Performance of a diesel engine with water emulsified diesel prepared with optimized process parameters

An attempt has been made to produce stable water–diesel emulsion with optimal formulation and process parameters and to evaluate the performance and emission characteristics of diesel engine using this stable water–diesel emulsion. A total of 54 samples were prepared with varying water/diesel ratio, surfactant amount and stirring speed and water separation was recorded after 24 and 48 hr of emulsification. The recorded data were used in artificial neural network (ANN)-particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique to find the optimal parameters to produce water–diesel emulsion for engine testing. The predicted optimal parameters were found as 20% water to diesel ratio, 0.9% surfactant and 2200 rpm of stirrer for a water separation of 14.33% in one day with a variation of 6.54% against the actual value of water separation. Water–diesel emulsion fuel exhibited similar fuel properties as base fuel. The peak cylinder gas pressure, peak pressure rise rate and peak heat release rate for water–diesel were found higher as compared to diesel at medium to full engine loads. The improved air-fuel mixing in water–diesel emulsion enhanced brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of engine. The absorption of heat by water droplets present in water–diesel emulsion led to reduced exhaust gas temperature (EGT). With water–diesel emulsion fuel, the mean carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) emissions reduced by 8.80, 39.60, and 26.11%, respectively as compared to diesel.     

Animal agency in wildlife conservation and management

Wildlife conservation and management (WCM) practices have been historically drawn from a wide variety of academic fields, yet practitioners have been slow to engage with emerging conversations about animals as complex beings, whose individuality and sociality influence their relationships with humans. We propose an explicit acknowledgement of wild, nonhuman animals as active participants in WCM. We examined 190 studies of WCM interventions and outcomes to highlight 3 common assumptions that underpin many present approaches to WCM: animal behaviors are rigid and homogeneous; wildlife exhibit idealized wild behavior and prefer pristine habitats; and human–wildlife relationships are of marginal or secondary importance relative to nonhuman interactions. We found that these management interventions insufficiently considered animal learning, decision-making, individuality, sociality, and relationships with humans and led to unanticipated detrimental outcomes. To address these shortcomings, we synthesized theoretical advances in animal behavioral sciences, animal geographies, and animal legal theory that may help conservation professionals reconceptualize animals and their relationships with humans. Based on advances in these fields, we constructed the concept of animal agency, which we define as the ability of animals to actively influence conservation and management outcomes through their adaptive, context-specific, and complex behaviors that are predicated on their sentience, individuality, lived experiences, cognition, sociality, and cultures in ways that shape and reshape shared human–wildlife cultures, spaces, and histories. Conservation practices, such as compassionate conservation, convivial conservation, and ecological justice, incorporate facets of animal agency. Animal agency can be incorporated in conservation problem-solving by assessing the ways in which agency contributes to species’ survival and by encouraging more adaptive and collaborative decision-making among human and nonhuman stakeholders.     

华北暴雨云和降水的中/微尺度结构特征(Ⅰ)——一次暴雨的天气背景研究

为研究华北暴雨形成时的中尺度与微尺度的结构特征,选取发生于2005年7月22-24日的一次华北暴雨过程为研究对象,利用1°×1°的NCEP再分析资料和0.05°×0.05°的FY2C红外TBB资料,对此次暴雨过程发生时的天气形势、水汽输送、大气稳定度、云场特征进行了分析.结果表明:此次暴雨过程是在登陆台风和西风槽的共同影响下产生的,高空槽后的西风急流入侵到华北北部,低层副高西侧的东南急流位于华北东部,使得华北地区上空形成了有利于触发对流的低层辐合和高层辐散的天气形势.低层印度季风与我国南海夏季风对水汽的北上有重要作用,还有一部分水汽系来自副高西侧的东南风急流输送;高层水汽主要是由偏东气流经副高西侧向西,然后转向北输送到华北;华北地区的低层存在较强的水汽辐合,高层存在相对较弱的水汽辐散区,这为暴雨发生提供了必要的水汽条件.     

2006~2015年中国华北地区气溶胶的垂直分布特征

为研究高污染地区气溶胶形成机理提供理论依据,利用CALIPSO卫星提供的Level 2Profile和Level 2VFM产品,分析了华北地区2006～2015年532nm总后向散射系数,退偏振比,色比及不同类型气溶胶的时空变化特征,并结合地基观测资料,探讨了不同能见度下华北地区气溶胶垂直分布特征.结果表明：华北地区气溶胶粒子532nm总后向散射系数,退偏振比和色比范围依次为0.5×10^-3～8.0×10^-3km^-1sr^-1,0.14～0.3和0.6～2.0,且具有显著的季节和高度变化特征;能见度<5km时粒子散射能力最强,非球形最弱,粒径最小,对应的最大532nm总后向散射系数,最小退偏振比和最小色比依次为0.012km^-1sr^-1,0.092和0.856,能见度>10km时相反;污染沙尘,沙漠沙尘,污染大陆气溶胶和洁净海洋气溶胶集中在0～2km,出现的频率依次为13.81%,8.48%,5.45%和1.22%.     

Preconcentration of cadmium and copper ions on magnetic core–shell nanoparticles for determination by flame atomic absorption

Magnetic core–shell nanoparticles modified by (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxy silane were prepared and used as adsorbent for the extraction and preconcentration of cadmium and copper ions. The ions were desorbed with nitric acid followed by determination with flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The extraction conditions were investigated systematically. The method was applied for the determination of Cd(II) and Cu(II) ions in different water samples. The accuracy was also evaluated through analysis of certified reference material.     

Exploration of spatial morphometry and socioeconomic variables in modelling urban land use change

The incorporation of land use (LU) data with socioeconomic data is a main issue in modelling. This is as a result of difference in data model and scale. This study proposed and tested the change–pattern approach, which allows the incorporation of these data sets in modelling LU change. Focusing on LU dynamics for a selected part of the Thames Gateway within the City of London, the approach tested two different methods of input selection for the modelling operations. Variables selected from these two methods serve as inputs into several neural networks tested in order to identify the direction of change for each of the LU types within the study area. The result shows that direction of LU change across the study area could be identified when spatial morphology of the area and socioeconomic variables are considered. Some classes of change could be identified fairly accurately using landscape metrics indicating level of fragmentation, extent of LU patches, shape complexity of LU patches in combination with some socioeconomic variables.     

不同施肥模式对华北平原小麦-玉米轮作体系产量及土壤硝态氮的影响

为了探索培育高产粮田的施肥模式,实现氮肥资源的高效利用与环境效益,以华北平原的小麦（Triticum aestivum）-玉米（Zea mays L.）轮作体系作为研究对象,通过2007─2011年4个轮作季,探讨不同的施肥模式对作物产量和土壤硝态氮的影响。试验以处理A（当地传统管理）作为对照,从测土确定施肥量、按作物生长发育明确施肥时期、合理分配各时期的养分配比及增施有机肥等方面改变传统施肥模式,设置3种高产施肥培育模式,分别为处理B（现有高产田推荐管理）、处理C（高肥料投入管理）和处理D（水肥高效管理）,进行田间小区试验。4个轮作季的总产量以处理D为最高,达75430 kg·hm-2,其次是处理C为75166 kg·hm-2,当地传统的产量最低。冬小麦季的吸氮量为处理C和D显著高于A处理,分别高出444.78 kg·hm-2和310.20 kg·hm-2,但与处理B无显著差异;处理D在夏玉米季的吸氮量为776.75 kg·hm-2,显著高于处理A。处理B的氮肥偏生产力值最高为38.21,处理D为36.71,处理A和C均为28.33。各处理经过4个轮作季后,土壤硝态氮均在120-160 cm出现累积峰,A、B、C和D的硝态氮峰值分别为58.65、28.98、105.89、45.29 mg·kg-1。在0-100cm土层,处理B的硝态氮累积量达到144.22 kg·hm-2,显著高于处理A、C、D;所有处理在100-200 cm土层均出现较高的硝态氮累积,处理C高达1021.19 kg·hm-2;0-400 cm的土壤硝态氮累积量分别为724.27、711-92、1324.30、730.70 kg·hm-2。处理A、B、C、D在耕层土壤氮素的表观损失分别为1298.95、653.18、1236.39和718.43 kg·hm-2,处理B、D显著低于处理A、C,D和B间差异不显著。因此,处理D是培育高产的理想施肥模式,合理的施肥量、科学的施肥时期以及有机无机的合理配比是达到高产、提高肥效和环境友好的关键。     

Limiting explosible concentration of hydrogen–oxygen–helium mixtures related to the practical operational case

This paper presents data on the limiting (minimum) concentrations of hydrogen in oxygen, in the presence of added helium, at elevated temperature and pressure related to the practical operational case. A 5 L explosion vessel, an ignition sub-system and a transient pressure measurement sub-system were used. Through a series of experiments carried out using this system, the limiting concentrations of hydrogen in oxygen and helium at different initial pressures and temperatures for the practical operational case were studied, and the influence of ignition energy and initial temperature on the limiting concentration of hydrogen in oxygen and helium was analyzed and discussed. The variation of ignition energy within the studied range is found to have a significant effect on the limiting concentration of hydrogen in oxygen and helium at lower initial temperature. However, when the ignition energy is higher than 32 mJ, the limiting hydrogen concentration remains almost changeless as the initial temperature increases from 21 °C to 90 °C. The limiting explosible concentration of hydrogen–oxygen–helium mixture decreases as the ignition energy increases when the initial temperature is lower. When the initial temperature is higher, the ignition energy has little effect on the limiting hydrogen concentration of hydrogen–oxygen–helium mixtures. When the initial temperature reaches 90 °C, the limiting hydrogen concentration remains almost changeless with an increase in ignition energy. The limiting explosible concentration of hydrogen in the mixtures, at the initial temperature of 21 °C and the ignition energy of 0.5 mJ, is 8.5% and that of oxygen is 11.25%.