Direct-on-line axial flux permanent magnet synchronous generator static and dynamic performance

In distributed energy production, permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSG) are often connected to the grid via frequency converters, such as voltage source line converters. The price of the converter may constitute a large part of the costs of a generating set. Some of the permanent magnet synchronous generators with converters and traditional separately excited synchronous generators couldbe replaced by direct-on-line (DOL) non-controlled PMSGs. Small directly networkconnected generators are likely to have large markets in the area of distributed electric energy generation. Typical prime movers could be windmills, watermills and internal combustion engines. DOL PMSGs could also be applied in island networks, such as ships and oil platforms. Also various back-up power generating systems could be carried out with DOL PMSGs. The benefits would be a lower priceof the generating set and the robustness and easy use of the system. The performance of DOL PMSGs is analyzed. The electricity distribution companies have regulations that constrain the design of the generators being connected to the grid. The general guidelines and recommendations are applied in the analysis. By analyzing the results produced by the simulation model for the permanent magnet machine, the guidelines for efficient damper winding parameters for DOL PMSGs are presented. The simulation model is used to simulate grid connections and load transients. The damper winding parameters are calculated by the finite element method (FEM) and determined from experimental measurements. Three-dimensional finite element analysis (3D FEA) is carried out. The results from the simulation model and 3D FEA are compared with practical measurements from two prototype axial flux permanent magnet generators provided with damper windings. The dimensioning of the damper winding parameters is case specific. The damper winding should be dimensioned based on the moment of inertia of the generating set. It is shown that the damper winding has optimal values to reach synchronous operation in the shortest period of time after transient operation. With optimal dimensioning, interferenceon the grid is minimized.

Vaarinpidosta virtuaaliaikaan : Sata vuotta suomalaista tilintarkastusta

Tämän tutkimuksen aiheena on tilintarkastuksen historiallinen kehittyminen Suomessa runsaan sadan vuoden aikana. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on analysoida osakeyhtiön tilintarkastuksen kehitystä ja yhdistää vuosisadan kehityspiirteet tilintarkastuksen kokonaiskuvaksi. Tutkittava periodi alkaa 1800-luvun lopulta ja päättyy 2000-luvun taitteeseen. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan suomalaista tilintarkastusinstituutiota, joka jaetaan kolmeen osaan: tilintarkastusta säätelevään normistoon (normit), tilintarkastajajärjestelmään (toimijat) ja tilintarkastuksen sisältöön (tehtävät). Tutkimuksessa tavoitellaan vastauksia kysymyksiin: mitä tarkastettiin, milloin tarkastettiin, kuka tarkasti ja miten tarkastettiin eri aikakausina? Tutkimus perustuu historialliseen lähdeaineistoon, jonka muodostavat tutkimusajanjakson lainsäädäntö, lainvalmisteluasiakirjat, viranomaisten ohjeet ja päätökset, alan järjestöjen suositukset, ammattilehtien artikkelit sekä laskentatoimen ja tilintarkastuksen ammattikirjallisuus. Metodologisesti tutkimus on teoreettinen, kvalitatiivinen historiantutkimus, jossa lähdeaineistoa käsitellään lähdekriittisesti ja osittain sisältöanalyysin keinoin. Tilintarkastusta säätelevässä normistossa keskeisiä lakeja ovat olleet osakeyhtiölaki, kirjanpitolaki ja tilintarkastuslaki. Lakisääteinen tilintarkastus alkoi vuoden 1895 osakeyhtiölaista, joka uudistui vuonna 1978 ja jälleen vuonna 1997. Kirjanpitolainsäädäntö on uudistunut viidesti: 1925 ja 1928, 1945, 1973, 1993 sekä 1997. Vuoden 1994 tilintarkastuslakiin koottiin tilintarkastuksen säädökset useista laeista. Muita normistoja ovat olleet EY:n direktiivit, Kilan ohjeet, KHT-yhdistyksen suositukset, Keskuskauppakamarin säännökset ja viimeisimpinä IAS- ja ISA-standardit. Ammattimainen tilintarkastajajärjestelmä saatiin maahamme kauppiaskokousten ansiosta. Ammattimaisena tilintarkastuksen toimijana aloitti Suomen Tilintarkastajainyhdistys vuonna 1911, ja sen toimintaa jatkoi KHT-yhdistys vuodesta 1925 alkaen. Tilintarkastajien auktorisointi siirtyi Keskuskauppakamarille vuonna 1924. HTM-tilintarkastajat ovat olleet alalla vuodesta 1950 lähtien. Kauppakamarijärjestö on toiminut hyväksyttyjen tilintarkastajien valvojana koko ammattimaisen tilintarkastustoiminnan ajan. Valtion valvontaa suorittaa VALA (Valtion tilintarkastuslautakunta). Koko tutkittavan periodin ajan auktorisoitujen tilintarkastajien rinnalla osakeyhtiöiden tarkastajina ovat toimineet myös maallikot.Tilintarkastuksen tehtäviin kuului vuoden 1895 osakeyhtiölain mukaan hallinnon ja tilien tarkastus. Myöhemmin sisältö täsmentyi tilinpäätöksen, kirjanpidon ja hallinnon tarkastukseksi. Tutkimusajanjakson alussa tilintarkastus oli manuaalista kaikkien tositteiden prikkausta ja virheiden etsimistä. Myöhemmin tarkastus muuttui pistokokeiksi. Kertatarkastuksesta siirryttiin jatkuvaan valvontatarkastukseen 1900-luvun alkupuolella. Dokumentoinnista ja työpapereista alkaa olla havaintoja 1930-luvulta lähtien. Atk-tarkastus yleistyi 1970- ja 1980-luvuilla, jolloin myös riskianalyyseihin alettiin kiinnittää huomiota. Hallinnon tarkastuksen merkitys on kasvanut kaiken aikaa. Tilintarkastuskertomukset olivat tutkimusajanjakson alussa vapaamuotoisia ja sisällöltään ilmaisurikkaita ja kuvailevia. Kertomus muuttui julkiseksi vuoden 1978 osakeyhtiölain myötä. Myöhemmin KHT-yhdistyksen vakiokertomusmallit yhdenmukaistivat ja pelkistivät raportointia. Tutkimuksen perusteella tilintarkastuksen historia voidaan jakaa kolmeen kauteen, jotka ovat tilintarkastusinstituution rakentumisen kausi (1895 - 1950), vakiintumisen kausi (1951 - 1985) ja kansainvälistymisen ja julkisuuden kausi (1986 alkaen). Tutkimusajanjakson jokaisella vuosikymmenellä keskusteltiin jatkuvasti tilintarkastajien riittävyydestä, alalle pääsyn ja tutkintojen vaikeudesta, tilintarkastajien ammattitaidon tasosta,hallinnon tarkastuksen sisällöstä, tilintarkastuskertomuksesta sekä maallikkotarkastajien asemasta. 1990-luvun keskeisimmät keskusteluaiheet olivat konsultointi, riippumattomuus, odotuskuilu sekä tilintarkastuksen taso ja laadunvalvonta. Analysoitaessa tilintarkastuksen muutoksia runsaan sadan vuoden ajalta voidaan todeta, että tilintarkastuksen ydintehtävät eivät juurikaan ole muuttuneet vuosikymmenien kuluessa. Osakeyhtiön tilintarkastus on edelleenkin laillisuustarkastusta. Sen tarkoituksena on yhä kirjanpidon, tilinpäätöksen ja hallinnon tarkastus. Tilintarkastajat valvovat osakkeenomistajien etua ja raportoivat heille tarkastuksen tuloksista. Tilintarkastuksen ulkoinen maailma sen sijaan on muuttunut vuosikymmenten saatossa. Kansainvälistyminen on lisännyt säännösten määrää, odotuksia ja vaatimuksia on nykyisin enemmän, uusi tekniikka mahdollistaa nopean tiedonkulun ja valvonta on lisääntynyt nykypäivää kohti tultaessa. Tilintarkastajan pätevyys perustuu nykyään tietotekniikan, tietojärjestelmien ja yrityksen toimialantuntemukseen. Runsaan sadan vuoden takaisen lain vaarinpitovaatimuksesta on tultu virtuaaliaikaiseen maailmaan!

Formation and Control of Trace Metal Emissions in Co-Firing of Biomass, Peat, and Wastes in Fluidised Bed Combustors

Environmentally harmful consequences of fossil fuel utilisation andthe landfilling of wastes have increased the interest among the energy producers to consider the use of alternative fuels like wood fuels and Refuse-Derived Fuels, RDFs. The fluidised bed technology that allows the flexible use of a variety of different fuels is commonly used at small- and medium-sized power plants ofmunicipalities and industry in Finland. Since there is only one mass-burn plantcurrently in operation in the country and no intention to build new ones, the co-firing of pre-processed wastes in fluidised bed boilers has become the most generally applied waste-to-energy concept in Finland. The recently validated EU Directive on Incineration of Wastes aims to mitigate environmentally harmful pollutants of waste incineration and co-incineration of wastes with conventional fuels. Apart from gaseous flue gas pollutants and dust, the emissions of toxic tracemetals are limited. The implementation of the Directive's restrictions in the Finnish legislation is assumed to limit the co-firing of waste fuels, due to the insufficient reduction of the regulated air pollutants in the existing flue gas cleaning devices. Trace metals emission formation and reduction in the ESP, the condensing wet scrubber, the fabric filter, and the humidification reactor were studied, experimentally, in full- and pilot-scale combustors utilising the bubbling fluidised bed technology, and, theoretically, by means of reactor model calculations. The core of the model is a thermodynamic equilibrium analysis. The experiments were carried out with wood chips, sawdust, and peat, and their refuse-derived fuel, RDF, blends. In all, ten different fuels or fuel blends were tested. Relatively high concentrations of trace metals in RDFs compared to the concentrations of these metals in wood fuels increased the trace metal concentrations in the flue gas after the boiler ten- to hundred-folds, when RDF was co-fired with sawdust in a full-scale BFB boiler. In the case of peat, lesser increase in trace metal concentrations was observed, due to the higher initial trace metal concentrations of peat compared to sawdust. Despite the high removal rate of most of the trace metals in the ESP, the Directive emission limits for trace metals were exceeded in each of the RDF co-firing tests. The dominat trace metals in fluegas after the ESP were Cu, Pb and Mn. In the condensing wet scrubber, the flue gas trace metal emissions were reduced below the Directive emission limits, whenRDF pellet was used as a co-firing fuel together with sawdust and peat. High chlorine content of the RDFs enhanced the mercuric chloride formation and hence the mercury removal in the ESP and scrubber. Mercury emissions were lower than theDirective emission limit for total Hg, 0.05 mg/Nm3, in all full-scale co-firingtests already in the flue gas after the ESP. The pilot-scale experiments with aBFB combustor equipped with a fabric filter revealed that the fabric filter alone is able to reduce the trace metal concentrations, including mercury, in the flue gas during the RDF co-firing approximately to the same level as they are during the wood chip firing. Lower trace metal emissions than the Directive limits were easily reached even with a 40% thermal share of RDF co-firing with sawdust.Enrichment of trace metals in the submicron fly ash particle fraction because of RDF co-firing was not observed in the test runs where sawdust was used as the main fuel. The combustion of RDF pellets with peat caused an enrichment of As, Cd, Co, Pb, Sb, and V in the submicron particle mode. Accumulation and release oftrace metals in the bed material was examined by means of a bed material analysis, mass balance calculations and a reactor model. Lead, zinc and copper were found to have a tendency to be accumulated in the bed material but also to have a tendency to be released from the bed material into the combustion gases, if the combustion conditions were changed. The concentration of the trace metal in the combustion gases of the bubbling fluidised bed boiler was found to be a summary of trace metal fluxes from three main sources. They were (1) the trace metal flux from the burning fuel particle (2) the trace metal flux from the ash in the bed, and (3) the trace metal flux from the active alkali metal layer on the sand (and ash) particles in the bed. The amount of chlorine in the system, the combustion temperature, the fuel ash composition and the saturation state of the bed material in regard to trace metals were discovered to be key factors affecting therelease process. During the co-firing of waste fuels with variable amounts of e.g. ash and chlorine, it is extremely important to consider the possible ongoingaccumulation and/or release of the trace metals in the bed, when determining the flue gas trace metal emissions. If the state of the combustion process in regard to trace metals accumulation and/or release in the bed material is not known,it may happen that emissions from the bed material rather than the combustion of the fuel in question are measured and reported.

Artificially Intelligent and Adaptive Methods for Prediction and Analysis of Superheater Fireside Corrosion in Fluidized Bed Boilers

Superheater corrosion causes vast annual losses for the power companies. With a reliable corrosion prediction method, the plants can be designed accordingly, and knowledge of fuel selection and determination of process conditions may be utilized to minimize superheater corrosion. Growing interest to use recycled fuels creates additional demands for the prediction of corrosion potential. Models depending on corrosion theories will fail, if relations between the inputs and the output are poorly known. A prediction model based on fuzzy logic and an artificial neural network is able to improve its performance as the amount of data increases. The corrosion rate of a superheater material can most reliably be detected with a test done in a test combustor or in a commercial boiler. The steel samples can be located in a special, temperature-controlled probe, and exposed to the corrosive environment for a desired time. These tests give information about the average corrosion potential in that environment. Samples may also be cut from superheaters during shutdowns. The analysis ofsamples taken from probes or superheaters after exposure to corrosive environment is a demanding task: if the corrosive contaminants can be reliably analyzed, the corrosion chemistry can be determined, and an estimate of the material lifetime can be given. In cases where the reason for corrosion is not clear, the determination of the corrosion chemistry and the lifetime estimation is more demanding. In order to provide a laboratory tool for the analysis and prediction, a newapproach was chosen. During this study, the following tools were generated: · Amodel for the prediction of superheater fireside corrosion, based on fuzzy logic and an artificial neural network, build upon a corrosion database developed offuel and bed material analyses, and measured corrosion data. The developed model predicts superheater corrosion with high accuracy at the early stages of a project. · An adaptive corrosion analysis tool based on image analysis, constructedas an expert system. This system utilizes implementation of user-defined algorithms, which allows the development of an artificially intelligent system for thetask. According to the results of the analyses, several new rules were developed for the determination of the degree and type of corrosion. By combining these two tools, a user-friendly expert system for the prediction and analyses of superheater fireside corrosion was developed. This tool may also be used for the minimization of corrosion risks by the design of fluidized bed boilers.

Dynamic Model of a Small Once-Through Boiler

In this study, a model for the unsteady dynamic behaviour of a once-through counter flow boiler that uses an organic working fluid is presented. The boiler is a compact waste-heat boiler without a furnace and it has a preheater, a vaporiser and a superheater. The relative lengths of the boiler parts vary with the operating conditions since they are all parts of a single tube. The present research is a part of a study on the unsteady dynamics of an organic Rankine cycle power plant and it will be a part of a dynamic process model. The boiler model is presented using a selected example case that uses toluene as the process fluid and flue gas from natural gas combustion as the heat source. The dynamic behaviour of the boiler means transition from the steady initial state towards another steady state that corresponds to the changed process conditions. The solution method chosen was to find such a pressure of the process fluid that the mass of the process fluid in the boiler equals the mass calculated using the mass flows into and out of the boiler during a time step, using the finite difference method. A special method of fast calculation of the thermal properties has been used, because most of the calculation time is spent in calculating the fluid properties. The boiler was divided into elements. The values of the thermodynamic properties and mass flows were calculated in the nodes that connect the elements. Dynamic behaviour was limited to the process fluid and tube wall, and the heat source was regarded as to be steady. The elements that connect the preheater to thevaporiser and the vaporiser to the superheater were treated in a special way that takes into account a flexible change from one part to the other. The model consists of the calculation of the steady state initial distribution of the variables in the nodes, and the calculation of these nodal values in a dynamic state. The initial state of the boiler was received from a steady process model that isnot a part of the boiler model. The known boundary values that may vary during the dynamic calculation were the inlet temperature and mass flow rates of both the heat source and the process fluid. A brief examination of the oscillation around a steady state, the so-called Ledinegg instability, was done. This examination showed that the pressure drop in the boiler is a third degree polynomial of the mass flow rate, and the stability criterion is a second degree polynomial of the enthalpy change in the preheater. The numerical examination showed that oscillations did not exist in the example case. The dynamic boiler model was analysed for linear and step changes of the entering fluid temperatures and flow rates.The problem for verifying the correctness of the achieved results was that there was no possibility o compare them with measurements. This is why the only way was to determine whether the obtained results were intuitively reasonable and the results changed logically when the boundary conditions were changed. The numerical stability was checked in a test run in which there was no change in input values. The differences compared with the initial values were so small that the effects of numerical oscillations were negligible. The heat source side tests showed that the model gives results that are logical in the directions of the changes, and the order of magnitude of the timescale of changes is also as expected. The results of the tests on the process fluid side showed that the model gives reasonable results both on the temperature changes that cause small alterations in the process state and on mass flow rate changes causing very great alterations. The test runs showed that the dynamic model has no problems in calculating cases in which temperature of the entering heat source suddenly goes below that of the tube wall or the process fluid.

Mass transfer and particleinteractions in granular systems and suspension flows

The purpose of this study was to investigate some important features of granular flows and suspension flows by computational simulation methods. Granular materials have been considered as an independent state ofmatter because of their complex behaviors. They sometimes behave like a solid, sometimes like a fluid, and sometimes can contain both phases in equilibrium. The computer simulation of dense shear granular flows of monodisperse, spherical particles shows that the collisional model of contacts yields the coexistence of solid and fluid phases while the frictional model represents a uniform flow of fluid phase. However, a comparison between the stress signals from the simulations and experiments revealed that the collisional model would result a proper match with the experimental evidences. Although the effect of gravity is found to beimportant in sedimentation of solid part, the stick-slip behavior associated with the collisional model looks more similar to that of experiments. The mathematical formulations based on the kinetic theory have been derived for the moderatesolid volume fractions with the assumption of the homogeneity of flow. In orderto make some simulations which can provide such an ideal flow, the simulation of unbounded granular shear flows was performed. Therefore, the homogeneous flow properties could be achieved in the moderate solid volume fractions. A new algorithm, namely the nonequilibrium approach was introduced to show the features of self-diffusion in the granular flows. Using this algorithm a one way flow can beextracted from the entire flow, which not only provides a straightforward calculation of self-diffusion coefficient but also can qualitatively determine the deviation of self-diffusion from the linear law at some regions nearby the wall inbounded flows. Anyhow, the average lateral self-diffusion coefficient, which was calculated by the aforementioned method, showed a desirable agreement with thepredictions of kinetic theory formulation. In the continuation of computer simulation of shear granular flows, some numerical and theoretical investigations were carried out on mass transfer and particle interactions in particulate flows. In this context, the boundary element method and its combination with the spectral method using the special capabilities of wavelets have been introduced as theefficient numerical methods to solve the governing equations of mass transfer in particulate flows. A theoretical formulation of fluid dispersivity in suspension flows revealed that the fluid dispersivity depends upon the fluid properties and particle parameters as well as the fluid-particle and particle-particle interactions.

Propagation of the Ignition Front against Airflow in Packed Beds of Wood Particles

Combustion of wood is increasing because of the needs of decreasing the emissions of carbon dioxide and the amount of waste going to landfills. Wood based fuels are often scattered on a large area. The transport distances should be short enough to prevent too high costs, and so the size of heating and power plants using wood fuels is often rather small. Combustion technologies of small-size units have to be developed to reach efficient and environmentally friendly energy production. Furnaces that use different packed bed combustion or gasification techniques areoften most economic in small-scale energy production. Ignition front propagation rate affects the stability, heat release rate and emissions of packed bed combustion. Ignition front propagation against airflow in packed beds of wood fuels has been studied. The research has been carried out mainly experimentally. Theoretical aspects have been considered to draw conclusions about the experimental results. The effects of airflow rate, moisture content of the fuel, size, shape and density of particles, and porosity of the bed on the propagation rate of the ignition front have been studied. The experiments were carried out in a pot furnace. The fuels used in the experiments were mainly real wood fuels that are often burned in the production of energy. The fuel types were thin wood chips, saw dust, shavings, wood chips, and pellets with different sizes. Also a few mixturesof the above were tested. Increase in the moisture content of the fuel decreases the propagation rates of the ignition front and makes the range of possible airflow rates narrower because of the energy needed for the evaporation of water and the dilution of volatile gases due to evaporated steam. Increase in the airflow rate increases the ignition rate until a maximum rate of propagation is reached after which it decreases. The maximum flame propagation rate is not always reached in stoichiometric combustion conditions. Increase in particle size and density transfers the optimum airflow rate towards fuel lean conditions. Mixing of small and large particles is often advantageous, because small particles make itpossible to reach the maximum ignition rate in fuel rich conditions, and large particles widen the range of possible airflow rates. A correlation was found forthe maximum rate of ignition front propagation in different wood fuels. According to the correlation, the maximum ignition mass flux is increased when the sphericity of the particles and the porosity of the bed are increased and the moisture content of the fuel is decreased. Another fit was found between sphericity and porosity. Increase in sphericity decreases the porosity of the bed. The reasons of the observed results are discussed.

Two distinct plant respiratory physiotypes might exist which correspond to fast-growing and slow-growing species

The origin of the carbon atoms in CO2 respired by leaves in the dark of several plant species has been studied using 13C/12C stable isotopes. This study was conducted using an open gas exchange system for isotope labeling that was coupled to an elemental analyser and further linked to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (EA-IRMS) or coupled to a gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GC-C-IRMS). We demonstrate here that the carbon, which is recently assimilated during photosynthesis, accounts for nearly ca. 50% of the carbon in the CO2 lost through dark respiration after illumination in fast-growing and cultivated plants and trees and, accounts for only ca. 10% in slow-growing plants. Moreover, our study shows that fast- growing plants, which had the largest percentages of newly fixed carbon of leaf-respired CO2 , were also those with the largest shoot/root ratios, whereas slow-growing plants showed the lowest shoot/root values.

Seedling development and biomass as affected by seed size and morphology in durum wheat

This work evaluated the effect of seed size and morphology on the development and biomass of durum wheat seedlings. Three different seed-grading sizes selected by sieving were used in glasshouse experiments, and a set of three developmental and 23 biomass-related indices were measured on eight genotypes, at two moisture levels. The influence of seed size on seedling development was studied at high and low temperatures (22\12 mC, and 15\5 mC day\night temperatures, respectively), in growth chambers. The area of the seed and the area of the embryo were the seed morphological traits most affected by seed size. Seed size was strongly associated with seedling development and seedling biomass until the complete extension of the first two leaves, at the fourth leaf stage. The rate of first-leaf growth and the area of the first leaf were the developmental and biomass traits, respectively, most sensitive to seed-grading size.

Water status and gas exchange of umbu plants (Spondias tuberosa Arr. Cam.) propagated by seeds and stem cuttings

The experiment was carried out at the Embrapa Semi-Árido, Petrolina-PE, Brazil, in order to study the physiological responses of umbu plants propagated by seeds and by stem cuttings under water stress conditions, based on leaf water potential and gas exchange measurements. Data were collected in one-year plants established in pots containing 30 kg of a sandy soil and submitted to twenty-day progressive soil water deficit. The evaluations were based on leaf water potential and gas exchange data collection using psychrometric chambers and a portable infra-red gas analyzer, respectively. Plants propagated by seeds maintained a significantly higher water potential, stomatal conductance, transpiration and photosynthesis under decreasing soil water availability. However, plants propagated by stem cuttings were unable to maintain a favorable internal water balance, reflecting negatively on stomatal conductance and leaf gas exchange. This fact is probably because umbu plants propagated by stem cuttings are not prone to formation of root tubers which are reservoirs for water and solutes. Thus, the establishing of umbu plants propagated by stem cuttings must be avoided in areas subjected to soil water deficit.

Fluence plays a critical role on the subsequent distribution of chemotherapy and tumor growth delay in murine mesothelioma xenografts pre-treated by photodynamic therapy.

BACKGROUND: The pre-conditioning of tumor vessels by low-dose photodynamic therapy (L-PDT) was shown to enhance the distribution of chemotherapy in different tumor types. However, how light dose affects drug distribution and tumor response is unknown. Here we determined the effect of L-PDT fluence on vascular transport in human mesothelioma xenografts. The best L-PDT conditions regarding drug transport were then combined with Lipoplatin(®) to determine tumor response. in vivo. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:323-330, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. METHODS: Nude mice bearing dorsal skinfold chambers were implanted with H-Meso1 cells. Tumors were treated by Visudyne(®) -mediated photodynamic therapy with 100 mW/cm(2) fluence rate and a variable fluence (5, 10, 30, and 50 J/cm(2) ). FITC-Dextran (FITC-D) distribution was assessed in real time in tumor and normal tissues. Tumor response was then determined with best L-PDT conditions combined to Lipoplatin(®) and compared to controls in luciferase expressing H-Meso1 tumors by size and whole body bioluminescence assessment (n = 7/group). RESULTS: Tumor uptake of FITC-D following L-PDT was significantly enhanced by 10-fold in the 10 J/cm(2) but not in the 5, 30, and 50 J/cm(2) groups compared to controls. Normal surrounding tissue uptake of FITC-D following L-PDT was significantly enhanced in the 30 J/cm(2) and 50 J/cm(2) groups compared to controls. Altogether, the FITC-D tumor to normal tissue ratio was significantly higher in the 10 J/cm(2) group compared others. Tumor growth was significantly delayed in animals treated by 10 J/cm2-L-PDT combined to Lipoplatin(®) compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Fluence of L-PDT is critical for the optimal distribution and effect of subsequently administered chemotherapy. These findings have an importance for the clinical translation of the vascular L-PDT concept in the clinics. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:323-330, 2015.

Seospellettien pienpoltto

This work is a part of Vapos research over mixed pellets. In this work combustion of ten different mixed pellets are examined. This is done by two kinds of tests, burning tests and ash melting tests. First there is a short review how different bio fuels burn and what kind of problems they cause. After this burning characteristics and flue gas calculation methods are acquainted. In test part burning tests and ash melting tests and their results are reported. Lastly conclusions and considerations over further study are done.

'Herbal' but potentially hazardous: an analysis of the constituents and smoke emissions of tobacco-free waterpipe products and the air quality in the cafes where they are served

BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the composition and smoke emissions of 'herbal' shisha products and the air quality of establishments where they are smoked. METHODS: Three studies of 'herbal' shisha were conducted: (1) samples of 'herbal' shisha products were chemically analysed; (2) 'herbal' and tobacco shisha were burned in a waterpipe smoking machine and main and sidestream smoke analysed by standard methods and (3) the air quality of six waterpipe cafes was assessed by measurement of CO, particulate and nicotine vapour content. RESULTS: We found considerable variation in heavy metal content between the three products sampled, one being particularly high in lead, chromium, nickel and arsenic. A similar pattern emerged for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Smoke emission analyses indicated that toxic byproducts produced by the combustion of 'herbal' shisha were equivalent or greater than those produced by tobacco shisha. The results of our air quality assessment demonstrated that mean PM2.5 levels and CO content were significantly higher in waterpipe establishments compared to a casino where cigarette smoking was permitted. Nicotine vapour was detected in one of the waterpipe cafes. CONCLUSIONS: 'Herbal' shisha products tested contained toxic trace metals and PAHs levels equivalent to, or in excess of, that found in cigarettes. Their mainstream and sidestream smoke emissions contained carcinogens equivalent to, or in excess of, those of tobacco products. The content of the air in the waterpipe cafes tested was potentially hazardous. These data, in aggregate, suggest that smoking 'herbal' shisha may well be dangerous to health.

Metsäteollisuuden lietteiden bioterminen kuivaus

Työssä tarkastellaan kompostointiin perustuvaa biotermistä kuivausprosessia, prosessiin vaikuttavia tekijöitä sekä sen soveltuvuutta metsäteollisuuden mekaanisesti kuivatun jätevesilietteen lisäkuivaukseen polttoa varten. Tutkimukseen kuuluvien paperitehtaiden lietteillä suoritettavien biotermisten kuivauskokeiden avulla tutkitaan tehtaiden lietteiden sopivuutta biotermiseen kuivaukseen. Lisäksi tehtaille suunnitellaan kuivauskokeiden ja paperitehtailla tehtävien selvitysten perusteella bioterminen kuivauslaitos. Suomen metsäteollisuus tuottaa nykyisin noin 400 000 – 500 000 kuiva-ainetonnia jätevedenpuhdistamolietteitä vuosittain. Tutkimukseen kuuluvan kahden tehdasintegraatin biologisilla puhdistamoilla syntyvien jätevesilietteiden määrät ovat keskimäärin 33 000 ja 15 000 kuiva-ainetonnia vuodessa. Ongelmana metsäteollisuudessa on jätevesilietteen alhainen kuiva-ainepitoisuus lietteen mekaanisen kuivauksen jälkeen. Tämä vaikeuttaa lietteen polttamista voimalaitoskattilassa ja lietteen poltosta talteen saatavan energian määrä jää vähäiseksi. Mekaanisesti kuivatun sekalietteen käsittely biotermisesti kuivaamalla mahdollistaa lietteen kuiva-ainepitoisuuden nostamisen yli 55 %:in kuiva-ainepitoisuuteen. Tämä helpottaa lietteen polton ongelmia ja kasvattaa lietteen poltosta talteen saatavan energian määrää. Bioterminen kuivaus soveltuu hyvin tutkimukseen kuuluvien tehtaiden sekalietteen kuivaukseen. Suositeltava sekalietteen lähtökuiva-ainepitoisuuden arvo on välillä 30 – 35 % ja tukiaineeksi lisättävän kuoren määrä noin 0,5 m3 yhtä lietekuutiota kohden. Kuivausprosessin kesto on tällöin 10 – 14 vuorokautta, kun haluttu lietepolttoaineen kuiva-ainepitoisuus on vähintään 55 %. Tehtaille suunnitelluissa laitoksissa käsiteltävä lietemäärä on noin 40 000 märkätonnia vuodessa. Tutkimukseen kuuluvalle paperitehtaalle yhdistetyn lietteenkuivausprosessin kustannukset ovat edullisimmat kun liete kuivataan ennen biotermistä kuivausta mekaanisesti 35 %:in kuiva-ainepitoisuuteen. Tällöin lietteenkäsittelyn hinnaksi tulee noin 150 mk/t.

Kompostointilaitoksen lopputuotteen käyttömahdollisuudet. Case: Himanka

Työssä selvitetään kompostointilaitoksen lopputuotteen erilaisia käyttömahdollisuuksia. Yleisten käyttökohteiden pohjalta on luotu malli Vapo Oy Biotech:n toimittaman Himangan kompostointilaitoksen kompostin hyödyntämiselle. Laitos sijaitsee Himangan kunnassa Keski- Pohjanmaalla. Laitoksella kompostoidaan pääasiassa Himangan ja ympäröivien kuntien jätevesilietteitä turkiseläinlantaa. Jätehuolto Suomessa ja koko EU:n alueella elää voimakasta muutoskautta. Orgaanisten jätteiden vienti kaatopaikoille pyritään tulevaisuudessa lopettamaan kokonaan, mikä on lisännyt niiden käsittelyä mm. kompostoimalla. Kompostoinnin lopputuotteena saadaan ravinteikasta, humuspitoista ainesta. Kompostoinnin yhtenä tavoitteena on tuottaa hyötykäyttöön soveltuvaa tuotetta, joten käyttökohteen löytäminen kompostille on laitoksen toiminnan kannalta erittäin tärkeää. Kompostin käyttömahdollisuuksiin vaikuttavat lainsäädäntö, kompostin ominaisuudet sekä paikalliset olosuhteet. Käyttökohteet on työssä jaettu ei-energiakäyttöön ja energiakäyttöön. Ei-energiakäyttöön kuuluvat maanparannuskäyttö, lannoitekäyttö, käyttö kasvualustassa, maisemointi ja julkinen rakentaminen sekä joitakin erityissovelluksia. Energiakäytön puolella on tarkasteltu kompostin soveltuvuutta erilaisille polttotekniikoille sekä vertailtu kompostia muihin kiinteisiin polttoaineisiin. Kompostien soveltuvuutta eri kohteisiin on arvioitu kompostin analyysi- ja kasvatuskoetulosten pohjalta. Kompostin ei-energiakaytössa on saatu eri tutkimuksissa lupaavia tuloksia. Kompostin on todettu soveltuvan erittäin hyvin mm. perunanviljelyyn, viljan ja nurmikasvien viljelyyn ja erilaisiin maisemointikohteisiin sekä kotipuutarhakäyttöön. Kompostin käyttöä polttoaineena ei ole vielä kokeiltu missään. Kompostin polton suurimmat ongelmat ovat korkea tuhka-, rikki- ja typpipitoisuus sekä epätasainen laatu.