Variable Parameters (variable + parameter)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Second law analysis of two-stage compression transcritical CO2 heat pump cycle

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 13 2008
Arif Emre Özgür
Abstract Because of the global warming impact of hydro fluorocarbons, the uses of natural refrigerants in automotive and HVAC industries have received worldwide attention. CO2 is the most promising refrigerant in these industries, especially the transcritical CO2 refrigeration cycle. The objective of this work is to identify the main factors that affect two-stage compression transcritical CO2 system efficiency. A second law of thermodynamic analysis on the entire two-stage CO2 cycle is conducted so that the exergy destruction of each system component can be deduced and ranked, allowing future efforts to focus on improving the components that have the highest potential for advancement. The inter-stage pressure is used as a variable parameter in the analysis study. The second law efficiency, coefficient of cooling performance and total exergy destruction of the system variations with the inter-stage pressure are presented graphically. It was concluded that there is an optimum inter-stage pressure that maximizes both first law and second law efficiencies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Cavity pressure control during cooling in plastic injection molding

ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2006
B. Pramujati
Abstract Cavity pressure control during filling, packing, and cooling phases is imperative for maintaining product quality in injection molding process. This paper presents the design and implementation of a strategy to control cavity pressure profile during the cooling phase. In order to do this, a controlled variable parameter was defined to be the time constant , of the pressure profile. This parameter can be used effectively to control the shape of the cavity pressure over the cooling cycle. The coolant flow rate through the mold was used as the manipulated variable. A predictive control system was designed and implemented successfully to allow monitoring and control of , at several setpoints ,sp resulting in good and effective cavity pressure control. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 25:170,181, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/adv.20068 [source]


Effect of oxygen transfer rates on alcohols production by Candida guilliermondii cultivated on soybean hull hydrolysate

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
Ângela Cristina Schirmer-Michel
Abstract BACKGROUND: In this research the use of soybean hull hydrolysate (SHH) as substrate for xylitol and ethanol production using an osmotolerant strain of Candida guilliermondii was studied. The production of alcohols was investigated in batch cultivations in which the variable parameter was the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient (kLa) obtained from three different conditions of air supply: anaerobic (150 rpm, no aeration); microaerobic (300 rpm, 1 vvm), and aerobic (600 rpm, 2 vvm), corresponding to kLa values of 0; 8; and 46 h,1, respectively. RESULTS: SHH, although presenting a very high osmotic pressure (1413 mOsm kg,1), was completely metabolized under aerobic conditions with high biomass productivities of 0.49 g cells (L h),1, with little formation of ethanol. Xylitol was produced under microaeration, with product yield of 0.22 g g,1 xylose, with the formation of glycerol as a by-product. No xylose was metabolized under anaerobic conditions, but ethanol was produced from hexoses with high product yields of 0.5 g g,1. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the hydrolysis of soybean hull and its conversion to ethanol and other alcohols could be an important use of this agro-industrial waste, which could be used for biofuel, xylitol or biomass production, depending on the aeration conditions of the cultures. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Production of Low-Lactose Milk by Means of Nonisothermal Bioreactors

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 5 2004
Valentina Grano
The effect of the immobilization time on the activity of immobilized ,-galactosidase from K. lactis was investigated. Six biocatalytic membranes, different only for the time of the enzyme immobilization, were obtained by using nylon membranes grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and activated by hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) and glutaraldehyde (Glu), used as spacer and coupling agent, respectively. Comparison between the isothermal and nonisothermal yield of these biocatalytic membranes was carried out in the process of lactose hydrolysis in milk. All of the results, reported as a function of the immobilization time, have evidenced the influence of our variable parameter on the activity of the catalytic membranes. The membrane giving highest yield under isothermal and nonisothermal conditions was that obtained with 2 h of immobilization time. The industrial application of these membranes has been discussed in terms of percentage reduction of the production times. [source]


Animal models of anxiety in mice

FUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 6 2007
Michel Bourin
Abstract Among the multiple possibilities to study human pathologies, animal models remain one of the most used pathways. They allow to access to unavailable answers in human patients and to learn about mechanisms of action of drugs. Primarily developed with rats, animal models in anxiety have been adapted with a mixed success for mice, an easy-to-use mammal with better genetic possibilities than rats. In this review, we have focused on the most used animal models in anxiety in mice. Both conditioned and unconditioned models are described, to represent all types of animal models of anxiety. Behavioural studies require strong care for variable parameters, linked to environment, handling or paradigm; we have discussed about this topic. Finally, we focused on the consequences of re-exposure to the apparatus. Test,retest procedures can bring in new answers, but should be deeply studied, to revalidate the whole paradigm as an animal model of anxiety. [source]


The performance analysis of a two-stage transcritical CO2 cooling cycle with various gas cooler pressures

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 14 2008
Arif Emre Özgür
Abstract A theoretical analysis of a two-stage transcritical CO2 cooling cycle is presented. The effect of a two-stage cycle with intercooling process on the system coefficient of cooling performance is presented for various gas cooler pressures. However, the performance comparison between one-stage and two-stage cycles is presented for same operating conditions. Gas cooler pressure, compressor isentropic efficiency, gas cooler efficiency, intercooling quantity and refrigerant outlet temperature from the gas cooler are used as variable parameters in the analysis. It is concluded that the performance of the two-stage transcritical CO2 cycle is approximately 30% higher than that of the one-stage transcritical CO2 cycle. Hence, the two-stage compression and intercooling processes can be assumed as valuable applications to improve the transcritical CO2 cycle performance. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Influence of response factors on determining equilibrium association constants of non-covalent complexes by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 5 2003
Valérie Gabelica
Abstract A method for determining the equilibrium association constant of a complexation reaction A + B , AB by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is described. The method consists in measuring the relative intensities of the peaks corresponding to A and to AB in equimolar A,B solutions at different concentrations C0. The results are fitted by a non-linear least-squares procedure, with the two variable parameters being the equilibrium association constant Ka and a factor R, defined by I(AB)/I(A) = R × [AB]/[A]. The factor R is the ratio between the response factors of AB and A, and corrects for the relative electrospray responses of the complex and the free substrate A, mass discrimination of instrumental origin and/or moderate in-source dissociation. The method is illustrated with the following two systems: complexes between a double-stranded 12-base pair oligonucleotide and minor groove binders, and cyclodextrin complexes with ,,,-dicarboxylic acids. For the oligonucleotide complexes, it is found that the response of the complex is not dramatically different to the response of the free oligonucleotide duplex, as the double helix conformation is disturbed by the drug only to a minor extent. In the case of cyclodextrin complexes, these complexes were found to have a much higher response than free cyclodextrin. This may be due to the fact that cyclodextrin is neutral in solution, whereas the complex is charged, but it can also stem from the fact that a significant proportion of the complex is in a non-inclusion geometry. The present method requires the exact determination of the concentrations of the reactants and is applicable to 1 : 1 complexes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


HYDROLOGIC MODELING OF A BIOINFILTRATION BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE,

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2006
William Heasom
ABSTRACT: The goal of this research was to develop a methodology for modeling a bioinfiltration best management practice (BMP) built in a dormitory area on the campus of Villanova University in Pennsylvania. The objectives were to quantify the behavior of the BMP through the different seasons and rainfall events; better understand the physical processes governing the system's behavior; and develop design criteria. The BMP was constructed in 2001 by excavating within an existing traffic island, backfilling with a sand/soil mixture, and planting with salt tolerant grasses and shrubs native to the Atlantic shore. It receives runoff from the asphalt (0.26 hectare) and turf (0.27 hectare) surfaces of the watershed. Monitoring supported by the hydrologic model shows that the facility infiltrates a significant fraction of the annual precipitation, substantially reducing the delivery of nonpoint source pollution and erosive surges downstream. A hydrologic model was developed using HEC-HMS to represent the site and the BMP using Green-Ampt and kinematic wave methods. Instruments allow comparison of the modeled and measured water budget parameters. The model, incorporating seasonally variable parameters, predicts the volumes infiltrated and bypassed by the BMP, confirming the applicability of the selected methods for the analysis of bioinfiltration BMPs. [source]


Compact microstrip power divider with both sides capacitor loading

MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 7 2010
Jun He
Abstract A compact microstrip Wilkinson power divider with both sides capacitor loading is presented in this letter. The new divider, not only effectively reduces the occupied area to 33.6% of the conventional one at 1.0 GHz, but also has good harmonic suppression performance over a wide band. Furthermore, the new structure has only two variable parameters and can be easily designed. The design is validated both by simulation and measurement. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1663,1664, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25286 [source]


Compact rat-race ring coupler with capacitor loading

MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 1 2010
Wei Shao
Abstract A simple compact microstrip rat-race ring coupler with capacitor loading is presented in this letter. The new coupler not only effectively reduces the occupied area to 15% of the conventional one at 1.0 GHz, but also has high harmonic suppression performance over a wide band. Furthermore, the new structure has only two variable parameters and can be easily designed. The design is validated both by simulation and measurement. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 7,9, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24823 [source]