Search

N2O emissions from agricultural, forest and grassland ecosystems in China were in situ measured by closed chamber method, and estimation of total annual N2O emissions from these ecosystems and a technique mitigating N2O emission from agricultural soil were reported. The results showed: (1) the annual emissions of N2O from rice, maize, soybean and wheat field, temperate forest and temperate grassland in China were 1.08–2.99, 0.47–4.51, 1.98, 1.02–2.93, 0.28–1.28 and 0.27–0.61 kg N 2 O – N ha −1 , respectively. The total annual N2O emissions from agricultural, forest and temperate grassland ecosystems in China were estimated as 152.49, 94.10 and 112.13 Gg N, respectively. Industrially co-crystallized ammonium bicarbonate (AB) with dicyandiamide, substituting for ammonium bicarbonate in China, decreased N2O emission significantly from a meadow brown soil in laboratory (80.2% at soil moisture 12% and 40.0% at soil moisture 22%, respectively) and upland field condition (74.0%).

This article briefly investigates the use of Augustine as an authority from the early church in John Calvin’s writings. Calvin frequently referred to and quoted Augustine in his writings. Augustine undoubtedly exerted an influence on Calvin’s views and arguments. This article traces Calvin’s use of Augustine in his writings chronologically as they were published since 1532. In addition, a data analysis provides relevant information in order to argue a scrutinised exposition of Augustine’s influence on Calvin’s thinking. The article does not try to compare the theologies of Augustine and Calvin, nor to establish a theory that would reveal Augustine’s influence on Calvin’s theology. This investigation suggests methodological help for further research in this regard.

New formulation technologies have been developed for application in semiconductive conductor shield compounds. These technologies offer several advantages for conductor shields relative to the traditional polyethylene copolymers of alkyl-acrylate, or vinyl-acetate, that have been in commercial use for over 30 years. New semiconductive conductor shield compounds have been tested extensively both in the laboratory and on insulated power cables. A conventional shield class of product was produced with the new technology utilizing a furnace black. It was used to manufacture a commercial scale 15 kV cable with XLPE insulation. This cable was then tested in long term wet aging under 4,4' ACLT conditions and found to exhibit excellent performance. The cable extrusion study showed excellent processability in comparison to conventional shields.

The electroluminescence test is a relatively new technique to investigate the dielectric performance of semiconductive shields and crosslinked polyethylene insulation interfaces. It is based on the electric field (voltage) at which light emission occurs as a result of charge injection and carriers recombination for a given sample geometry. A standardized sample geometry with a semicon needle-plane electrode was utilized under amplified voltage in a dry condition to monitor the electroluminescence inception voltages of crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) and tree retardant crosslinked polyethylene insulation (TR XLPE). It resulted that EL inception voltage of TR XLPE is higher than that of XLPE. In water tree growth test, TR XLPE demonstrated to retard water tree growth under the wet aging condition.

A continuously variable ER (electro-rheological) damper for a passenger vehicle is proposed and its control characteristics are investigated. First, the field-dependent yield stress of arabic gum-based ER fluid is obtained using a couette type electroviscometer. The Bingham model with the yield stress is then incorporated into the governing equation of motion of the ER damper, which is derived from a bond graph model. After verifying that the damping force of the ER damper can be continuously tuned by the intensity of the electric field, a skyhook control algorithm is formulated to achieve the desired damping forces. Subsequently, control performances to track the desired damping force are evaluated through both computer simulation and experimental realization. In addition, time response characteristics of the ER damper to a high frequency control voltage are presented.