scholarly journals Building integrated photovoltaics - technology status

2020 ◽  
pp. 342-342
Author(s):  
Ljubisav Stamenic ◽  
Christof Erban

BIPV modules provide a high degree of design possibilities and additional functionalities in combination with the plain electricity generation well known for standard photovoltaic installations. Consequently, the specialized know-how to understand BIPV, properly design and manufacture them requires much more than the electrical knowledge developed and applied in standard photovoltaic systems. Expertise of building physics and building regulations are also required on a high level. As BIPV modules are usually custom designed, typical electrical design and simulation tools cannot be used without modifications, while deeper insight of complex shading influences and specialized overall system design are advantageous. Authors of this publication were involved in well over 1000 BIPV system designs and developments, and their experiences are shared. Recurring questions, issues and mistakes of various BIPV projects are touched, whereas special emphasis is provided on BIPV engineering procedures, system design complexity, as well as shading issues and differentiation of shading according to their origin.

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Langbein ◽  
Alexander Czechowicz

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have essential advantages compared with conventional actuators, in particular their high-power density and their silent mode of operation. However, this material has not yet gained acceptance in technical applications. The main reasons are the missing simulation tools and a lack of knowledge of materials as well as the companies’ uncertainty as to how to handle SMA. The resetting of the SMA element to generate a repeatable movement is often a defined problem. In this context, reset springs made of steel are conventional solutions, although their characteristics are a disadvantage. To reach a high level of power output and hence a high degree of efficiency, a reduction of the preload is necessary. A solution for this problem is an adaptive resetting. One main possibility to generate an adaptive resetting is given by the agonist–antagonist principle where two SMA elements work against each other. Here, the reset force can be applied if necessary. The advantage of this type of design is that a conventional return spring or a mechanical brake for clamping the position (electrically operated) is not necessary. Another possibility for adaptive resetting is to change the spring characteristics of a pseudoelastic SMA element by heating. The aim of this publication is to sum up the different possibilities of adaptive resetting of shape memory actuators. It also provides methods and the knowledge to support the development process of such resetting principles. The development of these methods is based on the analysis of different designs and requirements. Based on the experimental results, a conclusion of the possibilities is given.


Author(s):  
Sven Langbein ◽  
Tim Sadek ◽  
Alexander Czechowicz

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) have essential advantages compared to conventional actuators, in particular their high power density and their silent mode of operation. However, this material has not gained acceptance in technical applications yet. The main reasons are the missing simulation tools and a lack of knowledge of materials as well as the companies’ uncertainty how to handle SMAs. The resetting of the SMA element to generate a repeatable movement is often a defined problem. In this context reset springs made of steel are conventional solutions although their characteristics are a disadvantage. To reach a high level of power output and hence a high degree of efficiency, a reduction of the pre-load is necessary. A solution for this problem is an adaptive resetting. One main possibility to generate an adaptive resetting is given by the agonist-antagonist principle where two SMA-elements work against each other. Here the reset force can be applied if necessary. The advantage of this type of design is that a conventional return spring or a mechanical brake for clamping the position (electrically operated) is not necessary. Another possibility for adaptive resetting is to change the spring characteristics of a pseudoelastic SMA-element by heating. The aim of this study is to show the properties of the agonist-antagonist design and the other concepts. It also provides methods and the knowledge to support the development process of such resetting principles. The development of these methods is based on the analysis of different designs and requirements. Based on the results, instructions for the conception of adaptive resetting systems have been created.


Author(s):  
Bugero N.V. ◽  
Ilyina N.A. ◽  
Aleksandrova S.M.

In addition to the classical pathogens, which are well understood and well identified, new pathogens with the potential to spread epidemiologically are being identified. Some of these little-known organisms are the simplest Blastocystis spp. blastocystostosis. The clinical significance of Blastocystis spp. and its pathogenicity are still under discussion. This parasite belongs to a group of single-celled eukaryotic organisms living in the colon of the human intestine. Blastocystis spp. is known to be found both in people with reduced immune status and in individuals without any clinical manifestation. It has been established that a sufficiently high degree of invasiveness is observed in persons with gastrointestinal tract diseases, dermatosis, allergic reactions, in patients with carriers of the human immunodeficiency virus, etc. Possessing persistence factors, protozoa blastocysts contribute to the inactivation of host defensive mechanisms, providing a stable anthogonistic effect. In recent years, many works have been devoted to the characteristics of the persistent properties of Blastocystis spr., however, individual properties of blastocysts, in particular, anticytokine activity (ACA), have not yet been studied. In this regard, the work studied the anticytokine activity of microorganisms isolated from healthy subjects and patients with gastrointestinal tract diseases. A high prevalence of the studied characteristic in the subjects was shown. The expression of anticytokine activity in the obtained isolates of blastocysts was the highest in the group of persons with gastric ulcer disease, which decreased in the order of duodenal ulcer, chronic cholecystitis, chronic gastritis, etc. The data obtained in this work on the high level of ACA expression in blastocyst isolates obtained from individuals with gastrointestinal diseases as compared with the control group enables to conclude that their exometabolites may influence the local cytokine balance [1], which supports the inflammatory process.


Author(s):  
Muntasir Muntasir ◽  
Pius Weraman

Community Partnership Program in small home industry of making fish floss brand "Savitri" and "Tiaras" inKupang city in the form of application of electric centrifugation filter model has been implemented. One of the problemsin the production of Savitri and Tiaras fish floss is that there is still a lot of oil in the frying product which is only drainedon a simple sieve and then placed for some time on traditional tools of filter and paper that can cause low quality and lowquality, so it is necessary to reduce the oil yield frying fish floss product. In order to increase the added value and sellingvalue of the products, it is necessary synergy between Universities and Partners in the form of application of the results ofscience and technology to the public. The main components of the composer of the versatile filter are the cylindrical plateas the bucket of the filter, the cylinder filter, the electric dynamo as the centrifuge system rotator and the load-bearingconstruction. The method of this program is the provision of materials, design and manufacture of tools, demonstrationtools and the provision of a versatile filter cylinder system centrifuge model by the team, simulation tools, specialcounseling at the location of partners and suggestions as a follow-up in the endurance of production. The output of thisprogram can provide added value in the form of the use of this tool can improve labor efficiency, increase productivitypartners by producing 40 kg to 50 kg raw material, raw fish marlin, fish meat after cleaning, processed, fried, in andpacked into 80-100 packs of fish floss with the price of Rp. 40,000.00 per package weighing 250 grams. With estimatedpartners will earn a profit of Rp 3,200,000 - 4,000,000.00 per production or 12,800,000.00 - 16,000,000.00 per month incash and consumptions, as well as the abundance of non-greasy, clean and hybrid fish products


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sándor Szabó ◽  
Irene Pinedo Pascua ◽  
Daniel Puig ◽  
Magda Moner-Girona ◽  
Mario Negre ◽  
...  

AbstractLack of access to modern forms of energy hampers efforts to reduce poverty. The provision of electricity to off-grid communities is therefore a long-standing developmental goal. Yet, many off-grid electrification projects neglect mid- and long-term operation and maintenance costs. When this is the case, electricity services are unlikely to be affordable to the communities that are the project’s primary target. Here we show that, compared with diesel-powered electricity generation systems, solar photovoltaic systems are more affordable to no less than 36% of the unelectrified populations in East Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. We do so by developing geo-referenced estimates of affordability at a high level of resolution (1 km2). The analysis illustrates the differences in affordability that may be found at the subnational level, which underscores that electrification investments should be informed by subnational data.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-46
Author(s):  
David Sanan ◽  
Yongwang Zhao ◽  
Shang-Wei Lin ◽  
Liu Yang

To make feasible and scalable the verification of large and complex concurrent systems, it is necessary the use of compositional techniques even at the highest abstraction layers. When focusing on the lowest software abstraction layers, such as the implementation or the machine code, the high level of detail of those layers makes the direct verification of properties very difficult and expensive. It is therefore essential to use techniques allowing to simplify the verification on these layers. One technique to tackle this challenge is top-down verification where by means of simulation properties verified on top layers (representing abstract specifications of a system) are propagated down to the lowest layers (that are an implementation of the top layers). There is no need to say that simulation of concurrent systems implies a greater level of complexity, and having compositional techniques to check simulation between layers is also desirable when seeking for both feasibility and scalability of the refinement verification. In this article, we present CSim 2 a (compositional) rely-guarantee-based framework for the top-down verification of complex concurrent systems in the Isabelle/HOL theorem prover. CSim 2 uses CSimpl, a language with a high degree of expressiveness designed for the specification of concurrent programs. Thanks to its expressibility, CSimpl is able to model many of the features found in real world programming languages like exceptions, assertions, and procedures. CSim 2 provides a framework for the verification of rely-guarantee properties to compositionally reason on CSimpl specifications. Focusing on top-down verification, CSim 2 provides a simulation-based framework for the preservation of CSimpl rely-guarantee properties from specifications to implementations. By using the simulation framework, properties proven on the top layers (abstract specifications) are compositionally propagated down to the lowest layers (source or machine code) in each concurrent component of the system. Finally, we show the usability of CSim 2 by running a case study over two CSimpl specifications of an Arinc-653 communication service. In this case study, we prove a complex property on a specification, and we use CSim 2 to preserve the property on lower abstraction layers.


2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Batel

SummaryEpidemiologic studies in the general population and those based on the clinical assessment of schizophrenic populations have revealed a high degree of overlap between schizophrenia and addictive disorders. The abuse of psychoactive substances (including alcohol) throughout life is so frequent (50%) that the possibility of a specific link inevitably arises. Various hypotheses have been suggested to explain the high co-morbidity between schizophrenia and addiction: 1) The social-environmental hypothesis has been developed but studies have provided poor evidence to validate it. 2) The possible shared biological vulnerability between schizophrenia and addictions led researchers to explore common genetic determinants and study the involvement of the dopaminergic and opioid systems in the aetiology of both schizophrenia and the abuse of and dependence on psychoactive drugs. 3) Finally, the theory of self-medication suggests that schizophrenics may be attempting to counter the deficit linked to their disorders by using the substances they take or their dependency-type behaviour to cope with their emotional problems. The clinical profile of schizophrenic addicts does seem to display some distinctive features, such as the high level of depressive co-morbidity, very high nicotine and alcohol dependence, with a very poor prognosis. These patients are difficult to manage; the possibility of pharmacologic interactions between the substances they are taking and neuroleptic medication calls for prudence, and their compliance is also poor. Addictive disorders in schizophrenics are currently a topic of active research intended to lead to identifying specific treatments. The early identification of addictive disorders in schizophrenics should make it possible to limit their development and improve the prognosis.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Collicutt

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a pilot study that evaluated an innovative practice in a faith community context designed to help older people live well at the end of life and prepare for death. Design/methodology/approach – A simple audit of the intervention using a contemporaneous journal kept by the author, and a follow up questionnaire completed by participants. Findings – Rich findings on the process are reported. These indicate a high degree of engagement by participants, the establishment of a high degree of group intimacy and trust, a high level of articulation of wisdom, the emergence of significant anxiety in some isolated cases, and the use made of tea and cake to manage the transition between the existentially demanding nature of the discussions and normal life. The outcome indicated very high levels of appreciation and increased confidence in relation to issues of death and dying. Practical implications – The findings of the pilot have been used to inform training of clergy in the principles of working in this area (e.g. in ways of managing group dynamics and anxiety, pacing, tuning in to archetypes and the natural symbols that people use to talk about death and dying, self-care and supervision of the programme leader/facilitator). Originality/value – The paper adds to knowledge in terms of an in depth description of processes at work in a group of older people working on spiritual and practical issues in relation to death, and offers ideas for supporting older people in this process, some of which are specific to the Christian tradition, and some of which are more widely applicable to people of all faiths and none. It gives a specific worked example of what “spiritual care” in this area might look like.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (50) ◽  
pp. 12811-12816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad Paul Grabner ◽  
Tobias Moser

Spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) measured from the first synapse in the mammalian auditory pathway reach a large mean amplitude with a high level of variance (CV between 0.3 and 1). This has led some to propose that each inner hair cell (IHC) ribbon-type active zone (AZ), on average, releases ∼6 synaptic vesicles (SVs) per sEPSC in a coordinated manner. If true, then the predicted change in membrane capacitance (Cm) for such multivesicular fusion events would equate to ∼300 attofarads (aF). Here, we performed cell-attached Cm measurements to directly examine the size of fusion events at the basolateral membrane of IHCs where the AZs are located. The frequency of events depended on the membrane potential and the expression of Cav1.3, the principal Ca2+-channel type of IHCs. Fusion events averaged 40 aF, which equates to a normal-sized SV with an estimated diameter of 37 nm. The calculated SV volumes showed a high degree of variance (CV > 0.6). These results indicate that SVs fused individually with the plasma membrane during spontaneous and evoked release and SV volume may contribute more variability in EPSC amplitude than previously assumed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Coelho-Bortolo ◽  
C.A. Mangolin ◽  
A.S. Lapenta

AbstractLasioderma serricorne (F.) is a small cosmopolitan beetle regarded as a destructive pest of several stored products such as grains, flour, spices, dried fruit and tobacco. Chemical insecticides are one of the measures used against the pest. However, intensive insecticide use has resulted in the appearance of resistant insect populations. Therefore, for the elaboration of more effective control programs, it is necessary to know the biological aspects of L. serricorne. Among these aspects, the genetic variability knowledge is very important and may help in the development of new control methods. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic variability of 11 natural populations of L. serricorne collected respectively in three and four towns in the states of Paraná and São Paulo, Brazil, using 20 primers random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and polymorphisms of esterases. These primers produced 352 polymorphic bands. Electrophoretic analysis of esterases allowed the identification of four polymorphic loci (Est-2, Est-4, Est-5 and Est-6) and 18 alleles. Results show that populations are genetically differentiated and there is a high level of genetic variability within populations. The high degree of genetic differentiation is not directly correlated to geographical distance. Thus, our data indicate that movement of infested commodities may contribute to the dissemination of L. serricorne, facilitating gene flow.


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