Regional impervious surface estimation: an urban heat island application

This paper describes a GIS-based estimation method that can be used to forecast future amounts of impervious surface as a mitigation measure for urban heat island effect in a metropolitan region. The method is unique because it employs a regression model that links the existing amount of impervious surface to population and employment at the census tract level. This approach provides a means to forecast future amounts of impervious surface based on projected population and employment. The method also includes a detailed analysis of high-resolution aerial photography to divide impervious surfaces into different categories. Subdividing impervious surfaces is necessary to evaluate potential urban heat island mitigation policies for different types of impervious surface. The analysis here shows that the impervious surface in the metropolitan Atlanta region will increase to 2638 km2 2. “The Albedo is defined as the hemispherical reflectivity averaged over the solar spectrum. A perfect reflector has a = 1, and a perfect absorber has a = 0” (Pomerantz et al. 1999 Pomerantz, M. 1999. Reflective surfaces for cooler buildings and cities. Philosophical magazine B, 79: 1457–1476. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar], p. 1458). View all notes in 2030, an increase of 45% from 2000. The most common type of impervious surface is dark-coloured pavement. Within this study area, the analyses showed that two-thirds of impervious surfaces are dark. Replacing dark pavement with light pavement materials, therefore, represents an important opportunity to mitigate the urban heat island effect in the Atlanta region.     

On causes of gigantism in herbaceous plants

Landscape-geochemical features providing for manifestation of gigantism in herbaceous plants have been revealed in natural habitats in the south of Sakhalin and Kunashir islands. Tall herb assemblages have proved to be associated with geochemical landscapes characterized by reducing (gley or hydrogen sulfide) conditions and increased contents of petroleum hydrocarbons and some trace elements (total and movable forms). A hypothesis is put forward that gigantism in herbaceous plants is manifested in zones of active faults, which serve as a kind of conduits supplying endogenous heat, matter, and water to the root systems.     

基于超临界水氧化过程的能源环境系统设计

阐述了超临界水氧化过程的工艺路线,介绍了超临界水氧化过程的特点,提出了基于超临界水氧化过程的能源环境系统,设计了几种热量与能量回收系统程的耦合工艺,为提高超临界水氧化过程的经济性奠定了基础。     

循环流化床锅炉掺烧高炉煤气的应用

介绍了高炉煤气的主要燃烧特性,分析了高炉煤气在循环流化床锅炉中掺烧时对炉膛换热、过热蒸汽温度、锅炉负荷、热效率、分离装置以及环境的影响,并提出了消除不良影响的相应措施。     

细水雾中雾滴和高温环境的热质交换研究

由雾滴的表面的组分方程和能量方程入手,探讨雾滴在静止的高温环境中的热质交换及生存时间。应用折算薄膜理论,通过特征时间的比较,提出雾滴与高温环境主要通过沸腾机制实现热质交换;考虑滴径与速度变化的耦合作用,应用数值方法研究雾滴在强迫对流环境中与高温环境的热质交换情况。结果表明:对于滴径较小的雾滴不可能达到火焰区或可燃物表面实施火焰冷却和表面冷却,其灭火作用主要依赖于汽化吸热。     

混合动力汽车尾气余热回收系统的研究

针对尾气余热能量浪费问题,建立了某直列四缸汽油机尾气余热回收发电的系统模型。通过B.T米特罗欣的数学分析法和涡轮特征曲线快速匹配到适合的涡轮机,然后根据涡轮特征曲线对高速发电机进行了匹配。以满足国Ⅴ标准的NEDC工况为参考,对整个系统进行了仿真分析。结果表明,该系统能够实现尾气余热能量的回收,在市区和市郊平均分别可以回收能量1 k W和1.5 k W,市郊最高可达1.8 k W。     

Unintentional non-traffic injury and fatal events: Threats to children in and around vehicles

Objective: There have been substantial reductions in motor vehicle crash–related child fatalities due to advances in legislation, public safety campaigns, and engineering. Less is known about non-traffic injuries and fatalities to children in and around motor vehicles. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of various non-traffic incidents, injuries, and fatalities to children using a unique surveillance system and database.

Methods: Instances of non-traffic injuries and fatalities in the United States to children 0–14 years were tracked from January 1990 to December 2014 using a compilation of sources including media reports, individual accounts from families of affected children, medical examiner reports, police reports, child death review teams, coroner reports, medical professionals, legal professionals, and other various modes of publication.

Results: Over the 25-year period, there were at least 11,759 events resulting in 3,396 deaths. The median age of the affected child was 3.7 years. The incident types included 3,115 children unattended in hot vehicles resulting in 729 deaths, 2,251 backovers resulting in 1,232 deaths, 1,439 frontovers resulting in 692 deaths, 777 vehicles knocked into motion resulting in 227 deaths, 415 underage drivers resulting in 203 deaths, 172 power window incidents resulting in 61 deaths, 134 falls resulting in 54 deaths, 79 fires resulting in 41 deaths, and 3,377 other incidents resulting in 157 deaths.

Conclusions: Non-traffic injuries and fatalities present an important threat to the safety and lives of very young children. Future efforts should consider complementary surveillance mechanisms to systematically and comprehensively capture all non-traffic incidents. Continued education, engineering modifications, advocacy, and legislation can help continue to prevent these incidents and must be incorporated in overall child vehicle safety initiatives.     

近10 a武汉市城市热岛效应演变及其#br# 与土地利用变化的关系

城市化进程的加快,农村人口大量涌入城市,城市布局及局部气候改变等因素使得城市热岛效应问题日益突出,已成为当前城市环境研究热点之一。以武汉市为例,应用遥感技术与地理信息系统技术,选取2004~2015年5个时相Landsat系列影像数据,利用单窗算法反演地表温度,并以此为基础进行热岛强度分级,获取了近10 a武汉市城市热岛效应变化结果,并分析了武汉市11个辖区城市热岛效应动态变化特征及热岛效应与土地利用变化的关系。研究结果表明：（1）自2007年后,武汉市老城区热岛面积持续减少,而新城区热岛面积则持续增加,呈现出以老城区为中心向新城区扩张的趋势,至2015年,新老城区热岛面积仅相差20.74 km2;（2）东西湖区、蔡甸区、江夏区与洪山区是近些年城市热岛面积增长较为显著的辖区,其中江夏区的热岛面积年际变化最大,最高值达95.42 km2;（3）城市热岛效应与土地利用类型的面积年际平均值拟合关系显示,2004~2015年,城市热岛效应与建筑用地的R2值最大,为0.681 2,建筑用地面积的增加是城市热岛强度面积扩张的重要影响因素。     

Experimental investigation of a solar water distillation-cum-drying unit

In this communication, a new design of solar-energy-based water distillation cum drying unit with parabolic reflector has been designed, fabricated, and tested. Bitter gourd and potato slices are chosen as a drying commodity. Thermal performance of the developed system has been evaluated based on the experimental results and using linear regression analysis. Heat transfer coefficients (convective, evaporative, and radiative) for solar distillation system have been observed to be 2.48–4.09, 13.25–52.38, and 8.75–9.66 W/m²°C, respectively. Overall thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency for the distillation system has been found to be 18.77% and 1.2%, respectively. The convective heat transfer coefficient for potato slices are observed higher for initial hours and decreases as the day progresses. The average convective heat transfer coefficients for bitter gourd and potato slices have been observed as 2.18 and 5.04 W/m²°C, respectively. Experimental error in terms of percent uncertainty for bitter gourd and potato slices are found to be 42.93% and 37.06%, respectively. The present design of solar distillation and drying in a single unit could be beneficial for the development of remote, arid, and rural areas.     

Experimental thermal storage research of organic binary phase change materials in building environment

This paper aims to reveal the heat transfer mechanism of low-temperature phase change material (PCM) and design PCM heat storage device in building heating environment. Firstly, low-temperature binary PCMs of lauric acid and stearic acid are prepared, and their thermal properties are investigated by DSC. Then, shell and tube latent heat thermal energy storage units are conducted, and heat transfer experiments are carried out to analyze the heat transfer mechanism of PCM. The results demonstrate that natural convection plays an important role in heat transfer process, and the heat storage efficiency of PCMs can be significantly enhanced by increasing the fin width and improving the inlet heat transfer fluid (HTF) temperature. Furthermore, some proposals are put forward to guide the design of PCM storage device in building heating environment.