Measuring of Braking Distances of Firefighting Trucks

The paper addresses the driving dynamics of emergency fire trucks. It focuses on the issues of braking, measuring real braking distances and calculating adhesion coefficients. It presents the results of measuring the real braking distances for firefighting vehicles - type water tenders. Measurements were taken on dry asphalt and depending on the vehicle's speed of travel. Experiments were conducted on five types of firefighting vehicles. The results of measurements are mainly used by fire protection units to the drivers’ self-education to improve safety when driving to intervene.

Evidence of sodium limitation in ants and termites in a Neotropical savanna

Nutritional ecology of ropical ecosystems like Neotropical savannas, which are of high conservation concern, is understudied. Sodium is essential for heterotrophs but availability often falls short relative to plant consumer requirements. Savanna plant consumers like ants and termites should be sodium-limited due to high temperatures, nutrient-poor soils, and lack of oceanic sodium deposition. We tested the hypothesis that Neotropical savanna ants and termites are sodium-limited. Termites were tested by supplementing 0.25 m2 plots with H2O (control), 0.1%, 0.5%, or 1.0% NaCl and measuring termite presence and artificial substrate mass loss after 1 week. Ants were tested by collecting ants that recruited to H2O (control), 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0% NaCl and 1.0%, 10%, and 20% sugar baits on paired diurnal–nocturnal transects. Termites were 16 times more likely to occur on 1% NaCl than H2O plots and wood-feeding termites were most frequent. However, the decomposition rate did not differ among treatments. Ant bait use increased with increasing NaCl concentration and 1% NaCl usage was similar to sugar bait usage. Ants were 3.7 times more active nocturnally than diurnally, but contrary to predictions bait type (water, sugar or NaCl) usage did not differ between day and night. Together, these results provide strong evidence of sodium limitation in Neotropical savannas.

Magnetic Induction Technology-Based Wireless Sensor Network for Underground Infrastructure, Monitoring Soil Conditions, and Environmental Observation Applications: Challenges and Future Aspects

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) especially with sensor nodes communicating with each other in medium other than air have been naive area of research since the last few years. In comparison to underwater communication, wireless underground sensor networks (WUSNs) are now being used in a large number of applications ranging from environmental observation, estimating chances of earthquake, communicating in underground tunnels or mines, and infrastructure monitoring to soil monitoring for agricultural purposes. In spite of all such promising applications, due to harsh and dynamically changing soil characteristics including soil type, water content in soil, and soil temperature, underground communication with conventional electromagnetic (EM) wave-based technology could not prove to be feasible for long-distance communication. Alternatively, due to magnetic permeability of soil being similar to air, magnetic induction- (MI-) based approach was adopted using magnetic coils as antenna for sensor nodes. Subsequently, MI waveguide and 3D coil mechanisms were considered to improve the system efficiency. Attributing to different characteristics of underlying transmission channels, communication protocols as well as architecture of MI-based WUSNS (MI-WUSNs) have been developed with different approaches. In this review paper, in addition to the latest advancements made for MI-WUSNs, closely associated areas of MI-WUSNs have also been explored. Additionally, research areas which are still open to be worked upon have been detailed out.

Determination of the lower boundaries of the natural gas hydrates stability zone in the subpermafrost horizons of the Yakut arch of the Vilyui syneclise, saturated with bicarbonate-sodium type waters

This paper considers the possibility of the underground gas storage facilities creating in a hydrate state on the north-western slope of the Yakut arch of the Vilyui syneclise. For this, the boundaries of the hydrate stability zone were determined for 6 promising areas of the considered geological structure. Equilibrium conditions of the natural gas hydrates formation in the model porous media containing bicarbonate-sodium type water (mineralization 20 g/l), characteristic for the subpermafrost horizons of the Yakut arch, have been studied by the method of differential thermal analysis. On the basis of the obtained results, the boundaries of the natural gas hydrates stability zone were determined. It was shown that the upper boundaries of the hydrate stability zone are located in the thickness of permafrost rocks. It was found that the lower boundaries of the natural gas hydrates stability zone in moist unsalted porous medium lie in the range from 930 to 1120 m. When the samples are saturated with mineralized water, the boundaries are located 80-360 m higher. The obtained experimental results allow us to conclude that in subpermafrost aquifers of the Yakut arch has favorable conditions for the formation of natural gas hydrates. Keywords: natural gas hydrates; aquifers; underground gas storage; hydrate stability zone; geothermal gradient; equilibrium conditions of the hydrate formation; bicarbonate-sodium type water.

Perancangan Pembangkit Listrik Pikohydro Dengan Tipe Turbin Screw

The screw type water turbine is one type of water turbine that has the potential to generate electricity on a small scale that is environmentally friendly, where this screw type water turbine is very suitable for rivers and irrigation flows in the territory of Indonesia because the use or operation of this turbine only requires low turbine head, looking at the potential for irrigation river water flow with a discharge range of 0.01-0.1 m3/s located in the lowlands in a Karawang district, it is possible to install or apply this screw type water turbine. In this study aims to be able to utilize the source of irrigation flow so that it can be converted into a source of electrical energy that can be utilized by local residents and for lighting on roads that are still poorly lit. In the process of designing a screw type water turbine, mechanical calculations are carried out to determine thedimensions of the turbine blades, turbine shaft, transmission systems such as pulleys and belts, as well as the power that can be generated by the turbine, with a relative head between 0.5 meters, 0.75 meters, and 0.9 meters and determine the correct components. The results of this calculation are obtained in the form of output power from each different head height for head 0.5, the power obtained is 220.89795 watts, for the 0.75 m head, the power is 394.29519 watts, and for the height 0.9, the output power is 356.13926 watts, the results of the design will then be made and will be realized.

Preparation and Optimization of Mix ratio for C50T Girder Manufactured Sand and Concrete

Considering actual construction conditions of Binchuan-Heqing Highway, this paper provides the C50 mix ratio conforming to engineering requirements by strictly controlling the quality of raw materials, optimizing the design of mix ratio scientifically, preparing superior C50 concrete 0 with manufactured sand, and optimizing the concrete mix ratio based on the adjustment of fly ash replacement, water-cement ratio, polycarboxylate-type water reducer mixing amount, sand ratio, etc. The result indicates that, the water-cement ratio has a great influence on the concrete strength, and if the ratio of coal ash is high in the binding material, the early compressive strength of the concrete will increase slowly.

Development of a Multiplex Droplet Digital PCR Assay for the Detection of Babesia, Bartonella, and Borrelia Species

We describe the development, optimization, and validation of a multiplex droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of Babesia, Bartonella, and Borrelia spp. DNA from several sample matrices, including clinical blood samples from animals and humans, vectors, in-vitro infected human and animal cell lines, and tissues obtained from animal models (infected with Bartonella and/or B. burgdorferi). The multiplex ddPCR assay was able to detect 31 Bartonella, 13 Borrelia, and 24 Babesia species, including Theileria equi, T. cervi, and Cytauxzoon felis. No amplification of Treponema or Leptospira spp. was observed. Sensitivity of 0.2–5 genome equivalent DNA copies per microliter was achieved for different members of the Bartonella and Borrelia genus, depending on the species or matrix type (water or spiked blood DNA) tested. The ddPCR assay facilitated the simultaneous detection of co-infections with two and three vector-borne pathogens comprising four different genera (Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia, and Theileria) from clinical and other sample sources.

Hydrogeochemistry of the Thermal Springs of Pojqpoquella and Phutina, Puno, Peru

This paper deals with the results of a hydrogeochemical study of two thermal springs that originate from in very high altitudes in southwestern Peru with outflow temperatures of maximal 38,4 °C and flow rates of 1.08 - 2.02 l/s. Water samples from the Pojqpoquella and Phutina geothermal wells, were collected during the period between September 2018 and January 2019 in the main area of Puno. Chemical types of the thermal spring are Na+, Ca2+, Cl- and CO 3 2 − in Ayaviri and Putina. According to the Piper and Schoeller diagrams for the Pojqpoquella thermal spring water is classified as Na++ K+ (75 %) and Cl- (60 %) type water while that of the Phutina thermal spring is classified as Na++ K+ (76 %) and Cl- (72 %) type water. The electrical conductivity (EC) values for the Pojqpoquella and Phutina thermal spring waters is 2160 - 3142 μS/cm and 3160 - 3184 μS/cm, respectively, the thermal spring waters have a high electrical conductivity which shows that it has interacted with the host rock for a long time. The reservoir rocks of the Pojqpoquella thermal system consist of a red sandstones and conglomerate rocks while the reservoir rocks of the Phutina thermal system consist of a thick sequence of cretaceous rocks.

The PICOHIDRO POWER ELECTRIC PLANT DESIGN IS EQUIPPED BY ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEM (ECU)

Abstrak: There are many streams of water or rivers around us which are felt to be underutilized effectively. Therefore, it is necessary to develop Pico hydro technology as an alternative to power generation. Pico hydro usually produces low wattage so that it is not optimal for people to use in their daily lives. Therefore, the design of a power plant is designed that is equipped with an ECU control system as a water source control system that can produce greater electrical energy. The research method used is a pure experimental method to find out the results obtained are 300 watts by calculating the pressure sent to the ECU system. Technically, Pico hydro has several components in it, such as waterwheel water as a turbine, steering blade and generator. Pico hydro can be used as an alternative energy that utilizes the flow of water which can be used as an energy source. The Pico hydro generator used in this study is the Brantas River in Pendem Village, Karangploso District, Batu Malang City. With adequate water flow, using a Francis type water turbine, and using a 200Watt generator and controlled by the ECU system. From the test results obtained potential energy of 5880 (Nm), compressive energy of 2.107 (N/m2) pipe flow velocity (v) 7.668 (m/s) energy contained in water 45.67 (watts) Francis turbine efficiency 31.97% generator efficiency is 28.77% and the maximum power produced by a 200 watt generator is 29Volt