Joseph R.; Mathis, Raymond G.

1967-01-01

The procedures and equipment needed to measure filtration efficiency by means of fluorescent aerosols are described. The filtration efficiency of individual lots of spun-glass air filtration medium or of entire air filtration systems employing such media was determined. Data relating to the comparative evaluation of spun-glass filter media by means of the fluorometric method described, as well as by conventional biological procedures, are presented. PMID:6031433

Effects of indoor air purification by an air cleaning system (Koala technology) on semen parameters in male factor infertility: results of a pilot study.

PubMed

Paradisi, R; Vanella, S; Barzanti, R; Cani, C; Battaglia, C; Seracchioli, R; Venturoli, S

2009-06-01

A number of studies indicated a clear decline in semen quality in the past 30-50 years and there is accumulating evidence that this decline might result from exposure to high levels of air pollution. To examine the impact of environment on male reproductive ability, we undertook for the first time a pilot study on semen quality of infertile men exposed to purification of indoor air. Ten subjects with a history of unexplained male infertility and poor semen quality were exposed for at least 1 year to a cleaning indoor air system (Koala technology). The key feature of this air purifier is the unique innovative multiple filtering system. The treatment of total purification of indoor air showed neither improvements in semen parameters nor variation in reproductive hormones (P = N.S.), but induced an evident increase (P < 0.03 and more) in seminal leucocytic concentrations. Within the limits due to the small sample of subjects recruited, the sole purification of indoor air does not seem enough to improve semen quality, although the increase in leucocytic concentrations could indicate an activation of the role of immunosurveillance in a purified indoor air environment.

PROCESS OF PURIFYING URANIUM

DOEpatents

Seaborg, G.T.; Orlemann, E.F.; Jensen, L.H.

1958-12-23

A method of obtaining substantially pure uranium from a uranium composition contaminated with light element impurities such as sodium, magnesium, beryllium, and the like is described. An acidic aqueous solution containing tetravalent uranium is treated with a soluble molybdate to form insoluble uranous molybdate which is removed. This material after washing is dissolved in concentrated nitric acid to obtaln a uranyl nitrate solution from which highly purified uranium is obtained by extraction with ether.

Air transportation energy efficiency - Alternatives and implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, L. J.

1976-01-01

Results from recent studies of air transportation energy efficiency alternatives are discussed, along with some of the implications of these alternatives. The fuel-saving alternatives considered include aircraft operation, aircraft modification, derivative aircraft, and new aircraft. In the near-term, energy efficiency improvements should be possible through small improvements in fuel-saving flight procedures, higher density seating, and higher load factors. Additional small near-term improvements could be obtained through aircraft modifications, such as the relatively inexpensive drag reduction modifications. Derivatives of existing aircraft could meet the requirements for new aircraft and provide energy improvements until advanced technology is available to justify the cost of a completely new design. In order to obtain significant improvements in energy efficiency, new aircraft must truly exploit advanced technology in such areas as aerodynamics, composite structures, active controls, and advanced propulsion.

Mesoporous Three-Dimensional Graphene Networks for Highly Efficient Solar Desalination under 1 sun Illumination.

PubMed

Kim, Kwanghyun; Yu, Sunyoung; An, Cheolwon; Kim, Sung-Wook; Jang, Ji-Hyun

2018-05-09

Solar desalination via thermal evaporation of seawater is one of the most promising technologies for addressing the serious problem of global water scarcity because it does not require additional supporting energy other than infinite solar energy for generating clean water. However, low efficiency and a large amount of heat loss are considered critical limitations of solar desalination technology. The combination of mesoporous three-dimensional graphene networks (3DGNs) with a high solar absorption property and water-transporting wood pieces with a thermal insulation property has exhibited greatly enhanced solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency. 3DGN deposited on a wood piece provides an outstanding value of solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency, about 91.8%, under 1 sun illumination and excellent desalination efficiency of 5 orders salinity decrement. The mass-producible 3DGN enriched with many mesopores efficiently releases the vapors from an enormous area of the surface by heat localization on the top surface of the wood piece. Because the efficient solar desalination device made by 3DGN on the wood piece is highly scalable and inexpensive, it could serve as one of the main sources for the worldwide supply of purified water achieved via earth-abundant materials without an extra supporting energy source.

Effect of Outside Combustion Air on Gas Furnace Efficiency.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-15

Support Agency REPORT FESA-TS-2104 EFFECT OF OUTSIDE COMBUSTION AIR ON GAS FURNACE EFFICIENCY THOMAS E. BRISBANE Q KATHLEEN L. HANCOCK u JOHNS - MANVILLE SALES...and Dilution Air With No Furnace Setback. 93 AO-A113 4~84 . JOHNS - MANVILLE SALES CORP DENVER CO RESEARCH AND OEV--ETC F/6 13/ 1 EFFECT OF OUTSIDE...NUMBER(S) Thomas E. Brisbane, Kathleen L. Hancock DAAK 70-78-D-0002 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 1O. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PR.;ECT, TASK Johns

Low Cost, Efficient Microcavity Plasma Ozone Generation for Water Remediation and Air Purification

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

Eliasson, and M. Hirth, “ Ozone Generation from Oxygen and Air: Discharge Physics and Reaction Mechanisms,” Ozone Sci. and Eng., vol. 10, pp. 367-378...Phase I Final Report: Low Cost, Efficient Microcavity Plasma Ozone Generation for Water Remediation and Air Purification...Contract Number: FA9550-11-C-0087 June 2012 Low Cost, Efficient Microcavity Plasma Ozone Generation for Water Remediation

Control of asthma triggers in indoor air with air cleaners: a modeling analysis.

PubMed

Myatt, Theodore A; Minegishi, Taeko; Allen, Joseph G; Macintosh, David L

2008-08-06

Reducing exposure to environmental agents indoors shown to increase asthma symptoms or lead to asthma exacerbations is an important component of a strategy to manage asthma for individuals. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that portable air cleaning devices can reduce concentrations of asthma triggers in indoor air; however, their benefits for breathing problems have not always been reproducible. The potential exposure benefits of whole house high efficiency in-duct air cleaners for sensitive subpopulations have yet to be evaluated. We used an indoor air quality modeling system (CONTAM) developed by NIST to examine peak and time-integrated concentrations of common asthma triggers present in indoor air over a year as a function of natural ventilation, portable air cleaners, and forced air ventilation equipped with conventional and high efficiency filtration systems. Emission rates for asthma triggers were based on experimental studies published in the scientific literature. Forced air systems with high efficiency filtration were found to provide the best control of asthma triggers: 30-55% lower cat allergen levels, 90-99% lower risk of respiratory infection through the inhalation route of exposure, 90-98% lower environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) levels, and 50-75% lower fungal spore levels than the other ventilation/filtration systems considered. These results indicate that the use of high efficiency in-duct air cleaners provide an effective means of controlling allergen levels not only in a single room, like a portable air cleaner, but the whole house. These findings are useful for evaluating potential benefits of high efficiency in-duct filtration systems for controlling exposure to asthma triggers indoors and for the design of trials of environmental interventions intended to evaluate their utility in practice.

Efficient polymer light-emitting diode with air-stable aluminum cathode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbaszadeh, D.; Dutch Polymer Institute, P.O. Box 902, 5600 AX Eindhoven; Wetzelaer, G. A. H.

2016-03-07

The fast degradation of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) in ambient conditions is primarily due to the oxidation of highly reactive metals, such as barium or calcium, which are used as cathode materials. Here, we report the fabrication of PLEDs using an air-stable partially oxidized aluminum (AlO{sub x}) cathode. Usually, the high work function of aluminum (4.2 eV) imposes a high barrier for injecting electrons into the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the emissive polymer (2.9 eV below the vacuum level). By partially oxidizing aluminum, its work function is decreased, but not sufficiently low for efficient electron injection. Efficient injection is obtainedmore » by inserting an electron transport layer of poly[(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-alt-(benzo[2,1,3] thiadiazol-4,8-diyl)] (F8BT), which has its LUMO at 3.3 eV below vacuum, between the AlO{sub x} cathode and the emissive polymer. The intermediate F8BT layer not only serves as a hole-blocking layer but also provides an energetic staircase for electron injection from AlO{sub x} into the emissive layer. PLEDs with an AlO{sub x} cathode and F8BT interlayer exhibit a doubling of the efficiency as compared to conventional Ba/Al PLEDs, and still operate even after being kept in ambient atmosphere for one month without encapsulation.« less

Virus removal efficiency of Cambodian ceramic pot water purifiers.

PubMed

Salsali, Hamidreza; McBean, Edward; Brunsting, Joseph

2011-06-01

Virus removal efficiency is described for three types of silver-impregnated, ceramic water filters (CWFs) produced in Cambodia. The tests were completed using freshly scrubbed filters and de-ionized (DI) water as an evaluation of the removal efficiency of the virus in isolation with no other interacting water quality variables. Removal efficiencies between 0.21 and 0.45 log are evidenced, which is significantly lower than results obtained in testing of similar filters by other investigators utilizing surface or rain water and a less frequent cleaning regime. Other experiments generally found virus removal efficiencies greater than 1.0 log. This difference may be because of the association of viruses with suspended solids, and subsequent removal of these solids during filtration. Variability in virus removal efficiencies between pots of the same manufacturer, and observed flow rates outside the manufacturer's specifications, suggest tighter quality control and consistency may be needed during production.

Highly Polluted Wastewaters Treatment by Improved Dissolved Air Flotation Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moga, I. C.; Covaliu, C. I.; Matache, M. G.; Doroftei, B. I.

2017-06-01

Numerous investigations are oriented towards the development of new wastewater treatment technologies, having high efficiencies for removing even low concentrations of pollutants found in water. These efforts were determined by the destroyer impact of the pollutants to the environment and human’s health. For this reason this paper presents our study concerning an improved dissolved air flotation technology for wastewater treatment. There is described a dissolved air flotation (DAF) installation composed by two equipments: pressurized capsule and lamellar settling. Also, there are presented some advantages of using nanoparticles as flotation collectors.

Nitrogen removal from purified swine wastewater using biogas by semi-partitioned reactor.

PubMed

Waki, Miyoko; Yokoyama, Hiroshi; Ogino, Akifumi; Suzuki, Kazuyoshi; Tanaka, Yasuo

2008-09-01

Nitrate and ammonium removal from purified swine wastewater using biogas and air was investigated in continuous reactor operation. A novel type of reactor, a semi-partitioned reactor (SPR), which enables a biological reaction using methane and oxygen in the water phase and discharges these unused gases separately, was operated with a varying gas supply rate. Successful removal of NO(3)(-) and NH(4)(+) was observed when biogas and air of 1L/min was supplied to an SPR of 9L water phase with a NO(2,3)(-)-N and NH(4)(+)-N removal rate of 0.10 g/L/day and 0.060 g/L/day, respectively. The original biogas contained an average of 77.2% methane, and the discharged biogas from the SPR contained an average of 76.9% of unused methane that was useable for energy like heat or electricity production. Methane was contained in the discharged air from the SPR at an average of 2.1%. When gas supply rates were raised to 2L/min and the nitrogen load was increased, NO(3)(-) concentration was decreased, but NO(2)(-) accumulated in the reactor and the NO(2,3)(-)-N and NH(4)(+)-N removal activity declined. To recover the activity, lowering of the nitrogen load and the gas supply rate was needed. This study shows that the SPR enables nitrogen removal from purified swine wastewater using biogas under limited gas supply condition.

Effects of a powered air-purifying respirator intervention on indium exposure reduction and indium related biomarkers among ITO sputter target manufacturing workers.

PubMed

Liu, Hung-Hsin; Chen, Chang-Yuh; Lan, Cheng-Hang; Chang, Cheng-Ping; Peng, Chiung-Yu

2016-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) worn by the workers, and to investigate the effect of this application on exposure and preclinical effects in terms of workplace measuring and biomarker monitoring in ITO sputter target manufacturing plants and workers, respectively. Fifty-four workers were recruited and investigated from 2010-2012, during which PAPRs were provided to on-site workers in September 2011. Each worker completed questionnaires and provided blood and urine samples for analysis of biomarkers of indium exposure and preclinical effects. Area and personal indium air samples were randomly collected from selected worksites and from participants. The penetration percentage of the respirator (concentration inside respirator divided by concentration outside respirator) was 6.6%. Some biomarkers, such as S-In, SOD, GPx, GST, MDA, and TMOM, reflected the decrease in exposure and showed lower levels, after implementation of PAPRs. This study is the first to investigate the efficacy of PAPRs for reducing indium exposure. The measurement results clearly showed that the implementation of PAPRs reduces levels of indium-related biomarkers. These findings have practical applications for minimizing occupational exposure to indium and for managing the health of workers exposed to indium.

Control of asthma triggers in indoor air with air cleaners: a modeling analysis

PubMed Central

Myatt, Theodore A; Minegishi, Taeko; Allen, Joseph G; MacIntosh, David L

2008-01-01

Background Reducing exposure to environmental agents indoors shown to increase asthma symptoms or lead to asthma exacerbations is an important component of a strategy to manage asthma for individuals. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that portable air cleaning devices can reduce concentrations of asthma triggers in indoor air; however, their benefits for breathing problems have not always been reproducible. The potential exposure benefits of whole house high efficiency in-duct air cleaners for sensitive subpopulations have yet to be evaluated. Methods We used an indoor air quality modeling system (CONTAM) developed by NIST to examine peak and time-integrated concentrations of common asthma triggers present in indoor air over a year as a function of natural ventilation, portable air cleaners, and forced air ventilation equipped with conventional and high efficiency filtration systems. Emission rates for asthma triggers were based on experimental studies published in the scientific literature. Results Forced air systems with high efficiency filtration were found to provide the best control of asthma triggers: 30–55% lower cat allergen levels, 90–99% lower risk of respiratory infection through the inhalation route of exposure, 90–98% lower environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) levels, and 50–75% lower fungal spore levels than the other ventilation/filtration systems considered. These results indicate that the use of high efficiency in-duct air cleaners provide an effective means of controlling allergen levels not only in a single room, like a portable air cleaner, but the whole house. Conclusion These findings are useful for evaluating potential benefits of high efficiency in-duct filtration systems for controlling exposure to asthma triggers indoors and for the design of trials of environmental interventions intended to evaluate their utility in practice. PMID:18684328

Air flow optimization for energy efficient blower of biosafety cabinet class II A2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, M. D.; Mohtar, M. Z.; Alias, A. A.; Wong, L. K.; Yunos, Y. S.; Rahman, M. R. A.; Zulkharnain, A.; Tan, C. S.; Thayan, R.

2017-04-01

An energy efficient Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) has become a big challenge for manufacturers to develop BSC with the highest level of protection. The objective of research is to increase air flow velocity discharge from centrifugal blower. An aerodynamic duct shape inspired by the shape of Peregrine Falcon’s wing during diving flight is added to the end of the centrifugal blower. Investigation of air movement is determined by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The results showed that air velocity can be increased by double compared to typical manufactured BSC and no air recirculation. As conclusion, a novel design of aerodynamic duct shape successfully developed and proved that air velocity can be increase naturally with same impeller speed. It can contribute in increasing energy efficiency of the centrifugal blower. It is vital to BSC manufacturer and can be apply to Heating, Air Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industries.

Performance and stability of a liquid anode high-temperature metal-air battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otaegui, L.; Rodriguez-Martinez, L. M.; Wang, L.; Laresgoiti, A.; Tsukamoto, H.; Han, M. H.; Tsai, C.-L.; Laresgoiti, I.; López, C. M.; Rojo, T.

2014-02-01

A High-Temperature Metal-Air Battery (HTMAB) that operates based on a simple redox reaction between molten metal and atmospheric oxygen at 600-1000 °C is presented. This innovative HTMAB concept combines the technology of conventional metal-air batteries with that of solid oxide fuel cells to provide a high energy density system for many applications. Electrochemical reversibility is demonstrated with 95% coulomb efficiency. Cell sealing has been identified as a key issue in order to determine the end-of-charge voltage, enhance coulomb efficiency and ensure long term stability. In this work, molten Sn is selected as anode material. Low utilization of the stored material due to precipitation of the SnO2 on the electrochemically active area limits the expected capacity, which should theoretically approach 903 mAh g-1. Nevertheless, more than 1000 charge/discharge cycles are performed during more than 1000 h at 800 °C, showing highly promising results of stability, reversibility and cyclability.

AMINO ACID COMPOSITION OF HIGHLY PURIFIED VIRAL PARTICLES OF INFLUENZA A AND B

PubMed Central

Knight, C. A.

1947-01-01

Microbiological assays for amino acids were made on hydrolysates of four to five highly purified preparations each of influenza A virus (PR8 strain) and influenza B virus (Lee strain). The results of the assays indicated that these strains of influenza virus contain approximately the same amounts of alanine, aspartic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, and valine. However, significant differences were found in the values for arginine, glutamic acid, lysine, tryptophane, and tyrosine. It is believed that these differences may provide, at least in part, a chemical explanation for some of the differing properties of the PR8 and Lee strains of influenza viruses. PMID:19871660

Comfortable, high-efficiency heat pump with desiccant-coated, water-sorbing heat exchangers.

PubMed

Tu, Y D; Wang, R Z; Ge, T S; Zheng, X

2017-01-12

Comfortable, efficient, and affordable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in buildings are highly desirable due to the demands of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. Traditional vapor-compression air conditioners exhibit a lower coefficient of performance (COP) (typically 2.8-3.8) owing to the cooling-based dehumidification methods that handle both sensible and latent loads together. Temperature- and humidity-independent control or desiccant systems have been proposed to overcome these challenges; however, the COP of current desiccant systems is quite small and additional heat sources are usually needed. Here, we report on a desiccant-enhanced, direct expansion heat pump based on a water-sorbing heat exchanger with a desiccant coating that exhibits an ultrahigh COP value of more than 7 without sacrificing any comfort or compactness. The pump's efficiency is doubled compared to that of pumps currently used in conventional room air conditioners, which is a revolutionary HVAC breakthrough. Our proposed water-sorbing heat exchanger can independently handle sensible and latent loads at the same time. The desiccants adsorb moisture almost isothermally and can be regenerated by condensation heat. This new approach opens up the possibility of achieving ultrahigh efficiency for a broad range of temperature- and humidity-control applications.

Comfortable, high-efficiency heat pump with desiccant-coated, water-sorbing heat exchangers

PubMed Central

Tu, Y. D.; Wang, R. Z.; Ge, T. S.; Zheng, X.

2017-01-01

Comfortable, efficient, and affordable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in buildings are highly desirable due to the demands of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. Traditional vapor-compression air conditioners exhibit a lower coefficient of performance (COP) (typically 2.8–3.8) owing to the cooling-based dehumidification methods that handle both sensible and latent loads together. Temperature- and humidity-independent control or desiccant systems have been proposed to overcome these challenges; however, the COP of current desiccant systems is quite small and additional heat sources are usually needed. Here, we report on a desiccant-enhanced, direct expansion heat pump based on a water-sorbing heat exchanger with a desiccant coating that exhibits an ultrahigh COP value of more than 7 without sacrificing any comfort or compactness. The pump’s efficiency is doubled compared to that of pumps currently used in conventional room air conditioners, which is a revolutionary HVAC breakthrough. Our proposed water-sorbing heat exchanger can independently handle sensible and latent loads at the same time. The desiccants adsorb moisture almost isothermally and can be regenerated by condensation heat. This new approach opens up the possibility of achieving ultrahigh efficiency for a broad range of temperature- and humidity-control applications. PMID:28079171

Comfortable, high-efficiency heat pump with desiccant-coated, water-sorbing heat exchangers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Y. D.; Wang, R. Z.; Ge, T. S.; Zheng, X.

2017-01-01

Comfortable, efficient, and affordable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in buildings are highly desirable due to the demands of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. Traditional vapor-compression air conditioners exhibit a lower coefficient of performance (COP) (typically 2.8-3.8) owing to the cooling-based dehumidification methods that handle both sensible and latent loads together. Temperature- and humidity-independent control or desiccant systems have been proposed to overcome these challenges; however, the COP of current desiccant systems is quite small and additional heat sources are usually needed. Here, we report on a desiccant-enhanced, direct expansion heat pump based on a water-sorbing heat exchanger with a desiccant coating that exhibits an ultrahigh COP value of more than 7 without sacrificing any comfort or compactness. The pump’s efficiency is doubled compared to that of pumps currently used in conventional room air conditioners, which is a revolutionary HVAC breakthrough. Our proposed water-sorbing heat exchanger can independently handle sensible and latent loads at the same time. The desiccants adsorb moisture almost isothermally and can be regenerated by condensation heat. This new approach opens up the possibility of achieving ultrahigh efficiency for a broad range of temperature- and humidity-control applications.

Air purification in industrial plants producing automotive rubber components in terms of energy efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grzebielec, Andrzej; Rusowicz, Artur; Szelągowski, Adam

2017-04-01

In automotive industry plants, which use injection molding machines for rubber processing, tar contaminates air to such an extent that air fails to enter standard heat recovery systems. Accumulated tar clogs ventilation heat recovery exchangers in just a few days. In the plant in which the research was conducted, tar contamination causes blockage of ventilation ducts. The effect of this phenomenon was that every half year channels had to be replaced with new ones, since the economic analysis has shown that cleaning them is not cost-efficient. Air temperature inside such plants is often, even in winter, higher than 30°C. The air, without any means of heat recovery, is discharged outside the buildings. The analyzed plant uses three types of media for production: hot water, cold water at 14°C (produced in a water chiller), and compressed air, generated in a unit with a rated power consumption of 180 kW. The aim of the study is to determine the energy efficiency improvement of this type of manufacturing plant. The main problem to solve is to provide an air purification process so that air can be used in heat recovery devices. The next problem to solve is to recover heat at such a temperature level that it would be possible to produce cold for technological purposes without air purification. Experimental studies have shown that air purification is feasible. By using one microjet head, a total of 75% of tar particles was removed from the air; by using 4 heads, a purification efficiency of 93% was obtained. This method of air purification causes air temperature to decrease from 35°C to 20°C, which significantly reduces the potential for heat recovery. The next step of the research was designing a cassette-plate heat exchanger to exchange heat without air purification. The economic analysis of such a solution revealed that replacing the heat exchanger with a new one even once a year was not cost-efficient. Another issue examined in the context of energy efficiency was

Evaluation of the particle infiltration efficiency of three passive samplers and the PS-1 active air sampler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovic, Milos Z.; Prokop, Sebastian; Staebler, Ralf M.; Liggio, John; Harner, Tom

2015-07-01

The particle infiltration efficiencies (PIE) of three passive and one active air samplers were evaluated under field conditions. A wide-range particle spectrometer operating in the 250-4140 nm range was used to acquire highly temporally resolved particle-number and size distributions for the different samplers compared to ambient air. Overall, three of the four evaluated samplers were able to acquire a representative sample of ambient particles with PIEs of 91.5 ± 13.7% for the GAPS Network sampler, 103 ± 15.5% for the Lancaster University sampler, and 89.6 ± 13.4% for a conventional PS-1 high-volume active air sampler (Hi-Vol). Significantly (p = 0.05) lower PIE of 54 ± 8.0% was acquired for the passive sampler used under the MONET program. These findings inform the comparability and use of passive and active samplers for measuring particle-associated priority chemicals in air.

High temperature performance of high-efficiency, multi-layer solar selective coatings for tower applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gray, M. H.; Tirawat, R.; Kessinger, K. A.

The roadmap to next-generation concentrating solar power plants anticipates a progression to central towers with operating temperatures in excess of 650°C. These higher temperatures are required to drive higher power-cycle efficiencies, resulting in lower cost energy. However, these conditions also place a greater burden on the materials making up the receiver. Any novel absorber material developed for next-generation receivers must be stable in air, cost effective, and survive thousands of heating and cooling cycles. The collection efficiency of a power tower plant can be increased if the energy absorbed by the receiver is maximized while the heat loss from themore » receiver to the environment is minimized. Thermal radiation losses can be significant (>7% annual energy loss) with receivers at temperatures above 650°C. We present progress toward highly efficient and durable solar selective absorbers (SSAs) intended for operating temperatures from 650°C to 1000°C. Selective efficiency (η sel) is defined as the energy retained by the absorber, accounting for both absorptance and emittance, relative to the energy incident on the surface. The low emittance layers of multilayer SSAs are binary compounds of refractory metals whose material properties indicate that coatings formed of these materials should be oxidation resistant in air to 800-1200°C. On this basis, we initially developed a solar selective coating for parabolic troughs. This development has been successfully extended to meet the absorptance and emittance objectives for the more demanding, high temperature regime. We show advancement in coating materials, processing and designs resulting in the initial attainment of target efficiencies η sel > 0.91 for proposed tower conditions. Additionally, spectral measurements show that these coatings continue to perform at targeted levels after cycling to temperatures of 1000°C in environments of nitrogen and forming gas.« less

High temperature performance of high-efficiency, multi-layer solar selective coatings for tower applications

DOE PAGES

Gray, M. H.; Tirawat, R.; Kessinger, K. A.; ...

2015-05-01

The roadmap to next-generation concentrating solar power plants anticipates a progression to central towers with operating temperatures in excess of 650°C. These higher temperatures are required to drive higher power-cycle efficiencies, resulting in lower cost energy. However, these conditions also place a greater burden on the materials making up the receiver. Any novel absorber material developed for next-generation receivers must be stable in air, cost effective, and survive thousands of heating and cooling cycles. The collection efficiency of a power tower plant can be increased if the energy absorbed by the receiver is maximized while the heat loss from themore » receiver to the environment is minimized. Thermal radiation losses can be significant (>7% annual energy loss) with receivers at temperatures above 650°C. We present progress toward highly efficient and durable solar selective absorbers (SSAs) intended for operating temperatures from 650°C to 1000°C. Selective efficiency (η sel) is defined as the energy retained by the absorber, accounting for both absorptance and emittance, relative to the energy incident on the surface. The low emittance layers of multilayer SSAs are binary compounds of refractory metals whose material properties indicate that coatings formed of these materials should be oxidation resistant in air to 800-1200°C. On this basis, we initially developed a solar selective coating for parabolic troughs. This development has been successfully extended to meet the absorptance and emittance objectives for the more demanding, high temperature regime. We show advancement in coating materials, processing and designs resulting in the initial attainment of target efficiencies η sel > 0.91 for proposed tower conditions. Additionally, spectral measurements show that these coatings continue to perform at targeted levels after cycling to temperatures of 1000°C in environments of nitrogen and forming gas.« less

Pore structure of raw and purified HiPco single-walled carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cinke, Martin; Li, Jing; Chen, Bin; Cassell, Alan; Delzeit, Lance; Han, Jie; Meyyappan, M.

2002-10-01

Very high purity single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were obtained from HiPco SWNT samples containing Fe particles by a two-step purification process. The raw and purified samples were characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The purified sample consists of ˜0.4% Fe and the process does not seem to introduce any additional defects. The N 2 adsorption isotherm studies at 77 K reveal that the total surface area of the purified sample increases to 1587 m 2/g from 567 m 2/g for the raw material, which is the highest value reported for SWNTs.

HIGH EFFICIENCY SYNGAS GENERATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robert J. Copeland; Yevgenia Gershanovich; Brian Windecker

2005-02-01

This project investigated an efficient and low cost method of auto-thermally reforming natural gas to hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Reforming is the highest cost step in producing products such as methanol and Fisher Tropsch liquids (i.e., gas to liquids); and reducing the cost of reforming is the key to reducing the cost of these products. Steam reforming is expensive because of the high cost of the high nickel alloy reforming tubes (i.e., indirectly fired reforming tubes). Conventional auto-thermal or Partial Oxidation (POX) reforming minimizes the size and cost of the reformers and provides a near optimum mixture of CO andmore » hydrogen. However POX requires pure oxygen, which consumes power and significantly increases the cost to reforming. Our high efficiency process extracts oxygen from low-pressure air with novel oxygen sorbent and transfers the oxygen to a nickel-catalyzed reformer. The syngas is generated at process pressure (typically 20 to 40 bar) without nitrogen dilution and has a 1CO to 2H{sub 2} ratio that is near optimum for the subsequent production of Fisher-Tropsch liquid to liquids and other chemicals (i.e., Gas to Liquids, GTL). Our high process efficiency comes from the way we transfer the oxygen into the reformer. All of the components of the process, except for the oxygen sorbent, are commonly used in commercial practice. A process based on a longlived, regenerable, oxygen transfer sorbent could substantially reduce the cost of natural gas reforming to syngas. Lower cost syngas (CO + 2H{sub 2}) that is the feedstock for GTL would reduce the cost of GTL and for other commercial applications (e.g., methanol, other organic chemicals). The vast gas resources of Alaska's North Slope (ANS) offer more than 22 Tcf of gas and GTL production in this application alone, and could account for as much as 300,000 to 700,000 bpd for 20 to 30+ years. We developed a new sorbent, which is an essential part of the High Efficiency Oxygen Process (HOP). We

Toxicological Profiling of Highly Purified Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with Different Lengths in the Rodent Lung and Escherichia Coli.

PubMed

Wang, Xiang; Lee, Jae-Hyeok; Li, Ruibin; Liao, Yu-Pei; Kang, Joohoon; Chang, Chong Hyun; Guiney, Linda M; Mirshafiee, Vahid; Li, Linjiang; Lu, Jianqin; Xia, Tian; Hersam, Mark C; Nel, André E

2018-06-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit a number of physicochemical properties that contribute to adverse biological outcomes. However, it is difficult to define the independent contribution of individual properties without purified materials. A library of highly purified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) of different lengths is prepared from the same base material by density gradient ultracentrifugation, designated as short (318 nm), medium (789 nm), and long (1215 nm) SWCNTs. In vitro screening shows length-dependent interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production, in order of long > medium > short. However, there are no differences in transforming growth factor-β1 production in BEAS-2B cells. Oropharyngeal aspiration shows that all the SWCNTs induce profibrogenic effects in mouse lung at 21 d postexposure, but there are no differences between tube lengths. In contrast, these SWCNTs demonstrate length-dependent antibacterial effects on Escherichia coli, with the long SWCNT exerting stronger effects than the medium or short tubes. These effects are reduced by Pluronic F108 coating or supplementing with glucose. The data show length-dependent effects on proinflammatory response in macrophage cell line and antibacterial effects, but not on collagen deposition in the lung. These data demonstrate that over the length scale tested, the biological response to highly purified SWCNTs is dependent on the complexity of the nano/bio interface. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Product lifetime, energy efficiency and climate change: A case study of air conditioners in Japan.

PubMed

Nishijima, Daisuke

2016-10-01

This study proposed a modelling technique for estimating life-cycle CO2 emissions of durable goods by considering changes in product lifetime and energy efficiency. The stock and flow of durable goods was modelled by Weibull lifetime distributions and the trend in annual energy efficiency (i.e., annual electricity consumption) of an "average" durable good was formulated as a reverse logistic curve including a technologically critical value (i.e., limit energy efficiency) with respect to time. I found that when the average product lifetime is reduced, there is a trade-off between the reduction in emissions during product use (use phase), due to the additional purchases of new, more energy-efficient air conditioners, and the increase in emissions arising from the additional production of new air conditioners stimulated by the reduction of the average product lifetime. A scenario analysis focused on residential air conditioners in Japan during 1972-2013 showed that for a reduction of average lifetime of 1 year, if the air conditioner energy efficiency limit can be improved by 1.4% from the estimated current efficiency level, then CO2 emissions can be reduced by approximately the same amount as for an extension of average product lifetime of 1 year. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermally stable, highly efficient, ultraflexible organic photovoltaics

PubMed Central

Xu, Xiaomin; Fukuda, Kenjiro; Karki, Akchheta; Park, Sungjun; Kimura, Hiroki; Jinno, Hiroaki; Watanabe, Nobuhiro; Yamamoto, Shuhei; Shimomura, Satoru; Kitazawa, Daisuke; Yokota, Tomoyuki; Umezu, Shinjiro; Nguyen, Thuc-Quyen; Someya, Takao

2018-01-01

Flexible photovoltaics with extreme mechanical compliance present appealing possibilities to power Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and wearable electronic devices. Although improvement in thermal stability is essential, simultaneous achievement of high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and thermal stability in flexible organic photovoltaics (OPVs) remains challenging due to the difficulties in maintaining an optimal microstructure of the active layer under thermal stress. The insufficient thermal capability of a plastic substrate and the environmental influences cannot be fully expelled by ultrathin barrier coatings. Here, we have successfully fabricated ultraflexible OPVs with initial efficiencies of up to 10% that can endure temperatures of over 100 °C, maintaining 80% of the initial efficiency under accelerated testing conditions for over 500 hours in air. Particularly, we introduce a low-bandgap poly(benzodithiophene-cothieno[3,4-b]thiophene) (PBDTTT) donor polymer that forms a sturdy microstructure when blended with a fullerene acceptor. We demonstrate a feasible way to adhere ultraflexible OPVs onto textiles through a hot-melt process without causing severe performance degradation. PMID:29666257

Energy efficient engine high pressure turbine test hardware detailed design report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halila, E. E.; Lenahan, D. T.; Thomas, T. T.

1982-01-01

The high pressure turbine configuration for the Energy Efficient Engine is built around a two-stage design system. Moderate aerodynamic loading for both stages is used to achieve the high level of turbine efficiency. Flowpath components are designed for 18,000 hours of life, while the static and rotating structures are designed for 36,000 hours of engine operation. Both stages of turbine blades and vanes are air-cooled incorporating advanced state of the art in cooling technology. Direct solidification (DS) alloys are used for blades and one stage of vanes, and an oxide dispersion system (ODS) alloy is used for the Stage 1 nozzle airfoils. Ceramic shrouds are used as the material composition for the Stage 1 shroud. An active clearance control (ACC) system is used to control the blade tip to shroud clearances for both stages. Fan air is used to impinge on the shroud casing support rings, thereby controlling the growth rate of the shroud. This procedure allows close clearance control while minimizing blade tip to shroud rubs.

Low cost thermoformed solar still water purifier for D&E countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flendrig, L. M.; Shah, B.; Subrahmaniam, N.; Ramakrishnan, V.

IntroductionSolar distillation mimics nature’s hydrologic water cycle by purifying water through evaporation (using solar energy) and condensation (rain). It is one of the most basic purification systems available today to obtain high quality drinking water and can remove non-volatile contamination from almost any water source. This low-tech technology should therefore be ideally suited for developing and emerging countries where sun shines in abundance. In the past century numerous designs have been realised with footprints ranging from 0.5 m 2 to thousands of square meters. Despite all efforts, this intriguing technology has not been applied widely yet. Among the challenges that remain are: (1) its low yield, (2) obtaining local commitment to operate/maintain large scale systems properly, and (3) relatively high initial investment costs. The objective of this study has been to address challenges 1 and 3 by using standard plastic thermoforming technology to realize a small scale single slope solar still for personal use (2-4 l per day) with adequate efficiency and at low production costs. Materials and methodsThe solar still consists of two parts: a basin that holds the dirty water and a transparent tilted cover onto which the clean water vapour can condense. The basin has a footprint of 1.34 m 2 and is made of a 3 mm thick sheet of black high-density polyethylene (HDPE) which is thermoformed using standard equipment for making fish-ponds. This allows for the incorporation of detailed features, like reinforcements and a clean-water collection gutter, at no extra cost. The transparent cover is made of UV stabilised low-density PE-foil which is under a slope of 10° to transport condensed water droplets to the lower located collection gutter. Throughput and purification performance were evaluated in duplicate at our Bangalore R&D facilities in India, over a short term (5 day) period. Solar radiation was measured using a Pyranometer. The system was loaded with 40 l

Room temperature, air crystallized perovskite film for high performance solar cells

DOE PAGES

Dubey, Ashish; Kantack, Nicholas; Adhikari, Nirmal; ...

2016-05-31

For the first time, room temperature heating free growth and crystallization of perovskite films in ambient air without the use of thermal annealing is reported. Highly efficient perovskite nanorod-based solar cells were made using ITO/PEDOT:PSS/CH 3NH 3PbI 3 nanorods/PC 60BM/rhodamine/Ag. All the layers except PEDOT:PSS were processed at room temperature thereby eliminating the need for thermal treatment. Perovskite films were spin coated inside a N-2 filled glovebox and immediately were taken outside in air having 40% relative humidity (RH). Exposure to humid air was observed to promote the crystallization process in perovskite films even at room temperature. Perovskite films keptmore » for 5 hours in ambient air showed nanorod-like morphology having high crystallinity, with devices exhibiting the highest PCE of 16.83%, which is much higher than the PCE of 11.94% for traditional thermally annealed perovskite film based devices. Finally, it was concluded that moisture plays an important role in room temperature crystallization of pure perovskite nanorods, showing improved optical and charge transport properties, which resulted in high performance solar cells.« less

40 CFR 721.10411 - Alkanenitrile, bis(cyanoalkyl)amino (generic) (P-07-537).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... with N100 (if oil aerosols absent), R100, or P100 filters; NIOSH-certified powered air-purifying respirator equipped with a loose- fitting hood or helmet and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters... HEPA filters; or NIOSH-certified supplied-air respirator operated in pressure demand or continuous flow...

40 CFR 721.10411 - Alkanenitrile, bis(cyanoalkyl)amino (generic) (P-07-537).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... with N100 (if oil aerosols absent), R100, or P100 filters; NIOSH-certified powered air-purifying respirator equipped with a loose- fitting hood or helmet and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters... HEPA filters; or NIOSH-certified supplied-air respirator operated in pressure demand or continuous flow...

40 CFR 721.10411 - Alkanenitrile, bis(cyanoalkyl)amino (generic) (P-07-537).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... with N100 (if oil aerosols absent), R100, or P100 filters; NIOSH-certified powered air-purifying respirator equipped with a loose- fitting hood or helmet and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters... HEPA filters; or NIOSH-certified supplied-air respirator operated in pressure demand or continuous flow...

Stability of purified tuberculin in high dilution

PubMed Central

Magnus, Knut; Guld, Johannes; Waaler, Hans; Magnusson, Mogens

1958-01-01

The authors have investigated the effect of storage on the potency of 5 TU dilutions (5 TU per 0.1 ml) of the purified tuberculin RT 19-21 (Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen). Dilutions stored at 2-4°C, 20°C and 37°C for different periods up to 18 months were compared by intradermal testing. About 900 BCG-vaccinated schoolchildren were given duplicate tests and in addition 500 tests were made in BCG-vaccinated guinea-pigs. The results showed unexpected variability. It appeared that this variability was due to unsystematic variations in potency both between dilutions prepared at different times and between ampoules of the same dilution. Because of this variability only limited conclusions could be drawn. At 2-4°C the effect of storage seemed to be very slight, the potency of the dilutions being reduced by less than 25% after 18 months. At the higher temperatures, the decrease in activity was more rapid. Nevertheless, the dilutions could be stored at room temperature (20°C) for some months without any practically significant loss of potency. PMID:13618718

High efficiency gas burner

DOEpatents

Schuetz, Mark A.

1983-01-01

A burner assembly provides for 100% premixing of fuel and air by drawing the air into at least one high velocity stream of fuel without power assist. Specifically, the nozzle assembly for injecting the fuel into a throat comprises a plurality of nozzles in a generally circular array. Preferably, swirl is imparted to the air/fuel mixture by angling the nozzles. The diffuser comprises a conical primary diffuser followed by a cusp diffuser.

Reduction of reactive red 241 by oxygen insensitive azoreductase purified from a novel strain Staphylococcus KU898286

PubMed Central

Nisar, Numrah; Aleem, Amber; Saleem, Faiza; Aslam, Fakhra; Shahid, Ammara; Chaudhry, Hina; Malik, Kausar; Albaser, Abdulhadi; Iqbal, Amjad; Yang, Yaodong

2017-01-01

An oxygen insensitive azoreductase was purified from a novel bacterial strain (Staphylococcus sp. KU898286) that was isolated from an abandoned site of the textile waste discharge unit. The isolated enzyme had efficiently cleaved the azo-bonds through reductive transformation under aerobic conditions. Initial phenotypic characterization and final construction of phylogenetic tree on the basis of 16s rDNA demonstrated 99% resemblance of the isolate to Staphylococcus aureus. The purified azoreductase was found to have a broad spectrum activity that reduced RR241 at a concentration of 50mg/L with pH between 6–8 and 30°C temperature). Besides, the reactive red 241 (RR241) was reduced at extracellular level as well as NADH dependent intracellular level. Complete reduction/ decolourization of RR241 were achieved after 18 hrs of exposure. The final degradation product observed to be 2-nephthol was purified by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and the molecular mass was computed by Gas Chromatography-Mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The study revealed a cost effective and eco-friendly approach to degrade the toxic dyes into less toxic products by Staphylococcus sp. KU898286. PMID:28467413

Highly efficient isolation of waterborne sound by an air-sealed meta-screen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Xiaoxue; Qiu, Chunyin; Wen, Xinhua; Peng, Shasha; Ke, Manzhu; Liu, Zhengyou

2017-05-01

Underwater sound isolation has been a long-standing fundamental issue in industry and military fields. Starting from a simple theoretical model, here an air-sealed meta-screen is proposed to overcome this problem. Comparing with the sample without filling air, the effective impedance of the air-sealed one is greatly reduced and strikingly mismatch with water, accompanying another merit of low sound speed. Deeply suppressed sound transmission (˜50 dB) through such a meta-screen is observed experimentally over a wide range of ultrasonic frequencies and incident angles.

Highly efficient solar vapour generation via hierarchically nanostructured gels.

PubMed

Zhao, Fei; Zhou, Xingyi; Shi, Ye; Qian, Xin; Alexander, Megan; Zhao, Xinpeng; Mendez, Samantha; Yang, Ronggui; Qu, Liangti; Yu, Guihua

2018-04-02

Solar vapour generation is an efficient way of harvesting solar energy for the purification of polluted or saline water. However, water evaporation suffers from either inefficient utilization of solar energy or relies on complex and expensive light-concentration accessories. Here, we demonstrate a hierarchically nanostructured gel (HNG) based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polypyrrole (PPy) that serves as an independent solar vapour generator. The converted energy can be utilized in situ to power the vaporization of water contained in the molecular meshes of the PVA network, where water evaporation is facilitated by the skeleton of the hydrogel. A floating HNG sample evaporated water with a record high rate of 3.2 kg m -2  h -1 via 94% solar energy from 1 sun irradiation, and 18-23 litres of water per square metre of HNG was delivered daily when purifying brine water. These values were achievable due to the reduced latent heat of water evaporation in the molecular mesh under natural sunlight.

Highly efficient solar vapour generation via hierarchically nanostructured gels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Fei; Zhou, Xingyi; Shi, Ye; Qian, Xin; Alexander, Megan; Zhao, Xinpeng; Mendez, Samantha; Yang, Ronggui; Qu, Liangti; Yu, Guihua

2018-06-01

Solar vapour generation is an efficient way of harvesting solar energy for the purification of polluted or saline water. However, water evaporation suffers from either inefficient utilization of solar energy or relies on complex and expensive light-concentration accessories. Here, we demonstrate a hierarchically nanostructured gel (HNG) based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polypyrrole (PPy) that serves as an independent solar vapour generator. The converted energy can be utilized in situ to power the vaporization of water contained in the molecular meshes of the PVA network, where water evaporation is facilitated by the skeleton of the hydrogel. A floating HNG sample evaporated water with a record high rate of 3.2 kg m-2 h-1 via 94% solar energy from 1 sun irradiation, and 18-23 litres of water per square metre of HNG was delivered daily when purifying brine water. These values were achievable due to the reduced latent heat of water evaporation in the molecular mesh under natural sunlight.

High Efficiency, Clean Combustion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Donald Stanton

2010-03-31

numerous challenges to reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gases, meet stringent emissions regulations, provide customer value, and improve safety. The HECC program successfully reduced engine fuel consumption and greenhouse gases while providing greater customer valve. The US EPA 2010 emissions standard poses a significant challenge for developing clean diesel powertrains that meet the DoE Vehicle Technologies Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP) for fuel efficiency improvement while remaining affordable. Along with exhaust emissions, an emphasis on heavy duty vehicle fuel efficiency is being driven by increased energy costs as well as the potential regulation of greenhouse gases. An important element of the success of meeting emissions while significantly improving efficiency is leveraging Cummins component technologies such as fuel injection equipment, aftertreatment, turbomahcinery, electronic controls, and combustion systems. Innovation in component technology coupled with system integration is enabling Cummins to move forward with the development of high efficiency clean diesel products with a long term goal of reaching a 55% peak brake thermal efficiency for the engine plus aftertreatment system. The first step in developing high efficiency clean products has been supported by the DoE co-sponsored HECC program. The objectives of the HECC program are: (1) To design and develop advanced diesel engine architectures capable of achieving US EPA 2010 emission regulations while improving the brake thermal efficiency by 10% compared to the baseline (a state of the art 2007 production diesel engine). (2) To design and develop components and subsystems (fuel systems, air handling, controls, etc) to enable construction and development of multi-cylinder engines. (3) To perform an assessment of the commercial viability of the newly developed engine technology. (4) To specify fuel properties conducive to improvements in emissions, reliability, and fuel efficiency for engines using

Novel MOF-Derived Co@N-C Bifunctional Catalysts for Highly Efficient Zn-Air Batteries and Water Splitting.

PubMed

Zhang, Mingdao; Dai, Quanbin; Zheng, Hegen; Chen, Mindong; Dai, Liming

2018-03-01

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and MOF-derived materials have recently attracted considerable interest as alternatives to noble-metal electrocatalysts. Herein, the rational design and synthesis of a new class of Co@N-C materials (C-MOF-C2-T) from a pair of enantiotopic chiral 3D MOFs by pyrolysis at temperature T is reported. The newly developed C-MOF-C2-900 with a unique 3D hierarchical rodlike structure, consisting of homogeneously distributed cobalt nanoparticles encapsulated by partially graphitized N-doped carbon rings along the rod length, exhibits higher electrocatalytic activities for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR and OER) than that of commercial Pt/C and RuO 2 , respectively. Primary Zn-air batteries based on C-MOF-900 for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) operated at a discharge potential of 1.30 V with a specific capacity of 741 mA h g Zn -1 under 10 mA cm -2 . Rechargeable Zn-air batteries based on C-MOF-C2-900 as an ORR and OER bifunctional catalyst exhibit initial charge and discharge potentials at 1.81 and 1.28 V (2 mA cm -2 ), along with an excellent cycling stability with no increase in polarization even after 120 h - outperform their counterparts based on noble-metal-based air electrodes. The resultant rechargeable Zn-air batteries are used to efficiently power electrochemical water-splitting systems, demonstrating promising potential as integrated green energy systems for practical applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Methods for Purifying Enzymes for Mycoremediation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cullings, Kenneth W. (Inventor); DeSimone, Julia C. (Inventor); Paavola, Chad D. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A process for purifying laccase from an ectomycorrhizal fruiting body is disclosed. The process includes steps of homogenization, sonication, centrifugation, filtration, affinity chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. Purified laccase can also be separated into isomers.

Cleaner Air for Home and Office

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Increased insulation has led to higher concentrations in homes and offices of toxic chemicals caused by emissions from synthetic building components. Recent NASA research regarding future interplanetary manned spacecraft has shown that certain plants can absorb gasses, reducing indoor air pollution. After working with water purifying water hyacinths, Dr. B. C. Wolverton at NSTL developed a carbon/plant filter system to remove chemicals, smoke, etc. Two companies have commercialized the system. Bio-safe provides plants, a bed of activated carbon and an air pump installed near the plant's roots. Pollutants are trapped by the charcoal and either digested by the roots or broken down by microorganisms. Purified air is then directed back into the room. Applied Indoor Resource Company markets Bio-Pure, which includes plants on a layer of patented soil medium with activated carbon. Legumes and mosses filter the air; a blower moves air through the filtering system for cleansing by microorganisms. Research at NSTL continues, and the system may eventually be enlarged.

The stabilisation of purified, reconstituted P-glycoprotein by freeze drying with disaccharides.

PubMed

Heikal, Adam; Box, Karl; Rothnie, Alice; Storm, Janet; Callaghan, Richard; Allen, Marcus

2009-02-01

The drug efflux pump P-glycoprotein (P-gp) (ABCB1) confers multidrug resistance, a major cause of failure in the chemotherapy of tumours, exacerbated by a shortage of potent and selective inhibitors. A high throughput assay using purified P-gp to screen and characterise potential inhibitors would greatly accelerate their development. However, long-term stability of purified reconstituted ABCB1 can only be reliably achieved with storage at -80 degrees C. For example, at 20 degrees C, the activity of ABCB1 was abrogated with a half-life of <1 day. The aim of this investigation was to stabilise purified, reconstituted ABCB1 to enable storage at higher temperatures and thereby enable design of a high throughput assay system. The ABCB1 purification procedure was optimised to allow successful freeze drying by substitution of glycerol with the disaccharides trehalose or maltose. Addition of disaccharides resulted in ATPase activity being retained immediately following lyophilisation with no significant difference between the two disaccharides. However, during storage trehalose preserved ATPase activity for several months regardless of the temperature (e.g. 60% retention at 150 days), whereas ATPase activity in maltose purified P-gp was affected by both storage time and temperature. The data provide an effective mechanism for the production of resilient purified, reconstituted ABCB1.

High-pressure swing system for measurements of radioactive fission gases in air samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schell, W. R.; Vives-Battle, J.; Yoon, S. R.; Tobin, M. J.

1999-01-01

Radionuclides emitted from nuclear reactors, fuel reprocessing facilities and nuclear weapons tests are distributed widely in the atmosphere but have very low concentrations. As part of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), identification and verification of the emission of radionuclides from such sources are fundamental in maintaining nuclear security. To detect underground and underwater nuclear weapons tests, only the gaseous components need to be analyzed. Equipment has now been developed that can be used to collect large volumes of air, separate and concentrate the radioactive gas constituents, such as xenon and krypton, and measure them quantitatively. By measuring xenon isotopes with different half-lives, the time since the fission event can be determined. Developments in high-pressure (3500 kPa) swing chromatography using molecular sieve adsorbents have provided the means to collect and purify trace quantities of the gases from large volumes of air automatically. New scintillation detectors, together with timing and pulse shaping electronics, have provided the low-background levels essential in identifying the gamma ray, X-ray, and electron energy spectra of specific radionuclides. System miniaturization and portability with remote control could be designed for a field-deployable production model.

An efficient method for purifying high quality RNA from wheat pistils.

PubMed

Manickavelu, A; Kambara, Kumiko; Mishina, Kohei; Koba, Takato

2007-02-15

Many methods are available for total RNA extraction from plants, except the floral organs like wheat pistils containing high levels of polysaccharides that bind/or co-precipitate with RNA. In this protocol, a simple and effective method for extracting total RNA from small and feathery wheat pistils has been developed. Lithium chloride (LiCl) and phenol:chloroform:isoamylalcohol (PCI) were employed and the samples were ground in microcentrifuge tube using plastic pestle. A jacket of liquid nitrogen and simplified procedures were applied to ensure thorough grinding of the pistils and to minimize the samples loss. These measures substantially increased the recovery of total RNA (approximately 50%) in the extraction process. Reliable differential display by cDNA-AFLP was successfully achieved with the total RNA after DNase treatment and reverse transcription. This method is also practicable for gene expression and gene regulation studies in floral parts of other plants.

Pilot production and testing of high efficiency wraparound contact solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillanders, M.

1981-01-01

Modifications were made to the process sequence until a device capable of high performance and satisfactory processing yields could be fabricated on a production line. Pilot production resulted in a 2 x 4 cm screen printed dielectric wraparound contact solar cell with average 28 C, Air Mass Zero (AMO) conversion efficiencies of 14.2% and reasonable process yields. This high performance was obtained with two different back contact configurations, making the device acceptable for many applications.

10 CFR 431.96 - Uniform test method for the measurement of energy efficiency of commercial air conditioners and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... efficiency of commercial air conditioners and heat pumps. 431.96 Section 431.96 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY... Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Test Procedures § 431.96 Uniform test method for the measurement of energy efficiency of commercial air conditioners and heat pumps. (a) Scope. This section contains test...

10 CFR 431.96 - Uniform test method for the measurement of energy efficiency of commercial air conditioners and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... efficiency of commercial air conditioners and heat pumps. 431.96 Section 431.96 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY... Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Test Procedures § 431.96 Uniform test method for the measurement of energy efficiency of commercial air conditioners and heat pumps. (a) Scope. This section contains test...

High-Efficiency Nitride-Base Photonic Crystal Light Sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James Speck; Evelyn Hu; Claude Weisbuch

2010-01-31

The research activities performed in the framework of this project represent a major breakthrough in the demonstration of Photonic Crystals (PhC) as a competitive technology for LEDs with high light extraction efficiency. The goals of the project were to explore the viable approaches to manufacturability of PhC LEDS through proven standard industrial processes, establish the limits of light extraction by various concepts of PhC LEDs, and determine the possible advantages of PhC LEDs over current and forthcoming LED extraction concepts. We have developed three very different geometries for PhC light extraction in LEDs. In addition, we have demonstrated reliable methodsmore » for their in-depth analysis allowing the extraction of important parameters such as light extraction efficiency, modal extraction length, directionality, internal and external quantum efficiency. The information gained allows better understanding of the physical processes and the effect of the design parameters on the light directionality and extraction efficiency. As a result, we produced LEDs with controllable emission directionality and a state of the art extraction efficiency that goes up to 94%. Those devices are based on embedded air-gap PhC - a novel technology concept developed in the framework of this project. They rely on a simple and planar fabrication process that is very interesting for industrial implementation due to its robustness and scalability. In fact, besides the additional patterning and regrowth steps, the process is identical as that for standard industrially used p-side-up LEDs. The final devices exhibit the same good electrical characteristics and high process yield as a series of test standard LEDs obtained in comparable conditions. Finally, the technology of embedded air-gap patterns (PhC) has significant potential in other related fields such as: increasing the optical mode interaction with the active region in semiconductor lasers; increasing the coupling of the

Cooling efficiency of a spot-type personalized air-conditioner

DOE PAGES

Zhu, Shengwei; Dalgo, Daniel; Srebric, Jelena; ...

2017-08-01

Here, this study defined Cooling Efficiency ( CE) of a Spot-type Personalized Air-Conditioning (SPAC) device as the ratio of the additional sensible heat removal from human body induced by SPAC and the device's cooling capacity. CE enabled the investigation of SPAC performance on the occupant's sensible heat loss (Q s) and thermal sensation by its quantitative relation with the change of PMV level ( ΔPMV). Three round nozzles with the diameter of 0.08 m, 0.105 m, and 0.128 m, respectively, discharged air jets at airflow rates from 11.8 L s –1 to 59.0 L s –1, toward the chest ofmore » a seated or standing human body with a clothing of 0.48 clo. This study developed a validated CFD model coupled with the Fanger's thermoregulation model, to calculate Q s in a room of 26 °C ventilated at a rate of 3 ACH. According to the results, Q s, CE and draft risk ( DR) at face had significant positive linear correlation with the SPAC device's supply airflow rates (R2 >0.96), and a negative linear correlation for ΔPMV. With DR = 20% at face, CE was always under 0.3, and ΔPMV was around -1.0–1.1. Interestingly, both CE and ΔPMV had the least favorable values for the air jet produced by the nozzle with the diameter of 0.105 m independent of body posture. In conclusion, although SPAC could lead to additional Q s by sending air at a higher airflow rate from a smaller nozzle, the improvement in cooling efficiency and thermal sensation had a limit due to draft risk.« less

Guanine nucleotide regulatory protein co-purifies with the D/sub 2/-dopamine receptor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Senogles, S.E.; Caron, M.G.

1986-05-01

The D/sub 2/-dopamine receptor from bovine anterior pituitary was purified approx.1000 fold by affinity chromatography on CMOS-Sepharose. Reconstitution of the affinity-purified receptor into phospholipid vesicles revealed the presence of high and low affinity agonist sites as detected by N-n-propylnorapomorphine (NPA) competition experiments with /sup 3/H-spiperone. High affinity agonist binding could be converted to the low affinity form by guanine nucleotides, indicating the presence of an endogenous guanine nucleotide binding protein (N protein) in the affinity-purified D/sub 2/ receptor preparations. Furthermore, this preparation contained an agonist-sensitive GTPase activity which was stimulated 2-3 fold over basal by 10 ..mu..M NPA. /sup 35/S-GTP..gamma..Smore » binding to these preparations revealed a stoichiometry of 0.4-0.7 mole N protein/mole receptor, suggesting the N protein may be specifically coupled with the purified D/sub 2/-dopamine receptor and not present as a contaminant. Pertussis toxin treatment of the affinity purified receptor preparations prevented high affinity agonist binding, as well as agonist stimulation of the GTPase activity, presumably by inactivating the associated N protein. Pertussis toxin lead to the ADP-ribosylation of a protein of 39-40K on SDS-PAGE. These findings indicate that an endogenous N protein, N/sub i/ or N/sub o/, co-purifies with the D/sub 2/-dopamine receptor which may reflect a precoupling of this receptor with an N protein within the membranes.« less

LOW EMISSION AND HIGH EFFICIENCY RESIDENTIAL PELLET-FIRED HEATERS

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives results of air emissions testing and efficiency testing on new commercially available under-feed and top-feed residential heaters burning hardwood- and softwood-based pellets. The results were compared with data from earlier models. Reductions in air emissions w...

Application of porous medium for efficiency improvement of a concentrated solar air heating system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasartkaew, Boonrit

2018-01-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate the thermal efficiency of a concentrated solar collector for a high temperature air heating system. The proposed system consists of a 25-m2 focused multi-flat-mirror solar heliostat equipped with a porous medium solar collector/receiver which was installed on the top of a 3-m tower, called ‘tower receiver’. To know how the system efficiency cloud be improved by using porous medium, the proposed system with and without porous medium were tested and the comparative study was performed. The experimental results reveal that, for the proposed system, application of porous medium is promising, the efficiency can be increased about 2 times compared to the conventional one. In addition, due to the porous medium used in this study was the waste material with very low cost. It can be summarized that the substantial efficiency improvement with very low investment cost of the proposed system seem to be a vital measures for addressing the energy issues.

RHELP (Regenerative High Efficiency Low Pressure) Air Purification System

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-18

with both SiC tubes and the fine granules was done by measuring THC concentration in the outlet air with the THC analyzer. When this was repeated...2.0 cm/s and 96.0% at 3.0 cm/s. This is close to what was seen originally without the plug. These results indicate that using THC concentration of...ratios of TB:AA from 1:0 to 1:16. ........ 34 Figure 25: df and Cv of samples with different PVP and F108 concentrations

Biological properties of purified recombinant HCV particles with an epitope-tagged envelope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takahashi, Hitoshi; Akazawa, Daisuke; Toray Industries, Inc., Kanagawa

2010-05-14

To establish a simple system for purification of recombinant infectious hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles, we designed a chimeric J6/JFH-1 virus with a FLAG (FL)-epitope-tagged sequence at the N-terminal region of the E2 hypervariable region-1 (HVR1) gene (J6/JFH-1/1FL). We found that introduction of an adaptive mutation at the potential N-glycosylation site (E2N151K) leads to efficient production of the chimeric virus. This finding suggests the involvement of glycosylation at Asn within the envelope protein(s) in HCV morphogenesis. To further analyze the biological properties of the purified recombinant HCV particles, we developed a strategy for large-scale production and purification of recombinant J6/JFH-1/1FL/E2N151K.more » Infectious particles were purified from the culture medium of J6/JFH-1/1FL/E2N151K-infected Huh-7 cells using anti-FLAG affinity chromatography in combination with ultrafiltration. Electron microscopy of the purified particles using negative staining showed spherical particle structures with a diameter of 40-60 nm and spike-like projections. Purified HCV particle-immunization induced both an anti-E2 and an anti-FLAG antibody response in immunized mice. This strategy may contribute to future detailed analysis of HCV particle structure and to HCV vaccine development.« less

Enabling Airspace Integration for High Density Urban Air Mobility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Eric Richard

2017-01-01

Aviation technologies and concepts have reached a level of maturity that may soon enable an era of on-demand mobility (ODM) fueled by quiet, efficient, and largely automated air taxis. However, successfully bringing such a system to fruition will require introducing orders of magnitude more aircraft to a given airspace volume than can be accommodated by the traditional air traffic control system, among other important technical challenges. The airspace integration problem is further compounded by requirements to set aside appropriate ground infrastructure for take-off and landing areas and ensuring these new aircraft types and their operations do not burden traditional airspace users and air traffic control. These challenge for ODM may be significantly reduced by extending the concepts and technologies developed to manage small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) at low altitude the UAS traffic management (UTM) system to higher altitudes and aircraft with humans onboard in controlled airspace, or by equipping ODM aircraft with advanced sensors, algorithms, and interfaces. The precedent of operational freedom inherent in visual flight rules and the technologies developed for large UAS and commercial aircraft automation will contribute to the evolution of an ODM system enabled by UTM. This paper describes the set of air traffic services, normally provided by the traditional air traffic system, that an ODM system would implement to achieve the high densities needed for ODMs economic viability. Finally, the paper proposes a framework for integrating, evaluating, and deploying low-, medium-, and high-density ODM concepts that build on each other to ensure operational and economic feasibility at every step.

Experimental Study on Ultrafine Particle Removal Performance of Portable Air Cleaners with Different Filters in an Office Room

PubMed Central

Ma, Huan; Shen, Henggen; Shui, Tiantian; Li, Qing; Zhou, Liuke

2016-01-01

Size- and time-dependent aerodynamic behaviors of indoor particles, including PM1.0, were evaluated in a school office in order to test the performance of air-cleaning devices using different filters. In-situ real-time measurements were taken using an optical particle counter. The filtration characteristics of filter media, including single-pass efficiency, volume and effectiveness, were evaluated and analyzed. The electret filter (EE) medium shows better initial removal efficiency than the high efficiency (HE) medium in the 0.3–3.5 μm particle size range, while under the same face velocity, the filtration resistance of the HE medium is several times higher than that of the EE medium. During service life testing, the efficiency of the EE medium decreased to 60% with a total purifying air flow of 25 × 104 m3/m2. The resistance curve rose slightly before the efficiency reached the bottom, and then increased almost exponentially. The single-pass efficiency of portable air cleaner (PAC) with the pre-filter (PR) or the active carbon granule filter (CF) was relatively poor. While PAC with the pre-filter and the high efficiency filter (PR&HE) showed maximum single-pass efficiency for PM1.0 (88.6%), PAC with the HE was the most effective at removing PM1.0. The enhancement of PR with HE and electret filters augmented the single-pass efficiency, but lessened the airflow rate and effectiveness. Combined with PR, the decay constant of large-sized particles could be greater than for PACs without PR. Without regard to the lifetime, the electret filters performed better with respect to resource saving and purification improvement. A most penetrating particle size range (MPPS: 0.4–0.65 μm) exists in both HE and electret filters; the MPPS tends to become larger after HE and electret filters are combined with PR. These results serve to provide a better understanding of the indoor particle removal performance of PACs when combined with different kinds of filters in school

Hydrogen purifier module with membrane support

DOEpatents

A hydrogen purifier utilizing a hydrogen-permeable membrane to purify hydrogen from mixed gases containing hydrogen is disclosed. Improved mechanical support for the permeable membrane is described, enabling forward or reverse differential pressurization of the membrane, which further stabilizes the membrane from wrinkling upon hydrogen uptake.

2012-07-24

A hydrogen purifier utilizing a hydrogen-permeable membrane to purify hydrogen from mixed gases containing hydrogen is disclosed. Improved mechanical support for the permeable membrane is described, enabling forward or reverse differential pressurization of the membrane, which further stabilizes the membrane from wrinkling upon hydrogen uptake.

New Method Developed To Purify Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lebron, Marisabel; Meador, Michael A.

2003-01-01

Single wall carbon nanotubes have attracted considerable attention because of their remarkable mechanical properties and electrical and thermal conductivities. Use of these materials as primary or secondary reinforcements in polymers or ceramics could lead to new materials with significantly enhanced mechanical strength and electrical and thermal conductivity. Use of carbon-nanotube-reinforced materials in aerospace components will enable substantial reductions in component weight and improvements in durability and safety. Potential applications for single wall carbon nanotubes include lightweight components for vehicle structures and propulsion systems, fuel cell components (bipolar plates and electrodes) and battery electrodes, and ultra-lightweight materials for use in solar sails. A major barrier to the successful use of carbon nanotubes in these components is the need for methods to economically produce pure carbon nanotubes in large enough quantities to not only evaluate their suitability for certain applications but also produce actual components. Most carbon nanotube synthesis methods, including the HiPCO (high pressure carbon monoxide) method developed by Smalley and others, employ metal catalysts that remain trapped in the final product. These catalyst impurities can affect nanotube properties and accelerate their decomposition. The development of techniques to remove most, if not all, of these impurities is essential to their successful use in practical applications. A new method has been developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center to purify gram-scale quantities of single wall carbon nanotubes. This method, a modification of a gas phase purification technique previously reported by Smalley and others, uses a combination of high-temperature oxidations and repeated extractions with nitric and hydrochloric acid. This improved procedure significantly reduces the amount of impurities (catalyst and nonnanotube forms of carbon) within the nanotubes, increasing

Stirling Air Conditioner for Compact Cooling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2010-09-01

BEETIT Project: Infinia is developing a compact air conditioner that uses an unconventional high efficient Stirling cycle system (vs. conventional vapor compression systems) to produce cool air that is energy efficient and does not rely on polluting refrigerants. The Stirling cycle system is a type of air conditioning system that uses a motor with a piston to remove heat to the outside atmosphere using a gas refrigerant. To date, Stirling systems have been expensive and have not had the right kind of heat exchanger to help cool air efficiently. Infinia is using chip cooling technology from the computer industry tomore » make improvements to the heat exchanger and improve system performance. Infinia’s air conditioner uses helium gas as refrigerant, an environmentally benign gas that does not react with other chemicals and does not burn. Infinia’s improvements to the Stirling cycle system will enable the cost-effective mass production of high-efficiency air conditioners that use no polluting refrigerants.« less

Thermostable purified endoglucanase from thermophilic bacterium acidothermus cellulolyticus

DOEpatents

Tucker, Melvin P.; Grohmann, Karel; Himmel, Michael E.; Mohagheghi, Ali

1992-01-01

A substantially purified high molecular weight cellulase enzyme having a molecular weight of between about 156,000 to about 203,400 daltons isolated from the bacterium Acidothermus cellulolyticus (ATCC 43068) and a method of producing it are disclosed. The enzyme is water soluble, possesses both C.sub.1 and C.sub.x types of enzymatic activity, has a high degree of stability toward heat and exhibits both a high optimum temperature activity and high inactivation characteristics.

Characterization of a protein kinase activity associated with purified capsids of the granulosis virus infecting Plodia interpunctella.

PubMed

Wilson, M E; Consigli, R A

1985-06-01

A cyclic-nucleotide independent protein kinase activity has been demonstrated in highly purified preparations of the granulosis virus infecting the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella. A divalent cation was required for activity. Manganese was the preferred cation and a pH of 8.0 resulted in optimal incorporation of 32P radiolabel into acid-precipitable protein. Although both ATP and GTP could serve as phosphate donors, ATP was utilized more efficiently by the enzyme. The kinase activity was localized to purified capsids; and the basic, internal core protein, VP12, was found to be the predominant viral acceptor. Histones and protamine sulfate could also serve as acceptors for the capsid-associated kinase activity. Using acid hydrolysis and phosphoamino acid analysis of phosphorylated nucleocapsid protein and nuclear magnetic resonance of phosphorylated VP12, it was determined that the enzyme catalyzes the transfer of phosphate to both serine and arginine residues of acceptor proteins. We believe this kinase activity may play a significant role in the viral replication cycle.

Relationships between the Efficiencies of Photosystems I and II and Stromal Redox State in CO(2)-Free Air : Evidence for Cyclic Electron Flow in Vivo.

PubMed

Harbinson, J; Foyer, C H

1991-09-01

The responses of the efficiencies of photosystems I and II, stromal redox state (as indicated by NADP-malate dehydrogenase activation state), and activation of the Benson-Calvin cycle enzymes ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase to varying irradiance were measured in pea (Pisum sativum L.) leaves operating close to the CO(2) compensation point. A comparison of the relationships among these parameters obtained from leaves in air was made with those obtained when the leaves were maintained in air from which the CO(2) had been removed. P700 was more oxidized at any measured irradiance in CO(2)-free air than in air. The relationship between the quantum efficiencies of the photosystems in CO(2)-free air was distinctly curvilinear in contrast to the predominantly linear relationship obtained with leaves in air. This nonlinearity may be consistent with the operation of cyclic electron flow around photosystem I because the quantum efficiency of photosystem II was much more restricted than the quantum efficiency of photosystem I. In CO(2)-free air, measured NADP-malate dehydrogenase activities varied considerably at low irradiances. However, at high irradiance the activity of the enzyme was low, implying that the stroma was oxidized. In contrast, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities tended to increase with increasing electron flux through the photosystems. Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activity remained relatively constant with respect to irradiance in CO(2)-free air, with an activation state 50% of maximum. We conclude that, at the CO(2) compensation point and high irradiance, low redox states are favored and that cyclic electron flow may be substantial. These two features may be the requirements necessary to trigger and maintain the dissipative processes in the thylakoid membrane.

Purified human breast milk MUC1 and MUC4 inhibit human immunodeficiency virus.

PubMed

Mthembu, Yolanda; Lotz, Zoe; Tyler, Marilyn; de Beer, Corena; Rodrigues, Jeronimo; Schoeman, Leann; Mall, Anwar Suleman

2014-01-01

The HIV-AIDS pandemic is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. Breastfeeding is a risk factor, with transmission from mother to child being as high as 40%. To determine the antiviral activity of crude breast milk and its purified mucins MUC1 and MUC4 against HIV-1 in patients who were HIV positive compared to those who were not. Twenty-one human milk samples were taken from both groups. Breast milk mucins were purified by density-gradient ultracentrifugation in caesium chloride and analyzed by SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and amino acid content. The inhibition of the virus by crude milk and purified mucin was assayed by an in vitro HIV-1 p24 assay. SDS-PAGE for purified mucin showed several high-molecular-weight bands for the HIV-negative group and prominently stained single bands on the stacking gel with faintly periodic acid Schiff-positive glycoprotein bands observed in some cases in the running gel for the HIV-positive mucins. Western blot analysis identified the mucins in both groups to be MUC1 and MUC4. Both mucins showed more intensity on Western blotting for the HIV-positive group. There was no difference in the content of serine, threonine and proline of purified mucins for both groups. HIV-1 was not inhibited by crude breast milk from normal (13/14 samples) and infected individuals (19/19 samples). Fifteen of 20 and 16/18 samples of purified mucin from the uninfected and HIV-positive groups, respectively, inhibited the virus. Crude breast milk does not inhibit HIV-1, whilst purified mucins do in an in vitro assay. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A novel experimental technology for testing efficacy of air purifiers on pollen reduction.

PubMed

Bergmann, Karl-Christian; Sehlinger, Torsten; Gildemeister, Julia; Zuberbier, Torsten

2017-01-01

Allergenic pollen exposure is mostly seen as an outdoor phenomenon but studies have shown an indoor exposure: different pollen species including birch and grass pollen in houses, schools, and shops are leading to long-lasting symptoms even after the pollen season because pollen settle on surfaces and re-enter the indoor air depending on ventilation. To reduce indoor pollen load, windows need to be closed and devices should be used: as pure wiping and cleaning of surfaces is mostly not sufficient, air cleaners may be helpful in reducing pollen counts in indoor environment. The efficacy of an air cleaner is usually described by the filtration rate of standard dust particle sizes which is not necessarily related to clinical efficacy. A novel study design was developed using the technical equipment of a new mobile exposure chamber to investigate participants with allergic rhinitis (individual observational, controlled, prospective, single arm study). The tested air cleaner reduced the grass pollen-induced (4000 grass pollen/m 3 over 90 min) nasal symptoms (total nasal symptom score) significantly from 6 and 4 points (1st and 2nd exposure in sham run) to less than 1 point when air cleaner was activated. The novel study protocol is suitable for testing efficacy of air cleaners and the tested air cleaner is effective in reducing clinical symptoms due to grass pollen in an indoor environment.

Seminar 14 - Desiccant Enhanced Air Conditioning: Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative Air Conditioning (Presentation)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kozubal, E.

2013-02-01

This presentation explains how liquid desiccant based coupled with an indirect evaporative cooler can efficiently produce cool, dry air, and how a liquid desiccant membrane air conditioner can efficiently provide cooling and dehumidification without the carryover problems of previous generations of liquid desiccant systems. It provides an overview to a liquid desiccant DX air conditioner that can efficiently provide cooling and dehumidification to high latent loads without the need for reheat, explains how liquid desiccant cooling and dehumidification systems can outperform vapor compression based air conditioning systems in hot and humid climates, explains how liquid desiccant cooling and dehumidification systemsmore » work, and describes a refrigerant free liquid desiccant based cooling system.« less

21 CFR 880.6710 - Medical ultraviolet water purifier.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical ultraviolet water purifier. 880.6710... Miscellaneous Devices § 880.6710 Medical ultraviolet water purifier. (a) Identification. A medical ultraviolet water purifier is a device intended for medical purposes that is used to destroy bacteria in water by...

21 CFR 880.6710 - Medical ultraviolet water purifier.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Medical ultraviolet water purifier. 880.6710... Miscellaneous Devices § 880.6710 Medical ultraviolet water purifier. (a) Identification. A medical ultraviolet water purifier is a device intended for medical purposes that is used to destroy bacteria in water by...

21 CFR 880.6710 - Medical ultraviolet water purifier.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Medical ultraviolet water purifier. 880.6710... Miscellaneous Devices § 880.6710 Medical ultraviolet water purifier. (a) Identification. A medical ultraviolet water purifier is a device intended for medical purposes that is used to destroy bacteria in water by...

21 CFR 880.6710 - Medical ultraviolet water purifier.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Medical ultraviolet water purifier. 880.6710... Miscellaneous Devices § 880.6710 Medical ultraviolet water purifier. (a) Identification. A medical ultraviolet water purifier is a device intended for medical purposes that is used to destroy bacteria in water by...

Laryngeal mucosa elasticity and viscosity in high and low relative air humidity.

PubMed

Hemler, R J; Wieneke, G H; Lebacq, J; Dejonckere, P H

2001-03-01

In earlier work we showed that low relative humidity (RH) of inhaled air causes acoustic voice parameters such as jitter and shimmer to deteriorate. Other authors have shown negative effects on vocal efficiency. To explain these changes in the mechanical properties of the vocal folds, the effects of changes in RH of the air passing over microdissected mucosa of sheep larynges were studied. The dissected surface of the tissue specimen just touched Ringer solution and air of varying RH was blown over the specimen. The mucosa specimen was subjected to sinusoidal oscillations of length (strain) and the resulting force (stress) was measured. The gain and phase angle between the imposed strain and resulting stress were measured, and elasticity and viscosity were calculated. Two different air conditions were tested: air with high RH (100%) vs air with low RH (0%). Viscosity and stiffness increased significantly in both ambient conditions (P < 0.01). Dry dehydrating air resulted in a stiffer and more viscous cover than humid air (P < 0.001). These changes in mechanical characteristics may contribute to the effects on voice parameters described in earlier work.

Air/Water Purification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

After 18 years of research into air/water pollution at Stennis Space Center, Dr. B. C. Wolverton formed his own company, Wolverton Environmental Services, Inc., to provide technology and consultation in air and water treatment. Common houseplants are used to absorb potentially harmful materials from bathrooms and kitchens. The plants are fertilized, air is purified, and wastewater is converted to clean water. More than 100 U.S. communities have adopted Wolverton's earlier water hyacinth and artificial marsh applications. Catfish farmers are currently evaluating the artificial marsh technology as a purification system.

Prescription omega-3 fatty acid products containing highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

PubMed

Brinton, Eliot A; Mason, R Preston

2017-01-31

The omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) has multiple actions potentially conferring cardiovascular benefit, including lowering serum triglyceride (TG) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels and potentially reducing key steps in atherogenesis. Dietary supplements are a common source of omega-3 fatty acids in the US, but virtually all contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in addition to EPA, and lipid effects differ between DHA and EPA. Contrary to popular belief, no over-the-counter omega-3 products are available in the US, only prescription products and dietary supplements. Among the US prescription omega-3 products, only one contains EPA exclusively (Vascepa); another closely related prescription omega-3 product also contains highly purified EPA, but is approved only in Japan and is provided in different capsule sizes. These high-purity EPA products do not raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, even in patients with TG levels >500 mg/dL, in contrast to the increase in LDL-C levels with prescription omega-3 products that also contain DHA. The Japanese prescription EPA product was shown to significantly reduce major coronary events in hypercholesterolemic patients when added to statin therapy in the Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS). The effects of Vascepa on cardiovascular outcomes are being investigated in statin-treated patients with high TG levels in the Reduction of Cardiovascular Events With EPA-Intervention Trial (REDUCE-IT).

Mn-Catalyzed Highly Efficient Aerobic Oxidative Hydroxyazidation of Olefins: A Direct Approach to β-Azido Alcohols.

PubMed

Sun, Xiang; Li, Xinyao; Song, Song; Zhu, Yuchao; Liang, Yu-Feng; Jiao, Ning

2015-05-13

An efficient Mn-catalyzed aerobic oxidative hydroxyazidation of olefins for synthesis of β-azido alcohols has been developed. The aerobic oxidative generation of azido radical employing air as the terminal oxidant is disclosed as the key process for this transformation. The reaction is appreciated by its broad substrate scope, inexpensive Mn-catalyst, high efficiency, easy operation under air, and mild conditions at room temperature. This chemistry provides a novel approach to high value-added β-azido alcohols, which are useful precursors of aziridines, β-amino alcohols, and other important N- and O-containing heterocyclic compounds. This chemistry also provides an unexpected approach to azido substituted cyclic peroxy alcohol esters. A DFT calculation indicates that Mn catalyst plays key dual roles as an efficient catalyst for the generation of azido radical and a stabilizer for peroxyl radical intermediate. Further calculation reasonably explains the proposed mechanism for the control of C-C bond cleavage or for the formation of β-azido alcohols.

High mobility high efficiency organic films based on pure organic materials

DOEpatents

Salzman, Rhonda F [Ann Arbor, MI; Forrest, Stephen R [Ann Arbor, MI

2009-01-27

A method of purifying small molecule organic material, performed as a series of operations beginning with a first sample of the organic small molecule material. The first step is to purify the organic small molecule material by thermal gradient sublimation. The second step is to test the purity of at least one sample from the purified organic small molecule material by spectroscopy. The third step is to repeat the first through third steps on the purified small molecule material if the spectroscopic testing reveals any peaks exceeding a threshold percentage of a magnitude of a characteristic peak of a target organic small molecule. The steps are performed at least twice. The threshold percentage is at most 10%. Preferably the threshold percentage is 5% and more preferably 2%. The threshold percentage may be selected based on the spectra of past samples that achieved target performance characteristics in finished devices.

Decontamination efficiencies of pot-type water purifiers for ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs in rainwater contaminated during Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

PubMed

Higaki, Shogo; Hirota, Masahiro

2012-01-01

Rainwater was contaminated by a large release of radionuclides into the environment during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. It became a matter of concern for Japan when several water purification plants detected ¹³¹I contamination in the drinking water. In the present study, the decontamination efficiency of two easily obtainable commercial water purifiers were examined for rainwater contaminated with ¹³¹I, ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs. The water purifiers removed 94.2-97.8% of the ¹³¹I and 84.2-91.5% of the ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs after one filtration. Seven filtrations removed 98.2-99.6% of the ¹³¹I and over 98.0% of the ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs. From a practical perspective, over the fourth filtrations were not needed because of no significant improvements after the third filtration.

Fluidic conduits for highly efficient purification of target species in EWOD-driven droplet microfluidics.

PubMed

Shah, Gaurav J; Kim, Chang-Jin Cj

2009-08-21

Due to the lack of continuous flows that would wash unwanted specifies and impurities off from a target location, droplet microfluidics commonly employs a long serial dilution process to purify target species. In this work, we achieve high-purity separation for the case of electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) based droplet microfluidics by introducing a "fluidic conduit" between a sample droplet and a buffer droplet. The long and slender fluidic path minimizes the diffusion and fluidic mixing between the two droplets (thus eliminating non-specific transport) but provides a conduit between them for actively transported particles (thus allowing the specific transport). The conduit is purely fluidic, stabilized chemically (e.g. using surfactants) and controlled by EWOD. The effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated by eliminating approximately 97% non-magnetic beads in just one purification step, while maintaining high collection efficiency (>99%) of magnetic beads.

Novel immobilization process of a thermophilic catalase: efficient purification by heat treatment and subsequent immobilization at high temperature.

PubMed

Xu, Juan; Luo, Hui; López, Claudia; Xiao, Jing; Chang, Yanhong

2015-10-01

The main goal of the present work is to investigate a novel process of purification and immobilization of a thermophilic catalase at high temperatures. The catalase, originated from Bacillus sp., was overexpressed in a recombinant Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)/pET28-CATHis and efficiently purified by heat treatment, achieving a threefold purification. The purified catalase was then immobilized onto an epoxy support at different temperatures (25, 40, and 55 °C). The immobilizate obtained at higher temperatures reached its maximum activity in a shorter time than that obtained at lower temperatures. Furthermore, immobilization at higher temperatures required a lower ionic strength than immobilization at lower temperatures. The characteristics of immobilized enzymes prepared at different temperatures were investigated. The high-temperature immobilizate (55 °C) showed the highest thermal stability, followed by the 40 °C immobilizate. And the high-temperature immobilizate (55 °C) had slightly higher operational stability than the 25 °C immobilizate. All of the immobilized catalase preparations showed higher stability than the free enzyme at alkaline pH 10.0, while the alkali resistance of the 25 °C immobilizate was slightly better than that of the 40 and 55 °C immobilizates.

Cutting efficiency of air-turbine burs on cast titanium and dental casting alloys.

PubMed

Watanabe, I; Ohkubo, C; Ford, J P; Atsuta, M; Okabe, T

2000-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the cutting efficiency of air-turbine burs on cast free-machining titanium alloy (DT2F) and to compare the results with those for cast commercially pure (CP) Ti, Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and dental casting alloys. The cast metal (DT2F, CP Ti, Ti-6Al-4V, Type IV gold alloy and Co-Cr alloy) specimens were cut with air-turbine burs (carbide burs and diamond points) at air pressures of 138 or 207 kPa and a cutting force of 0.784 N. The cutting efficiency of each bur was evaluated as volume loss calculated from the weight loss cut for 5 s and the density of each metal. The bulk microhardness was measured to correlate the machinability and the hardness of each metal. The amounts of DT2F cut with the carbide burs were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than for the other titanium specimens at either 138 or 207 kPa. The diamond points exhibited similar machining efficiency among all metals except for Type IV gold alloy. The increase in the volume loss of Co-Cr alloy (Vitallium) cut with the diamond points showed a negative value (-29%) with an increase in air pressure from 138 to 207 kPa. There was a negative correlation between the amounts of metal removed (volume loss) and the hardness (r2 = 0.689) when the carbide burs were used. The results of this study indicated that a free-machining titanium alloy (DT2F) exhibited better machinability compared to CP Ti and Ti-6Al-4V alloy when using carbide fissure burs. When machining cast CP Ti and its alloys, carbide fissure burs possessed a greater machining efficiency than the diamond points and are recommended for titanium dental prostheses.

Osteoinductive potential of highly purified porous β-TCP in mice.

PubMed

Tsukanaka, Masako; Fujibayashi, Shunsuke; Otsuki, Bungo; Takemoto, Mitsuru; Matsuda, Shuichi

2015-03-01

Material-induced osteoinduction of calcium phosphate ceramics has been reported in specific animals. We previously reported that recruitment of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells might be one of the main factors responsible for the difference in the occurrence of material-induced osteoinduction between dogs and rats. In this study, we evaluated the osteoinductive potential of highly purified porous beta-tricalcium phosphate materials (HPP-β-TCP) with two different porosities, 75 and 60 % (Olympus Terumo Biomaterials, Tokyo, Japan), implanted into subcutaneous pockets of FVB and C57BL/6 mice. Twelve weeks after implantation, histological examination and gene expression analysis using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were performed. We observed osteoinduction in half of the HPP-β-TCP materials with 60 % porosity implanted into FVB mice. This group of mice also exhibited the most TRAP-positive cells. Significantly more vessels were found in FVB mice than in C57BL/6 mice, but the greatest number of vessels was counted in implants from materials with 75 % porosity implanted into FVB mice, which did not show osteoinduction. These results indicate that recruitment of TRAP-positive cells is one factor responsible for osteoinduction caused by HPP-β-TCP materials in both FVB mice and dogs. Vessel formation seems to be necessary but appears to be less influential for osteoinduction than TRAP-positive cell recruitment.

Testing Air-Filtering Systems

PubMed Central

Songer, Joseph R.; Sullivan, James F.; Hurd, James W.

1963-01-01

A procedure was developed for evaluating high-efficiency filters mounted in exhaust ducts at the National Animal Disease Laboratory. An aerosol of the test organism, Escherichia coli B T3 bacteriophage, was generated in a chamber attached to a ceiling exhaust register in concentrations of at least 1000 viable organisms per ft3 of air. Samples were collected from both the pre- and postfilter areas, and the number of organisms per ft3 of air was determined. The efficiency of the filter was calculated from these figures. A total of 269 high-efficiency filters were tested. Of these, 249 had efficiencies of 98% or greater. The remaining 20, with efficiencies of less than 98%, were repaired and retested. No filter was accepted with an efficiency of less than 98%. Images Fig. 2 PMID:14063779

40 CFR 721.10583 - Benzenamine, 4,4′-[1,3-phenylenebis(1-methylethylidene)]bis-.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., tight-fitting half-face respirator equipped with N100 (if oil aerosols absent), R100, or P100 filters... aerosols absent), R100, or P100 filters. (C) NIOSH-certified powered air-purifying respirator equipped with a loose-fitting hood or helmet and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. (D) NIOSH...

40 CFR 721.10583 - Benzenamine, 4,4′-[1,3-phenylenebis(1-methylethylidene)]bis-.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., tight-fitting half-face respirator equipped with N100 (if oil aerosols absent), R100, or P100 filters... aerosols absent), R100, or P100 filters. (C) NIOSH-certified powered air-purifying respirator equipped with a loose-fitting hood or helmet and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. (D) NIOSH...

Air purification from a mixture VOCs in the pilot-scale trickle-bed bioreactor (TBB)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarzyński, Rafał; Gąszczak, Agnieszka; Janecki, Daniel; Bartelmus, Grażyna

2017-10-01

The efficiency of the air bio-purification from the mixture of two volatile organic compounds (styrene and p-xylene) was studied. The process was carried out in a pilot-scale trickle-bed bioreactor installation designed to purify ˜200 m3h-1 of the polluted air. The bioreactor operated at concurrent flow of gas and liquid (mineral salt solution) through packing (polypropylene Ralu rings) covered with a thin layer of microorganisms (bacterial consortium of Pseudomonas sp. E-022150 and Pseudomonas putida mt-2). The experiments, carried out for various values of a reactor load with pollutant, confirmed the great efficiency of the investigated process. At the tested bed load with pollution (inlet specific pollutant load was changed within the range of 41 - 84 gm-3 h -1), styrene conversion degree changed within the range of 80-87% and p-xylene conversion degree within the range of 42-48%.

Vitamin D Uptake in Patients Treated with a High-Dosed Purified Omega-3 Compound in a Randomized Clinical Trial Following an Acute Myocardial Infarction.

PubMed

Naesgaard, Patrycja A; Grundt, Heidi; Nordøy, Arne F; Staines, Harry; Nilsen, Dennis W T

2017-01-01

Fish is the natural dietary source of vitamin D. Reports on the influence of purified omega-3 fatty acids on its uptake are scarce. We investigated the impact of a purified high-dose omega-3 compound compared to corn oil on 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels following an acute myocardial infarction. 228 patients were randomized 1:1 to receive a daily dose of either 4 g omega-3 (OMACOR ® ) or an equal dose of corn oil, administered double-blindly for 12 months. Total omega-3 and omega-6 measurements were available in 40 randomly picked patients. There was no significant intergroup difference in 25(OH)D changes at 12 months follow-up ( p  = 0.12), but there was a minor statistical significant intragroup increase in 25(OH)D in both intervention arms ( p  < 0.001 for n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and p  = 0.013 for corn oil, respectively). A positive correlation was noted between 25(OH)D and omega-3 prior to inclusion; r  = 0.418, p  = 0.007, attenuated at 12 months by purified omega-3 intervention; r  = 0.021, p  = 0.93. No positive correlation was observed between omega-6 and 25(OH)D. Long-term treatment with a high dose of purified omega-3 as compared to corn oil did not improve serum concentrations of vitamin D. ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT01422317.

Food-Growing, Air- And Water-Cleaning Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sauer, R. L.; Scheld, H. W.; Mafnuson, J. W.

1988-01-01

Apparatus produces fresh vegetables and removes pollutants from air. Hydroponic apparatus performs dual function of growing fresh vegetables and purifying air and water. Leafy vegetables rooted in granular growth medium grow in light of fluorescent lamps. Air flowing over leaves supplies carbon dioxide and receives fresh oxygen from them. Adaptable to production of food and cleaning of air and water in closed environments as in underwater research stations and submarines.

Plasma micro-nanotextured polymeric micromixer for DNA purification with high efficiency and dynamic range.

PubMed

Kastania, Athina S; Tsougeni, Katerina; Papadakis, George; Gizeli, Electra; Kokkoris, George; Tserepi, Angeliki; Gogolides, Evangelos

2016-10-26

We present a polymeric microfluidic chip capable of purifying DNA through solid phase extraction. It is designed to be used as a module of an integrated Lab-on-chip platform for pathogen detection, but it can also be used as a stand-alone device. The microfluidic channels are oxygen plasma micro-nanotextured, i.e. randomly roughened in the micro-nano scale, a process creating high surface area as well as high density of carboxyl groups (COOH). The COOH groups together with a buffer that contains polyethylene glycol (PEG), NaCl and ethanol are able to bind DNA on the microchannel surface. The chip design incorporates a mixer so that sample and buffer can be efficiently mixed on chip under continuous flow. DNA is subsequently eluted in water. The chip is able to isolate DNA with high recovery efficiency (96± 11%) in an extremely large dynamic range of prepurified Salmonella DNA as well as from Salmonella cell lysates that correspond to a range of 5 to 1.9 × 10 8  cells (0.263 fg to 2 × 500 ng). The chip was evaluated via absorbance measurements, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gel electrophoresis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Method of Effective Quarry Water Purifying Using Artificial Filtering Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyulenev, M.; Garina, E.; Khoreshok, A.; Litvin, O.; Litvin, Y.; Maliukhina, E.

2017-01-01

The development of open pit mining in the large coal basins of Russia and other countries increases their negative impact on the environment. Along with the damage of land and air pollution by dust and combustion gases of blasting, coal pits have a significant negative impact on water resources. Polluted quarry water worsens the ecological situation on a much larger area than covered by air pollution and land damage. This significantly worsens the conditions of people living in cities and towns located near the coal pits, and complicates the subsequent restoration of the environment, irreversibly destroying the nature. Therefore, the research of quarry wastewater purifying is becoming an important mater for scholars of technical colleges and universities in the regions with developing open-pit mining. This paper describes the method of determining the basic parameters of the artificial filtering arrays formed on coal pits of Kuzbass (Western Siberia, Russia), and gives recommendations on its application.

An Evaluation of LH-Stimulated Testosterone Production by Highly Purified Rat Leydig Cells : A Complementary Screen for Steroidogenesis in the Testis

EPA Science Inventory

An Evaluation of LH-Stimulated Testosterone Production by Highly Purified Rat Leydig Cells: A Complementary Screen for Steroidogenesis in the Testis. 1Botteri, N., 2Suarez, J., 2Laws, S., 2Klinefelter, G.1Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, 2 U.S. Env...

Highly purified hexachlorobenzene induces cytochrome P4501A in primary cultures of chicken embryo hepatocytes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mundy, Lukas J.; Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario; Jones, Stephanie P.

Some uncertainty exists regarding the purity of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) used in past toxicity studies. It has been suggested that reported toxic and biochemical effects initially attributed to HCB exposure may have actually been elicited by contamination of HCB by polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). Herein, primary cultures of chicken embryo hepatocytes (CEH) were used to compare the potencies of two lots of reagent-grade hexachlorobenzene (HCB-old [HCB-O] and HCB-new [HCB-N]), highly purified HCB (HCB-P) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) as inducers of ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity, cytochrome P4501A4 (CYP1A4) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and CYP1A5 mRNA. The study also compared themore » EROD- and CYP1A4/5 mRNA-inducing potencies of HCB to the potencies of two mono-ortho substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 2,3,3',4,4'-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 105) and 2,3'4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 118). HCB-O, HCB-N and HCB-P all induced EROD activity and up-regulated CYP1A4 and CYP1A5 mRNAs. Induction was not caused by contamination of HCB with PCDDs or PCDFs. Based upon a comparison of the EC{sub 50} and EC{sub threshold} values for EROD and CYP1A4/5 mRNA concentration-response curves, the potency of HCB relative to the potency of TCDD was 0.0001, and was similar to that of PCB 105 and PCB 118. The maximal EROD activity and CYP1A4/5 mRNA expression differed greatly between HCB and TCDD, and may contribute to an overestimation of the ReP value calculated for highly purified HCB.« less

High-Density, High-Resolution, Low-Cost Air Quality Sensor Networks for Urban Air Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mead, M. I.; Popoola, O. A.; Stewart, G.; Bright, V.; Kaye, P.; Saffell, J.

2012-12-01

Monitoring air quality in highly granular environments such as urban areas which are spatially heterogeneous with variable emission sources, measurements need to be made at appropriate spatial and temporal scales. Current routine air quality monitoring networks generally are either composed of sparse expensive installations (incorporating e.g. chemiluminescence instruments) or higher density low time resolution systems (e.g. NO2 diffusion tubes). Either approach may not accurately capture important effects such as pollutant "hot spots" or adequately capture spatial (or temporal) variability. As a result, analysis based on data from traditional low spatial resolution networks, such as personal exposure, may be inaccurate. In this paper we present details of a sophisticated, low-cost, multi species (gas phase, speciated PM, meteorology) air quality measurement network methodology incorporating GPS and GPRS which has been developed for high resolution air quality measurements in urban areas. Sensor networks developed in the Centre for Atmospheric Science (University of Cambridge) incorporated electrochemical gas sensors configured for use in urban air quality studies operating at parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. It has been demonstrated that these sensors can be used to measure key air quality gases such as CO, NO and NO2 at the low ppb mixing ratios present in the urban environment (estimated detection limits <4ppb for CO and NO and <1ppb for NO2. Mead et al (submitted Aug., 2012)). Based on this work, a state of the art multi species instrument package for deployment in scalable sensor networks has been developed which has general applicability. This is currently being employed as part of a major 3 year UK program at London Heathrow airport (the Sensor Networks for Air Quality (SNAQ) Heathrow project). The main project outcome is the creation of a calibrated, high spatial and temporal resolution data set for O3, NO, NO2, SO2, CO, CO2, VOCstotal, size-speciated PM

Use of a purified and functional recombinant calcium-channel beta4 subunit in surface-plasmon resonance studies.

PubMed Central

Geib, Sandrine; Sandoz, Guillaume; Mabrouk, Kamel; Matavel, Alessandra; Marchot, Pascale; Hoshi, Toshinori; Villaz, Michel; Ronjat, Michel; Miquelis, Raymond; Lévêque, Christian; de Waard, Michel

2002-01-01

Native high-voltage-gated calcium channels are multi-subunit complexes comprising a pore-forming subunit Ca(v) and at least two auxiliary subunits alpha(2)delta and beta. The beta subunit facilitates cell-surface expression of the channel and contributes significantly to its biophysical properties. In spite of its importance, detailed structural and functional studies are hampered by the limited availability of native beta subunit. Here, we report the purification of a recombinant calcium-channel beta(4) subunit from bacterial extracts by using a polyhistidine tag. The purified protein is fully functional since it binds on the alpha1 interaction domain, its main Ca(v)-binding site, and regulates the activity of P/Q calcium channel expressed in Xenopus oocytes in a similar way to the beta(4) subunit produced by cRNA injection. We took advantage of the functionality of the purified material to (i) develop an efficient surface-plasmon resonance assay of the interaction between two calcium channel subunits and (ii) measure, for the first time, the affinity of the recombinant His-beta(4) subunit for the full-length Ca(v)2.1 channel. The availability of this purified material and the development of a surface-plasmon resonance assay opens two immediate research perspectives: (i) drug screening programmes applied to the Ca(v)/beta interaction and (ii) crystallographic studies of the calcium-channel beta(4) subunit. PMID:11988102

Supplemental treatment of air in airborne infection isolation rooms using high-throughput in-room air decontamination units.

PubMed

Bergeron, Vance; Chalfine, Annie; Misset, Benoît; Moules, Vincent; Laudinet, Nicolas; Carlet, Jean; Lina, Bruno

2011-05-01

Evidence has recently emerged indicating that in addition to large airborne droplets, fine aerosol particles can be an important mode of influenza transmission that may have been hitherto underestimated. Furthermore, recent performance studies evaluating airborne infection isolation (AII) rooms designed to house infectious patients have revealed major discrepancies between what is prescribed and what is actually measured. We conducted an experimental study to investigate the use of high-throughput in-room air decontamination units for supplemental protection against airborne contamination in areas that host infectious patients. The study included both intrinsic performance tests of the air-decontamination unit against biological aerosols of particular epidemiologic interest and field tests in a hospital AII room under different ventilation scenarios. The unit tested efficiently eradicated airborne H5N2 influenza and Mycobacterium bovis (a 4- to 5-log single-pass reduction) and, when implemented with a room extractor, reduced the peak contamination levels by a factor of 5, with decontamination rates at least 33% faster than those achieved with the extractor alone. High-throughput in-room air treatment units can provide supplemental control of airborne pathogen levels in patient isolation rooms. Copyright © 2011 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a Microwave Regenerative Sorbent-Based Hydrogen Purifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Richard R., Jr.; Dewberry, Ross H.; McCurry, Bryan D.; Abney, Morgan B.; Greenwood, Zachary W.

2016-01-01

This paper describes the design and fabrication of a Microwave Regenerative Sorbent-based Hydrogen Purifier (MRSHP). This unique microwave powered technology was developed for the purification of a hydrogen stream produced by the Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA). The PPA is a hydrogen recovery (from methane) post processor for NASA's Sabatier-based carbon dioxide reduction process. Embodied in the Carbon dioxide Reduction Assembly (CRA), currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Sabatier reaction employs hydrogen to catalytically recover oxygen, in the form of water, from respiratory carbon dioxide produced by the crew. This same approach is base-lined for future service in the Air Revitalization system on extended missions into deep space where resupply is not practical. Accordingly, manned exploration to Mars may only become feasible with further closure of the air loop as afforded by the greater hydrogen recovery permitted by the PPA with subsequent hydrogen purification. By utilizing the well-known high sorbate loading capacity of molecular sieve 13x, coupled with microwave dielectric heating phenomenon, MRSHP technology is employed as a regenerative filter for a contaminated hydrogen gas stream. By design, freshly regenerated molecular sieve 13x contained in the MRSHP will remove contaminants from the effluent of a 1-CM scale PPA for several hours prior to breakthrough. By reversing flow and pulling a relative vacuum the MRSHP prototype then uses 2.45 GHz microwave power, applied through a novel coaxial antenna array, to rapidly heat the sorbent bed and drive off the contaminants in a short duration vacuum/thermal contaminant desorption step. Finally, following rapid cooling via room temperature cold plates, the MRSHP is again ready to serve as a hydrogen filter.

Combinatorial high-throughput optical screening of high performance Pd alloy cathode for hybrid Li-air battery.

PubMed

Jun, Young Jin; Park, Sung Hyeon; Woo, Seong Ihl

2014-12-08

Combinatorial high-throughput optical screening method was developed to find the optimum composition of highly active Pd-based catalysts at the cathode of the hybrid Li-air battery. Pd alone, which is one-third the cost of Pt, has difficulty in replacing Pt; therefore, the integration of other metals was investigated to improve its performance toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Among the binary Pd-based catalysts, the composition of Pd-Ir derived catalysts had higher performance toward ORR compared to other Pd-based binary combinations. The composition at 88:12 at. % (Pd: Ir) showed the highest activity toward ORR at the cathode of the hybrid Li-air battery. The prepared Pd(88)Ir(12)/C catalyst showed a current density of -2.58 mA cm(-2) at 0.8 V (vs RHE), which was around 30% higher compared to that of Pd/C (-1.97 mA cm(-2)). When the prepared Pd(88)Ir(12)/C catalyst was applied to the hybrid Li-air battery, the polarization of the cell was reduced and the energy efficiency of the cell was about 30% higher than that of the cell with Pd/C.

METHOD FOR PURIFYING URANIUM

DOEpatents

Knighton, J.B.; Feder, H.M.

1960-04-26

A process is given for purifying a uranium-base nuclear material. The nuclear material is dissolved in zinc or a zinc-magnesium alloy and the concentration of magnesium is increased until uranium precipitates.

High efficiency Brayton cycles using LNG

DOEpatents

Morrow, Charles W [Albuquerque, NM

2006-04-18

A modified, closed-loop Brayton cycle power conversion system that uses liquefied natural gas as the cold heat sink media. When combined with a helium gas cooled nuclear reactor, achievable efficiency can approach 68 76% (as compared to 35% for conventional steam cycle power cooled by air or water). A superheater heat exchanger can be used to exchange heat from a side-stream of hot helium gas split-off from the primary helium coolant loop to post-heat vaporized natural gas exiting from low and high-pressure coolers. The superheater raises the exit temperature of the natural gas to close to room temperature, which makes the gas more attractive to sell on the open market. An additional benefit is significantly reduced costs of a LNG revaporization plant, since the nuclear reactor provides the heat for vaporization instead of burning a portion of the LNG to provide the heat.

Air cleaning technologies: an evidence-based analysis.

PubMed

2005-01-01

This health technology policy assessment will answer the following questions: When should in-room air cleaners be used?How effective are in-room air cleaners?Are in-room air cleaners that use combined HEPA and UVGI air cleaning technology more effective than those that use HEPA filtration alone?What is the Plasmacluster ion air purifier in the pandemic influenza preparation plan?The experience of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) locally, nationally, and internationally underscored the importance of administrative, environmental, and personal protective infection control measures in health care facilities. In the aftermath of the SARS crisis, there was a need for a clearer understanding of Ontario's capacity to manage suspected or confirmed cases of airborne infectious diseases. In so doing, the Walker Commission thought that more attention should be paid to the potential use of new technologies such as in-room air cleaning units. It recommended that the Medical Advisory Secretariat of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care evaluate the appropriate use and effectiveness of such new technologies. Accordingly, the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee asked the Medical Advisory Secretariat to review the literature on the effectiveness and utility of in-room air cleaners that use high-efficiency particle air (HEPA) filters and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) air cleaning technology. Additionally, the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee prioritized a request from the ministry's Emergency Management Unit to investigate the possible role of the Plasmacluster ion air purifier manufactured by Sharp Electronics Corporation, in the pandemic influenza preparation plan. Airborne transmission of infectious diseases depends in part on the concentration of breathable infectious pathogens (germs) in room air. Infection control is achieved by a combination of administrative, engineering, and personal protection methods. Engineering

Highly efficient indoor air purification using adsorption-enhanced-photocatalysis-based microporous TiO2 at short residence time.

PubMed

Lv, Jinze; Zhu, Lizhong

2013-01-01

A short residence time is a key design parameter for the removal of organic pollutants in catalyst-based indoor air purification systems. In this study, we synthesized a series of TiO2 with different micropore volumes and studied their removal efficiency of indoor carbonyl pollutants at a short residence time. Our results indicated that the superior adsorption capability of TiO2 with micropores improved its performance in the photocatalytic degradation of cyclohexanone, while the photocatalytic removal of the pollutant successfully kept porous TiO2 from becoming saturated. When treated with 1 mg m(-3) cyclohexanone at a relatively humidity of 18%, the adsorption amount on microporous TiO2 was 5.4-7.9 times higher than that on P25. Removal efficiency via photocatalysis followed'the same order as the adsorption amount: TiO2-5 > TiO2-20 > TiO2-60 > TiO2-180 > P25. The advantage of microporous TiO2 over P25 became more pronounced when the residence time declined from 0.072 to 0.036 s. Moreover, as the concentration of cyclohexanone deceased from 1000 ppb to 500 ppb, removal efficiency by microporous TiO2 increased more rapidly than P25.

Continuous, high-flux and efficient oil/water separation assisted by an integrated system with opposite wettability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jian; Long, Yifei; Xu, Changcheng; Tian, Haifeng; Wu, Yanxia; Zha, Fei

2018-03-01

To resolve the drawbacks that single-mesh involved for oil/water separation, such as batch processing mode, only one phase was purified and the quick decrease in flux et al., herein, a two-way separation T-tube device was designed by integrating a pair of meshes with opposite wettability, i.e., underwater superoleophobic and superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties. Such integrated system can continuously separate both oil and water phase from the oil/water mixtures simultaneously through one-step procedure with high flux (above 3.675 L m-2 s-1) and high separation efficiency larger than 99.8% regardless of the heavy oil or light oil involved in the mixture. Moreover, the as-prepared two meshes still maintained high separation efficiency larger than above 98.9% even after 50 cycle-usages. It worthy mentioned that this two-way separation mode essentially solves the oil liquid accumulation problem that is the single separation membrane needs to tolerate a large hydrostatic pressure caused by the accumulated liquid. We deeply believe this two-way separation system would provide a new strategy for realizing practical applications in oil spill clean-up via a continuous mode.

2D Nanoporous Fe-N/C Nanosheets as Highly Efficient Non-Platinum Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Zn-Air Battery.

PubMed

Yang, Zheng Kun; Lin, Ling; Xu, An-Wu

2016-11-01

It is an ongoing challenge to fabricate nonprecious oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts that can be comparable to or exceed the efficiency of platinum. A highly active non-platinum self-supporting Fe-N/C catalyst has been developed through the pyrolysis of a new type of precursor of iron coordination complex, in which 1,4-bis(1H-1,3,7,8-tetraazacyclopenta(1)phenanthren-2-yl)benzene (btcpb) functions as a ligand complexing Fe(II) ions. The optimal catalyst pyrolyzed at 700 °C (Fe-N/C-700) shows the best ORR activity with a half-wave potential (E 1/2 ) of 840 mV versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 0.1 m KOH, which is more positive than that of commercial Pt/C (E 1/2 : 835 mV vs RHE). Additionally, the Fe-N/C-700 catalyst also exhibits high ORR activity in 0.1 m HClO 4 with the onset potential and E 1/2 comparable to those of the Pt/C catalyst. Notably, the Fe-N/C-700 catalyst displays superior durability (9.8 mV loss in 0.1 m KOH and 23.6 mV loss in 0.1 m HClO 4 for E 1/2 after 8000 cycles) and better tolerance to methanol than Pt/C. Furthermore, the Fe-N/C-700 catalyst can be used for fabricating the air electrode in Zn-air battery with a specific capacity of 727 mA hg -1 at 5 mA cm -2 and a negligible voltage loss after continuous operation for 110 h. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Highly integrated system solutions for air conditioning.

PubMed

Bartz, Horst

2002-08-01

Starting with the air handling unit, new features concerning energy efficient air treatment in combination with optimisation of required space were presented. Strategic concepts for the supply of one or more operating suites with a modular based air handling system were discussed. The operating theatre ceiling itself, as a major part of the whole integrated system, is no longer a simple air outlet: additional functions have been added in so-called media-bridges, so that it has changed towards a medical apparatus serving as a daily tool for the physicians and the operating staff. Last and not least, the servicing of the whole system has become an integral part of the facility management with remote access to the main functions and controls. The results are understood to be the basis for a discussion with specialists from medical and hygienic disciplines as well as with technically orientated people representing the hospital and building-engineering.

Characterization of a purified decolorizing detergent-stable peroxidase from Streptomyces griseosporeus SN9.

PubMed

Rekik, Hatem; Nadia, Zaraî Jaouadi; Bejar, Wacim; Kourdali, Sidali; Belhoul, Mouna; Hmidi, Maher; Benkiar, Amina; Badis, Abdelmalek; Sallem, Naim; Bejar, Samir; Jaouadi, Bassem

2015-02-01

A novel extracellular lignin peroxidase (called LiP-SN) was produced and purified from a newly isolated Streptomyces griseosporeus strain SN9. The findings revealed that the pure enzyme was a monomeric protein with an estimated molecular mass of 43 kDa and a Reinheitzahl value of 1.63. The 19 N-terminal residue sequence of LiP-SN showed high homology with those of Streptomyces peroxidases. Its optimum pH and temperature were pH 8.5 and 65 °C, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by sodium azide and potassium cyanide, suggesting the presence of heme components in its tertiary structure. Its catalytic efficiency was higher than that of the peroxidase from Streptomyces albidoflavus strain TN644. Interestingly, LiP-SN showed marked dye-decolorization efficiency and stability toward denaturing, oxidizing, and bleaching agents, and compatibility with EcoVax and Dipex as laundry detergents for 48 h at 40 °C. These properties make LiP-SN a potential candidate for future applications in distaining synthetic dyes and detergent formulations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metallurgically lithiated SiOx anode with high capacity and ambient air compatibility

PubMed Central

Zhao, Jie; Lee, Hyun-Wook; Sun, Jie; Yan, Kai; Liu, Yayuan; Liu, Wei; Lu, Zhenda; Lin, Dingchang; Zhou, Guangmin; Cui, Yi

2016-01-01

A common issue plaguing battery anodes is the large consumption of lithium in the initial cycle as a result of the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase followed by gradual loss in subsequent cycles. It presents a need for prelithiation to compensate for the loss. However, anode prelithiation faces the challenge of high chemical reactivity because of the low anode potential. Previous efforts have produced prelithiated Si nanoparticles with dry air stability, which cannot be stabilized under ambient air. Here, we developed a one-pot metallurgical process to synthesize LixSi/Li2O composites by using low-cost SiO or SiO2 as the starting material. The resulting composites consist of homogeneously dispersed LixSi nanodomains embedded in a highly crystalline Li2O matrix, providing the composite excellent stability even in ambient air with 40% relative humidity. The composites are readily mixed with various anode materials to achieve high first cycle Coulombic efficiency (CE) of >100% or serve as an excellent anode material by itself with stable cyclability and consistently high CEs (99.81% at the seventh cycle and ∼99.87% for subsequent cycles). Therefore, LixSi/Li2O composites achieved balanced reactivity and stability, promising a significant boost to lithium ion batteries. PMID:27313206

Viral Penetration of High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters (PREPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

US Plastics, Lima , 155 Ohio). Each path runs through a test article and thence through one AGI-30 all-glass 156 impinger (Chemglass, Vineland, N.J...rotameter (Blue–White 400, Huntington Beach , California, or PMR1-159 101346, Cole–Parmer, Vernon Hills, Illinois). At the end of the sampling path...fibrous Filters." J. Air Pollution Control Assoc. 30 [4]: 501 377–381. 502 Leenders, G.J.M, A.C. Bolle, and J. Stadhouders. 1984. “A Study of the

The design of an air-cooled metallic high temperature radial turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, Philip H.; Roelke, Richard J.

1988-01-01

Recent trends in small advanced gas turbine engines call for higher turbine inlet temperatures. Advances in radial turbine technology have opened the way for a cooled metallic radial turbine capable of withstanding turbine inlet temperatures of 2500 F while meeting the challenge of high efficiency in this small flow size range. In response to this need, a small air-cooled radial turbine has been designed utilizing internal blade coolant passages. The coolant flow passage design is uniquely tailored to simultaneously meet rotor cooling needs and rotor fabrication constraints. The rotor flow-path design seeks to realize improved aerodynamic blade loading characteristics and high efficiency while satisfying rotor life requirements. An up-scaled version of the final engine rotor is currently under fabrication and, after instrumentation, will be tested in the warm turbine test facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center.

High Lapse Rates in AIRS Retrieved Temperatures in Cold Air Outbreaks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fetzer, Eric J.; Kahn, Brian; Olsen, Edward T.; Fishbein, Evan

2004-01-01

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) experiment, on NASA's Aqua spacecraft, uses a combination of infrared and microwave observations to retrieve cloud and surface properties, plus temperature and water vapor profiles comparable to radiosondes throughout the troposphere, for cloud cover up to 70%. The high spectral resolution of AIRS provides sensitivity to important information about the near-surface atmosphere and underlying surface. A preliminary analysis of AIRS temperature retrievals taken during January 2003 reveals extensive areas of superadiabatic lapse rates in the lowest kilometer of the atmosphere. These areas are found predominantly east of North America over the Gulf Stream, and, off East Asia over the Kuroshio Current. Accompanying the high lapse rates are low air temperatures, large sea-air temperature differences, and low relative humidities. Imagery from a Visible / Near Infrared instrument on the AIRS experiment shows accompanying clouds. These lines of evidence all point to shallow convection in the bottom layer of a cold air mass overlying warm water, with overturning driven by heat flow from ocean to atmosphere. An examination of operational radiosondes at six coastal stations in Japan shows AIRS to be oversensitive to lower tropospheric lapse rates due to systematically warm near-surface air temperatures. The bias in near-surface air temperature is seen to be independent of sea surface temperature, however. AIRS is therefore sensitive to air-sea temperature difference, but with a warm atmospheric bias. A regression fit to radiosondes is used to correct AIRS near-surface retrieved temperatures, and thereby obtain an estimate of the true atmosphere-ocean thermal contrast in five subtropical regions across the north Pacific. Moving eastward, we show a systematic shift in this air-sea temperature differences toward more isothermal conditions. These results, while preliminary, have implications for our understanding of heat flow from ocean to

Perspective: Maintaining surface-phase purity is key to efficient open air fabricated cuprous oxide solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoye, Robert L. Z., E-mail: rlzh2@cam.ac.uk, E-mail: jld35@cam.ac.uk; Ievskaya, Yulia; MacManus-Driscoll, Judith L., E-mail: rlzh2@cam.ac.uk, E-mail: jld35@cam.ac.uk

2015-02-01

Electrochemically deposited Cu{sub 2}O solar cells are receiving growing attention owing to a recent doubling in efficiency. This was enabled by the controlled chemical environment used in depositing doped ZnO layers by atomic layer deposition, which is not well suited to large-scale industrial production. While open air fabrication with atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition overcomes this limitation, we find that this approach is limited by an inability to remove the detrimental CuO layer that forms on the Cu{sub 2}O surface. Herein, we propose strategies for achieving efficiencies in atmospherically processed cells that are equivalent to the high values achievedmore » in vacuum processed cells.« less

Highly efficient and completely flexible fiber-shaped dye-sensitized solar cell based on TiO2 nanotube array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Zhibin; Yu, Jiefeng; Wu, Hongwei; Shang, Jian; Wang, Dan; Hou, Shaocong; Fu, Yongping; Wu, Kai; Zou, Dechun

2012-02-01

A type of highly efficient completely flexible fiber-shaped solar cell based on TiO2 nanotube array is successfully prepared. Under air mass 1.5G (100 mW cm-2) illumination conditions, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cell approaches 7%, the highest among all fiber-shaped cells based on TiO2 nanotube arrays and the first completely flexible fiber-shaped DSSC. The fiber-shaped solar cell demonstrates good flexibility, which makes it suitable for modularization using weaving technologies.A type of highly efficient completely flexible fiber-shaped solar cell based on TiO2 nanotube array is successfully prepared. Under air mass 1.5G (100 mW cm-2) illumination conditions, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cell approaches 7%, the highest among all fiber-shaped cells based on TiO2 nanotube arrays and the first completely flexible fiber-shaped DSSC. The fiber-shaped solar cell demonstrates good flexibility, which makes it suitable for modularization using weaving technologies. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr11532h

A MultiAir®/MultiFuel Approach to Enhancing Engine System Efficiency

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reese, Ronald

2015-05-20

FCA US LLC (formally known as Chrysler Group LLC, and hereinafter “Chrysler”) was awarded an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded project by the Department of Energy (DOE) titled “A MultiAir®/MultiFuel Approach to Enhancing Engine System Efficiency” (hereinafter “project”). This award was issued after Chrysler submitted a proposal for Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA- 0000079, “Systems Level Technology Development, Integration, and Demonstration for Efficient Class 8 Trucks (SuperTruck) and Advanced Technology Powertrains for Light-Duty Vehicles (ATP-LD).” Chrysler started work on this project on June 01, 2010 and completed testing activities on August 30, 2014. Overall objectives of this project were;more » Demonstrate a 25% improvement in combined Federal Test Procedure (FTP) City and Highway fuel economy over a 2009 Chrysler minivan; Accelerate the development of highly efficient engine and powertrain systems for light-duty vehicles, while meeting future emissions standards; and Create and retain jobs in accordance with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009« less

Methods for purifying carbon materials

DOEpatents

Dailly, Anne [Pasadena, CA; Ahn, Channing [Pasadena, CA; Yazami, Rachid [Los Angeles, CA; Fultz, Brent T [Pasadena, CA

2009-05-26

Methods of purifying samples are provided that are capable of removing carbonaceous and noncarbonaceous impurities from a sample containing a carbon material having a selected structure. Purification methods are provided for removing residual metal catalyst particles enclosed in multilayer carbonaceous impurities in samples generate by catalytic synthesis methods. Purification methods are provided wherein carbonaceous impurities in a sample are at least partially exfoliated, thereby facilitating subsequent removal of carbonaceous and noncarbonaceous impurities from the sample. Methods of purifying carbon nanotube-containing samples are provided wherein an intercalant is added to the sample and subsequently reacted with an exfoliation initiator to achieve exfoliation of carbonaceous impurities.

High specific energy and specific power aluminum/air battery for micro air vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kindler, A.; Matthies, L.

2014-06-01

Micro air vehicles developed under the Army's Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology program generally need a specific energy of 300 - 550 watt-hrs/kg and 300 -550 watts/kg to operate for about 1 hour. At present, no commercial cell can fulfill this need. The best available commercial technology is the Lithium-ion battery or its derivative, the Li- Polymer cell. This chemistry generally provides around 15 minutes flying time. One alternative to the State-of-the Art is the Al/air cell, a primary battery that is actually half fuel cell. It has a high energy battery like aluminum anode, and fuel cell like air electrode that can extract oxygen out of the ambient air rather than carrying it. Both of these features tend to contribute to a high specific energy (watt-hrs/kg). High specific power (watts/kg) is supported by high concentration KOH electrolyte, a high quality commercial air electrode, and forced air convection from the vehicles rotors. The performance of this cell with these attributes is projected to be 500 watt-hrs/kg and 500 watts/kg based on simple model. It is expected to support a flying time of approximately 1 hour in any vehicle in which the usual limit is 15 minutes.

Proteome Profile of Starch Granules Purified from Rice (Oryza sativa) Endosperm

PubMed Central

Xing, Shihai; Meng, Xiaoxi; Zhou, Lihui; Mujahid, Hana; Zhao, Chunfang; Zhang, Yadong; Wang, Cailin; Peng, Zhaohua

2016-01-01

Starch is the most important food energy source in cereals. Many of the known enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis are partially or entirely granule-associated in the endosperm. Studying the proteome of rice starch granules is critical for us to further understand the mechanisms underlying starch biosynthesis and packaging of starch granules in rice amyloplasts, consequently for the improvement of rice grain quality. In this article, we developed a protocol to purify starch granules from mature rice endosperm and verified the quality of purified starch granules by microscopy observations, I2 staining, and Western blot analyses. In addition, we found the phenol extraction method was superior to Tris-HCl buffer extraction method with respect to the efficiency in recovery of starch granule associated proteins. LC-MS/MS analysis showed identification of already known starch granule associated proteins with high confidence. Several proteins reported to be involved in starch synthesis in prior genetic studies in plants were also shown to be enriched with starch granules, either directly or indirectly, in our studies. In addition, our results suggested that a few additional candidate proteins may also be involved in starch synthesis. Furthermore, our results indicated that some starch synthesis pathway proteins are subject to protein acetylation modification. GO analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the identified proteins were mainly located in plastids and involved in carbohydrate metabolism. This study substantially advances the understanding of the starch granule associated proteome in rice and post translational regulation of some starch granule associated proteins. PMID:27992503

Proteome Profile of Starch Granules Purified from Rice (Oryza sativa) Endosperm.

PubMed

Xing, Shihai; Meng, Xiaoxi; Zhou, Lihui; Mujahid, Hana; Zhao, Chunfang; Zhang, Yadong; Wang, Cailin; Peng, Zhaohua

2016-01-01

Starch is the most important food energy source in cereals. Many of the known enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis are partially or entirely granule-associated in the endosperm. Studying the proteome of rice starch granules is critical for us to further understand the mechanisms underlying starch biosynthesis and packaging of starch granules in rice amyloplasts, consequently for the improvement of rice grain quality. In this article, we developed a protocol to purify starch granules from mature rice endosperm and verified the quality of purified starch granules by microscopy observations, I2 staining, and Western blot analyses. In addition, we found the phenol extraction method was superior to Tris-HCl buffer extraction method with respect to the efficiency in recovery of starch granule associated proteins. LC-MS/MS analysis showed identification of already known starch granule associated proteins with high confidence. Several proteins reported to be involved in starch synthesis in prior genetic studies in plants were also shown to be enriched with starch granules, either directly or indirectly, in our studies. In addition, our results suggested that a few additional candidate proteins may also be involved in starch synthesis. Furthermore, our results indicated that some starch synthesis pathway proteins are subject to protein acetylation modification. GO analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the identified proteins were mainly located in plastids and involved in carbohydrate metabolism. This study substantially advances the understanding of the starch granule associated proteome in rice and post translational regulation of some starch granule associated proteins.

Cellular cytotoxic response induced by highly purified multi-wall carbon nanotube in human lung cells.

PubMed

Tsukahara, Tamotsu; Haniu, Hisao

2011-06-01

Carbon nanotubes, a promising nanomaterial with unique characteristics, have applications in a variety of fields. The cytotoxic effects of carbon nanotubes are partially due to the induction of oxidative stress; however, the detailed mechanisms of nanotube cytotoxicity and their interaction with cells remain unclear. In this study, the authors focus on the acute toxicity of vapor-grown carbon fiber, HTT2800, which is one of the most highly purified multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) by high-temperature thermal treatment. The authors exposed human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) to HTT2800 and measured the cellular uptake, mitochondrial function, cellular LDH release, apoptotic signaling, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release. The HTT2800-exposed cells showed cellular uptake of the carbon nanotube, increased cell death, enhanced DNA damage, and induced cytokine release. However, the exposed cells showed no obvious intracellular ROS generation. These cellular and molecular findings suggest that HTT2800 could cause a potentially adverse inflammatory response in BEAS-2B cells.

Effect of Air Cooling of Turbine Disk on Power and Efficiency of Turbine from Turbo Engineering Corporation TT13-18 Turbosupercharger.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berkey, William E.

1949-01-01

An investigation was conducted to determine the effect of turbine-disk cooling with air on the efficiency and the power output of the radial-flow turbine from the Turbo Engineering Corporation TT13-18 turbosupercharger. The turbine was operated at a constant range of ratios of turbine-inlet total pressure to turbine-outlet static pressure of 1,5 and 2.0, turbine-inlet total pressure of 30 inches mercury absolute, turbine-inlet total temperature of 12000 to 20000 R, and rotor speeds of 6000 to 22,000 rpm, Over the normal operating range of the turbine, varying the corrected cooling-air weight flow from approximately 0,30 to 0.75 pound per second produced no measurable effect on the corrected turbine shaft horsepower or the turbine shaft adiabatic efficiency. Varying the turbine-inlet total temperature from 12000 to 20000 R caused no measurable change in the corrected cooling-air weight flow. Calculations indicated that the cooling-air pumping power in the disk passages was small and was within the limits of the accuracy of the power measurements. For high turbine power output, the power loss to the compressor for compressing the cooling air was approximately 3 percent of the total turbine shaft horsepower.

Bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor immobilized onto sepharose as a new strategy to purify a thermostable alkaline peptidase from cobia (Rachycentron canadum) processing waste.

PubMed

França, Renata Cristina da Penha; Assis, Caio Rodrigo Dias; Santos, Juliana Ferreira; Torquato, Ricardo José Soares; Tanaka, Aparecida Sadae; Hirata, Izaura Yoshico; Assis, Diego Magno; Juliano, Maria Aparecida; Cavalli, Ronaldo Olivera; Carvalho, Luiz Bezerra de; Bezerra, Ranilson Souza

2016-10-15

A thermostable alkaline peptidase was purified from the processing waste of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) using bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) immobilized onto Sepharose. The purified enzyme had an apparent molecular mass of 24kDa by both sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and mass spectrometry. Its optimal temperature and pH were 50°C and 8.5, respectively. The enzyme was thermostable until 55°C and its activity was strongly inhibited by the classic trypsin inhibitors N-ρ-tosyl-l-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK) and benzamidine. BPTI column allowed at least 15 assays without loss of efficacy. The purified enzyme was identified as a trypsin and the N-terminal amino acid sequence of this trypsin was IVGGYECTPHSQAHQVSLNSGYHFC, which was highly homologous to trypsin from cold water fish species. Using Nα-benzoyl-dl-arginine ρ-nitroanilide hydrochloride (BApNA) as substrate, the apparent km value of the purified trypsin was 0.38mM, kcat value was 3.14s(-1), and kcat/km was 8.26s(-1)mM(-1). The catalytic proficiency of the purified enzyme was 2.75×10(12)M(-1) showing higher affinity for the substrate at the transition state than other fish trypsin. The activation energy (AE) of the BApNA hydrolysis catalyzed by this enzyme was estimated to be 11.93kcalmol(-1) while the resulting rate enhancement of this reaction was found to be approximately in a range from 10(9) to 10(10)-fold evidencing its efficiency in comparison to other trypsin. This new purification strategy showed to be appropriate to obtain an alkaline peptidase from cobia processing waste with high purification degree. According with N-terminal homology and kinetic parameters, R. canadum trypsin may gathers desirable properties of psychrophilic and thermostable enzymes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FIBER AND INTEGRATED OPTICS: Noncollinear geometry for highly efficient excitation of a corrugated waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimov, M. S.; Sychugov, V. A.; Tishchenko, A. V.

1992-02-01

An analysis is made of the process of light emission from a corrugated waveguide into air and into a substrate in a noncollinear geometry, i.e., when the direction along which the waveguide mode propagates does not coincide with the plane in which the emitted wave lies. Calculations show that when a TE mode is excited in a corrugated waveguide by a light beam with the TM polarization incident from air on the waveguide at a grazing angle, one can achieve a high waveguide excitation efficiency (~ 60%) if the waveguide mode propagates along the normal to the plane of incidence.

MO-Co@N-Doped Carbon (M = Zn or Co): Vital Roles of Inactive Zn and Highly Efficient Activity toward Oxygen Reduction/Evolution Reactions for Rechargeable Zn-Air Battery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Biaohua; He, Xiaobo; Yin, Fengxiang

A highly efficient bifunctional oxygen catalyst is required for practical applications of fuel cells and metal-air batteries, as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are their core electrode reactions. Here, the MO-Co@ N-doped carbon (NC, M = Zn or Co) is developed as a highly active ORR/OER bifunctional catalyst via pyrolysis of a bimetal metal-organic framework containing Zn and Co, i.e., precursor (CoZn). The vital roles of inactive Zn in developing highly active bifunctional oxygen catalysts are unraveled. When the precursors include Zn, the surface contents of pyridinic N for ORR and the surface contents of Co-N-xmore » and Co3+/Co2+ ratios for OER are enhanced, while the high specific surface areas, high porosity, and high electrochemical active surface areas are also achieved. Furthermore, the synergistic effects between Zn-based and Co-based species can promote the well growth of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at high pyrolysis temperatures (>= 700 degrees C), which is favorable for charge transfer. The optimized CoZn-NC-700 shows the highly bifunctional ORR/OER activity and the excellent durability during the ORR/OER processes, even better than 20 wt% Pt/C (for ORR) and IrO2 (for OER). CoZn-NC-700 also exhibits the prominent Zn-air battery performance and even outperforms the mixture of 20 wt% Pt/C and IrO2.« less

Nitrogen-doped microporous carbon: An efficient oxygen reduction catalyst for Zn-air batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li-Yuan; Wang, Meng-Ran; Lai, Yan-Qing; Li, Xiao-Yan

2017-08-01

N-doped microporous carbon as an exceptional metal-free catalyst from waste biomass (banana peel as representative) was obtained via fast catalysis carbonization, followed by N-doping modification. The method achieves a relatively high C conversion efficiency of ∼41.9%. The final carbon materials are doped by N (∼3 at.%) and possess high surface area (∼1097 m2 g-1) and abundant micropores. Compared to commercial Pt/C materials, the as-prepared carbon catalyst exhibits a comparable electrocatalytic activity and much better stability. Furthermore, the metal-free catalyst loaded Zn-air battery possesses higher discharge voltage and power density as compared with that of commercial Pt/C. This novel technique can also be readily applied to produce metal-free carbon catalysts from other typical waste biomass (e.g., orange peel, leaves) as the carbon sources. The method can be developed as a potentially general and effective industrial route to transform waste biomass into high value-added microporous carbon with superior functionalities.

Surpassing 10% Efficiency Benchmark for Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells by Scalable Coating in Air from Single Nonhalogenated Solvent

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ye, Long; Xiong, Yuan; Zhang, Qianqian

The commercialization of nonfullerene organic solar cells (OSCs) relies critically on the response under typical operating conditions (for instance, temperature, humidity) and the ability of scale-up. Despite the rapid increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) of spin-coated devices fabricated in a protective atmosphere, the device efficiencies of printed nonfullerene OSC devices by blade-coating are still lower than 6%. This slow progress significantly limits the practical printing of high-performance nonfullerene OSCs. Here, a new and stable nonfullerene combination was introduced by pairing a commercially available nonfluorinated acceptor IT-M with the polymeric donor FTAZ. Over 12%-efficiency can be achieved in spincoated FTAZ:IT-Mmore » devices using a single halogen-free solvent. More importantly, chlorinefree, in air blade-coating of FTAZ:IT-M is able to yield a PCE of nearly 11%, despite a humidity of ~50%. X-ray scattering results reveal that large π-π coherence lengths, high degree of faceon orientation with respect to the substrate, and small domain spacings of ~20 nm are closely correlated with such high device performance. Our material system and approach yields the highest reported performance for nonfullerene OSC devices by a coating technique approximating scalable fabrication methods and holds great promise for the development of low-cost, low-toxicity, and high-efficiency OSCs by high-throughput production.« less

High-throughput protein concentration and buffer exchange: comparison of ultrafiltration and ammonium sulfate precipitation.

PubMed

Moore, Priscilla A; Kery, Vladimir

2009-01-01

High-throughput protein purification is a complex, multi-step process. There are several technical challenges in the course of this process that are not experienced when purifying a single protein. Among the most challenging are the high-throughput protein concentration and buffer exchange, which are not only labor-intensive but can also result in significant losses of purified proteins. We describe two methods of high-throughput protein concentration and buffer exchange: one using ammonium sulfate precipitation and one using micro-concentrating devices based on membrane ultrafiltration. We evaluated the efficiency of both methods on a set of 18 randomly selected purified proteins from Shewanella oneidensis. While both methods provide similar yield and efficiency, the ammonium sulfate precipitation is much less labor intensive and time consuming than the ultrafiltration.

Development of a high efficiency personal/environmental radon dosimeter using polycarbonate detectors.

PubMed

Taheri, M; Jafarizadeh, M; Baradaran, S; Zainali, Gh

2006-12-01

Passive radon dosimeters, based on alpha particle etched track detectors, are widely used for the assessment of radon exposure. These methods are often applied in radon dosimetry for long periods of time. In this research work, we have developed a highly efficient method of personal/environmental radon dosimetry that is based upon the detection of alpha particles from radon daughters, (218)Po and (214)Po, using a polycarbonate detector (PC). The radon daughters are collected on the filter surface by passing a fixed flow of air through it and the PC detector, placed at a specified distance from the filter, is simultaneously exposed to alpha particles. After exposure, the latent tracks on the detector are made to appear by means of an electrochemical etching process; these are proportional to the radon dose. The air flow rate and the detector-filter distance are the major factors that can affect the performance of the dosimeter. The results obtained in our experimental investigations have shown that a distance of 1.5 cm between the detector and the filter, an absorber layer of Al with a thickness of 12 microm and an air flow rate of 4 l min(-1) offer the best design parameters for a high efficiency radon dosimeter. Then, the designed dosimeter was calibrated against different values of radon exposures and the obtained sensitivity was found to be 2.1 (tracks cm(-2)) (kBq h m(-3))(-1). The most important advantages of this method are that it is reliable, fast and convenient when used for radon dose assessment. In this paper, the optimized parameters of the dosimeter structure and its calibration procedure are presented and discussed.

Achieving high performance polymer optoelectronic devices for high efficiency, long lifetime and low fabrication cost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jinsong

This thesis described three types of organic optoelectronic devices: polymer light emitting diodes (PLED), polymer photovoltaic solar cell, and organic photo detector. The research in this work focuses improving their performance including device efficiency, operation lifetime simplifying fabrication process. With further understanding in PLED device physics, we come up new device operation model and improved device architecture design. This new method is closely related to understanding of the science and physics at organic/metal oxide and metal oxide/metal interface. In our new device design, both material and interface are considered in order to confine and balance all injected carriers, which has been demonstrated very be successful in increasing device efficiency. We created two world records in device efficiency: 18 lm/W for white emission fluorescence PLED, 22 lm/W for red emission phosphorescence PLED. Slow solvent drying process has been demonstrated to significantly increase device efficiency in poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C 61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) mixture polymer solar cell. From the mobility study by time of flight, the increase of efficiency can be well correlated to the improved carrier transport property due to P3HT crystallization during slow solvent drying. And it is found that, similar to PLED, balanced carrier mobility is essential in high efficient polymer solar cell. There is also a revolution in our device fabrication method. A unique device fabrication method is presented by an electronic glue based lamination process combined with interface modification as a one-step polymer solar cell fabrication process. It can completely skip the thermal evaporation process, and benefit device lifetime by several merits: no air reactive. The device obtained is metal free, semi-transparent, flexible, self-encapsulated, and comparable efficiency with that by regular method. We found the photomultiplication (PM) phenomenon in C

Skin test performed with highly purified Mycobacterium tuberculosis recombinant protein triggers tuberculin shock in infected guinea pigs.

PubMed

Reece, Stephen T; Stride, Nicole; Ovendale, Pamela; Reed, Steven G; Campos-Neto, Antonio

2005-06-01

Tuberculin shock due to inoculation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in patients with tuberculosis is a serious syndrome originally described over 100 years ago by Robert Koch. Here, we present experimental evidence that a single M. tuberculosis recombinant protein, CFP-10, triggers this syndrome. Intradermal inoculation of CFP-10 elicits in M. tuberculosis-infected mice high levels of serum tumor necrosis factor alpha and causes tuberculin shock in infected guinea pigs characterized by hypothermia and death within 6 to 48 h after the antigen inoculation. Autopsies of these animals revealed intense polycythemia and hemorrhagic patches in the lung parenchyma, a pathological observation consistent with tuberculin shock. These results point to the possible occurrence of tuberculin shock in sensitive individuals inoculated with highly purified M. tuberculosis recombinant proteins as vaccine candidates or skin test reagents.

Energy efficiency buildings program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1981-05-01

Progress is reported in developing techniques for auditing the energy performance of buildings. The ventilation of buildings and indoor air quality is discussed from the viewpoint of (1) combustion generated pollutants; (2) organic contaminants; (3) radon emanation, measurements, and control; (4) strategies for the field monitoring of indoor air quality; and (5) mechanical ventilation systems using air-to-air heat exchanges. The development of energy efficient windows to provide optimum daylight with minimal thermal losses in cold weather and minimum thermal gain in hot weather is considered as well as the production of high frequency solid state ballasts for fluorescent lights to provide more efficient lighting at a 25% savings over conventional core ballasts. Data compilation, analysis, and demonstration activities are summarized.

High Efficiency InP Solar Cells from Low Toxicity Tertiarybutylphosphine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, Richard W., Jr.; Fatemi, Navid S.; Wilt, David M.; Jenkins, Phillip P.; Brinker, David J.; Scheiman, David A.

1994-01-01

Large scale manufacture of phosphide based semiconductor devices by organo-metallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) typically requires the use of highly toxic phosphine. Advancements in phosphine substitutes have identified tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) as an excellent precursor for OMVPE of InP. High quality undoped and doped InP films were grown using TBP and trimethylindium. Impurity doped InP films were achieved utilizing diethylzinc and silane for p and n type respectively. 16 percent efficient solar cells under air mass zero, one sun intensity were demonstrated with Voc of 871 mV and fill factor of 82.6 percent. It was shown that TBP could replace phosphine, without adversely affecting device quality, in OMVPE deposition of InP thus significantly reducing toxic gas exposure risk.

Continuous Photo-Oxidation in a Vortex Reactor: Efficient Operations Using Air Drawn from the Laboratory

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

We report the construction and use of a vortex reactor which uses a rapidly rotating cylinder to generate Taylor vortices for continuous flow thermal and photochemical reactions. The reactor is designed to operate under conditions required for vortex generation. The flow pattern of the vortices has been represented using computational fluid dynamics, and the presence of the vortices can be easily visualized by observing streams of bubbles within the reactor. This approach presents certain advantages for reactions with added gases. For reactions with oxygen, the reactor offers an alternative to traditional setups as it efficiently draws in air from the lab without the need specifically to pressurize with oxygen. The rapid mixing generated by the vortices enables rapid mass transfer between the gas and the liquid phases allowing for a high efficiency dissolution of gases. The reactor has been applied to several photochemical reactions involving singlet oxygen (1O2) including the photo-oxidations of α-terpinene and furfuryl alcohol and the photodeborylation of phenyl boronic acid. The rotation speed of the cylinder proved to be key for reaction efficiency, and in the operation we found that the uptake of air was highest at 4000 rpm. The reactor has also been successfully applied to the synthesis of artemisinin, a potent antimalarial compound; and this three-step synthesis involving a Schenk-ene reaction with 1O2, Hock cleavage with H+, and an oxidative cyclization cascade with triplet oxygen (3O2), from dihydroartemisinic acid was carried out as a single process in the vortex reactor. PMID:28781513

High strength air-dried aerogels

DOEpatents

Coronado, Paul R.; Satcher, Jr., Joe H.

2012-11-06

A method for the preparation of high strength air-dried organic aerogels. The method involves the sol-gel polymerization of organic gel precursors, such as resorcinol with formaldehyde (RF) in aqueous solvents with R/C ratios greater than about 1000 and R/F ratios less than about 1:2.1. Using a procedure analogous to the preparation of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogels, this approach generates wet gels that can be air dried at ambient temperatures and pressures. The method significantly reduces the time and/or energy required to produce a dried aerogel compared to conventional methods using either supercritical solvent extraction. The air dried gel exhibits typically less than 5% shrinkage.

Energy-Efficiency and Air-Pollutant Emissions-Reduction Opportunities for the Ammonia Industry in China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ma, Ding; Hasanbeigi, Ali; Chen, Wenying

As one of the most energy-intensive and polluting industries, ammonia production is responsible for significant carbon dioxide (CO 2) and air-pollutant emissions. Although many energy-efficiency measures have been proposed by the Chinese government to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, lack of understanding of the cost-effectiveness of such improvements has been a barrier to implementing these measures. Assessing the costs, benefits, and cost-effectiveness of different energy-efficiency measures is essential to advancing this understanding. In this study, a bottom-up energy conservation supply curve model is developed to estimate the potential for energy savings and emissions reductions from 26 energy-efficiencymore » measures that could be applied in China’s ammonia industry. Cost-effective implementation of these measures saves a potential 271.5 petajoules/year for fuel and 5,443 gigawatt-hours/year for electricity, equal to 14% of fuel and 14% of electricity consumed in China’s ammonia industry in 2012. These reductions could mitigate 26.7 million tonnes of CO 2 emissions. This study also quantifies the co-benefits of reducing air-pollutant emissions and water use that would result from saving energy in China’s ammonia industry. This quantitative analysis advances our understanding of the cost-effectiveness of energy-efficiency measures and can be used to augment efforts to reduce energy use and environmental impacts.« less

Performance Study of Salt Cavern Air Storage Based Non-Supplementary Fired Compressed Air Energy Storage System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaotao; Song, Jie; Liang, Lixiao; Si, Yang; Wang, Le; Xue, Xiaodai

2017-10-01

Large-scale energy storage system (ESS) plays an important role in the planning and operation of smart grid and energy internet. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is one of promising large-scale energy storage techniques. However, the high cost of the storage of compressed air and the low capacity remain to be solved. This paper proposes a novel non-supplementary fired compressed air energy storage system (NSF-CAES) based on salt cavern air storage to address the issues of air storage and the efficiency of CAES. Operating mechanisms of the proposed NSF-CAES are analysed based on thermodynamics principle. Key factors which has impact on the system storage efficiency are thoroughly explored. The energy storage efficiency of the proposed NSF-CAES system can be improved by reducing the maximum working pressure of the salt cavern and improving inlet air pressure of the turbine. Simulation results show that the electric-to-electric conversion efficiency of the proposed NSF-CAES can reach 63.29% with a maximum salt cavern working pressure of 9.5 MPa and 9 MPa inlet air pressure of the turbine, which is higher than the current commercial CAES plants.

Purifying Water by Imbibition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawton, E. A.

1986-01-01

Concept for purifying water uses absorbent material to remove organic substances. Entire bulk of material employed, not just surface. Proposed purification process uses inexpensive equipment and low energy. Material is methyl acrylate polymer. Material cheap and regenerated by rinsing with methanol or by allowing absorbed compounds to evaporate from it.

Method of purifying isosaccharinate

DOEpatents

Rai, Dhanpat; Moore, Robert C.; Tucker, Mark D.

2010-09-07

A method of purifying isosaccharinate by mixing sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide with calcium isosaccharinate, removing the precipitated calcium carbonate and adjusting the pH to between approximately 4.5 to 5.0 thereby removing excess carbonate and hydroxide to provide an acidic solution containing isosaccharinate.

A Concept for Robust, High Density Terminal Air Traffic Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Isaacson, Douglas R.; Robinson, John E.; Swenson, Harry N.; Denery, Dallas G.

2010-01-01

This paper describes a concept for future high-density, terminal air traffic operations that has been developed by interpreting the Joint Planning and Development Office s vision for the Next Generation (NextGen) Air Transportation System and coupling it with emergent NASA and other technologies and procedures during the NextGen timeframe. The concept described in this paper includes five core capabilities: 1) Extended Terminal Area Routing, 2) Precision Scheduling Along Routes, 3) Merging and Spacing, 4) Tactical Separation, and 5) Off-Nominal Recovery. Gradual changes are introduced to the National Airspace System (NAS) by phased enhancements to the core capabilities in the form of increased levels of automation and decision support as well as targeted task delegation. NASA will be evaluating these conceptual technological enhancements in a series of human-in-the-loop simulations and will accelerate development of the most promising capabilities in cooperation with the FAA through the Efficient Flows Into Congested Airspace Research Transition Team.

Online Nanoflow Multidimensional Fractionation for High Efficiency Phosphopeptide Analysis*

PubMed Central

Ficarro, Scott B.; Zhang, Yi; Carrasco-Alfonso, Marlene J.; Garg, Brijesh; Adelmant, Guillaume; Webber, James T.; Luckey, C. John; Marto, Jarrod A.

2011-01-01

Despite intense, continued interest in global analyses of signaling cascades through mass spectrometry-based studies, the large-scale, systematic production of phosphoproteomics data has been hampered in-part by inefficient fractionation strategies subsequent to phosphopeptide enrichment. Here we explore two novel multidimensional fractionation strategies for analysis of phosphopeptides. In the first technique we utilize aliphatic ion pairing agents to improve retention of phosphopeptides at high pH in the first dimension of a two-dimensional RP-RP. The second approach is based on the addition of strong anion exchange as the second dimension in a three-dimensional reversed phase (RP)-strong anion exchange (SAX)-RP configuration. Both techniques provide for automated, online data acquisition, with the 3-D platform providing the highest performance both in terms of separation peak capacity and the number of unique phosphopeptide sequences identified per μg of cell lysate consumed. Our integrated RP-SAX-RP platform provides several analytical figures of merit, including: (1) orthogonal separation mechanisms in each dimension; (2) high separation peak capacity (3) efficient retention of singly- and multiply-phosphorylated peptides; (4) compatibility with automated, online LC-MS analysis. We demonstrate the reproducibility of RP-SAX-RP and apply it to the analysis of phosphopeptides derived from multiple biological contexts, including an in vitro model of acute myeloid leukemia in addition to primary polyclonal CD8+ T-cells activated in vivo through bacterial infection and then purified from a single mouse. PMID:21788404

High efficiency power generation from coal and wastes utilizing high temperature air combustion technology (Part 1: Performance of pebble bed gasifier for coal and wastes)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kosaka, Hitoshi; Iwahashi, Takashi; Yoshida, Nobuhiro

1998-07-01

A new concept of a gasifier for coal and wastes is proposed where entrained bed and fixed pebble bed are combined. Main features of this pebble bed gasifier are high efficiency molten slag capture, high efficiency gasification and compactness. Coal and RFD combustion experiments using the pebble bed gasifier demonstrated high efficiency capture and continuous extraction of molten slag as well as complete char combustion with extra ordinarily short residence time of pulverized coal and crushed RDF at the temperature level of about 1,500 C within the pebble bed. Durability tests using high temperature electric furnace has shown that highmore » density alumna is a good candidate for pebble material.« less

Strategy Guideline: Compact Air Distribution Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burdick, A.

2013-06-01

This Strategy Guideline discusses the benefits and challenges of using a compact air distribution system to handle the reduced loads and reduced air volume needed to condition the space within an energy efficient home. Traditional systems sized by 'rule of thumb' (i.e., 1 ton of cooling per 400 ft2 of floor space) that 'wash' the exterior walls with conditioned air from floor registers cannot provide appropriate air mixing and moisture removal in low-load homes. A compact air distribution system locates the HVAC equipment centrally with shorter ducts run to interior walls, and ceiling supply outlets throw the air toward themore » exterior walls along the ceiling plane; alternatively, high sidewall supply outlets throw the air toward the exterior walls. Potential drawbacks include resistance from installing contractors or code officials who are unfamiliar with compact air distribution systems, as well as a lack of availability of low-cost high sidewall or ceiling supply outlets to meet the low air volumes with good throw characteristics. The decision criteria for a compact air distribution system must be determined early in the whole-house design process, considering both supply and return air design. However, careful installation of a compact air distribution system can result in lower material costs from smaller equipment, shorter duct runs, and fewer outlets; increased installation efficiencies, including ease of fitting the system into conditioned space; lower loads on a better balanced HVAC system, and overall improved energy efficiency of the home.« less

Increasing round trip efficiency of hybrid Li-air battery with bifunctional catalysts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, K; Li, YF; Xing, YC

2013-07-30

Previously it was shown that Pt as cathode catalyst ha's a large overpotential during charge in rechargeable hybrid Li-air battery with sulfuric acid catholyte. This article demonstrates that a bifunctional catalyst composed of Pt and IrO2 supported on carbon nanotubes can address this problem. The specially designed and synthesized bifunctional catalyst showed significant overpotential reduction and achieved a round trip energy efficiency of 81% after 10 cycles, higher than many achieved in aprotic Li-O-2 batteries. The hybrid Li-air battery was discharged and recharged for 20 cycles at 0.2 mA/cm(2), showing a fairly stable cell performance. A specific capacity of 306more » mAh/g and a specific energy of 1110 Wh/kg were obtained for the hybrid Li-air battery in terms of acid weight. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.« less

Data on the identity and myristoylation state of recombinant, purified hippocalcin.

PubMed

Krishnan, Anuradha; Viviano, Jeffrey; Morozov, Yaroslav; Venkataraman, Venkat

2016-09-01

In this data article we report on the purity and post translation modification of bacterially expressed and purified recombinant hippocalcin (HPCA): a member of the neuronal calcium sensor protein family, whose functions are regulated by calcium. MALDI-TOF in source decay (ISD) analysis was used to identify both the myristoylated or non-myristoylated forms of the protein. MALDI-TOF ISD data on the identity of the protein, amino acid sequence and myristoylation efficiency are provided. This data relates to the article "Single-Column Purification of the Tag-free, Recombinant Form of the Neuronal Calcium Sensor Protein, Hippocalcin Expressed in Eschericia coli" [1].

Enhanced Adsorption Efficiency through Materials Design for Direct Air Capture over Supported Polyethylenimine.

PubMed

Sayari, Abdelhamid; Liu, Qing; Mishra, Prashant

2016-10-06

Until recently, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) was regarded as the most promising technology to address the alarming increase in the concentration of anthropogenic CO 2 in the atmosphere. There is now an increasing interest in carbon capture and utilization (CCU). In this context, the capture of CO 2 from air is an ideal solution to supply pure CO 2 wherever it is needed. Here, we describe innovative materials for direct air capture (DAC) with unprecedented efficiency. Polyethylenimine (PEI) was supported on PME, which is an extra-large-pore silica (pore-expanded MCM-41) with its internal surfaces fully covered by a uniform layer of readily accessible C 16 chains from cetyltrimethylammonium (CTMA + ) cations. The CTMA + layer plays a key role in enhancing the amine efficiency toward dry or humid ultradilute CO 2 (400 ppm CO 2 /N 2 ) to unprecedented levels. At the same PEI content, the amine efficiency of PEI/PME was two to four times higher than that of the corresponding calcined mesoporous silica loaded with PEI or with different combinations of C 16 chains and PEI. Under humid conditions, the amine efficiency of 40 wt % PEI/PME reached 7.31 mmolCO2 /g PEI , the highest ever reported for any supported PEI in the presence of 400 ppm CO 2 . Thus, amine accessibility, which reflects both the state of PEI dispersion and the adsorption efficiency, is intimately associated with the molecular design of the adsorbent. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Complex analysis of energy efficiency in operated high-rise residential building: Case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korniyenko, Sergey

2018-03-01

Energy conservation and human thermal comfort enhancement in buildings is a topical issue of modern architecture and construction. The innovative solution of this problem makes it possible to enhance building ecological and maintenance safety, to reduce hydrocarbon fuel consumption, and to improve life standard of people. The requirements to increase of energy efficiency in buildings should be provided at all the stages of building's life cycle that is at the stage of design, construction and maintenance of buildings. The research purpose is complex analysis of energy efficiency in operated high-rise residential building. Many actions for building energy efficiency are realized according to the project; mainly it is the effective building envelope and engineering systems. Based on results of measurements the energy indicators of the building during annual period have been calculated. The main reason of increase in heat losses consists in the raised infiltration of external air in the building through a building envelope owing to the increased air permeability of windows and balcony doors (construction defects). Thermorenovation of the building based on ventilating and infiltration heat losses reduction through a building envelope allows reducing annual energy consumption. Energy efficiency assessment based on the total annual energy consumption of building, including energy indices for heating and a ventilation, hot water supply and electricity supply, in comparison with heating is more complete. The account of various components in building energy balance completely corresponds to modern direction of researches on energy conservation and thermal comfort enhancement in buildings.

High recovery of prochymosin from inclusion bodies using controlled air oxidation.

PubMed

Menzella, Hugo G; Gramajo, Hugo C; Ceccarelli, Eduardo A

2002-07-01

Refolding of proteins from inclusion bodies is a field of increasing interest for obtaining large amounts of active enzymes. Consequently, the development of inexpensive and scalable processes is required. This is particularly challenging in the case of eukaryotic proteins containing cysteines, which may form disulfide bonds in the native active protein. Previous studies have shown that the formation of disulfide bonds is essential for the refolding of prochymosin. In this work we demonstrate that air oxidation can be efficiently used for the refolding of prochymosin and that 48% of the unfolded protein can be recovered as active enzyme at a final protein concentration of 0.8 mg/ml. Refolding of the protein strictly correlates with the change in pH of the refolding solution. We were able to follow the degree of oxidative renaturation of the prochymosin by simply measuring pH. Thus, the scaling up of the refolding system under controlled conditions was easily achieved. Analyses of different substances as folding aids indicate that the use of L-arginine or neutral surfactants improves the recovery of active protein up to 67% of the initial protein. The overall results indicate that prochymosin can be efficiently and inexpensively refolded with high yields by controlled air oxidation.

Indoor air quality in energy-efficient dwellings: Levels and sources of pollutants.

PubMed

Derbez, M; Wyart, G; Le Ponner, E; Ramalho, O; Ribéron, J; Mandin, C

2018-03-01

Worldwide, public policies are promoting energy-efficient buildings and accelerating the thermal renovation of existing buildings. The effects of these changes on the indoor air quality (IAQ) in these buildings remain insufficiently understood. In this context, a field study was conducted in 72 energy-efficient dwellings to describe the pollutants known to be associated with health concerns. Measured parameters included the concentrations of 19 volatile organic compounds and aldehydes, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), radon, temperature, and relative humidity. The air stuffiness index and night-time air exchange rate were calculated from the monitored carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations. Indoor and outdoor measurements were performed at each dwelling during 1 week in each of the two following seasons: heating and non-heating. Moreover, questionnaires were completed by the occupants to characterize the building, equipment, household, and occupants' habits. Perspective on our results was provided by previous measurements made in low-energy European dwellings. Statistical comparisons with the French housing stock and a pilot study showed higher concentrations of terpenes, that is, alpha-pinene and limonene, and hexaldehyde in our study than in previous studies. Alpha-pinene and hexaldehyde are emitted by wood or wood-based products used for the construction, insulation, decoration, and furnishings of the dwellings, whereas limonene is more associated with discontinuous sources related to human activities. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for a Zinc-Air Battery Derived from Fe/N/C and Bimetallic Metal-Organic Framework Composites.

PubMed

Wang, Mengfan; Qian, Tao; Zhou, Jinqiu; Yan, Chenglin

2017-02-15

Efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts with desirable oxygen activities are closely related to practical applications of renewable energy systems including metal-air batteries, fuel cells, and water splitting. Here a composite material derived from a combination of bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (denoted as BMZIFs) and Fe/N/C framework was reported as an efficient bifunctional catalyst. Although BMZIF or Fe/N/C alone exhibits undesirable oxygen reaction activity, a combination of these materials shows unprecedented ORR (half-wave potential of 0.85 V as well as comparatively superior OER activities (potential@10 mA cm -2 of 1.64 V), outperforming not only a commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst but also most reported bifunctional electrocatalysts. We then tested its practical application in Zn-air batteries. The primary batteries exhibit a high peak power density of 235 mW cm -2 , and the batteries are able to be operated smoothly for 100 cycles at a curent density of 10 mA cm -2 . The unprecedented catalytic activity can be attritued to chemical coupling effects between Fe/N/C and BMZIF and will aid the development of highly active electrocatalysts and applications for electrochemical energy devices.

Utilization of highly purified single wall carbon nanotubes dispersed in polymer thin films for an improved performance of an electrochemical glucose sensor.

PubMed

Goornavar, Virupaxi; Jeffers, Robert; Biradar, Santoshkumar; Ramesh, Govindarajan T

2014-07-01

In this work we report the improved performance an electrochemical glucose sensor based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) that has been modified with highly purified single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) dispersed in polyethyleneimine (PEI), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polypyrrole (PPy). The single wall carbon nanotubes were purified by both thermal and chemical oxidation to achieve maximum purity of ~98% with no damage to the tubes. The SWCNTs were then dispersed by sonication in three different organic polymers (1.0mg/ml SWCNT in 1.0mg/ml of organic polymer). The stable suspension was coated onto the GCE and electrochemical characterization was performed by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Amperometry. The electroactive enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) was immobilized on the surface of the GCE/(organic polymer-SWCNT) electrode. The amperometric detection of glucose was carried out at 0.7 V versus Ag/AgCl. The GCE/(SWCNT-PEI, PEG, PPY) gave a detection limit of 0.2,633 μM, 0.434 μM, and 0.9,617 μM, and sensitivities of 0.2411 ± 0.0033 μA mM(-1), r(2)=0.9984, 0.08164 ± 0.001129 μA mM(-1), r(2)=0.9975, 0.04189 ± 0.00087 μA mM(-1), and r(2)=0.9944 respectively and a response time of less than 5s. The use of purified SWCNTs has several advantages, including fast electron transfer rate and stability in the immobilized enzyme. The significant enhancement of the SWCNT modified electrode as a glucose sensor can be attributed to the superior conductivity and large surface area of the well dispersed purified SWCNTs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of commercially available energy-efficient room air conditioners including models with low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shah, N. K.; Park, W. Y.; Gerke, B.

Improving the energy efficiency of room air conditioners (RACs) while transitioning to low global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerants will be a critical step toward reducing the energy, peak load, and emissions impacts of RACs while keeping costs low. Previous research quantified the benefits of leapfrogging to high efficiency in tandem with the transition to low-GWP refrigerants for RACs (Shah et al., 2015) and identified opportunities for initial action to coordinate energy efficiency with refrigerant transition in economies constituting about 65% of the global RAC market (Shah et al., 2017). This report describes further research performed to identify the best-performing (i.e., most efficientmore » and low-GWP-refrigerant using) RACs on the market, to support an understanding of the best available technology (BAT). Understanding BAT can help support market-transformation programs for high-efficiency and low-GWP equipment such as minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), labeling, procurement, and incentive programs. We studied RACs available in six economies—China, Europe, India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States—that together account for about 70% of global RAC demand, as well as other emerging economies. The following are our key findings: • Highly efficient RACs using low-GWP refrigerants, e.g., HFC-32 (R-32) and HC-290 (R-290), are commercially available today at prices comparable to similar RACs using high-GWP HCFC-22 (R-22) or HFC-410A (R-410A). • High efficiency is typically a feature of high-end products. However, highly efficient, cost-competitive (less than 1,000 or 1,500 U.S. dollars in retail price, depending on size) RACs are available. • Where R-22 is being phased out, high GWP R-410A still dominates RAC sales in most mature markets except Japan, where R-32 dominates. • In all of the economies studied except Japan, only a few models are energy efficient and use low-GWP refrigerants. For example, in Europe, India, and

Air Cleaning Technologies

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

Executive Summary Objective This health technology policy assessment will answer the following questions: When should in-room air cleaners be used? How effective are in-room air cleaners? Are in-room air cleaners that use combined HEPA and UVGI air cleaning technology more effective than those that use HEPA filtration alone? What is the Plasmacluster ion air purifier in the pandemic influenza preparation plan? The experience of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) locally, nationally, and internationally underscored the importance of administrative, environmental, and personal protective infection control measures in health care facilities. In the aftermath of the SARS crisis, there was a need for a clearer understanding of Ontario’s capacity to manage suspected or confirmed cases of airborne infectious diseases. In so doing, the Walker Commission thought that more attention should be paid to the potential use of new technologies such as in-room air cleaning units. It recommended that the Medical Advisory Secretariat of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care evaluate the appropriate use and effectiveness of such new technologies. Accordingly, the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee asked the Medical Advisory Secretariat to review the literature on the effectiveness and utility of in-room air cleaners that use high-efficiency particle air (HEPA) filters and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) air cleaning technology. Additionally, the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee prioritized a request from the ministry’s Emergency Management Unit to investigate the possible role of the Plasmacluster ion air purifier manufactured by Sharp Electronics Corporation, in the pandemic influenza preparation plan. Clinical Need Airborne transmission of infectious diseases depends in part on the concentration of breathable infectious pathogens (germs) in room air. Infection control is achieved by a combination of administrative, engineering

Progress of OLED devices with high efficiency at high luminance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Carmen; Ingram, Grayson; Lu, Zhenghong

2014-03-01

Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) have progressed significantly over the last two decades. For years, OLEDs have been promoted as the next generation technology for flat panel displays and solid-state lighting due to their potential for high energy efficiency and dynamic range of colors. Although high efficiency can readily be obtained at low brightness levels, a significant decline at high brightness is commonly observed. In this report, we will review various strategies for achieving highly efficient phosphorescent OLED devices at high luminance. Specifically, we will provide details regarding the performance and general working principles behind each strategy. We will conclude by looking at how some of these strategies can be combined to produce high efficiency white OLEDs at high brightness.

Thermostable purified endoglucanase II from Acidothermus cellulolyticus ATCC

DOEpatents

Adney, William S.; Thomas, Steven R.; Nieves, Rafael A.; Himmel, Michael E.

1994-01-01

A purified low molecular weight endoglucanase II from Acidothermus cellulolyticus (ATCC 43068) is disclosed. The endoglucanase is water soluble, possesses both C.sub.1, and C.sub.x types of enzyme activity, a high degree of stability toward heat, and exhibits optimum temperature activity at about 81.degree. C. at pH's from about 2 to about 9, and at a inactivation temperature of about 100.degree. C. at pH's from about 2 to about 9.

Thermostable purified endoglucanase II from Acidothermus cellulolyticus ATCC

DOEpatents

Adney, W.S.; Thomas, S.R.; Nieves, R.A.; Himmel, M.E.

1994-11-22

A purified low molecular weight endoglucanase II from Acidothermus cellulolyticus (ATCC 43068) is disclosed. The endoglucanase is water soluble, possesses both C[sub 1], and C[sub x] types of enzyme activity, a high degree of stability toward heat, and exhibits optimum temperature activity at about 81 C at pH's from about 2 to about 9, and at a inactivation temperature of about 100 C at pH's from about 2 to about 9. 9 figs.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

T.F. Trembach; A.G. Klimenko

Coke transportation after wet slaking is accompanied by the release of dust in the production building and in the surrounding atmosphere. Wet methods are traditionally used to purify very humid air. Giprokoks has developed designs for highly efficient dry dust-removal methods in such conditions.

Simulation of the real efficiencies of high-efficiency silicon solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sachenko, A. V., E-mail: sach@isp.kiev.ua; Skrebtii, A. I.; Korkishko, R. M.

The temperature dependences of the efficiency η of high-efficiency solar cells based on silicon are calculated. It is shown that the temperature coefficient of decreasing η with increasing temperature decreases as the surface recombination rate decreases. The photoconversion efficiency of high-efficiency silicon-based solar cells operating under natural (field) conditions is simulated. Their operating temperature is determined self-consistently by simultaneously solving the photocurrent, photovoltage, and energy-balance equations. Radiative and convective cooling mechanisms are taken into account. It is shown that the operating temperature of solar cells is higher than the ambient temperature even at very high convection coefficients (~300 W/m{sup 2}more » K). Accordingly, the photoconversion efficiency in this case is lower than when the temperature of the solar cells is equal to the ambient temperature. The calculated dependences for the open-circuit voltage and the photoconversion efficiency of high-quality silicon solar cells under concentrated illumination are discussed taking into account the actual temperature of the solar cells.« less

Energy Efficiency and Air Quality Repairs at Lyonsdale Biomass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brower, Michael R; Morrison, James A; Spomer, Eric

2012-07-31

This project enabled Lyonsdale Biomass, LLC to effect analyses, repairs and upgrades for its biomass cogeneration facility located in Lewis County, New York and close by the Adirondack Park to reduce air emissions by improving combustion technique and through the overall reduction of biomass throughput by increasing the system's thermodynamic efficiency for its steam-electrical generating cycle. Project outcomes result in significant local, New York State, Northeast U.S. and national benefits including improved renewable energy operational surety, enhanced renewable energy efficiency and more freedom from foreign fossil fuel source dependence. Specifically, the reliability of the Lyonsdale Biomass 20MWe woody biomass combined-heatmore » and power (CHP) was and is now directly enhanced. The New York State and Lewis County benefits are equally substantial since the facility sustains 26 full-time equivalency (FTE) jobs at the facility and as many as 125 FTE jobs in the biomass logistics supply chain. Additionally, the project sustains essential local and state payment in lieu of taxes revenues. This project helps meet several USDOE milestones and contributes directly to the following sustainability goals:  Climate: Reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with bio-power production, conversion and use, in comparison to fossil fuels. Efficiency and Productivity: Enhances efficient use of renewable resources and maximizes conversion efficiency and productivity. Profitability: Lowers production costs. Rural Development: Enhances economic welfare and rural development through job creation and income generation. Standards: Develop standards and corresponding metrics for ensuring sustainable biopower production. Energy Diversification and Security: Reduces dependence on foreign oil and increases energy supply diversity. Net Energy Balance: Ensures positive net energy balance for all alternatives to fossil fuels.« less

The evolution of air resonance power efficiency in the violin and its ancestors

PubMed Central

Nia, Hadi T.; Jain, Ankita D.; Liu, Yuming; Alam, Mohammad-Reza; Barnas, Roman; Makris, Nicholas C.

2015-01-01

The fact that acoustic radiation from a violin at air-cavity resonance is monopolar and can be determined by pure volume change is used to help explain related aspects of violin design evolution. By determining the acoustic conductance of arbitrarily shaped sound holes, it is found that air flow at the perimeter rather than the broader sound-hole area dominates acoustic conductance, and coupling between compressible air within the violin and its elastic structure lowers the Helmholtz resonance frequency from that found for a corresponding rigid instrument by roughly a semitone. As a result of the former, it is found that as sound-hole geometry of the violin's ancestors slowly evolved over centuries from simple circles to complex f-holes, the ratio of inefficient, acoustically inactive to total sound-hole area was decimated, roughly doubling air-resonance power efficiency. F-hole length then slowly increased by roughly 30% across two centuries in the renowned workshops of Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri, favouring instruments with higher air-resonance power, through a corresponding power increase of roughly 60%. By evolution-rate analysis, these changes are found to be consistent with mutations arising within the range of accidental replication fluctuations from craftsmanship limitations with subsequent selection favouring instruments with higher air-resonance power. PMID:25792964

New Source Review (NSR) Air Permitting and Energy Efficiency for Industrial Projects, IECA Manufacturers for Energy Efficiency Coalition Meeting (Presentation) – April 18, 2012

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation provides information about major new source review (NSR), including recent improvement changes and court rulings, flexible air permits rule, significant deterioration rules, and energy efficiency considerations.

Purified blueberry anthocyanins and blueberry juice alter development of obesity in mice fed an obesogenic high-fat diet.

PubMed

Prior, Ronald L; E Wilkes, Samuel; R Rogers, Theodore; Khanal, Ramesh C; Wu, Xianli; Howard, Luke R

2010-04-14

Male C57BL/6J mice (25 days of age) were fed either a low-fat diet (10% kcal from fat) (LF) or a high-fat diet (45% kcal from fat) (HF45) for a period of 72 days. Blueberry juice or purified blueberry anthocyanins (0.2 or 1.0 mg/mL) in the drinking water were included in LF or HF45 treatments. Sucrose was added to the drinking water of one treatment to test if the sugars in blueberry juice would affect development of obesity. Total body weights (g) and body fat (%) were higher and body lean tissue (%) was lower in the HF45 fed mice compared to the LF fed mice after 72 days, but in mice fed HF45 diet plus blueberry juice or blueberry anthocyanins (0.2 mg/mL), body fat (%) was not different from those mice fed the LF diet. Anthocyanins (ACNs) decreased retroperitoneal and epididymal adipose tissue weights. Fasting serum glucose concentrations were higher in mice fed the HF45 diet. However, it was reduced to LF levels in mice fed the HF45 diet plus 0.2 mg of ACNs/mL in the drinking water, but not with blueberry juice. beta cell function (HOMA-BCF) score was lowered with HF45 feeding but returned to normal levels in mice fed the HF45 diet plus purified ACNs (0.2 mg/mL). Serum leptin was elevated in mice fed HF45 diet, and feeding either blueberry juice or purified ACNs (0.2 mg/mL) decreased serum leptin levels relative to HF45 control. Sucrose in drinking water, when consumption was restricted to the volume of juice consumed, produced lower serum leptin and insulin levels, leptin/fat, and retroperitoneal and total fat (% BW). Blueberry juice was not as effective as the low dose of anthocyanins in the drinking water in preventing obesity. Additional studies are needed to determine factors responsible for the differing responses of blueberry juice and whole blueberry in preventing the development of obesity.

Adaptation of the Haloarcula hispanica CRISPR-Cas system to a purified virus strictly requires a priming process

PubMed Central

Li, Ming; Wang, Rui; Zhao, Dahe; Xiang, Hua

2014-01-01

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas system mediates adaptive immunity against foreign nucleic acids in prokaryotes. However, efficient adaptation of a native CRISPR to purified viruses has only been observed for the type II-A system from a Streptococcus thermophilus industry strain, and rarely reported for laboratory strains. Here, we provide a second native system showing efficient adaptation. Infected by a newly isolated virus HHPV-2, Haloarcula hispanica type I-B CRISPR system acquired spacers discriminatively from viral sequences. Unexpectedly, in addition to Cas1, Cas2 and Cas4, this process also requires Cas3 and at least partial Cascade proteins, which are involved in interference and/or CRISPR RNA maturation. Intriguingly, a preexisting spacer partially matching a viral sequence is also required, and spacer acquisition from upstream and downstream sequences of its target sequence (i.e. priming protospacer) shows different strand bias. These evidences strongly indicate that adaptation in this system strictly requires a priming process. This requirement, if validated also true for other CRISPR systems as implied by our bioinformatic analysis, may help to explain failures to observe efficient adaptation to purified viruses in many laboratory strains, and the discrimination mechanism at the adaptation level that has confused scientists for years. PMID:24265226

High blood oxygen affinity in the air-breathing swamp eel Monopterus albus.

PubMed

Damsgaard, Christian; Findorf, Inge; Helbo, Signe; Kocagoz, Yigit; Buchanan, Rasmus; Huong, Do Thi Thanh; Weber, Roy E; Fago, Angela; Bayley, Mark; Wang, Tobias

2014-12-01

The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus, Zuiew 1793) is a facultative air-breathing fish with reduced gills. Previous studies have shown that gas exchange seems to occur across the epithelium of the buccopharyngeal cavity, the esophagus and the integument, resulting in substantial diffusion limitations that must be compensated by adaptations in others steps of the O₂ transport system to secure adequate O₂ delivery to the respiring tissues. We therefore investigated O₂ binding properties of whole blood, stripped hemoglobin (Hb), two major isoHb components and the myoglobin (Mb) from M. albus. Whole blood was sampled using indwelling catheters for blood gas analysis and determination of O₂ equilibrium curves. Hb was purified to assess the effects of endogenous allosteric effectors, and Mb was isolated from heart and skeletal muscle to determine its O₂ binding properties. The blood of M. albus has a high O₂ carrying capacity [hematocrit (Hct) of 42.4±4.5%] and binds O₂ with an unusually high affinity (P₅₀=2.8±0.4mmHg at 27°C and pH7.7), correlating with insensitivity of the Hb to the anionic allosteric effectors that normally decrease Hb-O₂ affinity. In addition, Mb is present at high concentrations in both heart and muscle (5.16±0.99 and 1.08±0.19mg ∙ g wet tissue⁻¹, respectively). We suggest that the high Hct and high blood O₂ affinity serve to overcome the low diffusion capacity in the relatively inefficient respiratory surfaces, while high Hct and Mb concentration aid in increasing the O₂ flux from the blood to the muscles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A high-efficiency electromechanical battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Post, Richard F.; Fowler, T. K.; Post, Stephen F.

1993-03-01

In our society there is a growing need for efficient cost-effective means for storing electrical energy. The electric auto is a prime example. Storage systems for the electric utilities, and for wind or solar power, are other examples. While electrochemical cells could in principle supply these needs, the existing E-C batteries have well-known limitations. This article addresses an alternative, the electromechanical battery (EMB). An EMB is a modular unit consisting of an evacuated housing containing a fiber-composite rotor. The rotor is supported by magnetic bearings and contains an integrally mounted permanent magnet array. This article addresses design issues for EMBs with rotors made up of nested cylinders. Issues addressed include rotational stability, stress distributions, generator/motor power and efficiency, power conversion, and cost. It is concluded that the use of EMBs in electric autos could result in a fivefold reduction (relative to the IC engine) in the primary energy input required for urban driving, with a concomitant major positive impact on our economy and on air pollution.

Characterizing ultrafine particles and other air pollutants in and around school buses.

PubMed

Zhu, Yifang; Zhang, Qunfang

2014-03-01

Increasing evidence has demonstrated toxic effects of ultrafine particles (UFP*, diameter < 100 nm). Children are particularly at risk because of their immature respiratory systems and higher breathing rates per body mass. This study aimed to characterize UFP, PM2.5 (particulate matter < or = 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter), and other vehicular-emitted pollutants in and around school buses. Four sub-studies were conducted, including: 1. On-road tests to measure in-cabin air pollutant levels while school buses were being driven; 2. Idling tests to determine the contributions of tailpipe emissions from idling school buses to air pollutant levels in and around school buses under different scenarios; 3. Retrofit tests to evaluate the performance of two retrofit systems, a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) muffler and a crankcase filtration system (CFS), on reducing tailpipe emissions and in-cabin air pollutant concentrations under idling and driving conditions; and 4. High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter air purifier tests to evaluate the effectiveness of in-cabin filtration. In total, 24 school buses were employed to cover a wide range of school buses commonly used in the United States. Real-time air quality measurements included particle number concentration (PNC), fine and UFP size distribution in the size range 7.6-289 nm, PM2.5 mass concentration, black carbon (BC) concentration, and carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. For in-cabin measurements, instruments were placed on a platform secured to the rear seats inside the school buses. For all other tests, a second set of instruments was deployed to simultaneously measure the ambient air pollutant levels. For tailpipe emission measurements, the exhaust was diluted and then measured by instruments identical to those used for the in-cabin measurements. The results show that when driving on roads, in-cabin PNC, fine and UFP size distribution, PM2.5, BC, and CO varied by engine age

Analysis of cavitation effect for water purifier using electrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Dong Ho; Ko, Han Seo; Lee, Seung Ho

2015-11-01

Water is a limited and vital resource, so it should not be wasted by pollution. A development of new water purification technology is urgent nowadays since the original and biological treatments are not sufficient. The microbubble-aided method was investigated for removal of algal in this study since it overcomes demerits of the existing purification technologies. Thus, the cavitation effect in a venturi-type tube using the electrolysis was analyzed. Ruthenium-coated titanium plates were used as electrodes. Optimum electrode interval and applied power were determined for the electrolysis. Then, the optimized electrodes were installed in the venturi-type tube for generating cavitation. The cavitation effect could be enhanced without any byproduct by the bubbly flow induced by the electrolysis. The optimum mass flow rate and current were determined for the cavitation with the electrolysis. Finally, the visualization techniques were used to count the cell number of algal and microbubbles for the confirmation of the performance. As a result, the energy saving and high efficient water purifier was fabricated in this study. This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Korean government (MEST) (No. 2013R1A2A2A01068653).

High frequency-heated air turbojet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miron, J. H. D.

1986-01-01

A description is given of a method to heat air coming from a turbojet compressor to a temperature necessary to produce required expansion without requiring fuel. This is done by high frequency heating, which heats the walls corresponding to the combustion chamber in existing jets, by mounting high frequency coils in them. The current transformer and high frequency generator to be used are discussed.

High-efficiency targeted editing of large viral genomes by RNA-guided nucleases.

PubMed

Bi, Yanwei; Sun, Le; Gao, Dandan; Ding, Chen; Li, Zhihua; Li, Yadong; Cun, Wei; Li, Qihan

2014-05-01

A facile and efficient method for the precise editing of large viral genomes is required for the selection of attenuated vaccine strains and the construction of gene therapy vectors. The type II prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas)) RNA-guided nuclease system can be introduced into host cells during viral replication. The CRISPR-Cas9 system robustly stimulates targeted double-stranded breaks in the genomes of DNA viruses, where the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology-directed repair (HDR) pathways can be exploited to introduce site-specific indels or insert heterologous genes with high frequency. Furthermore, CRISPR-Cas9 can specifically inhibit the replication of the original virus, thereby significantly increasing the abundance of the recombinant virus among progeny virus. As a result, purified recombinant virus can be obtained with only a single round of selection. In this study, we used recombinant adenovirus and type I herpes simplex virus as examples to demonstrate that the CRISPR-Cas9 system is a valuable tool for editing the genomes of large DNA viruses.

High-Efficiency Targeted Editing of Large Viral Genomes by RNA-Guided Nucleases

PubMed Central

Gao, Dandan; Ding, Chen; Li, Zhihua; Li, Yadong; Cun, Wei; Li, Qihan

2014-01-01

A facile and efficient method for the precise editing of large viral genomes is required for the selection of attenuated vaccine strains and the construction of gene therapy vectors. The type II prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas)) RNA-guided nuclease system can be introduced into host cells during viral replication. The CRISPR-Cas9 system robustly stimulates targeted double-stranded breaks in the genomes of DNA viruses, where the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology-directed repair (HDR) pathways can be exploited to introduce site-specific indels or insert heterologous genes with high frequency. Furthermore, CRISPR-Cas9 can specifically inhibit the replication of the original virus, thereby significantly increasing the abundance of the recombinant virus among progeny virus. As a result, purified recombinant virus can be obtained with only a single round of selection. In this study, we used recombinant adenovirus and type I herpes simplex virus as examples to demonstrate that the CRISPR-Cas9 system is a valuable tool for editing the genomes of large DNA viruses. PMID:24788700

Phase change liquid purifier and pump

DOEpatents

Steinhour, Leif Alexi

2017-05-23

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for purifying and pumping liquids, and more particularly, for purifying and pumping water. The apparatus includes a chamber including a top portion and a bottom portion. A surface configured to be heated is proximate the bottom portion of the chamber. A baffle is disposed within the chamber and above the surface. The baffle is disposed at an angle relative to a vertical direction. The chamber further includes an inlet and a first outlet. The surface heats a liquid in the chamber, causing the liquid to boil. In operation, bubbles rise from the surface and are forced in a horizontal direction by the baffle disposed in the chamber.

Define and Quantify the Physics of Air Flow, Pressure Drop and Aerosol Collection in Nuclear Grade HEPA Filters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Murray E.

Objective: Develop a set of peer-review and verified analytical methods to adjust HEPA filter performance to different flow rates, temperatures and altitudes. Experimental testing will measure HEPA filter flow rate, pressure drop and efficiency to verify the analytical approach. Nuclear facilities utilize HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters to purify air flow for workspace ventilation. However, the ASME AG-1 technical standard (Code on Nuclear Air and Gas Treatment) does not adequately describe air flow measurement units for HEPA filter systems. Specifically, the AG-1 standard does not differentiate between volumetric air flow in ACFM (actual cubic feet per minute)compared to massmore » flow measured in SCFM (standard cubic feet per minute). More importantly, the AG-1 standard has an overall deficiency for using HEPA filter devices at different air flow rates, temperatures, and altitudes. Technical Approach: The collection efficiency and pressure drops of 18 different HEPA filters will be measured over a range of flow rates, temperatures and altitudes. The experimental results will be compared to analytical scoping calculations. Three manufacturers have allocated six HEPA filters each for this effort. The 18 filters will be tested at two different flow rates, two different temperatures and two different altitudes. The 36 total tests will be conducted at two different facilities: the ATI Test facilities (Baltimore MD) and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos NM). The Radiation Protection RP-SVS group at Los Alamos has an aerosol wind tunnel that was originally designed to evaluate small air samplers. In 2010, modifications were started to convert the wind tunnel for HEPA filter testing. (Extensive changes were necessary for the required aerosol generators, HEPA test fixtures, temperature control devices and measurement capabilities.) To this date, none of these modification activities have been funded through a specific DOE or NNSA program

High level of microsynteny and purifying selection affect the evolution of WRKY family in Gramineae.

PubMed

Jin, Jing; Kong, Jingjing; Qiu, Jianle; Zhu, Huasheng; Peng, Yuancheng; Jiang, Haiyang

2016-01-01

The WRKY gene family, which encodes proteins in the regulation processes of diverse developmental stages, is one of the largest families of transcription factors in higher plants. In this study, by searching for interspecies gene colinearity (microsynteny) and dating the age distributions of duplicated genes, we found 35 chromosomal segments of subgroup I genes of WRKY family (WRKY I) in four Gramineae species (Brachypodium, rice, sorghum, and maize) formed eight orthologous groups. After a stepwise gene-by-gene reciprocal comparison of all the protein sequences in the WRKY I gene flanking areas, highly conserved regions of microsynteny were found in the four Gramineae species. Most gene pairs showed conserved orientation within syntenic genome regions. Furthermore, tandem duplication events played the leading role in gene expansion. Eventually, environmental selection pressure analysis indicated strong purifying selection for the WRKY I genes in Gramineae, which may have been followed by gene loss and rearrangement. The results presented in this study provide basic information of Gramineae WRKY I genes and form the foundation for future functional studies of these genes. High level of microsynteny in the four grass species provides further evidence that a large-scale genome duplication event predated speciation.

High efficiency quantum cascade laser frequency comb.

PubMed

Lu, Quanyong; Wu, Donghai; Slivken, Steven; Razeghi, Manijeh

2017-03-06

An efficient mid-infrared frequency comb source is of great interest to high speed, high resolution spectroscopy and metrology. Here we demonstrate a mid-IR quantum cascade laser frequency comb with a high power output and narrow beatnote linewidth at room temperature. The active region was designed with a strong-coupling between the injector and the upper lasing level for high internal quantum efficiency and a broadband gain. The group velocity dispersion was engineered for efficient, broadband mode-locking via four wave mixing. The comb device exhibits a narrow intermode beatnote linewidth of 50.5 Hz and a maximum wall-plug efficiency of 6.5% covering a spectral coverage of 110 cm -1 at λ ~ 8 μm. The efficiency is improved by a factor of 6 compared with previous demonstrations. The high power efficiency and narrow beatnote linewidth will greatly expand the applications of quantum cascade laser frequency combs including high-precision remote sensing and spectroscopy.

High efficiency quantum cascade laser frequency comb

PubMed Central

Lu, Quanyong; Wu, Donghai; Slivken, Steven; Razeghi, Manijeh

2017-01-01

An efficient mid-infrared frequency comb source is of great interest to high speed, high resolution spectroscopy and metrology. Here we demonstrate a mid-IR quantum cascade laser frequency comb with a high power output and narrow beatnote linewidth at room temperature. The active region was designed with a strong-coupling between the injector and the upper lasing level for high internal quantum efficiency and a broadband gain. The group velocity dispersion was engineered for efficient, broadband mode-locking via four wave mixing. The comb device exhibits a narrow intermode beatnote linewidth of 50.5 Hz and a maximum wall-plug efficiency of 6.5% covering a spectral coverage of 110 cm−1 at λ ~ 8 μm. The efficiency is improved by a factor of 6 compared with previous demonstrations. The high power efficiency and narrow beatnote linewidth will greatly expand the applications of quantum cascade laser frequency combs including high-precision remote sensing and spectroscopy. PMID:28262834

Removal of viable bioaerosol particles with a low-efficiency HVAC filter enhanced by continuous emission of unipolar air ions.

PubMed

Huang, R; Agranovski, I; Pyankov, O; Grinshpun, S

2008-04-01

Continuous emission of unipolar ions has been shown to improve the performance of respirators and stationary filters challenged with non-biological particles. In this study, we investigated the ion-induced enhancement effect while challenging a low-efficiency heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) filter with viable bacterial cells, bacterial and fungal spores, and viruses. The aerosol concentration was measured in real time. Samples were also collected with a bioaerosol sampler for viable microbial analysis. The removal efficiency of the filter was determined, respectively, with and without an ion emitter. The ionization was found to significantly enhance the filter efficiency in removing viable biological particles from the airflow. For example, when challenged with viable bacteria, the filter efficiency increased as much as four- to fivefold. For viable fungal spores, the ion-induced enhancement improved the efficiency by a factor of approximately 2. When testing with virus-carrying liquid droplets, the original removal efficiency provided by the filter was rather low: 9.09 +/- 4.84%. While the ion emission increased collection about fourfold, the efficiency did not reach 75-100% observed with bacteria and fungi. These findings, together with our previously published results for non-biological particles, demonstrate the feasibility of a new approach for reducing aerosol particles in HVAC systems used for indoor air quality control. Recirculated air in HVAC systems used for indoor air quality control in buildings often contains considerable number of viable bioaerosol particles because of limited efficiency of the filters installed in these systems. In the present study, we investigated - using aerosolized bacterial cells, bacterial and fungal spores, and virus-carrying particles - a novel idea of enhancing the performance of a low-efficiency HVAC filter utilizing continuous emission of unipolar ions in the filter vicinity. The findings described in

The physics of pulsed streamer discharge in high pressure air and applications to engine techonologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yung-Hsu

The goal of this dissertation is to study high pressure streamers in air and apply it to diesel engine technologies. Nanosecond scale pulsed high voltage discharges in air/fuel mixtures can generate radicals which in turn have been shown to improve combustion efficiency in gasoline fueled internal combustion engines. We are exploring the possibility to extend such transient plasma generation and expected radical species generation to the range of pressures encountered in compression-ignition (diesel) engines having compression ratios of ˜20:1, thereby improving lean burning efficiency and extending the range of lean combustion. At the beginning of this dissertation, research into streamer discharges is reviewed. Then, we conducted experiments of streamer propagation at high pressures, calculated the streamer velocity based on both optical and electrical measurements, and the similarity law was checked by analyzing the streamer velocity as a function of the reduced electric field, E/P. Our results showed that the similarity law is invalid, and an empirical scaling factor, E/√P, is obtained and verified by dimensional analysis. The equation derived from the dimensional analysis will be beneficial to proper electrode and pulse generator design for transient plasma assisted internal engine experiments. Along with the high pressure study, we applied such technique on diesel engine to improve the fuel efficiency and exhaust treatment. We observed a small effect of transient plasma on peak pressure, which implied that transient plasma has the capability to improve the fuel consumption. In addition, the NO can be reduced effectively by the same technique and the energy cost is 30 eV per NO molecule.

Reducing indoor air pollutants with air filtration units in wood stove homes.

PubMed

McNamara, Marcy L; Thornburg, Jonathon; Semmens, Erin O; Ward, Tony J; Noonan, Curtis W

2017-08-15

Biomass burning has been shown to be a major source of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in developing and higher income countries across the world. Specifically, wood burning for cooking and heating contributes to high indoor concentrations of fine (particles with aerodynamic diameters<2.5μm; PM 2.5 ) and coarse (particles with aerodynamic diameters <10μm and >2.5μm; PMc) particulate matter. Endotoxin, predominantly found within the coarse fraction of airborne particulate matter, is associated with proinflammatory effects and adverse outcomes among susceptible populations. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of air filter interventions in reducing indoor PM 2.5 , PMc, and PMc-associated endotoxin concentrations in homes using a wood stove for primary heating. Homes (n=48) were randomized to receive in-room air filtration units with either a high efficiency filter (i.e. active) or a lower efficiency fiberglass filter (i.e., placebo). The active filter intervention showed a 66% reduction in indoor PM 2.5 concentrations (95% CI: 42.2% to 79.7% reduction) relative to the placebo intervention. Both the active and the placebo filters were effective in substantially reducing indoor concentrations of PMc (63.3% and 40.6% average reduction for active and placebo filters, respectively) and PMc-associated endotoxin concentrations (91.8% and 80.4% average reductions, respectively). These findings support the use of high efficiency air filtration units for reducing indoor PM 2.5 in homes using a wood stove for primary heating. We also discovered that using lower efficiency, lower cost filter alternatives can be effective for reducing PMc and airborne endotoxin in homes burning biomass fuel. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

High efficiency solar cell processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, F.; Iles, P. A.

1985-01-01

At the time of writing, cells made by several groups are approaching 19% efficiency. General aspects of the processing required for such cells are discussed. Most processing used for high efficiency cells is derived from space-cell or concentrator cell technology, and recent advances have been obtained from improved techniques rather than from better understanding of the limiting mechanisms. Theory and modeling are fairly well developed, and adequate to guide further asymptotic increases in performance of near conventional cells. There are several competitive cell designs with promise of higher performance ( 20%) but for these designs further improvements are required. The available cell processing technology to fabricate high efficiency cells is examined.

[Characteristics of phosphorus uptake and use efficiency of rice with high yield and high phosphorus use efficiency].

PubMed

Li, Li; Zhang, Xi-Zhou; Li, Tinx-Xuan; Yu, Hai-Ying; Ji, Lin; Chen, Guang-Deng

2014-07-01

A total of twenty seven middle maturing rice varieties as parent materials were divided into four types based on P use efficiency for grain yield in 2011 by field experiment with normal phosphorus (P) application. The rice variety with high yield and high P efficiency was identified by pot experiment with normal and low P applications, and the contribution rates of various P efficiencies to yield were investigated in 2012. There were significant genotype differences in yield and P efficiency of the test materials. GRLu17/AiTTP//Lu17_2 (QR20) was identified as a variety with high yield and high P efficiency, and its yields at the low and normal rates of P application were 1.96 and 1.92 times of that of Yuxiang B, respectively. The contribution rate of P accumulation to yield was greater than that of P grain production efficiency and P harvest index across field and pot experiments. The contribution rates of P accumulation and P grain production efficiency to yield were not significantly different under the normal P condition, whereas obvious differences were observed under the low P condition (66.5% and 26.6%). The minimal contribution to yield was P harvest index (11.8%). Under the normal P condition, the contribution rates of P accumulation to yield and P harvest index were the highest at the jointing-heading stage, which were 93.4% and 85.7%, respectively. In addition, the contribution rate of P accumulation to grain production efficiency was 41.8%. Under the low P condition, the maximal contribution rates of P accumulation to yield and grain production efficiency were observed at the tillering-jointing stage, which were 56.9% and 20.1% respectively. Furthermore, the contribution rate of P accumulation to P harvest index was 16.0%. The yield, P accumulation, and P harvest index of QR20 significantly increased under the normal P condition by 20.6%, 18.1% and 18.2% respectively compared with that in the low P condition. The rank of the contribution rates of P

Cold Climate and Retrofit Applications for Air-to-Air Heat Pumps

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baxter, Van D

2015-01-01

Air source heat pumps (ASHP) including air-to-air ASHPs are easily applied to buildings almost anywhere for new construction as well as retrofits or renovations. They are widespread in milder climate regions but their use in cold regions is hampered due to low heating efficiency and capacity at cold outdoor temperatures. Retrofitting air-to-air ASHPs to existing buildings is relatively easy if the building already has an air distribution system. For buildings without such systems alternative approaches are necessary. Examples are ductless, minisplit heat pumps or central heat pumps coupled to small diameter, high velocity (SDHV) air distribution systems. This article presentsmore » two subjects: 1) a summary of R&D investigations aimed at improving the cold weather performance of ASHPs, and 2) a brief discussion of building retrofit options using air-to-air ASHP systems.« less

Plant leaves as indoor air passive samplers for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

PubMed

Wetzel, Todd A; Doucette, William J

2015-03-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) enter indoor environments through internal and external sources. Indoor air concentrations of VOCs vary greatly but are generally higher than outdoors. Plants have been promoted as indoor air purifiers for decades, but reports of their effectiveness differ. However, while air-purifying applications may be questionable, the waxy cuticle coating on leaves may provide a simple, cost-effective approach to sampling indoor air for VOCs. To investigate the potential use of plants as indoor air VOC samplers, a static headspace approach was used to examine the relationship between leaf and air concentrations, leaf lipid contents and octanol-air partition coefficients (Koa) for six VOCs and four plant species. The relationship between leaf and air concentrations was further examined in an actual residence after the introduction of several chlorinated VOC emission sources. Leaf-air concentration factors (LACFs), calculated from linear regressions of the laboratory headspace data, were found to increase as the solvent extractable leaf lipid content and Koa value of the VOC increased. In the studies conducted in the residence, leaf concentrations paralleled the changing air concentrations, indicating a relatively rapid air to leaf VOC exchange. Overall, the data from the laboratory and residential studies illustrate the potential for plant leaves to be used as cost effective, real-time indoor air VOC samplers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accelerating Improvements in the Energy Efficiency of Room Air Conditioners (RACs) in India: Potential, Cost-Benefit, and Policies (Interim Assessment)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abhyankar, Nikit; Shah, Nihar; Park, Won Young

Falling AC prices, increasing incomes, increasing urbanization, and high cooling requirements due to hot climate are all driving increasing uptake of Room Air Conditioners (RACs) in the Indian market. Air conditioning already comprises 40-60% of summer peak load in large metropolitan Indian cities such as Delhi and is likely to contribute 150 GW to the peak demand in 2030. Standards and labeling policies have contributed to improving the efficiency of RACs in India by about 2.5% in the last 10 years (2.5% per year) while inflation adjusted RAC prices have continued to decline. In this paper, we assess the technicalmore » feasibility, cost-benefit, and required policy enhancements by further accelerating the efficiency improvement of RACs in India. We find that there are examples of significantly more accelerated improvements such as those in Japan and Korea where AC efficiency improved by more than 7% per year resulting in almost a doubling of energy efficiency in 7 to 10 years while inflation adjusted AC prices continued to decline. We find that the most efficient RAC sold on the Indian market is almost twice as efficient as the typical AC sold on the market and hence see no technology constraints in a similar acceleration of improvement of efficiency. If starting 2018, AC efficiency improves at a rate of 6% instead of 3%, 40-60 GW of peak load (equivalent to connected load of 5-6 billion LED bulbs), and over 75 TWh/yr (equivalent to 60 million consumers consuming 100 kWh/month) will be saved by 2030; total peak load reduction would be as high as 50 GW. The net present value (NPV) of the consumer benefit between 2018-2030 will range from Rs 18,000 Cr in the most conservative case (in which prices don’t continue to decline and increase based estimates of today’s cost of efficiency improvement) to 140,000 Cr in a more realistic case (in which prices are not affected by accelerated efficiency improvement as shown by historical experience). This benefit is

Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative Air-Conditioning (DEVap): Evaluation of a New Concept in Ultra Efficient Air Conditioning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kozubal, E.; Woods, J.; Burch, J.

2011-01-01

NREL has developed the novel concept of a desiccant enhanced evaporative air conditioner (DEVap) with the objective of combining the benefits of liquid desiccant and evaporative cooling technologies into an innovative 'cooling core.' Liquid desiccant technologies have extraordinary dehumidification potential, but require an efficient cooling sink. DEVap's thermodynamic potential overcomes many shortcomings of standard refrigeration-based direct expansion cooling. DEVap decouples cooling and dehumidification performance, which results in independent temperature and humidity control. The energy input is largely switched away from electricity to low-grade thermal energy that can be sourced from fuels such as natural gas, waste heat, solar, or biofuels.

The effects of an energy efficiency retrofit on indoor air quality.

PubMed

Frey, S E; Destaillats, H; Cohn, S; Ahrentzen, S; Fraser, M P

2015-04-01

To investigate the impacts of an energy efficiency retrofit, indoor air quality and resident health were evaluated at a low-income senior housing apartment complex in Phoenix, Arizona, before and after a green energy building renovation. Indoor and outdoor air quality sampling was carried out simultaneously with a questionnaire to characterize personal habits and general health of residents. Measured indoor formaldehyde levels before the building retrofit routinely exceeded reference exposure limits, but in the long-term follow-up sampling, indoor formaldehyde decreased for the entire study population by a statistically significant margin. Indoor PM levels were dominated by fine particles and showed a statistically significant decrease in the long-term follow-up sampling within certain resident subpopulations (i.e. residents who report smoking and residents who had lived longer at the apartment complex). © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

High-efficiency, broad band, high-damage threshold high-index gratings for femtosecond pulse compression.

PubMed

Canova, Frederico; Clady, Raphael; Chambaret, Jean-Paul; Flury, Manuel; Tonchev, Svtelen; Fechner, Renate; Parriaux, Olivier

2007-11-12

High efficiency, broad-band TE-polarization diffraction over a wavelength range centered at 800 nm is obtained by high index gratings placed on a non-corrugated mirror. More than 96% efficiency wide band top-hat diffraction efficiency spectra, as well as more than 1 J/cm(2) damage threshold under 50 fs pulses are demonstrated experimentally. This opens the way to high-efficiency Chirped Pulse Amplification for high average power laser machining by means of all-dielectric structures as well as for ultra-short high energy pulses by means of metal-dielectric structures.

Highly Efficient Erythritol Recovery from Waste Erythritol Mother Liquor by a Yeast-Mediated Biorefinery Process.

PubMed

Wang, Siqi; Wang, Hengwei; Lv, Jiyang; Deng, Zixin; Cheng, Hairong

2017-12-20

Erythritol, a natural sugar alcohol, is produced industrially by fermentation and crystallization, but this process leaves a large amount of waste erythritol mother liquor (WEML) which contains more than 200 g/L erythritol as well as other polyol byproducts. These impurities make it very difficult to crystallize more erythritol. In our study, an efficient process for the recovery of erythritol from the WEML is described. The polyol impurities were first identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and a yeast strain Candida maltosa CGMCC 7323 was then isolated to metabolize those impurities to purify erythritol. Our results demonstrated that the process could remarkably improve the purity of erythritol and thus make the subsequent crystallization easier. This newly developed strategy is expected to have advantages in WEML treatment and provide helpful information with regard to green cell factories and zero-waste processing.

Achieving 'excellent' indoor air quality in commercial offices equipped with air-handling unit--respirable suspended particulate.

PubMed

Lam, K S; Chan, F S; Fung, W Y; Lui, B S S; Lau, L W L

2006-04-01

A study was carried out to investigate the feasibility of achieving ultra low respirable suspended particulates (RSP) in commercial offices without major modification of existing ventilation systems by enhancing the particulates removal efficiency of existing central ventilation systems. Four types of filters which include pre-filters, cartridge filters, bag filters and high efficiency particulates air (HEPA) filters were tested in a commercial building in Causeway Bay. The results show that an RSP objective of <20 microg/m3 could be met by removing RSP from both the return air and outdoor air supply simultaneously. This level of performance is classed as 'excellent' by the Hong Kong Government, Environmental Protection Department. Filters with efficiency that exceed 80% placed both in the return air and outdoor air were sufficient to meet the objective. It is not necessary to install HEPA filters to achieve the 'excellent' class. The outdoor air filter has great influence on the steady state indoor RSP concentration while the effective cleaning rate is governed by the return air filter. Higher efficiency filters increased the static drop but the volume flow of the air fan was not affected significantly. The additional cost incurred was <5% of the existing operation cost. This paper reports a field study of RSP control for an indoor office environment. The results are directly applicable to building service engineering in the design of ventilation systems using air-handling units. Field observations indicated that indoor RSP in an office environment could be suppressed below 20 microg/m3 within 1 h by the simultaneous filtration of outdoor air and return air. Outdoor air filtration has a great influence on the steady state indoor concentration and return air filtration governs the cleaning rate. It is believed that the results of this study could be extended to the cleaning of other indoor pollutants such as volatile organic compounds.

A Lithium-Air Battery Stably Working at High Temperature with High Rate Performance.

PubMed

Pan, Jian; Li, Houpu; Sun, Hao; Zhang, Ye; Wang, Lie; Liao, Meng; Sun, Xuemei; Peng, Huisheng

2018-02-01

Driven by the increasing requirements for energy supply in both modern life and the automobile industry, the lithium-air battery serves as a promising candidate due to its high energy density. However, organic solvents in electrolytes are likely to rapidly vaporize and form flammable gases under increasing temperatures. In this case, serious safety problems may occur and cause great harm to people. Therefore, a kind of lithium-air that can work stably under high temperature is desirable. Herein, through the use of an ionic liquid and aligned carbon nanotubes, and a fiber shaped design, a new type of lithium-air battery that can effectively work at high temperatures up to 140 °C is developed. Ionic liquids can offer wide electrochemical windows and low vapor pressures, as well as provide high thermal stability for lithium-air batteries. The aligned carbon nanotubes have good electric and heat conductivity. Meanwhile, the fiber format can offer both flexibility and weavability, and realize rapid heat conduction and uniform heat distribution of the battery. In addition, the high temperature has also largely improved the specific powers by increasing the ionic conductivity and catalytic activity of the cathode. Consequently, the lithium-air battery can work stably at 140 °C with a high specific current of 10 A g -1 for 380 cycles, indicating high stability and good rate performance at high temperatures. This work may provide an effective paradigm for the development of high-performance energy storage devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Co- and defect-rich carbon nanofiber films as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Il To; Song, Myeong Jun; Shin, Seoyoon; Shin, Moo Whan

2018-03-01

Many efforts are continuously devoted to developing high-efficiency, low-cost, and highly scalable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts to replace precious metal catalysts. Herein, we successfully synthesize Co- and defect-rich carbon nanofibers (CNFs) using an efficient heat treatment approach involving the pyrolysis of electrospun fibers at 370 °C under air. The heat treatment process produces Co-decorated CNFs with a high Co mass ratio, enriched pyridinic N, Co-pyridinic Nx clusters, and defect-rich carbon structures. The synergistic effects from composition and structural changes in the designed material increase the number of catalytically active sites for the ORR in an alkaline solution. The prepared Co- and defect-rich CNFs exhibit excellent ORR activities with a high ORR onset potential (0.954 V vs. RHE), a large reduction current density (4.426 mA cm-2 at 0.40 V), and a nearly four-electron pathway. The catalyst also exhibits a better long-term durability than commercial Pt/C catalysts. This study provides a novel hybrid material as an efficient ORR catalyst and important insight into the design strategy for CNF-based hybrid materials as electrochemical electrodes.

An atomic-scale and high efficiency finishing method of zirconia ceramics by using magnetorheological finishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Hu; Guo, Meijian; Yin, Shaohui; Chen, Fengjun; Huang, Shuai; Lu, Ange; Guo, Yuanfan

2018-06-01

Zirconia ceramics is a valuable crucial material for fabricating functional components applied in aerospace, biology, precision machinery, military industry and other fields. However, the properties of its high brittleness and high hardness could seriously reduce its finishing efficiency and surface quality by conventional processing technology. In this work, we present a high efficiency and high-quality finishing process by using magnetorheological finishing (MRF), which employs the permanent magnetic yoke with straight air gap as excitation unit. The sub-nanoscale surface roughness and damage free surface can be obtained after magnetorheological finishing. The XRD results and SEM morphologies confirmed that the mechanical shear removal with ductile modes are the dominant material removal mechanism for the magnetorheological finishing of zirconia ceramic. With the developed experimental apparatus, the effects of workpiece speed, trough speed and work gap on material removal rate and surface roughness were systematically investigated. Zirconia ceramics finished to ultra-smooth surface with surface roughness less than Ra 1 nm was repeatedly achieved during the parametric experiments. Additionally, the highest material removal rate exceeded 1 mg/min when using diamond as an abrasive particle. Magnetorheological finishing promises to be an adaptable and efficient method for zirconia ceramics finishing.

High efficiency, long life terrestrial solar panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, T.; Khemthong, S.; Ling, R.; Olah, S.

1977-01-01

The design of a high efficiency, long life terrestrial module was completed. It utilized 256 rectangular, high efficiency solar cells to achieve high packing density and electrical output. Tooling for the fabrication of solar cells was in house and evaluation of the cell performance was begun. Based on the power output analysis, the goal of a 13% efficiency module was achievable.

2. View of Liquified Propane Air Plant (New), former Exhaust ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. View of Liquified Propane Air Plant (New), former Exhaust and Compressor Building and former Purifying Plant in background. - Concord Gas Light Company, South Main Street, Concord, Merrimack County, NH

Towards energy efficient operation of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems via advanced supervisory control design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oswiecinska, A.; Hibbs, J.; Zajic, I.; Burnham, K. J.

2015-11-01

This paper presents conceptual control solution for reliable and energy efficient operation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems used in large volume building applications, e.g. warehouse facilities or exhibition centres. Advanced two-level scalable control solution, designed to extend capabilities of the existing low-level control strategies via remote internet connection, is presented. The high-level, supervisory controller is based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) architecture, which is the state-of-the-art for indoor climate control systems. The innovative approach benefits from using passive heating and cooling control strategies for reducing the HVAC system operational costs, while ensuring that required environmental conditions are met.

Thermostable purified endoglucanas from acidothermus cellulolyticus ATCC 43068

DOEpatents

Himmel, Michael E.; Adney, William S.; Tucker, Melvin P.; Grohmann, Karel

1994-01-01

A purified low molecular weight cellulase endoglucanase I having a molecular weight of between about 57,420 to about 74,580 daltons from Acidothermus cellulolyticus (ATCC 43068). The cellulase is water soluble, possesses both C.sub.1 and C.sub.x types of enzyme activity, a high degree of stability toward heat, and exhibits optimum temperature activity at about 83.degree. C. at pH's from about 2 to about 9, and in inactivation temperature of about 110.degree. C. at pH's from about 2 to about 9.

Thermostable purified endoglucanase from Acidothermus cellulolyticus ATCC 43068

DOEpatents

Himmel, M.E.; Adney, W.S.; Tucker, M.P.; Grohmann, K.

1994-01-04

A purified low molecular weight cellulase endoglucanase I having a molecular weight of between about 57,420 to about 74,580 daltons from Acidothermus cellulolyticus (ATCC 43068) is presented. The cellulase is water soluble, possesses both C[sub 1] and C[sub x] types of enzyme activity, a high degree of stability toward heat, and exhibits optimum temperature activity at about 83 C at pH's from about 2 to about 9, and in inactivation temperature of about 110 C at pH's from about 2 to about 9. 7 figures.

Investigating the characteristic strength of flocs formed from crude and purified Hibiscus extracts in water treatment.

PubMed

Jones, Alfred Ndahi; Bridgeman, John

2016-10-15

The growth, breakage and re-growth of flocs formed using crude and purified seed extracts of Okra (OK), Sabdariffa (SB) and Kenaf (KE) as coagulants and coagulant aids was assessed. The results showed floc size increased from 300 μm when aluminium sulphate (AS) was used as a coagulant to between 696 μm and 722 μm with the addition of 50 mg/l of OK, KE and SB crude samples as coagulant aids. Similarly, an increase in floc size was observed when each of the purified proteins was used as coagulant aid at doses of between 0.123 and 0.74 mg/l. The largest floc sizes of 741 μm, 460 μm and 571 μm were obtained with a 0.123 mg/l dose of purified Okra protein (POP), purified Sabdariffa (PSP) and purified Kenaf (PKP) respectively. Further coagulant aid addition from 0.123 to 0.74 mg/l resulted in a decrease in floc size and strength in POP and PSP. However, an increase in floc strength and reduced d50 size was observed in PKP at a dose of 0.74 mg/l. Flocs produced when using purified and crude extract samples as coagulant aids exhibited high recovery factors and strength. However, flocs exhibited greater recovery post-breakage when the extracts were used as a primary coagulant. It was observed that the combination of purified proteins and AS improved floc size, strength and recovery factors. Therefore, the applications of Hibiscus seeds in either crude or purified form increases floc growth, strength, recoverability and can also reduce the cost associated with the import of AS in developing countries. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Air Intake Performance of Air Breathing Ion Engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, Kazuhisa

The air breathing ion engine (ABIE) is a new type of electric propulsion system which can be used to compensate the aerodynamic drag of the satellite orbiting at extremely low altitudes. In this propulsion system, the low-density atmosphere surrounding the satellite is taken in and used as the propellant of ion engines to reduce the propellant mass for a long operation lifetime. Since feasibility and performance of the ABIE are subject to the compression ratio and the air intake efficiency, a numerical analysis has been conducted by means of the direct-simulation Monte-Carlo method to clarify the characteristics of the air-intake performance in highly rarefied flows. Influences of the flight altitude, the aspect-ratio of the air intake duct, the angle of attack, and the wall conditions are investigated.

Study of the efficiency of some water treatment unit that present in houses in Erbil city-Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toma, Janan. Jabbar.; Hanna, Aveen. Matti.

2017-09-01

Many people in Erbil city started more than two decade to put special treatment units in their houses to purified water to become safer for drinking uses. The aim of this study was determine the efficiency of six kind water treatment units which include (two replicate of Crystal Water Purifier, So-Safe Water Filter, R O Water Purifier, Kontec Water Purified and Al-Kawther Purified Water). Water samples were collected in two sites one before and other after treatment unit. Each sample was collect with three replication during May to October-2016. Analyzed for Major cations concentration (calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium), anions concentration (nitrate and chloride) and hydrogen ion concentration (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity and total hardness by using standard methods. The water quality index values for all raw water sample befor and after treatment was good and excellent respectively for drinking purposes. Efficiency of So-Safe Water Filter was 66.32% it means was more efficiency than others special water treatment units while in RO Water Purifier was 27.14%, means less efficiency than other water purifier water under this study. Values for major cations, anions and others chemicals characteristics in the water samples after treatment became lower concentrations than befor treatment, likely an indication that these were removed by treatment. According to guideline of world health organization all of variables except total hardness befor treatment are safe and suitable for drinking purposes.

Characterization of purified bacterial cellulose focused on its use on paper restoration.

PubMed

Santos, Sara M; Carbajo, José M; Quintana, Ester; Ibarra, David; Gomez, Nuria; Ladero, Miguel; Eugenio, M Eugenia; Villar, Juan C

2015-02-13

Bacterial cellulose (BC) synthesized by Gluconacetobacter sucrofermentans CECT 7291 seems to be a good option for the restoration of degraded paper. In this work BC layers are cultivated and purified by two different methods: an alkaline treatment when the culture media contains ethanol and a thermal treatment if the media is free from ethanol. The main goal of these tests was the characterization of BC layers measured in terms of tear and burst indexes, optical properties, SEM, X-ray diffraction, FTIR, degree of polymerization, static and dynamic contact angles, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The BC layers were also evaluated in the same terms after an aging treatment. Results showed that BC has got high crystallinity index, low internal porosity, good mechanical properties and high stability over time, especially when purified by the alkaline treatment. These features make BC an adequate candidate for degraded paper reinforcement. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of High- and Low-Efficiency Hospitals.

PubMed

Rosko, Michael; Wong, Herbert S; Mutter, Ryan

2017-01-01

We compared performance, operating characteristics, and market environments of low- and high-efficiency hospitals in the 37 states that supplied inpatient data to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project from 2006 to 2010. Hospital cost-inefficiency estimates using stochastic frontier analysis were generated. Hospitals were then grouped into the 100 most- and 100 least-efficient hospitals for subsequent analysis. Compared with the least efficient hospitals, high-efficiency hospitals tended to have lower average costs, higher labor productivity, and higher profit margins. The most efficient hospitals tended to be nonteaching, investor-owned, and members of multihospital systems. Hospitals in the high-efficiency group were located in areas with lower health maintenance organization penetration and less competition, and they had a higher share of Medicaid and Medicare admissions. Results of the analysis suggest there are opportunities for public policies to support improved efficiency in the hospital sector.

The Role of Small RNA-Based Epigenetic Silencing for Purifying Selection on Transposable Elements in Capsella grandiflora

PubMed Central

Horvath, Robert

2017-01-01

Abstract To avoid negative effects of transposable element (TE) proliferation, plants epigenetically silence TEs using a number of mechanisms, including RNA-directed DNA methylation. These epigenetic modifications can extend outside the boundaries of TE insertions and lead to silencing of nearby genes, resulting in a trade-off between TE silencing and interference with nearby gene regulation. Therefore, purifying selection is expected to remove silenced TE insertions near genes more efficiently and prevent their accumulation within a population. To explore how effects of TE silencing on gene regulation shapes purifying selection on TEs, we analyzed whole genome sequencing data from 166 individuals of a large population of the outcrossing species Capsella grandiflora. We found that most TEs are rare, and in chromosome arms, silenced TEs are exposed to stronger purifying selection than those that are not silenced by 24-nucleotide small RNAs, especially with increasing proximity to genes. An age-of-allele test of neutrality on a subset of TEs supports our inference of purifying selection on silenced TEs, suggesting that our results are robust to varying transposition rates. Our results provide new insights into the processes affecting the accumulation of TEs in an outcrossing species and support the view that epigenetic silencing of TEs results in a trade-off between preventing TE proliferation and interference with nearby gene regulation. We also suggest that in the centromeric and pericentromeric regions, the negative aspects of epigenetic TE silencing are missing. PMID:29036316

Method for purifying bidentate organophosphorus compounds

DOEpatents

Schulz, Wallace W.

1977-01-01

Bidentate organophosphorus compounds useful for extracting actinide elements from acidic nuclear waste solutions are purified of undesirable acidic impurities by contacting the compounds with ethylene glycol which preferentially extracts the impurities found in technical grade bidentate compounds.

Demonstration of protein-fragment complementation assay using purified firefly luciferase fragments

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Human interactome is predicted to contain 150,000 to 300,000 protein-protein interactions, (PPIs). Protein-fragment complementation assay (PCA) is one of the most widely used methods to detect PPI, as well as Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). To date, successful applications of firefly luciferase (Fluc)-based PCA have been reported in vivo, in cultured cells and in cell-free lysate, owing to its high sensitivity, high signal-to-background (S/B) ratio, and reversible response. Here we show the assay also works with purified proteins with unexpectedly rapid kinetics. Results Split Fluc fragments both fused with a rapamycin-dependently interacting protein pair were made and expressed in E. coli system, and purified to homogeneity. When the proteins were used for PCA to detect rapamycin-dependent PPI, they enabled a rapid detection (~1 s) of PPI with high S/B ratio. When Fn7-8 domains (7 nm in length) that was shown to abrogate GFP mutant-based FRET was inserted between split Fluc and FKBP12 as a rigid linker, it still showed some response, suggesting less limitation in interacting partner’s size. Finally, the stability of the probe was investigated. Preincubation of the probes at 37 degreeC up to 1 h showed marked decrease of the luminescent signal to 1.5%, showing the limited stability of this system. Conclusion Fluc PCA using purified components will enable a rapid and handy detection of PPIs with high S/B ratio, avoiding the effects of concomitant components. Although the system might not be suitable for large-scale screening due to its limited stability, it can detect an interaction over larger distance than by FRET. This would be the first demonstration of Fluc PCA in vitro, which has a distinct advantage over other PPI assays. Our system enables detection of direct PPIs without risk of perturbation by PPI mediators in the complex cellular milieu. PMID:23536995

Purifying Aluminum by Vacuum Distillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Du Fresne, E. R.

1985-01-01

Proposed method for purifying aluminum employs one-step vacuum distillation. Raw material for process impure aluminum produced in electrolysis of aluminum ore. Impure metal melted in vacuum. Since aluminum has much higher vapor pressure than other constituents, boils off and condenses on nearby cold surfaces in proportions much greater than those of other constituents.

Ag-Cu nanoalloyed film as a high-performance cathode electrocatalytic material for zinc-air battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Yimin; Chen, Fuyi; Jin, Yachao; Liu, Zongwen

2015-04-01

A novel Ag50Cu50 film electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The electrocatalyst actually is Ag-Cu alloyed nanoparticles embedded in amorphous Cu film, based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization. The rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements provide evidence that the ORR proceed via a four-electron pathway on the electrocatalysts in alkaline solution. And it is much more efficient than pure Ag catalyst. The catalytic layer has maximum power density of 67 mW cm-2 and an acceptable cell voltage at 0.863 V when current densities increased up to 100 mA cm-2 in the Ag50Cu50-based primary zinc-air battery. The resulting rechargeable zinc-air battery exhibits low charge-discharge voltage polarization of 1.1 V at 20 mAcm-2 and high durability over 100 cycles in natural air.

High Work, High-Efficiency Turbines for Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

controlling highly loaded LP turbine blades have been demonstrated in a low speed linear cascade at the AFRL Low Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT) facility that...34, pp. 1570-1577. [34] Selig M. S. and Mcgranahan, B. D., “ Wind Tunnel Aerodynamic Tests of Six Airfoils for Use on Small Wind Turbines .” National...aerodynamic flows is of interest in many design domains such as air vehicles, turbomachinery, and wind turbines . Micro-air-vehicles (MAV) which have small

Purified discord and multipartite entanglement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Eric G.; Webster, Eric J.; Martín-Martínez, Eduardo, E-mail: emmfis@gmail.com

2013-10-15

We study bipartite quantum discord as a manifestation of a multipartite entanglement structure in the tripartite purified system. In particular, we find that bipartite quantum discord requires the presence of both bipartite and tripartite entanglement in the purification. This allows one to understand the asymmetry of quantum discord, D(A,B)≠D(B,A) in terms of entanglement monogamy. As instructive special cases, we study discord for qubits and Gaussian states in detail. As a result of this we shed new light on a counterintuitive property of Gaussian states: the presence of classical correlations necessarily requires the presence of quantum correlations. Finally, our results alsomore » shed new light on a protocol for remote activation of entanglement by a third party. -- Highlights: •Bipartite quantum discord as a manifestation of multipartite entanglement. •Relevance of quantum discord as a utilizable resource for quantum info. tasks. •Quantum discord manifests itself in entanglement in the purified state. •Relation between asymmetry of discord and entanglement monogamy. •Protocol for remote activation of entanglement by a third party.« less

Intensification of oily waste waters purification by means of liquid atomization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eskin, A. A.; Tkach, N. S.; Kim, M. I.; Zakharov, G. A.

2017-10-01

In this research, a possibility of using liquid atomization for improving the efficiency of purification of wastewater by different methods has been studied. By the introduced method and an experimental setup for wastewater purification, saturation rate increases with its purification by means of dissolved air flotation. Liquid atomization under excess pressure allows to gain a large interfacial area between the saturated liquid and air, which may increase the rate of purified liquid saturation almost twice, compared to the existing methods of saturation. Current disadvantages of liquid atomization used for intensification of wastewater purification include high energy cost and secondary emulsion of polluting agents. It is also known that by means of liquid atomization a process of ozonizing can be intensified. Large contact surface between the purified liquid and ozone-air mixture increases the oxidizing efficiency, which allows to diminish ozone discharge. Liquid atomization may be used for purification of wastewaters by ultraviolet radiation. Small drops of liquid will be proportionally treated by ultraviolet, which makes it possible to do purification even of turbid wastewaters. High-speed liquid motion will prevent the pollution of quartz tubes of ultraviolet lamps.

Influence of earthworm Eisenia fetida on Iris pseudacorus's photosynthetic characteristics, evapotranspiration losses and purifying capacity in constructed wetland systems.

PubMed

Xu, Defu; Li, Yingxue; Fan, Xiaolong; Guan, Yidong; Fang, Hua; Zhao, Xiaoli

2013-01-01

Four constructed wetland systems were studied to investigate the effects of adding Eisenia fetida on the purifying capacity of constructed wetlands. Addition of E. fetida increased the photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr) and chlorophyll meter value of leaves of Iris pseudacorus L. in the constructed wetlands by 16, 35 and 7%, respectively. Compared with the substrate only system, evapotranspiration losses were increased by 8, 48 and 56% for the wetland systems with substrate and E. fetida, with substrate and I. pseudacorus, and with substrate, I. pseudacorus and E. fetida, respectively. Addition of E. fetida to the substrate only and substrate and plant wetland systems decreased the substrate bulk density by 3 and 6%, respectively. The addition of E. fetida to the system with substrate and plants increased the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus by 5, 7 and 22%, respectively. Evapotranspiration losses were significantly positively correlated with the removal efficiency of CODMn (P < 0.01). The significantly negative correlation between the removal efficiency TN and bulk density was found (P < 0.05). Therefore, E. fetida could stimulate I. pseudacorus growth and improve the substrate bulk density in the constructed wetland, resulting in enhanced purifying capacity.

Simple Freeze-Drying Procedure for Producing Nanocellulose Aerogel-Containing, High-Performance Air Filters.

PubMed

Nemoto, Junji; Saito, Tsuguyuki; Isogai, Akira

2015-09-09

Simple freeze-drying of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibril (TOCN) dispersions in water/tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) mixtures was conducted to prepare TOCN aerogels as high-performance air filter components. The dispersibility of the TOCNs in the water/TBA mixtures, and the specific surface area (SSA) of the resulting TOCN aerogels, was investigated as a function of the TBA concentration in the mixtures. The TOCNs were homogeneously dispersed in the water/TBA mixtures at TBA concentrations up to 40% w/w. The SSAs of the TOCN aerogels exceeded 300 m2/g when the TBA concentration in the aqueous mixtures was in the range from 20% to 50% w/w. When a commercially available, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter was combined with TOCN/water/TBA dispersions prepared using 30% TBA, and the product was freeze-dried, the resulting TOCN aerogel-containing filters showed superior filtration properties. This was because nanoscale, spider-web-like networks of the TOCNs with large SSAs were formed within the filter.

Pollen-specific, but not sperm-specific, genes show stronger purifying selection and higher rates of positive selection than sporophytic genes in Capsella grandiflora.

PubMed

Arunkumar, Ramesh; Josephs, Emily B; Williamson, Robert J; Wright, Stephen I

2013-11-01

Selection on the gametophyte can be a major force shaping plant genomes as 7-11% of genes are expressed only in that phase and 60% of genes are expressed in both the gametophytic and sporophytic phases. The efficacy of selection on gametophytic tissues is likely to be influenced by sexual selection acting on male and female functions of hermaphroditic plants. Moreover, the haploid nature of the gametophytic phase allows selection to be efficient in removing recessive deleterious mutations and fixing recessive beneficial mutations. To assess the importance of gametophytic selection, we compared the strength of purifying selection and extent of positive selection on gametophyte- and sporophyte-specific genes in the highly outcrossing plant Capsella grandiflora. We found that pollen-exclusive genes had a larger fraction of sites under strong purifying selection, a greater proportion of adaptive substitutions, and faster protein evolution compared with seedling-exclusive genes. In contrast, sperm cell-exclusive genes had a smaller fraction of sites under strong purifying selection, a lower proportion of adaptive substitutions, and slower protein evolution compared with seedling-exclusive genes. Observations of strong selection acting on pollen-expressed genes are likely explained by sexual selection resulting from pollen competition aided by the haploid nature of that tissue. The relaxation of selection in sperm might be due to the reduced influence of intrasexual competition, but reduced gene expression may also be playing an important role.

High efficiency laser-pumped emerald lasers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lai, S.T.

1987-09-25

Highly efficient laser operation has been achieved in emerald. In a quasi-cw laser-pumped emerald laser, 64% output slope efficiency has been measured at 768 nm, corresponding to a laser quantum yield of 76%. An output power of 1.6 W was reached at 3.6 W of pump power at 647.1 nm from a krypton laser, and was pump power limited. The emerald laser has a tuning range of 720 to 842 nm. The round trip loss excluding the excited state absorption (ESA) is 0.4%/cm. These results indicate the high laser efficiency and the high optical quality of the emerald attainable inmore » the present laser.« less

High-efficiency cavity-dumped micro-chip Yb:YAG laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishio, M.; Maruko, A.; Inoue, M.; Takama, M.; Matsubara, S.; Okunishi, H.; Kato, K.; Kyomoto, K.; Yoshida, T.; Shimabayashi, K.; Morioka, M.; Inayoshi, S.; Yamagata, S.; Kawato, S.

2014-09-01

High-efficiency cavity-dumped ytterbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Yb:YAG) laser was developed. Although the high quantum efficiency of ytterbium-doped laser materials is appropriate for high-efficiency laser oscillation, the efficiency is decreased by their quasi-three/four laser natures. High gain operation by high intensity pumping is suitable for high efficiency oscillation on the quasi-three/four lasers without extremely low temperature cooling. In our group, highest efficiency oscillations for continuous wave, nanosecond to picosecond pulse lasers were achieved at room temperature by the high gain operation in which pump intensities were beyond 100 kW/cm2.

Design of high-efficiency diffractive optical elements towards ultrafast mid-infrared time-stretched imaging and spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Hongbo; Ren, Delun; Wang, Chao; Mao, Chensheng; Yang, Lei

2018-02-01

Ultrafast time stretch imaging offers unprecedented imaging speed and enables new discoveries in scientific research and engineering. One challenge in exploiting time stretch imaging in mid-infrared is the lack of high-quality diffractive optical elements (DOEs), which encode the image information into mid-infrared optical spectrum. This work reports the design and optimization of mid-infrared DOE with high diffraction-efficiency, broad bandwidth and large field of view. Using various typical materials with their refractive indices ranging from 1.32 to 4.06 in ? mid-infrared band, diffraction efficiencies of single-layer and double-layer DOEs have been studied in different wavelength bands with different field of views. More importantly, by replacing the air gap of double-layer DOE with carefully selected optical materials, one optimized ? triple-layer DOE, with efficiency higher than 95% in the whole ? mid-infrared window and field of view greater than ?, is designed and analyzed. This new DOE device holds great potential in ultrafast mid-infrared time stretch imaging and spectroscopy.

Provide Fresh Air | Efficient Windows Collaborative

Science.gov Websites

wall - 22% 23% two openings in adjacent walls 37-45% 37-45% 40-51% two openings in opposite walls 35-42 taller the windows and the higher the ceiling, the more pronounced is this effect. Operable skylights or effect, letting hot air escape from the ceiling level where it accumulates and causing cooler air to be

Optoacoustic tomography in preclinical research: in vivo distribution of highly purified PEG-coated gold nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Richard; Liopo, Anton; Brecht, Hans-Peter; Ermilov, Sergey; Larin, Kirill; Oraevsky, Alexander A.

2011-07-01

We report on the optoacoustic (OA) imaging of the whole mouse body using a biocompatible contrast agent - highly purified, pegylated gold nanorods (GNR) - which has strong optical absorption in the near-infrared region and low level of toxicity. In vitro toxicity studies showed no significant change in survival rates of the cultured normal epithelium IEC-6 cells when incubated for 24 hours with up to 1 nM of GNR. In vivo toxicity studies in nude mice showed no pathological changes in liver 1 month after the IV injection of GNR with intra-body concentration around 0.25-0.50 nM. In order to study the enhancement of the OA contrast and accumulation of GNR in different tissues, we performed 3D OA imaging of live nude mice with IV-injected GNR. The enhancement of the OA contrast in comparison with the images of the untreated mice was visible starting 1 hour after the GNR injection. The OA contrast of kidneys, liver, and spleen peaked at about 2-3 days after the administration of the GNR, and then was gradually reducing.

High efficiency solar panel /HESP/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stella, P. M.; Gay, C.; Uno, F.; Scott-Monck, J.

1978-01-01

A family of high efficiency, weldable silicon solar cells, incorporating nearly every feature of advanced cell technology developed in the past four years, was produced and subjected to space qualification testing. This matrix contained both field and non-field cells ranging in thickness from 0.10 mm to 0.30 mm, and in base resistivity from nominal two to one hundred ohm-cm. Initial power outputs as high as 20 mW/sq cm (14.8% AM0 efficiency) were produced by certain cell types within the matrix.

High efficiency SPS klystron design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nalos, E. J.

1980-01-01

The most likely compact configuration to realize both high efficiency and high gain (approx. 40 dB) is a 5-6 cavity design focused by an electromagnet. The basic klystron efficiency cannot be expected to exceed 70-75% without collector depression. It was estimated that the net benefit of a 5 stage collector over a 2 stage collector is between 1.5 and 3.5 kW per tube. A modulating anode is incorporated in the design to enable rapid shutoff of the beam current in case the r.f. drive should be removed.

Highly efficient single-junction GaAs thin-film solar cell on flexible substrate.

PubMed

Moon, Sunghyun; Kim, Kangho; Kim, Youngjo; Heo, Junseok; Lee, Jaejin

2016-07-20

There has been much interest in developing a thin-film solar cell because it is lightweight and flexible. The GaAs thin-film solar cell is a top contender in the thin-film solar cell market in that it has a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to that of other thin-film solar cells. There are two common structures for the GaAs solar cell: n (emitter)-on-p (base) and p-on-n. The former performs better due to its high collection efficiency because the electron diffusion length of the p-type base region is much longer than the hole diffusion length of the n-type base region. However, it has been limited to fabricate highly efficient n-on-p single-junction GaAs thin film solar cell on a flexible substrate due to technical obstacles. We investigated a simple and fast epitaxial lift-off (ELO) method that uses a stress originating from a Cr/Au bilayer on a 125-μm-thick flexible substrate. A metal combination of AuBe/Pt/Au is employed as a new p-type ohmic contact with which an n-on-p single-junction GaAs thin-film solar cell on flexible substrate was successfully fabricated. The PCE of the fabricated single-junction GaAs thin-film solar cells reached 22.08% under air mass 1.5 global illumination.

The effectiveness of stand alone air cleaners for shelter-in-place.

PubMed

Ward, M; Siegel, J A; Corsi, R L

2005-04-01

Stand-alone air cleaners may be efficient for rapid removal of indoor fine particles and have potential use for shelter-in-place (SIP) strategies following acts of bioterrorism. A screening model was employed to ascertain the potential significance of size-resolved particle (0.1-2 microm) removal using portable high efficiency particle arresting (HEPA) air cleaners in residential buildings following an outdoor release of particles. The number of stand-alone air cleaners, air exchange rate, volumetric flow rate through the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, and size-resolved particle removal efficiency in the HVAC filter were varied. The effectiveness of air cleaners for SIP was evaluated in terms of the outdoor and the indoor particle concentration with air cleaner(s) relative to the indoor concentration without air cleaners. Through transient and steady-state analysis of the model it was determined that one to three portable HEPA air cleaners can be effective for SIP following outdoor bioaerosol releases, with maximum reductions in particle concentrations as high as 90% relative to conditions in which an air cleaner is not employed. The relative effectiveness of HEPA air cleaners vs. other removal mechanisms was predicted to decrease with increasing particle size, because of increasing competition by particle deposition with indoor surfaces and removal to HVAC filters. However, the effect of particle size was relatively small for most scenarios considered here. The results of a screening analysis suggest that stand-alone (portable) air cleaners that contain high efficiency particle arresting (HEPA) filters can be effective for reducing indoor fine particle concentrations in residential dwellings during outdoor releases of biological warfare agents. The relative effectiveness of stand-alone air cleaners for reducing occupants' exposure to particles of outdoor origin depends on several factors, including the type of heating, ventilating and air

Artificial intelligence modeling to evaluate field performance of photocatalytic asphalt pavement for ambient air purification.

PubMed

Asadi, Somayeh; Hassan, Marwa; Nadiri, Ataallah; Dylla, Heather

2014-01-01

In recent years, the application of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as a photocatalyst in asphalt pavement has received considerable attention for purifying ambient air from traffic-emitted pollutants via photocatalytic processes. In order to control the increasing deterioration of ambient air quality, urgent and proper risk assessment tools are deemed necessary. However, in practice, monitoring all process parameters for various operating conditions is difficult due to the complex and non-linear nature of air pollution-based problems. Therefore, the development of models to predict air pollutant concentrations is very useful because it can provide early warnings to the population and also reduce the number of measuring sites. This study used artificial neural network (ANN) and neuro-fuzzy (NF) models to predict NOx concentration in the air as a function of traffic count (Tr) and climatic conditions including humidity (H), temperature (T), solar radiation (S), and wind speed (W) before and after the application of TiO₂ on the pavement surface. These models are useful for modeling because of their ability to be trained using historical data and because of their capability for modeling highly non-linear relationships. To build these models, data were collected from a field study where an aqueous nano TiO₂ solution was sprayed on a 0.2-mile of asphalt pavement in Baton Rouge, LA. Results of this study showed that the NF model provided a better fitting to NOx measurements than the ANN model in the training, validation, and test steps. Results of a parametric study indicated that traffic level, relative humidity, and solar radiation had the most influence on photocatalytic efficiency.

Simultaneously upgrading biogas and purifying biogas slurry using cocultivation of Chlorella vulgaris and three different fungi under various mixed light wavelength and photoperiods.

PubMed

Cao, Weixing; Wang, Xue; Sun, Shiqing; Hu, Changwei; Zhao, Yongjun

2017-10-01

In order to purify biogas slurry and biogas simultaneously, three different fungi, Pleurotus geesteranus (P. geesteranus), Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum), and Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) were pelletized with Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris). The results showed that the optimal light wavelength ratio for red:blue was 5:5 for these three different fungi-assisted C. vulgaris, resulting in higher specific growth rate as well as nutrient and CO 2 removal efficiency compared with other ratios. G. lucidum/C. vulgaris was screened as the best fungi-mialgae for biogas slurry purification and biogas upgrading with light/dark ratio of 14h:10h, which was also confirmed by the economic efficiency analysis of the energy consumptions. These results will provide a theoretical foundation for large-scale biogas slurry purifying and biogas upgrading using microalgae. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A carbon-air battery for high power generation.

PubMed

Yang, Binbin; Ran, Ran; Zhong, Yijun; Su, Chao; Tadé, Moses O; Shao, Zongping

2015-03-16

We report a carbon-air battery for power generation based on a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) integrated with a ceramic CO2-permeable membrane. An anode-supported tubular SOFC functioned as a carbon fuel container as well as an electrochemical device for power generation, while a high-temperature CO2-permeable membrane composed of a CO3(2-) mixture and an O(2-) conducting phase (Sm(0.2)Ce(0.8)O(1.9)) was integrated for in situ separation of CO2 (electrochemical product) from the anode chamber, delivering high fuel-utilization efficiency. After modifying the carbon fuel with a reverse Boudouard reaction catalyst to promote the in situ gasification of carbon to CO, an attractive peak power density of 279.3 mW cm(-2) was achieved for the battery at 850 °C, and a small stack composed of two batteries can be operated continuously for 200 min. This work provides a novel type of electrochemical energy device that has a wide range of application potentials. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Estimate of air carrier and air taxi crash frequencies from high altitude en route flight operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanzo, D.; Kimura, C.Y.; Prassinos, P.G.

1996-06-03

In estimating the frequency of an aircraft crashing into a facility, it has been found convenient to break the problem down into two broad categories. One category estimates the aircraft crash frequency due to air traffic from nearby airports, the so-called near-airport environment. The other category estimates the aircraft crash frequency onto facilities due to air traffic from airways, jet routes, and other traffic flying outside the near-airport environment The total aircraft crash frequency is the summation of the crash frequencies from each airport near the facility under evaluation and from all airways, jet routes, and other traffic near themore » facility of interest. This paper will examine the problems associated with the determining the aircraft crash frequencies onto facilities outside the near-airport environment. This paper will further concentrate on the estimating the risk of aircraft crashes to ground facilities due to high altitude air carrier and air taxi traffic. High altitude air carrier and air taxi traffic will be defined as all air carrier and air taxi flights above 18,000 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL).« less

Controllable Growth of Perovskite Films by Room-Temperature Air Exposure for Efficient Planar Heterojunction Photovoltaic Cells.

PubMed

Yang, Bin; Dyck, Ondrej; Poplawsky, Jonathan; Keum, Jong; Das, Sanjib; Puretzky, Alexander; Aytug, Tolga; Joshi, Pooran C; Rouleau, Christopher M; Duscher, Gerd; Geohegan, David B; Xiao, Kai

2015-12-01

A two-step solution processing approach has been established to grow void-free perovskite films for low-cost high-performance planar heterojunction photovoltaic devices. A high-temperature thermal annealing treatment was applied to drive the diffusion of CH3NH3I precursor molecules into a compact PbI2 layer to form perovskite films. However, thermal annealing for extended periods led to degraded device performance owing to the defects generated by decomposition of perovskite into PbI2. A controllable layer-by-layer spin-coating method was used to grow "bilayer" CH3NH3I/PbI2 films, and then drive the interdiffusion between PbI2 and CH3NH3I layers by a simple air exposure at room temperature for making well-oriented, highly crystalline perovskite films without thermal annealing. This high degree of crystallinity resulted in a carrier diffusion length of ca. 800 nm and a high device efficiency of 15.6%, which is comparable to values reported for thermally annealed perovskite films. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Biochemical and molecular characterization of a detergent-stable serine alkaline protease from Bacillus pumilus CBS with high catalytic efficiency.

PubMed

Jaouadi, Bassem; Ellouz-Chaabouni, Semia; Rhimi, Moez; Bejar, Samir

2008-09-01

We have described previously the potential use of an alkaline protease from Bacillus pumilus CBS as an effective additive in laundry detergent formulations [B. Jaouadi, S. Ellouz-Chaabouni, M. Ben Ali, E. Ben Messaoud, B. Naili, A. Dhouib, S. Bejar, A novel alkaline protease from Bacillus pumilus CBS having a high compatibility with laundry detergent and a high feather-degrading activity, Process Biochem, submitted for publication]. Here, we purified this enzyme (named SAPB) and we cloned, sequenced and over-expressed the corresponding gene. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity using salt precipitation and gel filtration HPLC. The pure protease was found to be monomeric protein with a molecular mass of 34598.19Da as determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The NH2-terminal sequence of first 21 amino acids (aa) of the purified SAPB was AQTVPYGIPQIKAPAVHAQGY and was completely identical to proteases from other Bacillus pumilus species. This protease is strongly inhibited by PMSF and DFP, showing that it belongs to the serine proteases superfamily. Interestingly, the optimum pH is 10.6 while the optimum temperature was determined to be 65 degrees C. The enzyme was completely stable within a wide range of pH (7.0-10.6) and temperature (30-55 degrees C). One of the distinguishing properties is its catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) calculated to be 45,265min(-1)mM(-1) and 147,000min(-1)mM(-1) using casein and AAPF as substrates, respectively, which is higher than that of Subtilisin Carlsberg, Subtilisin BPN' and Subtilisin 309 determined under the same conditions. In addition, SAPB showed remarkable stability, for 24h at 40 degrees C, in the presence of 5% Tween-80, 1% SDS, 15% urea and 10% H2O2, which comprise the common bleach-based detergent formulation. The sapB gene encoding SAPB was cloned, sequenced and over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant enzyme (rSAPB) has the same physicochemical and kinetic properties as the native one. SapB gene had

Energy Efficient Microlith-Based Catalytic Reactor and Recuperator for Air Quality Control Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vilekar, Saurabh A.; Hawley, Kyle; Junaedi, Christian; Crowder, Bruce; Prada, Julian; Mastanduno, Richard; Perry, Jay L.; Kayatin, Matthew J.

2017-01-01

Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have been developing, characterizing, and optimizing high temperature catalytic oxidizers (HTCO) based on PCI’s patented Microlith technology to meet the requirements of future extended human spaceflight explorations. Previous efforts focused on integrating PCI’s HTCO unit with a compact, simple recuperative heat exchanger to reduce the overall system size and weight. Significant improvement was demonstrated over traditional approaches of integrating the HTCO with an external recuperative heat exchanger. While the critical target performance metrics were achieved, the thermal effectiveness of PCI’s recuperator remained a potential area of improvement to further reduce the energy requirements of the integrated system. Using the same material combinations and an improved recuperator design, the redesigned prototype has experimentally demonstrated 20 – 30% reduction (flow dependent) in steady state power consumption compared to the earlier prototype without compromising the destruction efficiency of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Moreover, design modifications and improvements allow our redesigned prototype to be more easily manufactured compared to traditional brazed plate-fin recuperator designs. The redesigned prototype was delivered to MSFC for validation testing. Here, we report and discuss the performance of the improved prototype HTCO unit with a high efficiency recuperative heat exchanger based on testing at PCI and MSFC. The device is expected to provide a reliable and robust means of disposing of trace levels of methane and VOCs by oxidizing them into carbon dioxide and water in order to maintain clean air in enclosed spaces, such as crewed spacecraft cabins.

High-efficiency solid state power amplifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallis, Robert E. (Inventor); Cheng, Sheng (Inventor)

2005-01-01

A high-efficiency solid state power amplifier (SSPA) for specific use in a spacecraft is provided. The SSPA has a mass of less than 850 g and includes two different X-band power amplifier sections, i.e., a lumped power amplifier with a single 11-W output and a distributed power amplifier with eight 2.75-W outputs. These two amplifier sections provide output power that is scalable from 11 to 15 watts without major design changes. Five different hybrid microcircuits, including high-efficiency Heterostructure Field Effect Transistor (HFET) amplifiers and Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) phase shifters have been developed for use within the SSPA. A highly efficient packaging approach enables the integration of a large number of hybrid circuits into the SSPA.

Highly efficient and completely flexible fiber-shaped dye-sensitized solar cell based on TiO2 nanotube array.

PubMed

Lv, Zhibin; Yu, Jiefeng; Wu, Hongwei; Shang, Jian; Wang, Dan; Hou, Shaocong; Fu, Yongping; Wu, Kai; Zou, Dechun

2012-02-21

A type of highly efficient completely flexible fiber-shaped solar cell based on TiO(2) nanotube array is successfully prepared. Under air mass 1.5G (100 mW cm(-2)) illumination conditions, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cell approaches 7%, the highest among all fiber-shaped cells based on TiO(2) nanotube arrays and the first completely flexible fiber-shaped DSSC. The fiber-shaped solar cell demonstrates good flexibility, which makes it suitable for modularization using weaving technologies. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

Highly efficient retinal metabolism in cones

PubMed Central

Miyazono, Sadaharu; Shimauchi-Matsukawa, Yoshie; Tachibanaki, Shuji; Kawamura, Satoru

2008-01-01

After bleaching of visual pigment in vertebrate photoreceptors, all-trans retinal is reduced to all-trans retinol by retinol dehydrogenases (RDHs). We investigated this reaction in purified carp rods and cones, and we found that the reducing activity toward all-trans retinal in the outer segment (OS) of cones is >30 times higher than that of rods. The high activity of RDHs was attributed to high content of RDH8 in cones. In the inner segment (IS) in both rods and cones, RDH8L2 and RDH13 were found to be the major enzymes among RDH family proteins. We further found a previously undescribed and effective pathway to convert 11-cis retinol to 11-cis retinal in cones: this oxidative conversion did not require NADP+ and instead was coupled with reduction of all-trans retinal to all-trans retinol. The activity was >50 times effective than the oxidizing activity of RDHs that require NADP+. These highly effective reactions of removal of all-trans retinal by RDH8 and production of 11-cis retinal by the coupling reaction are probably the underlying mechanisms that ensure effective visual pigment regeneration in cones that function under much brighter light conditions than rods. PMID:18836074

Dry-air-stable lithium silicide-lithium oxide core-shell nanoparticles as high-capacity prelithiation reagents.

PubMed

Zhao, Jie; Lu, Zhenda; Liu, Nian; Lee, Hyun-Wook; McDowell, Matthew T; Cui, Yi

2014-10-03

Rapid progress has been made in realizing battery electrode materials with high capacity and long-term cyclability in the past decade. However, low first-cycle Coulombic efficiency as a result of the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase and Li trapping at the anodes, remains unresolved. Here we report LixSi-Li2O core-shell nanoparticles as an excellent prelithiation reagent with high specific capacity to compensate the first-cycle capacity loss. These nanoparticles are produced via a one-step thermal alloying process. LixSi-Li2O core-shell nanoparticles are processible in a slurry and exhibit high capacity under dry-air conditions with the protection of a Li2O passivation shell, indicating that these nanoparticles are potentially compatible with industrial battery fabrication processes. Both Si and graphite anodes are successfully prelithiated with these nanoparticles to achieve high first-cycle Coulombic efficiencies of 94% to >100%. The LixSi-Li2O core-shell nanoparticles enable the practical implementation of high-performance electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries.

Efficient ambient-air-stable solar cells with 2D-3D heterostructured butylammonium-caesium-formamidinium lead halide perovskites