The design and development of heat extraction technologies for the utilisation of compost thermal energy

A composting Heat Extraction Unit (HEU) was designed to utilise waste heat from decaying organic matter for a variety of heating application The aim was to construct an insulated small scale, sealed, organic matter filled container. In this vessel a process fluid within embedded pipes would absorb thermal energy from the hot compost and transport it to an external heat exchanger. Experiments were conducted on the constituent parts and the final design comprised of a 2046 litre container insulated with polyurethane foam and kingspan with two arrays of qualpex piping embedded in the compost to extract heat. The thermal energy was used in horticultural trials by heating polytunnels using a radiator system during a winter/spring period. The compost derived energy was compared with conventional and renewable energy in the form of an electric fan heater and solar panel. The compost derived energy was able to raise polytunnel temperatures to 2-3°C above the control, with the solar panel contributing no thermal energy during the winter trial and the electric heater the most efficient maintaining temperature at its preset temperature of 10°C. Plants that were cultivated as performance indicators showed no significant difference in growth rates between the heat sources. A follow on experiment conducted using special growing mats for distributing compost thermal energy directly under the plants (Radish, Cabbage, Spinach and Lettuce) displayed more successful growth patterns than those in the control. The compost HEU was also used for more traditional space heating and hot water heating applications. A test space was successfully heated over two trials with varying insulation levels. Maximum internal temperature increases of 7°C and 13°C were recorded for building U-values of 1.6 and 0.53 W/m2K respectively using the HEU. The HEU successfully heated a 60 litre hot water cylinder for 32 days with maximum water temperature increases of 36.5°C recorded. Total energy recovered from the 435 Kg of compost within the HEU during the polytunnel growth trial was 76 kWh which is 3 kWh/day for the 25 days when the HEU was activated. With a mean coefficient of performance level of 6.8 calculated for the HEU the technology is energy efficient. Therefore the compost HEU developed here could be a useful renewable energy technology particularly for small scale rural dwellers and growers with access to significant quantities of organic matter

Experimentos com os nematicidas D. D., E. D. B. e brometo de metilo no combate aos nematódeos causadores de galhas em raízes de plantas (Meloidogyne spp.)

Tomato roots heavily disfigured by root-knot nematodes were throughly mixed with soil. At various time intervals, samples were taken from the mixture and treated in closed containers by each of the folio wing nematicides: D.D., E.D.B. and M.B. The efficacy of the treatment was tested by setting indicator plants in the treated soil and by examining their roots for the presence of galls two months later. In other words, the ability of the three nematicides to penetrate nematode galls after various periods of rotting, which varied from 5 to 30 days was studied. The main conclusions drawn are as follows: a) no nematicide among the three listed above showed the ability for complete destruction of the nematodes protected inside the roots, for a number of small galls developed on the root system of the indicator plant in all treatments; b) smaller and less numerous galls were present on the roots of the indicator plants grown in soil treated after a rotting period of 30 days; c) however, the control obtained seems to be quite satisfactory economically, since the check plants grew poorly and have developed a very unhealthy root system. This is in accordance with STARK & LEAR (1947), LEAR (1951) and CICCARONE's (1951) statements. The results of the present experiments show again that awaiting for the rotting of galls of the root-knot nematodes is not indispensable for an economically convenient soil fumigation. Fields in which many fleshy infected roots from previous crops have been buried can be economically fumigated immediately, without any loss of time. Notwithstanding, when thick woody roots are present in the soil, the above statements may not hold true. This should constitute a new problem calling for further experiments. Another essay dealing with methyl bromide alone, consisted in treating cotton roots heavily disfigured by Meloidogyne incognita in a container (diameter = 28cm, height = 32 cm), which remained closed for five days. After the treatment, the roots were mixed with soil, in which tomato seedlings were planted. After a growing period of two months, the roots of the tomato plants were washed in running water and examined for the presence of galls. As an early infeccion was present in the root system of all plants, the inefficacy of the treatment has been proved.

Sobrevivência e reprodução de Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Diptera, Muscidae)

A reprodução e a sobrevivência de Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp, 1883) foram estudadas entre 22 e 28ºC, UR de 70% e fotoperíodo de 12h. Os dados foram analisados através de classes de idade, tabelas de vida de fecundidade, análise de sobrevivência pela distribuição de Weibull e análise das curvas de sobrevivência através do conceito de entropia (H). A taxa intrínseca de aumento natural (r m), taxa finita de aumento (lambda), taxa de reprodução líquida (R0) e tempo médio de uma geração (T) foram 0,534; 1,7; 59,439 e 7,65 respectivamente, sugerindo rápido crescimento populacional nestas condições. Isso foi causado pela alta fecundidade, confirmando o que ocorre para esta espécie, com média de 266 ovos/fêmea e período de pré-oviposição de 10,25 dias. O modelo de Weibull demonstrou que a sobrevivência não foi constante ao longo da vida de adultos, com mortalidade pronunciada depois da quarta e quinta semanas e valores de H intermediários aos valores teóricos esperados (0,0-0,5) para os ambos sexos, demonstrando que a curva de sobrevivência é retangular (com maior impacto da mortalidade na quarta e quinta semanas após a emergência). Os resultados apresentados podem ser considerados como base para estudos pormenorizados da dinâmica e do crescimento populacional desta espécie em hábitats naturais.

PIM place & ghost application

Actualment, el Servei d'Informàtica de l'Escola d'Enginyeries (SIEE) s'enfronta a dos problemes: l'augment del nombre d'alumnes, mantenint el mateix número d'ordinadors per fer les pràctiques i, d'altra banda, el també creixent nombre d'aplicacions que s'han desenvolupat i es desenvolupen per resoldre les necessitats generades pels mateixos alumnes. Aquest projecte neix amb la voluntat de solucionar aquests problemes, creant per un costat un aula de màquines virtuals i per altra banda crear un aplicatiu web, que servirà de framework i contenidor de futures aplicacions, on es pugui connectar de manera senzilla amb les màquines virtuals.

Experimental investigation of transient natural convection cooling of high prandtl number fluid with variable viscosity

Report for the scientific sojourn at the James Cook University, Australia, between June to December 2007. Free convection in enclosed spaces is found widely in natural and industrial systems. It is a topic of primary interest because in many systems it provides the largest resistance to the heat transfer in comparison with other heat transfer modes. In such systems the convection is driven by a density gradient within the fluid, which, usually, is produced by a temperature difference between the fluid and surrounding walls. In the oil industry, the oil, which has High Prandtl, usually is stored and transported in large tanks at temperatures high enough to keep its viscosity and, thus the pumping requirements, to a reasonable level. A temperature difference between the fluid and the walls of the container may give rise to the unsteady buoyancy force and hence the unsteady natural convection. In the initial period of cooling the natural convection regime dominates over the conduction contribution. As the oil cools down it typically becomes more viscous and this increase of viscosity inhibits the convection. At this point the oil viscosity becomes very large and unloading of the tank becomes very difficult. For this reason it is of primary interest to be able to predict the cooling rate of the oil. The general objective of this work is to develop and validate a simulation tool able to predict the cooling rates of high Prandtl fluid considering the variable viscosity effects.

Coronary magnetic resonance angiography for assessment of the stent lumen: a phantom study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of visualizing the stent lumen using coronary magnetic resonance angiography in vitro. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nineteen different coronary stents were implanted in plastic tubes with an inner diameter of 3 mm. The tubes were positioned in a plastic container filled with gel and included in a closed flow circuit (constant flow 18 cm/sec). The magnetic resonance images were obtained with a dual inversion fast spin-echo sequence. For intraluminal stent imaging, subtraction images were calculated from scans with and without flow. Subsequently, intraluminal signal properties were objectively assessed and compared. RESULTS: As a function of the stent type, various degrees of in-stent signal attenuation were observed. Tantalum stents demonstrated minimal intraluminal signal attenuation. For nitinol stents, the stent lumen could be identified, but the intraluminal signal was markedly reduced. Steel stents resulted in the most pronounced intraluminal signal voids. CONCLUSIONS: With the present technique, radiofrequency penetration into the stents is strongly influenced by the stent material. Thesefindings may have important implicationsforfuture stent design and stent imaging strategies.

L'ampolla sostenible

Treball de recerca realitzat per un alumne d'ensenyament secundari i guardonat amb un Premi CIRIT per fomentar l'esperit cientí­fic del Jovent l'any 2009. El treball consisteix en una recerca per aconseguir dissenyar l'ampolla més sostenible i ecoeficient possible. A partir d'una prèvia investigació sobre informació bàsica pel disseny, s'han anat augmentant els coneixements sobre envasos plàstics gràcies a consells com els d'un dissenyador d'envasos i d'una empresa que treballa amb plàstics, als resultats d'una enquesta als consumidors d'ampolles i a les conclusions d'un estudi de mercat sobre les ampolles de plàstic. L'ampolla sostenible dissenyada és el resultat d'aquest intens treball, que s'ha basat sobretot en la imaginació i en la creació.

Estudos bionômicos de Dipetalogaster maximus (Uhler, 1894) (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae): III. Dinâmica populacional

A population dynamics study of D. maximus was caried out under laboratory condictions (28-C e 65% ñ 5% U.R.) and the methodology was the same that have been used for hearing this insects. In order to evaluate the population growth rate of this species, during a 24 months period, five colonies started with a couple recently emerged were observed. Each couple (a male and a female) was mantained in a glass container measuring 20 cm of diameter and 20 cm in height with filter paper on the botton. The insects were monthly feeding with normal mice blood, and at this day the number of eggs, nymphal stages and adults was registered. All graphical representations of the populations growth rate showed the same shape. It was found that the average of nymphal stage represented 64.31% of the hole population whereas the oviposition curved showed to be inverse to this one (28.57%) a small percentage of adults was found: males 3.85% and females 3.12%. In this study observations on the biologycal cycle, longevity and fertility rates were also carried out.

Casolà o industrial?: estudi organolèptic i microbiològic de la vida útil del pernil cuit

Treball de recerca realitzat per un alumne d'ensenyament secundari i guardonat amb un Premi CIRIT per fomentar l'esperit científic del Jovent l'any 2009. Aquest treball tracta sobre el temps de garantia o de vida útil d’un producte alimentari i està basat en esbrinar quin és el millor mètode o envàs per conservar el pernil cuit llescat durant la seva vida útil, per tal que es mantinguin les propietats organolèptiques i microbiològiques inicials de l’aliment durant el màxim de temps possible. Per comparar envasos he utilitzat els industrials (envàs al buit i envàs en atmosfera) i els envasos que podem trobar quan comprem un producte llescat en el mostrador d’una botiga o supermercat. Per a fer l’estudi doncs s’ha utilitzat el pernil cuit, conegut com a pernil dolç, un dels productes més consumits per la societat actual. El pernil ha estat tractat en tres situacions diferents: llescat en una màquina de carnisseria i envasat en mètodes de conservació domèstics, llescat en màquines industrials i envasat en diferents envasos (al buit i en atmosfera modificada) utilitzats per les grans empreses i llescat en màquines industrials i envasat al buit sotmès a un tractament amb altes pressions. Després d’aquests processos s’ha realitzat un estudi de vida útil, és a dir, s’ha analitzat el producte al laboratori, amb l’objectiu de trobar quin és el millor envàs per a la conservació del pernil cuit.

Survival of tubercle bacilli in heat-fixed and stained sputum smears

We used a slide culture technique to detect tubercle bacilli surviving in sputum smears (n=46) after conventional heat fixation and Ziehl-Neelsen staining. In all heat-fixed sputum smears, tubercle bacilli survived after time 0 (n=22), 24 h (n=7), 48 h (n=7), 72 h (n=4), and seven days (n=6). None of the stained sputum smears showed growth on slide cultures. Viable tubercle bacilli remaining in heat-fixed sputum smears for at least seven days may present an infection risk to laboratory staff. Thus, sputum smears should be stained immediately by the Ziehl-Neelsen method or stored in a safe container to avoid transmission of tuberculosis.

Environmental characteristics of the cemeteries of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) and infestation levels of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Cemeteries with many water-filled containers, flowers, sources of human blood, and shade are favorable urban habitats for the proliferation of Aedes aegypti, a vector of yellow fever and dengue. A total of 22,956 containers was examined in the five cemeteries of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The vector was found in four cemeteries that showed an average infestation level of 5.5% (617 positive out of 11,196 water-filled containers). The four cemeteries positive for Ae. aegypti showed significantly different (p<0.01) infestation levels. Vegetation cover and percentage of infestation were significantly correlated (p<0.01), but neither cemetery area nor number of available containers were significantly related to the proportion of positive vases. Our results suggest that the cemeteries of Buenos Aires represent a gradient of habitat favorableness for this vector species, some of which may act as foci for its proliferation and dispersal.

Suitability of containers from different sources as breeding sites of Aedes aegypti (L.) in a cemetery of Buenos Aires City, Argentina

Cemeteries are ideal urban areas to study the importance of different types of containers as breeding sites of Aedes aegypti (L.). In the present study, the suitability of plastic, glass, ceramic and metal containers was evaluated in four patches within a cemetery of Buenos Aires City, Argentina. Between October 1998 and May 2000, we found 215 breeding sites of Ae. aegypti out of 13,022 water-filled containers examined. In two patches containing microenvironments sheltered from the sun, the use of the different types of containers was proportional to the offer (correlation coefficient = 0.99, P < 0.05 in both cases). In the remaining patches, plastic and metal containers were the most and less frequent breeding sites, respectively (P < 0.001 in both cases). The number of immatures per breeding site (median = 4.5) did not show significant differences among the four types of containers examined (H3, 215 = 1.216, P = 0.749). Differences found in patches from a same cemetery suggest that different microenvironmental conditions affect the suitability of each type of container for Ae. aegypti breeding. Plastic containers appeared as key breeding sites that should be removed to reduce the Ae. aegypti population in the study area.

Evaluation of Mesocyclops annulatus (Copepoda: Cyclopoidea) as a control agent of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Argentina

We evaluated the potential of Mesocyclops annulatus as a control agent of Aedes aegypti in La Plata city (Argentina). Mosquito larval survivorship due to predation by these copepods was estimated at weekly intervals during the oviposition period of A. aegypti. Mean weekly A. aegypti larval survivorship in cylindrical plastic containers (12 cm height and 11 cm diameter) with copepods was significantly lower than in control containers. Furthermore, weekly larval survival was negatively correlated with M. annulatus adult density, and approximately 23 adult copepods/container would be a threshold density over which the weekly mosquito larval survivorship approached zero. The copepods were able to persist in all containers during approximately 100 days (in three of them until the end of the experiment: 155 days) without the resource represented by A. aegypti larvae. The predation and persistence observed suggest that M. annulatus is a potential control agent to be considered in biological control programs.

Introducció als Sistemes d'Informació Geogràfica

Amb aquest projecte es vol donar una visó global dels sistemes d'informació geogràfica (SIG), cada vegada més implantats a qualsevol àrea de la nostra societat (urbanisme, climatologia, medi ambient, hidrologia, vies de comunicació, cadastre, etc.). De fet, "qualsevol cosa" (riu, canal, camí, pont, contenidor, cotxe, tren, casa, fanal, senyal de trànsit, oficina, avió, vaixell, etc.) que hi ha a terra (a sota o a sobre) és candidata a ser georeferenciada.

Daisy Roots Garden Project

In the summer of 2009 a local Men’s group that met in St Helena’s thought that it might be a good idea to sow a wild garden on the site.  Then came the raised beds – 2 were placed in the garden area opposite the front door of the house and as it was winter there was not much happening and they were quickly renamed the ‘coffins’.  This was the start of ‘Daisy Roots’. Dublin City Council provided top soil and water butts.  An Taisce funded the start up phase of the project and now continue to provide funds for insurance and some development work.  At the right hand side of St Helena’s there is, what was the old stable yard of the ‘big house’.  This had been used to house a large ‘lock up container and a porta-cabin.  These have been now removed and this is where the main part of the garden is. Following a conference of Business in the Community Ireland, DX Ltd expressed an interest in getting involved in a local project.  Together DX staff and the volunteers reclaimed the old stables and gave them new roofs and new doors.  Paths were put in between the raised vegetable beds and new raised beds were built.  A seating area was developed.  The garden is now wheelchair accessible and there are wheelchair accessible flowerbeds in the garden also.  The newest projects in the garden are a memorial flowerbed and a propagator. Dublin City Council via Cherry Orchard Regeneration Board Initiative Type Community Food Growing Projects Location Dublin 11 Funding Dublin City Council via Cherry Orchard Regeneration Board Partner Agencies An Taisce Dublin City Council HSE Tolka Area Partnership