Characteristics of Non-Allophanic Andisols derived from Low Activity Clay Regoliths in Nilgiri Hills (Southern India)

19International audienceLow activity clay soils on old planation surfaces of the tropics are generally considered as stable end points of soil formation. It is therefore surprising to find Andosols on them. We characterised the properties of six profiles representative of these soils in the Western part of Nilgiri Hills (2000–2500 m above mean sea level), Southern India, where the present climatic conditions are cool (mean annual temperature 15°C) and humid (mean annual rainfall 2500 mm). Thick (50–80 cm) dark–reddish brown topsoil overlies strongly desilicated yellowish–red materials. This horizon has andic properties to a sufficient depth and the carbon content requirement of the melanic epipedon to place these soils in the Andisol order. Our data as well as the history of the Nilgiri Hills suggest that the formation of these non-allophanic Andisols result from the succession of two main steps. First, a ‘lateritic' weathering cycle led to the relative accumulation of secondary Al and Fe oxides. Later, the accumulation of organic matter favoured by a more recent climatic change induced complexation by organic acids of Al and Fe oxides, and the production of enough metal–humus complexes to give rise to andic properties. Such soils, in which secondary Al and Fe oxides, generally considered as indicators of an advanced weathering stage, are involved in a new cycle of soil formation, are original Andisols

DI-CNG injector nozzle design influence on SI engine standard emissions and particulates at different injection timings

Compressed natural gas direct injection (DI-CNG) systems in spark ignition (SI) internal combustion engines have shown that it can give several benefits compared to CNG port fuel injection systems. However, the DI-CNG injector nozzle head design and gas jet formation may greatly influence engine exhaust gas emissions and performance. Present experimental study investigated the influence of 7 different nozzle head designs of sprayguided DI-CNG injectors on the combustion process, engine performance, standard emissions, and particulate number (PN) when methane fuel was injected at different injection timings (SOI) and injection pressures (18 bar and 50 bar). The nozzle heads had two main design patterns – heads with small multi holes/orifices and heads with larger crevices (swirl or umbrella spray pattern). Naturally aspirated SI engine tests were conducted at part load (6 bar IMEP) and wide-open throttle (WOT) at 2000 rpm engine speed. The results revealed that the difference between the nozzle heads was small when the fuel was injected at an early stage of the intake stroke (310–350 CAD bTDC) either at part load or high load. However, for late injection timing (130–190 CAD bTDC), the design of the DI-CNG injector nozzle head had a large impact on the combustion stability, standard emissions formation and particulates. Multi-hole nozzle heads showed improved CO2, CO, THC, total PN, and slightly higher NOx emissions compared to nozzle heads with larger crevices. For some of the nozzles, the SOI could be retarded more than for other injector head designs at higher injection pressure whilst still ensuring an acceptable engine performance in terms of combustion stability, power output and emissions formation. Overall, 50-bar injection pressure and a late injection timing under WOT conditions achieved higher engine load levels with all injector nozzle types. Images acquired using an optical endoscope technique with a high-speed video camera showed that a yellow flame was present for all nozzle types at a low injection pressure and late SOI. Increasing the injection pressure reduced the injection duration, improved air/fuel mixing which resulted in the reduced byellow flame formation and lower PN for most of the nozzle heads

Spark ignition engine performance, standard emissions and particulates using GDI, PFI-CNG and DI-CNG systems

Gaseous fuels, e.g., natural gas, biogas, have several advantages over liquid fuels owing to their favorable physical and chemical properties, e.g., lower carbon numbers in the fuel composition and no issues regarding fuel evaporation. The present study investigated compressed natural gas (CNG) port fuel injection (PFI) and direct injection (DI) systems compared to gasoline direct injection (GDI) cases in a spark ignition (SI) naturally aspirated single cylinder engine at stoichiometric conditions. The tests included usual engine working points – from 4.5 bar IMEP to 9 bar IMEP engine load at different engine speeds – from 1500 rpm to 2500 rpm. The main aim was to investigate how gaseous fuels can improve the SI engine efficiency, reduce standard emissions and particulates, and explain the benefits of a natural gas DI system versus standard gas PFI and GDI systems. Analysis of the results showed that the rate of heat release of natural gas was lower than that of gasoline fuel. However, the stable combustion process of DI-CNG gave additional benefits, e.g., increased turbulence in the cylinder, which increased the combustion rate and affected the exhaust gas formation. The highest engine efficiency was achieved with the same natural gas DI system. The highest iSHC, iSCO, iSCO2 and iSNOx emissions reduction achieved at low and part load conditions with DI-CNG compared to GDI combustion. Particulates formation was lower with the gaseous fuel compared to gasoline. Additional benefits of lower particulate numbers among three injection systems were observed with DI-CNG combustion

Linearity as Metadiscourse in Murray Bail’s Fiction

Il est possible de considérer que la complexité inhérente à l’œuvre du romancier australien Murray Bail découle principalement de son inhabituel degré de sophistication abstraite. Même si certains commentateurs ont rapidement détecté la géométrisation systématique de ses espaces narratifs, dans lesquels s’entrecroisent des myriades de lignes droites, peu en ont souligné la dimension politico-parodique: en feignant de souscrire à la culture de la linéarité, Bail vise manifestement à la dénoncer et, avec elle, un certain héritage occidental.Cette réflexion sur le concept de linéarité peut également prendre un tour métafictionnel: bien que ses intentions parodiques le contraignent parfois à emprunter au réalisme certains de ses codes narratifs, l’auteur désavoue indubitablement ce genre littéraire par trop linéaire, qu’il voit comme "la grande malédiction de la littérature australienne. "Toutefois, au-delà d’une linéarité structurelle apparente, Bail ne renonce pas à une utopie de langage: dans Eucalyptus (1998), il avance ainsi de possibles alternatives au(x) genre(s) qu’il discrédite. Cet article explore les manières dont la linéarité peut être intégrée dans le bagage culturel et épistémologique de l’Australie plutôt que d’en être exclue, dans le but de définir l’outil linguistique original que Bail s’efforce de crée