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A five-foot-diameter, spherical, thin-walled, steel shell, simulating a nuclear reactor outer containment vessel, was lined with three different shock absorbing materials and subjected to internal blast loading from Pentolite explosive charges. Strain-time histories of shell response were measured with strain gages on the shell's outer surface. Peak strains generated in the lined shells were approximately one-half those recorded with the same shell when unlined. The results suggest the feasibility of increasing the blast resistance of outer containment vessels of nuclear reactors through the use of a suitable lining material. (Author). ; Department of the Army project no. 503-04-002. ; "April 1961" ; BRL-1341 ; A five-foot-diameter, spherical, thin-walled, steel shell, simulating a nuclear reactor outer containment vessel, was lined with three different shock absorbing materials and subjected to internal blast loading from Pentolite explosive charges. Strain-time histories of shell response were measured with strain gages on the shell's outer surface. Peak strains generated in the lined shells were approximately one-half those recorded with the same shell when unlined. The results suggest the feasibility of increasing the blast resistance of outer containment vessels of nuclear reactors through the use of a suitable lining material. (Author). ; Mode of access: Internet.

Item 434-A-10 ; "FEA/D-75/629." ; Prepared by Jim Rathwell and Gwendolyn Gales. ; Mode of access: Internet.

Haiti has long faced severe natural and human-created hazards due to its location in the Caribbean hurricane zone and to widespread deforestation. Hazards including storms, floods, and droughts have highly destructive impacts on buildings, land, water, livestock, and people in Haiti. The poorest Haitians, including low-income women, children, and elderly people, are especially vulnerable. The prospects for building Haiti's resilience to climate change are closely tied to post-earthquake reconstruction. As Haiti prepares for more disasters and rebuilds significant parts of its infrastructure, there is a real opportunity to integrate climate resilience into these efforts. This report analyses Haiti's adaptive capacity, adaptation options, and finance and governance issues. It makes recommendations on resilience building and identifies climate-change adaptation needs and opportunities. ; Haïti a subi plusieurs importantes catastrophes naturelles et provoquées ces dernières années, du fait de sa localisation dans la zone cyclonique des Caraïbes et d’un déboisement accéléré. Ces catastrophes (tempêtes, inondations, sécheresses) ont des effets dévastateurs sur les personnes, les constructions, les terres, l’eau et le bétail en Haïti. Les Haïtiens les plus pauvres, dont les femmes, les enfants et les personnes âgées, sont particulièrement vulnérables. Les perspectives pour l’adaptation au changement climatique en Haïti sont aujourd’hui intimement liées aux projets de reconstruction post-séisme. Le pays étant désormais soucieux d’investir dans la préparation aux catastrophes et la reconstruction de ses infrastructures, il est essentiel de saisir cette occasion pour intégrer l’adaptation au changement climatique aux efforts de reconstruction. Ce rapport analyse la capacité d’adaptation d’Haïti, les options d’adaptation et les problèmes de financement et de gouvernance. Il présente des recommandations relatives à la construction de la résilience et identifie des besoins et des opportunités d’adaptation face au changement ...

In the series University of Florida Digital Collections. ; Includes vita. ; (Bibliography) Includes bibliographical references. ; (Source of Description) Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page. ; (Source of Description) This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The University of Florida Libraries, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. ; (Statement of Responsibility) by Douglas Renk. ; (Thesis) Thesis (M.S.)--University of Florida, 2009. ; (Local) Adviser: Pullammanappallil, Pratap C.

text ; This dissertation examines the application of various classical root finding methods to digital maximum power point tracking (DMPPT). An overview of root finding methods such as the Newton Raphson Method (NRM), Secant Method (SM), Bisection Method (BSM), Regula Falsi Method (RFM) and a proposed Modified Regula Falsi Method (MRFM) applied to photovoltaic (PV) applications is presented. These methods are compared among themselves. Some of their features are also compared with other commonly used maximum power point (MPP) tracking methods. Issues found when implementing these root finding methods based on continuous variables in a digital domain are explored. Some of these discussed issues include numerical stability, digital implementation of differential operators, and quantization error. Convergence speed is also explored. The analysis is used to provide practical insights into the design of a DMPPT based on classical root finding algorithms. A new DMPPT based on a MRFM is proposed and used as the basis for the discussion. It is shown that this proposed method is faster than the other discussed methods that ensure convergence to the MPP. The discussion is approached from a practical perspective and also includes theoretical analysis to support the observations. Extensive simulation and experimental results with hardware prototypes verify the analysis. ; Electrical and Computer Engineering

The objective of the study is to: (i) assess the adequacy of the existing heat and electricity tariff levels for achieving financial viability of the energy sector operators; (ii) analyze the distributional implications of energy tariff increases; and (iii) assess the effectiveness of the existing social assistance programs and how to adjust them to mitigate the impact of energy tariff increase on the poor This report presents the key findings and recommendations for the Government of Moldova as well as other energy sector stakeholders. The report starts with a synopsis that summarizes the key findings and recommendations. The main report section starts with an introduction to country context, presents the design of tariff setting methodologies, and assesses the adequacy of tariffs based on constructed scenarios. Thereafter analysis of the distributional impact of projected range of tariff increases and the need to adjust the social assistance programs to mitigate the impact on the poor are presented. The report concludes with recommendations for the government on actions to be implemented on tariff setting methodologies and social assistance as well as areas for further research. Appendices include further background information of the analysis.

"Issued December 1980." ; "Building Economics and Regulatory Technology Division, Center for Building Technology, National Engineering Laboratory, National Bureau of Standards." ; Includes bibliographical references. ; Mode of access: Internet.

It will be important for land managers, ecological researchers and policymakers to understand how predicted climate changes may affect the flora of Illinois. A climate change vulnerability assessment was completed in 2011 for the162 Animal Species in Greatest Need of Conservation using NatureServe’s Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) tool. Here we selected 73plant species found in Illinois and calculated their relative vulnerabilities to predicted climate changes, also using the NatureServe CCVI tool. We selected species from several groups that we felt would be broadly representative of the Illinois flora. These groups included: rare plants, invasive plants, important prairie species, important woodland/savanna species, important forest species, and plants important to society. We compiled and entered data regarding both the species’ exposures to predicted climate changes and their sensitivities to those changes. Exposures were determined by overlapping species range maps for Illinois with maps of temperature and moisture (AET:PET) predictions for the middle of this century. Species sensitivities were determined by interviewing between 4 and 12 experts for each plant species. Experts answered questions found in the CCVI tool regarding the species’ biologies, ecologies and behaviors. Results for each individual survey were averaged for each species. Results fell into one of five vulnerability categories: Extremely Vulnerable, Highly Vulnerable, Moderately Vulnerable, Not Vulnerable/Presumed Stable, and Not Vulnerable/Increase Likely. Results for these 73species in Illinois fell into all 5 vulnerability categories, with the majority (67%) falling into the Presumed Stable category. The species most vulnerable to predicted climate changes were all of conservation concern; most were federal or state listed species. Native species tended to be more vulnerable than non-natives, and plants important to prairies, savannas and forests were equally vulnerable to predicted changes. The four species were ranked as ...

Photosynthetic light-harvesting proceeds by the collection and highly efficient transfer of energy through a network of pigment-protein complexes. Inter-chromophore electronic couplings and interactions between pigments and the surrounding protein determine energy levels of excitonic states and dictate the mechanism of energy flow. The excitonic structure (orientation of excitonic transition dipoles) of pigment-protein complexes is generally deduced indirectly from x-ray crystallography in combination with predictions of transition energies and couplings in the chromophore site basis. Here, we demonstrate that coarse-grained excitonic structural information in the form of projection angles between transition dipole moments can be obtained from polarization-dependent two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy of an isotropic sample, particularly when the nonrephasing or free polarization decay signal rather than the photon echo signal is considered. The method provides an experimental link between atomic and electronic structure and accesses dynamical information with femtosecond time resolution. In an investigation of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex from green sulfur bacteria, energy transfer connecting two particular exciton states in the protein is isolated as being the primary contributor to a cross peak in the nonrephasing 2D spectrum at 400 fs under a specific sequence of polarized excitation pulses. The results suggest the possibility of designing experiments using combinations of tailored polarization sequencesto separate and monitor individual relaxation pathways.

The use of heliostats for hot water supply has a wide application in the southern regions of Russia, where there is a sufficient amount of solar radiation. The article presents GOSTs and international standards for the use of solar installations. The amount of solar radiation coming to the surface of the earth in different regions of Russia is described. The purpose of the article is defined. Arguments for the application of solar collector as a source of hot water supply for greenhouses in the Rostov region are presented. The tables also show statistical data on cloud cover and the number of sunny days by month. The main characteristics of the solar collector, the area of application and advantages and disadvantages are presented.