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ABSTRACT As the coolest region in China, Northeast China has long and severe winters and is a main region for the use of central heating. Accurately predicting the heating energy consumption in Northeast China is very important for energy management and planning. Based on daily mean temperature data from 70 weather stations, this study investigated the spatiotemporal changes in the starting date for heating ( HS), the end date for heating ( HE), and the length ( HL) and the heating degree days ( HDD) of the heating period in Northeast China. Over Northeast China, regional averaged HS has become later by 0.77 days decade−1 and HE has become earlier by 1.19 days decade−1 during 1960-2011. Accordingly, regional averaged HL and HDD decreased significantly by 1.97 days decade−1 and 66.28 °C decade−1 respectively; this implies a decreasing demand for heating throughout the region. Spatially, the temporal trends of each heating variable varied in different locations. The spatial patterning of the HL trend was unlike that of the HDD trend due to different responses of HL and HDD to climate change. Temperature increase seems to have larger impacts on HL in warm south localities but more obvious effects on HDD in cold north localities of Northeast China. These different sensitivities of HL and HDD to temperature change should be considered when attempts are made to predict heating energy consumption in Northeast China in a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the daily electric power load and meteorological data over the period from January 2006 to September 2010 in Beijing, the general features of the electric power load and the main factors affecting this load have been analysed. The results indicate that winter and summer are the two peak power consumption seasons in each year. This finding could be mainly attributed to the consumption of energy for urban residential cooling or heating. In the summer, the daily minimum temperature was most closely correlated with the maximum power load (correlation co-efficient of 0.65, significant at the 0.1% level); the primary effect of temperature on the maximum power load varied largely from 376 to 858 MW °C −1, and it increased sharply when the daily minimum temperature was higher than 24 °C or the daily maximum temperature was higher than 32 °C. In the winter, the daily maximum temperature was most closely correlated with the power load (−0.45, 0.1% significance), and the primary effect varied from 109 to 391 MW °C −1. However, the relationship between the power load and the temperature was more complicated in the winter: this relationship varied during the central heating period and its pre- and post-periods. Moreover, the temperature humidity index (THI) could explain more of the variance in the daily maximum power load than any single temperature factor in the summer, while the wind-chill temperature index (WCT) did not contribute to this variance in the winter. Finally, due to the rapid urbanization of Beijing, the power load and the priamry effect increased each year. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gel strength of surimi made from Alaska pollock, common carp, grass carp, and silver carp was determined and compared for different incubation temperatures and periods. Gel strength and setting of the 3 freshwater fish species were inferior to that of Alaska pollock. Effects of the protein concentration, heating temperature and heating period on the gel strength were evaluated and compared utilizing the response surface methodology. Models for the breaking force and breaking distance of the surimi of the 4 species were established. Protein concentration was the major factor affecting the gel strength. Effects of heating temperature and heating period had differed somewhat among the surimi of the 4 species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]