Analysis of high temperature steam oxidation of superheater steels used in coal fired boilers

The present work compares the behaviour of four steels: (T23, T92, T347HFG, Super304H) in the temperature range 600–750 °C. This study focuses on the analysis of the oxidation kinetics in terms of mass change, metal loss and thickness change of the selected materials. In order to understand the differences in oxidation rates between the selected steels, the impact of chromium and the alloying elements were considered in this work. The obtained results show that the impact of alloying elements differs with exposure conditions and importance of the synergy effect

GLOBAL ESTIMATES OF THE IMPACT OF A COLLAPSE OF THE WEST ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET: AN APPLICATION OF FUND

The threat of an abrupt and extreme rise in sea level is widely discussed in the media, but little understood in practise, including the likely impacts of such a rise. This paper explores for the first time the global impacts of extreme sea-level rise, triggered by a hypothetical collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). As the potential contributions remain uncertain, a wide range of scenarios are explored: WAIS contributions to sea-level rise of between 0.5m/century up to 5m/century. Together with other business-as-usual sea-level contributions, in the worst case this gives an approximately 6-m rise of global-mean sea level from 2030 to 2130. Global exposure to extreme sea-level rise is significant: roughly 400 million people (or about 8% of global population) are threatened by a 5-m rise in sea level, just based on 1995 data. The coastal module within the FUND model is tuned with global data on coastal zone characteristics concerning population, land areas and land use, and then used for impact analysis under the extreme sea-level rise scenarios. The model considers the interaction of (dry)land loss, wetland loss, protection costs and human displacement, assuming perfect adaptation based on cost-benefit analysis. Unlike earlier analyses, response costs are represented in a non-linear manner, including a sensitivity analysis based on response costs. It is found that much of the world’s coast would be abandoned given these extreme scenarios, although according to the global model, significant lengths of the world’s coast are worth defending even in the most extreme case. Hence, this suggests that actual population displacement would be a small fraction of the potential population displacement. This result is consistent with the present distribution of coastal population, which is heavily concentrated in specific areas. Hence a partial defence can protect most of the world’s coastal population. However, protection costs rise substantially diverting large amounts of investment from other sectors, and large areas of (dry)land and coastal wetlands are still predicted to be lost. While some observations of response to abrupt relative sea-level rise due to subsidence support the global model results, detailed case studies of the WAIS collapse in the Netherlands, Thames Estuary and the Rhone delta suggest a greater potential for abandonment than shown by the global model. This probably reflects a range of issues, including: (1) economic criteria such as the cost-benefit ratio is not the only factor which drives response decisions, with wider perceptions of risk driving the actual response; (2) the inefficiencies of adaptation in the real world, including indecision and competition for limited resources; and (3) the possible loss of confidence under the scenario of abrupt climate change. Collectively, these results illustrate an area where there are potential limits to adaptation, even when economic analysis suggests that adaptation will occur. The significant impacts found in the global model together with the potential for greater impacts as found in the detailed case studies shows that the response to abrupt sea-level rise is worthy of further research, including exploring the differing impact results by scale.Abrupt climate change, sea-level rise, coastal impacts, adaptation, adaptation limits

Dobrushin-Kotecky-Shlosman theorem for polygonal Markov fields in the plane

We consider the so-called length-interacting Arak-Surgailis polygonal Markov fields with V-shaped nodes - a continuum and isometry invariant process in the plane sharing a number of properties with the two-dimensional Ising model. For these polygonal fields we establish a low-temperature phase separation theorem in the spirit of the Dobrushin-Kotecky-Shlosman theory, with the corresponding Wulff shape deteremined to be a disk due to the rotation invariant nature of the considered model. As an important tool replacing the classical cluster expansion techniques and very well suited for our geometric setting we use a graphical construction built on contour birth and death process, following the ideas of Fernandez, Ferrari and Garcia.Comment: 59 pages, new version revised according to the referee's suggestions and now publishe

Impact specimen geometry on T23 and TP347HFG steels behaviour during steam oxidation at harsh conditions

Ferritic T23 steel and austenitic TP347HFG steel have been studied with an emphasis on understanding the impact of specimen geometry on their steam oxidation behaviour. The selected materials were tested over a wide range of temperatures from 600 to 750°C. The tests were carried out in 100% steam conditions for 1000 hours. The tests indicated that the ‘curved-shaped’ specimens show slower mass gain, scale ticking and void nucleation rates than ‘bridge-shaped’ specimens (with flat and convex surfaces combined). Furthermore, a bridge TP347HFG sample showed the formation of lower amount of flaky oxide at 750°C.We would like to acknowledge the support of The Energy Programme, which is a Research Councils UK cross council initiative led by EPSRC and contributed to by ESRC, NERC, BBSRC and STFC, and specifically the Supergen initiative (Grants GRyS86334y01 and EPyF029748) and the following companies; Alstom Power Ltd., Doosan Babcock, E.ON, National Physical Laboratory, Praxair Surface Technologies Ltd, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce plc, RWE npower, Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd. and Tata Steel, for their valuable contributions to the project

Tidal influence on Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica: observations of surface flow and basal processes from closely-spaced GPS and passive seismic stations

High-resolution surface velocity measurements and passive seismic observations from Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica, 40 km upstream from the grounding line are presented. These measurements indicate a complex relationship between the ocean tides and currents, basal conditions and ice-stream flow. Both the mean basal seismicity and the velocity of the ice stream are modulated by the tides. Seismic activity increases twice during each semi-diurnal tidal cycle. The tidal analysis shows the largest velocity variation is at the fortnightly period, with smaller variations superimposed at diurnal and semi-diurnal frequencies. The general pattern of the observed velocity is two velocity peaks during each semi-diurnal tidal cycle, but sometimes three peaks are observed. This pattern of two or three peaks is more regular during spring tides, when the largest-amplitude velocity variations are observed, than during neap tides. This is the first time that velocity and level of seismicity are shown to correlate and respond to tidal forcing as far as 40 km upstream from the grounding line of a large ice stream

Two phase detonation studies

An experimental study of the passage of a shock wave over a burning fuel drop is described. This includes high speed framing photographs of the interaction taken at 500,000 frames per second. A theoretical prediction of the ignition of a fuel drop by a shock wave is presented and the results compared with earlier experimental work. Experimental attempts to generate a detonation in a liquid fuel drop (kerosene)-liquid oxidizer drop (hydrogen peroxide)-inert gas-environment are described. An appendix is included which gives the analytical prediction of power requirements for the drop generator to produce certain size drops at a certain mass rate. A bibliography is also included which lists all of the publications resulting from this research grant

Andreev Probe of Persistent Current States in Superconducting Quantum Circuits

Using the extraordinary sensitivity of Andreev interferometers to the superconducting phase difference associated with currents, we measure the persistent current quantum states in superconducting loops interrupted by Josephson junctions. Straightforward electrical resistance measurements of the interferometers give continuous read-out of the states, allowing us to construct the energy spectrum of the quantum circuit. The probe is estimated to be more precise and faster than previous methods, and can measure the local phase difference in a wide range of superconducting circuits.Comment: Changes made in light of referees comments; to appear in PR

Ejaculate allocation by male sand martins, Riparia riparia

Males of many species allocate sperm to ejaculates strategically in response to variation in the risk and intensity of sperm competition. The notable exception is passerine birds, in which evidence for strategic allocation is absent. Here we report the results of a study testing for strategic ejaculate allocation in a passerine bird, the sand martin (Riparia riparia). Natural ejaculates were collected from males copulating with a model female. Ejaculates transferred in the presence of a rival male contained significantly more sperm than ejaculates transferred in the absence of a rival male. There was no evidence that this difference was due to the confounding effects of the year of ejaculate collection, the identity of the model female, the colony, the stage of season or the period of the day in which ejaculates were collected. A more detailed examination of the ejaculate patterns of individual males, achieved by the DNA profiling of ejaculates, provided additional evidence for strategic allocation of sperm

Isolation of microsatellite loci in the Capricorn silvereye, Zosterops lateralis chlorocephalus (Aves : Zosteropidae)

The Capricorn silvereye (Zosterops lateralis chlorocephalus ) is ideally suited to investigating the genetic basis of body size evolution. We have isolated and characterized a set of microsatellite markers for this species. Seven out of 11 loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles detected ranged from two to five and observed heterozygosities between 0.12 and 0.67. One locus, ZL49, was found to be sex-linked. This moderate level of diversity is consistent with that expected in an isolated, island population