Improving the Efficiency of a Nuclear Power Plant Using a Thermoelectric Cogeneration System

The efficiencies of nuclear power plants are rather poor having the ratio %30 by using the conventional energy/exergy tools. According to that information, large amount of energy is wasted during condensation and thrown out to the environment. Thermoelectric generator (TEG) system has a potential to be used as a heat exchanging technology to produce power with a relatively low efficiency (about 5%) and it can transform the temperature difference into electricity and generate clean electrical energy. In the present study, we offer a novel system to recover the waste heat from a VVER-1000 nuclear power plant. The heat transfer of the TEG is analyzed numerically with respect to the various temperature ranges and constant mass flow rate of the exhaust steam entering the system. In the analyses, different hot temperature ranges (35ºC, 45ºC and 55ºC) and a constant cold temperature (i.e. 18ºC) are used for a HZ-20 thermoelectric module and it has been proven that the designed TEG can produce the maximum output power of 76,956 MW for a temperature difference ∆T=37 and the conversion efficiency of 3.854% sits. The TEG is designed for the condenser of a 1000 MW nuclear power plant. It\u27s shown that about 2.0% increasing in the power plant efficiency is expected by using the selected thermoelectric generator in the condensation cycle.Article History: Received: July 15th 2017; Received: October 17th 2017; Accepted: February 13rd 2018; Available onlineHow to Cite This Article: Terzi, R. and Kurt, E. (2018), Improving the efficiency of a nuclear power plant using a thermoelectric cogeneration system, Int. Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 7(1), 77-84.https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.7.1.77-8

In situ atomic force microscopy in the study of electrogeneration of polybithiophene on Pt electrode

Electrochemical AFM technique has been used for the in situ study of the electrogeneration-deposition process of polybithiophene at varying the polymerisation conditions, such as supporting electrolyte, i.e., LiClO4 or tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate, and polymerisation procedure, i.e., either potentiostatic or potentiodynamic method. In order to better follow the evolution of the morphology of the deposit, particularly during the early stages of the polymer film growth, a suitable home-made electrochemical cell has been used

Immune and virologic responses to Truvada or Combivir as a first-line therapy of HIV-infected, treatment-naïve patients

Methods 107 HIV-infected, ARV-naive patients were prospectively enrolled and treated with TVD (300 mg TDF + 200 mg FTC QD) or CBV (300 mg AZT + 150 mg 3TC BID) in combination with EFV (600 mg QD) or a PI (LPV/r, ATV/ r, fAPV/r and SQV/r). Twenty-seven patients received TVD-EFV, 33 received TVD-PI, 24 received CBV-EFV, and 23 received CBV-PI. Fifty-one of these patients have, so far, reached 12 months of therapy. Clinical, immunological and virologic parameters at baseline and after 12 months of therapy are presented

Infrared spectroscopy of eruptive variable protostars from VVV

In a companion work (Paper I), we detected a large population of highly variable Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) in the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey, typically with class I or flat spectrum spectral energy distributions and diverse light-curve types. Here we present infrared spectra (0.9–2.5??m) of 37 of these variables, many of them observed in a bright state. The spectra confirm that 15/18 sources with eruptive light curves have signatures of a high accretion rate, either showing EXor-like emission features (?v = 2 CO, Br?) and/or FUor-like features (?v = 2 CO and H2O strongly in absorption). Similar features were seen in some long-term periodic YSOs and faders but not in dippers or short-term variables. The sample includes some dusty Mira variables (typically distinguished by smooth Mira-like light curves), two cataclysmic variables and a carbon star. In total, we have added 19 new objects to the broad class of eruptive variable YSOs with episodic accretion. Eruptive variable YSOs in our sample that were observed at bright states show higher accretion luminosities than the rest of the sample. Most of the eruptive variables differ from the established FUor and EXor subclasses, showing intermediate outburst durations and a mixture of their spectroscopic characteristics. This is in line with a small number of other recent discoveries. Since these previously atypical objects are now the majority amongst embedded members of the class, we propose a new classification for them as MNors. This term (pronounced emnor) follows V1647 Ori, the illuminating star of McNeil's Nebula

A population of eruptive variable protostars in VVV

We present the discovery of 816 high-amplitude infrared variable stars (?Ks > 1 mag) in 119 deg2 of the Galactic mid-plane covered by the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey. Almost all are new discoveries and about 50?per?cent are young stellar objects (YSOs). This provides further evidence that YSOs are the commonest high-amplitude infrared variable stars in the Galactic plane. In the 2010–2014 time series of likely YSOs, we find that the amplitude of variability increases towards younger evolutionary classes (class I and flat-spectrum sources) except on short time-scales ( 100 d) and 162 short-term variables. Eruptive YSOs and faders tend to have the highest amplitudes and eruptive systems have the reddest spectral energy distribution (SEDs). Follow-up spectroscopy in a companion paper verifies high accretion rates in the eruptive systems. Variable extinction is disfavoured by the two epochs of colour data. These discoveries increase the number of eruptive variable YSOs by a factor of at least 5, most being at earlier stages of evolution than the known FUor and EXor types. We find that eruptive variability is at least an order of magnitude more common in class I YSOs than class II YSOs. Typical outburst durations are 1–4 yr, between those of EXors and FUors. They occur in 3–6 per cent of class I YSOs over a 4 yr time span

Testing the Methodology to Generate Design for Product Service Supportability (DfPSS) Guidelines and Rules: An Application Case

The industrial world is today navigating from a traditional product-based business to a new more complex solution-based orientation, pushed by new technologies, a multiple functionalities demand and a change in the customer value perception. Several are the methods and tools proposed in literature to aid manufacturers to design those solutions in an integrated and systematized way but none of them is really able to consider together product and service components, according to both company and customer views. In this context, a methodology generating new Design for X (DfX) guidelines to support the early integration of service features already in the product design of PSS has been proposed by the authors. This methodology can raise engineers’ consciousness in designing PSSs in a systematic and integrated way and provides insights into the link between the design process of PSS and the design knowledge generation in terms of guidelines and rules. In particular, the objective of this paper is to test this methodology through an application case. The test, following a theory building procedure, contributes to obtain the final methodology design, providing a double result: industrial experts’ feedbacks, giving to the authors a major awareness of its strengths and weaknesses, and new industry-specific PSS design guidelines and rules

Acculturation and Adaptation of Syrian Refugees in Turkey: The role of (dis)concordance of acculturation orientations and identity threat

The present chapter examined the social-psychological factors associated with the adaptation of Syrian refugees in Turkey. Specifically, building on the mutuality approach to acculturation, the current research considered both the role of refugees’ acculturation orientations towards culture maintenance and contact with the Turkish society, refugees’ meta-perceived acculturation orientations of the Turkish host society and the impact of perceived (dis)concordance of acculturation orientations and perceived identity threat (i.e., discrimination) on their psychological and sociocultural adaptation. This research extends previous research conducted with Syrian refugees in Turkey by examining both psychological and sociocultural adaptation of refugees and by considering the specific impact of (dis)concordance of acculturation orientations. Using data from a survey (109 participants) the results showed a negative association between own culture maintenance and psychological adaptation, whereas own desire for contact was not associated with sociocultural adaptation. Extending previous research, refugees’ perceived acculturation orientations from Turkish society, particularly perceived desire for contact, were positively related to psychological and sociocultural adaptation (albeit marginally for the latter). Finally, perceived discordance of acculturation was negatively related to psychological and sociocultural adaptation and positively related to perceived discrimination. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Acculturation and Adaptation of Syrian Refugees in Turkey: The role of (dis)concordance of acculturation orientations and identity threat

The present chapter examined the social-psychological factors associated with the adaptation of Syrian refugees in Turkey. Specifically, building on the mutuality approach to acculturation, the current research considered both the role of refugees’ acculturation orientations towards culture maintenance and contact with the Turkish society, refugees’ meta-perceived acculturation orientations of the Turkish host society and the impact of perceived (dis)concordance of acculturation orientations and perceived identity threat (i.e., discrimination) on their psychological and sociocultural adaptation. This research extends previous research conducted with Syrian refugees in Turkey by examining both psychological and sociocultural adaptation of refugees and by considering the specific impact of (dis)concordance of acculturation orientations. Using data from a survey (109 participants) the results showed a negative association between own culture maintenance and psychological adaptation, whereas own desire for contact was not associated with sociocultural adaptation. Extending previous research, refugees’ perceived acculturation orientations from Turkish society, particularly perceived desire for contact, were positively related to psychological and sociocultural adaptation (albeit marginally for the latter). Finally, perceived discordance of acculturation was negatively related to psychological and sociocultural adaptation and positively related to perceived discrimination. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio