Habitat Bennu: Design Concepts for Spinning Habitats Constructed From Rubble Pile Near-Earth Asteroids

The authors explore the possibility that near-earth, rubble pile asteroids might be used as habitats for human settlement by increasing their rotation to produce spin gravity. Using previously published scaling by Maindl et al. and studies of asteroid populations, it is shown that there is no class of hollowed body that would survive the spin-up process on its own without additional reinforcement. Large solid-rock asteroids (diameter D > 10 km) would not have the tensile strength to withstand the required rotation rates and would fracture and break apart. Smaller asteroids, being ‘rubble piles’, have little tensile strength and would quickly disperse. The possibility of containing the asteroid mass using higher-strength materials like carbon nanofiber is instead considered. It is found that a moderate tensile strength container can maintain the integrity of a large spinning cylinder composed of dispersed asteroid regolith. The research extends the range of possible asteroid habitat candidates, since it may become feasible to construct habitats from the more numerous smaller bodies, including NEAs (Near Earth Asteroids). The required tensile strength of the container material scales with habitat radius and thickness and is ∼ 200 MPa for a starting asteroid body of radius 300 m that is spun up to provide 0.3 g⊕ while increasing its radius to 3 km and maintaining a rubble and regolith shield thickness of 2 m to protect against cosmic rays. Ambient solar power can be harvested to aid in spin-up and material processing.

Inorganic PCMs applications in passive cooling of buildings - A review

Buildings consume around 40% of total world energy and are responsible for 30-35% greenhouse gas emissions globally. Latent heat thermal energy storage is one of the most promising techniques being investigated currently to reduce the thermal load of buildings. Different types of phase change materials (PCMs) i.e. organic, inorganic and eutectics with different thermophysical properties have been investigated for passive cooling of buildings showing great potential for saving energy. Due to their higher thermal conductivity and high heat storage capacity per unit volume, inorganic phase change materials take advantage over organic ones. They can be used as stand-alone heat storage systems for free cooling, embedded in building walls, windows, roofs and ceilings etc. Studies have shown that there are some drawbacks of inorganic PCMs as well like corrosion of container material, phase separation and supercooling which require solutions.

Terahertz Raman Measurements Using a Spatial Heterodyne Raman Spectrometer

We propose a method of measuring the terahertz (THz) Raman spectra of a material. As Raman spectroscopy is a measurement of the relative frequency spectrum relative to the frequency of the excitation source, it is not necessary to use an expensive THz source and THz detector. Instead, an ultraviolet, visible, or infrared excitation source and corresponding detector can be used. A combination of prisms and gratings is used to widen the field of view at high resolution. The resolution of the system is 4.945 cm−1 (0.149 THz), and the spectral range is 2531.84 cm−1 (75.963 THz). We measured the THz Raman spectra of solid powder, aqueous solutions, and mixtures, and studied the effects of environment, container material, and time of measurement on the spectra. The results show that the system is not significantly affected by interference from the water environment and has good stability and repeatability. This method can be applied in many fields such as material detection and environmental protection.

Hunian Vertikal Kontainer Buruh Pt Kima Dengan Konsep Arsitektur Humanis

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mendesain Rumah Susun yang layak huni bagi Buruh PT KIMA Makassar melalui pendekatan yang humanis, sejalan dengan kebutuhan kaum buruh sehari-hari untuk beristirahat, sekaligus memaksimalkan potensi perancangan tapak yang menunjang interaksi sosial dan rekreasi. Pemilihan lokasi Rumah Susun berada di dalam kawasan PT KIMA yang dapat ditempuh berjalan kaki sehingga dapat menunjang produktivitas kerja serta memberikan waktu lebih banyak untuk berinteraksi dengan keluarga. Material yang digunakan adalah kontainer bekas sebab ketersediaannya yang cukup banyak dan kemudahan dalam proses pembangunannya serta memiliki bentuk yang dapat disusun secara modular. Perancangan yang humanis terhadap material kontainer ini dicapai melalui perancangan ruang-ruang yang menunjang kenyamanan akses, kenyamanan termal, dan interaksi sosial. Massa bangunan ditata agar mampu memaksimalkan pengkondisian iklim mikro secara alami. Pada unit-unitnya dirancang dengan memaksimalkan bukaan untuk pencahayaan dan penghawaan alami, serta dengan sistem insulasi menggunakan material glass wool. Ruang-ruang diatur agar memungkinkan interaksi sosial. Ruang-ruang terbuka dan komunal dioptimalkan, seperti pada area selasar dan taman-taman di dalam tapak.The purpose of this research is to design a decent housing for PT KIMA Makassar laborers through a humanistic approach, in line with the needs of the daily laborers to rest, while maximizing the potential of site design that supports social interaction and recreation. The selection of flats location is within PT KIMA area which can be reached on foot so that it can support work productivity and give more time to interact with family. The material used is used shipping container because of its considerable availability and ease of construction process as well as has a form that can be arranged in modular. The humanist design of the container material is achieved through the design of spaces that facilitate access comfort, thermal comfort, and social interaction. Building masses are designed to maximize microclimate conditioning naturally. The units are designed to maximize openings for natural lighting and cross ventilation, as well as with insulation systems using glass wool material. Spaces are arranged to allow for social interaction. The open and communal spaces are optimized, as in the lobby area and the gardens within the site.

Dynamic Corrosion Test Using LiNO3 Containing Molten Salt for CSP Applications

Low melting point thermal energy storage (TES) materials have been proposed in the last years to reduce the storage cost in concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. One of the most interesting additive due to the enhancement in thermal properties is lithium nitrate. However, there is a lack of dynamic corrosion tests to simulate real operation conditions in CSP plants. In this work, we present a dynamic reactor set up where a mixture of 30 wt.% LiNO3 + 57 wt.% KNO3 + 13 wt.%. NaNO3 is moved through a mechanical stirrer obtaining a lineal speed of 0.30 m/s. A commercial carbon steel A516 was tested as container material at 390 °C during 1000 h. Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 were obtained as the main corrosion products by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) with a metallographic corrosion rate of 0.015 mm/year.

Containers – uma nova alternativa para a construção civil. Estudo direcionado para projetos residenciais

With pollution negatively affecting the world today, we have been seeking techniques and methods that will do less harm to the environment and to future generations. The constructive container method appears as an option for those who look for a clean and dry work, a flexible architecture, the reuse of materials that would be discarded, the preservation of natural resources and the reduction of constructive stages. This way, the objective of this work is to study the constructive method with the container material, its main stages of construction and the elaboration of a project. The applied methodology consists of bibliographical and documentary research, photographic exhibition and project development. The concept of sustainable construction was approached by analyzing its influence in the national and world scenario, aiming to reinforce the importance and the environmental responsibility in the project of residential dwellings. Finally, the project resulted in the design of a single-family residence with container, in which the projected space proved to be a viable solution for the metropolitan area of João Pessoa and also a functional for the users.

Container characteristics and dengue hemorrhagic fever incidence

The condition of Kupang City has low rainfall, low rainy days and includes dry areas, but it turns out that Kupang City had always the highest incidence rate in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province and exceed the national average. This study will analyze the relationship of container characteristic to the incidence of DHF in Kupang City. This study was an observational analytic study with a case control design. The study conducted in 25 villages with total sample 500 people of DHF patients and non DHF patients in Kupang City. The research variables are number of container, water height, water volume, water pH, container type, container location, container material, container lid, and container color which were collected by doing direct observation and measuring the object of study. The collected data was processed and analyzed statistically using Independent T test and Chi Square test. The container conditions related to the incidence of DHF were the amount of container, water pH, and type of container. Whereas the container conditions that were not related to the incidence of DHF are water level, water volume, container location, container material, container cover and container color.