Choice of parameters for passive shielding of power-frequency magnetic fields

Epidemiological studies suggesting the possibility of harmful effects on human (specifically children’s leukaemia) due to long-term exposure to magnetic fields of extremely low frequency (e.g. 50/60 Hz) and relatively low values (i.e. over the microtesla range) have stirred high activity in the topic of magnetic field mitigation. To reduce these fields, it is common to use passive metal screens (e.g. plates made of aluminium or steel). To design them, effective and fast numerical computations are highly desirable. In this article, a method is presented, which computes various parameters of screens in a given shielding problem and yields magnetic field distribution and shielding factors. The method takes into consideration the 3D field distribution and is able to solve systems with large aspect ratios (thin thickness in comparison with its other dimensions); this is a common problem where other methods such as finite elements often experience difficulties. The presented method computes separately the field inside and outside the screens. Afterwards, the solutions are “stitched” together along the border of the subregions. Two practical examples are given of the developed numerical method.     

Utilization of waste product (tamarind seeds) for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions: Equilibrium, kinetics, and regeneration studies

In the present study, an adsorbent was prepared from tamarind seeds and used after activation for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The tamarind seeds were activated by treating them with concentrated sulfuric acid (98% w/w) at a temperature of 150 °C. The adsorption of Cr(VI) was found to be maximum at low values of initial pH in the range of 1–3. The adsorption process of Cr(VI) was tested with Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich–Peterson, Koble–Corrigan, Tempkin, Dubinin–Radushkevich and Generalized isotherm models. Application of the Langmuir isotherm to the system yielded a maximum adsorption capacity of 29.7 mg/g at an equilibrium pH value ranging from 1.12 to 1.46. The adsorption process followed second-order kinetics and the corresponding rate constants obtained were 2.605 × 10⁻³, 0.818 × 10⁻³, 0.557 × 10⁻³ and 0.811 × 10⁻³ g/mg min⁻¹ for 50, 200, 300 and 400 mg/L of initial Cr(VI) concentration, respectively. The regenerated activated tamarind seeds showed more than 95% Cr(VI) removal of that obtained using the fresh activated tamarind seeds. A feasible solution is proposed for the disposal of the contaminants (acid and base solutions) containing high concentrations of Cr(VI) obtained during the regeneration (desorption) process.     

真空灭弧室导电回路产生的磁场环境对灭弧室短路开断的影响

设计良好的导电回路对真空断路器灭弧性能的提高有着重要的意义。本文首先从结构上分析了三种不同导电回路的优缺点,接着,分析了三种不同导电回路的电动斥力和吹弧磁场,为通过选择不同导电回路,触头直径和开距提高真空断路器灭弧性能提供方法和思路。     

单跨简支梁竖向振动的磁悬浮半主动控制

由于传统的隔振器需要足够的竖向刚度来支撑上部结构,因而不能隔离竖向振动。为了解决这一问题,本文提出一种新的隔振策略,即磁浮式半主动控制方法,并将这一方法应用于弹性梁弯曲振动的半主动控制。将均质弹性梁简化为一带集中质量的简支梁,导出了控制系统的运动方程,讨论了系统在平衡点的稳定性,应用推广的Runge-Kutta方法,得到了系统在随机地面输入下的加速度响应。结果表明:杆件的初始悬浮位置是磁浮式半主动控制系统的平衡点,且平衡点是L稳定的;磁浮式半主动隔振系统具有类似于软弹簧的性质,与普通的弹性简支梁相比,磁浮式半主动振动控制系统的振动频率较低,加速度响应明显减小,系统具有良好的竖向隔振性能。     

含磁粉生物反应器处理苯酚废水

采用含磁粉生物反应器对质量浓度为120～350 mg/L的苯酚模拟废水进行强化生物处理.实验结果表明:添加适量磁粉可使废水中DO提高约10%;与不含磁粉生物反应器比较,含磁粉生物反应器工艺使填料挂膜时间缩短1～2 d,填料上附着微生物量增多;质量浓度为350 mg/L的苯酚模拟废水在20 h内的苯酚去除率可达80%,降解时间缩短了10 h.初步分析了添加磁粉提高生物反应器处理废水效率的机理.实验证实了含磁粉生物反应器工艺的合理运用是强化处理含酚废水的有效途径.     

Conservation of indigenous plants to support community livelihoods: the MGU – Useful Plants Project

Through the MGU – Useful Plants Project (2007–2015) led by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, high-quality seed collections and research information have been gathered on useful indigenous plants selected by communities in Botswana, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, and Mexico. Local communities were trained in seed conservation, plant propagation, and planting activities, while revenue generation was promoted directly through the sustainable use of plants and plant products and indirectly through wider environmental and cultural services. The success of this project was determined by its participative approach, involving local communities in plant conservation activities and using plant research to support it. However, the promotion of sustainable use and income generation highlighted issues that confirmed the importance of using a ‘holistic approach’ to address the objective of poverty reduction and contribute to improved livelihoods in the communities.     

The structure of the fire fighting foam surfactant Forafac®1157 and its biological and photolytic transformation products

For several decades, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has widely been used as a fluorinated surfactant in aqueous film forming foams used as hydrocarbon fuel fire extinguishers. Due to concerns regarding its environmental persistence and toxicological effects, PFOS has recently been replaced by novel fluorinated surfactants such as Forafac®1157, developed by the DuPont company. The major component of Forafac®1157 is a 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide alkylbetaine (6:2 FTAB), and a link between the trade name and the exact chemical structure is presented here to the scientific community for the first time. In the present work, the structure of the 6:2 FTAB was elucidated by ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁹F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Moreover, its major metabolites from blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) and its photolytic transformation products were identified. Contrary to what has earlier been observed for PFOS, the 6:2 FTAB was extensively metabolized by blue mussel and turbot exposed to Forafac®1157. The major metabolite was a deacetylated betaine species, from which mono- and di-demethylated metabolites also were formed. Another abundant metabolite was the 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide. In another experiment, Forafac®1157 was subjected to UV-light induced photolysis. The experimental conditions aimed to simulate Arctic conditions and the deacetylated species was again the primary transformation product of 6:2 FTAB. A 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide was also formed along with a non-identified transformation product. The environmental presence of most of the metabolites and transformation products was qualitatively demonstrated by analysis of soil samples taken in close proximity to an airport fire training facility.     

超强静磁场对染料脱色菌Escheriehia coli的acpD基因的影响

将大肠杆菌E.coli ATCC8739置于12.0 T超强静磁场(ultra-strong static magnetic field,SMF)中进行处理,获得了磁场处理0.5、1、2、4和8 h的菌株E.coli-SMFn(n=0.5、1、2、4、8)。在37℃、pH 7、静置的条件下,菌株对偶氮染料AR14(I.C.Acid Red 14)的脱色结果指出,当反应进行到4、6和8 h时,E.coli-SMF8的脱色效率分别为18%、55%和96%,远高于E.coli ATCC8739的3%、19%和50%,表明SMF作用显著地增强了菌株的脱色效率。基因组DNA提取、PCR扩增、分子克隆以及基因测序的实验结果进一步表明,全部6例E.coli ATCC8739菌株的偶氮还原酶基因(acpD)序列均与GenBank中报道的完全一致;而E.coli-SMF8菌株的acpD-SMF8核酸序列中缺失了第99位的胞嘧啶。该缺失突变不仅使acpD-SMF8的核酸序列与acpD的存在显著不同,同时得到了具新活性中心的偶氮还原酶AzoR-SMF8。这个新的活性中心具有更强的黄素(FMN)结合能力,因此使该酶与偶氮染料的亲和力大大增加,促进了脱色效率的提高。     

应用加载磁混凝处理微污染河水

实验对比考察了常规混凝和加载磁混凝工艺对微污染河水中COD、浊度和TP等污染物的去除效果,系统研究了混凝剂用量、磁种加载量、搅拌条件和药剂投加顺序等因素对加载磁混凝效果的影响。实验结果表明,加载磁种后沉淀颗粒的体积平均粒径为从常规混凝工艺的50.1μm显著增加到68.6μm;污染物去除效果明显优于常规混凝工艺,尤其对浊度和总磷的去除效果得到了显著的提升;在实验最优条件下COD、浊度和TP的去除率分别达到54.17%、99.28%和75.82%;并且加载磁种后可减少50%以上的混凝剂投加量,同时大大缩短沉淀时间。     

Fe3O4/Ag磁性纳米颗粒去除水中的铅离子

采用水相共沉淀法制备小尺寸磁性Fe₃O₄纳米颗粒,以没食子酸作为还原剂和表面修饰剂,还原Ag[(NH₃)₂]⁺制备出Fe₃O₄/Ag磁性纳米颗粒。研究该磁性纳米颗粒对水溶液中铅离子的吸附行为,研究结果表明,pH为7.0,吸附温度30℃时可得到最好的处理效果,铅的去除率可达99.7%以上,Fe₃O₄/Ag颗粒吸附行为符合二级动力学模型(R² > 0.99)。该磁性纳米颗粒经过多次再生处理后,仍具有很好的吸附效果,表明Fe₃O₄/Ag在水处理方面拥有良好的应用前景。