On the Influence of Neighboring Conducting Objects on the Induced Currents in Simple Down Conductors Due to Nearby Lightning Strike

A lightning strike in the neighborhood can induce significant currents in tall down conductors. Though the magnitude of induced current in this case is much smaller than that encountered during a direct strike, the probability of occurrence and the frequency content is higher. In view of this, appropriate knowledge on the characteristics of such induced currents is relevant for the scrutiny of the recorded currents and in the evaluation of interference to the electrical and electronic system in the vicinity. Previously, a study was carried out on characteristics of induced currents assuming ideal conditions, that there were no influencing objects in the vicinity of the down conductor and channel. However, some influencing conducting bodies will always be present, such as trees, electricity and communication towers, buildings, and other elevated objects that can affect the induced currents in a down conductor. The present work is carried out to understand the influence of nearby conducting objects on the characteristics of induced currents due to a strike to ground in the vicinity of a tall down conductor. For the study, an electromagnetic model is employed to model the down conductor, channel, and neighboring conducting objects, and Numerical Electromagnetic Code-2 is used for numerical field computations. Neighboring objects of different heights, of different shapes, and at different locations are considered. It is found that the neighboring objects have significant influence on the magnitude and nature of induced currents in a down conductor when the height of the nearby conducting object is comparable to that of the down conductor.

Theoretical-experimental study of shock wave-assisted metal forming process using a diaphragmless shock tube

The use of high-velocity sheet-forming techniques where the strain rates are in excess of 10(2)/s can help us solve many problems that are difficult to overcome with traditional metal-forming techniques. In this investigation, thin metallic plates/foils were subjected to shock wave loading in the newly developed diaphragmless shock tube. The conventional shock tube used in the aerodynamic applications uses a metal diaphragm for generating shock waves. This method of operation has its own disadvantages including the problems associated with repeatable and reliable generation of shock waves. Moreover, in industrial scenario, changing metal diaphragms after every shot is not desirable. Hence, a diaphragmless shock tube is calibrated and used in this study. Shock Mach numbers up to 3 can be generated with a high degree of repeatability (+/- 4 per cent) for the pressure jumps across the primary shock wave. The shock Mach number scatter is within +/- 1.5 per cent. Copper, brass, and aluminium plates of diameter 60 mm and thickness varying from 0.1 to 1 mm are used. The plate peak over-pressures ranging from 1 to 10 bar are used. The midpoint deflection, circumferential, radial, and thickness strains are measured and using these, the Von Mises strain is also calculated. The experimental results are compared with the numerical values obtained using finite element analysis. The experimental results match well with the numerical values. The plastic hinge effect was also observed in the finite element simulations. Analysis of the failed specimens shows that aluminium plates had mode I failure, whereas copper plates had mode II failure.

In the elephant's seed shadow: the prospects of domestic bovids as replacement dispersers of three tropical Asian trees

As populations of the world's largest animal species decline, it is unclear how ecosystems will react to their local extirpation. Due to the unique ecological characteristics of megaherbivores such as elephants, seed dispersal is one ecosystem process that may be affected as populations of large animals are decimated. In typically disturbed South Asian ecosystems, domestic bovids (cattle, Bos primigenius, and buffalo, Bubalus bubalis) may often be the species most available to replace Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) as endozoochorous dispersers of large-fruited mammal-dispersed species. We use feeding trials, germination trials, and movement data from the tropical moist forests of Buxa Tiger Reserve (India) to examine whether domestic bovids are viable replacements for elephants in the dispersal of three largefruited species: Dillenia indica, Artocarpus chaplasha, and Careya arborea. We find that (1) once consumed, seeds are between 2.5 (C. arborea) and 26.5 (D. indica) times more likely to pass undigested into elephant dung than domestic bovid dung; and (2) seeds from elephant dung germinated as well as or better than seeds taken from bovid dung for all plant species, with D. indica seeds from elephant dung 1.5 times more likely to germinate. Furthermore, since wild elephants have less constrained movements than even free-roaming domestic bovids, we calculate that maximum dispersal by elephants is between 9.5 and 11.2 times farther than that of domestic bovids, with about 20% of elephant-dispersed seeds being moved farther than the maximum distance seeds are moved by bovids. Our findings suggest that, while bovids are able to disperse substantial numbers of seeds over moderate distances for two of the three study species, domestic bovids will be unable to routinely emulate the reliable, long-distance dispersal of seeds executed by elephants in this tropical moist forest. Thus while domestic bovids can attenuate the effects of losing elephants as dispersers, they may not be able to prevent the decline of various mammal-dispersed fruiting species in the face of overhunting, habitat fragmentation, and climate change.

Evolution of three-dimensional coherent structures in compressible axisymmetric jet

A high order difference scheme is used to simulate the spatially developing compressible axisymmetric jet. The results show that the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability appears first when the jet loses its stability, and then with development of jet the increase in nonlinear effects leads to the secondary instability and the formation of the streamwise vortices. The evolution of the three-dimensional coherent structure is presented. The computed results verify that in axisymmetric jet the secondary instability and formation of the streamwise vortices are the important physical mechanism of enhancing the flow mixing and transition occurring.

Influencia de rotación de cultivos y métodos de control sobre la dinámica de las malezas y el crecimiento, desarrollo y rendimiento de la soya (Glycine max (L) Merr.) cv. cristalina

En la estación experimental de Campos Azules, municipio de Masetepe, se inició en la época de postrera de 1987, un experimento de rotación de cultivos bajo diferentes niveles de control de malezas. El presente trabajo, evaluó el control de los cultivos antecesores Maíz y Pepinillo con tres niveles de control de malezas: químico, limpia en período crítico y limpias periódicas a la dinámica de le cenosis de malezas, crecimiento y rendimiento del cultivo sucesor soya en la postrera de 1989. Cuando antecedió el Maíz, la abundancia de malezas fue mayor con 449 individuos, reduciéndose considerablemente a le coseche, obteniendo una biomasa promedio de solo 165.48 gramos. De lo contrario con Pepinillo como antecesor, la abundancia al inicio fue menor con 231 individuos, pero se obtuvo a la cosecha la mayor biomasa promedio con 193.45 gramos. Para los caracteres de la soya a la cosecha no hubo diferencies significativas en les rotaciones. El control químico presentó mayor abundancia al inicio con 422 individuos, teniendo posteriormente une reducción hasta de 27 individuos. El control limpie en período crítico tuvo un comportamiento similar que el químico con 390 individuos, reduciéndose a lo cosecha a 140 individuos. El control limpias periódicas tuvo el inicio la menor abundancia con 218 individuos, reduciéndose a la cosecha a 100 individuos. Relacionando los caracteres de lo soya con los controles hubo diferencias significativas en: altura de planta a la cosecha y altura de inserción de la primero vaina en el control limpia en período crítico. Peso de mil semillas eh el control químico y rendimiento en el control limpias periódicas. En los demás caracteres de la soya no hubo diferencias significativas, mareándose una tendencia a favor del pepinillo como cultivo antecesor con 1018 kg/he de soya, comparado con Maíz como antecesor con solo 859 kg/ha de soya.

Formação de consórcios de municípios no setor de saneamento básico

Consultoria Legislativa - Área XI - Meio Ambiente e Direito Ambiental, Organização Territorial, Desenvolvimento Urbano e Regional.

Surface water resources of Polk County, Florida

The rapid increase in population in Polk County during the last decade has been accompanied by a several-fold increase in the number and complexity of problems pertaining tothe use andcontrolof the streams andlakes of the county. The increase in problems has increased the need for more information about the occurrence and movement of surface water. The primary purpose of this report is to give that information. Its secondary purpose is to give information that will promote an understanding of the nature and causes of the problems or that will aid in arriving at practical solutions. (PDF contains 133 pages.)

Coronica general de Espana que recopilaba el maestro Florian de Ocampo, coronista del Rey nuestro senor Don Felipe II

Florian de Ocampo, religioso e escritor espanhol, nasceu em Zamora entre os anos de 1490 e 1499 e morreu na mesma cidade, entre 1555 e 1559. Foi no meado cronista-real, em 1539, cargo que lhe permitiu reunir o material e dar continuidade à obra ‘Coronica general de Espana’ que já havia iniciado por conta própria. Continuada por Ambrósio de Morales a partir do volume três desta coleção, o titulo da obra é alterado nos volumes nove e dez para ‘Livro de las antiguedades de las ciudades de Espana’. Ambrósio de Morales, historiador espanhol nasceu em 1513 e morreu em 1591, na cidade de Córdoba. Estudou na Universidade de Alcalá, onde lecionou Retórica, manifestando aí seu interesse pelos estudos históricos. Foi nomeado, em 1563, cronista-mor dando continuidade à obra Coronica general de Espana, publicando em 1574 o seu primeiro volume. Na obra ‘Coronica General de Espana’, Ocampo se propunha a narrar com certa unidade a história da Espanha. Planejada em oitenta volumes, foram publicados apenas cinco: quatro em Zamora, em 1543 e um em Medina, em 1553. Nesta edição os dois primeiros volumes foram reunidos. Palau considera-a uma obra fabulosa sobre as origens dos espanhóis e da Espanha. Segundo Brunet, esta obra teve algumas reimpressões com notáveis adições em Medina dei Campo, em 1553, em Alcalá, em 1578, e em Madri no período de 1791 e 1792, em dez volumes.

Aktivitäten des nationalen Fischereidatenerhebungsprogramms im Jahr 2004

Based on the EU Regulation 1543/2000 for the improvement of quantity and quality of fishery data the Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture has initiated a national data collection programme, executed by three institutions, Federal Research Centre for Fisheries (BFAFi), Federal Agency for Ariculture and Food and the Federal Research Centre Agriculture, co-ordinated by BFAFi. In 2004 samples have been taken from 943 hauls during 29 commercial fishing trips; 357 000 fish have been measured. From 2002 to 2004 the number of length and weight and measurements, and age determinations could increased by 32, 65 and 156 % resp. Pilot inquiries have been carried out to prepare also the collection of economical date of fishing vessels and of fish processing plants from 2006.

Information zum nationalen Fischereidatensammlungsprogramm

The EU-Commission has started an initiative to improve the quantity and quality of fishery data. This will improve the quality of fish stock assessments and is expected to implicitly enhance the quality of stock management. By the relevant regulations 1543/2000 and 1639/2001 member states are obliged to establish national programmes for the sampling of data necessary to evaluate the situation of fishery resources and the fishery sector. In this article the German national data sampling programme is described.

Intense upconversion and infrared emissions in Er3+;Yb3+ codoped Lu2 Si O5 and (Lu0.5 Gd0.5)2 Si O5 crystals

High optical quality Lu2SiO5 (LSO) and (Lu0.5Gd0.5)(2)SiO5 (LGSO) laser crystals codoped with Er3+ and Yb3+ have been fabricated by the Czochralski method. Intense upconversion (UC) and infrared emission (1543 nm) are observed under excitation of 975 nm. The luminescence processes are explained and the emission efficiencies are quantitatively obtained by measuring the UC efficiency and calculating the emission cross section. The temperature-dependent optical properties of the crystals are also investigated. Our study indicates that Er3+-Yb3+ : LSO and Er3+-Yb3+: LGSO crystals are promising gain media for developing the solid-state 1.5 mu m optical amplifiers and tunable UC lasers. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.